Tiger Leaps
Progress Update from Tenafly High School
November 4, 2011
English
In his recent
book
on
educational reform, Focus, Mike
Schmoker argues that highquality
literacy
instruction
should be central to everything
that schools do in every
subject. In his chapter on the
particular
importance
of
language
arts
instruction,
Schmoker quotes a comment
by Mark Edmundson, Professor
of English at the University of
Virginia, in support of this
claim:
“Literature
makes
significant life possible… [We]
construct
ourselves
from
novels, poems, and plays as
well as from works of history
and philosophy.”
As we finish the first quarter of
the 2011-12 school year, we
find much to celebrate in the
richness of our own language
arts
program—in
student
performance,
experiential
learning,
and
professional
development.
Read on for
some of the great news.
We are proud to announce the
success of our students on the
Advanced
Placement
(AP)
English Exams administered at
the end of the 2010-11 school
year. Last May, 149 students
took an exam in AP English
Language and Composition or
Literature and Composition,
reflecting an increase in AP
enrollment of approximately
65% since the 2007-08 school
year.
In the AP Language
class, the highest-level English
course offered to juniors, the
students had an average score
of 3.9 on a 5-point scale; in the
analogous course for seniors,
AP Literature, students had an
average score of 4.0 on a 5point scale. Of particular note
is that 36% of our students
earned the highest score, a “5,”
an impressive accomplishment
when compared to the global
percentage of 5s on the exam,
8.4%.
Many congratulations
are in order—to our students,
for their hard work and
enthusiasm; to our teachers,
for their passion, expertise, and
hours of dedicated work; and to
our administrators, for their
support of this vital program
and their efforts to encourage
more students to take on the
most challenging coursework.
The results on the AP Exams
indicate that students are
taking advantage of the rich
experiences we offer in literary
studies.
From October 17th to November
3rd, Michael Cohen, English
department supervisor, hosted
visiting high school principal,
Maria Cecilia Martínez, from
Córdoba City, Argentina. This
visit was the first part of Mr.
Cohen’s
International
administrator
exchange
program, which was sponsored
by a grant from the U.S.
Department of State and the
Argentine
Fulbright
Commission. The 3-week visit
began with a conference in
Washington, D.C. that focused
on school leadership, crosscultural communication, and
1
getting the most out of the
exchange program.
The
purpose of this exchange is to
provide
a
professional
development opportunity for
the participating educators to
share best practices on issues
of mutual interest to their
schools,
students,
and
communities.
Individualized
through collaboration between
partners, the exchange focuses
on
teaching
strategies/instruction,
the
development
of
joint
educational projects, personnel
administration, school systems
and management, global issues
and
culture,
curriculum
development, student affairs,
and educational policy. While
Ms. Martinez was in Tenafly,
she shadowed Mr. Cohen and
participated in his various
professional activities, including
observations of instruction,
meetings
with
individual
students, and common planning
time meetings with teachers.
In addition to her work with Mr.
Cohen, Ms. Martinez worked
with Ms. Donna Lewis in
Student
Services;
taught
advanced Spanish classes with
Ms.
Terri
Caust;
visited
classrooms in all disciplines;
discussed
American
public
education with groups of
students;
planned
a
collaborative project with Ms.
Pat Pacheco, which will include
exchanges of artwork between
students in Córdoba and
Tenafly; and delivered a
presentation
to
students,
teachers, and administrators on
Argentine
education
and
culture. When they were not
working, Ms. Martinez joined
Mr. Cohen and his family on a
tour of the New York area,
including visits to museums,
landmarks, and other areas of
cultural interest. In late July of
2012, Mr. Cohen will visit
Argentina for the reciprocal
component of the exchange.
Mr. Cohen would like to thank
his colleagues and the district
administration for supporting
this exchange and for their
hospitality in receiving Ms.
Martínez.
Mr. Stanley Flood, the English
Department’s resident actor, is
currently pursuing a Master’s
degree in Theatre at Montclair
State University (MSU). As part
of his graduate Independent
Study course, Mr. Flood will be
performing in the role of Dr.
Randall in MSU’s fall production
of Ferber and Kaufman’s “Stage
Door.” Interested members of
the school community may
catch Mr. Flood’s performance
at MSU on November 18th, 19th,
20th, or 21st.
We also
congratulate Mr. Flood for
completing 25 years of service
to the Tenafly Public Schools!
On September 11, 2011, two
THS students collaborated with
Mr. Cohen and Ann Moscovitz,
former Mayor of Tenafly, in the
planning
of
the
Tenafly
Borough’s ten-year memorial
service commemorating the
terrorist attacks on the U.S. in
2001.
Julie Rodriguez, a
sophomore, wrote a short story
about
9/11/01
from
the
perspective of a kindergartner,
addressing
the
plight
of
approximately 3,000 children
whose parents were killed in
the attacks. The story, “I Don’t
Wan’ Go,” was distributed to
guests at the memorial service.
Donna Lee, a senior, created a
painted collage entitled "A
Decade in Remembrance." The
collage, which emphasized the
global nature of the attacks and
people’s heroic responses to
them,
was
displayed
prominently at the memorial
service and appeared in The
Record on the following
Monday.
On Saturday, October 22nd, Ms.
Moia Packer attended Fairleigh
Dickinson University’s (FDU)
Annual
Shakespeare
Colloquium, which focused on
Othello—a tragedy that Ms.
Packer uses in her sophomore
classes.
Workshops were
offered throughout the day by
English professors from the tristate area, addressing such
topics as Renaissance ideas on
confession and how they relate
to Iago’s character; the role of
racism and social harmony in
the play; and ideas of
friendship in Shakespeare’s
time.
Sophomores in Ms. Hampson’s
World Literature II class are
currently preparing for their
upcoming trial of Oedipus the
King. The State of Thebes
charges
Oedipus
with
making conscious choices by
his
own
free
will
that
perpetuated the fulfillment of
the oracle’s prophecy and
determined his tragic downfall.
