The High Tech Film Department Kicks Off First Annual HCST Film Festival

(Secaucus, NJ--May 29, 2019) The High Tech High School Film Department kicked of its first annual HCST Film Festival with award-winning feature filmmakers, Q & A sessions with Hollywood supporting actors, and, of course, screening of High Tech student films, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Jack of the Red Hearts by director Janet Grillo inaugurated the film festival, and the film centers on the issues of orphanage, family, and autism, as well as the themes of exclusion and inclusion. Grillo joined a panel of young student filmmakers onstage for a Q & A session in which everything from the premise of her film to giving direction to young actors had been discussed. The director, who also teaches film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, expressed her excitement at the level of professionalism exhibited by High Tech students.

Also on hand for the festival, actor John Capodice entertained attendees with stories about working in Hollywood for over fifty years with the likes of Oliver Stone, Sir Laurence Olivier, and even Jim Carrey on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Capodice's motivational style of speaking and message about opportunities for “hungry creators” resonated with all in attendance. He has also appeared on Seinfeld, The Ellen Show, and the national Polly-O-String cheese advertising campaign. High Tech instructor Chris DePierro also cast him in DePierro’s feature film Miami or Bust.

Lastly, High Tech screened forty films from over 400 submissions. Most presented served as instructional videos to fulfill course curricula and unique personal videos as well. The High Tech Film Department also screened fifteen award-winning films by nationally-renowned corporations such as AT&T, SNY, Toyota Drive 365, Taco Bell Live Mas, The Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival, and the Ramapo College Film Festival. The evening’s red carpet gala attracted more than 200 attendees, including executives from HBO, ABC, NBC, and GoPro and also the families of High Tech’s filmmakers.

Other highlights included Katerina Vail and Camila Garcia receiving GoPro Creator's Bundles. JMR Video Rental also donated an $1,100 cinema camera package that the judges awarded to Joselyn Bravo. Also, High Tech Film Department alumni presented the final awards. Alana Anninipot, who currently attends Temple University and works with the Special Olympics, and Lauren Cabrera, who attends Montclair State University and works part-time for CNBC, presented the Best Concept in a Short Film and Best of the Fest awards. 

Award-winning Granton Ave, High Tech's very own band and another of the night's exciting attractions, showed true spirit and dedication to the Film Festival, performing a fifteen-minute set even as technical difficulties almost hampered their efforts. High Tech senior David Mansour, who hosted the awards gala, played some jazz delights with Granton Ave during the awards presentation.

High Tech Students Attend New Jersey State FFA Convention

(West Long Branch, NJ--May 23, 2019) Eight students from High Tech’s FFA Chapter, comprised of members from the Academy of Environmental Science and Sustainability, attended the 2019 New Jersey State FFA Convention at Monmouth University, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Representatives of High Tech’s FFA (formerly, the Future Farmers of America) Chapter included Guttenberg resident Rachel Stern; Sean Fuehrer, Elena Gurczeski, Ivonne Ovalles, and Kareem Rhaburn of Jersey City; Kearny residents Reilley Peck and Alfonse Sessa III; and Alessandra Blount of West New York.

At the convention, High Tech’s FFA Chapter competed in diverse events at the convention. Sessa competed in the 3-5 Minute Public Speaking event on Food Insecurity in Morocco and Gurczeski did likewise in the 6-8 Minute Public Speaking event on Food Insecurity in Namibia. Ovalles took part in the Employment Skills event. Peck and Blount competed in the Team Demonstration on Climate & Weather, placing 3rd overall. Between these events, students explored the campus of Monmouth University, networked with other FFA members and administrators, and met people from different agricultural organizations in the Northeast region.

High Tech Students Excel in French Language Tournament

(Middletown, NJ--May 18, 2019) Middletown High School hosted a French Language Tournament (Tournoi Lion: Concours de Langue Francaise), where various high school students competed in front of college professors, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Students competed in poetry recitation, singing a French classical/traditional song, singing a French contemporary song, performing a scene from a French language play, or reenacting historical events from France or the Francophone world.

