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

The month of December was a very exciting time at HAN. Students have really balanced celebrating the holidays and engaging in their academics productively. The new 3D printer has been working non-stop in the main office with projects that students have been working on with Ms. Goldenberg. Students also attended an assembly on "Grief and Loss" where they learned a great deal about this tough topic. It's been very evident this month that students are connecting and assisting one another in the classrooms in a myriad of ways. That connection piece is so important to the culture here at HAN and something that we are very proud of.

I wish everyone the very best during the holiday season and look forward to seeing students return in 2025 with motivation and determination in reaching their personal and academic goals.

Keep it up, HAN!

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

Sincerely,

John Marquet

Principal

January 1 - No School - New Year's Day

January 2 - Back to School

January 13 - Half Day - Staff Development

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The students were excited to attend the Union County Vocational-Technical School! The students remained engaged and participated in open Q&A sessions. Some students showed interest in attending the adult program.

Students attended a virtual information session for Healthcare Professionals through JFK Muhlenberg.

Justin Montoya has been designing a chess board and pieces using HAN's 3D printer.

The restorative circle is a really good way to connect with people in my class, including my teacher. Being able to have my voice heard by my fellow classmates and the staff feels like a breath of fresh air. Being able to talk about personal things and other people being able to do the same, shows our teachers care very much about their students.

Mia Salermo

The thing I liked about the restorative circle was getting to know my classmates a little more and knowing that they feel safe to open up about the tough topics that we talked about.

Na'Kyrah Alaracon

In Media Literacy we have been discussing how Socrates' Rhetoric Triangle and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs are used in advertising. We are currently discussing bias and the different types of bias. We will soon look at how bias in the media affects how we learn about news and what we can do about it.

HAN students and staff celebrated their second Spirit Week of the school year: the week of December 16-20. Again, the staff was dominating in spirit, but there were some students who brought it everyday! Thanks to all those who participated, and we look forward to doing another with more student participation.

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