The defense will respond by
arguing that Oedipus was
doomed to fulfill the curse that
Apollo brought upon his family,
rendering him powerless to
prevent the fulfillment of the
cursed prophecy. Therefore,
the gods controlled everything
that happened to Oedipus. All
2
students will participate in the
trial as an attorney, witness, or
juror. This activity and its
corollary writing assignment will
allow students to reflect upon
Sophocles’ "big life question" of
whether or not man has control
over his own destiny.
Seniors in Mr. Gary Whitehead
and Ms. Mimi Tang-Johnson’s
Essential Topics in Literary
Studies class participated in a
video
conference
with
contemporary author of fiction,
Shann Ray, on November 3rd.
Having read “Mrs. Seacrest,” a
short story from Ray’s volume
of short fiction, American
Masculine, Mr. Whitehead and
Ms. Tang-Johnson’s students
discussed the story’s symbolism
and other literary devices, and
then wrote alternate endings to
the
story.
The
video
conference gave students an
opportunity to share their
alternate endings with Ray,
hear about Ray’s formative
years as an author, and learn
about his writing process.
Throughout the conference,
Ray discussed the way his
fiction attempts to address
Americans’ discomfort with
intimacy,
tenderness,
and
affection. He also explained
how, in the courses he teaches
in psychology in Spokane,
Washington, he emphasizes the
way
true
leadership
can
empower people by making
them
more
autonomous—
especially after the worst has
happened to them.
The
English
Department
congratulates two teachers who
have recently published their
writing. Ms. Dana Maloney coauthored
an
article
on
professional
learning
communities with Terry Moore,
a retired Tenafly elementary
school teacher, and Monica
Taylor, Associate Professor of
Curriculum and Teaching at
Montclair State University. The
article, “Grassroots Growth:
The Evolution of a Teacher
Study Group,” appeared in the
October issue of Learning
Forward, a journal of the
National Staff Development
Council. Mr. Gary Whitehead
will have his poem, “Lot’s
Wife,”
published
in
a
forthcoming issue of The New
Yorker.
This will be Mr.
Whitehead’s
second
appearance in the high-profile,
weekly publication. Those who
read The New Yorker online will
have an opportunity to hear Mr.
Whitehead recite his poem,
which he recorded last week at
the magazine’s headquarters.
Social Studies
The social studies department
welcomes our newest member,
Ms. Agapi Schmarge.
Ms.
Schmarge is currently filling in
as the leave replacement for
Ms. Barker, but will then fill the
position vacated by Mr. Luther’s
retirement in December. She is
a veteran teacher, with nine
years of experience at Palisades
Park High School before coming
to us in Tenafly.
Ninth grade students in Mrs.
Phommathep’s World History
East classes are working on a
research paper on Africa. In
preparation, they learned about
Modern Language Association
citation protocol and worked
with
our
library
media
specialist, Mr. DiGregorio, to
learn about how they can best
use our library’s extensive
resources.
Sophomore
Humanities
students in Mr. Barrett’s and
Mr. Hutchinson’s classes will be
visiting
the
Metropolitan
Museum of Art on November 9
as part of their study of Ancient
Greek and Roman history and
culture. The museum has one
of the world’s finest collections
of this material.
We are planning for a visit from
Penny Colman, author of
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship
That Changed the World and
other books. She’ll be speaking
to Mrs. Kratz’s 11th grade USI
classes.
Our friends at
Womrath’s bookstore helped to
arrange this.
Another guest speaker, Louis
DiPaolo, will be speaking to Mr.
Morrison’s senior American
Mind classes on November 17.
Mr. DiPaolo is a World War II
veteran Marine who fought at
the battle of Iwo Jima.
Advanced
Placement
test
scores arrived in July, as they
do every year.
Tenafly
students excelled in the social
studies AP tests, as they do
every year. In May of 2011,
THS students took three social
studies AP tests: World History
(10th graders), American History
(11th graders) and American
Government (11th and 12th
graders). Thirty one students
took the World History test
(compared with 22 in 2010),
earning an average score of 3.5
on the five point scale. Note
that these students had not
taken a World History AP
course, but were prepared for
the test through our two-year
world
history
program.
Seventeen of the students
3
scored 4 or 5, and another 9
earned a 3.
Thirty two students took the
American History AP test, with
an astonishing average score of
4.9 out of 5.
The twenty students in our
elective course on American
Government took the AP test
for that course, and averaged a
3.5, with 16 of the students
earning 3 or higher.
Mathematics
It has been five days since a
winter storm that set record
snowfall amounts for October,
left hundreds of thousands
without
power,
and
has
students
from
Smith
Elementary roaming the halls of
Tenafly High School… Greece
was bailed out, but then
defaulted. Corzine bet on the
economic
recovery, a failed
bet.
The stock market
plunged… Unemployment is at
a record high.
Presidential
approval is on the wane. Many
Republicans have tossed their
names into the ring for a
nomination…
Through it all,
numbers define the situations inches of snow, number of
power outages, dollars needed,
percentages of approval and
support. At THS we daily study
and explore the world of
numbers.
Students who took the AP
Calculus AB, Calculus BC and
Statistics exams last May had
outstanding results.
The
average score on the AB exam
was 4.65 with 72% or the
students earning a 5. On the
BC exam the average was 4.02
with over 75% earning a 4 or a
5. On the Statistics exam the
average was 3.77 with 91% of
the students earning a 3 or
above.
The Math Team, under the
direction of Peggy Wissler, will
compete in the annual Seton
Hall University Mathematics
competition
on
Saturday,
November 19. This full day of
math is a highlight for students
each year. In the past, Tenafly
students have fared well; a THS
team member finished with the
third highest overall score in
2010.
The first BCML
competition was hosted by
Dumont on October 27; the
second is slated for November
17 at Tenafly. In addition the
annual AMC contest will be
administered on December 7.
