Tiger Leaps
Progress Update from Tenafly High School
January 27, 2012
English
The English Department has
used recent meeting time as a
forum to share best practices in
the teaching of reading and
writing.
In December, Ms.
Diana Ling presented the
instructional methods she uses
to teach the skills of passage
analysis in her ninth grade
classes. Sharing her materials
and
rationale,
Ms.
Ling
explained to colleagues how
she scaffolds instruction to
build students’ capacity to write
analytically about a passage of
literature within the time
constraints of a single class
period. In this type of exercise,
students are expected to apply
what they have learned about
diction, imagery, figurative
language, tone, symbols, and
other literary devices to write
an essay that explains how
these literary elements function
in a passage of text to convey a
particular theme.
Since Ms.
Ling’s
presentation,
other
English teachers have begun
adapting her methodology—
specifically,
her
use
of
formative
assessment
to
prepare students for the writing
of future in-class essays.
During the department meeting
in early January, Ms. Dana
Maloney continued the sharing
of best practices by presenting
her instructional methods in the
unit on tragedy in World
Literature II.
Ms. Maloney
focused her discussion on the
way she teaches research,
analysis, and synthesis skills
throughout the unit, building up
to the students’ writing of a
research-based literary essay
that incorporates ideas from
the unit’s essential questions.
Using secondary sources and
Sophocles’s classic tragedy,
Antigone,
students
wrote
papers that demonstrated how
Sophocles’s play persists in its
relevance today. For example,
students used recent research
on leadership characteristics
and effective decision-making
to analyze and evaluate the
characters of Antigone, Creon,
and Ismene. After Ms. Maloney
presented her instructional
practices, teachers gathered in
grade-level groups to discuss
how they might design similar
instruction and assignments in
their own courses.
Some
teachers, for example, are
considering the possibilities of
having students in American
Literature
read
secondary
sources on conformity, power,
reputation, and other themes to
enrich their analyses of Arthur
Miller’s The Crucible.
As Seniors in Ms. Lori
Hampson’s classes transition
from
the
fall
elective,
Psychology & Literature, to the
spring
elective,
War
&
Literature, they will be working
with Ms. Kathy Acocella’s Child
Psychology classes to examine
J.D. Salinger’s stories, “Teddy”
and “A Perfect Day for
Bananafish,” two selections
from
his
Nine
Stories.
According to Ms. Hampson,
“We’re looking forward to an
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enriching discussion in which
students will have the chance
to share their knowledge of
literary analysis and child
psychology as we study these
complex stories together.”
During the week of January 2327, Ms. Dana Maloney, Ms.
Amanda Liu, and Ms. Diana
Ling brought their classes
together to take part in a book
fair conducted by Ms. Maloney’s
sophomore students in her
World Literature II classes. Ms.
Maloney’s sophomores had
created book jackets and
written analytical essays about
their
independent
reading
books, focusing on the way
characters, setting, and conflict
intertwine to communicate a
literary text’s overall theme.
Book jackets, produced on
software to develop students’
21st
century
skills,
gave
students an opportunity to
express,
through
visual
symbols, the way these literary
elements functioned in their
books.
According to Ms.
Maloney, during their visit, Ms.
Ling’s ninth graders collected
information
about
literary
elements “with the goals of
deepening their understanding
of these concepts and of
collecting specific information
about certain books they might
consider for later independent
reading.”
In
her
own
classroom, Ms. Ling planned
instruction to prepare the
students and facilitate their
learning. Ms. Liu’s sophomores
used the opportunity to visit
Ms. Maloney’s class as a way to
prepare for their own writing of
modern
Canterbury
Tales.
Their task is to apply what they
have learned about Chaucer
and Medieval English literature
to their own creative writing,
and Ms. Maloney’s students
were able to provide them with
ideas of the way literary
elements can be used to
communicate meaning in their
tales. Ms. Liu’s students were
assigned to take notes aligned
with the essential questions of
the projects presented by Ms.
Maloney’s students.
The
teachers look forward to future
visits, and to exchanging the
roles
of
presenter
and
audience.
The
English
Department
congratulates
Mr.
Gary
Whitehead for the publication
of his poem, "Lot's Wife,” in the
January 2nd edition of The New
Yorker. Subscribers to the
magazine can read the poem
online and hear him read it on
the iPad app. It was also
available in hard copy and sold
in stores throughout the
country. This is the second
time Mr. Whitehead's work has
appeared in what is arguably
one of the most prestigious
venues for the publication of
contemporary poetry. The New
Yorker is a weekly magazine
with a circulation of over 1
million copies.
We also
congratulate
Ms.
Jessica
Rosevear
on
her
latest
publication, “How to Date
Virginia Woolf,” an essay on the
development of her relationship
with the great twentiethcentury author. Ms. Rosevear’s
essay
appeared
on
the
“Chapter & Verse” blog of The
Christian Science Monitor on
Wednesday, January 25.
Social Studies
The department welcomes
back Ms. Leigh Barker, who
was on maternity leave for
the first semester. We also
thank Mr. Ken Lacy for filling
in so capably by finishing up
the semester with Mr.
Luther’s former classes. Mr.
