January 2019
“The home should be the treasure chest of living.”
~Le Corbusier
Some January Dates to Remember
Monday, January 5 -Wednesday, January 16 – “Stuff the Bus” Homeroom Competitions*
Thursday, January 10 DECA Comedy Show – 7:00-8:30 pm – Auditorium –
Friday, January 11 Poetry Out Loud Competition – 7:00 am – 2:00 pm – Auditorium
Saturday, January 12 2019 NJ Area Band Concert – Mt. Olive Regional H.S. – 6:00 pm
Wednesday, January 16 ”Stuff the Bus” food items will be counted
Thursday, January 17 “Stuff the Bus” food items will be loaded into the school bus
National Honor Society Blood Drive – 6:00 am – 3:30 pm -Auditorium
BOE Public Meeting – 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Lounsberry Hollow
Friday, January 18 CASH BLAST SCA Bingo – 6:30 – 10:30 pm – Cafeteria –
Monday, January 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day – District Closed
Friday, January 25 Quarter 2 Ends
Open Mic Night – 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Senior Cafeteria
Monday, January 28 – Friday, February 1 – Midterm Week
As we begin 2019…
…welcome to a new calendar year! We hope this year will be a wonderful one for you and your families!
…congratulations to Mr. Marc Bray, who was chosen as this year’s Governor’s Educator of the Year (GEOY) recipient for VTHS and to Mr. Stephen Denn, who was selected as this year’s Educational Services Professional (ESP) recipient for the high school. Both of these educators are well deserving of these honors and this recognition.
…congratulations and farewell to the VTHS retirees who were honored at a recent Board of Education meeting: Mrs. Carol Cummins, Mrs. Petrina Garrity and Mrs. Anna Kuplin.
…we would like to welcome Mr. Ray Loughren who has been hired as the new school counselor to assume Mrs. Garrity’s caseload. Mr. Loughren is no stranger to our faculty, staff or students since he has been completing his internship at the high school for the past two school years. We look forward to “officially” welcoming him into our school community.
…we would like to thank everyone who assisted in raising funds for Project Self-Sufficiency, as VTHS once again participated in their annual Stuff the Stocking fundraiser, which benefits many of our families in Sussex County. Our Life Skills classes and our Student Council members worked together to make this fundraiser a successful one for so many!
…many thanks to Mrs. Kristy Riegler and the members of the Student Council for doing such an outstanding job organizing Spirit Week 2018–culminating a great week with a fantastic “spirit-filled” Pep Rally! Many thanks to Mrs. Lindsay McAloney for taking the role of MC–and doing a fabulous job–as usual!
…thanks to Mr. Bray our staff and some of our students were provided with the opportunity to visit a school bus renovated by 2010 VTHS Michael Fuehrer, who visited his alma mater to share one of his renovated buses and discuss Navigation Nowhere, his own company. It was amazing to see the talent of this graduate!
…Mr. Mike DeVore’s CFM students traveled to Walnut Ridge in early December to work with preschoolers on some holiday projects. We are looking forward to the Walnut Ridge preschoolers visiting VTHS in early February! What a wonderful experience for all of these students as they learn from one another!
