The Dragon Review

September 2024

Welcome to the September edition of The Dragon Review. It is great to once again address our school community and highlight important information and school events that are in full swing. In support of a successful school year, the student body was brought together in respective grade levels to review school procedures, protocols, and expectations. Each grade level was addressed with a principal’s welcome, review of school wide expectations, and handbook review of essential information. Student voice is an essential element to our organization’s success. The assembly emphasized our school’s core values along with our methods to recognize positive student behavior. It was rewarding to see the high level of attentiveness and participation on display by all classes, signifying a desire to remain engaged and connected to the BTHS expectations and opportunities present for the current school year.

School spirit is evident as students are continuing our tradition of “We Wear Green on Fridays”. The BTHS Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, October 5. The Homecoming Dance will be held in the BTHS East Gym. Homecoming Bid sales will be on sale beginning on Friday, September 27 and throughout the week of September 30. More information specific to the Homecoming spirit week, game, and dance are present within this issue of The Dragon Review.

Underclassman pictures took place this week. There will be a make-up session for any underclassman student who missed their opportunity to take their picture on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. It is expected that all students get their picture taken as it is imperative that we have updated photos for student identification purposes. Additionally, any Senior who missed their opportunity to take their Senior portraits will have an opportunity to sign up for a make-up session in the month of November. In support of National Suicide Prevention Month, School Based Youth Service Programs arranged for the Erin Pompa, motivational speaker, to come to BTHS to present and engage with our Sophomore students. This highly engaging assembly focused on empowering our students to make healthy life choices.

The strong attendance at the Back-to-School-Night event affirms the support available to our students and staff. Through a collaborative home/school connection we will be able to make strides in your child’s education. As a reminder, our school day begins promptly at 7:10 AM. Please ensure that if dropping your child off in the morning that it is done at the East Entrance of the building. The campus traffic map has been included once again in this edition of the Dragon Review for reference. Additionally, It is essential that all individuals reporting to the school are prepared to present photo identification along with a valid reason for their visit prior to gaining entry into the building.

Continue to check our school’s website and twitter feed for regular updates and important announcements. In closing, the upcoming school year is a new opportunity for building relationships and remaining connected to our learning community. It is my hope that students take advantage of the opportunities to join co-curricular programs and attend school events. Together, we will ensure the success of each of our children during this upcoming year.

Respectfully,

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Principal

Hello Dragons!

Here is a brief update about what has been happening and what we are looking forward to on campus here at BTHS. BTHS held its annual Freshmen orientation on Tuesday, August 27th. It was a great turnout as the Freshmen were able to tour the school, meet staff, and were able to participate in co-curricular activities in the Instructional Media Center. Back to School Night was Tuesday, September 17th at BTHS where parents had a great opportunity to meet staff and discuss the upcoming school year. All of our Fall Sports teams are in action as their seasons are in full swing. Congratulations goes out to Coach Graber for his first win as Brick Football's Head Coach On Friday, September 13th against Lacey 35 - 7. The BTHS Band hosted their 29th annual BTHS MusicFest Saturday, September 21. BTHS underclassmen school pictures took place at the end of the month. The Not Even Once Program presentations by the Brick Township Police Department has begun to take place this month during students’ Health & P.E. classes. Lastly, on Friday October 4th the BTHS Varsity Football team will host Jackson Liberty at 6pm for this year’s Homecoming game. The Homecoming Dance will be on Saturday, October 6th from 4 pm - 8pm at Brick Township High School.

Each month we ask students to candidly share their highlights from the past month. Here is a sample of some of the feedback we received from this past month:

“"We really like the new TV displaying all of our school events and activities” - Andy L.

“Getting our first win against Lacy - Brick Football" - Cian F.

“It is great to be a Dragon!" - Vincent S.

"Receiving Dragon Scales" - Ana C.

"School Spirit at the South Game! Go Dragons!" - Jade H.

In support of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, School Based Youth Service Program, supported the students of BTHS by arranging for motivational speaker, Erin Pompa, to address all Grade 10 students. The small group assembly focused on raising awareness about mental health, providing resources for support, and encouraging students to make positive live choices. The motivational speaker emphasized the importance of self-reflection, goal setting, fostering empathy, and creating a supportive community for those struggling. The assembly aimed to equip students with tools to help themselves and others in times of need, promoting mental well-being and resilience.

