High Tech Sophomore Biomedical Students Attend 3rd Annual Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium

(Toms River, NJ--March 21, 2019) Following a trip to the Independent College Fund of New Jersey’s 6th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, sophomores in High Tech High School biomedical science attended this year’s Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium (JSJSS), announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Accompanied by instructor Joseph Ona, the students presented their research and competed not only for undergraduate scholarships, but for the opportunity to compete at the national level among the best research presenters in the country.

JSJSS promotes research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the secondary school level and publicly recognizes students for their outstanding achievements.

The students from High Tech observed new and interesting research ideas presented by fellow high school students, who offered them inspiration for their own research conducted at High Tech.

All of the presenters from the 3rd Annual Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium

Presenter Jessica Dai, with one of the High Tech students’ favorite projects,Multi-Cohort Analysis of Fecal Microbiome in Colorectal Carcinoma Patients Shows an Altered Gut Bacterial Population

Presenter Cindy Xiong, with one of the High Tech students’ favorite projects, The Correlation of MicroRNA-155 and Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer

Manhattan Repertory Theatre Hosts Short Play by High Tech’s Sophia Baldassari

(New York City--March 26, 2019) Manhattan Repertory Theatre will host an original play by High Tech junior Sophia Baldassari, a resident of Hoboken and winner of a Gold Key award for Dramatic Writing, at 9 p.m. on Friday, March 29th, and Saturday, March 30th, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Baldassari’s short play, Jenna Meets Death (Who Looks like Elton John), also earned First Place in the Teen Author Category of the Hoboken Public Library’s One Act Play Writing Competition last November. High Tech students and Jersey City residents Amaya Montanez, a Drama major, Katerina Vail, a Audio Tech major, and Music major Isabel Culpepper all contributed to the production.

A drama major at High Tech, Baldassari has previously performed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre and Upright Citizens Brigade. She developed Jenna Meets Death from one of the scenes that she composed for the High Tech Drama Department’s Waiting Room series of vignettes last year. Her scene didn’t make it into the final cut of the show, but Baldassari reworked it into her play. In addition to writing plays at High Tech, she performs with the school’s Stand-Up Comedy ensemble.

For tickets, please go to the Manhattan Repertory Theatre website below:

https://www.manhattanrep.com/best-of-the-best-super-cool-short-plays

High Tech’s Biomedical Students Attend the Independent College Fund of New Jersey’s Undergraduate Research Symposium

(Jersey City, NJ--March 18, 2019) High Tech’s sophomore Biomedical Science students, accompanied by their instructor, Dr. Nina Lavlinskaia, and Language Arts Liaison/instructor Joan Bellotti, attended the Independent College Fund of New Jersey’s 6th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium for college students, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Also from High Tech, judges Dr. Shelly Witham and Dr. Dimitri Lavlinski Such reviewed the High Tech students’ presentations.

The following students took part in or witnessed high level experiments and discussions with symposium presenters: Aya Abdalla of Bayonne; Guttenberg resident Reem Abughannam; Olivia Cahn, Josephine Conlon, and Sara Leong of Hoboken; Jersey City resident Janet Shenouda; Tiffany and Tiara Fales and Catherine Peralta of North Bergen; Secaucus resident Elaine Tiruneh; Leslie Castro and Sabrina Cetinich of Union City; and West New York Jade Lorences.

Since 1953, the Independent College Fund of New Jersey has provided $74 million in support for New Jersey’s independent colleges and universities. The symposium, which exhibited 49 projects created by 57 students, provided research opportunities to undergraduate students and spectators. The funding , prioritized by new independent research projects, assists students who have been given the opportunity to develop their own scientific research.

The foundation for the symposium centers on the idea that research opportunities maintain student interest and continue student development.

(from left to right) Tiffany Fales, Tiara Fales, Elaine Tiruneh, Catherine Peralta, Sabrina Cetinich, Leslie Castro, Janet Shenouda, Sara Leong, Reem Abughannam, Olivia Cahn, Aya Abdalla, and Josephine Conlon attended the Symposium at Liberty Science Center

Some of the students’ favorite projects (“Effects of Essential Oils on Bacteria” and “The Study of Antimutagenic Properties”) seen above.