High Tech French students excelled in almost every category and received special recognition: For Poetry Recitation of a French Poem First place winner Fatou Mbaye of Jersey City; Kearny residents Jane Eid (first place winner) and Andrew Tran (second place winner); first place winner Sabrina Peralta of Union City. For Poetry Recitation of an Original Poem: Andrew Tran (first place winner). For Singing a French Classical song: Sabrina Peralta and Esheka Varshney of Hoboken, both first place winners. For Performing a Scene of a French Language Play: Nicky Sanchez of Secaucus and James Espinosa of Harrison, both first place winners. And Most Category Wins: High Tech High School (“Best in Show” award).

Also, the following students had participated in the contest: Hoboken resident Isabella Gibbs-Garcia; Bailey Davin, Janna Kawtari, Sally Mangassa, and Jacob Melendez of Jersey City; Kearny resident Martin da Silva; Lyna Bacha of North Bergen; and West New York resident Lila Del Risco.

Dr. Gashi and Fatou Mbaye

Nicky Sanchez, Dr. Gashi, and James Espinosa

The High Tech Film Department Announces Nominees for First Annual HCST Film Festival

(Secaucus, NJ--May 23, 2019) The High Tech Film Department proudly announced the official nominees for its first annual HCST Film Festival, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

BEST COMMERCIAL: “Snickers” by Siarah Saavedra, “Cosmetics” by Alexandra Beliakova, “Hoodies by Paul” by Apostolos Bourinaris; BEST FILM BY AN UNDERCLASSMAN: “Unique Project” by Melody McLain, “Ingrish” by Chyeka Conner, “Cowboy Shots” by Holden McKlietz; BEST SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS FILM: “Sorry” by Patrick Asturias, “Unique Project” by Melody McLain, “What Goes Through Our Minds” by Kendry Hilario and Dominique Salazar; BEST PODCAST: “Spilling the Tea with Vincent Nardiello,” “Getting Personal with Mike Ra,” “Inside Sports,” “Snatched,” “I’m Surrounded by Idiots,” “Social Cues,” “Breaking News: Notre Dame Cathedral Fire”; BEST TALK SHOW: “Battle of the Boulevard” by Izabella Morejon and Jessica Jover, “Face to Face” by Noelle White, “Intramurals with Fitz” by David Mansour; BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “How to Breakfast” by Essence Brevard, “No Signal” by Noelle White and Katerina Vail, “American Facade” by David Mansour; BEST INSTRUCTIONAL: “How to Calligraphy” by Carissa Wu, “Chocolate Covered Strawberries” by Mia Stalkneck, “Chocolate Oreos” by Natalia Geron; BEST PSA: “10db” by Shaun Crafton and Can Sark, “Colorful Lights” by Deeanie Rodriguez; “Very Bad Day” by Qu’Raun Scott-McKoy, “Fresh Air” by Xlissa Fuentes and Bryan Casana; BEST DOCUMENTARY: “Security” by Julianna Muniz, Rhada Rench, Carlos Davies, and Kyara Syed; RISING STAR: “Unique Project” by Samiksha Thakur, “Unique Project” by Victoria Amato, “Unique Project” by Mya Lopez; BEST ACTRESS: Rachel Virga “A Merry Little Christmas,” Asia Guzman “Talk to Me,” Katerina Vail “Tongue Tied,” Emily Van Horn “Talk to Me”; BEST ACTOR: Garreth Savinovich “Tongue Tied,” Daniel Acosta “Unique Project,” James Williams “No Signal” BEST SCORE: “Tongue Tied” Granton Ave, “Talk to Me” Andrew Wholf, “Unique Project” Leigh Isaac; BEST SCREENPLAY: “Tongue Tied” by Noelle White, “Moment from 2018” by Bailey Davin, “Talk to Me” by Rea Silver-Chisholm Charlotte Hysen; BEST EDITING: “Travel” by Tiffany Sun, “Unique Project” by Jonathan Ortega, “Childhood/Adulthood” by Alexandria Campbell, “A Day at School” by Mistral Pascual, “Unique Project” Izabella Morejon; BEST CONCEPT IN A SHORT FILM: “Unique Project” by Grace Demopoulos, “How to Calligraphy” by Carissa Wu, “Rest Stop” by Joselyn Bravo and Camila Garcia, “How to Tune a Drum” by Tobias Harrison; BEST PROMOTIONAL VIDEO: “St. Peter’s Swim Team” by Natalie Wondolowski, “AV Promo” by Deeanie Rodriguez and Astrid Barrgan; BEST OF THE FEST: “Talk to Me” by Rea Silver-Chisholm and Charlotte Hysen, “Tongue Tied” by David Mansour and Noelle White, “Rest Stop” by Camila Garcia and Joselyn Bravo.

