High Tech French Honor Society Holds Its 2019 Induction Ceremony

(Secaucus, NJ--June 20, 2019) The High Tech High School French Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The following students have been inducted into FHS: Bayonne residents Kate Neal and Lucas Neukirchner; Fiona Bezhani of Guttenberg; Valerie Calligy, Isabella Gibbs-Garcia, and Mary O’Brien of Hoboken; Jersey City residents Molly Burch, Janna Kawtari, Sally Mangassa, and Fatou Mbaye; Martin da Silva, Jane Eid and Nicolette Zika of Kearny; Secaucus resident Nicky Sanchez; Erycka and Leslie Castro and Katherine Rodriguez of Union City; Emmily Hernandez and Marilyn Jimenez of West New York.

In addition, seniors Sylvia Goldfond and Andrew Tran, both Kearny residents, and Sarah Bacha and Diana Concepcion of North Bergen received their FHS chords and tassels for graduation.

High Tech’s Janine Garcia and Sabrina Peralta Receive 2019 AATF Excellence in French Awards

(New York, NY--June 20, 2019) The American Association of Teachers of French has nominated High Tech students Janine Garcia of North Bergen and Union City resident Sabrina Peralta for a 2019 AATF Excellence in French Award, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Both seniors, Garcia and Peralta took French for four years in High Tech and Study Abroad Class in 2018. They participated in different activities during these four years, such as French café, Grounds for Sculpture trip, Poetry contest, and Crepe Day at High Tech.

High Tech Students Visit Hard Rock Café’s Rock & Roll Artifacts

(New York, NY--May 31, 2019) Students from Robert Dillon’s Rock & Roll Literature class embarked on a trip to the Hard Rock Café for lunch and to visit the famous restaurant chain’s storied collection of rock & roll artifacts, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Students could read hand-written song lyrics from long-dead rock & roll pioneers John Lennon and Harry Chapin, alongside a leather jacket adorned by the late punk rocker Johnny Ramone and a glamorous suit worn by the equally-deceased David Bowie.

“I was so excited to see some of Bowie’s memorabilia,” Says Daisy Levine, a resident of Hoboken. “I’m a huge fan. I just love his music.”

The same building, erected in 1926, that functions as the home for the Hard Rock Café had housed the historic Paramount Theater, where famous performers such as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Buddy Holly, and Frank Sinatra once entertained the masses.

Dillon’s class also received a special tour of the world-famous marquee. Students had the opportunity to stand on the marquee and view Times Square from an angle few people ever get a chance to do.

“I felt like a VIP,” says Ethan Carrera, a resident of North Bergen.

High Tech Students Visit MET’s Rock & Roll Relics Exhibit

(New York, NY--May 1, 2019) Students from Robert Dillon’s Rock & Roll Literature class embarked on a field trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to visit a special exhibit that focused on Rock & Roll relics, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

The exhibit, co-organized with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, presented roughly 130 instruments and advertisement posters and tour costumes. Spectators paid witness to many of rock's most recognized instruments, representing artists from across generations and subgenres.

“It was a great chance to see items that we had only read about in class,” says Dillon. “On display were instruments from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and other historic rock bands.”

For the first time, a major museum exhibited rock & roll instruments. One of the most vital artistic movements ever, rock & roll had a seismic influence that defined our modern-day culture.

“It was awesome,” adds Aidan Gonzalez, a resident of Hoboken. “Seeing the guitar that Jimi Hendrix played was awe-inspiring.”

Early rock musicians relied on the wail of the electric guitar and distortion of early amplifiers, a sound that became forever associated with rock music. Fans have long been interested in the instruments.

“It was interesting to see Jerry Lee Lewis’s gold baby grand piano next to Lady Gaga’s piano,” notes Amelia Osborne, a resident of Weehawken.

Many fans, both amateur and professional, have sought and acquired exact models of instruments and equipment used by their rock & roll idols, and have spent countless hours trying to emulate their music and look. These instruments in the exhibit had a profound impact on this art form.

“I liked the Metallica exhibit,” says Nicole Vilca, a resident of West New York. “It looked like [the group] had a lot of fun on stage.”

High Tech Hiking Club Goes on Camping Trip to Stokes State Forest

(Sussex County, NJ--June 19, 2019) The Hiking Club embarked on its first annual camping trip to Stokes State forest, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Chaperones included High Tech Hiking Club moderator Ronald Kliesh, Dr. Shelly Witham, Sergio Gamarra, Ella Skinner, and HCST Superintendent Amy-Lin Rodriguez.

First High Tech High School Freshman Class at Frank J. Gargiulo Campus Celebrates End of School Year at Dave and Busters

(Wayne, NJ--June 19, 2019) The High Tech Class of 2022 celebrated its first year at High Tech and its distinction as being the first freshman class to spend its entire tenure at the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus with an end of year field trip to Dave and Busters, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Chaperones for the field trip included Ronald Kliesh, Valeria Arias, Dr. Laje Gashi, Priscilla Isip, Cheryl Lauto, Dr. Mychelle Warren Perez, Carrie Rapapport, Eleanor Chiconelli, Pedro Gongora, Michael Diamond, Tim Brennon, Joseph Ona, Alcides Diaz, Jose Diaz, Michael Buscio, Louis Minervini, and Antonio Fuda.

High Tech’s Kate Neal Creates Pilot Program to Replace Plastic Utensils at Frank J. Gargiulo Campus

(Secaucus, NJ--June 3, 2019) High Tech sophomore Kate Neal, a resident of Bayonne, created a pilot program in the hopes of enacting a permanent schoolwide policy to replace plastic forks, knives, and spoons with metal silverware throughout the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Neal, a student in the Academy of Environmental Science and Sustainability, has dedicated herself to lowering the carbon footprint throughout High Tech’s state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building, and has become involved throughout the school community. She holds the titles of Secretary of the High Tech Environmental Club and Administrative Liaison for the sophomore class. Also, Neal has actively participated in the French Club, JSA, Science League, and this summer, she will intern at the High Tech Aquaponics Lab.

The pilot, mere weeks old, took months to arrange. In April, Neal teamed up with Gerald Lyons, the retiring Director of Food Services, and Catherine Yuhas, veteran Environmental Science and Sustainability instructor, to implement the change. Modeled on Explore Middle School’s preexisting metal silverware program, the pilot program utilized hundreds of reusable forks, knives, and spoons that now offer an environmentally sustainable choice for staff and students on the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus. However, Neal and others hope that reusable silverware will be the only option going forward.

“It was time to make a change,” says Neal. “We throw away, on average, 8,000 forks, knives, and spoons a week [on the the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus] alone, and making every change we can to promote and practice environmental awareness and sustainability is essential for our continuous growth throughout the building, as well as setting a good example for students and teachers alike.”

County Prep Student Kendaul Robinson Presents at Dare to Dream Conference

Kendual Robinson from County Prep High School presented at the Dare to Dream Student Leadership Conference on Friday, May 3^rd at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind.  The event featured accomplished students and adults who have demonstrated exemplary self-advocacy and leadership skills.  Kendaul presented to the over 200 students at which time he explained how “Stepping” helps him achieve his goals.  Stepping is a form of percussive dance in which the entire body is basically being used as an instrument to produce rhythms and sounds through footsteps, spoken words, and hand claps.  He demonstrated a dance he performs with an organization called Alpha Kudos and then elicited audience participation.  The performance was motivational and he electrified the audience by his enthusiasm and passion for “Stepping.”  A special thank-you is extended to Kendaul for sharing this strategy to overcome obstacles and pave the way for success in life. 

High Tech American Literature Class Visits 9/11 Memorial and Museum

(New York, NY--March 13, 2019) Veteran Language Arts instructor and department liaison Joan Marie Bellotti took her American Literature class to Manhattan to explore the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech High School.

Bellotti’s class had just read Thornton Wilder’s classic novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, which concerns the themes of loss, love, and the unexpected in life, themes the class hoped to link to the events of 9/11. In fact, Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time, quoted a passage from Wilder’s novel at a memorial service in New York for British victims of the attack on the World Trade Center: “But soon we shall die and all memory of those five will have left the earth, and we ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough; all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.”

Students attended a workshop about the events of 9/11 before touring the museum and memorial. Since restrictions have been put in place regarding photography, High Tech students Jade Lorences of West New York and Union City resident Diane Zaragoza had the good fortune of producing a video with photos from documented sources and student reactions to commemorate their visit.

The video can only be accessed through the following link: https://youtu.be/AtwTSc7eKGA

High Tech Music & Audio Tech Majors Perform Motown Hits at APME Conference

(New York, NY--June 14, 2019) Eighteen students from High Tech High School’s Music & Audio Tech Major performed a set of songs honoring the Motown era at New York University's Frederick Loewe Theater, part of this year’s Association for Popular Music Education (APME) Conference, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

APME encourages and facilitates educational institutions to update their music curricula to include modern music concepts and 21st century skills. The vast majority of secondary and post-secondary music programs still focus exclusively on music 100-300 years old while not addressing technological and artistic changes required for success in the modern music industry.

