County Prep HS Culinary Arts Students Compete in SkillsUSA Competition

The Kitchen's on Fire. Cross your fingers, open your mouth, and get ready to have all your taste buds in awe. Throughout a stressful time, with dedication to their craft, County Prep High School Culinary Arts has dominated in every event they have entered in the 2018 NJSkillsUSA Competition.

The following students are awaiting their placement in the Awards Ceremony on April 14, 2018. Each student is guaranteed at least a third place finish in the state. The final standings will be revealed at Bridgewater Raritan High School. First place winners will compete in Nationals.

BAKING & PASTRY: ADAM CONCEPCION

FOOD SERVICE: ALEX BERMUDEZ

MRE CHALLENGE: JENNIFER ROSARIO, KYLA SEBELLO, & GUEMELY PINTO

CULINARY ARTS: JOAQUIN CARIASO

High Tech’s Jeremy Lewan and Instructor William Goold Participate in the Tree Planting and Maintenance Community Engagement Project

(October 28, 2017—Jersey City, NJ) High Tech Environmental Science major Jeremy Lewan of Bayonne and High Tech chemistry instructor William Goold joined in the Tree Planting and Maintenance Community Engagement Project, sponsored by the Jersey City Housing Authority, the Tree Lovers Crew, AARP, and several other organizations, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, principal of High Tech High School.

Approximately 40 community engagement project volunteers convened at Marion Gardens, between Buildings 3 and 4, where they dirtied themselves filling holes with nutrient-packed topsoil and planting native plants in tasteful organizations. Participants received lessons on pruning, watering, root maintenance, and planting.

"It was inspiring to see how much change just a few members of the community can accomplish when working together,” says Lewan, an aspiring meteorologist.  “From a barren asphalt parking lot and sidewalk, we created a vibrant decorative garden complete with native tree and plant species."

Jeremy Lewan and William Goold

County Prep Junior Sole Stewart Appears on Good Morning America With Founder of "Black Girls Code"

County Prep Junior Sole Stewart has been coding since middle school. Her mother spotted the opportunity for her to attend a "Black Girls Code" event at Pace University and Sole has been participating ever since. Recently Sole appeared on Good Morning America with the founder of "Black Girls Code," Kimberly Bryant, to demonstrate their coding skills on the  T.V. program. Sole hopes this inspires others to code, particularly female minorities. Sole plans to major in Computer Science in college.

Check out this video of the broadcast. (5:26) Student Sole Stewart begins speaking about and demonstrating her
project, programming an object using Little Bits circuits.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/black-girls-code-founder-opens-breaking-barriers-tech-53258502

For more information: http://www.blackgirlscode.com/

High Tech’s Jahvel Pierce Receives 'Unsung Heroes/Heroines' Student Recognition Award

(March 22, 2018—North Bergen, NJ) The Hudson County School Boards Association has recognized Jahvel Pierce, a resident of Jersey City and Student Council President and Class Advisor at High Tech, for his outstanding contributions to his school and his community, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, principal of High Tech High School.

Pierce, recipient of the first annual Hudson County School Boards Association’s Unsung Heroes/Heroines Student Recognition Award, has been actively involved as Student Council President, both during his junior and senior years, and has demonstrated excellent leadership skills throughout his tenure at High Tech. 

“[Pierce] is someone that students feel very comfortable working with and discussing school issues,” states Jamie Velazquez, lead teacher and history instructor for D|FAB Academy at High Tech.  “He is a peer leader, and a part of his responsibilities includes mentoring freshmen as they become acclimated to the rigors of High Tech.”

Pierce, a drama major at High Tech as well, and a member of the Slam Poetry Club, enjoys participating in platforms that involve social issues.  As a member of Generosity for Generations, he has helped organize activities like the Jersey City Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and has collected food for the homeless.  A very active member of the Greater Emmanuel Temple Church, Pierce organizes clothing drives, distributes tracts for his church, participates in holiday events, and teaches summer theatre classes.  For several years, he spoke at the Youth Convention for the Monumental Baptist Church.  

“[Pierce] is a student on whom teachers can always count,” adds Velazquez.  “He confides in us.  He has an incredible heart and he will be missed after he graduates.”

Jahvel Pierce continues to support High Tech students who could really use a helping hand, and he often accompanies struggling students to administration and guidance offices.   Upon graduation, he plans to study Theatre Education in college. 

High Tech’s Andrew Tran Named Gold Medalist in 2018 Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health STEM Showcase

(March 19, 2018—Jersey City, NJ) High Tech junior Andrew Tran, a resident of Kearny, has been named, along with a group of 17 high school students, a gold medalist in the 2018 Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health STEM Showcase, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

More than 350 students in grades 5 through 12 arrived at Liberty Science Center to participate in the 60th annual Hudson County science and STEM fair.

Formerly sponsored by the Jersey Journal, the gold medalists will return for another round on Wednesday, March 21^st (weather permitting) for super-judging, which will determine who will represent Hudson County at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair later this year in Pittsburgh.