County Prep Senior Sole Stewart Attends SXSW in Texas!

County Prep Senior Sole Stewart was invited by Black Girls Code to attend SXSW in Austin, Texas as an ambassador for a weekend in March. Since 2012, Sole has been a member of Black Girls Code, an organization that works to empower girls of color to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. Sole and other members of BGC spoke on many panels including, “Becoming a Future Tech Boxx,” “Behind the Click: Securing the Future for Black Women and Girls in Tech,” and a Tech Diva BGC Alumnae Panel. Sole had the opportunity to speak on the panel about her experience within the organization, her plans for the future, and how she sees herself within the field.

Along with speaking at events, Sole and the BGC listened to various STEM professionals and had many opportunities to network with them. “The experience is something I will never forget as it showed me many different perspectives from women in tech and how I want to be a part of that,” expressed Sole.

County Prep's Culinary Arts Students Compete at FCCLA Event!

     County Prep's Culinary Arts Department competed last week at FCCLA'S Culinary Arts Event, held at Middlesex County College. Chef John Palsi's students Antonios Azmy, Zevastian Vega, and Nisha Purino competed against other vocational high schools from New Jersey. 

      Culinary Arts, a team event, recognizes participants enrolled in occupational culinary arts/food service training programs for their ability to work as members of a team to produce a quality meal using industrial culinary arts/food service techniques and equipment. Teams of participants must develop a plan for the time allotted, prepare menu items given to them at the time of the event, and present their prepared items to evaluators. Students are judged on knife skills,team organization,food production taste and presentation . 

The winning team will be announced at the FCCLA spring conference on March 28,2019 in Cherry Hill NJ.

Best of luck to Chef Palsi and his students! 

High Tech Students Present Research on Global Food Security at Rutgers

(New Brunswick, NJ--March 1, 2019) Fourteen High Tech students, along with Catherine Yuhas and Dr. Shelly Witham from the Academy of Environmental Science and Sustainability instructional corps, attended the World Food Prize event, conducted by the New Jersey Youth Institute at Rutgers, to present their research papers on global food security, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Reika Hayashi, Shannon Neary, and Kate Neal of Bayonne; Hoboken resident Mary O'Brien; Aubrey Beam, Nancy Do, Sylvia Goldfond, Elena Gurczeski, Sadra Munir, and Layaly Saleh of Jersey City; Kearny residents Archini Desai and Alfonse Sessa III; Mellina Perez Vieta of North Bergen; and Weehawken resident Carina Cruz selected a country and topic (ranging from water scarcity to policy and governance) to research in order to trace the diverse impacts on food security. Students also developed solutions to achieve food security in light of these topical issues.

Before their presentations, students partook in community service activities, helping to prepare bags of donated food to distribute to the homeless in their communities. Students also had the opportunity to learn about Rutgers and the programs that the university offers. Afterward, students presented their research in small groups, sharing their findings with other students and vice versa. After their presentations, each student received a certificate that declared them Borlaug Scholars, an honor that commemorates Norman Borlaug, an American agronomist whose indefatigable work in many areas around the world helped to create sustainable agriculture that led to sustainable food supplies.

County Prep Ranks #21 in Top 50 NJ Schools

County Prep High School recently ranked #21 in the top 50 schools in NJ. The school's principal Ms. Barbara Mendolla would like to congratulate the instructors, staff, and students for their excellent efforts.
Please follow the link below for the full article.

https://www.nj.com/education/2019/03/the-top-50-high-schools-in-njs-new-rating-system.html

High Tech Students Shine at the Newly Renamed STEM Showcase

(Jersey City, NJ--March 11, 2019) The 61st annual Hudson County Science Fair, renamed the Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health STEM Showcase, took place at Liberty Science Center, and High Tech students once more received acclaim for their research projects, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Sarah Bacha, a North Bergen resident, won the Gold Medal in Cellular and Molecular Biology for her project, “Investigating the Contributions of the De Novo Serine Synthesis Pathway on Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis.”