Lacy will return as the
maternity leave replacement
for Mrs. Celli when her leave
begins in February.
Second semester marks the
beginning of a couple of new
courses for students. Those
taking
Mr.
Barrett’s
Contemporary Issues elective
move on, if they choose, to
the Independent Research
Seminar. Students in Mr.
Morrison’s American Mind
course first semester move
on to the American Foreign
Policy course for the spring.
This is also the time when
we start the process of
course recommendations and
selections for 2012-13. In
addition to their required
social
studies
courses,
students
may
choose
electives. In social studies,
students who will be in
grades 11 or 12 next year
may select the Constitutional
Law course in the fall and
the American Government
Advanced Placement course
in the spring. In addition,
we are introducing a new
elective, the full-year World
History Advanced Placement
course, also open to juniors
and seniors.
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Regarding what is happening
in classrooms at this point in
the year:
Ninth grade
students are studying the
Middle East, including the
religious
and
cultural
traditions, the importance of
water and oil as essential
resources and sources of
tension, and the current
state of the relationships
between Israel and its
neighbors. The sophomore
classes have been studying
the
late
Middle
Ages,
Renaissance
and
Reformation, and the early
modern period.
Lesson
activities include reading and
discussion of Machiavelli’s
The Prince and research on
Renaissance
artists.
Eleventh grade students
have been studying such
topics as the first three
Presidential administrations,
the War of 1812, and
regionalism.
Finally, our
seniors have been studying
the Franklin Roosevelt years,
which of course means the
Great Depression and the
Second World War.
Mathematics
A field goal attempt by
Baltimore is pulled wide left by
inches and New England heads
to the Super Bowl. Lawrence
Tynes nails a field goal in
overtime, despite having to
back up five yards due to a
delay of game call, and the
Giants join the Patriots. Inches
and seconds – numbers define
and enhance our daily lives!
Math Team News:
 Ms. Peggy Wissler, math
team
advisor
will
administer the AMC-10
and
AMC-12,
prerequisites to the
prestigious
AMIE
competition,
on
February
7,
2012,
during periods 1 and 2.
Historically,
THS
students fare well on
the
exam
with
numerous
students
qualifying for the AIME.
Dr. Yi Hu, who assists
with the math club, will
oversee
a
second
administration of the
exam on February 22nd
at 8:30 am.
 Justin Cho and Natan
Vidra are Tenafly’s top
scorers on the CML
Pythagorean
Competitions, contests
designed exclusively for
freshmen.
 Top scorers on the
AMTNJ
competition
were Jennifer Ha, David
Kim, Won Moon Joo,
Yun Hoo Kim, and
Howard Yim. Jennifer
earned
third
place
individual
honors
statewide.
The team
earned third place in its
division.
 The
next
NJML
competitions are 2/9
and 3/8 before school.
The
next
BCML
competitions will be held
after school on 2/16 at
Riverdell and 3/15 at
Tenafly.
Students are working with Mr.
Chad Murray in the AHSA
program
to
complete
alternative assessments for the
state to determine proficiency
in Number Sense, Algebra,
Geometry and Data Analysis.
Some students will join this
class for an HSPA boot camp
during the month of February.
This is designed to bolster
student skills and confidence
prior to the exam in early
March.
Students in Mr. Nick Megdanis
and Mr. Shane Johnson’s
Trigonometry
classes
participated in the TRIG-STAR
exam, sponsored by the New
Jersey Society of Professional
Land Surveyors, the week of
January 23rd.
There is a
monetary prize for the top
scorer from each school that
participates as well as for the
top student in the county and
the state. The purposes of the
exam are:
1. to promote the study of
trigonometry in high
school and to promote
excellence
in
its
mastery.
2. to acquaint high school
students with the use
and practical application
of trigonometry.
3. to build awareness of
surveying
as
a
profession to students,
counselors
and
teachers.
This exam should provide an
excellent wrap up for students
who have worked so hard to
complete trigonometry.
Students in Geometry, Algebra
2, and Precalculus classes have
completed placement tests to
help
determine
their
recommendations for next year.
Each student will receive a
recommendation from his or
her current teacher for the
following academic year. The
goal is to have students in
3
classes where they can be
challenged and yet succeed. In
addition, some students may
choose to study Computer
Programming,
a
popular
elective which includes a unit
on robotics.
Mr. Johnson and the Olympic
committee
meet
every
Wednesday afternoon in final
preparation for the culminating
competition on March 2.
Students
are
using
the
Naviance system to sign up for
events; several pre-events will
be held the weeks of February
13th and 27th.
One of the
highlights of the school year, no
day fosters more school spirit.
Science
On December 27th, during the
holiday break, a group of ten
THS students and their science
teachers went to Rockefeller
University to attend the annual
holiday lecture geared to an
audience
of
high
school
students. This year’s lecture
featured the work of the late
Dr. Ralph Steinman-this year’s
Nobel
Prize
laureate
in
Physiology or medicine. Two
scientists who worked with Dr.
Steinman described how his
controversial discovery of the
dendritic
cell
slowly
transformed immunology. Dr.
Steinman’s
widow
and
grandchildren were introduced
to the students.
