Dear Jayhawks,

The past few weeks have been jam packed with activities and highlights at the high school. We hosted Parent Teacher Conferences just before Thanksgiving where teachers and parents had great opportunities to collaborate and extend their partnerships in support of our students. We saw many tremendous events including the Fall Drama, Winter Concerts, the Fashion/Talent Show and the Second Annual Art Alumni Day.

This issue of the Jayhawk Blast is filled with a lot of important information including key dates, basic information about Course Information Night on January 4, and much, much more.

Please take the time to read through the entire issue and follow the links to learn about all of the details.

Wishing everyone a restful break as well as a happy holiday season and a new year filled with good health!

Our best to you and your families,

Mr. David Cohen & Dr. Joe Prisinzano, Co-Principals

JHS has two Assistant Principals. They are always available to our students and supporting their needs.

Mr. Brian Cummings has an office just outside of the cafeteria and can be reached at phone extension x3226.

Dr. Micheala Finlay has an office in the Social Studies across from room 244 and can be reached at phone extension x3224.

• 12/25- 1/1/24- Schools Closed
• 1/4- HS Course Information Night & Community Service Fair: Grades 8-11, Students & Parents (Sam Springer Gym) 7:00-9:00pm
• 1/5 - SEPTA Executive Meeting (District Conference Room) 9:30am

• 1/9- HS PTSA Executive Meeting 9:00am, HS PTSA Meeting & Principals Coffee Hour (HS Library) 10:00am

• 1/9- Grade 10 Students & Parents Meeting (Zoom) 7:00pm

• 1/11- Board of Education Work Session 6:00pm

• 1/15- Schools Closed

• 1/16- Grade 9 Students & Parents Meeting (Zoom) 7:00pm

• 1/22- Joint PTA Open Council Meeting (MS Library) 9:30am

• 1/24- HS Winter Bands Concert (MS/HS Auditorium) 7:30pm

• 1/29- Jericho History Day (MS/HS Auditorium)

Please take a few minutes to carefully read through the information below:

JHS Course Information Night and Community Service Fair

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! On January 4 the high school will host our annual Course Information Night and Community Service Fair. We are excited to host this important event and encourage all families and students grades 8-11 to attend. Find out about all of your choices for electives, dual enrollment, AP and core classes!! Look for an email from Mr. Cohen with details.

We are excited to offer JHS students our full complement of clubs for the 2023-24 school year. Please follow the first link below for a list of clubs now being offered, the name of the advisor(s) and a description of each club. The second link below provides a schedule of when each of the clubs meet. Please email the advisor if you have any questions about the club. All of this information is also available on the JHS website.

Each of our teachers at the high school provides opportunities for students to receive extra help. Please use the link below to see the schedule.

Traffic on campus is typically very busy. As you plan for your child's travel to and from school this year, please know that one way to alleviate traffic issues is for students to utilize our bus service. Our buses are safe, fast and the easiest way for students to travel to and from school. If you will be dropping off or picking up your child from school, there are two access points; the HS attendance entrance via route 107 and the upper senior parking lot via route 106 (You may not use the front circle for drop-off).

Safety is our primary focus, particularly at dismissal. If you are picking up your child it is critical that you adhere to the following procedures:

• Car lanes are single file and drivers should never leave the line unless directed by a security agent
• When using the route 106 access, drivers must pull into available parking spaces in the upper lot and wait for their child
• Security agents are on site to assist drivers when pulling out of spaces and moving back into the single lane of cars. Please understand that the security agents are focused on ensuring a safe and efficient process so please be courteous and understanding of their role.

Please anticipate a potential wait when dropping off and picking up your child. We ask everyone to demonstrate patience and to provide extra time to account for traffic volume.

Thank you for your support.

On December 9th Jericho High School hosted a fashion/talent show in the auditorium. Proceeds from this event were donated to Cohen's Children's Hospital.

2023 Jericho graduate Lauren Marchand, Elsa in Jericho’s Frozen production, and 2023 Jimmy Award winner, performed LIVE at Good Morning America leading a sing-a-long of "Let It Go" with schools from around the country to celebrate 10 years of Frozen. The Jericho HS theater troupe, including 2023 alumni joined the fun in Times Square on November 27th. Watch the performance by clicking the link below.

