Husky Highlights
March Newsletter
Principal's Corner
March Madness is here! Though winter refuses to release its wintry grip on our communities, spring is on its way! Our college fair is just around the corner on Thursday, March 23rd. Our spring musical, Honeymoon in Vegas, is opening on Thursday, March 30th, Friday, March 31st, Saturday, April 1st and Sunday, April 2nd.
Our PTSO continues to fundraise and organize special programs for our students. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 6th at 6:30 pm in the high school media center. We hope that you can join us as we continue to enhance our Husky community!
Our spring sport athletes are eagerly awaiting the beginning of the spring season and our 2017 Commencement exercises are scheduled for 5:00 pm on Friday, June 23rd at Brookdale Community College!
It's always a great day to be a Husky!
Student Personnel Services
The SPS counselors visited all junior health classes for a two-day presentation on the risk factors and warning signs of depression called "More Than Sad." Counselors have also presented to sophomore US History 1 classes about the "career interest profiler" and the "raise me scholarship" resource.
- Thirty junior students visited Kean University on March 8th. They toured the campus and received valuable information about college.
- On March 17th select junior girls will attend the running and winning leadership program at Monmouth Regional High School. This event exposes students to women in powerful government and community roles.
- We are hosting our second college fair on Thursday, March 23rd from 6-8 p.m.
- We are offering the ASVAB on March 24th and 27th.
- We are offering the Brookdale Accuplacer placement test on March 28th and 30th.
- We are posting all college acceptances in SPS. Please stop by and see all of the colleges and universities our Huskies will attend next year!
Upcoming SAT/ACT dates and registration deadlines:
SAT-
- Test date: May 6th, Registration deadline: April 7th
- Test date: June 3rd, Registration deadline: May 9th (Hosted at MRHS)
Remaining ACT tests for the 2016-2017 year-
- Test date: April 8th, Late Registration deadline: March 17th
- Test date: June 10th, Registration deadline: May 5th
Congratulations to the February Huskies of the month!
Students:
Mike McHugh
Adamaris Enciso
Staff:
Jennise Nieves
Eric Brown
Boys Basketball
The Husky boys basketball team had another successful season. After starting off with a 2-6 record, the boys basketball team won 7 straight games and 9 of 10 before finishing with a 14-14 record. The team qualified for the shore conference tournament and for the state tournament. The Huskies went on to upset Ocean Township in the opening round of the state tournament before losing to Nottingham in the second round.
The team was led by senior captions Pat Hennessey, Joe Buekers, and Jesse Haber. Junior Michael Dunne was selected to Shore Sports Network 1st team All Division by the coaches.
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball team has experienced a season of tremendous growth. The team competed in a tough Class A Central Division. One of their goals was to qualify for the NJSIAA State Tournament and they were able to accomplish that goal this year. Congratulations to junior Briyannah Richardson for receiving second team All Division. The coaches and team would like to say thank you to their seniors who were great models for the underclassmen. Best of luck to Anita Onuoha, Alexis Espada, and Adrianna Fletcher with all future endeavors. The team gained valuable and positive experience that will help propel them to even greater heights next season.
Girls Winter Track
The winter track and field season was a great conditioning and building season that will transition over into a very strong and powerful outdoor team. This season the 4 x 800 relay team (Samantha Anderson, Cassandra Daniele, Amanda Ferrara, and Rachel Kenny) took first at the Group II State Champion meet with a time of 9:47. The girls had a good run at state sectionals. Samantha Anderson took home the gold in the 400m, ran a blazing 59 seconds, and took 3rd in the 800m. Teammate Mue Carroll took 6th place and cleared 8 feet in the pole vault. Rachel Kenny took a spectacular 2nd place finish in the 1600m, ran 5:06, and also placed 2nd in the 800m with a time of 2:21. Rachel Kenny broke her own school record this season in the 1600 running a breathtaking time of 5:06. Cassandra Daniele, Amanda Ferrara, Daniella Veliz, and Rica Ongsiako competed at the Meet of Champions and Easterns for the 4 x 800. Rachel Kenny placed 4th in the 1600 at Easterns.
