County Prep Photography Students Win 8 Judges Awards at The Pingry School Exhibition

The Commercial Photography Department is happy to announce that a record 8 County Prep students have won Judges Awards in the annual Pingry School Photography Exhibition. The students represent 9th grade through 12th grade in the program. Their winning photographs are pictured here. Principal Ms. Barbara Mendolla and Mr. Gerard Patten would like to congratulate all the students who participated in this event.

Freshmen

Fady Kelada - Odell Hands

Sariah Olivera - Snow Day

Sophomores

Grace Bertrand - Family

Casey Kelly - Rustic

Juniors

Jaiden Betancourt – Merry Poppins

Aneesa Cortez – Into the Woods

Ashleigh Hernandez – The Upside Down

Senior

Sherwin Dewan - Perspective

Ms. Rubio's Graphic Design Students Visit Microsoft for Structured Learning Experience

On Friday, January 17, 2020, County Prep students from Ms. Rubio's graphic design class participated in a Job Shadowing event at Microsoft located in Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey.  Upon arrival, the students attended a presentation on the history of Microsoft and the numerous career opportunities available within the organization.  The students engaged in numerous interactive activities throughout the day utilizing the products in the state-of-the-art facility. The Microsoft coordinator shared her personal experience as to her expected and yet unexpected pathway that led to a career at the company.  The day ended with a complimentary luncheon provided by Junior Achievement.   This Structured Learning Experience (SLE)  complemented classroom instruction and increased students' awareness of the skills needed to excel in this setting.

National Job Shadow Day a Success for County Prep Students

National Job Shadow Day - Monday, February 3, 2020

On Monday, February 3rd, Ms. Rubio's graphic design class and Ms. Pica's audio visual students  participated in a Job Shadowing event at Wiley & Sons located in Hoboken, New Jersey sponsored by Junior Achievement.  Upon arrival, Mr. Jesse Wiley welcomed the students and spoke about the history of Wiley & Sons which is an educational publishing firm that offers an array of educational products. The students participated in a Panel Discussion  which provided an opportunity for a Q&A with practicing professionals representative of different career trajectories within Wiley. The students interacted with employees to seek advice and guidance in preparation for their  post-secondary aspirations.  Wiley & Sons' employees shared their personal experiences as to their expected and yet unexpected career pathways. There was a presentation on Graphic Design and UX  for Digital Education which focused on Digital Management & the Next Generation of WileyPlus.  Before the day concluded, the students participated in "5 Minute Speed Interviews" with employees resulting in being interviewed multiple times by different employees.  The "lightning round" of interviews was designed to give students a flavor for different interviewing styles and questioning techniques.  Overall, County Prep students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and now have an increased awareness of potential career opportunities within Wiley & Sons.  A special thank-you is extended to Ms. Rubio and Ms. Pica for preparing their classes for the program and chaperoning the event.  

County Prep Students Take SLE Excursion to Grounds for Sculpture

Mr. Gerard Patten, Ms. Jillian Mulrain, and Mr. Robert Meyer led a field trip (SLE) to Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ on October 17th. Juniors and Seniors from Photography, Audio Visual Production and the Art programs were able to photograph and videotape some of the most beautiful sculptures in the state of NJ. Grounds For Sculpture is a museum, sculpture garden, and arboretum where art and nature are always at play. Outdoors, nearly 300 contemporary sculptures are sited across 42 landscaped acres. Indoors, temporary exhibitions from established and emerging artists are featured in six galleries.

County Prep's Photography and Audio Visual Production Classes Visit PhotoPlus Expo

On October 25th, 2019, students from County Prep's Photography and Audio Visual Production classes visited the PhotoPlus Expo 2019 at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. Juniors and seniors gained hands-on-experience with the latest and greatest in photography and video equipment. Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Panasonic and Olympus all were well represented. Students were also able to sit in on a number of mini-seminars for all the newest equipment, software and products that are now available and will be the future of our photo and video programs. Mr. Patten and Mr. Robert Meyer would like to thank Mr. Jason Carey and Mr. Christopher Greco for their help during the visit. We would all like to thank Ms. Mendolla and Mrs. Amy-Lin Rodriguez for their continued support of our programs.

Photography Field Trip to Princeton University Inspires County Prep Students

On October 2nd, Mr. Patten led a group of students on a Structured Learning Experience at Princeton University. His Junior and Senior Photography classes were joined by Ms. Martinez's Audio/Visual Junior class and some students from Ms. Mulrain's Senior Art class. The students took advantage of the university's beautiful campus to learn about portraits, landscapes, architecture, and garden photography. Their pictures showcase the unique features of Princeton's architecture and the natural beauty they were able to capture on campus.

CP's Jassica Kumari & Sole Stewart Win a Bronze Medal at NJ SkillsUSA!