Tickets may be purchased below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hcst-film-festival-students-free-tickets-59777785967?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete

High Tech’s Music and Audio Technology Department Featured in This Month’s 'Sound & Communications' Magazine

(Port Washington, NY--May 23, 2019) High Tech's Music and Audio Technology department has been featured in this month’s Sound & Communications Magazine, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Sound & Communications’ article on High Tech's Music and Audio Technology department begins on page 44 and can be accessed below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T3_ucmIb1ZU3yoC_vEV4UUv4B7M3kMBG/view

“[The article] is really a terrific piece that highlights the music program,” notes Trista DeFilippis, Supervisor of the Academy of Media, Visual and Performing Arts at High Tech.

Since 1955, Sound & Communications has been providing the most comprehensive package available to its readers by concentrating on the commercial audio-visual systems integration segment. Coverage includes breaking news, system design and applications, trade show reports, new technologies and tutorials, and extensive product information. Known as the applications source, Sound & Communications specializes in in-depth analysis of major installations and technical white papers in every issue. The magazine’s readership includes systems integrators, contractors, consultants, AV service professionals, reps and distributors, IT professionals in AV, government and education technical managers who operate and maintain AV and communication systems, as well as the technical professionals who manage and operate their venue’s AV systems.

High Tech Studio Arts Majors Receive Ribbons at the Student Arts Expo

(Jersey City, NJ--May 23, 2019) A number of High Tech students had the honor of displaying artwork and receiving ribbons at the annual Student Arts Expo Awards Ceremony at the New Jersey City University Art Gallery, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Kearny resident Giselle Echeverria, who won the Top Honors Award, will move on to the New Jersey State Festival on May 29th-31st. One of only four Hudson County student artists to do so, Echeverria also has the honor of representing High Tech at the annual travelling exhibition, ensuring visibility throughout the state. Hoboken residents Charlotte Hysen, Aurora Foberg, and Alexandra Lee also won ribbons for their group cast plaster sculpture. Bayonne resident Chaco Iwase, Shahbano Abid of Jersey City, and North Bergen residents Diana Concepcion and Danny Arroyave earned ribbons as well.

“This has been a truly memorable year,” declares William Kennon, veteran Studio Arts instructor. “The Student Art Expo is a wonderful opportunity to showcase outstanding artwork produced by High Tech Studio Art students. It also offers students invaluable insight into what art programs in other schools are doing.”

All participating Hudson County high school students had their work adjudicated and awards bestowed upon them during the Awards Ceremony at the Bayonne Library and Cultural Center. The Student Art Expo had been open to the public through Mother’s Day there. After that, a much more selective and streamlined show continued to run at the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Art Gallery through May 23rd, the day of the awards ceremony.

