Secaucus High School

Dear SHS Community,

I trust this message finds you well. In the upcoming weeks, our school counselors will initiate meetings with students to formulate their schedules for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students will receive their appointment dates and times via Google calendar invitations sent by their respective counselors. Students are reminded to check their school email often and respond to appointments in a timely fashion.

Junior appointments will commence during the week of February 26th, followed by Sophomores the week of March 4th, Freshmen the week of March 11th, and current eighth-grade the week of March 18th. Prior to these scheduling appointments, department supervisors and high school counselors will meet with students during lunch periods to provide insights into the course request process, scheduling timeline, and introduce any new additions to the Program of Studies. We encourage parents/guardians to take some time to set aside some time to review the Program of Studies with their child prior to their scheduling date.

The NJGPA will be administered to juniors at our school and across the state from March 11-March 14. The NJGPA consists of 2 units of mathematics and 2 units of English Language Arts. Each unit is 90 minutes in length and will be administered during the first three periods of the school day. Students should make every effort to arrive on time and well rested each day and report directly to their testing location. Students who arrive past the start of the testing time will need to complete a make-up assessment the following week. New Jersey State regulations require all students to demonstrate proficiency by achieving a passing score on the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics components of the NJGPA as a graduation requirement. All juniors MUST first take the assessment in order to be eligible for an alternative graduation pathway. The Assessment design is similar to the NJSLA and sample test questions can be found using the following link.

Seniors are reminded to continue working on the local scholarship applications by using the link provided. The deadline for submission to their guidance counselor is March 25, 2024.

Mrs. Krajewski's students have recently concluded the Sensation and Perception Unit in Psychology. During this unit, students actively participated in various labs, such as color blind testing, experiencing different frequencies of sound, engaging in a tasting and smelling lab, and exploring their sense of touch.

The study of sensation and perception is fundamental in psychology, as it seeks to comprehend perceptual experiences—how our brains interpret the sensory world that surrounds us. Unraveling the mysteries of how our minds interpret the world is a key psychological objective.

Congratulations to the students who will be graduating with the NJ Seal of Biliteracy. The Class of 2024 is the largest group of students that have earned their seal. Thank you to Mrs. DeGennaro for creating this space to recognize our students!

Congratulations to the winners of the Peer Leadership/SGO Valentine's Day Door Decorating Contest: Leila Sabovic, Ava Mendoza, Isabella Pablos, Rengin Guler, and Barsenya Abdelmalak.

As always, please reach out to me with any questions.

Best regards,

Steve Viggiani

Secaucus High School Principal