Boys Winter Track
The boys winter track team had a strong season this year.
Central Jersey Group 2 State Sectional
- 2nd as a team overall
- 1st place in the 400 meter race and Thomas Kalieta was named the all time meet record holder with a time of 49.5
- Donald Small was 2nd place in the Shot Put with a throw of 49-04.00
- Jacob Labinger, Thomas Kalieta, Charlie Serrano, and Liam Nappi took 1st place in the 4x400 relay
Group 2 Championship
- Thomas Kalieta took 2nd place in the 400 meter race with a time of 50.5
- Donal Small placed 5th in the shot put with a throw of 51-05.50
- Liam Nappi, Jacob Labinger, Charlie Serrano, and Zachery Hall ran their way to 3rd place in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:27.63
Meet of Champions
- Liam Nappi, Jacob Labinger, Charlie Serrano, and Zachery Hall took 7th place in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:27.20
Eastern States Championship
- Liam Nappi, Jacob Labinger, Charlie Serrano, and Zachery Hall placed 6th in the 4x400 with a time of 3:24.35 for the indoor school record
Congratulations to all!
Wrestling
The Matawan Huskies wrestling team went 14-13 this season. The Huskies qualified for the state tournament for the first time in ten years and capped off a great year. The team was led by seniors Derrick Wiley and Andrew Conzo. Wiley, at 170 pounds, had a final record of 35-4, won a District Championship, placed 2nd at regions, and advanced to the state tournament in Atlantic City. Andrew Conzo, at 195 pounds, had a record of 34-3 and was also a district champion. Junior Jaleel Gopaul, a district runner up at 120 pounds, had a great junior year with a final record of 29-5. Seniors Danny Grinberg went 21-9 and Lucca Caetano-DeAlmeida went 13-7. Other seniors who will be leaving the program are Marc Panizzi, Salvatore Castelli, Moses Awofolaju, and Matt Rohrman.
Spring Sports Openers
- Boys Track & Field- 4/1 @ Howell's Rebel Relays, 9 a.m.
- Girls Track & Field- 4/1 @ Raritan's Rocket Relays, 9 a.m.
- Baseball- 4/3 vs. RBR: Varsity & JV @ Home, 3:45 p.m. & Freshmen Away, 3:45 p.m.
- Softball- 4/3 vs. RBR: Varsity & JV @ Home, 3:45 p.m. & Freshmen Away @ 3:45 p.m.
- Boys Tennis- 4/3 vs. Colts Neck @ Home, 3:45 p.m.
Log onto shoreconferencenj.org for all updated schedules
Winter Guard
Congratulations to the varsity winter guard for being promoted from the Scholastic Regional A class to the Scholastic A class!
Special Olympics
The Matawan-Aberdeen Huskies Special Olympics had a very fun and successful winter. Nico Schykerynec won a gold medal in the sectional bowling competition that was held in our very own Strathmore Lanes. He will represent his team at the state finals this upcoming April. Thomas D'Elia had the opportunity to compete in the Crash P's Indoor Rowing Competition. He won a hammer award, which is equivalent to winning a gold medal. These athletes spent many hours practicing for their respective competitions and their hard work definitely paid off! They look forward to starting their spring track season.
Jazz Band
Congratulations to the Matawan jazz band for participating in the Allentown Jazz Festival. The students received an award for "best saxophone section" and Jordan Phillips received an "outstanding soloist" award. Keep up the good work!
Night Of The Arts
Night Of The Arts was a great night to showcase our visual and performing arts academy at the high school. This event, organized by members of the Civic Leadership class, was a huge success and the proceeds will be used to support the spring musical. Thank you to Mr. Bloss for assisting in the organization of this event and to our dedicated staff and students for providing a great night for all.
