GCIT Weekly Newsletter

On Wednesday, April 16, our building was buzzing with excitement and energy as we welcomed the children of our staff for "Take Your Child To Work Day!" The activities of the day not only allowed the children to see what their parents do at work but also allowed them to experience some of the fun activities that GCIT students do in their various classes.

This fun-filled day was planned and organized by one of our Health and Fitness teachers, Veronica Rhea, who ensured that every detail of the day was planned so that the visiting children, staff, and GCIT students could have an engaging, fun, and rewarding experience. From getting children signed up, working with our Athletics Director, Mr. McAleer, to get GCIT t-shirts for the children, pictures with the Cheetah (our mascot), creating a schedule of exciting activities, to assigning student helpers throughout the day - Veronica covered every detail! Thank you, Mrs. Rhea, for your diligent planning and organizational skills to execute what continues to be one of the best days at GCIT!

Without the preparation and planning of the different activities by our teachers and staff, our children visitors would not have such an enjoyable day. Immense thanks to all the teachers and staff who planned engaging and cognitive activities for the children - building a personalized toolbox in Carpentry, making cookies in Baking, creating individualized Art, performances in dance and theatre, physical activities in Fitness for Life, and swimming, and self-pampering in Cosmetology. All our teachers did a fantastic job creating age-appropriate activities for all the children and incorporating activities in their lessons to engage the children. Your creativity and enthusiasm made the day both meaningful and memorable.

Thank you to our amazing Student Helpers who supported Take Your Child to Work Day at GCIT! Your enthusiasm, leadership, and positive energy made the day special for all the visiting children. Whether you guided tours, assisted with activities, or simply were a friendly face, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Thanks for being such a vital part of making this day fun, educational, and memorable!

Thanks to Dr. Heiken for generously sponsoring lunch and ice cream for all our participants. Your support made the day even more enjoyable and refreshing!

In short, heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated and supported it in one way or another! It was wonderful to see our building filled with such energy, laughter, and curiosity—and the smiles they brought to all of us. Thank you for helping create such a positive and inspiring experience!

Below are some photos from the day.

Dan Roskiewich, affectionately known as Mr. R, is a graduate of Camden County Technical School and has been teaching at GCIT for 28 years, he is a 2 Time Teacher of the Year and 2 Time SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year.

He is someone who truly believes in the value and importance of Vocational Education.

The first thoughts that come to my mind when you say Dan Roskiewich is Leadership, Respect and Dedication. He is someone people look up to. When he talks, people want to listen to what he’s saying.

Dan is one of the most highly respected teachers at GCIT by both Staff and Students. He is the Lead SkillsUSA Advisor at GCIT and has been involved with SkillsUSA for 28 years. Dan’s vision was instrumental in making GCIT an 8-time Model of Excellence Chapter.

He rebuilt a struggling Welding Program with very low enrollment into a State-of-the-Art Welding Program with a waiting list. He makes it his mission to know the needs of the industry, so students are job-ready in all facets of the Welding Industry. Dan is always looking for employment opportunities for students. He has built relationships with local businesses as well as with many of the area Trade Unions including Local 420, Local 322, Local 274, Boilermakers and Ironworkers.

He is dedicated to his students and their success. I listen to past students talk about the valuable lessons they learned, current students that know the importance of the education they are getting from Dan and future students that are anxiously waiting to find out if they will get into the Welding program and have Dan as a teacher. He has trained and guided hundreds of successful students into the workforce. I learned firsthand the impact Dan has on his students when my own son went through his Welding Program. When you graduate from the Welding Program not only do you learn a valuable trade that will carry him through your career, but you also learn skills that will carry you through life. Like the importance of character, honesty, and integrity and giving an honest 8 hours’ work for 8 hours pay.

Dan is one of the sincerest people I know. He goes out of his way to help everyone. I am honored to call him my best friend. Congratulations on this prestigious honor. You deserve it more than you know.

Written by Antoinette Terpolilli - SkillsUSA Advisor

After weeks of competing in various competitions, students from our SkillsUSA chapter travelled to Morris Knolls High School in Dennville to attend the SkillsUSA State Competition Awards Ceremony.