Congratulations to Jassica Kumari and Sole Stewart on winning a bronze medal at the NJ Skills USA competition this past weekend. The County Prep seniors competed in the Digital Cinema Production category. The students produced a video titled “Just a Teenager” that discusses the issues teenagers face in today’s society including gender stereotypes, racism, college, immigrant families and much more! Both students, who are seniors in the Audio Visual Production program, worked extremely hard on their video. Mrs. Martinez is proud of them for their hard-work, dedication, and creativity throughout the entire process.  

NJ Skills USA Silver and Bronze Medals Awarded to County Prep Photography Students

Last week, two of County Preps' Juniors went to the NJ Skills USA competition to compete in the Commercial Photography category. Out of 25 participants, Alyssa Hong (left) and Ashley Quintana (right) both came away with medals! Alyssa won a 3rd place bronze and Ashley won a 2nd place Silver medal. According to Mr. Patten, "these students worked hard all year perfecting their skills and preparing for this event. I am very happy to see that their hard work has paid off." Ms. Mendolla would like to thank the medal winners and all the students who participated this year's NJ Skills USA competition. 

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 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.

STUDENTS FROM COUNTY PREP PRESENT AT YOUTH SCIENCE CONFERENCE

STUDENTS FROM COUNTY PREP PRESENT AT YOUTH SCIENCE CONFERENCE

County Prep students from the Aquaculture and Hydroponics class presented via video at the 7th Annual Youth Conference “Discovering Sustainability Science” sponsored by the NY Sunworks and streamed live over the internet from Symphony Space in New York City. Students Harleigh Johnson and Alyanna Lopez also presented live on stage and joined the student press team backstage. The NY Sunworks is a non-profit organization that promotes environmental education through the use of innovative science labs that utilize hydroponic farming.

Students in the class were challenged to utilize STEM components to design and implement a unique and efficient hydroponics system that would function efficiently in the growth of plants. The students received support from their teachers, Mr. Nicholas LaVolpe and Dr. Stephanie Szymanski in the completion of this project. They would like to thank students from Ms. Pica’s audiovisual class and the NY Sunworks for making this a successful and rewarding experience.

County Prep's Qu'Raun Scott McKoy to Premiere Film at Golden Door Film Festival

The film, A Very Bad Day, created by County Prep senior, Qu’Raun Scott-McKoy, will have its premiere on Friday, October 6 at the Golden Door Film Festival in Jersey City. Qu’Raun’s film was one of only a handful of movies selected in the Young Filmmakers category for this prestigious festival. Qu’Raun is an Audio Visual Production student at County Prep studying under Mrs. Nicole Martinez. The film will be shown at 4 pm at the landmark Loew’s Theater in Journal Square. The festival which will showcase the works of many accomplished and emerging filmmakers will continue through Sunday, October 8.

CP's Tyanna Baez and Qu'Raun Scott-McKoy Accepted into Tisch's Summer Filmmakers Workshop

Ms. Pica proudly congratulates Audio Visual Production students Tyanna Baez and Qu’Raun Scott-McKoy on their acceptance into Tisch’s Summer High School Filmmakers Workshop! Tyanna and Qu’Raun will spend a month this summer on NYU’s campus developing their directing, shooting, and editing skills to produce a music video and short film.

The curriculum for the Filmmakers Workshop, offered through Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, is similar to that of the undergraduate degree program. Students will learn about documentary, experimental, and narrative approaches to film. The hands-on workshop combines intensive professional training with a comprehensive understanding of the techniques and theories behind the art of film and video production.

Three County Prep Students Accepted into Teen Video Workshop

Congratulations to County Prep’s Audio Visual Production students Tyanna Baez, Shayna Martins-Krasner, and Qu’Raun Scott-McKoy for their acceptance into The Jewish Museum’s High School Video Workshop!  

Audio Visual Production teacher, Ms. Pica, is very proud of them for their hard-work and excited to see the great films they’ll create throughout the workshop. The students, all juniors, are very happy for the program to start this spring.

The after-school program offers high school students with the opportunity to enhance their video production skills. The workshop focuses on storyboarding, cinematography, and editing. Students are able to work in small groups to create their own films and use the museum’s exhibitions as inspiration.

County Prep's AV Students Visit the NBA Replay Center

On February 10, 2017 Ms. Pica’s Audio Visual Production class visited the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, NJ. The junior class had the privilege to meet Justin Bykofsky, Senior Coordinator at the Instant Replay Center. Bykofsky explained that at the Replay Center they make strategic game decisions based on the use of HD cameras and fiber-optic transmitters.

Students handled various equipment used for playback of NBA games, including the replay operator stations. Ms. Pica’s class was also able to view memorabilia from past years, including balls dedicated to Dominique Wilkins and George Miran.

Beginning with the 2014-2015 NBA regular season, the NBA launched its new state-of-the-art NBA Replay Center based in Secaucus, NJ. The studio is equipped with a groundbreaking high-speed arena network to enhance the performance and decision-making of NBA referees. The replay center is equipped with 94 HD monitors connected by fiber optic wires from all 29 NBA arenas.