These competitions also offer
students an opportunity to
meet and share with students
from neighboring high schools.
Jiyoun
(Jennifer)
Ha
participated in the Math Prize
for Girls competition on Sept.
17th at MIT. There were 276
participants from across the
country who qualified for this
contest. The qualification was
based on Jennifer’s AMC score,
among the top 10 scores for
girls in the nation.
In the classroom, students in
Geometry have now completed
Chapter 2 with its 36 theorems
and are completing proofs in
earnest.
These
prepare
students for the rigor of the
Geometry questions on the SAT
exam. Students in Algebra 2
have completed systems of
equations.
Students
in
Precalculus are beginning the
graphs of the six trig functions
and will complete the study of
trigonometry by January.
Mr. Scanlon, out on a medical
leave, has been resuming his
teaching duties and will be back
full time at the start of the
second marking period.
His
students have benefitted from
the expertise of math teachers
in the district to cover classes
during his absence but look
forward to having him at the
helm.
Mark
your
calendars
for
11/11/11; mathematicians love
it when numbers are aligned!
Science
During the past summer,
several THS Science teachers
participated in exciting research
opportunities with the hopes of
bringing real world science
problems into their classrooms.
Ms. Helen Coyle and Ms. Carol
Pastushok were accepted into
the Research Experience for
Teachers program at NJIT
sponsored by the National
Science Foundation.
The
purpose of this program was to
introduce teachers to current
research that is going on at the
university level and to bring
new lessons and resources back
to their classrooms. During this
6 week program, Ms. Coyle and
Ms. Pastushok researched the
creation of pharmaceutical drug
polymorphs and their different
levels of stability. Ms. Coyle
researched acetaminophen, the
active ingredient in Tylenol and
Ms. Pastushok researched the
different
polymorphs
of
Ibuprofen.
From
this
experience,
the
teachers
received a $500 gift to
purchase equipment for a lab
investigation designed to be
implemented
in
their
classrooms this year. What a
great opportunity for our
4
students to be engaged in real
life research problems.
Ms. Anat Firnberg was accepted
into and participated in the
Rockefeller University Outreach
Program,
Modeling
the
Molecular World. During her
week long study of the invisible
work of molecules, Ms. Firnberg
explored how proteins “know”
what shape they should fold up
into following their syntheses as
linear polymers of amino acids.
Ms. Firnberg learned to use the
Jmol, a computer visualization
tool to expand the concepts of
protein structure to create
physical models.
Dr. Ron Schreck was one of 19
middle and high school science
teachers
from
16
NJ
communities to complete the
Honeywell and NJ Audubon’s
professional
development
program, Honeywell Institute
for Ecosystems Education this
past summer. This program
combined classroom instruction
with
diverse
outdoor
experiences throughout the
Hackensack watershed helping
educators
to
transform
textbook curriculum into new
and inspiring lesson plans
designed to promote a hands
on approach to learning about
our environment.
World Languages
Three new teachers joined the
World Language faculty in
September.
They are Mr.
William
Paris,
Mr.
Paul
Roncagliolo, and Ms. Ruby Yao.
As of November 2nd, Mr. John
Salierno is serving as the leave
replacement teacher for Ms.
Beatriz Peláez-Martínez, who
will be on leave through the
end of January.
Mr. Paris, the new teacher of
Japanese, comes to THS having
previously taught Japanese at
both Ridge High School and
William Annin Middle School in
Bernards Township. He holds a
BA in Japanese Language and
Literature from Connecticut
College and an MA in Teaching
from Montclair State University.
He studied abroad in Osaka,
Japan and served as a teacher
in The Japan Exchange and
Teaching (JET) Programme.
Mr. Paris is teaching Japanese
III, III Honors, IV Honors, and
AP Japanese. Mr. Roncagliolo,
a new teacher of Spanish,
comes to THS having taught at
the middle and high school
levels in both Montclair and
Teaneck. He holds a BA in
Broadcasting and Spanish from
Arizona State University. He is
teaching
Spanish
I
and
Communication and Culture II
at THS and 6th and 7th grade
Spanish at TMS. Ms. Yao, the
new teacher of Mandarin
Chinese, holds a BA in
Economics
from
Rutgers
University and an MPA from
Fairleigh Dickinson University.
A native of Shanghai, China,
Ms. Yao has taught at weekend
Mandarin language programs in
both Middlesex and Bergen
counties and has served as an
adjunct professor at Fairleigh
Dickinson University.
Ms.
Yao’s
assignment
includes
Mandarin Chinese I, II, II
Honors, III, III Honors, and
IV/IV Honors.
Finally, Mr.
Salierno comes to THS with
over 30 years of experience
teaching Italian and Spanish at
Passaic Valley Regional High
School.
He holds a BA in
Italian and Spanish from
Rutgers and an MA in
Counseling
Education from
NYU. He is teaching Spanish II,
II Honors, Communication and
Culture III, and Italian I while
Ms. Peláez-Martínez is on leave
for the duration of the 1st
semester.
In October, Ms. Vélez-Prikazsky
and
Ms.
Bilali
attended
Advanced Placement workshops
sponsored by the College
Board.
Held at Hasbrouck
Heights High School, these
workshops outlined changes
that will take effect on future
AP exams and provided time to
share and examine strategies in
order to best prepare students
throughout the AP course and
the upcoming exams in May
2012.
Cecilia
Martínez,
Fulbright
Exchange counterpart to Mr.
Michael
Cohen,
presented
lessons to Ms. Terri Caust’s
Spanish V Honors classes.
These lessons focused on
Argentine culture, history, and
literature.
Students in the
Spanish program translated
parts
of
Ms.
Martínez’s
presentation to faculty and
students on October 27th.
Thank you to Gal Spiegel,
Daniela
Archila,
Allison
Torsiglieri, Ioanna Moriatis,
Angela Wang, Alina Yaman, and
Ian MacArthur for their superb
translation for the audience.
