​County Prep Multicultural Club End-of-the Year Event

The County Prep Multicultural Club hosted an end-of-the-year luncheon at Shalimar BBQ Restaurant to celebrate the richness of diverse cultures and ethnicities within our communities, announced Ms. Barbara Mendolla, Principal of County Prep High School.

Participants sampled sumptuous foods that represented a large variety of ethnic cuisines.  Members of the Multicultural Club and the Business & Technology Club enjoyed this event alike.  Participants represented various nationalities, including Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, Hispanics, and Bangladeshis, in the spirit of coming together to learn about the world’s cultures.

“This was a delightful event and students from all backgrounds made it a great experience,” said Dr. Abbasi, moderator of the Multicultural Club.

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High Tech Students Take Part in the GRAMMY Museum Experience at Prudential Center

(Newark, NJ—December 21, 2017) High Tech students from Robert Dillon’s Rock ‘n’ Roll LEAP course experienced the GRAMMY Museum Experience at Prudential Center, which included a New Jersey Legends exhibit and other exhibits that address the heritage and history of American music, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The GRAMMY Museum Experience at Prudential Center offers exhibits like “Master the Beats with Max Weinberg,” the legendary drummer of the E Street Band. This “in the studio” experience places guests behind the drum kit for an opportunity to share an exclusive lesson from Weinberg on how to play the iconic hit, “Born in the U.S.A.”

Also noteworthy, the GRAMMY Museum and Roland, an innovator in electronic music, have teamed up to create a laboratory of sound called Roland LIVE, in which visitors explore music-making through the eyes and ears of the recording artist.

“My students had a great time with this hands-on museum,” says Dillon.  “They were even able to pretend that they were singing backing vocals for Ray Charles.” 

Also on display at the GRAMMY Museum Experience at Prudential Center, costumes sported by Whitney Houston, Madonna, Beyoncé, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, and Jersey City’s own Kool and the Gang, all of which drew quite a crowd.

“I liked what we learned in [Dillon’s] class and how we were able to connect the information with the artist,” says Maria Sanchez, a resident of North Bergen.

High Tech Holds Another Successful Sock Drive This Year

(North Bergen, NJ—December 18, 2017) High Tech students and staff have collected over 1,500 pairs of socks to benefit the Hoboken Shelter, courtesy of the school’s eighth annual Sock Drive, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Spearheaded by veteran High Tech Language Arts teacher Robert Dillon, This year’s Sock Drive for the Hoboken Shelter surpassed last year’s tally by nearly 700 pairs.  The High Tech Sock Drive began during the week of Thanksgiving and ended during the week before the holiday break. 

The first year that High Tech started its Sock Drive, Dillon and volunteers had collected just over 100 pairs from students and staff.  Since then, each Sock Drive tally has surpassed the previous year’s tally.

“According to the Hoboken Shelter, socks are the number one item that the homeless are in need of,” Dillon acknowledges.  “I don’t look at [the Sock Drive] as the High Tech family collecting 1,500 pairs of socks; I look at it in terms of the High Tech family helping 1,500 people in need.”

Everybody knows of the importance of having warm, dry feet, and thanks to Dillon and the generosity of the High Tech family, some needy people will know this luxury that most of us take for granted.  

The High Tech family collected over 1,500 pairs of socks this year

They'll be many more smiling faces once these gifts reach the Hoboken Shelter

Mr. Robert Dillon, Organizer of the High Tech Sock Drive

High Tech’s French Students Host Holiday Bake Sale

By Laiba Khan

(North Bergen, NJ—December 8, 2017) High Tech’s French Club and French Honor Society teamed up with Dr. Laje Gashi’s French IV class to organize a French Holiday Bake Sale, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The event, spearheaded by French Club president Mously Lo, a resident of Jersey City, and vice president Erica DeLacerda of North Bergen, focused on the main attraction, baked goods. Students from the French Club displayed such desserts as chocolate éclairs, croissants, flan, palmiers, chocolate mousse, and oreillettes. Also, culinary majors baked a Buche de Noёl, better known as a Yule log.  The variety of desserts reflected the diverse sweets consumed by Francophones around this time of the year.

