Welcome Back! September 2024

#R.O.A.R. #ShowYourStripes

Dear Palisades Park Families,

Welcome back to Palisades Park Jr./Sr. High School! We are excited to start another productive and rewarding school year. A special welcome to our new 7th graders and all new students joining the Pal Pk learning community. We can't wait to welcome you all on our first day of school.

A few quick reminders as we get back in the groove of a new school year

7th grade and New Student Orientation is on Thursday, August 29th at 9:00 AM. Please be advised that this event is for STUDENTS only
Our first two days, September 5th & 6th, are half days!
First period begins at 8:12am. Students must be in class when the bell rings to be considered on time (Our bell schedule is linked further down in this newsletter for your reference)
We know that traffic builds up in our town so leave early to get here on time. Aim to be at school by 8am

Parents/Guardians, if you have not done so already, please log on to your Genesis Parent Portal to view and acknowledge PPHS school forms. You can also update your account with your most up to date contact information directly in the Genesis Parent Portal to ensure you receive pertinent school information this year. Please feel free to call our main office for assistance if needed at (201) 941-1100 or reach out to our technology team at Technology@palpkschools.org

With Tiger Pride,

Mr. Andrew Garcia

24-25 Theme: Show Your Stripes!

Last year's theme (R.O.A.R.) has morphed into our school motto. Respect, Ownership, Achievement, & Responsibility will be the values that guide us at PPHS. In building upon our new motto and our Tiger mascot, I am proud to announce our school theme for the 2024 - 2025 school year:

🐅 Show Your Stripes! 🐅

Did you know that each tiger’s markings are unique? Their stripes are as unique as our fingertips!

Just as a Tiger’s stripes are unique to each tiger, so are you to our school community! Our strength lies in our diversity and we will celebrate this throughout the year. While we are unique and different, we are also integral parts of a whole that makes up PPHS. At the foundation of what it means to be a tiger are our values as described in our motto. We will hold ourselves to that standard and encourage our students to “Show Your Stripes” throughout the school year. We will celebrate students throughout the year who rise to this challenge.

New Procedures for Students

In order to streamline student access, maximize instructional time, and increase security, we have instituted a few new procedures and platforms for the 2024 - 2025 School Year. They are described below:

Away for the Day (7th and 8th grade): 7th and 8th grade students are allowed to carry their cell phones, airpods, etc. on their person but may not use it or be visible to staff at any point throughout the day except during lunch. Detailed consequences can be found in our student handbook.

Printing: Students now have one central location for printing purposes. Students can send print jobs to the Media Center copier/printer and use their Student ID number to release the print job. Students are encouraged to print before and after school or during a Study Hall period so as to not disrupt classes in the media center.

Digital IDs: Students now have access to digital IDs through the SmartPass platform. iOs users can click here and Android users click here to download the app. You can download the app to see what your ID looks like but ID numbers won't be updated until 9/5.

Hall Passes: Students will also use SmartPass for digital hall passes. These passes are not available on your phone. Classroom procedures for leaving the room will remain the same and be established by your teachers. The only difference is that, once you receive permission to leave the room, students will now access the SmartPass website on their chromebooks (already saved in the favorites tab on all chromebooks) to create a pass. You will then take a physical pass, as you would typically do, and exit the room.

Meet Our New School Counselor

Ms. Holl - School Counselor

My name is Christine Holl and I am the new school counselor at Palisades park Jr./Sr. High School for students A-H. I received my Bachelors in Psychology from the University of New Haven in 2021 and graduated with my Masters in School Counseling from Caldwell University in 2024. While obtaining my masters, I worked as a Case Manager for individuals overcoming homelessness and as a Career Specialist in a GED program. I look forward to helping our students reach their full potential throughout their time at PPHS!