November 2017
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~Maya Angelou
On Wednesday, November 1st, Parents Helping Parents met at VTHS from 7:00-9:00 pm to assist parents/guardians with the process of applying to college. This group provides members of the community with the opportunity to assist one another with can be an arduous process; please be sure to look for future meetings.
The deadline for ordering a 2018 VTHS Yearbook for $80 ends on Thursday, November 2nd. If you order a yearbook online before this date, you will be entered into a drawing for a prize. A flyer with all of the information is on the VTHS Digital Backpack.
The fall theater production of “Noises Off!” has been scheduled for Friday (Nov. 3) and Saturday (Nov. 4). Each performance will begin at 7:30 pm. A flyer is posted on the Digital Backpack. For tickets, please visit: https://vthsnj.booktix.com/ The VTHS students will be enjoying a dress rehearsal of the production on Friday afternoon.
A Cut-a-Thon sponsored by one of our former graduates—and recipient of the Miss New Jersey Teen award—will help support the Lupus Foundation of America. The event will be held in the Cosmetology Lab (room 024) from 12:00-4:00 pm on Saturday, November 4th. Please see the flyer on the Digital Backpack.
Please see the flyer posted on the Digital Backpack about PEER Tutoring, which is open to 8th and 9th graders; it’s available on Saturday, November 4th and November 18th from 8:30-10:30 am.
Don’t forget to turn back your clocks late Saturday evening/early Sunday morning. CLOCKS “FALL BACK”, we gain an hour of sleep, and it won’t be so dark during our high school arrival time for the next few months!
On Wednesday, November 8th, the Kiwanis Key Club will be hosting an assembly about the Thirst Project, an amazing organization that focuses on ending the global water crisis by digging wells for communities that do not have access to clean water. The Key Club has collaborated with the Thirst Project to help them raise money to help them in this quest. I would like to thank Abigail Dayon, the Lieutenant Governor of our Division of Key Club, for bringing this project to our attention.
The Executive SCA is busily planning for its annual Ladies Night Out and is looking for your help. If you can donate items to help them create baskets for their Tricky Tray, they would be most appreciative. Please send all donations to the high school on or before Wednesday, November 8th. If you are interested in attending the event, please see the flyer on the VTHS Digital Backpack. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation!
School is closed for students on Thursday, November 9th and Friday, November 10th so that teachers will have the opportunity to attend the NJEA Convention.
Congratulations to Celeste Levy, who was selected as one of this year’s “What’s Your Anti-Drug?” contest winners! Her entry will be featured in the “What’s Your Anti-Drug?” supplement inside the New Jersey Herald on Monday, November 6th. Thank you, Celeste, for representing Vernon Township High School.
The selection process for new VTHS National Honor Society members is underway. On or before next Wednesday, November 8th, all juniors and seniors who have applied for membership will be notified about their status. I would like to sincerely thank all of the parents/guardians who assisted their children throughout the application process. The National Honor Society Induction Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 21st, beginning at 7:30 pm.
The Vernon Township Schools and the VEF are presenting HACK-A-THON II at Mountain Creek South on Friday evening, November 17th until Saturday morning, November 18th. Please check out the VTSD website for further information.
On Wednesday, November 22nd, students from the band, theater and cheerleaders will be visiting Glen Meadow Middle School to speak to the eighth graders about all of the wonderful things that await them when they attend Vernon Township High School. If your child will be participating, you will be receiving additional information.
The Vernon Township School District will be implementing an Early Dismissal Schedule on Wednesday, November 22nd; the high school will dismiss at 11:20 am on that day.
School will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th to celebrate Thanksgiving. Enjoy the long weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Please look on the VTHS Digital Backpack for the New Jersey Department of Education 2017-2018 Governor’s Educator of the Year Nomination Form; after carefully reviewing it, please nominate a classroom teacher and/or educational services professional from Vernon Township High School for this honor. If you know of an educator in this school who is dedicated, inspiring and making a difference, please take the time to complete a nomination form. Thank you!
Thank you for encouraging your children to register to vote during our Voter Registration Event on October 13th. We had quite a few students register and the representatives who worked with them were very impressed with their maturity and behavior.
Congratulations to the eleven VTHS band students who have been accepted into the 2017 Sussex County High School County Band:
Erika McNally – Flute
Brianna Frasco – Clarinet
Matt Charuka – Principal Bass Clarinet
Elise Kastner – French Horn
Freya Drew – French Horn
Jacob Buurman – Tenor Sax
Brandon Lee – Principal Bari Sax
Bryce Grier – Trumpet
Ryan Shinall – Trombone
Emily McQuaid – String Bass
Timothy Nuzzetti – Percussion
Congratulations to Zoe Heath, one of our seniors, who was nominated by one of the high school teachers and was recognized as a “Teens to Watch” in Sussex County. A write-up in The Messenger recognized some of Zoe’s amazing accomplishments. Congratulations, Zoe!
Congratulations to Vernon Township High School seniors Alyssa Koehler and David MacMillan, who have been named Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. Great work, Alyssa and David!
The Guidance Department has been busy scheduling college visits and helping parents/guardians to prepare all the documentation necessary for college admissions. Please be sure to check out their website and review the VTHS calendar weekly so you and your child don’t miss out! It’s never too early to start planning for this very important milestone!
On Wednesday, October 25th, a School Messenger test was sent out to ensure that your information is accurate. Please be sure that all of your information is up-to-date so you can be notified in case of an emergency.
Our marching band continues to work hard and to win honor after honor. We are very proud of all of them! An exact listing of all of their awards will be delineated in the December Monthly Message.
Our fall sports’ teams are closing out their seasons. Five out of seven Varsity Athletic Teams have achieved the honor of competing in the State playoffs this season. Exact details will be available in the December edition of the Monthly Message.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend this year’s Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences. While planning for next year, we will be sure to schedule one or two evenings to better accommodate those who were unable to attend in the afternoon.
There were numerous activities for the high school students during the month of October and many staff members and students worked hard to ensure that everyone had fun! Many thanks to all of those individuals.
Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Flannery and DECA for sponsoring the 17th Annual Turkey Dinner to benefit the Harvest House. It was another successful event thanks to their hard work and dedication.
I would like to thank the parents/guardians who provided photos that could be used for posting on our website and/or the televisions around the school. I appreciate your cooperation.
On Friday, November 3, the VTSD will be having a Casual Dress Day to support a family in our district. Darius Ziabakhsh is in fifth grade; he has a serious medical condition that has necessitated over 38 surgeries to date. Each time Darius is in the hospital, his family stays at Ronald McDonald House. To give back to the organization that has helped them through these surgeries for the past eight years, the family (mom, dad and big brother VTHS sophomore CJ – along with Darius) prepares Thanksgiving dinner for the guests of the NYC Ronald McDonald House. (Both of Darius’ parents worked in the restaurant industry.) They do this at their own expense, however, this year they have asked for contributions to help with the costs of feeding almost 350 people along with the local fire and police departments. The flyer explaining their activities is posted on the VTHS Digital Backpack. Thank you for your generosity from the Ziabakhsh/Smith family, as well as all of the families who will enjoy a special Thanksgiving dinner at the NYC Ronald McDonald House!
Thank you for all you do for your children as they attend Vernon Township High School.