County Prep Students Finalists in Prevention Concert 2016 NJ Shout Down Drugs

County Prep's very own Juan Ferreira, Alexia Velazquez, and Ayman Abdalla, as the Band "AJAni," are the Hudson County finalists in the 2016 NJ Shout Down Drugs Prevention Concert.

Cast your vote today through May 24th for their song "Death Train" by visiting the link: 

http://www.shoutdowndrugs.com/contestants/profile/259/

Please Vote for County Prep Senior Kathleen DeGuzman in HCIAL Softball Poll

County Prep students, faculty, and staff can vote for Senior Softball player Kathleen DeGuzman as the best softball player in the HCIAL poll.  Simply visit the link below. Good luck, Kathleen!

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/3739597556612120030/vote-now-who-is-the-best-softball-player-in-the-hcial/

County Prep 9th & 10th Graders Attend "Dare to Dream Student Leadership Conference"

On April 22nd, County Prep 9th and 10th graders attended the Dare to Dream Student Leadership Conference held at St.Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City.  The conference featured accomplished students and adults with challenges who have demonstrated exemplary self-advocacy and leadership skills.  The purpose of this event was to empower students to help them transition from high school to adulthood. Some of the workshops attended included "The Walk of Courage on Display," "Clear and Concise Communication," and "Ball of Decisions."  It was a dynamic structured learning experience for all who attended.

County Prep Produces Panasonic’s Top Ten Video of 2016

Congratulations to County Prep’s Audio Visual Production students Ebony Torres, Azhar Ali, and Jeymmy Cuevas who placed in the Top Ten of Panasonic’s Kid Witness News National Video Competition! A Moment in the Life of Shihan is a mini-documentary about Ebony’s father, Ed Torres, and his life in the world of martial arts.

Ebony Torres was inspired by her father and the various stories he shared with her about the obstacles he faced to become a Shihan, a martial arts master instructor. In the film, Torres documented her father’s impact on the countless lives of his students. Some students came in as troubled teens from broken homes and through his mentorship, they grew up to be successful adults. Ebony Torres hoped to share his story to inspire others.

Panasonic’s Kid Witness News is a global video education program supported by Panasonic, with the aim of boosting creativity and communication skills. More than 175,000 children around the world have participated in the KWN program since it first began in the U.S. in 1989.

Congratulations to Ebony Torres, Azhar Ali, and Jeymmy Cuevas on their hard-work!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cnQfQ8TMlg

County Prep’s Audio Visual Production Seniors Win Silver at NJ SkillsUSA Championships

(Somerset, NJ—April 16, 2016) County Prep seniors, Azhar Ali and Jeymmy Cuevas of Jersey City, competed at the 2016 NJ SkillsUSA Championships. The Audio Visual Production students created Beauty and Beyond for the Digital Cinema Production competition and won silver. The short film shined a spotlight on body image and self-expression.

 Beauty and Beyond featured a diverse cast of County Prep students and teachers. In the short film, the cast shared stories of their personal struggles with body image.

The team of seniors worked in collaboration with Mrs. Warfel-Sandler to create a video using the dance facility, the Synergy Theater. Teachers Ms. Degise, Ms. Granato, Mr. Greco, and students Alexia Velazquez, Josh T. Dunn, and Patricia Ramirez are among those featured in the film. 

 SkillsUSA is the largest United States vocational and technical student organization serving more than 320,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUmXh6WWM4

Awards Ceremony for Mr. Bejerano's French Class at County Prep High School

Last Friday, April 22nd students from Mr. Bejerano's French Classes were awarded with recognition certificates for their outstanding participation in the French Workshop-Play which was done on April 8, 2016 at County Prep. High School.  Mr. Eddy Contreras, Liaison for World Language Programs, Mr. Bejerano, French Teacher and students from different classes attended the event.

High Tech Music & Audio Tech Students Perform at Jazz Club

(Montclair, NJ—April 5, 2016) High Tech High School Music & Audio Tech students took the stage for this year’s Chica Power Jazz Night, a five-week, free workshop at Trumpets Jazz Club, which focuses on empowering young women in musical performances, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Three High Tech freshmen music majors and North Bergen residents, Daniela Garcia-Escobar, an alto sax player, Brenda Gutierrez, who plays tenor sax, and Sarah DeCaro, a drummer, performed at Chica Power Jazz Night, the first time any of them had done so.  This annual event at Trumpets, sponsored by Jazz House Kids, provides girls 19 and younger the opportunity to learn about jazz performance and play in an ensemble, even with little or no prior experience.

Girls like Garcia-Escobar, Gutierrez, and DeCaro only have to play an instrument.  At the conclusion of the workshop, they actually perform before a live audience.