It was an
educational, interesting and
highly inspiring experience for
us all. Students in attendance
were: Emaad Siddiqui, William
Guo, Peter Kyriakides, Young
Nam Sung, Hee Jun Kim, Jared
Greene, Shiri
Nawroki, Ziev
Basson, Ian MacArthur, Howard
Yim, and THS science teachers
Anat
Firnberg
Pastushok.
and
Carol
On December 5, 2011, the
Anatomy
and
Physiology
classes, taught by Ms. Jennifer
Halliwell, visited The Bodies
Exhibit and Dialog in the Dark
exhibit in New York City.
Students had the amazing
experience of what it is like to
be blind and walk through NYC.
Students were equipped with a
walking stick and a guide, and
by using their other senses,
walked through the exhibit
exploring a grocery store, a
subway ride, and a walk
through a park. It was truly an
“eye-opening” experience for
everyone. In addition, students
toured the masterful human
dissections on display and
engaged in learning about the
anatomy and physiology of the
digestive,
circulatory,
and
respiratory systems to name a
few.
The THS Science website is
now
up
and
running.
Interesting
science
opportunities for students are
being posted.
Periodically
check the HS Science website if
you
are
interested
in
participating in a specialized
science program during the
school year and during the
summer, for example, robotics,
environmental research, etc.
Most opportunities are at local
universities.
World Languages
The department wishes to
congratulate
Ms.
Beatriz
Peláez-Martínez on the birth
of her daughter, Rebecca
Beatriz. At the same time, we
are excited to welcome back
Ms. Peláez-Martínez after her
maternity leave. She returns to
THS on Monday, January 31st
and will resume her teaching
load of Spanish II, Spanish II
Honors,
Spanish
II
Communication and Culture,
and Italian I.
As part of a thematic unit on
Japanese
residences,
Mr.
Paris’s AP Japanese class
viewed several video clips on
residences.
Students then
orally
presented
their
perspectives on the variety of
residences. Following this, the
AP students engaged in the
study of different types of
Japanese
architecture
and
discussed positive and negative
aspects of the design structure.
In
Japanese
III/IIIH/IVH,
students examined Japanese
board games as part of a
cultural unit and then created
their own board games and
presented them to class.
To help usher in the Year of the
Dragon, students in Ms. Yao’s
Chinese I and II classes took
part in the performance at the
annual
Lunar
New
Year
celebration in the library media
center. Students sang a few
traditional songs for New Year,
including Xinnian hao ya!
Mr.
Fahrenkopf
recently
attended a workshop on Digital
Storytelling and put his new
skills right to use in his French
II and Spanish II classes.
Students in these classes
created digital stories in the
language lab integrating past
tense narration into the themes
of seasonal activities in France
and ordering food at a Latin
restaurant.
Mrs. Welfel and Ms. VélezPrikazsky recently attended a
4
workshop
at
the
Bergen
Academies on the Spanish Civil
War. Presented by a professor
from NYU, the workshop was
sponsored by the Abraham
Lincoln
Brigade
Archives
(ALBA), and offers participants
access
to
the
collection
dedicated to the Spanish Civil
War in the archives at NYU.
Both Ms. Welfel and Ms. VélezPrikazsky
have
introduced
letters and artwork that focus
on the Spanish Civil War into
the thematic units at the IV
Honors and AP levels. Students
in Ms. Vélez-Prikazsky’s AP
classes saw Carmen Rivera’s
play La Gringa at the Repertorio
Español in New York in
December.
This was a
culminating activity of the unit
on cultural identity.
Students in Ms. Fiordilino’s
Italian classes will be reviewing
the authentic Italian Carnevale
as part of their cultural unit in
mid-late
February.
The
National Italian Exam will be
held in early March and
participating
students
are
preparing for this annual
contest.
In addition to the
National Italian Exam, several
students will also participate in
the National French Contest in
mid-March and the National
Spanish Exam the last two
weeks of March.
Students interested in summer
language study are encouraged
to apply now. Many programs
look for application submissions
prior to April. For example, the
Startalk
Chinese
Language
Camp for High School Students
will be this summer (June 25July 14) at Brigham Young
University.
For
more
information on the program,
email the Chinese Flagship
Center
at
BYU
at
chinese_startalk@byu.edu.
Furman University is also
offering a Startalk Chinese
Language Camp this summer.
In addition, Penn State may be
offering a Startalk Arabic
Academy and will have final
information about the program
in February.
ELL
Mrs. Derdemezis’ beginner ELL
class read a story called The
Lindbergh Story.
Students
identified
new
vocabulary
words
and
found
their
definitions
and
synonyms.
They worked in groups to
create their own timelines
based on the life of Charles
Lindbergh.
Ms. Edelman’s
intermediate
ELL
class
identified and discussed the
concepts of philanthropy and
volunteering.
After reading
related
texts,
students
discussed whether volunteering
should be mandatory.
The
advanced ELL class read an
excerpt from The Silent Spring.
After the reading, each student
selected an environmental issue
to research.
Ms. Grady’s beginner language
arts class is reading the book,
The Black Cat.
Students
discussed the story and how
the interaction of characters
advanced the plot. Students
worked in pairs to ask and
answer
vocabulary
and
comprehension questions. The
intermediate language arts
class is reading Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde.
