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 –

DECA Comedy Show – 1.10.19

 

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 –

CASH BLAST!! BINGO 1.18.19

          

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

 

Midterm Week Schedule – 2019

                                    

 

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!