The SkillsUSA State Competition Awards Ceremony is a pivotal event that celebrates the achievements of students who have excelled in their respective contests. These competitions encompass a wide range of skilled trades and leadership disciplines, allowing students to demonstrate their expertise and commitment to excellence.

GCIT SkillsUSA competitors' hard work, talent, and dedication truly shone at the award ceremony! Our students earned 42 Gold, 24 Silver, and 9 Bronze medals.

Congratulations on this incredible achievement to those who earned gold, silver, or bronze medals! Your commitment to excellence in your trade or skill area is inspiring, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Best of luck to our gold medalists as they move on to the National Championships in Atlanta—we know you’ll represent GCIT with pride and professionalism.

Keep aiming high—your future is bright! 🌟

Students involved in ACTing Out, our outreach branch of Thespian, performed on Wednesday for the Take Your Child to Work Day audience and for our friends at Bankbridge Elementary. The show was written and directed by Archie Stallard, Ava Bevacqua, and Ava Cooper. It was an interactive children's theatre show based on myths from around the world. Fun was had by all, and we can't wait to share our upcoming production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane with them next.

Written by Kirstin Lynch-Walsh

From March 31st to April 11th, students in the Junior Drama and Digital Media classes joined forces for a fast-paced short film competition—The 10 Day Film Challenge (tendayfilm.org). At the same time, more than 80 schools across the country were also competing.

On Day 1, each team spun the online genre wheel to receive their film’s genre (pretty much - drawing from a hat). Then, all teams were given the same required elements: a character and backstory, a specific prop, and a line of dialogue—all of which had to be included in their movie.

This year's required elements:

• Character: Frankie Becks
  

• Backstory: Convinced they’re being followed, but not sure by who or what
  

• Prop: A handheld mirror (not a cellphone or wall mirror)
  

• Line of dialogue: “Oh great, now you tell me.”
  

Each year also features a required cinematic technique, and this year it was forced perspective—a fun and handy visual trick used to manipulate scale and space on the screen.

Over 185 films were created nationwide. The top films will be featured in an online screening on May 15th, when schools from across the country will ‘gather’ virtually to watch the best entries.

Fun fact: GCIT students have participated in the 10 Day Film Challenge since its very first year—2011!

Big shout out to all the faculty and staff who jumped in to help when students asked for a cameo or a hand behind the scenes!

Written by Lawrence McCleery

Last week, a few of Ms. Mendel's Construction classes used Skittles/M&Ms to calculate percent & percentage and perimeter & area.

HVAC Sophomores and Welding Freshmen calculated the percentage of colors each Skittle bag contained. Then, each group combined their bags to find the percentage of colors the group had. Afterwards, we discussed their findings.

The Building Trades Freshmen created various shapes using Skittles/M&Ms to calculate perimeter and area. Some students formed rectangles representing walls and triangles for gables. Other students challenged themselves and created composite figures to use in their calculations.

Overall, the students enjoyed their activity and learned something from it.

Written by Danielle Mendel

Biological Sciences Academy visited the DNA Learning Center at the Biotechnology Innovation Center at Passaic County College and Passaic County Technological Institute. Working with scientists from the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, students participated in an advanced genetics lab.

Using their own cells, students were able to determine their genotype at a specific location in the genome and find out how many repeats of a specific segment they inherited from their ancestors. Students impressed the scientists with their precise laboratory skills and extensive knowledge of human genetics. Special thanks to Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Harris for chaperoning and lending their expertise to the experience.

Written by Summer Smith

Raiza Batario

Volleyball

Program: Allied Health

College: Neumann University

Major: Pre -Physical Therapy

Coach Wrice: Throughout her career at GCIT, Raiza has been coachable in every sense of the word and committed to her development. Raiza consistently improved each season which provided stability to our program. During her final 2 seasons Raiza was the anchor to our defense. Not only did we rely upon her consistent play as a Defensive Specialist, but she was also the voice the team heard and followed. Raiza was selected by her peers to be team captain because she truly understood the importance of communication, teamwork, and leadership. We believe she’ll continue to do that as she starts her career as a member of Neuman University Women’s Volleyball team this fall.

