CHIEF’S REPORT
PISCATAWAY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
Jason Lester, Principal
October 2016
MESSAGE FROM MR. LESTER
It’s beginning to look and feel like fall. The leaves are changing to autumn brown and orange, which
provides us with a beautiful view as we drive through the great state of New Jersey.
We are in full swing at PHS. I cannot emphasize this enough - the students in Piscataway are doing
tremendous things inside and outside of the classroom. Our BioMedical Program received the 30 th
Annual School Leader Award from New School Boards in late October. This is an outstanding job by
the Science Department. Special thank you to Dr. Murphy, Dr. Szeto, and Ms. Wilson, the front line
leaders of the program.
We our very proud of Elise Merritt who is a 2017 National Merit Program Semifinalist as well as six
other students that achieved the Commended Student status (Arth Baghel, Sarah Cianfrone,
Danghuy Nguyen, Jovan Snyder, Catherine Wang, and Susan Wu), a fine group of young people.
All students were involved in an array of activities during the Week of Respect through Violence
Awareness and Prevention programs. The FBLA students hosted their annual Haunted House for
younger students on October 28, which is always well attended. If you want to learn more about what
students and teachers are doing in PHS please read on…
Strength & Honor
PHS HAPPENINGS
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
National Merit Program
The list below contains the name of our Semifinalist as well as those students named as Commended
Students in the 2017 National Merit Program. Congratulations to all!
Semifinalist
Elise Merritt
Commended Students
Arth M. Baghel
Sarah L. Cianfrone
Danghuy Nguyen
Jovan L. Snyder
Catherine D. Wang
Susan Wu
KEY CLUB NEWS
The Piscataway High School National Honor Society Class of 2017 kicked off their year of service with a food
drive. Eight hundred pounds of food was collected and donated to FISH, a food pantry serving the Piscataway
and Dunellen area located on Williams Street in Piscataway. Pictured from left to right (PHOTO 2471) are NHS
officers: Sameen Siddiqui, Treasurer, Chimdi Chukwu, Secretary, Kevin Carolina, President and Eyad
Warraky, Vice President of Service.
SCIENCE
Science Trip to Hacklebarney State Park
On October 21, Mr. Flynn and Mr. Bellew took 27 Advanced Placement Environmental Science students on a
field trip to Hacklebarney State Park. The teachers developed some challenging questions for this group
relevant to the AP curriculum, and based on their answers in the field trip handout, it was evident that their
experience in the woods reinforced the concepts taught in the classroom. Furthermore, students were able to
observe how animals (insects, salamanders, toads) interacted with plants and the abiotic aspects of the forest
and other environmental science concepts such as food chains/ food webs, organism life cycles, biodecomposition, water cycle, etc. Students were able to observe all of these concepts "hands-on" at
Hacklebarney.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The social studies department has been busy this fall integrating Election 2016 lessons and activities into the
classroom, including issues debates and a school wide Mock Election coordinated by Ms. McGowan through
the New Jersey Council for Social Studies. The results are in!
For President:
Clinton/Kaine (D) - 72.4%
Trump/Pence (R) - 12.3%
Johnson/Weld (L) - 8.3%
Stein/Baraka (G) - 7%
For 6th Congressional District:
Pallone (D) - 86.5%
Sonnek-Schmelz (R) - 13.5%
Should term limits be imposed for members of Congress, including both the Senate and the House of
Representatives?
Yes - 74.7%
No - 25.3%
Should New Jersey’s gasoline tax be raised twenty-three cents per gallon to fund repairs and improvements to
the state’s roads and transportation infrastructure?
Yes - 30%
No - 70%
COUNSELING NEWS
Students, staff, parents, and volunteers from Piscataway High School Life Skills and Autistic programs
participated in the New Jersey Pride Parade on Friday October 7. The students marched from the State House
to West Lafayette with the Alliance Center for Independence. The purpose of the parade is to bring people and
organizations together to celebrate pride among the disability community and to promote the belief that
disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. The students presented a PWAY Pride banner and
individual statements of pride and accomplishment.
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS NEWS
Superchiefs are Super!
Piscataway Superchief Marching Band took 2nd Place at the US Bands State Championship, winning the
caption award for Best Visual Performance. The kids were very happy with their performance and, although it
was a cold & very windy night, they still achieved a high level of performance. Go Superchiefs!