Students are
learning about the religious
morality in Victorian England.
The advanced language arts
class is continuing their reading
of Wuthering Heights.
The
students are analyzing the
characters in the story and
discussing the lives of children f
aristocratic families.
Ms. Kim’s beginner ELL HSPA
class read the story, Color Me
Pink. Students identified and
defined new vocabulary. After
making inferences and drawing
conclusions, they wrote a
paragraph on the topic, “If you
were a color, what color would
you be and why?”
The
intermediate / advanced ELL
HSPA students reviewed the
format for a persuasive essay
using a sample text. Students
identified the concept of
counterarguments
and
refutation and how they are
used in a persuasive essay.
Fine And Practical Arts
Department
Ms. Nagel’s Portfolio Honors
class is working on a selfportrait making it more than
just a mirror image of the face.
Students are creating a new
image with fragments from the
five self-portraits drawings.
They further the development
of who they are through
objects that symbolize events in
their lives.
Ms. Pacheco’s Art Experience
class
learned
how
to
demonstrate the difference
between patterns and rhythms.
Students cut out patterns from
magazines ad pasted them in
sketchbooks. Afterwards, they
turned the patterns into a
rhythm.
Ms. Kirschbaum introduced her
Computer Graphics class to
Adobe Illustrator Pathfinder
Shapes Tools. Students drew
two objects that overlapped
5
and used the Shapes Tool
options to merge them.
Music and the Performing
Arts Department
THS Performing Arts presented
an exciting Winter Concert filled
with music from Duke Ellington
to Beethoven. The Honors
Choirs did selections from the
Great
American
Songbook,
including Boogie Woogie Bugle
Boy, Someone to Watch Over
Me, and I’ll Be Seeing You. The
orchestra played Gershwin’s An
American in Paris, and Honors
Orchestra shone in a John
Williams Medley, Ellington’s
Sophisticated
Lady,
and
Beethoven’s Egmont Overture.
The concert band performed
Andrew
Lloyd
Webber’s
Phantom of the Opera Medley
and Swearingen’s Of Pride and
Celebration and the Honors
Band
performed
Haydn’s
Concerto for Trumpet featuring
junior Brett Sherman on
trumpet. They also performed
the 1985 Academy Award
nominated score for the motion
picture
“Silverado,”
a
memorable wild-west film with
a legendary wild-west score!
Region Choir and Orchestra will
be seeing a lot of Tenafly
students this year. Choir
members Grace Oh, May Shum,
Jiyeon Lee, Catherine Kim,
Madeline Tsang and Samantha
Gaines will be singing in Region
Choir.
In
the
orchestra,
students William Lin (violin),
Justin Bak (viola) and David
Sahar (bass) all finished first on
their
instruments!
Also
accepted into orchestra were
Richard Ahn,
David
Lee,
Howard Yim, Tieran Hu, Sean
Uchida, Annie Kim, Jaebin Park,
David Kim, Brian Son, Julia
Simons and Andy Shimm. In
addition, Mr. Millar will be the
accompanist for this year’s
Region Women’s Choir.
On
the band side, freshman Honors
Band
member
Jacqueline
Dragon was accepted into the
Bergen
County
Band
on
clarinet,
a
terrific
accomplishment for this fine
young musician!
We are proud to announce that
two chamber ensembles were
selected to represent Tenafly
High School at this year’s
Lincoln Center Chamber Music
Society
Young
Musicians
Concert in April. Students
Green Ahn, Joy Pai, Daniel Lee
and Seung Won Baik will
perform the fourth movement
from Brahms’ Quartet in G
minor, and Mika Lin and Esther
Kim will play the Passacaglia by
Johan
Halvorsen.
Congratulations!
Technology Education
Mr. DiGregorio’ s Wood & Glass
Design classes are learning how
to safely use the band saw.
After successfully completing
the band saw test, students
continue to work on their pen,
sign and stained glass project.
In
Invention,
Design
&
Technology,
students
are
solving simple problems using
the “Contraptions” program.
They are improving their
problem solving skills by
attempting
more
difficult
problems in the program.
Career & Consumer
Education
Ms.
Johnson’s
Experience
classes were working on a unit
about cheese. They discussed
the many uses of cheese in
cooking and baking.
They
discussed how and where
cheese is produced. They also
identified key nutrients and
discussed lactose intolerance.
Ms. Acocella’ s Child Psychology
Honors classes worked on
explaining how experience can
affect perception. Students are
recognizing
differences
in
perceptual development. The
Child
Development
classes
gained insight into the nine
months
of
prenatal
development.
They also
identified
different
birth
options.
Business
Ms. Baker’s Business Law class
learned how to identify forms of
unenforceable,
illegal
agreements. They were also
able
to
specify
illegal
agreements that the courts
would enforce. Her business
economics students learned
about the law of demand and
how to interpret a demand
schedule and a demand curve.
Mr. Alesandro’ s Accounting 1
students were focusing on how
to journalize entries in both the
purchases and cash payments
journals. They also journalized
entries in sales and cash receipt
journals.
His Accounting 2
students learned how to
complete entries in a voucher
system and prepare a check
register.
