Dear Hillcrest Academy North Campus (HAN) Students and Families:
HAN did not let April showers get us “down and blue” inside and outside of the classroom. There is certainly an energy in the building that feels like the sun is shining! Students worked diligently to ensure that they finished the third marking period strong. We will be celebrating academic success and student self reflection and motivation with an incentive trip this Friday. Students have also been very busy organizing and planning HAN’s Cinco de Mayo. This event has always been a time of combining learning and celebrating heritage.
As you will read in the Newsletter, HAN continues to grow and strengthen our school community by conducting Restorative Circles and taking part in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) classes. These two important components to our curriculum have given students the ability to self-reflect and use their “voice” at HAN to make a positive difference in continuing to build a strong community of learners that care about themselves and others.
HAN continues to be a safe space for students where they can thrive academically and socially while individually soaring to new heights!
Keep it up, HAN!
Please feel free to contact our main office with any questions.
Sincerely,
John Marquet
Principal
SEL Class
Computer Science
Computer Science at Hillcrest Academy North is using 3D-printing in a totally new way. All year the printer in the classroom has intrigued students - they have enjoyed the puzzles, fidgets and slinky-toys that they have seen being printed.
Recently the students have been introduced to 3D modeling using Tinkercad. For their first project, they used Tinkercad to design a personalized keychain. Almost immediately students were able to hold their own designs in their hands. I was impressed how the students embraced the new software and how they expressed their creativity and individuality in their work. The class will continue to develop their skills using the 3D modeling software with several more projects including a covered box and a phone stand. Each project will develop new 3D modeling skills, create a useful object, and provide an avenue to express their creativity and individuality.
Exploring Energy Flow in Nature: Food Chains and Webs
This month in Ms. Silva’s Environmental Science classes, our students embarked on an exciting science unit exploring food chains, food webs, and the fascinating ways energy flows through ecosystems. Through hands-on activities and engaging lessons, they learned how producers, consumers, and decomposers interact to sustain life in various habitats. From understanding how a single plant can support an entire chain of organisms to exploring the roles of predators and prey, students developed a strong grasp of how energy is transferred from one organism to another in natural systems.
To deepen their understanding, students were given the creative opportunity to design their own food webs. Using either real-life ecosystems—like the rainforest, ocean, or desert—or imaginative themes of their own, they mapped out detailed networks showing the relationships between different organisms. This project not only allowed them to apply scientific knowledge, but also encouraged creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork as they visualized how life is interconnected. The results were both educational and inspiring, showcasing the students’ growing appreciation for the complexity and beauty of nature.
US History II - Universe of Obligation
In a recent lesson about WWII, students explored the Nazi party's platform and how such a hateful political party could be elected. Students attempted to answer this question by analyzing the policies promised during the Nazi election campaign and why these policies despite being terrible to so many minority groups, were accepted by the population at large. Building on the students prior understanding of "Universe of Obligation ," a sociological concept, we as a class examined how the Nazis tailored their platform to appeal to the majority at the expense of the minority. To do this, Students were split into groups where they listed the Nazi policies between “affects majority” and “targets minorities.” Students engaged in detailed discussions, delving into how the polices influenced German citizens' perceptions and why the majority of German people were willing to overlook atrocities because their “care” was limited to who and what they felt obligated to. After their discussion, students using claim, evidence, analysis, were able to express their understanding by answering the question “How did people’s ‘universe of obligation’ allow the Nazi party to be elected.”
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