On November 16th & 17th our fall production of Clue was performed on stage at the Jericho Little Theater. It was filled with intrigue, twists and brilliant performances.

Jericho High School hosted it's second annual art alumni day. It was a great way for our students to connect with alumni who are using creative arts in their chosen careers and learn about the exploration of art beyond high school. Congratulations to Mr. Ciminelli and Ms. Pillach for coordinating this incredible event.

JHS hosted the Winter Chorus/Orchestra concert on November 20th and a Jazzy Winter Night on December 11th. We look forward to our Winter Band Concert on January 24th. Please see some highlights below.

The Kids Helping Pets 2024 Calendar is ready! Full of pet facts and cute pictures. $10 each- All proceeds will benefit local pet shelters. Pick up your calendar in room 258 or look for members selling them outside the cafeteria at various times during the day.

As you know, student wellness has been such an important focus for us at JHS. The NEST program, is aimed at supporting students and the stress many of them face. This is accomplished by creating safe spaces for students to engage in restorative circle discussions while increasing their connections with peers and adults in the school. The vision statement for the program is "The Nest Period is a safe and supportive space for students to feel a deep connection with the members of our community and share voices for making positive change. "

During the past month, students have engaged in NEST sessions in our Science, World Language, and Business/Arts/Technology classes.

Making connections throughout the entire JHS community is one important step towards ensuring a healthy and supportive school community. We look forward to working with all of our students to make the NEST a place where each of their voices counts. Remember, every student has a home in the NEST

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the PTSA Connections Corner! Here you will find the latest PTSA news and information about upcoming events and happenings that the HS PTSA sponsors and/or supports. We are always available to answer any questions and look forward to a wonderful school year. We thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Your PTSA Co-Presidents

Marni Rubin

Sheree Weingarten

Membership

Please use the link below to become a member of the PTA this year.

SENIOR PARTY DONATIONS

Attention seniors and families. Please click here to view a flyer about donations to support this year's Senior Party to celebrate the Class of 2024 on June 5, 2024.

Information from SEPTA

SEPTA is an organization that supports all students in the District. Below is a link to some important flyers from SEPTA. Each flyer has English and Mandarin versions.

Please take a few minutes to read through the flyers. We encourage all families to become members of SEPTA.

Danielle Smith, High School Psychologist

Wendi Goldstein, High School Psychologist

Ray Velez, High School Social Worker

Happy Holidays from Dr. Smith, Dr. Goldstein and Mr. Velez!!!

• The high school counseling center has been hard at work assisting seniors with their college applications. Students should continue to communicate with their counselors about their post-high school plans!
• Save the date- Virtual Grade 10 Students and Parents Meeting will be on Tuesday, January 9th at 7pm and Virtual Grade 9 Students and Parents Meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16th at 7pm. Counselors will go over important information for juniors, including starting the college application process, course selection for senior year, and more. Please be on the lookout for an email from your counselor with zoom information.

Dates to Remember

January 4th

H.S. Course Information Night 7:00pm

January 9th

10th Grade Student & Parent Meeting (virtual)

January 16th

9th Grade Student & Parent Meeting (virtual)

January 19th

End of 2nd Marking Period

February 10th

ACT Exam 8:00am

Online Newspaper

Visit Jericho High School’s award-winning online newspaper: The JerEcho!

For over 50 years, The JerEcho has reported on school, local, and national issues.

Currently, we report the news through a variety of articles, videos, and podcasts. We’re comprised of a dedicated coalition of editors, reporters, and photographers.

We hope you enjoy exploring our site.

-The JerEcho Team

Jericho High School Featured in National Geographic Series

Science Fair: the Series features Jericho High School (students and teachers) in the opening episode and is now available on Disney+ and Hulu. The series premiered Dec. 10th on National Geographic TV and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Jericho HS students are executing excellence in science and research on the TV screen for the world to see and enjoy. Below is a link to the trailer.

Visit the Jericho High School Website!

Follow us on Twitter @DaveCohenJHS
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