Owen DeLuca

Cross Country / Track

Program: Engineering

College: Stockton University

Major: Exercise Science with a Physical Therapy concentration

Coach Kijewski: Owen is an exemplary student athlete, the epitome of hard work and dedication, the definition of what we want our program to be at GCIT. Owen came to cross country from other school athletic programs as a sophomore. He worked tremendously hard over the next three years to become one of our top varsity runners. Owen made sacrifices in his dedication to the sport, going back to his homeschool to run during the winter and spring seasons. Without Owen it would have been difficult organizing offseason workouts and practices. His leadership was integral to our success. We will miss Owen and know that his work ethic will translate into future success.

Brianna Maier

Swimming

Program: Allied Health

College: Widener University

Major: Nursing

Coach Miller: Brianna has been a great leader and contributor to the Girls team. Her talents added depth to a girls team that won the conference this year for the first time in 7 years. Her leadership in and out of the pool has been a great help to the team and the coaching staff. Her passion for the sport was always evident in her actions and work ethic. As captain she acted as a great influence on the younger swimmers that came together this year in a great way.

Madison Noveck

Softball

Program: Digital Media

College: Arcadia University

Major: Undecided

Coach Blessing: Maddie has been a great contributor to the GCIT Softball team. She is a left-handed pitcher that has lots of spin on her pitches and keeps the batters off balance. She has a positive attitude and is always working to be the best player and teammate. I am looking forward to her success this senior season, as well as her future endeavors in college

Luc Streitz

Swimming

Program: Engineering

College: U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Major: Civil Engineering

Coach Miller: Luc had been an integral part of the Boys Swim team’s success for the past 4 years. In his 4 year tenure, the team has been undefeated in the regular season, won 4 consecutive conference championships & 4 consecutive Gloucester county championships. He has been honored with numerous 1st team all conference awards and was also honored 1st team all south jersey. He holds the school record in the 50 free and always showed great leadership throughout his tenure.

The Advisers and current Officer of GCIT's chapters of National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society are proud to announce that the election of the 2025-2026 Officers has concluded.

The results of the voting showed that each winner earned an overwhelming majority or a decisive plurality of the votes. The early conclusion of the election process will allow the current and the new Officers to begin to collaborate on upcoming projects and transition from this year into next year more smoothly.

Please join the Members of NHS and NTHS in congratulating the 2025-2026 NHS/NTHS Officers. They will be inducted at the next general membership meeting on Friday, May 9 in the Theater.

Written by Leo Maisey

Pictured (l. to r.): current NHS-NTHS President Alexis Duffy; incoming Officers: Max Yeung, President; Caeden Nunoo, Vice President; Shaina Sabu, Vice President; Koby Chen, Secretary; Noel Quizhpi, Treasurer; NTHS Adviser Ms. Becky Snodgrass.

Not Pictured: current Officers - Kevin Butterworth and Abby Williams, Vice Presidents; Reaghan Pierce, Secretary; Emma Hamilton, Treasurer; NHS Adviser Mr. Leo Maisey (taking picture).

Do you know an adult who is interested in learning a trade?

Ready to turn your passion into a profession? Whether you want to jumpstart a career or enhance your skills, our hands-on training programs offer real-world experience and industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields.

🎓 What We Offer:

• Expert instruction from industry professionals

• State-of-the-art shops and equipment

• Flexible scheduling options

• Programs include Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Automotive, Welding, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, and more!

💼 Why Choose Us?

• Fast-track your career in 12–24 months

• Affordable tuition

• High employment rates for graduates

• Connections to local employers and apprenticeships

Come see what we have to offer! Attend our Post-Secondary Open House on May 8, 2025!

On Tuesday May 1, 2025, from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm GCIT will host the annual “Love Our Vets” day. This is a day of honor and respect for the veterans of Gloucester County.

We would like to invite GCIT Veterans and Local Gloucester County Veterans to our event. Please contact Katie Arnold (karnold@gcecnj.org) if you are interested or have a family member that would like to attend so we can plan accordingly.

The day is full of activities; Cosmetology students provide hair and nail services, culinary students provide an amazing lunch, the Dance and Drama students provide entertainment and much more.

We welcome classes and clubs interested to write letters or make cards for the Veterans.

Dr. Girard and I are in the midst of planning the 2nd Annual GCIT Career/College Decision Day. This event is open to GCIT seniors only, and we would like to recognize your achievements and future plans.