Students in Ms. Williams’
French II Honors class recently
completed
a
video
representation of their daily
routine. This project required
students to use the digital
recording technology in the
language lab and to create an
authentic representation to
share with the class and their
French pen pals. Remember all
of the Francophone countries
and their influence during
5
National French Week, which
takes place November 8-14.
Sponsored by the American
Association of Teachers of
French (AATF) it is a time to
celebrate Francophone culture.
ELL
The beginning ELL students are
concentrating on developing
the four English language skills:
listening, speaking, reading and
writing. In most cases, these
students come to us with little
to no English language skills in
place. As a result, their task is
extremely difficult.
Students
worked on a project entitled A
Book About Me in which the
new arrivals are introducing
themselves to their classmates.
Ms. Edelman’s intermediate ELL
students discussed Helen Keller
and the obstacles she had to
overcome.
They discussed
other obstacles people have to
overcome
in
their
lives.
Students read about the life of
Frank McCourt and obstacles he
had to over. Ms. Edelman’s
advanced
ELL
students
discussed characteristics of a
utopia. They read the story,
Brook Farm, and compared the
utopian
environment
that
existed on the farm with the
world today.
They also
analyzed how utopians from
Brook Farm would react to
contemporary issues.
Ms. Grady’s beginner language
arts class read the story, Wolf.
They compared the main
characters using a
Venn
diagram. Students wrote about
the story elements and then
made inferences and drew their
own conclusions about the
story. Intermediate language
arts students focused on a
thematic unit on suspense in
the short story reading The
Lady or the Tiger. They also
began a unit on poetry, reading
Robert Frost’s The Road Not
Taken. The advanced language
arts students have been
reading pieces of literature
focusing on American history.
Students read an essay by Jean
de Crevecoeur entitled What is
an American? They also read
Frederick
Douglass’
autobiography, My Bondage
and My Freedom.
Ms. Kim’s beginning HSPA class
identified strategies and points
to consider when reading a
narrative text. They read the
narrative, Gift of Magi, using
their new strategies. They also
discussed similes, metaphors
and personification in the story.
Intermediate / advanced HSPA
students in Ms. Edelman’s class
identified main ideas and
supporting details in their
reading.
Ms.
Grady’s
intermediate / advanced HSPA
students were focusing on
identifying
analogies
and
looking for context clues in the
reading to help them find their
meanings.
Special Education
The
Special
Education
Department was delighted to
welcome back Mrs. Mimi TangJohnson this fall after her leave
at the end of last year. We
welcome Caden Huh into the
world, born July 1, along with
his proud parents, Dinah and
Mark. The department looks
forward to the return of Mrs.
Huh after the Thanksgiving
break.
Fine Arts
Ms. Pacheco’s Art Experience
students created Keith haring
figures out of construction
paper to be part of a class
poster.
This was done to
promote the Common Bond
project. In her painting class,
students learned to identify
primary colors and create
secondary and intermediate
colors. They created creative
color wheels first in pencil and
then by going over the lines
with a sharpie.
Ms. Nagel’s drawing students
learned how to translate
information
about
three
dimensional objects into a two
dimensional surface. They also
focused on seeing forms in
their wholeness and of seeing
relationships among the parts.
These activities served to
strengthen
their
eye/hand
coordination.
In Portfolio
Honors, students made a three
to five minute presentation to
the class about a painting they
had
selected.
Students
discussed the structure and
composition of the piece as well
as the place in time the work
had been created.
Ms. Kirschbaum’ s Computer
Graphics class found internet
images and brought them into
the
Photoshop
application.
Students learned what tools are
available to the Photoshop
user.
They worked on
exploring the features of each
tool. In Computer Animation
Honors, students observed a
Power
Point
presentation
entitled “Prehistory #1” which
explained
the
various
breakthroughs in film and
Animation.
One of these
breakthroughs
was
the
invention
of
the
“Thaumathope.” After viewing
the
presentation,
students
created
their
own
thaumathope.
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On Thursday, October 27th, 26
students
from
Mrs.
Kirschbaum’s
Drawing,
Computer
Graphics,
and
Computer Animation Honors
classes, along with students
from Mr. Whitehead’s Creative
Writing class, visited the
Rockland Center for the Arts to
participate in a gallery tour and
hands on sculpture workshop.
Students received a guided tour
of the current show entitled
“Toy Story” . This toy themed
exhibition includes paintings,
sculpture, digital art, primitive
photography and installation art
from the studios of several area
artists. Each piece includes a
toy
somewhere
in
the
composition.
Upon completion of the guided
tour, students entered the
studio to create their own toy
themed sculptures. The results
were amazing and reflected
students’
talent
and
enthusiasm.
Daly Flanagan directed both the
tour and workshop. She and
her assistants were excited
upon seeing students’ final
results. Sculptures were left
behind at the center to dry and
will be delivered to THS in the
coming days.
A few days after our visit, Mrs.
Kirschbaum was notified that
the director of the Rockland
Center was so impressed with
student projects, she asked to
include 7 student sculptures
into the show, which will run
until December 18th. The THS
students who will be exhibiting
their sculptures are Chris
Pandolfo, Iris Park, Itai Ben
Amram, Paul Hur, Alex Pattison,
Stephanie White and Randi
Siegel.
Congratulations to
these students and all the
others who participated in this
special event. They are all to
be commended for their great
work.
Family & Consumer Science
Ms. Johnson’s Experience with
Foods classes have been
reading
recipes
and
cooperatively creating a work
schedule to prepare the desired
baked product.
Students
demonstrated
the
proper
utensils to use for their recipe.
After they prepared their recipe
and worked cooperatively in
their kitchen groups, students
sampled their products and
constructively critiqued the
baked product in each kitchen
using
the
appropriate
descriptive
terminology
for
baked products.
Ms. Acocella’ s Child Psychology
Honors classes looked at the
early history of child studies.