Athletics
Tiger Athletic Feats
Our winter season is in full
swing with our regular
season schedule in the
homestretch and our teams
6
playing in and preparing for
county and state tournament
games
.
Congratulations to the ice
hockey team for winning the
Montclair
Invitational
Championship and to Jon
Winawer for being selected
Tournament MVP.
The
hockey team also went to
the finals of the inaugural
Bergen
County
Hockey
Tournament. They lost to a
tough Don Bosco team in the
final but can be proud of
being the best public school
team in Bergen County.
Brandon Bernstein and Eli
Markowitz were named to
the all-tournament team for
their performances in the
tournament.
Our Boys Swim Team won
for the second consecutive
year the Bergen County
Swim Meet. We are the first
boys team to repeat as
county champions. County
records were set by: Leo
Lim in the 100 Backstoke &
100 Butterfly, Leo Lim, Jin
Roh, Kevin Guo & Alex
Liulakis in the 200 Freestyle
Relay and Jin Roh, Greg
Spiropoulos, Leo Lim & Alex
Liulakis in the 400 Freestyle
Relay.
Our boys basketball team
won
the
Indian
Hills
Invitational
Tournament.
The team is currently in first
place of our division and
received a #5 seed in the
county tournament for their
efforts so far this season.
Our boys and our girls 4 by
800 relay teams won at the
Big
North
divisional
championship meet. Hayden
Lyons also won the 55m
sprint at this meet.
In
conclusion,
congratulations
to
Chris
Orozco for becoming the alltime leading scorer in the
history of Tenafly basketball.
Chris broke the school record
of 1.519 in his first game of
the season. Good luck to
Chris for the rest of the
season as he attempts to
reach the magical 2000 point
career scoring plateau.
Teen Pep & Senior Peers
Teen PEP has been busy as
usual. They have presented
three workshops to the
middle
school,
puberty,
postponing and HIV/AIDS to
the 6th, 7th and 8th grade and
the
rappers.
Interactive
programs
between
the
students have been proven
to be highly successful in
getting important messages
across to the students. Teen
PEP
also
were
guest
presenters to over 600
students at World Youth
AIDS
Day
held
by
Hackensack
University
Medical Center, locally at the
Clinton Inn. They gave a 45
minute presentation and
were one of the highlights of
the day. Teen PEP has also
actively been involved in
making commercials for antibullying and various posters
you can see around the
school. Teen PEP recently
hosted tow Tenafly Alumni
who came and spoke to the
class about their quests in
the field of sexuality and
woman’s issues. Carli Blau
07’ and Elise Pak 11’ gave
powerful talks in their field of
current studies at Syracuse
and Yale. Teen Pep also cohosted with Senior Peers a
HSA
Night
which
had
dynamic
guest
speakers
Nancy Graham and Kari
Adams from the Renfrew
Foundation, who gave a talk
to parents and students on
eating disorders.
Senior Peers also have been
working tenaciously with
their freshman addressing
various topics and helping
them adjust to the high
school life. They recently
aided in a anti - smoking
campaign and helped out
with posters and peer groups
topics for the recent antibullying campaigns. They
have also been working with
various groups providing
many volunteer hours in
community work. Senior
Peers also hosted the eighth
grade class at the high
school give them guided
tours throughout the high
school and answered any
questions they may have
had. The Alpine 8th graders
also came over and were
hosted by the Seniors’.
Go Tigers!!!!
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Library Media Services
Cultural Celebration
The library media center hosts
the Ninth Annual Chinese
Cultural Celebration January 27
in celebration of the Lunar New
Year. Music, poetry reading,
dance, food and fashion
presented by the Chinese
Cultural Club entertained and
educated a wide variety of
classes attending. Timmy Chu
(12) Lisa Chen (13) Will Guo
(13) and Shelli Frank (12) are
the
club’s
officers
and
coordinated all activities.
Automation!
District librarians recently met
at the high school to look at a
new
library
automation
system. Such an automation
system will place us squarely
into a digital environment. This
will allow more digitally efficient
options on how our library can
share
content
leveraging
technology already in place.
New Features Two
new
and
returning
features
in
our
morning
television broadcasts: - Sheli
Frank (12) and David Sahar
(11) feature new titles in the
library with a conversation
about these new books. One
book they discussed was the
new Walter Isaacson biography
of Steve Jobs.
-Tomer Burg (12) now shares
his brilliant weather forecasts
presented by David Sahar. A
mild winter? Tune in to find
out!
Two Million Dollar System!
The television broadcasting
facilities in the library media
center took a huge leap
forward in the last months
through
many
valuable
donations of equipment made
available
by
broadcasting
companies located in New York
City. An outside company that
looked at our system valued it
at approximately a 2 million
dollar installation. Meanwhile,
students
in
Mr.
Moger’s
production classes are reaping
the benefits of working with
professional equipment.
School Counseling
Finishing Strong: Colleges Can
Revoke Admission Offers…
There is a time period between
the winter months of college
application deadlines and the
spring months when colleges
send out response letters that
has
become
a
tense
countdown,
resulting
in
expressive displays of elation,
satisfaction, or even bitterness.
