We have had another exciting month of remote learning here at PHS. As the fall leaves change to the beautiful orange and light tan colors, it warms the heart to know that future looks fantastic for this GREAT EMPIRE of ours. Throughout this month we were able to successfully celebrate the week of RESPECT, as well as SCHOOL SAFETY week, also known as school violence awareness week. Ms. Rogers and the senior representative to the Board of Education, Sir Timothy O’Reilly, assembled a fine team of up and coming Chiefs to produce short messages to inspire the student body. I must say, job WELL DONE!

As we enter NOVEMBER and the long awaited return of our students, we continue to improve on our physical appearance here at PHS. I am pleased to report that the improvements to the entrance of the Anthony building and Main Office is almost finished and should be complete by the 16th. The stadium looks AWESOME with the new bleachers, press box, and lighting. We have officially moved into the 21st century!! Work continues in the Food and Nutrition class room area, and the PAC is getting a sound and light upgrade… all should be complete by December. In short, THE EMPIRE will SPARKLE & SHINE like never before. Please read on for more information about the dance competition for students & teachers.

Strength & Honor

Mr. Lester

The first Monday in October of each year is designated as the Week of Respect in New Jersey. School districts observed this week by providing age-appropriate instruction focusing on preventing/remediating harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying. Please see our RESPECT Week videos by clicking on the link below.

PHS School Safety Week

Six Principal’s Council Students have created pre-recorded videos to be posted on Schoology with the following messages throughout the week:

Monday, October 19th

Tim O’Reilly- This week every school in New Jersey is observing “School Violence Awareness Week.” During this week, we will be spending time reflecting on the ways our conflicts can lead to violence and ways to solve our conflicts peacefully. Each day this week, we will be exploring a goal towards a peaceful school year.

James Whitney- Our goal for today is: Manage your anger, don’t let it manage you! Your challenge is to think of peaceful and safe ways to deal with anger not only in person, but also virtually! Let’s work on controlling our actions. When we manage our anger, we stay in control, and we are better able to resolve our conflicts peacefully.

Tuesday, October 20th

Natalia Galarza -Our goal for today is: Promoting respect and tolerance. Let’s work on treating everyone with respect – people similar to us and different. We should embrace differences and make it a point to learn about people’s differences. Different is different, not bad. There is no reason not to like someone because they are different than you. Accepting everyone for who they are is so important. Treat everyone equally.

Wednesday, October 21st

Johan Dabre - Our goal for today is: Resolve conflicts peacefully. There are many useful strategies to help you have a peaceful resolution to your conflicts such as: Compromising/making a deal, agree to disagree, walk away until you cool off, help from an adult, talk it out and listen to one another, and always think before you speak (or write something on social media). Sometimes friends even need a break from each other too. Remember yelling, name calling, and blaming are not examples of solving conflicts peacefully. No matter how angry you get physical and verbal violence is never the answer!

Thursday, October 22nd

Ada Uche - Our goal for today is: Use your resources. Sometimes conflicts can be too big for us to handle alone. It is important to know who you can go to for help when it comes to resolving conflicts. People like Mrs. Schwartz or a trusted teacher and really good people to go to if you ever find yourself in a conflict that is too much to handle. Who is someone you can talk to at home when you need help with resolving conflicts?

Friday, October 23rd

Robert Kudera- Our goal for today is: Think before you hit send. Since we are working remotely, we are spending a lot of time on our computers. Sometimes, it is a lot easier to say something not-so-nice when we are hiding behind our computer screens. If you are feeling frustrated or angry with another person and you have typed something to them, take a moment to read what you wrote and ask yourself if this is something you would say to them in person and if this is the kindest choice of words. If it isn’t, you may want to delete what you wrote, take a step back, and cool down before responding. You can even talk to one of the resources we explored yesterday before responding. It may seem easier to express our anger by being mean and hurting the other person’s feelings, but remember: kindness will always win— it takes strength to choose kindness. Even during times when we feel angry, there are always ways to express our anger with kindness.

Congratulations to PHS Artists Ishita Jain (12th grade), Jenna Stickel (Class of 2020), and Jake Sisk (Class of 2020) who will be featured in the Art Educators of NJ Fall Exhibit. 30 juried pieces from around the state will be exhibited outside the Victoria Theater at NJPAC with a virtual reception on October 18th. Thanks to Lisa Lentini-Pombrio for this opportunity!

PHS Choir President, Madeleine Mendoza created a shared playlist on Spotify for the Piscataway arts community to share and connect! Over 2,000 songs have been added! What a great way to connect us all! Thanks to Maddie and to Ms. Aberin for finding ways to inspire! Check out the link below and add your tunes! Even at home, we can still connect through music!

During the month of October - participate in Inktober! A daily drawing prompt is assigned to each day of the month! Share your drawing on social media and tag #Inktober2020 and #PwayArts!

Check out these Cyanotype photos from our Photo Design 2 students! They are on display in the G-wing at PHS! Thank you to PHS Art Educator Lisa Lentini-Pombrio!

Congratulations to all of our AP Scholars

The Franklin Somerset Kiwanis Club donated 18 bags of food to 6 families in need in Piscataway Township . Kiwanis is an International Community Service Organization serving the Children of the world. The Franklin Somerset Kiwanis Club sponsors the Piscataway High School Key Club. Piscataway High School Key Club has been serving the community for over 30 years. Mr. Fuhr and Miss Sanchez are members of the Franklin Somerset Kiwanis Club. Thank you for your support.

On October 12th, 2020 Ms. Kelly gave birth to Tobias Bernhard Kelly 5 lbs. 15 oz., and 18 inches long at 8:07pm. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.

Ms. Zunilda Sanchez, Secretary to the Class of 2022 in Dr. Cetta’s office, is the curator & creator of the best bulletin board at PHS. Located in stairway #5, Ms. Sanchez includes monthly themes, knowledge, inspirational quotes & figures, as well as timely information – always decorated in line with the season! She maintains a second bulletin board in the office as well. Always supportive & going the extra mile for our students & families, Ms. Sanchez brings light & love through her creative use of space. Thank you Ms. Sanchez!

Congratulations, Piscataway High School placed 5th in Division I on opening day of the 2020–2021 Vocabulary Bowl season. On October 1st, there was the first ever Virtual Kickoff Event and a special one-day challenge to see which schools would top the leaderboards on the first day of the new season. In honor of our win, Piscataway will be awarded an official certificate of achievement for placing in the Top 10 on opening day.

https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/announcements/recap-virtual-vocab-bowl-kickoff/

We hope you’ll share the great news with your community, and we look forward to following your success in the 2020–2021 Vocabulary Bowl season.

Good luck and PLAY ON!

November 3 Half day Virtual for Students and Teachers

November 5 NJEA Teacher Convention - School Closed

November 6 NJEA Teacher Convention - School Closed

November 18 1/2 Day of School for Students

November 19 1/2 Day of School for Students

November 20 1/2 Day of School for Students

November 25 1/2 Day of School for Teachers an Students

November 26 School Closed for Thanksgiving Weekend

November 27 School Closed for Thanksgiving Weekend