Giselle Echeverria

Aurora Foberg and Charlotte Hysen

County Prep Participates in Junior Achievement's High School Heroes Program

Ms. Bello and Ms. Torres teach classes at County Prep High School for aspiring young teachers. Their students participated in Junior Achievement's High School Heroes Program on Thursday, February 7. The students delivered Junior Achievement's interactive elementary school curriculum on personal finance. The lesson plans focused on educational standards with grade-appropriate themes of personal economics, business, workforce readiness and the importance of staying in school. This Structured Learning Experience helped students practice leadership, organization, presentation, and communication skills as well as highlight the importance of teamwork and preparedness. A special thank-you to Ms. Bello and Ms. Torres for working with their students all year long.

High Tech Freshmen and Sophomore Environmental Science & Sustainability Students Help in Cleanup of Laurel Hill Park

(Secaucus, NJ--May 22, 2019) The Hackensack Riverkeeper welcomed the efforts of Freshmen and Sophomore Environmental Science & Sustainability students, who participated in a cleanup of Laurel Hill Park, just steps from the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus of Hudson County Schools of Technology, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

“We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day,” says Carrie Rapaport, High Tech High School’s guidance counselor extraordinaire and adviser on the cleanup effort. “It’s an honor to work toward the cleanliness and beautification of the park that High Tech High School calls home.”

Forty-five students, along with Environmental Science instructors Dr. Shelly Witham and William Goold and counselors Nermeen Hanna-Avegno and Rapaport, worked together to collect many bags of garbage. The debris, a major detriment to our environment and our health, winds up in our water system, contaminating it and our food.

“Students took pains to clean up and demonstrate their pride in their community,” adds Rapaport. “We look forward to many more projects and experiences with the Hackensack Riverkeeper in the future.”

Four High Tech Students Receive Honorable Mention in 2019 Letters About Literature

(New Brunswick, NJ--May 15, 2019) Each 9th grade essay by North Bergen residents Camille Garcia and Caroline Haviland, Jersey City resident Jordyn Weathers, and Madison Steinel-Duboue of Union City has received Honorable Mention in the New Jersey Center for the Book/Library of Congress 2019 Letters About Literature, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

In the Level III category, which covers 9th-12th graders, Garcia wrote her letter to Suzanne Collins (author of The Hunger Games), Haviland penned hers to Mitch Albom (author of For One More Day), Steinel-Duboue composed to Madeleine L’Engle (author of A Wrinkle in Time), and Weathers wrote to Angie Thomas (author of The Hate U Give).

Judges for Letters About Literature include authors, publishers, librarians, and educators. The first two rounds of reading occurs at the Library of Congress, which determines which letters advance to state-level judging. First place state winners only advance for national judging.

Letters About Literature, a reading/writing contest for students in grades 4-12, recognizes students who read a book, poem, or speech and compose letters (essays) to authors, whether living or dead, on how the authors’ works affect them personally. Judges review letters on state and national levels. Tens of thousands of students from across the country enter Letters About Literature every year.

(from left to right: Jordyn Weathers, Joan Marie Bellotti, and Madison Steinel-Duboue)

(Camille Garcia and Caroline Haviland)

High Tech eSports Team Competes against Memorial, North Bergen, and Weehawken in Its First Official Tournament

(North Bergen, NJ--May 17, 2019) High Tech High School’s eSports team entered its first official eSports tournament in partnership with Helix eSports, competing against North Bergen, Weehawken, and Memorial High Schools, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Kevin Osorio and Joseph Munoz-Breto, both North Bergen residents, came in 1st place for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Bayonne residents Allison Chang and Jakub Nikscin; Andy Chae of Harrison; Jersey City resident Amin Rhriyeb; and Kyle De Los Santos of Secaucus earned 2nd place for League of Legends. Also, 2nd place for Overwatch went to Jersey City residents Ezekiel Bernheim and Omar Tall; Alexander Calle and Nima Fallah of Kearny; Secaucus resident Druhin Jasty; and Matthew Loaces of Union City.

High Tech High School played against multiple teams from Weehawken, North Bergen, and Memorial High Schools and received high praise from professional eSports coaches at NYiT, Rutgers, and New England College.