Many
students view
this
unofficial season of waiting as a
long road with a definitive
conclusion: a “yes” or “no”
answer (and sometimes a
“maybe” in the case of deferrals
and wait lists). But regardless
of the outcome, a student’s
college career truly begins with
the first day of classes, and
what many applicants forget is
that their remaining high school
grades can affect their newly
budding relationship with the
college or university they plan
to attend. (NACAC)
On behalf of all the counselors
at Tenafly High School I am
urging each and every one of
our seniors to finish strong.
Second semester courses and
grades are important…colleges
can
and
do
revoke
acceptances. Now is NOT the
time to drop any class. Any
student considering dropping a
course must consult with their
counselor prior to making a
schedule change. If a yearlong
course is dropped WP or WF
will be noted on the transcript
and the student will be required
to inform all colleges he or she
has applied to.
Second semester started on
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012.
All seniors will have their midyear grades sent automatically
to all colleges to which they
have applied. Colleges put a lot
of emphasis on mid-year senior
grades.
The scheduling process for
school year 2012-2013 will
begin the first week of
February.
Teachers
have
already made recommendations
for course placement for next
year.
Each student will sit
down with their counselor to
discuss courses for next school
year.
Course recommendation and
verification will be available via
the Genesis Parent Portal on
March 16th.
Parents and
students
are
strongly
encouraged to review course
selection as there will be a
finite time to make changes in
a schedule.
If you are thinking about
summer plans, students should
be
checking
with
their
counselors to find out about the
multitude of summer programs
available. Whether pre-college
courses on a college campus,
summer jobs or community
service teen-travel, discover the
possibilities! Bulletin Boards
inside and outside of the
guidance department are full of
8
posters and brochures as well.
Come take a look!
Looking for scholarship monies
for college? Visit the Naviance
website and go to the
Scholarship page. The more
applications you submit, the
better your chances for getting
financial help from corporations
and businesses. Also check the
scholarship opportunities at
those schools to which you
would like to attend.
College up-date!
Our seniors are almost done
with the college application
process. We have processed
over 2900 applications already!
The Class of 2011 has applied
to 354 different schools! Our
students had a high percentage
of
acceptances
to
ED
applications. We are seeing an
increase in deferrals which is a
national trend. However, many
of our students are receiving
acceptances to their first choice
schools.
Congratulations to you all from
the
School
Counseling
Department.
Student Support Services
To “Friend” or Befriend: How
to Foster Teenage Friendship in
the Internet Age
In the cyber world of teens,
“friends” can be made and lost
with the click of a mouse.
Although many teens enjoy the
fact that the Internet allows
them unlimited access to their
friends (and the wider world)
the Internet may not be the
best vehicle for making friends
and forming positive, enduring
relationships.
As teens are
increasingly drawn to social
networking sites, how can a
teen be encouraged to choose
constructive friendships the oldfashioned way?
How can
adults help teens to find and
maintain healthy relationships
among their peers?
Adolescents spend a great deal
of time, without parental
supervision, both on and offline, with their peers. Peers
often become more influential
than parents in a teen’s life and
teens’ relationships with their
peers can be vital to their
overall social and emotional
well-being.
Teen friendships are important.
They serve as a sort of dry-run
for practicing and developing
the social skills necessary to
establish
successful
relationships with others such
as roommates, co-workers,
romantic partners and friends in
adult life. They also help teens
to build essential skills needed
for parenting. Teen friendships
play a huge role in supporting
teens ‘self confidence and self
esteem and in establishing their
identity
and
feeling
of
acceptance among their peers.
Positive
peer
relationships
provide emotional stability and
offer companionship which help
teens manage the trials and
tribulations of adolescent life as
well as share in the fun
experiences that accompany
young adulthood.
Teens
working with and bonding with
other teens to respond to and
manage social stresses and
interpersonal conflicts helps
them to build cooperative
decision-making strategies and
helps to foster values such as
kindness,
sympathy
and
understanding toward others.
Dr. Chris Knoester, sociologist
and an Ohio State researcher of
teen behavior, believes that
“Parents have the ability to
influence
the
friendship
formations of their adolescent
children…Strong family values
and plenty of time together
give adolescents a foundation
to
choose
positive
friendships…at the end of the
day, teens find friends who
have values they already
developed
at
home.”
[Walstrom] (Parenting Teens:
July 2008).
To facilitate
healthy
teen
relationships,
Knoester suggest that parents:
clearly communicate family
values to their kids early on;
stay close to their kids because
teens who have warm, positive
relationships with their parents
make better choices in their
friendships; and encourage
teens to join clubs, sports, etc.
to meet friends that share their
interests and values. Research
indicates that teens who belong
to and participate actively in
faith groups and extracurricular
activities tend to engage in
fewer
risky
behaviors.
(Parenting Teens Online: July
2008). Author Denise Witner in
About.com “How to Encourage
Positive
Teen
Friendships”
(2008) advises parents to insist
that their teens be involved in
some activity, but strongly
suggests that parents allow
teens to make their own
choices based on their teen’s
personal interests. Experts also
recommend
that
parents
actively participate in some way
in the interests of their teens,
at the very least as spectators
or simply by talking to them
about their activities, their
interests and goals and their
friends. It is always advisable
for parents to get to know their
9
teen’s
friends…invite
them
occasionally to their homes to
participate in a family activity
and, whenever possible, to get
to know their friends’ parents.
