CHIEF’S REPORT PISCATAWAY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Jason Lester, Principal June 2016

MESSAGE FROM MR. LESTER

We say so long to the Class of 2016 as they move on to the next phase of their lives inspired to do GREAT things. I found this group of young people to be passionate, open minded and never afraid to challenge the status quo. I was honored to serve as their principal, even if only for a few years. I have had the opportunity to converse with many of them, one-on-one, and as a group. I see great potential in these young adults. Now, we begin the preparation to welcome the class of 2020. The administration team is planning innovative ways to continue on the path of systemic success for ALL students. Please look for the final results of our school goals in mid-July. We should have them posted on the PHS website. Again, congratulations to the Class of 2016! Be Well!

Strength & Honor

PHS HAPPENINGS

PROM

Peter Nagy, Mr. Lester, Brianna Thorn

The Prom was held on Friday June 3, at the Grand Marquis in Old Bridge. The turnout was great and the students who attended looked fabulous. One of the highlights of any prom is crowning the King and Queen. This year, Peter Nagy and Brianna Thorn took the honors and, as you can see from the picture, they were elated to be chosen. There were ten nominees in all. Each nominee submitted a write-up describing why they should be chosen and what it would mean to them. Voting was done by the P’Way staff and the results were announced at the Prom. Congratulations!

ATHLETICS NEWS Scholar-Athlete Award Winners

On Monday, June 6, 2016, PHS held its annual Senior Varsity Awards Banquet. Among the seniors who were recognized, Jesus Roa and Ashmita Thakur received the GMC Scholar Athlete Award. The students were selected based on their outstanding academic standing as well as their athletic accomplishments. Pictured above with Jesus and Ashmita are their parents as well as their coaches, Dave Hilgert and Scott Foglyano. Below is are the narratives Jesus and Ashmita submitted as part of the selection process for this award:

Jesus Roa Undoubtedly, high school soccer has left a mark on my journey through high school. The intense training during preseason, which would leave me exhausted and depleted, has become a sense of pride and accomplishment. The wins and losses with my soccer team have taught me what a family is all about. High school soccer has shown me a number of valuable qualities; including hard work, dedication and an appreciation for team work. I have used these qualities throughout high school to excel. The work ethic soccer taught me allowed me to become a leader in the school’s Model United Nations club and Robotics club. The dedication I learned in soccer I put to use in academics, and have obtained a 3.9 GPA. The lessons I learned and the memories I made are unforgettable, and they will come to good use in the future. I thank my coaches for the time and effort they have invested in me, as well as the Athletic Staff and anyone else who has given me an opportunity to play and learn from Piscataway High School soccer.

Ashmita Thakur I started competitive swimming in second grade and since then swimming has been an integral part of my life and high school career. I was Captain of the Varsity Swim team. My forte is

butterfly, but I have competed in all events through both my high school and private teams. Swimming has helped me develop skills such as time management, discipline and self-esteem. Academically with a 3.95 GPA, I have challenged myself with an intense curriculum opting for all possible Honors, AP and College level Science courses. I am also involved with Rutgers Waksman Student Scholars Program in which I discovered two new protein sequences. With my philanthropic attitude, I fully comprehend the value of family and relationships. I extend these morals into my community, by providing selfless care to others, especially the elderly. To work towards this cause, I am very actively involved with my township senior center. As a National Honor and World Language Honor Society member, I actively tutor underclassmen. I am also involved with the High School Yoga Club and believe in promoting health awareness. Additionally, I was actively involved with the High School Math and Science Leagues and competed with other local high schools.

PRACTICAL ARTS DEPARTMENT NEWS BUSINESS NEWS On Friday June 10th Kaitlyn Cagle and Gabrielle Salcedo were honored at the W!SE financial Literacy Certification Scholarship program held at the Museum of American Finance in NYC. The juniors received a score of 96 on the national test. Only 5% of the high school students taking the national test obtain a score of 95 or better. The national average is 73%. Congratulations to Kaitlyn and Gabrielle.

FBLA NEWS

FBLA member, Chelsea Wong, won a national design contest! She and four other members will be attending this year’s National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of June to compete.

ROBOTICS On June 1, Robotics Team 224 visited one of their team sponsors, MARS International, in Piscataway. The team demonstrated their robot and were able to tour the engineering facility to learn about the design and manufacture of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) used in the HVAC industry.

On June 2, Robotics Team 224 visited another team sponsor, L’Oreal, located in Piscataway. The team met with engineering and technical staff members to learn about their manufacturing facility and to promote future mentorship for the robotics team. The students were excited to show them our robot.