French III and IV students also created their own Boules de Noёl (“ornaments”) for a Christmas tree, correlating to recent lessons on bricolage (“Do it yourself”). While creating her boule de Noёl, French IV student Anna Rezk, a Bayonne resident, produced a tutorial video in French.

“The event helped the lessons come to life,” says Rezk.  “Instead of simply reading about bricolage, I implemented the vocabulary in a real-life setting.”

Additionally, students expanded upon their French language comprehension by writing haiku poems in the language to hang beside decorations.  French III student Andrew Tran, a resident of Kearny, wrote several haikus, combining two of his passions, French and poetry.  Visitors interacted with the “Souhaites de Noёl,” a tree painted by French students that permitted others to post their Christmas wishes.

And so, the French Holiday Cafe brought the French textbook to life and allowed for the entire High Tech community to experience a Holiday Season like never before.

KAS Prep Hosts Holiday Dinner This Year

(North Bergen, NJ—December 5, 2017) KAS Prep, sister school of High Tech and a program that caters to all learning styles in an alternative environment, hosted a Holiday Dinner for its student body, announced Mr. Gerald Lyons, Principal of KAS Prep.

At KAS Prep, each student develops a personalized schedule of academic and career/technical courses, devised with a counselor, to prepare for the foundation for future success. One of KAS Prep’s career clusters, Culinary Arts, under the leadership of Justin Josiah and Byron Avilla, took the lead in planning, cooking, and serving the KAS Prep community of students, families, and staff.

“Our holiday dinner gave the students, their families, and our staff a chance to gather and celebrate the hard work and successes of the KAS Prep program,” says Lyons.  “We’d like to thank the culinary students and staff for the delicious food and contributing to a wonderful time.”

High Tech's D|FAB Academy and KAS Prep Attend World AIDS Awareness Lecture

(North Bergen, NJ—December 1, 2017) Students in High Tech's D|FAB Academy and KAS Prep students participated in an educational program on World AIDS Awareness Day, part of High Tech High School's freshman orientation, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The orientation began with Rob Vassilarakis, A.K.A. “Simply Rob,” a poet, activist, and motivational speaker who gave a powerful spoken word performance in which he recounts living with HIV.  Following his presentation, students participated in Q & A with "Simply Rob."

D|FAB students concluded the orientation by screening the 1993 Emmy Award-winning film And the Band Played On.  Meanwhile, students in KAS Prep's Culinary Arts major baked delicious Red Ribbon cookies to celebrate World AIDS Day.

High Tech Students Stand Out in Performing Arts December Showcase

(North Bergen, NJ—December 5, 2017) Dance, Drama, and Musical Theatre majors at High Tech High School took part in the Performing Arts December Showcase, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The Dance Department showcased four pieces this year.  The Dance I and II majors created an original piece, Elements, a project based on twenty-one solos from a classroom assignment.  Over the course of one month, they collaborated with each other, under the direction of veteran instructor Trista DeFilippis, to amalgamate two larger sections.  An original score by Scott Killian, former High Tech music instructor and composer, accompanied the piece.  Not to be outdone, Dance IV majors presented Suite of Solos I and Suite of Solos II, seven original solos created for their upcoming college auditions.  Along with Dance III major, they performed their piece, originally for the Hudson County Schools of Technology Gala, to a suite of songs by Madonna. 

“[These originals] gave the dancers the opportunity to perform them before a live audience prior to attending their auditions,” notes DeFilippis, Head of the Performing Arts Department. 

Also on display, the Drama Department, under the direction of veteran instructor Deborah Arters, featured performances that emphasized physical expression, storytelling to music, improvisation, and comic and dramatic scenes.  Students acted out scenes from Performance Ensemble 2012, Improv 3, My Big Fat Gay Italian Wedding, and A Hatful of Rain.

Last, but by no means least, the Musical Theatre performed material according to each class's grade level, with all classes collaborating on all performances in the December Showcase.  Rehearsals began in October, and students diligently rehearsed every Friday during their class time.  Theatrical pieces included material from Hairspray, Bring It On, Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, and Rent.

