NEWS FROM THE PANTHER DEN

We've all been there. Even this Principal. The weather reports are predicting snow and ice during the week and there is a potential for a "snow day." There is no denying that there is something undeniably special about a snow day. For students, it is an unexpected gift—a moment to pause, step away from the daily routine of school and embrace the joy and fun that winter can bring. If we’re being honest, to the administration and staff, there’s a certain magic to it as well. This week brought us a little bit of that magic with a delayed opening and a snow day.

Whether it is waiting for a call while watching the boy's county basketball game or the community engaged in time-honored traditions believed to summon a snow day—placing spoons under pillows, flushing ice cubes down the toilet, wearing pajamas inside-out or indulging in a preemptive bowl of ice cream, the anticipation of a "day off" for snow brings out the kid in all of us. The little rituals, passed down through the years, are proof of the enduring hope for a break from routine, a chance to reset and to believe in the unexpected.

While it is always nice to know the night before whether it is a two hour delay or school is closed, whenever the phone rings and Dr. Portas's voice greets us with —“Pequannock Township Schools are closed due to inclement weather”—I am sure there some happy students (and maybe some staff). Students trade in textbooks for sleds, homework for hot chocolate and early alarms for extra hours of sleep. The unstructured time of a snow day can foster creativity and spontaneity, or I dare say, a little bit of laziness. While we didn't have a lot of snow this time for sleds, it was still enough to enjoy a little hot chocolate and shut off the alarm clocks.

From a principal’s perspective, a snow day is a moment to reflect. It is a reminder that even in our structured schedules and routines, there is value in pausing. The rhythm of the school year is demanding, and sometimes, an unexpected break provides just what we need to refocus and rejuvenate. Hitting the gym for a workout and catching up on reading and Netflix was certainly enjoyable.

So, to those who hid their spoons under their pillow or wished upon ice cubes—I hope the delayed opening and school closing this week provided just a little bit of that childhood wonder we all cherish....despite the need to shovel the driveway or clean the car off. Now it is time to get back to work and do what we do best.....adapt, evolve and excel. The third marking period is upon us and whether we get more snow or not, the Golden Panthers will be ready to learn, ready to grow and ready, when necessary, to wear our pajamas inside out. #nocknation. #snowday

The first week in February is designated as National School Counseling Week. PTHS would like to thank our School Counselors -- Ms. Basilone, Ms. Blau, Ms. O'Connor, Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Ms. Tomarchio for all they do for our students, parents, staff and Golden Panther Community!

Today we are asking you to help send strength and support to one of our own, Gavin Brady, a 9th grader student at PTHS, who has recently learned that his leukemia has returned. While in elementary school, Gavin was diagnosed with leukemia and battled it courageously with the support of his family and our community. Once again, we will rally around them with our support, strength and care. Gavin has shown incredible resilience, and we know he will continue to fight with the same courage and inspiring determination. As he begins his treatment journey once again, we want him to feel the love and encouragement of his Golden Panther family.

Pequannock Township High School is hosting a “Game On Gavin” fundraiser on February 21st at 7:00 pm when our Golden Panthers boys basketball team takes on the Roxbury Gaels in our final regular season home game. As he battles leukemia, Gavin continues to love basketball and watches the games regularly from home and in person when he can. We want him to know that his supporters in the Golden Panther community and beyond are teaming up with him in his fight. On Friday, February 21st we would like to have an "Orange Day" in the district. All fans who attend the game that night are encouraged to wear orange as we cheer for Gavin and the Golden Panthers. “Game On Gavin” T-shirts are available for pre-order at: https://hs.pequannock.org/students/game-on-gavin-shirts and will be available for sale at the gate. Donations will also be accepted at the door. All proceeds will go to support Gavin and his family during this time. Thank you for your compassion and support for Gavin and his family -- together we will help Gavin continue to be #pantherstrong!

All Grade 11 students will be taking the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment during the Week of March 10th. A tentative schedule is listed below.

• Unit 1 ELA - Monday, March 10th
• Unit 2 ELA - Tuesday, March 11th
• Unit 1 Math - Wednesday, March 12th
• Unit 2 Math - Thursday, March 13th

The FAFSA Night for Grade 12 students and parents that was scheduled for Thursday, February 6th and was postponed due to snow has been rescheduled to Thursday March 6th at 6:00 pm in the PTHS Cafeteria.

Please click on the file below for information on registering for Spring Sports. The portal will open on 1/21/25 and close on 2/21/25.

You may recall that our district is in the midst of a collaborative, three-year project to create a "Profile of a Pequannock Graduate". The end goal is to align our efforts and embed key competencies that students will need for success in the future. A key component is to garner feedback from various groups in the school community as to what these broad competencies for future success should be. As parents, you are an essential part of this feedback. Therefore, we kindly invite you to take this important survey. It is designed to take roughly 10-15 minutes to complete. (Note that some question numbers may appear out of order; this is for data collection purposes. Simply answer the questions as they appear in the survey.) Thank you! We look forward to sharing our progress with you.

Survey: https://forms.gle/obY6Fo8HBw1cnfm99

Support our Grade 10 students by buying your Golden Panther Umbrella! Click on the link here:

https://hs.pequannock.org/students/umbrella-fundraiser

Interested in nominating someone for the PTHS Hall of Fame? Click on the graphic!

Please make sure that your door is in the locked position each day. Put your magnet in the door so that in the event of a lockdown or shelter in place you can immediately lock your door. Thank you!

During unit lunch, if you are not in your classroom, the door should be shut and locked.

February 7th: Junior Semi-Formal 6:00 pm

February 17th: District Closed-- President's Day

February 18th: Faculty/Department Meeting

February 21st: Game On Gavin Fundraiser 7:00 pm

Lunch Support Blocks and Panther Periods will remain in place now that we are in the rotational schedule. Please see the link below for the schedules.

https://hs.pequannock.org/students/instructional-supportpanther-period

Email: attendance@pequannock.org
Website: www.pequannock.org
Location: 85 Sunset Road, Pompton Plains, NJ, USA
Phone: (973) 616-6000