…congratulations to Mr. Kevin Boehm for a wonderful Winter Choral Concert on December 7th. It was the perfect way to begin the holiday season! The following students performed for an enthralled audience that evening:
Concert Choir Meistersingers Les Chanteuses Chanticleer
Alysia Bosch Cole Benkendorf* Alexandria Bisanzio Cole Benkendorf*
Kylie Imbimbo Alexandria Bisanzio Emily Cahill Lucas Biango
Allura Insetta Mark Bosma* Heather Cordero Mark Bosma*
Elizabeth Keane Emma Cahill Amanda Cueman Patrick Cahill
Kayla Landi Matthew Charuka Giana DeRosa Jess Carfello
Sebastian Leak Heather Cordero Emily Doumanis Matthew Charuka
Paloma Lupino Amanda Cueman* Blake Harrsch* Nathan Fitch*
Adrianna Maffetone Giana DeRosa Tessa Heidt Johnny Garcia
Madison Muller Emily Doumanis Kayla Landi Bryce Grier
Thomas O’Brien Nathan Fitch* Paloma Lupino Johnny Gurcio
Kelsie Shinall Blake Harrsch* Alexandra MacPherson Sebastian Leak
David Vogel Alexandra MacPherson Emily Norris Tim Nuzzetti
Michele Wagner* Emily Norris Kelsie Shinall Thomas O’Brien
Maydene Yamisha Ryan Spadafina* Sidney Sparta Ryan Spadafina*
Sidney Sparta Jackie Trost Justin Shea
Michael Tlatelpa Michele Wagner* Cole Thompson
Michele Wagner* Reyna Whitty Michael Tlatelpa
Waylon Woody
*2018 All-Sussex County Choir
…congratulations to Miss Jennifer Krott and Mr. Max Taylor who did an exceptional job conducting the Full Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band for the 43rd Annual Holiday Concert II on December 14th. It was an outstanding display of the talents of our students:
Symphonic Band
Piccolo Clarinet Bari Sax Euphonium
*Amanda Cueman *Elizabeth Alfaro *Maya Rodriques *Christian Fieldhouse*Breanna Frasco ~ Craig Huber *Joshua Wilson*Desiree Fedele *Valerie CabreraFlute *Jaycie Healy Drew Fischer*Emma Blaine Lindsay Burke French Horn
*Jamilah Evelyn Noel DeBonta *Freya Drew ~@
*Amanda Cueman Sophia Dinnocenzo *Angelina Koppel~@
*Madison Freifelder Joseph Dunlop *Jaclyn Lehman Tuba
*Hanna Kolonoski Alanna Ebanks Harry Maline *Vanessa Stevenson
*Jacqueline Trost Dylan Hammer Matthew Rogers Michael Izzo
*Hannah VanBlarcom ~ Grace Kim Caly Simeone Wesley Sanders~@
*Brianna Wynne Nicole Krasicki
Ashley Antonini Laura Landon Trumpet
Isabella Barbarise Alyson Vervaet *Matthew Catania Percussion
Kate Blackmore Faith Waller *Maison Freifelder *Maverick Brendli
Danielle Bruce Caitlyn Wynne *Bryce Grier ~@ *Jessica Kimball
Olivia Burdzy *David Mingot *Derek Koch
Adam Dickenman Bass Clarinet *Juliette Ross *Jake Lombardo
Austin Felixbrod *Matthew Charuka ~@ *Waylon Woody *Timothy Nuzzetti
Charlie Gieger Shannon Burke *Jonah Revelant
Erica Gyori Alto Sax Matthew Coppers *Maxim Yucan @
Natalie Hesert *Cole Benkendorf Aidan Kozakiewicz Morgan Burke
Sophia Ossi *Patrick Flig Schuyler Lupino Sean Coughlin
Monica Salazar *Alexandra MacPherson Madison MacPherson Kevin Coulther
Emily Silagyi *Brandon Lee ~@ Colin Mayo Maison Dreher
Lydia Alheidt Alexander McCann Nicholas McCann
Oboe Daniel Burke Shane Saulnier Daniel O’Connell
*Kristen Iarkowski Matthew Charuka Tristan Thompson
Kelly Witters ~ Jordan McCann Trombone
Mia Zeringo Sofia Staley *Michelle Brown *Wind Ensemble
Cole Thompson *Jess Carfello ~County Band
Bassoon Riley Wallace *Samuel Dupont @Area Band
*Tara Mullaney James Wtulich *Breanne Kastner
Caitlin Witters ~ James Burke
Tenor Sax Anmarie Kaczor~@
*Jacob Buurman Mia Obrotka~
*Emily Rhoades Noah Previglian
Evan Amato
Christopher Parisi
Orchestra
Violin I Cello French Horn
Emily Coppers Kaitlyn Buurman/ Freya Drew +^@
Danielle Costa Jacob Cavallo Jaclyn Lehman
Briana Hallacker Anna Dayon
Hailey McGovern Jessica Kimball/ Trumpet
David Rusnak +/Concert Master Grace Loggie Bryce Grier ^@
Maya Sauer/ Francesca McCarter Andrew Lisa +
Kendall VanVugt / Vasilisa Pallis / Madison MacPherson
Tara Waldron Audrey Perich +/ Michelle Walsh
Jillian Westin Liam Young
Donna-Nicole Zaiens / Trombone
Bass AnMarie Kazor +^@
Joanne Baez Mia Obrotka ^
Violin II
Malina Bruhns
James Dorsey Piccolo/Flute Tuba
Isabella Ferreri Amanda Cueman +* Wesley Sanders ^@
Erin Fleming
Kaitlyn Gilmer Flute Piano
Megan Hertlein Kate Blackmore Derek Koch
Elizabeth Magella Hannah Van Blarcom ^
Sara Mazzella Brianna Wynne Percussion
Gabriel Quinto Maverick Brendli
Aisha Sadek Oboe Jake Lombardo
Idalis Santiago Kristen Iarkowski + Timothy Nuzetti
Adriana Soto / Kelly Whitters ^ Josh Wilson
Anna Torba +/ Maxim Yucan ^
Vjosa Ukella Bb Clarinet
Breanna Frasco +^ Electric Guitar
Viola Jaycie Healy Josh Wilson