Jazz House Kids, the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz, ensures that every child has access to music, education, mentoring, and apprenticeships.  Founded by vocalist Melissa Walker, wife of Grammy award-winning bassist—and Artistic Director—Christian McBride, Jazz House offers students musical education, sponsors various year-round activities, and provides scholarship opportunities.

Students Perform 1st French Workshop-Play at County Prep High School

For the first time at County Prep, 9th grade students from French classes performed a Workshop-Play "Oh lã lã Café Français” in the ITV-ROOM.  On April 8th, Principal Ms. Mendolla along with others administrators, staff and students from different classes attended the show.  Mr.Bejerano who conducted the presentation explained, " This is not a real Workshop, nor is it a play; it is a little bit of both. We wanted to show something different in order to break the daily routine. Also, we wanted to share how engaged the students are in French classes and how they enjoy demonstrating their abilities to communicate using a foreign language." 

   Mr. Bejerano thanked the following staff and administrators who supported this project: Ms. Barbara Mendolla—School Principal, Michele DiSanto— Secretary, Mr. Wilkis Figuereo and Mr.Kyle Matthews-Audio Tech. and Music Teacher, Ms. Nicole Pica, TV Production, Mr. Francisco Pereira, Art Teacher, Mr. Joseph Delesky, Chef -Culinary, Mrs. Janet Patten, School Store, Mr. Kevin  Rodriguez, Kitchen Staff and Mr. Justin Josiah, Kitchen Staff.

High Tech U.S. History Classes Climb Mt. Tammany Trail to Reconstruct Lewis and Clark Expedition

(Columbia, NJ—April 8, 2016) High Tech Social Studies teacher Ronald Kliesh brought his three U.S. History I classes to Worthington State Park in a clever attempt to simulate Lewis and Clark’s expedition, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

“The hike was a bit difficult,” says Kliesh, “and students had to work together to make it to the top of the Mt. Tammany Trail.”

Kliesh’s students enjoyed the hike, of course, but they also really got to appreciate the labors of the Lewis and Clark team.  Reaching the top of a mountain proves an exhilarating endeavor for novice and experienced hikers alike, and with that in mind, some students had approached the climb as a once in a lifetime experience. 

So many students in urban communities never get the opportunity to hike.  Moreover, teamwork keeps any group going, as when Kliesh’s students clung to a rope provided for hikers, so as to guide themselves along the mountain trail, part of an essential group effort.  Alas, group efforts allowed for the success of the Lewis and Clark’s expedition, one of the great real-life American stories of all time.  

Explore 2000 Middle School's Ancient Civilization Showcase

On March 22, 2016, the students of Explore 2000 Middle School presented a showcase of their projects on the subject of ancient civilizations. There were displays of ancient architecture from Rome, Greece and Egypt; descriptions of the aspects of early life in Greece, Rome, China and Egypt and a fashion show given by gods, goddesses, rulers and a hero of Egypt, Rome and Greece.

The students of Mr. Dunphy and Ms Bermas gave a tour through ancient lands by dividing the classroom into four areas, each with exhibits of art, mathematics, sciences, architectures and the daily life of ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt and China. Students explained each area and then the audience moved on to the next ancient territory. Alexander Vogiatzis, second year student, participated in the ancient Egypt portion, presenting sports and games of the time. He was comfortable with the similarities to our modern past times. His favorite board games were Senet and Mehen. Among the sports were versions of hockey and soccer. Alexander enjoyed the way that the project expanded on what he learned from the field experience at the Metropolitan Museum.

The Unfashionably Late Fashion Show was given by the students of Ms Garrett and Ms Norcia. The Master of Ceremonies was Zeus and the judges were Dionysus of Rome, Ma'at of Egypt and Apollo of Greece. Personalities from mythology, attired in 21st century clothes, spoke of their positions in the pantheons and accepted a rating - not always happily - from the judges. Sydney Perelson, second year student, who brought the Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis, to life, said that the students involved developed the show themselves with some help from their facilitators. She chose to portray Artemis, the goddess of chastity, the hunt, the moon and the natural environment, daughter of Zeus and Leto an twin sister of Apollo. She liked playing the strong woman symbol. Sydney knew a lot about ancient Greece, especially the mythology and enjoyed the project.

Ms Gizulewska and Ms Benito's students built models of famous architecture from the ancient world. Teams built, researched and prepared presentations in written, oral and video media. Rome was represented by the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Temple of Jupiter Maximus Optimus and Saint Peter's Basilica. From Greece was the Valley of Temples, the Parthenon and the Trojan Horse.

Makena Ortiz, third year student, was part of the team that built a replica of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus. They are the twins of the sign of Gemini. The temple was constructed in the Roman Forum in their honor in gratitude for the victory of the Battle of Lake Regillus. Makena said that the school visit to the Metropolitan Museum helped her understand the sculptures in the temple. Egypt's greatness was seen in the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Djoser - the first pyramid of ancient Egypt.