“All in all, everyone had a fantastic time,” says Jared Krinsky, High Tech’s Game Design Club Adviser and Interactive Media instructor, “and we look forward to practicing for the next one.”

Through the help of Helix eSports Center, the premier center for gamers in Northern New Jersey and the New York City area, High Tech can now compete in a new sport for the 21st century. One of the largest eSports facilities in the nation, with 150 gaming stations, Helix has a conveniently located center in North Bergen, minutes from Manhattan and The Meadowlands Sports Complex. Helix boasts a state of the art facility, designed by industry veterans, and delivers a professional gaming experience for casual players to competitive gamers alike.

For photos of the competition and players, please click below:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMaz_TYStbu7W04zWOL0wZ02oFiBk4yIhntffwwuqCsQ0w9yfWgZGUT9YM1bKY0lQ?key=Rl9WRklQZWVGU1FQUHdDeWw5a1lqVnF3ekdsQ3VB

Once more, High Tech Students Place High in the Dr. Orlando E. Saa Poetry Recitation Contest

(Wayne, NJ--May 16, 2019) The William Paterson University of New Jersey’s Department of Languages and Cultures held its 37th Annual Dr. Orlando E. Saa Poetry Recitation Contest, in which over 700 North Jersey students from about 50 high school districts competed in the eight languages offered, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Students had the opportunity to recite poetry in Chinese, ESL, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish for prizes awarded to the very best students in the categories of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Native (except for Latin and ESL).

As for High Tech, the following students earned special recognition at the Recitation Contest: in French, Sandra Youssef of Jersey City received 2nd place, Intermediate Level; Union City resident Sabrina Peralta earned 3rd place, Advanced; for German, Monica Arce Sanchez of East Newark received 2nd place, Intermediate Level; in Japanese, Bayonne resident Remi Hayashi earned 3rd place, Native Level; Kalsey Colotl of Kearny received Honorable Mention, Intermediate Level; North Bergen resident Diana Concepcion, 1st place, Advanced Level; Alondra Rosas of West New York received 3rd place, Beginner Level. Also, these High Tech students participated in the contest: Guttenberg resident Kiana Roman, Beginner Spanish; Josephine Conlon of Hoboken, Intermediate Spanish; Jersey City residents Rishika Bandamede, Advanced Italian, and Carlos Hernandez, Advanced Spanish; Avni Pande of Secaucus, Advanced German; Union City residents Erycka Castro, Intermediate French, and Izabella Morejon, Native Spanish; and Lucas Agudelo of West New York, Intermediate Italian.

Dr. Orlando E. Saa, the program’s nakesake, passed away a few years back.

The Dr. Orlando E. Saa Poetry Recitation Contest started in 1982 as an offshoot of the Foreign Language Collaborative Program, and this program also sponsored most qualified students for a scholarship to study their specialized language in a country of their choice. Over 100 instructors from various New Jersey institutions worked collaboratively to improve their language offerings during the initial five-year period.

County Prep Students Win at 37th Annual Orlando Saa Languages Poetry Recitation Contest

The County Prep World Language Department is proud to announce that County Prep students excelled once more at the 37th Annual Orlando Saa Foreign Languages Poetry Recitation Contest, held at William Paterson University on May 16. This year, fifty-eight schools participated in this prestigious event and five of our students were recipients of an award. The laureates were: Alileen Li 2nd prize for Chinese beginner, Amy Koutouan 2nd prize for French intermediate, Alexander Vogiatzis 2nd prize for Spanish intermediate, Majibe Kagne Honorable Mention for Spanish advance and Carla Rubio Honorable Mention for Spanish native.

County Prep Theatre Arts Wins Two Judges Awards at the Teen Arts Competition

On Saturday May 11th, Theatre Arts and Musical Theatre students from our school participated in the Alliance of Teen Artists Festival which took place at Harrison HS. The students performed two songs for the Small Musical division, and two larger numbers for the Large Group Musical Theatre and the Large Group Drama Division. Each performance was followed by a very useful critique by NJCU Musical Theatre professors.