They focused on describing
how learning theories relate to
six key themes.
Her Child
Development
classes
were
learning how to develop a
lesson plan.
They also
discussed the history of child
development and the presentday study of child development.
Business
Ms. Baker’s Business Law class
was working on contracts.
They discussed what needs to
be included in a contract, the
requirements of an offer and
what is needed to terminate a
contract.
Her students in
Business
Economics
are
focusing on the stock market.
After a discussion on the
history of the New York Stock
Exchange, students discussed
how a stock is bought and sold,
how the New York Stock
Exchange is safeguarded and
what drives the stock market.
Personal
Financial
Literacy
students in Ms Baker and Mr.
Alesandro’ s classes discussed
the different types of savings
institutions and the different
stages of investing. Students
focused on the features of
common and preferred stock
and explained how stock values
are determined.
Mr. Alesandro’s Accounting 1
students worked on identifying
account in the Accounting
Equation. They also identified
debits and credits in owner’s
equity.
His Accounting 2
students are working on topics
such as a purchases journal, a
cash receipts journal and
ascertaining payroll taxes.
Technology
Mr. E. DiGregorio’ s Wood and
Stained Glass Design classes
are learning how to design,
select, cut, shape foil and
solder a stained glass sun
catcher. First, Mr. DiGregorio
demonstrated glass selection
and
cutting
techniques,
answered any questions the
students may have had and
then asked students to follow
the model he had set.
In
Invention,
Deign
and
Technology,
his
students
researched
wind
energy:
horizontal and vertical axis wind
turbines. Once their research
had been completed, students
presented their findings to the
class. They are continuing their
study of wind turbine designs.
7
Music
On September 11, 2011, the
THS
Honors
Choir
sang
"America the Beautiful" at the
township's 10th anniversary
remembrance of the 9/11
attacks. With just three days to
prepare, the students did a
great job!
Thanks to a generous grant
from TEF, the Cornell University
"Class Notes" a cappella group
came to THS on 10/11 and
gave two workshops and a
concert. Our students were
treated to a wonderful singing
experience with twelve talented
and energetic college students.
We got a taste of what it might
be like to continue singing
beyond high school. There are
videos of their performances up
on YouTube (search Class
Notes Tenafly).
On Sunday, 10/23, Mr. Millar
performed "Rondo Buffo," by
local composer Tim Goplerud,
with the Vecchione/Erdahl Duo,
an oboe/string bass duo, on the
Glen Ridge Community Concert
series. The following Thursday,
the duo and the composer
came to THS and performed for
the orchestra class. In Honors
Orchestra,
the
students
performed the piece with the
duo and had a discussion with
the composer. Our student
composers were very inspired!
During the Seoul Global High
School visit, the music teacher
from Seoul spent much of the
day observing music classes in
Rm 126. During breaks, she
shared ideas with Mr. Millar,
and discussed the similarities
and differences between music
programs in South Korea and
the U.S.
The Tenafly Marching Tigers
had the pleasure of performing
their half-time show since the
third day of school while
supporting the Tenafly Varsity
Football team from the stands
on their weekend contests.
The halftime show this year
includes various memorized
contemporary
college-level
arrangements of jazz classics
such as Mancini's "It Had Better
Be Tonight," Peggy Lee's
"Fever," the original theme
from "Spiderman" and Michael
Buble's "Everything."
For 2011, The Marching Tigers
revived a long lost tradition, an
alternate home field pre-game
routine and performance with
plenty of flair to welcome the
arrival of the THS football team
to the field. This revived "PreGame
Spectacular"
also
highlights the National Anthem
in a proper showcase. This
renewed pre-game tradition will
be performed again at our
Thanksgiving home game on
the 24th. Come and check it
out!
The Tenafly Marching Tigers
also had the honor of
performing selections from their
repertoire for the Seoul Global
high school visitors.
The
visiting students and staff were
entertained and impressed!
Performing Arts
Public Speaking
The students finished their
filmed
presentations
of
historically famous speeches.
They are now working on World
News reports/presentations.
Acting
The students are preparing
their original monologues for
filmed presentations later this
month.
Theater
The fall play' Rumors', by Neil
Simon is up and running with
performances last night, tonight
November 4th and tomorrow
Saturday November 5th.
Athletics
We started off the pre season
with an earthquake, followed
by Hurricane Irene and brought
a close to October with a record
snowfall and damage leading to
multiple days of unexpected
school closures. Add to this a
record amount of precipitation
and you can understand how
this has been quite an athletic
season in regards to weather
and field conditions. Despite
the lack of cooperation from
Mother Nature we have been
able to complete over 90% of
all scheduled contests. This is
a real credit to the buildings
and grounds crew who worked
tirelessly to make our fields
safe and playable under these
extreme conditions.
Some
notable moments from our fall
season includes; a dramatic
overtime victory by our football
team over Bergen Tech, the
girls soccer team defeating the
#4 county ranked Mahwah
Thunderbirds 1-0 behind
a
lone goal by junior Jackie
Clifford, our girls cross country
team winning the divisional
meet thus securing first place in
the
Patriot
Division,
the
freshman boys soccer team
completing their regular season
without a loss suffering their
8
only loss (2-1)in the county
tournament semi-final match
against
a
strong
Bergen
Catholic squad and the girls
volleyball
team
defeating
league leading Mahwah in two
games (25-14, 25-23) in late
October.
On the personal level, senior
volleyball
stand-out,
Anna
Bruno, was named the Record’s
Athlete of the Week for her
outstanding play during the
second week of September
when she led her team to 3
victories. Sophomore Josette
Norris conquered the field as
she won the Patriot Division
championship race.
Josette
was named to the first team alldivision team for her effort
during the season.
Seniors
Andrew Pertsov and Attila
Yaman were also named to the
first team Patriot Division team
for boys soccer.