Bridget Fraser +/ Brandon Lee ^@
Emilee Hamler / Palmer Papson + Principal Chair
Ameila Meneses / Chamber Orchestra
Bass Clarinet/Bb Clarinet @ Area Band
Matthew Charuka ^@ ^ County Band
* County Choir
…the following students successfully auditioned and were accepted into the 2019 New Jersey Area Band:
Matthew Charuka – Bass Clarinet and Bb Soprano Clarinet
Brandon Lee – Alto Saxophone
Freya Drew – French Horn
Angelina Koppel – French Horn
Bryce Grier – Trumpet
Anmarie Kaczor – Trombone
Wesley Sanders – Tuba
Band students competed and auditioned from forty Northwest New Jersey high schools for acceptance into the New Jersey Area Band.
The 2019 New Jersey Area Band Concert will be held at Mount Olive Regional High School on Saturday, January 12th at 6:00 pm.
Congratulations to these VTHS students and the VTHS band lesson instructors Mrs. Jody Young and Mr. Joshua Jenkins for preparing these student for their auditions!
…the VTHS Meistersingers and Brass Choir continued the wonderful Vernon Township School District tradition of caroling throughout the district on Monday, December 17th. Many thanks to Mr. Kevin Boehm, Mr. Joshua Jenkins and Mr. Max Taylor for continuing this well-loved activity during the holiday season!
…*it’s “Stuff the Bus” time! Mrs. Kristy Riegler and her Student Council members are busily organizing a competition between homerooms to see which homeroom can collect the most food items between Monday, January 7th and Wednesday, January 16th. The items will be counted on the 16th and loaded into one of our school buses on Thursday, January 17th. Please help us make this fundraiser a great success!
…the VTHS SCA shared that Vernon Township High School raised $924.00 for the Giving Tree for the holiday season. We would like to express our sincere thanks for your continued generosity. Thanks to your kindness–together with the generosity of faculty, staff, students and families throughout the district--83 students district-wide received a gift card in the amount of $45.00 to purchase gifts during the holiday season. Thank you for all you do for others in the community.
…we would also like to the thank the VTHS SCA for their recent contribution towards the Keith Hawkins assembly being organized for our 10th graders. Since our present sophomores did not have the opportunity to participate in this worthwhile assembly, we have arranged for Mr. Hawkins to return to VTHS in March so all of our students will hear his message. Thank you, SCA, for your generosity!
…each year “Connect for Community” requests that schools in the community assist in their collection of supplementary donations to our local food pantries. Their “100th Day of School” asks students from each grade level to donate specific items that are not related to food. The attached letter delineates the items for each grade level–with the high school asked for any of the items listed:100th Day of School Collection Drive. Contributions of combs, brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, boxed tissues, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, dishwashing liquid, wrapped rolls of toilet paper, and paper towels are some of the requested items. Please take a moment to look through your closets and cabinets–or add some of these items to your shopping list–and date to this worthwhile cause. All donations will be collected in early February. Thank you for your continued generosity!
… congratulations to our Varsity Ice Hockey for “scoring” a “3-Peat” by winning the Sussex Cup for the third year in a row! It was a great demonstration of Viking Pride as students, families, staff members and members of the community packed Skylands Ice Rink on New Year’s Eve to cheer our hockey team to a great victory!
…please be sure to follow all of our winter sports by checking the VTHS Athletics Department website regularly!
…the Eighth Grade Parent/Guardian Orientation, originally scheduled for January, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 19th, with a snow date of Tuesday, February 26th. Please help us spread the word to our incoming freshmen parents/guardians.
…we would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to get all of our students scheduled in Genesis for the 2019-2020 school year earlier than usual. Mr. Chris LaCarrubba and our school counselors worked extra hard last month to make this new initiative a successful one and we appreciate everyone’s assistance.
…may 2019 be a wonderful one for all of you!