All of the students participated in in the many projects, making the ancient world come alive

High Tech’s Hank Portney and Sophia Velasquez to Attend the 2016 Governor’s School of New Jersey

(Trenton, NJ—April 11, 2016) High Tech’s Hank Portney of Jersey City and Bayonne resident Sophia Velasquez will attend the Governor’s School of Engineering & Technology and the Governor’s School in the Sciences, respectively, this summer, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Students who apply to the Governor’s School of New Jersey must maintain an impressive GPA and stellar grades in math and the sciences, must have earned exceptional PSAT and SAT scores, and must possess a strong desire to perform research in STEM fields. 

The High Tech Science Department reviewed applications from its upperclassmen and recommended Portney and Velasquez after the Science Department determined that the pair had met the aforementioned nomination requirements for the Governor’s School of new Jersey.  The Governor’s School of New Jersey reviews approximately 600 to 800 applications from nominees. 

Of the nominees, the best and brightest young scholars, fewer than 25% receive acceptance letters, making admission to the Governor’s School of New Jersey a very competitive process indeed.

Portney will attend the Governor’s School of Engineering & Technology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick and Velasquez will attend the Governor’s School in the Sciences at Drew University this July for four weeks and three weeks, respectively.

Established in 1983, the Governor’s School of New Jersey offers a tuition-free, summer residential for high-achieving high school students who possess an interest in STEM fields.  Currently, only two programs, the Governor’s School in the Sciences and the Governor’s School of Engineering & Technology, exist.  These programs attract New Jersey students from diverse economic backgrounds who have completed their junior year in any public or private high school or have been home-schooled.  The students receive hands-on research experience geared toward inspiring young scholars to major in STEM fields in college.

Seven High Tech Students Qualify to Enter the 2017 National Merit® Scholarship Program

(Evanston, IL—April 13, 2016) High Tech High School juniors Amanda Chang of Bayonne, Harrison resident Mingyu Zhao, Hoboken resident Jacob Grossbard, Hank Portney of Jersey City, Kearny resident Kevin Shi, and Shreyas Agarwal and Fujia Ren of Secaucus have met the qualifications for the National Merit® Scholarship Program, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

With a selection Index score of 209 or above, each student ranks among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants of those 1.5 million program entrants.  Because they have demonstrated outstanding academic potential, they will be referred by the College Plans Reporting Service (CPRS) to two U.S. colleges or universities that interest them. 

Of these 50,000 highest-scoring participants, about 16,000 will be recognized as National Merit Program semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 other high scorers will be commended for their performances on the PSAT/NMSQT.  Semifinalists will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for Merit Scholarship® awards.

Explore 2000 Middle School Spirit Week

The week of March 7 - 11, 2016 brought the students and staff of Explore 2000 Middle School together for originality, creativity and fundraising expressed through activities, special snacks and ingenious outfits all planned by the third year students.

Mix and Match Monday organized by Makena Ortiz, Angelina Ponce, Aleema Ali, Aaron Joshua, Daniel McLain and Jonathan Pham. Students who paid $5 a week or $2 a day to participate in the costume theme instead of their uniforms mixed unmatched patterns, colors and styles for Mix & Match day. In one case a student mixed up super hero outfits. The after lunch snack was Sundaes on Monday. A cup of ice cream and up to three toppings were available for $3. The activity during recess was a tug of war in six rounds with four teams of students and staff.

Twin Tuesday, organized by Monday's crew with the addition of Danielle Pinto called for two or more people to dress the same, the snack was ice pop bars and the activity was a Twin Fashion Show. The winners were first year students Daniel Lozano and Christopher Rivera.

Way Back Wednesday offered participants the chance to wear clothes that reflected a time from the past or just from their own past. Jonathan Pham, Christopher Casavecchia and Aaron Joshua were the brains behind this day. The snacks were popcorn and juice and the activity was pie in the face.

Team Jersey Thursday allowed students and staff to wear shirts, hats and other items showing off their favorite teams. Snacks were fruit, granola bars and sports drinks. Basketball and volleyball were the activities, continuing the sports theme conceived by Avery Williams, Shahber Tahir, Michael Ganess and Cesar Betancurth.

Formal Friday ended the week with a touch of class, organized by the same team as Thursday. All were invited to wear formal clothing, decorate their own cupcakes for a snack and join in on a school dance. There was also the opportunity to be Principal for the day.

Niche Ranks High Tech 12th in Top 25 Best Public High Schools in America

(North Bergen, NJ—April 1, 2016) The online ratings/review website Niche ranked High Tech 12^th among the top 25 best public high schools in the country, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Niche factors academics into 50% of its final rankings.  High Tech earned an “A+” in academics, administration and policies, educational outcomes, food, health and safety, resources and facilities, student culture and diversity, and teachers as well.  The school has an average graduation rate of 95%, with 92% of students proficient in math and 95% proficient in reading.  High Tech has also been ranked 3^rd in New Jersey.