A Day with Dale

Dale Talde was featured on Top Chef, Food Networks “Iron Chef” and among many other TV appearances. He is one of the new creative young chefs in the country. After he found out that five of our students were working in his restaurant. Chef Talde so graciously offered to work with our students and tell his journey into the world of culinary stardom. Chef Talde spent the day working with the students preparing to do a demo for the entire Culinary Arts program. During the demonstration, Dale discussed his challenges, influences, and his goal and expectations in his craft. “Food brings people together” explained Chef Talde, whether it be a special occasion, holiday or even a birthday, “food makes people happy.” It was a great day; we appreciate him taking the time to spend the day working with our students! 

County Prep Theatre Arts Students Attend Time and the Conways on Broadway

The County Prep Theatre Arts vocation students attended the Broadway Production of Time and the Conways, by J. B. Priestley, with Elizabeth McGovern (of “Downton Abbey”), a play under the direction of Tony winner Rebecca Taichman, performed at the American Airlines Theatre venue of the Roundabout theatre.

The play begins in 1919 Britain, where Mrs. Conway, played by Elizabeth McGovern, is hosting a lavish twenty-first birthday celebration for her daughter Kay, and later follows the family nineteen years later as their lives transformed drastically. This “poignant forgotten gem of a play” (Allison Adato, Entertainment Weekly), takes place at the crossroads of today and tomorrow, and weaves themes such as time, choice, chance and destiny.

Our students thoroughly enjoyed the play, loved the versatility of the acting of some of the actors such as Anna Camp, playing older sister Hazel, Charlotte Parry, playing Kay, or Gabriel Ebert, playing the brother, Alan, or Anna Baryshnikov, playing the younger sister Carol. But more importantly they enjoyed the truly human portrayal of the characters, evident in every single performance. Some left the theatre in tears, some left thinking of how choices and decisions affect one’s life.

The students also participated in a question and answer session with the actors, which they found fascinating and inspiring. Overall, this has been a very enriching experience and we are looking forward to more collaboration with the Roundabout Theatre in the near future, says Raluca Shields, the Theatre Arts teacher at Country Prep.

County Prep Interact Club Runs Successful Teens for Jeans Drive

This year's Teens for Jeans drive was a success. Interact Club member Kabir Daniels-Verden organized this year's drive to collect new and lightly worn jeans for less fortunate youth and young adults. Thanks to him and our student body, we were able to collect over two hundred pairs of jeans. The Interact Club would like to thank everyone who donated and participated in this drive. 

Students in High Tech Audio/Visual Production Department Earn Awards at RCNJ Film Festival

(Ramapo, NJ—December 2, 2017) The Ramapo College of New Jersey (RCNJ) Film Festival has awarded Best Cinematography to David Mansour of Bayonne and Best Narrative to Hoboken’s Colm Donston, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Mansour won for his film Dream On.  Donston earned his award for his film Solitaire.

Give Love by Carlos Hernandez of Jersey City and North Bergen resident Sophia Abraham, Black and White by Ivanna Guerrero of West New York and Jersey City resident Amirah Johnson, and First Day by Alana Aninipot, a Secaucus resident, had received nominations as well.

“The amount of work that the students have put in is incredible," says Gregg Ascolese, TV Production instructor. "The students are definitely progressing with all of their individual sets of skills.”

High Tech alone had secured five films in the festival out of a total of 20 selected by the festival committee.

“The jury was very impressed yet again with this year’s films,” says Neel Scott, the Associate Professor of Digital Film at Ramapo College. “We’re very excited to see the filmmakers and watch their films at the festival.”

The RCNJ Film Festival took place at the School of Contemporary Arts on the college campus and welcomed everyone from all walks of life to the screenings.

(from left to right: Amirah Johnson, Ivanna Guerrero, Colm Donston, and David Mansour)

County Prep Dance Residency hosts Katelyn Halpern & Dancers

County Prep Dance instructor Heather Warfel Sandler is thrilled to announce the first annual professional dance company performance through County Prep's Choreographers in Residence Program (CHIRP). Through CHIRP, choreographers are awarded use of the 407 Theater for rehearsals and performance, in exchange for serving as a resident teaching artist throughout the semester.  Students have the opportunity to study with the teaching artist via technique classes, viewing open rehearsals, working behind the scenes on the professional production, mentorship, and learning repertoire.  Katelyn Halpern will set her work Build Up on 14 students for their annual spring concert.  Additionally, the program makes professional modern dance available and accessible to HCST students and staff, and connects our school and students to the Jersey City community.

