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Hillcrest North Feb 2024 Newsletter

February 2024

Hillcrest North Feb 2024 Newsletter February 2024

Principal's Message

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Dear Hillcrest Academy North Campus (HAN) Student sand Families:


Wow! I can't believe that we have now started the second half of the school year. Where does the time go....


The second semester of the school year started on February 1st and is certainly off to a good start. I, as the principal, always enjoy conducting a Midpoint Review with students in small groups. During that time I review what we, as a school community, have done well, celebrate a bit, and set goals for the remainder of the year. I also review that the second semester should be considered a "clean slate" and a "new beginning" for them to thrive even more than they have since the first day of school. I firmly believe that students appreciate me "checking in" with them and find value in our review and discussions. You will be reading about highlights in our classrooms and community service activities in this Newsletter. We at HAN are very proud of our school culture that allows teaching and learning to take place on a daily basis.


Keep up the good work, HAN!


Sincerely,


Mr. Marquet

Principal

Upcoming Dates

March 11th-15th - State Testing for Select Students

March 29th - April 7th - Spring Recess - School Closed

Staff Spotlight - Mrs. Rehwinkel

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Mrs. Rehwinkel, or Mrs. Reh as the students call her, is one of the Mathematics Teachers at Hillcrest Academy North. Mrs. Reh has been teaching at HAN for two years. Mrs. Reh is able to teach the students mathematics concepts with passion and veracity. Several students are always looking to talk with Mrs. Reh because of how funny she is. Mrs. Reh was awarded a grant for her Computer Science class to use a 3-D Printer in the beginning of the year and we are excited to see the cool projects students create using the new equipment!

Classroom Spotlights

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Ms. Picciano, Art Teacher

Hillcrest Academy North's students have art class for the first time in a year! We have been very busy with observational drawing exercises; a skill that lays the foundation for all other mediums and practices, Students learned about still life and how to use a variety of techniques to create a 3 dimensional feel on a flat surface. They can now break down forms into smaller pieces, estimate size and proportion, observe details and create a composition influenced by physical arrangements in front of them. Although practice can be repetitive, observable improvement builds confidence. We just wrapped up shading and highlighting and are moving on to applying what we have learned from drawing to painting.
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Mrs. Schulhafer, Guidance Counselor

This month was the start of the second semester at both Hillcrest North and South. Most students received a new credit retrieval course or a new semester course. Ms. Schulhafer ensured the transition into the new semester went smoothly and was available to answer any scheduling concerns for all of the students. In addition, Ms. Schulhafer organized a field trip to Overlook Hospital with Mr. Bornstein to explore career opportunities in health care. On this trip, students from North and South were able to ask professionals in the healthcare field questions about their job responsibilities, education required, and important skills to be successful in their jobs. This helped motivate the seniors interested in health care to pursue their goals. The school counselor also prepared for the administration of the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment with the building administrators which will take place in early March. Ms. Schulhafer continues to schedule intakes and create new schedules for the new students. Ms. Schulhafer met with all potential seniors to discuss their post secondary plans and made sure each student is on track to graduate. Ms. Schulhafer will continue to monitor each student’s progress and address any academic or social emotional concerns.

Teacher of the Year - Mrs. Machado!

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Mrs. Machado going above and beyond and making smores on a rainy delayed opening morning.

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Mrs. Machado providing 1:1 assistance and ensuring every student is able to succeed in math class.

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Celebrating a successful year, signing yearbooks and sharing memories with Mrs. Machado.

February at HAN

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Valentine's Day

Students enjoyed taking pictures with a custom made photo frame by Mrs. Rivas and writing Valentine's Day notes to their friends! Each student and staff member had an envelope with their name on the HAN Tree and everyone received nice, individualized notes at the end of the day!

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Outdoor Fun!

After several Delayed Openings and a Snow Day, HAN students and staff were able to enjoy time outside when the weather allowed. Students were able to play basketball, walk around the track, and hang out with friends!

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Guidance Counselor Day!

February 5th was National Guidance Counselor Day! HAN wants to give a huge thank you to Mrs. Schulhafer for all of the hard work she puts in year round to make sure the students have what they need to graduate!

Pathful Explore

HAN rolled out the Pathful Explore program this month! Pathful Explore is an online platform that allows students to take surveys to discover potential career interests and paths they can take to get their desired career. Students are broken up into grade levels and are working on assignments based on their immediate needs, with graduating seniors working on resumes and cover letters and underclassmen researching about different careers that are of interest to them. Pathful Explore will allow each student to have a solid plan for after they graduate from high school. Thank you to Ms. Lederman for rolling out this program at HAN!

STOPit Solutions

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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.

About HAN

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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

John Marquet
John is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters