Extended Culinary Student for the Day Program a Success for County Prep Students

County Prep Culinary Arts students visited Hudson County Community College multiple times from September through February 2020 to participate in the “ Extended Culinary Student for the Day” program. The students were afforded the opportunity to work "one-on-one" with a renowned chef to prepare dishes selected by the students. During the last session, County Prep culinary students showcased their talents by preparing scrumptious ribs, spicy buffalo chicken, delightful macaroni and cheese, exotic potatoes, and deep fried grilled cheese sandwiches. The opportunity to partake in “hands-on” activities gave the students a glimpse of culinary arts on a college level. Overall, it was an invaluable structured learning experience that defined a potential career option for our students. A special thank-you is extended to Ms. Nunez and Chef Puc at Hudson County Community for their efforts to bring this SLE to fruition.

Eastern Millwork - Holz Technik Academy Apprenticeship Program Presents to County Prep Students

Structured Learning Experience -  Eastern Millwork - Holz Technik Academy Apprenticeship Program

Peter J. Mielach from Eastern Millwork  presented to students at County Prep High School on Friday, December 6, 2019.  The apprenticeship program is a career opportunity for high school graduates interested in technology and manufacturing.  Easterm Millwork has partnered with Hudson County Community College to create a model whereby students receive on-the-job training and an associate's degree concurrently.  Students learned about potential career pathways that can be launched as part of this “Earn While You Learn” initiative.

 A special thank you is extended to Eastern Millwork for partnering with our district.

HCCC Hosts County Prep Culinary Arts Students for a Culinary Institute Tour

County Prep's junior and senior culinary arts classes along with their instructors visited Hudson County Community College during November to participate in their “Culinary Institute Tour." The students cycled through the various culinary labs to gain exposure to the post-secondary culinary arts program. In addition, one of their renowned chefs demonstrated a culinary lesson.  They also had the opportunity to interact with the professors and current college students.  The students met with an admissions counselor to review the application process.  At the conclusion of the tour, the students attended a luncheon in the dining hall that was prepared by the culinary college students.  Overall, it was an invaluable structured learning experience that defined a potential career option for our students.

COUNTY PREP STUDENTS WIN GOLD MEDALS AT FCCLA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Students from County Prep represented New Jersey in FCCLA's Annual National Leadership Conference, in California this past July. Esmeralda Garcia competed in the "Fashion Design" event, and Nicole Lucero-Huerta and Eshita Jain competed in the "Entrepreneurship" event. Each student was rewarded with a gold medal. This year's theme was "Believe in Yourself," and the students learned many things as they participated in competitive events and listened to motivational speakers. Each student had to present their work in front of a panel of judges. In the "Fashion Design" Event, students had to create four designs, a portfolio, and make one garment. In this event, Esmeralda received a score of 99. In the "Entrepreneurship" event, the students had to create a business and make a portfolio. Nicole and Eshita received a score of 98. About 8,000 students from all over the United States and its territories came to participate in competitive events. Each student received pins that were decorated to represent their home state, and the students were able to meet with people from across the country and trade pins with them. 

Third Times the Charm! CP Culinary Arts Wins Gold Medal at NJ SkillsUSA Competition!

Third times the charm! County Preps wins GOLD- MRE Challenge

County Prep wins Three years in Row at NJ Skills Culinary Arts 

     Once again County Preps Culinary Arts class dominates the Skills USA, MRE challenge. Chef Collins with his amazingly, devoted students Isabella Del Monte, Grace Yeung and Kelvin Avila-Bravo had an outstanding day. The contestants are given six random military ready to eat packets. They competed against 13 different vocational schools from New Jersey. They had thirty minutes to plan and an hour and a half to cook and plate the food. The students presented their creations to military judges. They went to the medal ceremony on April 13, 2019 and placed first and received gold medals. This is the third year in a row that County Prep has won this event.

The Winning Menu

Appetizer

Military bunker

Entrée

A tank complete with a cannon that fires

Dessert

The Purple Heart award with “four star general”

Team County Prep Culinary Arts contestants

Culinary Arts Joaquin Cariaso

Food Service Arianna Sanchez

MRE Challenge Isabella Del Monte, Grace Yeung and Kelvin Avila-Bravo

Table Service Hadassah Brudnicki

County Prep Students Visit HCCC for Culinary Institute Tour

Chef Kevin Collins's Culinary Arts students visited Hudson County Community College on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 to participate in their “ Culinary Institute Tour."  The students cycled through the various culinary labs to gain exposure to the post-secondary culinary arts program. In addition, Chef Puc, a renowned culinary guru, demonstrated a culinary lesson on one of his signature dishes.  They also had the opportunity to interact with the professors and current college students.  The students met with an admissions counselor to review the application process.  At the conclusion of the tour, the students attended a luncheon in the dining hall that was prepared by the culinary college students.  Overall, it was an invaluable structured learning experience that defined a potential career option for our students.

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! 

County Prep's Culinary Arts Students Participate in a Culinary Institute Tour at HCCC

Chef John Palsi's junior and senior culinary arts students visited Hudson County Community College on Thursday, November 1, to participate in their “ Culinary Institute Tour."  The students cycled through the various culinary labs to gain exposure to the post-secondary culinary arts program. In addition, one of their renowned chefs demonstrated a culinary lesson on how to prepare chicken.  They also had the opportunity to interact with the professors and current college students.  The students met with an admissions counselor to review the application process.  At the conclusion of the tour, the students attended a luncheon in the dining hall that was prepared by the culinary college students.  Overall, it was an invaluable structured learning experience that defined a potential career option for our students.

County Prep High School Junior Chosen for National Recognition by Citizen University's Youth Collaboratory

Youssef Gendy, a junior at County Prep High School who serves as SkillsUSA Co-President, has been selected to be one of 24 students in the nation to attend Citizen University's prestigious Youth Collaboratory. The Youth Collaboratory is one component of Citizen University’s Youth Power Project, a multi-year effort supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation to empower and connect a rising generation of civic leaders and doers. He will spend his year sharpening his literacy in civic power as he travels to cities across America and encounters other national civic innovators. Youssef will travel, expenses paid, to Malibu, Chicago, and Washington DC in 2019. He will work with his peers and adult mentors to complete leadership and civic projects here in New Jersey. Through this opportunity, he will be connected to a network of world-renowned leaders to obtain the skills and connections for a lifetime of civic empowerment.

Hudson County Community College Hosts County Prep Culinary Arts Students

County Prep culinary arts students visited Hudson County Community College multiple times from September through December 2018 to participate in the “Extended Culinary Student for the Day” program. The students reported to HCCC at 7:30 am to cycle through the various culinary labs to gain exposure to the post-secondary culinary arts program and to feel what it is like to be a college student. They also had the opportunity to interact with the professors and to partake in hands-on activities in the various kitchens. At the conclusion of each visit, the students attended a luncheon in the dining hall that was served and prepared by the culinary college students.  Overall, it was an invaluable structured learning experience that defined a potential career option for our students.   

County Prep’s FCCLA Delegation Earns Multiple Awards and Recognition

Edison NJ –November 19, 2018

The County Prep FCCLA delegation attended the Fall conference at the Pines Manor in Edison NJ. The conference was attended by 740 members from schools throughout New Jersey, announced Ms. Barbara Mendolla, Principal of County Prep High School.

Our students competed in the following events:

Cupcake Challenge ( Culinary Arts )
The Cupcake Challenge Competitive Event is a State Event conducted at the NJ FCCLA Fall Leadership Connection. It is a team event that encourages members to create an original cupcake recipe from scratch that incorporates an herb as an ingredient. The members must make a minimum of 5 dozen cupcakes that will be sold at the NJ FCCLA Fall Leadership Connection to raise money for the National Outreach Project, Share Our Strength. The cupcakes are evaluated on the taste, texture, appearance, and creativity as well as the efficiency and creativity of the display. The team of Zinab Ennasri and Valeria Roasdo won 1st place Gold followed by the team of Antonios Azmy, Nisha Purino, and Giovanna Mezzasalma winning 2nd place Gold.

Tune Into FCCLA (Video Production)The Tune Into FCCLA Competitive Event is a State Event conducted at the NJ FCCLA Fall Leadership Connection. It is designed to energize our technically gifted and creative members. Tune Into FCCLA is a team event that allows participants to develop an FCCLA marketing project using a public service announcement video to raise awareness about the negative effects of tobacco and e-cigarette use.
We would like to recognize the team of Bryan Casana and Xylissa Fuentes for being awarded the 1st place Gold medal and Shaun Crafton and Can Sark the 2nd place Silver medal.

GO GREEN (Studio Art)
The Go Green Competitive Event is a team event in which students work to create an effective, attractive, and unique item that can be used to enhance the home or work environment. At the 2018 Fall Leadership Connection, this event focused on an environmentally friendly Desk Organizer. The project had to be artistic in nature and employ principles and elements of design. The design had to be a realistic approach, but exhibit creativity and eye appeal. The project demonstrated the ability to use Recycled/Repurposed/Reclaimed items, Sustainable and Renewable resources in a creative and responsible manner. The teams of County Prep won 1st,2nd and 3rd place Gold medals in this category .The team of Gennalyn Orencia, Emily Adams, and Kelly Maldonado won 1st place Gold achieving a PERFECT score! Roxanne Lipa and LeeAnh Hoang were 2nd place Gold and Jessica Massa and Anjoli Armogan won 3rd place Gold.

Passion for Fashion (Fashion Design)
The Passion for Fashion Design Challenge Competitive Event is a State Event conducted at the NJ FCCLA Fall Leadership Connection. It is an individual event that allows participants to exhibit fashion design, creativity, and construction by creating doll clothes. Each participant designs and drafts a pattern and constructs an original doll-sized garment for either a twelve or an eighteen inch doll. This event is a perfect example of how art and academics are combined in real world situations.

Alexa Acuna, Esmeralda Garcia and Lilian Nguyen won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place gold medals respectively. Alexa and Esmeralda were awarded a two-day summer workshop at Berkeley College in NYC.

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

County Prep High School Alumnus David Acosta to Receive Young Artist Award

Press Release - On Tuesday, November 27^th at 6:30pm, County Prep High School Alumnus David Acosta will receive the Jersey City Arts Council’s 2018 Young Artist Award.

The event celebrates artists, arts educators, and arts supporters throughout Jersey City, and is a fundraiser for the Jersey City Arts Council, a non-profit arts advocacy organization.  Tickets and sponsorship are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/awards-celebration-tickets-51316052695.

David Acosta, County Prep High School Alumnus, performs under the stage name Murdock.  He was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. From a young age he found a passion and escape in Hip-Hop, Comic Books, and Theatre. Acosta performed regularly at County Prep High School in Open Mic Nights, Talent Shows, and as a member of the dance program.  After graduating from Montclair State University in 2014 with a BA in Theatre Studies, he made it his mission to combine his 3 passions and launched his music career with his debut sample based EP Anxiety. Nostalgia. Confidence.

After a successful launch, he immediately began work on his full length debut concept album #AAAH.  After 4 music videos and a year and a half of performing the intense theatrical set built around #AAAH, Acosta, aka Murdock, began work on his follow-up record attempting to create a new sound and type of "concept album".  Murdock's second album Rebirth was released in August 2018 to local acclaim. 

Acosta is also on the board of Arts on the Hudson, has been featured numerous times in NJ.com, and recently produced the first annual Arts on the Hudson Festival at Hamilton Park.

“David’s work explores important and personal issues with honesty and often humor. His level of commitment to the arts in Jersey City is exceptional at such a young age.  We are thrilled to honor his work and to continue to watch his career continue to develop. He is a great asset to this community.” –Jersey City Arts Council

Tuesday, November 27^th, 6:30-9:30pm. White Eagle Hall 337 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ

Gala Celebration Tickets:  $125

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/awards-celebration-tickets-51316052695

 

County Prep 12th Graders Attend NJ Transit Academy

Seven County Prep seniors attended the New Jersey Transit Academy on Tuesday, October 30, 2018.  This workshop provided students with an opportunity to tour NJ Transit’s Central Maintenance Facility, Railroad Car Shop, and to attend several break-out sessions including resume preparation, interviewing skills, and NJ Transit’s hiring procedures.  One of the highlights included a tour of the "command center" that monitors all rail traffic in New Jersey.  It was a valuable structured learning experience that increased students' awareness of the benefits and career trajectories within the organization.

