Dear Hillcrest Academy North Campus (HAN) Students and Families:

During the month of October, students and staff celebrated Hispanic Heritage month in Ms. Killeen's class by doing research of famous Hispanic role models and learned from their life experiences. Students are working hard in the classroom evidenced by their engagement in the lessons and their ability to explain what they have learned. Teachers are really putting in valuable time in designing meaningful lesson plans that align to our curriculum and make it fun for the students to learn and get involved in making decisions as to how they can learn more. We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween tomorrow with a host of activities that students designed that students and staff will be participating in. These celebrated days certainly strengthen our school climate as they are viewed as community builders.

Students and staff are feeling safe, supported, and empowered everyday which makes my job so rewarding! Keep it up, HAN!

Please feel free to contact our main office with any questions.

Sincerely,

John Marquet

Principal

November 4th - Early Dismissal at 1 (Staff Development)

November 5 - School Open (Election Day)

November 7 & 8 - No School - NJ Teacher's Convention

November 27 - Early Dismissal at 1

November 28 & 29 - No School - Thanksgiving

HAN staff surprised Mrs. Gomes with a baby shower. Baby Gomes now has plenty of new books to read and a new blanket, which Mrs. Rehwinkel made for him. We are so happy for the Gomes Family and wish them the best.

Mrs. Gomes's Algebra students have been learning the foundation of Solving Equations. They have used equations to organize data, find missing values and study the results of inverse operations. The “Unboxing” lesson demonstrates how wrapping a surprise gift is like creating an equation with a variable, an unknown. The gifter first places a gift in a box, then surrounds the box with wrapping paper and lastly ties a ribbon. The inverse operation helps discover the value of the unknown. First, removing the ribbon (the opposite and the last step), then removing the wrapping paper, and lastly opening the box. All steps to solve the problem were the inverse of the steps needed to create the equation.

Mrs. Gomes's Geometry class used the month to study the comparisons of different conditional statements and check their validity or provide counterexamples. What may have felt like a chapter from a language arts course, geometry’s inductive and deductive reasoning chapter exercises student’s logic and reasoning, preparing them for the chapters to come.

In October, the Algebra 2 classes solved systems of linear equations and systems of linear inequalities. An emphasis was made to develop systems which modeled real-life problems. In Computer Science the students were engaged with a new Code.org module which introduced the Music Lab. Students used their programming skills to create original music. In Probability and Statistics, students have been exploring how data can be used in misleading ways and the importance of choosing the best Measures of Central Tendency. Early finishers have been making progress on the jigsaw puzzles.

Students in Ms. Walgren's world history applied their knowledge of ancient Egypt to a mummification project. Students mummified apples and crafted backstories and tombs for their mummies throughout the week.

Students and staff were introduced to STOPit Solutions, a program that allows students and staff to report any concerns about unsafe, harmful, or inappropriate behavior to the HAN Safety Team. Students and parents/guardians are encouraged to download the STOPit App onto their phones.

Hillcrest Academy North assists students from the Elizabeth Public School District in reaching their full potential by providing an alternative to the traditional high school setting. We offer smaller class sizes with a rigorous and challenging high school curriculum that is aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and prepares students for college and career. Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and empowering school environment that fosters lifelong learning, mutual respect, creativity, and the joy of learning, with an effective, caring, innovative staff, in partnership with home and the community.

Mr. John Marquet, Principal

Mr. Thomas Van Cleef, Supervisor of Instruction

Location: 2630 Plainfield Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Phone Number: (908) 233-9366

Website: https://ucesc.org/schools/hillcrest_academy_north