SCIENCE NEWS Waksman Institute

Kamil Skup Nikita Koura and Priya Agarwal

Priya Agarwal and Nikita Koura

The Waksman Student Scholars Program and the Piscataway GenEn Team performed a real world genetic sequencing experiment/investigation. This was an effort to determine the gene sequence for an unknown

gene which becomes published in a database maintained by the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information). Then, using Bioinformatic analysis techniques, the students attempted to further understand the structure and the function of the protein that the gene for which they found codes. This information is compiled into a poster presentation at Rutgers University viewed by other high school students, teachers, administrators, board members, participants’ family and friends, Rutgers University PhD students, and professors, as well as area scientists. The students are “judged” by a panel of Rutgers’ staff and scientists. This was a very enriching project, and these students are true winners, as they had the opportunity to “learn science by doing science” and experience the real methods of research and then present their findings to the scientific community. The students did a fantastic job this year under the leadership of 2015-16 Waksman Student Scholar – Rutva Lathia. We look forward to being led next year by current sophomore and the 2016-17 Waksman Student Scholar – Kamil Skup under shared leadership with Priya Agarwal and Nikita Koura (our GenEn Triumvirate).

SOCIAL STUDIES NEWS

Tracey McGowan has been accepted as a scholar for the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James

Madison's Montpelier Seminars for Educators: Suffrage in America this summer (July 27 - 29, 2016) The history of the right to vote in the United States is a long and complex tale, stretching from the absence of an affirmative right to vote in the U.S. Constitution to current debates about election procedures and voter suppression—with many important episodes in between. This seminar will explore some of the key moments in this story, much of which unfolded in state governments, from the late 18th century through the 1960s and beyond. Among the moments to be looked at are the dropping of property requirements in the early 19th century, the passage of the 15th and 19th amendments, and the multiple legal changes of the long 1960s. Significant attention will be paid to understanding why suffrage rights expanded in some eras and contracted in others.

Law Day Assembly

On Tuesday May 24th PHS hosted its annual Law Day assembly in the PAC based the theme, “Miranda: More than Words.” Students from the school’s various law classes were greeted by The Hon. Vincent LeBlon of New Jersey’s Superior Court via Lawrence Bethea the EEO/AA Officer for the Superior Court of New Jersey - Middlesex Vicinage. In 2016, the nation marks the 50th anniversary of perhaps the nation’s best-known U. S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona. In Miranda, the court held law enforcement personnel must advise a suspect of his/her

rights in order to use statements made during a custodial interrogation in a later criminal proceeding. The Miranda warning has become so ingrained in popular culture that many know all of its words, starting with, “You have the right to remain silent.” Yet, as the Law Day theme implies, there is much more to Miranda than the words of the warning; it is a living symbol of the importance of procedural fairness and equal justice under the law.

VISUAL ARTS NEWS

Governor’s Arts in Education

Courtney Culp and Mary Dvorsky

By Courtney Culp By Mary Dvorsky Courtney Culp and Mary Dvorsky were honored at the 2016 Governor’s Awards in Arts Education Awards Ceremony for their excellence in the visual arts on May 26, 2016. Both students applied for and were awarded the Art Educators of New Jersey High School Scholarship and were then nominated for the Governor’s Award.

The Governor’s Awards in Arts Education began in 1980 to promote awareness and appreciation of the arts, recognizing the creativity, talent and leadership of the award winners. Each year, awards are presented to approximately 20 educators and 80 students. National and statewide organizations select the students for their exemplary work in creative writing, speech, dance, music, theatre and visual arts and the leaders for their exceptional commitment and contribution to arts education. The program also recognizes arts educators and arts education advocates, whose leadership has helped nurture the development of students in the arts across the state.

L.I.F.T (Ladies of Inspiration, Fortitude, and Talent)

On Wednesday, June 22nd, the mentors and coordinators of LIFT (Ladies of Inspiration, Fortitude, and Talent) completed Lehigh University's Ropes Course. The ropes course was made up of a series of outdoor problem solving scenarios to promote leadership. The mentors had the opportunity to develop group cooperation; build camaraderie and friendships; and have fun in a challenging and learning environment. LIFT mentors demonstrated confidence and a desire for teamwork- just two of the qualities that the coordinators saw in them from the start IMPORTANT DATES: July 5th, 6th, & 7th Make-up Final Exams administered at 8:00 am in Room 106 (West) in Patton Wing August 23 – Freshman Orientation, Performing Arts Center (PAC) September 1 & 2 – Teacher In-service. No school for students September 6 – 1st day of School September 14 – Back to School Night September 24 – Band Festival September 26 – PTSO Meeting, Commons