County Prep Students Visit Alstede Farms with Chef Palsi

On Tuesday October 2nd County Prep Chef John Palsi took his students to Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ. to pick apples. The following day the class made apple pies, apple cupcakes, apple turnovers and apple danish with the apples they picked. Pictured below are the students on the hay pyramid when they arrived at the farm. Also pictured are their delicious desserts.

Summer in the City

County Prep Students Attend Various Student Learning Experiences

On Wednesday, February 28th, Ms. Bello's Early Childhood Education classes visited Barnes and Nobles in Clifton, NJ.  Students explored possible post-secondary career pathways within Barnes and Noble including HR, Publishing, Marketing, Management, and IT.   In addition, the students selected a "favorite" children's author for a classroom project which then inspired them to "create" their own children's book.  All  the students hand delivered their "Favorite Teacher Contest" submissions directly to the store manager. These essays focused on how a teacher inspired them and, as aspiring young teachers, they realized the importance of positive learning experiences.

On Tuesday, May 1st, County Prep students visited Hudson Community Enterprises in Jersey City to explore post-secondary options in Digital Design and Printing Services as well as a Document Management/Scanning track.  It's mission is to create employment opportunities while  providing valuable services to the business community. The company offers a 12 week training program that includes a partially paid internship assignment.  

County Prep students participated in Junior Achievement of New Jersey's Annual Women's Future Leadership Forum on Friday, May 18, 2018.  The event was held at Goldman Sachs in Jersey City, NJ.  The students enjoyed a working breakfast and luncheon where they were able to network with inspirational female role models from top companies in New Jersey. Each student was paired with a mentor for the day to learn about that person's job and personal narrative.   It was an invaluable opportunity for students to interact with such accomplished leaders, develop work readiness skills through interactive activities throughout the day, and listen to the trials and tribulations these leaders faced in an effort to achieve their goals.  Students also created their own "elevator pitches" and biographies. 

County Prep Senior Adam Concepcion Wins GOYA Food's Culinary Scholarship

West New York's Native Son, Adam Concepcion, has won the GOYA Food's Culinary Scholarship in the amount of $20,000 making County Prep High School proud of all his accomplishments. Early on in his high school career, Adam eagerly entered various culinary competitions where he went up against some of the State’s Top Culinarians to eventually win 2nd place and a $2,000 scholarship at the NJ State Skills Competition for Commercial Backing along with his 1st Place finish at FCCLA's Apple Bake-off Competition with an additional $2,000 scholarship. Creating quit the buzz for himself, Adam has been recognized by some of the top Culinary colleges in the Nation. His passion for baking grew out of the love and quality time spent with his mother in the kitchen cooking Cuban cuisine. The loss of his mother at such a young age, propelled him to work hard and earn everything that he has accomplished academically, personally as well as socially with his Senior Class. Adam's perseverance has lead him to be chosen by his number one college choice, CIA, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Adam credits his success to Chef Delesky which has been a great mentor to him for last four years as well as personal studying time devoted to polishing his craft. Adam would like to thank his sister, Naomi Concepcion and his aunt, Heidy Quintero, for their love and endless support in achieving both his personal and academic goals. Adam would also like to thank ‘Carlo’s Bakery’ of Hoboken and the opportunities he obtained while working at ‘Dulce De Leche Bakery’ of West New York. County Prep is extremely proud of how Adam has honored the school. We will highly miss seeing all his creative and delicious cakes which were a daily stapled after 3rd period on Adam's typical school day. There is no doubt in our minds that Adam will go far in his career as a Master Pastry Chef and finally bridge the gap between his family's home land of Cuba and the United States one simple sweet treat at a time. Congratulations Adam!

HCST County Prep Culinary Arts Department & Teacher John Palsi Receive Charity Award

This Friday, April 20th, the Chandelier Charity Organization of the Year Award honors a community volunteer group that has actively supported the work of Hudson Milestones as well as the individuals within their programs. This year’s recipient is Hudson County Schools of Technology, Culinary Arts Department, led by John Palsi. Congratulations!

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