THE WEEK OF RESPECT & SCHOOL VIOLENCE AWARENESS WEEK
Respect & Kindness Goes a Long Way!
The goal is to place an emphasis on recognizing the diversity at PHS and respect ourselves, respect others,
and respect our school community.
Respect Week 10/3/16 - 10/7/16
During the Week of Respect, Ashton Burrell, a graduate of Highland Park High School and Lincoln University,
addressed the entire student body encouraging each student to show respect for themselves and for the entire
school community. He shared his story of overcoming obstacles of disrespecting himself and his teachers.
Ashton explained how he discovered his passion and love for helping others at the early age of 19 while
attending Lincoln University. He has written his first book Impact, which was released in September 2016.
Ashton has received the Highland Park Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and Spread the Word 2nd
Annual Humanitarian Award. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson honored Ashton with their MLK Community
Service Award. Ashton’s ability to connect to the students provide a strong sense of connection and pride here
at PHS.
School Violence Awareness Week (10/17-10/21)
PHS Students pledge
Against School Violence:
As a student of Piscataway High School I will treat people as I wish to be treated. I believe that everyone has
the right to a free and safe school community
Therefore, I pledge to:




Understand that PHS is a Special Place
Inspire the Best in Myself and Others
Care About Others by Demonstrating Acts of Kindness
And Stand Up Against Bullying Whenever & Wherever I See It.
Congratulations to the Class of 2017 for winning our Pledge Campaign; Bivi Baby, Angelimani
Bateman, Kevin Carolina, Olivia Greene, Lance Justinianai, Megha Nigam Kavita Patel Rushil Patel,
Nathalie Torres, Richard Valentin
(missing from the picture: Olivia Greene and Rushil Patel)
Class of 2018 supporting our Pledge Campaign: Bethea Maki, Syeda Husain, Shurti Mantha, Swetha
Nandaxumar, Jessica Nesler, Kiara Reynolds, Sanjana Sukumanran & Lydia Zeller
Class of 2019 supporting our Pledge Campaign: Donna Bardecker & Anisa Kamara
Class of 2020 supporting the Pledge Campaign; Katarina Rodriguez & Isabel Almerco
School Violence Awareness Assembly
Det. Higgins & Det. Myers joined Dr. Gutches, PHS Behaviorist, during a School Violence Awareness
training for the 9th and 10th graders. The training addressed what is school violence, facts about school
violence, things that contribute to school violence and what students can do to prevent school violence
at PHS.
Dr. Gutches provides resources such as www.DOSOMETHING.ORG .
This website is one of the largest online organizations for young people to get involve with making a
social change.
If You Feel Down? Talk to a trained crisis counselor. Text “DS” TO 741-741. Free, 24/7. Confidential.
Det. Higgins explains his role as the School Resource Office for PHS along with the importance for everyone to
feel safe in school. “If you see something going on in school say something.” He encouraged the students to
continue to have pride in themselves and PHS.
Det. Myers explains how social media impacts on school violence. Students should think first before posting
anything on social media.
Random Act of Kindness Initiative
As a part of our goal to place emphasis on recognizing the diversity at PHS and respect ourselves,
respect others and respect our school community during the Month of October teachers & staff were provided
with Anti-Bullying Bracelets to recognize students during as a part of this Initiative.