High Tech Students Attend Inaugural Class at Newest Berklee College of Music Location

(March 10, 2018—New York, NY) With the financial assistance from the HCST Foundation, High Tech's Music and Audio Tech instructor Rod Shepard helped to secure seats for six High Tech students at the newly-opened Berklee College of Music in Manhattan, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The academic, industry-leading Berklee College of Music of Boston has recently opened a new location on the site of the historic Power Station Recording Studio (formerly known as Avatar Studios).  Music majors Vladimir De La Cruz of Guttenberg, Jersey City residents Autumn Beam and Katja Larssen, and David Cano, Elissandra De La Cruz, and Alex Miranda of North Bergen attended Berklee’s inaugural masterclass in songwriting and production.   

Also, Elissandra De La Cruz received the very first high school grant to attend Berklee's masterclass.   

The Power Station Recording Studio has hosted production of chart-topping and award-winning albums by artists like David Bowie and Kanye West.  Berklee director Ian Kagey helped to preserve the iconic studio from demolition and the usual overreach of developers insistent on realizing their gentrification plans. 

“I hope [the masterclass at Berklee] is the beginning of a new affiliation [with High Tech] that could result in more affordable opportunities for our graduates to attend [Berklee in Manhattan],” says Shepard, referring to the high cost associated with travel to, and dormitory residence at, the Boston location.

Four High Tech Students Chosen to Compete in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

(March 6, 2018--) Four High Tech students attended the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), hosted by Rutgers University School of Engineering and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army, Navy, and Air Force, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, principal of High Tech.

The Northern New Jersey Regional Symposium of JSHS, in which High Tech participates, serves as one of 48 symposia, where original experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the high school level shine best through poster presentations.   

Judges chose four outstanding High Tech Biomedical Science projects for competition in the symposium.  Sarah Bacha, a North Bergen resident, presented her research via her poster depicting “Conditioning of Mus musculus to Overcome Innate Behavior.”  Bayonne’s Reika Hayashi offered her poster on “Examination of Pathogenic Bacterial Biofilm Attachment on Soft Contact Lenses.” Furthermore, Veeraj Shah of North Bergen conducted his experiment, “Determining the Optimal Fibrous Scaffold for the Formation of a Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel with Endothelial Cells,” at Stevens University, offering a poster at the symposium, too.  

One High Tech participant, Secaucus resident Mahek Virani, represented High Tech in the Oral Presentation Session. Mahek conducted her research on “Road Rage Reduction: Effects of Driving Experience When AMTAM is Utilized.” Her experiment consisted of testing a device, known as “AMTAM,” an RGB LED Matrix board preprogrammed with phrases like “Sorry,” “New Driver,” and “Emergency.”  The AMTAM promotes human to human communication and prevents feelings of aggression that can lead to road rage on highways.  Her results suggest that younger drivers benefited the most from the device, since their feelings of aggression reduced by more than 50% than other groups studied in the sample.

Virani won Second Place for Oral Presenter and will not only receive a $1,500 scholarship, but she will again represent High Tech on an expenses-paid trip to JSHS nationals in Hunt Valley, Maryland, from May 2^nd-5^th.  There, she will compete for up to $12,000 in scholarships.

Mahek Virani

Veeraj Shah

Reika Hayashi

Sarah Bacha

High Tech Team B Beats High Tech Team A at the Hudson County Academic Bowl

(North Bergen, NJ—March 14, 2018) Two High Tech teams (A and B) competed with each other for the 2018 Hudson County Quiz Bowl Championship, with Team B winning the honors this year, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The Championship, held in the Resource Center at the North Hudson Center, took place during periods 7, 8 and 9.  The following students comprised the championship team: Tatyana Lazareva and Kade Shippy of Bayonne; Jersey City resident Brijal Parikh (Captain); Susan Chen of North Bergen; and Carina Garcia, Preston Luh, and Eshaan Mangat of Secaucus

The challengers, Team A, consisted of Bayonne residents Reika Hayushi and Kaitlyn Kirschner; and Smirti Sukesh Kumar, Ashley Luh, Avni Pande, Sahil Patel (Captain), and Mahek Virani of Secaucus.

David Mansour of served as Master of Ceremonies.

(from left to right: Ashley Luh, Preston Luh, Brijal Parikh, Kade Shippy, Avni Pande, Reika Hayushi, Sahil Patel,

and Carina Garcia)

County Prep's Model Government Club Attends St. Peter's UN

Saturday, March 3, 2018, County Prep's Model Government Club attended St.Peter's UN and represented the United States. The 14 Country Prep Students were on various committees such as the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committees, the Security Council and World Health Organization. They debated many issues and wrote resolution papers. Eight students won awards. Youssef Gendy won the "Outstanding Delegate Award" from the Disarmament and International Security Committee; Salma Abedullah and Nahed Elkayal won the "Outstanding Delegation Award"  for the World Health Organization Committee; Olivia Ayad won the "Honorable Mention Delegate Award" for the Legal Committee; Kareem Fakry and Mina Youssef won the "Outstanding Delegation Award" for the Special Political and Decolonization Committee; and April Kibalo won the "Honorable Mention Delegate Award" for the Security Council. 