BTHS will support the Township's Trunk-or-Treat Event, which will be held on Friday, October 18. Donations are being collected for this event. There is a blue bin located in the Main Office if you would like to contribute. Thank you in advance for your donation.

The BTHS Parent Teacher Student Association is accepting membership for the 2024-2025 school year. Please consider joining the Brick Township High School PTSA. LINK to Memberhub

Check out the PTSA Gear new for the 2024-2025 School Year. Orders are being accepted now! PTSA Apparel Store Link

BTHS Students of the Month - September

Congratulations to our Students of the Month. Students are nominated by BTHS staff members for outstanding effort in the classroom and positive contributions to our community. Students will be honored with a certificate, gift, and their names will be displayed on the marquee.

Luis Paz, Grade 9

So far, Luis is an all star Algebra I student! He takes great notes, follows along in class, respects his classmates and teachers, and has been a HUGE help to some of his classmates. We have really enjoyed having him in class and are looking forward to a great year! - Mrs. Christiani

Liam Shave, Grade 10

During our fire drill I was very confused about the layout of the field. Liam helped to lead our class to the 35 yard line. In class he always tries his best and acts as an example of an excellent Dragon. He is kind, friendly and outgoing. I could not say more about him and his leadership skills. - Mrs. Gruber

Addison Gerhard, Grade 11

Addison embodies everything you want in a student. Highly motivated and involved in many activities throughout the school. Not only does she have impeccable grades but she is a leader for many of the programs she is involved with. She is Color Guard Captain, Peer Leader and Junior Captain of the Bowling team. - Mr. Dorman

Ryan White, Grade 12

The student’s effort and enthusiasm set an example for his classmates in the Italian 3h class. - Ms. Cardin

Fall Sports are rolling right along! We began our Fall sports season with a "Day of Wellness" sponsored by Atlantic Physical Therapy. We are grateful for the support offered by Atlantic Physical Therapy as our athletes had an opportunity to become more informed about their personal wellness and practices to better support their body for the upcoming season.

The Fall athletic teams are a few weeks into the season and the Dragons are battling away! The Football team has a record of 1-2. The team will face Toms River East on the road before coming home for our annual Homecoming game vs. Jackson Liberty! The boys soccer team picked up their first win recently. The team is off to a tough start having faced some very good opponents. The team is looking forward to a successful season. The girls soccer team is 2-2 to start the season. The girls are looking to build off of some early season momentum! The volleyball team has suffered from a slow start, but the team is looking to bounce back in a big way! Our Field Hockey team is off to a nice start under new Head Coach Lindsay Duncan. The team is 2-1 and is hungry for more! Tennis is getting into the swing of things. The team is 4-3 and they hope to compete in the OCT for the first time in years!

Want to be featured in our school literary magazine?

Join our Regaler Google Classroom to send your poems, artwork, and cool photos to us. (Code: shgtudl)

Even better, join our staff to be a part of it, where we believe in the power of words and pictures to inspire. We are especially seeking interested freshmen this year!

Contact Mr. Doyle, Mrs. Stansbury, or our Editor-in-Chief, sophomore Inara Napolitano, with questions.

On Friday, September 13, Mrs. Farnsworth's English I and English II classes attended a presentation by Evan Root from the Ocean County Library. Mr. Root gave book talks on new publications suitable for choice reading and introduced the students to numerous activities and volunteer opportunities at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library.

All students have an opportunity to receive extra help during Block 5 in the content areas of Math and English Language Arts. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to have support and guidance from our master teachers.

The Classics with Kasyan Book Club will kick off the school year with The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. We will spend the next three month's reading this novel, breaking the novel into two sessions.

The meeting to discuss the first half of the book, which entails Chapters 1 -7 of The Secret Life of Bees will take place after school on Tuesday, November 5 in the library. The meeting will conclude prior to late bus dismissal. All students are welcome to join. Any student looking to participate should grab a copy of The Secret Life of Bees and start reading. There will be an open dialogue and discussion of the first half of the book (Chapters 1 - 7) at our scheduled meeting, reading the book ahead of the meeting will allow you a better opportunity to add to the conversation.

If you would like to borrow a copy of The Secret Life of Bees, please send an email to our district literacy coach, Ms. Monninger at jmonninger@brickschools.org, and one will be provided. I am looking forward to collaborating and connecting with our student body on Tuesday, November 5. Start Reading!