So, what can parent to do if
he/she is uncomfortable with
his/her teen’s peer group or if
there are concerns that the
teen and his/her peers may be
engaging in harmful or risky
behaviors?
Again, parenting
experts agree that parents
should get to know their teen’s
friends and let their teens know
how they feel about their
choice of friends without
directly criticizing the friends.
Parents should focus with their
teens on good decision-making
and ways to help them make
positive choices about selecting
friends and managing peer
influences
by
encouraging
reflective
and
independent
thinking. Keeping the lines of
communication open with teens
is paramount to maintaining
their trust and in ensuring that
they will seek adult advice or
assistance with some of those
tough decisions.
Teens will continue to explore
on-line avenues to make and
support communication with
others, but true, long-lasting
friendships
or
enduring
relationships
are
nurtured
through shared experiences
and common values and goals.
Healthy
teen
relationships
matter. Parents can do much
to encourage and support
constructive friendships among
teens. Strong teen friendships
contribute to an enhanced selfesteem and are the basis for
building the effective social
skills necessary for successful,
productive and enjoyable adult
relationships.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
THS HOME SCHOOL
ASSOCIATION
Happy New Year! The
following
is
some
information about a few
upcoming events at THS:
MOCK ACT TESTING –
Saturday, February 4,
2012
On Saturday, February 4th,
the H.S.A. will be teaming
up with Princeton Review to
offer
students
the
opportunity to take a Mock
ACT test. Results will be
sent
directly
to
each
student’s home by the
Princeton
Review
approximately two weeks
after the test. Experience
the test anxiety free! If your
child is interested in taking
the MOCK ACT test, please
register by completing the
flyer at the end of this
newsletter and returning it
to the THS office (19
Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ
07670, Attn: H.S.A.) no
later than Friday, February
3rd. For more information,
please contact either of the
H.S.A.
Co-Presidents:
Naomi
Waltman
at
naomi.waltman@cbs.com or
David
Schussel
at
schussel@optonline.net.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
PRESENTATION –
Thursday, February 9,
2012
Mark your calendars: On
Thursday, February 9th at
7:30 p.m. in the THS
Library Media Center, the
H.S.A. and THS School
Counseling Office will cosponsor a presentation by
Dave Marcus, a journalist
and author of Acceptance:
A
Legendary
Guidance
Counselor Helps Seven Kids
find the Right Colleges –
and Find Themselves. His
presentation is titled “Seven
Secrets of Getting In.” We
hope all THS students and
parents will join us for what
promises
to
be
an
informative and engaging
presentation.
THS OLYMPICS – Friday,
March 2, 2012
On Friday, March 2nd,
Tenafly High School will
hold its annual Student
Olympics.
Freshman,
sophomores, juniors and
seniors will compete against
each other in fun and
challenging
events
throughout the school day.
Some of the events will
extend
beyond
regular
school hours.
It is a
tradition to provide food
and beverages to the
approximately 75 THS staff
members who stay beyond
the normal school day to
assist with the event. To
help make the event a
success and show our
appreciation for the THS
staff, we need parent
volunteers to donate food
and/or money to help
purchase refreshments. We
need sandwiches, salads,
desserts and fruit platters.
If you are able to donate
any of these items, please
send us an email at
thshsa@aol.com and let us
know what you can provide.
If you would rather donate
money
towards
the
purchase of food and drink
items, it would be most
appreciated as well. Checks
10
should be made payable to
the THS H.S.A. and mailed
to the THS Office, 19
Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ
07670
Attn:
H.S.A./Olympics. We hope
you will consider supporting
this exciting event.
Naomi Waltman & David
Schussel
THS H.S.A. CoPresidents
(THSHSA@aol.com)
THANK YOU FROM THE
HSA
Many thanks to the H.S.A.
Staff Holiday Luncheon
Committee for doing such a
spectacular job on this
year’s luncheon. The faculty
and
staff
greatly
appreciated all the hard
work and effort of the many
parent
volunteers.
Our
deepest gratitude to our
fabulous committee chairs
who did a great job
organizing and executing
the luncheon: Judy Furer,
Kim
Halman,
Judi
Herrmann,
Harriett
Nachum, Margo Tucker, and
Melanie Zingler.
Our kudos to the following
families who contributed
food or money to help make
the event a success (we
apologize in advance if we
inadvertently left anyone’s
name off the list):
The Altman Family, The
Aronson
Family,
The
Berenbaum Family, The
Bontia Family, The Eckert
Family,
The
Feingold
(LaValle) Family, The Fogel
Family, The Furer Family,
The Gaines Family, The
Goldman
Family,
The
Grabell
Family,
The
Greenberg
Family,
The
Grossman
Family,
The
Halman
Family,
The
Herrmann
Family,
The
Limbardo
Family,
The
McDermott Family, The
Pasternak
Family,
The
Rajaratnam Family, The
Rosato
Family,
The
Rothman
Family,
The
Schussel Family, The Shalek
Family, The Stern-Blady
Family, The Stewart Family,
The
Suchoff
Hershbein
Family,
The
Tomizawa
Family, The Tucker Family,
The Tully Family, The Vidra
Family,
The
Waltman
Family,
The
Waxman
Family,
The
Weinberg
Family,
The
Weingast
Family, The Yu Family, The
Zingler Family
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MOCK SAT I & ACT TESTS
Given by Princeton Review
Only $25/Session
Experience the Tests, Anxiety Free!