Volleyball,
football, girls soccer and girls
tennis have not yet held their
post
season
meeting
to
determine
all-league
recognition.
Congratulations to senior, Chris
Orozco, for receiving an offer
from Division I University of
New Hampshire for a 4 year
scholarship to play basketball.
Chris is 499 points shy of a
scoring 2,000 points in his high
school career. If he achieves
this milestone during the
season he will become only the
11th player in county history to
do reach this scoring plateau.
Congratulations
is
also
extended to senior swimmer,
Leo Lim, for being offered a
“Likely Letter” from Harvard
University.
Leo earned this
offer by being an outstanding
student
and
his
high
achievement in the pool. He
was the only sophomore to
make The Record’s All-Decade
boys swimming team. He has
never lost a race in a dual
meet, and he helped Tenafly
win its first county team title
last winter. He’s been a league
champion and county champion
multiple times, and won the
Meet of Champions title in 2010
in the 200 individual medley.
The first season under our new
athletic league, The Big North,
has just been completed. The
season was full of adjustments
on many levels as the Tigers
competed against many new
league opponents. Our cross
country teams adjusted to a
new league schedule with no
home meets as the whole
league competed at Darlington
or Garrett Mountain. We all
wish freshman, Josette Norris,
good luck as she qualified and
will be running in the State
Group Meet. This is quite an
accomplishment for a freshman
runner. The teams met the
challenges of our new league
and the season was full of the
usual highs and lows associated
with athletic competition. In
the end we had one division
championship this season with
the girls tennis team going
undefeated in our Patriot
Division. Some team highlights
were; the girls soccer team
defeating River Dell for the first
time in the seniors four years
with the program, the boys
soccer team handing division
champion Ramsey their only
loss for the season and the
volleyball team capping off a
terrific season with two tough
2-1 losses to Ramapo in the
quarterfinals of the Bergen
County Tournament and East
Side HS in the quarterfinals of
the state tournament.
Go Tigers!!!!
School Counseling
It is hard to believe that it is
almost the end of Marking
Period 1 and Thanksgiving is
rapidly approaching.
It has
been very busy in the School
Counseling office since school
opened in early September.
We are enjoying the change in
our whereabouts and students
and parents are getting used to
attendance being where our
office used to be located. We
are pleased to welcome Ms.
Joan
Thomas
to
our
department as Ms. Messinger
goes out on maternity leave
until the end of the current
school year.
As of November 1st, the School
Counseling office has processed
nearly
1,900
electronic
transcript requests. Nearly 73%
of the Class of 2012 has
already submitted a request for
a transcript to over 281
different
colleges.
Some
students have already gotten
decisions from institutions with
rolling admission programs.
Students that are still unsure
about their post-graduation
plans are encouraged to make
an appointment with their
counselor as soon as possible.
It is still early in the application
process!
Mrs. Dawn Hourdajian reports
that the 2011-2012 College
Mini-Fairs are being well
attended by our juniors and
seniors. From September 14
until mid-November, there are
15-20
different
College
Admissions
Representatives
9
visiting each week. The MiniFairs provide an excellent
opportunity for our students to
obtain current information and
to speak directly to the
Admission Officers assigned to
THS. The College reps have
been impressed with the caliber
and
enthusiasm
of
our
students, and with the warm
welcome they receive here at
Tenafly. Hosting the college
admissions representatives in
our new location, the PITT, has
increased student visits and has
been a positive change.
The class of 2015 has
completed their first 2 months
of high school and seems to be
adjusting quiet well to THS! Ms.
Murphy has met with a great
deal of the students for a one
on one meet and greet. In an
attempt to see all of the
students as quickly as possible,
she has visited a number of
classrooms to see what the
students are learning, as well
as get a chance to see a
number of students at the
same time. She has visited
Mrs. Ballan’s World Literature
Honors class, Mrs. Phommathep
and Mr. Hutchinson’s World
History East class, and Ms.
Loffredo’s Essential Topics of
World History East class. The
classes were all amazing, and
she hopes to visit more
classrooms over the next
month.
Ms. Murphy and Mrs. Lewis
have worked together in
expanding their, “Girl’s Group”,
which is an excellent resource
for a number of our new
students.
An 8th grade visit is being
planned for TMS, Alpine,
Solomon
Schechter
and
Moriah. Mr. Millar and Mr.
Stanek have graciously offered
to perform for the students
during their visit. The students
will be introduced to a number
of faculty members here at
THS, and then they will be
taken on a brief tour of the
building by the Peer Leaders.
Ms. Murphy will also be going
to the Middle School in January
during Wisdom Wednesday to
present information on elective
classes to the students.
Ms. McDonald, the 8th grade
Guidance Counselor from TMS,
will be shadowing Ms. Murphy
for a half day on Tuesday,
November 15. During this time
we will discuss the curriculum
here at THS and visit a few
classes, so that she can get a
better understanding of what
courses are offered here at the
high school.
Important Dates
 Marking Period 1 ends
November 9th, 2011
 Parent Portal opens at 10
am on Friday, November
18th, 2011
 Parent Conferences
Thursday, December 1st
,2011 5:30 pm -8:30 pm
 Getting In! THS School
Counseling Department and
Womrath’s Bookstore are
pleased to host an evening
with Steve Cohen co-author
of: Getting In: The Zinch
Guide to College
Admissions and
Financial Aid in the
Digital Age Tuesday
November 8th, 2011 at 7 pm
in the Tenafly Library Media
Center. All parents and
students are welcome!
 College Financial Aid
Night for Seniors
December 14th 7:30 pm
Library Media Center
Support Services
EACH DAY COUNTS!
Success in school is dependent
upon
building
a
solid
educational background, one
which can only be achieved by
regularly attending school. As
is noted in our Tiger Q,
“…instruction
and
study,
classroom participation and
experiential learning with peers
are critical elements of a
fulfilling
and
rewarding
education”.