Eshaan Mangat of Secaucus earned the Gold Medal in Medicine and Health for his project, “Modeling the Distribution of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles in the Bloodstream.”

Fellow Secaucus resident Carina Garcia took home the Silver Medal in Cellular and Molecular Biology for her project, “3D Electrospun ECM-Based Hybrid Scaffolds: Aligned vs. Random Fiber Interactions with Breast Cancer Cell Liner.”

Rounding out the High Tech students showcasing their science projects, Veeraj Shah of North Bergen presented “Determining the Optimal Fibrous Scaffold for the Formation of a Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel with Endothelial Cells” and Bayonne resident Kelara Hanna submitted her “Habitat Selection vs Assemblage Structure in Darkling Beetles.”

The 2019 STEM Showcase Awards Ceremony will be hosted by New Jersey City University on May 1st.

Photos courtesy of Reena Rose Sibayan, The Jersey Journal

(Sarah Bacha, one of fifteen Hudson County high school students who advanced to the super-judging round, gives her oral presentation on Cellular and Molecular Biology at the STEM Showcase)

(Eshaan Mangat, one of fifteen Hudson County high school students who advanced to the super-judging round, offers his oral presentation on Medicine and Health at the STEM Showcase)

(Silver Medal winner Carina Garcia presents her research project, “3D Electrospun ECM-Based Hybrid Scaffolds: Aligned vs. Random Fiber Interactions with Breast Cancer Cell Liner”)

(Veeraj Shah presents his research project, “Determining the Optimal Fibrous Scaffold for the Formation of a Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel with Endothelial Cells”)

High Tech’s D|Fab Academy Visits Goya Foods’ Manufacturing and Distribution Centers

(Secaucus, NJ—March 14, 2018) Students in D|Fab Academy at High Tech High School and their instructors received another opportunity for the third year in a row to tour Goya Foods’ manufacturing plant and distribution center in Secaucus and Jersey City, respectively, as part of Junior Achievement of New Jersey’s Job Shadow program, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Sergio Gamarra’s Engineering Technology-Metal Fabrication senior majors and his colleague Harry Peles’ Engineering Technology-Robotics junior majors participated in tours hosted by Goya Foods’ public relations department. They witnessed automated manufacturing equipment that produces 600 boxes of pre-packaged rice per minute and learned about quality control, logistics, and distribution methods. After the plant tour, the students and instructors in D|Fab Academy traveled to Goya Foods’ corporate distribution center, where executives discussed the goings-on at Goya.

Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food manufacturer in the U.S., produces four million cases of goods like beans, rice, and flour at the plant. Originally, the plant had housed the company’s headquarters before it moved in June 2014 to nearby Jersey City. Originally founded in 1936 by Don Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, who immigrated to New York City, Goya Foods started out by selling imported Spanish olives and olive oil, but Goya now posts annual sales of almost $1.5 billion.

Junior Achievement (JA) Job Shadow offers students an opportunity to visit a professional work environment, where they gain insights into the requirements needed for earning a position. JA programs always correlate to state educational standards and to Common Core State Standards.

High Tech Wood Tech Comes to the Rescue of High Tech Chemistry Classes

(Secaucus, NJ--March 11, 2019) For safety and logistical purposes, the designers of the new Frank J. Gargiulo Campus elected not to pipe natural gas into the science labs, thereby prompting High Tech chemistry instructors Bill Goold and David Cincotta to seek alternative means of igniting flames for class experiments, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Goold and Cincotta ordered portable butane burners to provide flames with no connection to a source of natural gas. However, when the butane burners arrived, Goold determined that, while the burners provided the necessary flames, they proved too top heavy, not a useful property for equipment that emits flames.

Faced with this dilemma, Goold reached out to Zach Bolich, High Tech’s Wood Tech instructor, to petition his students and him to design and construct a stand that would prevent the burners from tipping over. Bolich agreed to help, so Goold lent him a burner as a model for design purposes.

In a relatively short time, three students from Wood Tech delivered eight custom-designed burner stands to Goold’s laboratory. These in-house stands, built to last a long time, completely prevent butane burners from tipping over, and ever since, Goold has enjoyed the peace of mind that these burner stands have provided for his labs.