Welcome Back Dragons! Stay connected and informed about BTHS happenings through SGA (Student Government Association). Join the SGA Google Classroom (q2hav5z) and follow SGA on Twitter and Instagram (@bths_sga). SGA General Membership meetings are open to everyone and take place once a month in Cafe 2. New members are always welcome. Additionally, the Principal's Cabinet meetings will take place on the last Wednesday of each month in Cafe 2. We welcome one representative from each BTHS organization to participate. These meetings are a great opportunity to connect with Dr. Kasyan and collaborate on school-wide initiatives.

Currently, SGA is working with the BTHS cheerleaders and the four classes to put together BTHS Homecoming 2024. Students and staff are encouraged to participate in our homecoming spirit week. Be sure to share your spirited photos with us @bths_sga.The homecoming dance will be held at BTHS on Saturday, October 5th from 4-8 pm. SGA is also organizing freshmen class elections this month. Good luck to the Class of 2028 candidates!

Coming up, SGA will be hosting a game booth at Brick Recreation's Fallfest on Saturday, October 19th at Windward Beach. Our next project will be planning Fall festivities such as our Pumpkin Decorating Contest and Annual BTHS Halloween Costume Contest.

Congratulations to the Student Government Association

Executive Board for 2024-2025!

President: Paula Cobian-Ramos

Vice President: Isabella Marinelli

Treasurer: Erica Pokorny

Secretary: Ava Albanese

Public Relations: Ana Cobian-Ramos

This month the Class of 2025 came in enthusiastically and motivated to conquer their SENIOR YEAR!!! We had our first executive board meeting, nominating the Homecoming Court, and launched our first fundraiser for the year (selling delicious popcorn)! We are also planning our booth for Fall Fest in October, gearing up for Powder Puff in November and getting things in order for our Senior Prom on Thursday, May 15th! The class is excited and you can sense their Dragon Pride coursing through the halls and fields of BTHS. Senior parents and students should monitor the Class of 2025 Google Classroom page for upcoming events, fundraisers, and college visits. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the class advisors Ms. Velez at mvelez@brickschools.org or Mr. Pazmino at cpazmino@brickschools.org

Welcome back Class of 2026! This is going to be an exciting year as we plan our first prom. It will be at Jumping Brook Country Club on May 8th. Our first fundraiser is a clothing order that will run until 9/23.

Class of 2026 Officers

President- Erica Pokorny

Vice President- Reese Achille

Secretaries- Ashley Cali & Ashley Koscza

Treasurer- Khloe Campbell

If you have any questions, you can see Ms. DePoto in room 408, 415 & 411 or Mrs. Buell in 112, 306 & 310. All class updates and information will be in Google Classroom or Instagram.

Google Classroom lf4subd

Instagram @bths_classof2026

The Class of 2027 has started gearing up for Homecoming with the first meeting of the year! We will be creating our class banner and helping to decorate to celebrate the Homecoming dance on October 5th. We also have some fundraisers in the works for the school year, so make sure you are in the Google Classroom. See Mrs. DeBonis (306) or Ms. Scip (202) if you have any questions.

We are excited to welcome the Class of 2028 to Brick Township High School. We are confident that you will find success in your next four years. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the class advisors Ms. Freedly (Room 217) at jfreedley@brickschools.org or Mrs. Rahbari (Room 219) at jrahbari@brickschools.org.

Updates from the School Counseling Department

The Week of Respect and Red Ribbon Week occur yearly every October. We will be celebrating Week of Respect October 7th-11th and Red Ribbon Week October 23rd-31st. Throughout the month, in schools across the United States, these 2 initiatives aim to create a culture of kindness while promoting character education, drug and alcohol prevention and awareness as to how the relationship between drugs and violence creates destruction for communities and families.

The School Counseling Department utilizes SCOIR as our College and Career resource. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to sign up for college visits through their SCOIR account. Admissions representatives from colleges and universities in the U.S. will be visiting BTHS during the next few months to meet with students. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about specific colleges; admission and application process, as well as student life and athletics.

Students can Register for the College Visit using SCOIR when viewing their student dashboard and clicking Upcoming Visits & Office Hours. After you Register for the college visit, it will appear as a notification in your Message Center. All college visits will meet in Guidance with an admission counselor.

• Link to all upcoming college visits in SCOIR.