“High Tech High School and our entire district have received numerous awards over the years because of the incredible work being done every day by our students, faculty, staff, and administrators,” says Hudson County Schools of Technology Superintendent of Schools Frank Gargiulo.  “Our district strives to bring innovative new programs to our students to enrich their academics and prepare them for successful future in the careers of their choice."

High Tech offers career-focused programs in disciplines such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), performing arts, visual arts, and culinary arts.  The school serves 654 students and accepts applications from hundreds of Hudson County students every year.  Since its inauguration in 1991, High Tech has received many awards, including a Blue Ribbon Schools award, medals from U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best Schools Rankings, the Governor’s School of Excellence award, and many others.

High Tech High School Hosts Its First TEDx Event on Chaos and Harmony

(North Bergen, NJ—March 24, 2016) High Tech High School joined the growing TEDx Program phenomenon through the inauguration of a TEDx event, organized by Social Studies instructor Lou Minervini and seniors George Iskander of Bayonne and Sabina Ohkawa of Kearny, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The TEDx event focused on our world as dictated by chaos and imperfect harmony.  Speakers explored these aforementioned antipodes from the perspectives of creative human expression to the scientific and mathematical laws that govern the cosmos.

The TEDx event featured the following six High Tech student speakers: Sarah Bacha of North Bergen, who offered a classicist study of chaos and harmony; Guttenberg resident Jose Flores approached the antipodes through the medium of photography; Edsel Engalla and Xi’an Tate of Jersey City also contributed; and Secaucus residents Aaleah Oliver and Felix Pasko, too, the latter addressing the transgender context.

These professionals and alumni also presented talks for attendees: Jared Krinsky, an instructor and High Tech alumnus, shared his ideas through the lens of multimedia; instructor Michael Diamond framed the topic in the context of the narrative; Hemal Gosai, also a High Tech alumnus and currently a finance student at NJIT, handled the subject in travel terms; and Dr. Swati Sathe, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, framed the topic scientifically.

The TEDx Program, designed to assist communities, organizations, and individuals to spark conversations through local TEDx events, offers screenings of TED Talks videos and/or live presentations.  Groups plan and coordinate TEDx events independently under a free license granted by TED.  In short, TEDx exhorts “ideas worth spreading" and supports independent groups who organize a TED-like event in their community.

Six High Tech High Freshmen Receive Distinguished Honors in Letters About Literature Contest

(Washington, D.C.—March 15, 2016) Six High Tech freshmen whose letters had been submitted in the Letters About Literature contest have received Distinguished Honors by judges in the final round at the state level, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Letters About Literature had received almost 2,000 letters from New Jersey students.  After two rounds of judging at the national level, seventy-four letters at the high school level qualified for at least two more rounds of judging at the state level.  Originally, the judges had selected twenty High Tech High School freshmen from these seventy-four letters to advance to the final round.

The following High Tech freshmen, however, have been singled out for Distinguished Honors: Bayonne’s Natalie Skibniewski, who wrote to Madeleine L’Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time; Nicole Lee of Guttenberg, who composed her letter to J.K. Rowling; Kearny’s Andrew Tran, who wrote his letter to Ray Bradbury, the author of the classic Fahrenheit 451; and North Bergen’s Sarah Bacha and Genesis Cevallos, both of whom composed letters to Rick Riordan (The Heroes of Olympus series), and Zhixiu Zheng, who wrote her letter to author John Green of Paper Towns fame.

Letters About Literature, a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12, asks each student to read a book, poem, or speech and compose a letter to the author (whether living or dead) about the ways that the author’s work affected that student personally. Contest judges at state and national levels choose from tens of thousands of letters gleaned from students all across the country.  The 2015-2016 Letters About Literature contest, made possible by a generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, with additional support from gifts to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, celebrates authors who have helped shape America and the world itself.

County Prep Hosts Battle of the Classes Tournament

On February 25th, County Prep High School held its first ever Battle of the Classes tournament. The tournament consisted of the 4 classes: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. Each class competed against each other to win the “Battle of the Classes” trophy. The tournament consisted of 4 events: grand relay, three-point shootout, tug-of-war, and - the most anticipated - the dance battle. The Seniors were victorious and came in first place. The Sophomores came in second, Juniors came in third and Freshmen came in fourth. Special thanks to Kishan Patel, Patricia Ramirez, and Joseph Mamaril who served as the event coordinators. Another special thanks to Snehal Patel, Karina Pereira, Danielle Cortez, Krishna Patel, Jai & Shivam Amin, Zohaib Shahid, Paras Agrawal and all the teachers who helped judge the event.

By: Shivam Amin, Snehal Patel, and Krishna Patel