High Tech Environmental Students Visit the State House

(Trenton, NJ--March 7, 2019) Eight students from High Tech’s Environmental Public Policy class joined instructor Bill Goold at the New Jersey State House, attending a meeting of the State Senate Environment and Energy Committee, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

At the meeting, lawmakers discussed several bills, and the class paid witness to debates by the committee and members of the public testifying on behalf of these bills. Following the meeting, committee chairman Bob Smith greeted the class and reviewed the function of the committee, the role of the committee’s work in the overall legislative process, and the daily role of a State Senator.

Legislative staff from the committee and the Department of Environmental Protection met with the class to discuss the method of drafting bills, the significance of the public in inspiring and developing legislation, and even some background information about their respective duties. In all, the students in Goold’s Environmental Public Policy class thoroughly enjoyed their time at the State House.

“We’d like to thank the staff and members of the committee for their time and willingness to be so helpful,” says Goold.

High Tech’s Tomoe Carr and Carlos Hernandez Among Winners of the 2019 YoungArts National Competition

(Miami, FL--March 13, 2019) The National YoungArts Foundation has named two High Tech seniors, Tomoe Carr of North Bergen and Jersey City resident Carlos Hernandez, among the 710 nationwide winners of its national competition, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

YoungArts has presented High Tech with a plaque bearing the engraved names of Carr and Hernandez, whom YoungArts had selected from vnearly 7,000 submissions from across the country.

Each year, YoungArts awards over $500,000 to hundreds of emerging artists. YoungArts also serves as the exclusive nominating agency for U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the nation’s highest honor for high school seniors.

As YoungArts winners, Carr and Hernandez will gain access to financial, professional, and artistic development opportunities over the course of their careers through one of the most comprehensive programs for emerging artists in the United States.

Six High Tech Gamers Poised to Become Gaming Legends

(Secaucus, NJ--March 12, 2019) Six High Tech High School students, under the tutelage of Game Design Club Adviser/Interactive Media instructor Jared Krinsky, have successfully participated in a number of gaming tournaments hosted by Nintendo, Helix eSports, and various other companies, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The student gamers and their rankings appear below:

Victor Figueredo of North Bergen: 7th /24 in SSBU Boba and 13th/ 61 in Smash Station #132; North Bergen resident Kevin Osorio: 27th/ 30 in Smash DNA 6 and 25th/28 in Smash DNA 7; Patrick Bainbridge of Jersey City: 17/61 in Smash Station #132; Jersey City resident Gabrielle Allen: 49th/61 in Smash Station #132 and 49th/ 94 in Smashing Legends #126; Daniel Acosta of West New York: 1024th/ 2048 in SSBU North American Open; and West New York resident Ryan Piedrahita: 7th/17 in Smashville Festival #1

(pictured from left to right: Kevin Osorio, Gabrielle Allen, Victor Figueredo, Patrick Bainbridge, and Daniel Acosta; not pictured, Ryan Piedrahita)

High Tech Dance Alumnus Idaliz Cristian Goes on Tour with Singer/Songwriter Khalid, Appears in His Latest Video, too

(Los Angeles, CA--March 11, 2019) High Tech Dance Department alumnus Idaliz Cristian (Class of 2017), currently on tour with singer/songwriter Khalid, has just been featured in Khalid’s latest video for his song “Talk,” announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

In 2017, Khalid received five nominations at the Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best R&B Song (“Location”), and Song of the Year. He also won the Top New Artist Award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. Signed to Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records, Khalid appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this past weekend.

Cristian, who moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating from High Tech, has been on tour with Khalid since graduation. She has been building an impressive resume in the past two years, as her talents have been showcased in film and modeling as well as live shows featuring her dance skills.

“Idaliz never ceases to amaze me with her talent,” says Trista DeFilippis, veteran Dance Instructor and Supervisor of The Academy of Media, Visual and Performing Arts at High Tech. “She is a natural performer, and always has been since she stepped on the High Tech stage.”