The College Night at the Jersey Shore is a college fair hosted by Ocean County School Counselor Association. This fair will host over 140 colleges, universities, technical schools and the Armed Forms on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 from 6pm-8pm. There will be a Financial Aid Presentation by HESAA at 5:30pm and College Athletics at 7:00pm.

The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, October 9th with the Makeup date scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd at Brick Township High School from 7:30am-approximately 11:00am. Juniors who signed up have received their testing locations on google classroom and they will be posted outside of Guidance prior to test day.

We will be hosting the SAT Administration on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Please bring your admission ticket, form of ID (i.e. Driver’s license, student ID, passport), number 2 pencils, a calculator, and a snack. Good luck to our students! The next testing administration for the SAT will be on November 4th. The registration deadline is September 20th.

Ocean County College has partnered with Brick Township Public Schools for the College Pathway Program. Representatives from the Enrollment Office of OCC will be presenting to our 12th grade students who plan to attend OCC on September 26th.

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses will be receiving the payment information form this week. It is DUE no later than November 1st. Please contact Mrs. Marie Walling (mwalling@brickschools.org) if there are any questions or concerns.

If your 11th or 12th grade student is considering joining the military, we will offer the ASVAB test at BTHS on November 4th at 7:10am. Sign-up sheet can be found in the Guidance office. Please contact Mrs. Marie Walling if you have any questions.

Hello BTHS Community!

The health office would like to send a warm welcome to all parents, students, and staff. With the arrival of Fall, also brings respiratory viruses. As we head into cold and flu season, I encourage you to take precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy by taking precautions. Basic strategies to prevent the spread of viruses include staying up-to-date on your vaccinations, washing your hands often, coughing or sneezing into your elbow, and staying home if you are not feeling well.

In addition, I would like to focus on the importance of the NJ State Mandated Immunizations, which are required for school entry and daily attendance. We must continue to remain vigilant with maintaining overall state mandated vaccination compliance as per our school health guidelines to ensure these successes. In so doing, I implore all community members to please schedule your children’s yearly Physical Exams with your pediatrician’s office to remain up to date with our state and school mandated vaccination schedules for the continuous safety and wellness for themselves and others within the community. For students who are arriving from Out-of-Country or State, there are two locally federally funded clinics (see below) where appointments can be made in order to obtain Physical Exams, along with receiving all of the necessary vaccinations for school attendance - appointments can be scheduled via online for either facility. Parents/guardians of those new students entering the district, please remember there is a short time frame to begin receiving the required vaccinations. If the first dose of all state mandated immunizations required are not obtained within the designated time frame, your child will be excluded from school until doing.

Please do not hesitate to contact the health office at BTHS if you would like to speak directly with me to review your child’s immunization status. Best Wishes for a happy, healthy & safe school year ahead!

A few friendly reminders from the BTHS Health Office:

• Please do not hesitate to bring any important health-related information to the attention of the health office. Students should stay home when not feeling well or developing signs of illness.

• Notification: If your child has tested positive for the Flu or COVID-19, please contact the health office.

Health Office Contact- Nurse Nurse Bridget Blunda

• West Nurse Office - Ext. 2037 - Nurse Bridget Blunda
• East Nurse Office - Ext. 2009 - TBD

The School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) provides our students year round intervention and supportive services that are promotive and protective of healthy adolescent development and well-being. School based staff are valued members of our school community, advocating and developing for collaborative partnerships with all who share our passion to motivate and empower our youth. Together we strive to create a safe environment, as well as a place to seek guidance and mentorship. Here is an update on recent events from SBYSP:

Principal

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Assistant Principals

Erin Biancella - Grade 12 & Freshman P-Z

Ryan Hesnan - Grade 11 & Freshman H-O

James Marvin - Grade 10 & Freshman A-G

Athletic Director & Co-Curricular Supervisor

Jason Longo

Supervisor of Guidance

Angela Smith

Guidance Department

Lauren Ianniello - Students: A - Da

Jennie Piwowarczyk - Students: De - I

Kaitlyn Donahue - Students: J - Mo

Dawn Celona - Students: Mu - Sa

Marie Walling - Students: Sc - Z

Lori Roland - Student Assistance Counselor

Child Study Team

Dawn Eberhard

Lorraine Cooper

Christine Velardi

Mike Zuccaro

Website: www.brickschools.org
Location: 346 Chambersbridge Road, Brick Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-785-3000
Twitter: @BTHSDragons