We are thrilled to announce that our excerpt from Brooklyn, the Musical won the Judges Award for the Large Group Musical Theatre. Also, County Prep Sophomore Kayla Velazquez won the Judges Award for her outstanding performance of the song Raven, from Brooklyn, the Musical.

Other participants to the Festival were Seniors Sirena Morales, Ivory Torres, Shana-Mae Gonzalez, Robert Delmonte, Brianna Bush, Bertha Solis, and Faith Riscoe, Juniors Giovanni Garcia, Dynajah Smith, Yvelisse Vargas, Tyla Gibso, Janell Garcia and Aury Acosta, and Sophomores Ariel Rivera, Alyssa Anglade, Jaden Reynolds, Arbaz Khan, Ivellisses Segovia, and Freshmen Reanna Cruz, Emely Rivera, Megan Wasserman and Tatyana Serrato.

Excerpts from our upcoming show Hotel Paradise was presented as well, which will be performed June 6th and 7th here at County Prep.

Ms. Shields would like to congratulate all participants who represented our school to this wonderful event.

County Prep Junior to Visit State-of-the-art Digital Forensics Laboratory

Jasmine Jonson, a Junior at County Prep High School, was chosen to participate in NSA GenCyber Camp at Norwich University. Jasmine is enrolled in the Computer Science major and the Forensic Science elective and she aspires to a career in Computer Forensics. Jasmine will spend a week in June at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont where she will learn techniques used in the investigation of digital evidence. The camp will introduce young people to careers in cybersecurity and help them gain insight into maintaining safe and appropriate on-line behavior. This unique learning experience will provide Jasmine the opportunity to apply skills acquired at County Prep High School and to learn new ones.

High Tech Students Place 8th in New Jersey Envirothon

(Waterford Works, NJ--May 11, 2019) Four students, mentored by Dr. Shelly Witham, participated in the 2019 New Jersey Envirothon, “Agriculture and the Environment: Knowledge & Technology to Feed the World,” and placed 8th overall in the state in this highly competitive event held at Great Times Day Camp, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Field experience funded by a generous donation from the HCST Foundation prepared the students for the New Jersey Envirothon competition, where high school students pursue in-depth knowledge about New Jersey’s natural resources and gain skills needed to navigate the complex environmental issues of today and tomorrow. Guided by Dr. Witham, students trained all year for the competition, using online study guides and attending in-person training workshops provided by natural resource professionals from various sponsoring organizations.

Areas of competition include Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, Team Presentation and a Current Environmental Issue. One week prior to the event, students receive an environmental issue or real-life scenario for which they must: (1) explore the natural resources, implications, and stakeholders involved; collaborate to devise a solution; and offer a team presentation to a panel of judges on the day of the competition.

The students, Dakota Hatcher, a freshman from Harrison, Sarah Bacha and Zhixiu Zheng, seniors from North Bergen, and Rebecca Rosas, a senior from West New York, formed the High Tech team that placed in the top ten in four of the six stations: 3rd place in Current Issues, 3rd place in Forestry, 3rd place in Soils, and 5th place in Team Presentation.

Along with several other teams, High Tech students elected to camp at the site the night before the contest. Many students and teachers return each year not just because of the competition, but due to the camping and camaraderie that they experience at the Envirothon. As a special treat, Smokey the Bear joined in the closing ceremonies. Smokey, who celebrates his 75th birthday this year, has become an American icon since his creation by the U.S. Forest Service. Since 1944, Smokey has been working hard to inspire Americans to prevent wildfires.