The official video for Khalid’s “Talk” can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2Ira-Cwxo

“We couldn't be prouder of the work Idaliz is doing out in LA," adds DeFilippis.

Sophomores Take Home the Trophy in County Prep's 4th Annual Battle of the Classes!

On Thursday, January 17th, the fourth annual Battle of the Classes was held by County Prep High School’s Student Council. This highly anticipated event was coordinated by seniors Karishma Patel and Mike Chaitoo alongside Student Council advisors: Mr. T. Carey, Mr. J. Carey, Ms. Torres, Ms. Granato, and Ms. Nardone. It was hosted by Jahn Camac and Sirena Morales, both seniors. Originally started by class of 2017 alumni: Kishan Patel, Patricia Ramirez, and Joseph Mamaril, the event was only open to 300 students due to the size of the previous school gym. Since then however, BOTC has grown tremendously and has become one the of most anticipated events of the year. Now, the competition can accommodate for over 250 participants and 500 spectators due to the new gym addition.

Traditionally, there is a new theme implemented each year and this year’s theme was Superheroes. With the Freshmen as Teen Titans, Sophomores as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Juniors representing the Justice League, and the Seniors representing the Avengers, each class created a unique team banner that really was a sight to see. Each class banner allowed the teams to receive points that contributed to their overall score. These banners were judged by several teachers, including Mrs. DiSanto, Ms. Rubio, Mrs. Patten, and Ms. Mulrain, all of whom have a background in art or creative abilities.

Before the activities began, I was able to speak with a few students, both participants and spectators, to ask them a few questions. Laila Durrani, a senior that has participated all four years, said that training for the competitions year after year has brought the senior class closer together: “I think everyone should participate at least once before they graduate, it's a day you'll look back on and remember just like prom.” Sarah Sookram, a junior, said that her favorite event has always been the class dances because they allow the most creativity. She says she would love to see sumo wrestling as an event in future years.

Battle of the Classes is one of the many events at County Prep that brings students all together and raises school spirit. The atmosphere of the entire event truly was electric. The crowds of supporters, each dressed in their class colors, is a sight to behold. Each aspect of the event allowed students with different talents to shine through, from using their creative abilities in the banner, to using their athletic abilities to compete in the relays.

With the sophomores and seniors neck and neck, the tug of war momentarily put the seniors in first place. It all came down to the class dances to determine who will be the winners of the night. Thanks to their impressive step- dance routine the sophomores were put in first place once again with 121 points. Congratulations to the Class of 2021 and their advisors, Mr Aguiar, Mr. Thompson, Miss Gangala and Mrs. Winter!

By: Sara Beshai

County Prep's 4th Annual BOTC Video

Video produced: Cyrill San Gabriel & Can Sark

Seniors in our AV Production Dept. 

High Tech’s Amanda Pace Takes Second Place in First-Ever New Jersey Girls Wrestling State Tournament

(Atlantic City, NJ--March 2, 2019) Amanda Pace of North Bergen, a freshman at High Tech, took Second Place in the North Region’s 147-lbs. division at the first-ever New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls State Wrestling Tournament, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

As one of the top three in her weight class at the inaugural Girls Individual State Wrestling Tournament at Red Bank Regional in Little Silver, held last month, Pace qualified for the state tournament at Boardwalk Hall.

The weight classes consist of 100 pounds; 105 pounds; 111 pounds; 118 pounds; 127 pounds; 136 pounds; 147 pounds; 161 pounds; 185 pounds; and 235 pounds.

“My uncle and cousins were the first people who opened me up to wrestling,” says Pace. “We would wrestle a lot as a joke, but then it developed into a passion--although my father disapproved of it.”

It took some convincing before Pace won her father’s support, but her persistence eventually paid off.

“The full support and love from family and friends since I was six has motivated me to be where I am now,” Pace enthuses.

The inaugural girls wrestling season has been a massive success, to which crowd attendance and excitement attest. Over 400 girls competed on the mat this winter and 60 advanced to the state finals. The season began in December, when Manalapan hosted the first-ever high school girls wrestling event in New Jersey.