The students also had the opportunity to hear Development and Cooperation Ambassador Duncan Muhumuza Laki of Uganda from the United Nations speak about Uganda and the River Nile. 

County Prep Students Visit Bergen County Community College

County Prep students visited Bergen County Community College on Thursday, November 30, 2017.  The students met with an admissions representative to discuss the various programs offered at the institution and the overall college application process. They also toured the facilities including the library and tutoring services. Ms. Patten's fashion students explored the fashion program in-depth which included a tour of the fashion labs and a Q&A with the program director. The students were exposed to a two-year college as a potential post-secondary option.

County Prep HS Students Visit Essex County College Police Academy

County Prep High School students visited the Essex County College Police Academy on Wednesday, January 24, 2018. The tour included a presentation which outlined the educational and training requirements for careers in law enforcement.  In addition, there was a Q&A session which gave the students “real-life” examples of the challenges and rewards of the profession.  The students witnessed first-hand the rigor and intensity of the physical training component of the program.  Overall, they were exposed to a “true to life” training environment of new recruits which increased their awareness of the skills required to succeed in the profession. 

County Prep Students Visit Centenary University

County Prep students visited Centenary University on Friday, December 8, 2017.  The students met with an admissions representative to discuss the various programs offered at the institution and the overall college application process. The visit included a tour of the residential housing units, library, and classrooms.  The tour concluded with a presentation/luncheon hosted in the conference room.  The students were exposed to the college as a potential post-secondary option.

"Earn While You Learn" Program Visits County Prep High School

A representative from the Youth Transitions to Work Automotive Technician/Diesel Mechanic Apprenticeship program presented to County Prep students on Wednesday, December 20, 2017.  This  is an “Earn While You Learn” program in which the apprentice receives “on-the-job” training as well as classroom instruction.  The goal is to prepare students to enter high skilled, high wage employment in the Automotive and Diesel technology field.

County Prep Students Attend Harvard Model Congress

Over winter break 18 County Prep students attended Harvard Model Congress. Harvard Model Congress or HMC is the nation’s oldest government simulation conference run exclusively by undergraduates at Harvard College. Over 1,400 students from across the world attend and assume the roles of real-life congressmen and congresswomen, senators, and members of the government; the goal is to expand their own perspectives and understand the issues at hand in a new, more nuanced way. Students also participate in open debates, caucuses, trials, press conferences, and testimonies, in order to better appreciate the purpose and role of the political process. Of the 18 students who attended, 8 of them received scholarships to attend and senior April Kibalo won the "Best Delegate Award" in a special programs committee called the G-20. She represented the United States of America's current administration and debated various issues of the world such as the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Globalization, Global Warming and Economic Development. She competed against over 20 teams and had two solve two international crises.

High Tech High School Teams Gearing Up the Hudson County Academic Bowl

(North Bergen, NJ—March 9, 2018) Two High Tech High School teams will compete with each other for the 2018 Hudson County Quiz Bowl Championship, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The Championship will be held at the High Tech Resource Center at the North Hudson Center during periods 7, 8 and 9 on Wednesday, March 14th.  The following students will make up these teams:

Team A: Bayonne residents Reika Hayushi and Kaitlyn Kirschner; and Smirti Sukesh Kumar, Ashley Luh, Avni Pande, Sahil Patel (Captain), and Mahek Virani of Secaucus.

Team B: Tatyana Lazareva and Kade Shippy of Bayonne; Jersey City resident Brijal Parikh (Captain); Susan Chen of North Bergen; and Carina Garcia, Preston Luh, and Eshaan Mangat of Secaucus

(from left to right: Ashley Luh, Preston Luh, Brijal Parikh, Kade Shippy, Avni Pande, Reika Hayushi, Sahil Patel,
and Carina Garcia)

High Tech High School Musical Theatre Presents Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA

(North Bergen, NJ—March 1, 2018) High Tech High School Musical Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with its presentation of Disney’s award-winning musical Aida, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Aida, with a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, features music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.  Winner of four Tony Awards and a Grammy Award, Aida went on to become one of Time’s Top Ten Musicals of 2000.

Aida offers a contemporary musical take on the timeless bond between an enslaved Nubian princess and an Egyptian soldier.  As forbidden love blossoms between them, circumstances dictate that the young lovers must face death or part forever.

Directed by John Zisa, with musical direction by Rod Shepard, Aida features High Tech Musical Theatre Majors and a band consisting of Music and Audio Tech Majors.

Performances take place from March 21^st-25^th at 7pm at the Jay Todd Black Box Theater in the North Hudson Center of High Tech High School in North Bergen, New Jersey. 

To purchase general admission tickets, go to www.hthspa.booktix.com. Tickets cost $15.00 for all shows, although a full-length preview performance on March 21^st has discounted tickets available for $12.00.