(from left to right: Dakota Hatcher, Zhixiu Zheng, Sarah Bacha, Rebecca Rosas, and Dr. Witham)

(from left to right: Zhixiu Zheng, Rebecca Rosas, Dr. Witham, Smokey Bear, Sarah Bacha, and Dakota Hatcher)

High Tech Environmental Science and Sustainability Academy Participate in Field Experience at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

(Morris County, NJ--April 30, 2019) Twenty-four of High Tech’s Advanced Placement Environmental Science seniors participated in a field experience at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Led by instructors Dr. Shelly Witham, William Goold, and Dr. David Cincotta, this field experience, funded by a generous donation from the HCST Foundation, involved a visit to the 73-acre Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) Conservation Management Area, which surrounds the Silver Brook, a tributary of the Great Brook in the headwaters of the Passaic River. Protected by the GSWA, this area, part of the Federal National Wildlife Refuge system, has been monitored by staff from the Refuge who oversee the water and steward the land, which includes many endangered species, to ensure habitat for wildlife and places for people to recreate.

The students participated in the monitoring of the protected lands by undertaking the following field experience:

Field Study 1 (Water Quality): students used visual, chemical, and potentially biological quantitative assessments to determine the water quality and health of the stream.

Field Study 2 (Soil Analysis): students conducted a soil site analysis by looking at a variety of soil assessment techniques, including examining soil strata via a soil core sample and analyzing the type of soil through “key to soil texture by feel,” as well as determining soil type by use of color analysis.

Field Study 3 (Habitat Survey): using the tools of the field ecologist (binoculars and strong observation), students observed flora and fauna present on the site and surveyed whether all trophic levels were present and that the habitat possesses all the component layers of a fully functional meadow, swamp, or forest.

High Tech Environmental Science and Sustainability Academy Participate in Earth Day Celebration at the Dierdre Imus Environmental Center®

(Hackensack, NJ--April 17, 2019) Dr. Shelly Witham and her students from the Environmental Science and Sustainability Academy of High Tech accepted an invitation to participate in the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® Earth Day 2019 celebration at Hackensack University Medical Center, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Seven students participated in the Earth Day festivities: Bayonne residents Kaitlyn Kirschner, a senior, and Doran Traineau, a junior; Rachel Stern, a junior from Guttenberg; Jersey City residents Elena Gurczeski and Ivonne Ovalles, both juniors; and Kearny residents Sylvia Goldfond, a senior, and Alfonse Sessa III, a sophomore.

During the Earth Day celebration, members of the hospital community visited the students from the Environmental Science and Sustainability Academy’s display of beautiful flowers, created from Hackensack University Medical Center sterilization wrap. Other Earth Day participants included the Hackensack University Medical Center’s beekeeper, who brought an observation hive and samples of the first spring harvest of Hackensack Honey, and an amazing artwork, Enchanted Exhibit, by Terri Shank of Beacon Converters.

High Tech Environmental Club Hosts Earth Day Festival

(Secaucus, NJ--April 18, 2019) The High Tech Environmental Club hosted its annual Earth Day Festival, featuring educational carnival games, themed prizes, hands-on activities, and many guest visitors, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The event took place at the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus of HCST from 3rd-7th periods on the day before Earth Day, and the Environmental Club and advisor Catherine Yuhas, instructor and facilitator at High Tech’s Academy of Environmental Science and Sustainability, ran it.

Students brought in recyclables in exchange for tickets to play environmental games like “Trashketball” and “Family Feud: Climate Change Trivia” or engaged in activities like creating sand necklaces. In the process, they learned about the 12 varieties of soil and even made their own reusable bags out of recycled “Blue Wrap,” donated by Hackensack University Medical Center. Throughout the festival, students earned tickets that they could exchange for prizes, such as reusable water bottles, goldfish, plants, metal straws, candles, and much more.

High Tech’s FFA Chapter (formerly, the Future Farmers of America) ran a booth to talk to students about their progress and goals, and one booth featured surveys for the student to fill out regarding a potential reusable water bottle fundraiser from the club. Guests included members of the Hudson County Improvement Authority, The Hackensack Riverkeeper, the Hudson County Planning Board, and Resilience Paddle Sports, who also hosted booths.