"Residencies are a common practice in college dance programs.  Using that as a model, and as preparation for our students who will continue their dance training, I envisioned the CHIRP program.  Knowing there is a large population of professional dancers right here in Jersey City made the program even more attainable and gratifying. My students and I are very grateful to Superintendent Frank Gargiulo, Principal Barbara Mendolla, and everyone who was instrumental in supporting this vision." -Heather Warfel Sandler

Fall 2017 CHIRP choreographer Katelyn Halpern commented, "The Choreographers In Residence Program (CHIRP) has been a fantastic experience in all directions. From deepening my community relationships to teaching in County Prep's dance program to enjoying creative support for my dance company, it has been simply wonderful. CHIRP made it possible for my company to create a brand new, full scale dance work, and mount it in one of the best theaters in Jersey City, plus enabling me to bring that creative energy to the bright, hardworking dance students at the high school. I know I'm gushing, but it's a win-win-win-everybody-wins program, and I'm so grateful for the experience."

Please support Katelyn Halpern & Dancers and the Choreographers in Residence Program by coming to the show!

Loose Heart | a new evening from Katelyn Halpern & Dancers
December 14-15 at 8:00pm
County Prep High School
525 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ; enter on Bright St.
Tickets $5-20 https://looseheart.brownpapertickets.com/

Loose Heart traces an inner landscape of longing. Lines of speech and dialogue weave through the dance, matching the movement in weight and abstraction. An overgrown green blanket shape-shifts from ground to nest to tent to net, softening a fall or binding a body. In a predominantly dark world, dancers offer the reassurance that the heart in question isn't broken; it's just loose.

Loose Heart is performed by Arianna Dunmire, Julia Galanski, and Myssi Robinson and features sound design by Elliot Cole. It is the company's second major work.

High Tech Hosts 2nd “Havoc on the Hudson” Robotics Competition

(North Bergen, NJ—November 4, 2017) High Tech High School teams in Robotics, under the supervision of facilitators Alba Simon and Harry Peles, hosted their second “Havoc on the Hudson” competition involving sixteen high schools, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech. 

The Robotics competition proved highly successful, thanks to the great collaboration between FIRST FTC and High Tech teams 9554, 7994, and 10633.

“Our Robotics coaches, mentors, parents and students worked hard to prepare for this great competition,” says Jamie Velazquez, History, College Articulation Liaison at the Digital Design and Fabrication Academy (D|FAB) at High Tech High School.

Students who participated in the Robotics Competition gained skills such as teamwork, problem solving, programming, and engineering design that will continue to be employed and developed throughout the competition season. 

County Prep's FCCLA Delegation Earns Multiple Awards and Recognition

County Prep’s FCCLA delegation attended the NJ Fall Leadership Conference in Edison NJ

on November 20, 2017. The conference was attended by 600 students from all across New Jersey.

Our students were awarded several 1st place gold medals in the Fashion, Culinary, and Video competitions. Alexa Acuna achieved 1st Place Gold and perfect score in “Passion for Fashion Design Challenge.” Adam Concepcion received a 1st gold medal in the Apple Bake off event and was awarded a $2000 scholarship to CIA

Additional Awards:

Apple Bake Off - Anjelica Vides – 2nd Place Silver Medal

Cup Cake Challenge

Jake Trebour, Giovanna Mezzasalma, Pamela Hernandez – 3rd Place Gold Medal

Zinah Ennasri and Valeria Rosado – 1st Place Gold Medal

Passion for Fashion - Esmeralda Garcia –Gold Medal

Tune into FCCLA Promotional Video – Qu’Raun Scott-McKoy, Shayna Martins-Krasner, and Savannah Sterling – 1st Place Gold Medal

Mrs. Patten was honored by the organized for 10 years of dedicated service as a chapter adviser.

Ms. Mendolla, Mrs. Patten, Mrs. Martinez, Chef Palsi, and Chef Delesky congratulate the students on a job well done!