Created to advocate for popular music education and its advancement as a discipline, APME provides educational opportunities for teachers and students, honors the rich history of popular music, and develops innovative ways to create, perform, and teach it. APME also serves to bring together all involved in the pursuit of teaching and making popular music at all levels, including higher education, public school modern band and contemporary music programs, music companies, manufacturers, and popular music organizations.

High Tech’s performance showcased Motown’s innovative production techniques and arrangements. Both the conference presenters and attendees received the students' performance very well.

High Tech Biomedical Science Seniors Hold First Annual AP Capstone Scavenger Quest and Workshop for Incoming AP Seminar and Research Students

(Secaucus, NJ--June 13, 2019) Graduating High Tech Biomedical Science majors hosted an event for current AP Capstone juniors taking the AP Seminar class during their senior year and prospective AP Capstone sophomores taking AP seminar during junior year, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The first annual AP Capstone Scavenger Quest and Workshop, designed and carried out by the Biomedical seniors under the direction of AP seminar teacher Dr. Nina Lavlinskaia and AP research teacher Dr. Arun Srivastava, provided both AP classes with the chance to create a large study known as AP Capstone.

Generally, a capstone course serves as a hands-on experience required of its educational program. AP Capstone, an innovative program, equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills increasingly valued by colleges and universities. The event served to inform upperclassman and future AP Capstone participants about expectations for the forthcoming grades, as well as providing students with a headstart in the AP Seminar and Research programs.

Students attending the workshop witnessed various project presentations, including “Adderall and Academic Pressure” by North Bergen resident Armando Alvarez-Suarez, “The Introduction to AP Capstone” presented by Alex Kim of Jersey City, and “Methods Used for Creating a Presentation” by Harrison residents Amal Joseph and Justin Cai and Guttenberg resident Kevin Gao.

High Tech Freshmen in French Host “Battle of the Classes”

(Secaucus, NJ--June 12, 2019) High Tech High School freshmen in French hosted “Battle of the Classes,” a fun competition that served as their final project, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

“Battle of the Classes” mirrored the type of challenges found on the hugely popular TV game show Jeopardy, along with picture descriptions, video comprehension, and a spelling bee. Divided into five groups, students competed against one another, focusing on their communication skills throughout the competition.

At the end of the competition, each of the five groups had prepared a live performance in French, the hallmark of their teamwork, scholarship, and friendship.

Senior French students and French Honor Society also helped to organize and judge the competition. All in all, everyone enjoyed their experience, having fun while reviewing their linguistic knowledge.

High Tech eSports Team Earns Its Bona Fides Again

(North Bergen, NJ--June 14, 2019) The High Tech eSports team competed against North Bergen, Bronx High School, Rutherford, Memorial, Brooklyn Tech, and Weehawken in Super Smash Bros., Ultimate, and Overwatch and High Tech team members performed well again, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Jersey City resident Zion Hickson and Melvin Rivera of West New York took 2nd place, while Alan Villalobos of Union City and West New York’s Ryan Piedrahita took 3rd in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.

High Tech’s Overwatch team--consisting of Ezekiel Bernheim and Omar Tall of Jersey City, Kearny residents Alexander Calle and Nima Fallah, Wilson Wong of North Bergen, and Union City resident Matthew Loaces--took 3rd place.

NYXL, a pro eSports team, praised both teams.

“All in all,” says Jared Krinsky, instructor for High Tech’s Interactive Media classes. “They fought hard, had fun, and we are all proud of them.”

Representatives from BCB Bank Visit High Tech Business Accounting Students

(Secaucus, NJ--June 5, 2019) Assistant Manager Jose Figueroa and Business Development Officer Christine Bridgelal from BCB Bank in Jersey City visited High Tech High School to give a talk to the senior Business Accounting class, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

“This presentation gave my students many options with money management and will help these seniors with their personal finances,” said Mark V. Schroback, veteran Business Education instructor.

High Tech Interactive Media Students Showcase Their Work

(Secaucus, NJ--June 10, 2019) High Tech High School’s Interactive Media Junior and Senior Class hosted a showcase in which they presented their thesis and end of the year projects, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

The event showcased a surplus of interactive works, such as VR experiences, films, animations, games, holograms, projection mapping, and more.

“All in all, it was fantastic showing what Interactive Media is made of,” says Jared Krinsky, instructor for High Tech’s Interactive Media classes.