The fun-filled afternoon will include refreshments provided by School-Based Youth Services and posters around the school bragging about you and where you are headed.

You will be excused from class for this event and if you would like to come but are out to work, we can provide a letter for your employer to excuse you.

Please complete this form: (https://forms.office.com/r/hkNYyrKmUX) by Thursday, May 1st, 2025.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Bates.

• College and Career Decision Day: May 8, 2025 - 1:30 - 2:30 pm

We will celebrate with you on deciding on your college or your decision on vocational-based employment after GCIT.

It will be a festive atmosphere - cake, ice cream, desserts, music! You worked hard, now come celebrate!

Written by Zach Bates

The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst School Liaison Program is hosting a recognition ceremony “Salute to Seniors” in partnership with Adventure Crossing USA and the Military Support Alliance. We would like to request your assistance to reach out to Military-Connected High School Seniors whose parents are active duty, activated (Guard or Reserve) or retired, by providing them with the attached flyer so that the families can register via the QR code.

Students will receive a certificate of recognition and a braided cord (purple) to wear during graduation recognizing them as a military connected child. Food will be provided for the graduating senior and family members attending. Upon completion of the ceremony, students and their families will be able to enjoy the golf range, food, and other fun activities offered at Adventure Crossing USA. There is no entrance fee for the event and no fee for the golf range. Community partners and support services on and off installation will be available for the families to access at the event as well.

Why are we hosting this event?

There are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents’ service. This ceremony serves as an opportunity to celebrate the courage, perseverance and tenacity of our military connected high school graduating seniors who are about to embark on a new chapter of their lives. Through this ceremony we want the students to know that no matter where they go New Jersey will always welcome them home.

Written by:

Angelica DeJesus

School Liaison Specialist

Child and Youth Services Flight

Joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ 08641

o. 609-754-9656

Email: angelica.dejesus@us.af.mil

Website: https://www.gomdl.com/school-liaison

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBMDLSchoolLiaisonServices/

The GCIT DECA club is hosting a community yard sale on May 10th, 2025 in the GCIT school parking lot from 8 am to 12 pm. The event will include a basket raffle, pet parade, student art auction, and snack and drink sales.

Anyone wishing to take part as a seller should contact Kelsey Bagelmann and Dale McIntyre: sellers will pay $30 for the use of two parking spaces from which to sell their unneeded household items.

Student volunteers for the event can receive community service hours, so please share this with any students who might be in need of hours! Please contact Kelsey Bagelmann & Dale McIntyre with any questions. We hope to see you all there!

Written by Kelsey Bagelmann

Students, please remember to follow the Dress Code Policy:

• Clothing must cover areas from one armpit to the other armpit down to fingertip length (see image below)
• All bottoms MUST be finger-tip long
• Tops must have shoulder straps (2 fingers wide)
• Rips or tears in clothing should be LOWER than fingertip length.
• No hats in the building
• No pajamas

April 18 - 25 - Spring Break (school closed)

April 28 - May 1 - Spring Dance Showcase

April 30 - Administrative Professional's Day (observed)

May 1 - Love Our Vets

May 2 - Students - 12:15pm Dismissal

May 2 - Junior Prom (Sapphire Grand formerly known as Auletto's)

May 5 - 9 - Teacher Appreciation Week

May 8 - Career / College Decision Day & Spotlight On Practical Skills

May 6 - 11 - Freshman Drama Production

May 7 - National School Nurse Day

May 12 - 30 - NJSLA Testing

May 20 & 21 - Dance Senior Pieces

May 23 - Students - 12:15pm Dismissal

May 26 - Memorial Day (school closed)

May 27 - Senior Awards Ceremony

May 30 - Students - 12:15pm Dismissal

May 30 - Senior Prom (The Grove at Centerton)

June 1 - 5 - Senior Trip - Disney World, Orlando, FL

June 9 - Junior Trip - Hersey Park

June 17 & 18 - Students - 12:15pm Dismissal

June 19 - Juneteenth (school closed)

June 20 - Graduation Day

June 20 - Last Day For Students - 12:15pm Dismissal

June 23 - Last Day For Instructional Staff (Half day)