The Tenafly High School H.S.A. is offering all students the opportunity to take a
Mock SAT I test on Saturday, January 7, 2012, and a Mock ACT Test on Saturday,
February 4, 2012.
You may register for ONE or BOTH sessions.
Instructions for Testing Days:
Be at Tenafly High School no later than 8:45 a.m. Test will end at approx. 12:45 p.m.
Bring two #2 pencils and a calculator.
Results will be mailed to your home by Princeton Review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Student's Name: ______________________________Grade: __________
Email: _____________________ Phone #: ________________________
Choose from the following options (Please check all that apply):
Saturday, January 7, 2012
_____ Mock SAT I
Saturday, February 4, 2012
_____ Mock ACT
COST IS $25.00 PER SESSION. PLEASE RETURN FORM ASAP. PLEASE MAKE
CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Tenafly High School H.S.A
Mail checks/completed form to:
Tenafly High School H.S.A.
19 Columbus Drive
Tenafly, New Jersey 07670
All proceeds go to the THS H.S.A. to enrich our children’s education.
Questions: Email one of the THS H.S.A. Co-Presidents, Naomi Waltman at
naomi.waltman@cbs.com or David Schussel at schussel@optonline.net
12
Roses are Red. Violets are Blue.
We have the Perfect Valentine
Just for You
PRESENTING THE TENAFLY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
VALENTINE OF APPRECIATION
Looking for a way to tell a teacher, principal, staff member, student, neighbor, friend, or
volunteer that they are appreciated?
A donation to the Tenafly Educational Foundation is the perfect “thank you” gift.
Those who value education will appreciate this thoughtful donation which furthers the
educational experience for all our students. Your donation will be used to fund teacherinitiated grants for creative and enriching programming at all Tenafly Public Schools.
A Valentine of Appreciation will be sent to your chosen recipient(s) with your personalized message
for a Valentine’s Day delivery.
Deadline for submission: February 9th
(All donation amounts are kept confidential)
Name of Purchaser (as it should appear on certificate) _____________________________________________
Phone # ____________________ E-mail address ________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________
Donation amount ___ $5.00
___ $10.00
___ $15.00
___ $20.00
___ Other (specify amount)
Recipient’s Name (as it should appear on certificate) ______________________________________________
Recipient’s Address or School _______________________________________________________________
Message on Certificate ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Please return with cash or check payable to “Tenafly Educational Foundation”; Mail to TEF, P.O. Box 384, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Or to pay securely online using Paypal, go to www.tefnj.com. (This form still needs to be mailed to TEF P.O. Box above)
Please feel free to use back of form or attach an extra sheet of paper.
Thank you for your support!
13
14
THANK-A-TEACHER PROGRAM
The TEF Thank-A-Teacher Program is a popular fundraiser that is run three times a year:
* DECEMBER -Holiday edition
* FEBRUARY -Valentine’s edition
*JUNE -End of Year edition
HOW DOES IT WORK?

A person makes a donation to the TEF in honor of a recipient (a teacher, principal, faculty member, friend, volunteer, or
child). All donation amounts are kept confidential.
 The TEF then sends a Certificate of Appreciation to the recipient, which states that a donation was made to TEF in their
honor, and includes the donor’s personalized thank you message.
 The money raised is used to fund grants developed by Tenafly School Teachers for innovative programs and equipment,
which further enhances the learning experience at Tenafly Public Schools.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

Fill out a Thank-A-Teacher Form, which is sent out by flyer in schools in early December, February, and June. Or access the form at the TEF
website, www.TEFnj.com.
Thank-A-Teacher Testimonials
Hear what receiving a Thank-A-Teacher means to your Faculty
Here are a few quotes that Faculty members shared on how they value your Thank-a-Teachers
“The certificates I receive are proudly posted in my office for all to see. It’s nice to know that people appreciate
your hard work and dedication. The money comes back to our schools, so the gifts help our kids too.”
-John Fabbo
Principal
Mackay School
“By receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from TEF I know that parents have acknowledged my efforts at
Smith School and have provided an opportunity to give back even further to the entire School Community.”
-Neil Kaplicer
Principal
Smith School
“It's nice to feel appreciated and to receive that acknowledgment in a way that benefits the schools.”
-Susan Rose
Stillman School
“I received donations to the TEF in my name and it touches my heart that someone would recognize me in that
way. Education of any child is important to me and it is very encouraging to see those in the community
supporting that aim.”
- Shane Johnson
Math Department
Tenafly High School
“Getting a TEF Thank a Teacher certificate is really the best gift a teacher can get. It shows us that our work
did not go unnoticed and at the same time it helps to improve the education program that will help teachers
become even better at their job.”
- Cristina Cutrone
Social Studies Teacher
Tenafly High School
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