The festival raised awareness for Earth Day and proved successful in getting students interested in the environment, connecting students to internships and job opportunities, bringing the school together, and engendering great fun.

Fourteen High Tech Students Receive Awards at This Year’s Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists Student Art Expo

(Bayonne, NJ--May 9, 2019) Fourteen High Tech students earned recognition this year at the the annual Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists Student Art Expo, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The Top Honors Award went to Giselle Echeverria, a resident of Kearny, who will move on to the New Jersey State Festival on May 29th-31st. Echeverria also has the honor of representing High Tech at the annual travelling exhibition, ensuring visibility throughout the state.

Judges Awards went to Stella Bajor-Gil and Mari Gabrielle Feliciano of Bayonne; Hoboken residents Xavier Aniello, Casey Kauffman, and Alexandra Lee; Antoinette Critelli of Jersey City; Kearny residents London Monzon and Diana Ordonez; Danny Arroyave, Paulo Salazar, and Stephanie Schwartz of North Bergen; and Union City residents Maya Borten and Sade Rodriguez.

“This has been a truly memorable year,” declares William Kennon, veteran Studio Arts instructor. “The Student Art Expo is a wonderful opportunity to showcase outstanding artwork produced by High Tech Studio Art students. It also offers students invaluable insight into what art programs in other schools are doing.”

All participating Hudson County high school students had their work adjudicated and awards bestowed upon them during the Awards Ceremony at the Bayonne Library and Cultural Center. The Student Art Expo had been open to the public through Mother’s Day there. After that, a much more selective and streamlined show continues to run at the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Art Gallery through May 23rd, with an awards ceremony scheduled for the last day.

May marks Art Display Month in New Jersey.

Giselle Echeverria of Kearny, winner of the Top Honors Award

Maya Borten of Union City, a recipient of the Judges Award

Alexandra Lee of Hoboken, a recipient of the Judges Award

Danny Arroyave of North Bergen, a recipient of the Judges Award

Casey Kauffman of Hoboken, a recipient of the Judges Award

Stephanie Schwartz of North Bergen, a recipient of the Judges Award

Antoinette Critelli of Jersey City, a recipient of the Judges Award

High Tech Studio Arts Students at the Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists Student Art Expo

High Tech Honored at Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health STEM Showcase Awards Ceremony

(Jersey City, NJ--May 1, 2019) Three High Tech students earned medals for their research projects at the awards ceremony for the Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health STEM Showcase, held at the Margaret Williams Theatre, located in Hepburn Hall on the main campus of New Jersey City University, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The awards ceremony took place at 7 p.m. in the 1,026 seat proscenium theatre venue, where Sarah Bacha of North Bergen and Secaucus resident Eshaan Mangat received Gold Medals for their research projects, “Investigating the Contributions of the DeNovo Serine Synthesis in Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis” and “Modeling the Distribution of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles in the Bloodstream,” respectively. As a result of their dedication and contributions to STEM, both obtained full scholarships to New Jersey City University as well.

In addition, Gold Medalists Bacha and Mangat received the NJCU President’s Scholarship, worth $ 22,000, to be applied to the cost of attending NJCU. Bacha also received the United States Metric Association Award.

Another High Tech student, Carina Garcia, also from Secaucus, earned the Silver Medal for her project, “3D Electrospun ECM-Based Hybrid Scaffolds: Aligned vs. Random Fiber Interactions with Breast Cancer Cell Liner.”

“It is my pleasure to work with such talented research students,” says Dr. Arun Srivastava, veteran Medical Sciences, AP Seminar, AP Research teacher, and mentor to the awardees from High Tech. “Each time I interact with them, I learn something new, ranging from developments on cancer research to A.I.”

Judges selected Bacha, Mangat, and Garcia as winners at the STEM Showcase held on March 11th.

(Carina Garcia of Secaucus)

(Garcia, fourth from left)