Research shows
that
there
is
a
strong
correlation
between
high
achievement and a strong
attendance record. In addition,
consistent
attendance
establishes
patterns
of
responsibility and commitment
that serve students throughout
their lives. Some studies have
also linked regular attendance
to lower rates of high risk and
delinquent behaviors.
When
students miss school, they miss
important lessons and skills
needed for academic success.
The
U.S.
Department
of
Education reports that for every
missed day of school it takes a
student two days to catch up
since he/she must make up
missed
learning
while
simultaneously working with
new material. Missing school
can also impact negatively on a
child’s social and emotional
development since school is
where
he/she
establishes
friendships and learns to work
cooperatively.
Even students
who have struggled in their
elementary years get a fresh
start toward success if they
maintain a good attendance
10
record as freshmen in high
school.
Parents can play a key role in
discouraging lateness and in
fostering good attendance by:
1. expressing an interest in
their child’s academics and
school activities and by
encouraging fullness of
participation;
2. communicating with school
staff members about any
attendance
issues
or
concerns;
3. observing
the
school
schedule – by planning
family vacations during
school
breaks
and
scheduling
medical
appointments after school
hours;
4. helping their child organize
his/her
time,
prioritize
activities and establish a
daily routine;
5. by helping to ensure that
their child gets enough
sleep so that he/she is well
rested in the morning (Most
teens need at least 8 or 9
hours of sleep each night.);
6. and by allowing their child
to stay home only when
he/she is too sick to be in
school.
With the winter cold and flu
season
fast
approaching,
absences from school due to
illness can begin to mount.
Please take careful note of our
attendance
policies
and
procedures which are clearly
outlined on pages 9 – 17 in our
Tiger Q. In brief, we ask that
parents report an absence or
late arrival by calling our
Attendance
Office
each
morning before 8:05 a.m. or by
e-mailing
dryan@tenafly,k12.nj.us
or
rpreolo@tenafly.k12.nj.us . If a
call or e-mail is received by that
time, no note to verify the
absence is required. If there is
no parent notification by 8:05
a.m., a note explaining the
absence
or
tardy
must
accompany the student upon
his/her return to school.
Students may sign out early
from school if they have
previously submitted a note
from their parent to the
Attendance Office or if the
parent comes in to the office to
verify the early dismissal.
Except for illness or excused
absences, school attendance is
required by state law. Through
NJ Smart, attendance data on
individual students is currently
being gathered by the state.
Students missing more than 9
days
(including
verified
absences) per class, per
semester will be denied credit.
Any student who is more than
10 minutes late to class is
considered absent from that
class. Unverified absences are
considered class cuts and may
result in a loss of credit for the
course(s). Absences related to
chronic or extended medical
illness (which require medical
documentation) are handled
through our Health Office.
Parents may contact Mr. Cory,
Vice-Principal, or Mrs. Lewis,
Supervisor of Student Services,
at any time with any special
attendance matters.
Please
remember
–
ATTENDANCE MATTERS AND
EACH DAY COUNTS!
MESSAGE FROM THE THS
HOME SCHOOL
ASSOCIATION
David Schussel and Naomi
Waltman
THS H.S.A. Co-Presidents
(THSHSA@aol.com)
Our warmest greetings to our
THS families! It’s been a very
busy fall, but there still are
many more exciting events
planned for this school year.
A FEW UPCOMING
EVENTS/REMINDERS:
FITNESS LEADER
FUNDRAISER
The THS H.S.A. is teaming up
with the Fitness Leader to offer
one month memberships to The
Fitness Leader Boot Camp at a
greatly discounted price. The
Fitness Leader Boot Camp and
Nutrition program is a womenonly group fitness and exercise
class designed to provide a
strength training and cardio
workout in one session. There
are locations in Tenafly and
Hillsdale. Normally one month
of the Fitness Leader Boot
Camp costs $99-119, but we
are offering cards for a full
month of boot camp for only
$20. One hundred percent of
the proceeds go to the H.S.A.
to
benefit
our
children’s
education. Alternatively, you
can use the card for two inhome private training sessions.
To participate in this fundraiser,
please fill out the order form
attached to the newsletter and
return it with a check for $20
(payable to the THS H.S.A.) to
the THS School Office, 19
Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ
07670, Attn: H.S.A. We will
mail you a card that can be
redeemed for a one month
11
membership (no expiration
date) or two in-home training
sessions. For more information,
please send an email to
THSHSA@aol.com or call Kevin
Valluzzi at 201-638-1902. For
more information on The
Fitness Leader programs, go to
www.TheFitnessLeader.com.
FACULTY HOLIDAY
LUNCHEON – Tuesday,
December 13, 2011
On Tuesday, December 13,
2011, the H.S.A. will host its
annual Holiday Luncheon for
our dedicated and hardworking
THS
staff.
The
Holiday
Luncheon Committee is looking
for volunteers to donate either
a food item or money that can
be used to purchase food and
beverages for this event. We
will be sending out reminders
via the THS H.S.A. and
Honeywell email alert systems,
but if you would like to help,
please contact one of the
Holiday Luncheon Committee
chairpersons:
Holiday Luncheon
Committee Chairs
Judy Furer
201-5698013 (judy.furer@gmail.com)
Kim Halman
201-8161511 (dlhkmh3@aol.com)
Judi Herrmann
201-5675809 (ajlem@aol.com)
Harriet Nachum
201-5673182 (jakhar@verizon.net)
Margo Tucker
201-5686428 (margotuck@yahoo.com)
Melanie Zingler
201-8714117 (mzing19@gmail.com)
H.S.A. MEETING/PANEL
DISCUSSION – Thursday,
January 5, 2012
Save the date! On Thursday,
January 5, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
in the THS Library Media
Center, the H.S.A. will sponsor
a panel on body image and
eating
disorders,
featuring
Nancy
Graham from the
Renfrew Center. She spoke to
students in the THS Peers
Program last year and her talk
was very well received. Please
stay
tuned
for
more
information.
MOCK SAT AND ACT
TESTING – January 7, 2012
and February 4, 2012
In January and February 2012,
the THS H.S.A. and Princeton
Review will offer students the
opportunity to take a Mock ACT
and a Mock SAT test. Results
will be sent directly to each
student’s family from the
Princeton Review. Experience
the tests anxiety free!
The Mock SAT will be given on
Saturday, January 7, 2012
(snow date: January 21st) and
the Mock ACT will be given on
Saturday, February 4, 2012
(snow date: TBD). You may
register for one or both tests.
Please see the registration flyer
attached to this newsletter. For
more
information,
please
contact Naomi Waltman at 2019143281/naomi.waltman@cbs.com.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
PRESENTATION – Thursday,
January 9, 2012
Mark your calendars: On
Thursday, February 9, 2012
at 7:30 p.m. in the THS Library
Media Center, the H.S.A. and
THS School Counseling Office
will co-sponsor 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
In.” We hope all THS students
and parents will join us for
what promises to be an
informative
and
engaging
presentation.
PROJECT GRADUATION
2012
If you have not yet made a
donation to Project Graduation
2012,
please
consider
supporting
this
worthwhile
event. Project Graduation is a
nationally-recognized program
that occurs on the evening of
graduation, which allows the
entire THS graduating senior
class to join together in
celebration, ALCOHOL FREE
AND
SAFE.
The
Project
Graduation Committee works
on this event the entire year to
ensure a fabulous evening for
the students. Your support is
greatly needed and very much
appreciated.
For
more
information or to make a
donation, please contact one of
the Project Graduation 2012
Committee Co-Chairs.
Project Graduation 2012
Committee Co-Chairs
Judi Herrmann
201-5675809 (ajlem@aol.com)
Debra Hirschberg
201-8710557 (debhirshie@aol.com)
Melanie Zingler
201-8714117 (mzing19@gmail.com)
As
we
approach
the
Thanksgiving holiday, we would
like to express our sincere
thanks to all members of the
THS community – parents,
staff,
administrators,
and
students – whose dedication to
our school helps foster a
community of caring and
excellence. Happy Thanksgiving
to all!
titled “Seven Secrets of Getting
12
Naomi Waltman and David
Schussel
THS H.S.A. Co-Presidents
(THSHSA@aol.com)
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
We would like to thank all THS families who have paid their 2011-2012 annual H.S.A. dues. If you have not yet
paid your H.S.A. dues, please send a check for $30 payable to the THS H.S.A. to: Tenafly High School, 19
Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ 07670, Attn: H.S.A.
We also would like to extend our thanks to the following families for their additional donations in support of
the H.S.A. (We apologize in advance if we inadvertently left anyone off the list):
Green Ahn & Family
The Aronson Family
The Babani Family
The Bak Family
The Bassen Family
The Bean Family
The Bennett Family
The Berenbaum Family
The Blady-Stern Family
The Calzoni Family
The DiStaulo Family
The Docktor Family
The Eberley Family
Michael Erhlich & Family
The Ferents Family
The Fogel Family
The Fox Family
The Furer Family
The Goldberg Family
The Goodfriend Family
The Gottdiener Family
Dylan Greenberg & Family
The Guo Family
The Herrmann Family
The Hersh Family
The Hirst Family
The Kamil Family
The Kennedy Family
Sumin Kim & Family
The Konstantinovsky Family
The Kwon-Kapadia Family
Bu Sub Lee & Family
The Limbardo Family
The Liulakis Family
The Mahadevan Family
The Matican Family
The Mee Family
The Nestler Family
The Newport Family
The Omens-Rabinowitz Family
Christopher Park & Family
The Porter Family
The Pourkay Family
The Rachman Family
The Rappaport Family
The Remen Family
Brendan Renaud & Family
Simone Renaud & Family
Ethan Rhee & Family
The Rubach Family
Max Rubin & Family
The Sapanaro Family
The Schindler Family
The Schussel Family
The Sheinberg-Jacobus Family
The Silva Family
The Simons Family
The Sujak Family
The Tandara Family
The Tsvaberg Family
The Van Poznak Family
The Waltman Family
The Wiecek Family
The Wilmit Family
Midori Yang & Family
The Yurica Family
13
TENAFLY HIGH SCHOOL
HOME SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Dear THS Parents/Guardians:
The THS H.S.A. is joining together with The Fitness Leader for a fitness fundraiser. We are
offering one-month Fitness Boot Camp memberships (or two in-home private training sessions; it’s
your choice!) at greatly discounted prices.
The Fitness Leader Boot Camp and Nutrition program is a women’s only group fitness and exercise
class designed to give you a strength training and cardio workout in one session. There are locations
in Tenafly and Hillsdale. For more information on The Fitness Leader programs, go to
www.TheFitnessLeader.com.
You may purchase one-month boot camp memberships for only $20, which is a substantial savings
off the normal monthly rate of $99-$119. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the THS
H.S.A. to benefit our children’s education.
To participate in this fundraiser, please fill out the form below and return it with a check for $20
payable to the “THS H.S.A.” to the THS School Office, 19 Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ 07670,
Attn: H.S.A. We will mail you a card that can be redeemed for a one month membership (no
expiration date) or two in-home training sessions.
For more information, please send an email to THSHSA@aol.com or call Kevin Valluzzi at 201638-1902.
Thank you for your support of the THS H.S.A.!
_______________________________________________________________________________
** FITNESS LEADER FUNDRAISER ORDER FORM **
Your Name: _____________________________________________________________________
Your Child’s Name/Grade: __________________________________________________________
Address (to mail card): _____________________________________________________________
Email (in case we have questions):____________________________________________________
To order your membership, please return this form with a check for $20, payable to the THS H.S.A.
to the THS Office, 19 Columbus Drive, Tenafly, NJ 07670, Attention: H.S.A.
14
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
15