Boilermaker Blog

January 6, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Happy New Year and welcome to our first Smore newsletter! We hope you find this format informative and helpful.

Next week, we will hold mid-year conferences on Thursday and Friday, 1/16-1/17. Conferences are by appointment only. Please see times below:

• Thursday, 1/16: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
• Friday, 1/17: 1:15 - 3:00 PM

Parents are encouraged to email teachers to make appointments. Any questions, please call the main office. Additionally, please note that we will run one-session schedules on both days.

Sincerely,

D. D'Amico, Principal

ddamico@gboe.org

The Homework Club is available to all GHS students, after school, every Wednesday and Thursday. Math, English, Science and Social Studies teachers will be present to assist students, after school, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

We’re excited to announce the rollout of Securly E-Hall Pass, a modern and efficient way to manage student movement during the school day. This digital solution eliminates the need for traditional paper passes, offering a streamlined, secure, and environmentally friendly alternative to enhance school safety and accountability. Students will use their Office 365 log in.

This information is pertinent to families of Juniors and Seniors:

The NJ State Department of Education recognizes students who are literate in 2 or more languages by bestowing the NJ Seal of Biliteracy. This Seal will be added to student transcripts and students will also receive a certificate from the DOE. To attain the Seal, a student must demonstrate literacy in 2 languages. For example, proficiency in English can be demonstrated by passing the ELA NJSLA/NJ GPA or achieving a certain cut score on the SAT's. Literacy in another language must be demonstrated by passing a DOE approved, standardized, college/professional level assessment in reading, writing, listening, and speaking that particular language. The test is approximately 3-4 hours and taken during the school day. Over the past few years, we have had students demonstrate proficiency in Spanish, Polish, Italian, Russian, Tagolog and French.

What are the benefits of achieving the Seal of Biliteracy?

• An additional item for the student's college or job resume,
• Opens doors to a job or position you may not have been previously offered,
• Colleges MAY waive your foreign language requirement or place you in an advanced class, and
• It's FREE.

For some additional information, the link to the NJ State Seal of Biliteracy website has been included below:

https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/worldlang/SealofBiliteracy.shtml#:~:text=The%20New%20Jersey%20State%20Seal,English%20by%20high%20school%20graduation.

New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy - Government of New Jersey

If a student is interested in trying to attain the NJ Seal of Biliteracy, please see or email Ms. Caruso or Ms. D'Amico.

The Garfield School District is happy to make the Varsity Tutors platform available to all students. This platform can give your student more opportunities to learn at their own pace. 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring and on-demand essay review are live tutoring resources to help your student with any questions about homework, classwork, or test prep. Live group classes, recorded classes, and celebrity-led StarCourses allow your student to learn more about the subjects they’re interested in, and add a touch of fun. College prep & admissions resources ensure that your student has the best resources available to secure their future.

For more information, please use the select the Varsity Tutors link (to the right). Students will be able to log-in using their Office 365 log-in credentials. The link can also be found on our homepage: ghs.gboe.org

Garfield High School will hold a one session day.

Thursday conferences will be held in the evening from 6-8 pm.

We are excited to invite eligible 9th and 10th grade students and their parents to an informational meeting about the Early College Program!

When: Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 6:30pm
Where: Garfield High School - Roger Hetel Memorial Theater

Learn how this amazing opportunity allows students to earn college credits while completing high school. We'll cover:

• Program qualifications and benefits.
• Application process and deadlines.

Don’t miss this chance to explore a head start on your college journey!

Garfield High School Early College Program Information

Garfield High School will hold a one session day.

Friday conferences will be held in the afternoon from 1:15 - 3pm.

Garfield Public Schools are closed on Monday, January 20, 2025 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

Garfield Public Schools will have a one session day on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

The GHS Student Government will be hosting Career Night. All students are encouraged to attend.

Student absences should be reported to the GHS Attendance Office. Please call Ms. Znutas at 973-340-5010 x2110 or email: rznutas@gboe.org

• Students should be in dress code when in the building.
• See the student handbook for full dress code information. (See link below)
• Backpacks, hoodies and heavier jackets should be placed in assigned lockers.

• Athletics
• Student Handbook
• Parent Portal
• Student Portal
• Varsity Tutors