Congratulations to the following students who received a bracelet:
Last Name
ABDULFATTAH
ALMERCO
AMORES
ARIAS
ASHAN
BABY
BABY
BARDECKER
BATEMAN
BETHEA
BROOKS
BUCCI
BYNUM
First Name
AFIFSHEIKH
ISABEL
JOCELYN
JENISA
SAAD
BIVI
BIVI
DONNA
ANGELIMANI
MAKI
RONALD
NICHOLAS
GARY
CHAPMAN
BRIANNA
CANTON
GIOVANNI
ALLYZA
MONIQUE
HUNTER
KEVIN
FAITH
CAPILI
CARLON
CAROLINA
CEPEDA
CIFUENTES
ESCOBAR
DEEPAN
D'SOUZA
FLORES
FOWLKES
FRANK
GALL
GARVIN
DILLARD
GRAB
GREENE
HANZICH
HENRY
HOLMAN
HOPPELER
HUSAIN
JACKSON
KAMARA
LALANI
LOPEZ
GR
11
First Name
MACAULEY
MANTHA
MCCOMB
MORRIS
NANDAXUMAR
NATH
NELSON
NESLER
NIGAM
PAPANIER
PATEL
PATEL
PATEL
Last Name
NORMIE
SHRUTI
WILLIAM
JANAE
SWETHA
TEJA
MALCOM
JESSICA
MEGHA
CHRISTINE
NEHA
KAVITA
RUSHALI
PATEL
HIMANSHUKUMAR
PEREZ
RUTH
12
11
12
PLYLER
NICHOLAS
12
12
12
PUTAL
REYNOLDS
RIVERA
AL NASRI
KIARA
EVIAN
12
11
12
EMELYN
9
RODRIGUEZ
KATARINA
MIA
SUSANA
JEA MARIE
LOUIS
GARY
ZACHARY
9
12
12
12
9
ROLLACK
RUCKI
SALMON
SELINGER
SHARMA
SINGH
KAYLA
DOMINIQUE
MATTEW
KATHRYN
MANAV
ERIC
9
10
9
11
JONAY
10
SNYDER
JOVAN
12
MICHAEL
Olivia
ADALAINA
10
12
12
SPANN
SUBRAMANIAN
SUKUMARAN
JASMINE
JANANI
SANJNA
12
12
11
TAYLOR
12
TAY
XAVIER
12
NADIR
JOHN
SYEDA
JUWON
ANISA
AJAY
ANYA
10
12
TORRES
TRICARICO
VALENTIN
WALSH
WANG
ZEEB
ZELLER
Nathalie
MATTHEW
RICHARD
ZOE
CATHERINE
ALYSSA
LYDIA
12
9
10
11
12
12
12
10
12
11
12
12
9
12
9
12
12
11
10
10
9
12
GR
11
11
12
10
11
10
9
11
12
12
12
12
12
12
10
12
11
12
11
12
9
11
STAFF NEWS
Mrs. Leibowitz, Lt. Governor, NJ District of Kiwanis
Pictured: Birju Dhaduk, Brianna Harris, Kristen Nyampong, Eileen Zhu, Nic Bagwandeen, along with Mr. Fuhr and Mrs. Leibowitz
Congratulations to Mrs. Laura Leibowitz for being appointed Lieutenant Governor of Division 6 of the NJ
District of Kiwanis! Mrs. Leibowitz has been the faculty advisor to the Piscataway High School Key Club for
over 25 years and has served as a zone administrator for the New Jersey District of Key Club, which is a youth
sponsored program of Kiwanis International.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of members dedicated to serving the children of the world, with
more than 660,000 members strong. Annually, they raise more than $100 million and dedicate more than 18.5
million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children.
Members of every age attend regular meetings, experience fellowship, raise funds for various causes and
participate in service projects that help their communities. Members also make an impact throughout the world
by participating in Kiwanis International’s Global Campaign for Children, The Eliminate Project: Kiwanis
eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. Key Club, the oldest and largest service organization for teens,
teaches leadership through service to others. Builders Club for adolescents provides students with
opportunities to develop leadership, improve self-esteem, increase civic engagement and learn life skills
through service. There is a Key Club at Piscataway High School and a Builders Club at Schor Middle School.
Mrs. Leibowitz’ was elected to one of the key leadership positions in the New Jersey district. Her
responsibilities include helping clubs maintain or increase their membership, opening new clubs, ensuring
participation in club leadership education, and increasing club members’ engagement and morale. Community
members interested in joining Kiwanis can contact Mrs. Leibowitz at [email protected] or visit
www.kiwanis.org
IMPORTANT DATES:
Oct. 31 – Nov. 4
November 5
November 8
November 9
November 10 & 11
November 14
November 16
November 18
November 18
November 19
November 20
November 21 & 22
November 23
November 24 – 25
Spirit Week
PHS Homecoming Dance 6 pm, Patton Café
Election Day. Teacher In-Service – no school for students
End of the first Marking Period
NJEA Convention. School Closed
PHS PTSO Meeting, 7 pm Commons
ICCA Volleyball Tournament, 2 pm Patton Gym
Daytime Conferences. Half-day for Students
PHS Faculty Talent Show, 7 pm PAC
PHS Fall Play, 2 pm & 7 pm PAC
PHS Fall Play, 2 pm & 7 pm PAC
Evening Conferences, Half-days for Students
Half-Day for Students & Staff
Thanksgiving Holiday. School Closed