Nurse's Corner
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S. The number of deaths per 100,000 people a year has been slowly declining. This is in large part due to colorectal screening recommendations that are being implemented today. It can take as many as 10 to 15 years for a polyp to develop into colorectal cancer. Finding and removing polyps early is indispensable in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Early colorectal cancers may not cause any symptoms. This is why screening is recommended for most people starting at age 50.
If colorectal cancer does cause symptoms, they may include the following:
- A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days
- A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that doesn’t go away when you do so
- Rectal bleeding
- Blood in the stool, which may make it look dark
- Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
If you have any concerns please speak with your family physician to discuss the best medical regime for you.
Allergy season is upon us. The nice weather brings itchy eyes, sneezing, stuffy or running nose, and headaches for those who have seasonal allergy. Consider speaking with your family physician about starting your allergy medication before the season begins. Sometimes getting the medication into your system prior to the full effects of spring helps control the symptoms.
Regardless of how much pollen bothers you, you can survive and enjoy spring with these tips:
· Educate yourself about allergens
· Reduce exposure to allergens
· Consider over-the-counter remedies or see an allergist for treatment
· Consider allergy shots or immunotherapy if recommended by your family physician
Key Club
Two Matawan Key Club members volunteered in the Keyport Kiwanis Annual Fish Fry to benefit children in the community on March 1st.
Brain Bee
The Brain Bee Team competed on February 25th at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Matawan made a huge impact on the competition; they had six semifinalists and two finalists. This year the competition was the largest it has ever been. The following six students were semifinalists in the competition: Ricki Santos, Meet Patel, Emily Loniewski, Sarah Abel, Lidia Haraszti, and Althea Miquela. Of those six, Meet Patel and Ricki Santos moved on to the finals. Santos ended up placing third in the overall competition. Congratulations to all of those who competed!
Science at MRHS
- The physics team is in 6th place out of 91 schools. Abdullah Ramadan is currently ranked 3rd out of 235 students. He is only behind two students from High Tech.
- The biology team is currently ranked 6th out of 128 teams which include all of the state academies. They were tied as the number 1 ranked school on the February exam competition with Watchung Hills, a first for Matawan Regional High School. Norman Gardell is currently ranked 15th out of 403 students.
AMC Math Exam
The American Mathematics Competitions are a series of examinations and curriculum materials that build problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge in middle and high school students. The MAA’s American Mathematics Competitions program leads the nation in strengthening the mathematical capabilities of the next generation of problem-solvers. The MAA AMC program positively impacts the analytical skills needed for future careers in an innovative society.
Two of our Matawan Regional High School students, Jeffrey Opokuh-Mensah and Abudllah Ramadan, performed exceptionally well in the AMC 10 and 12 math competition and were invited to participate in the American Mathematics Invitational Exam on March 7th. This prestigious exam is invitation only and is part of a series of exams that culminates with the International Mathematics Olympiad. We are very proud of these gentlemen and wish them well in the next round of competition.
B.R.I.T.E.
The Academic Challenge B.R.I.T.E. team has made it to the top 16 in the competition. The Bridgewater-Raritan Invitational Tournament of Excellence (B.R.I.T.E.), a New Jersey State qualifying quiz contest, has more than 70 schools throughout NJ competing annually in this tournament. Since 1978 we have sent champions to the national competition in Washington, D.C., Texas, Florida, and Ohio. Today, the B.R.I.T.E. tournament has grown to become the only one in NJ whose winner is an automatic qualifier for the National Academic Tournament.
Everyone Has a Seat at the Table
"We are each unique and beautiful, but together we are a masterpiece!"
The Matawan Regional High School art department in partnership with Parents of Special People will be hosting a district wide collaborative chair project.
"EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE."
The goal of this project is to showcase the diversity in our district,
raise awareness for inclusion, acceptance, and raise funds for P.O.S.P & the arts.
If you are interested in participating:
Step 1
Email Ms. Emilly Hueston, ehueston@marsd.org, with your name, contact information, a list of who will work on the chair.
Step 2
Pick up your chair at MRHS, decorate the chair, return the finished chair to MRHS before spring break.
Step 3
It will be on display and auctioned off at "Everyone has a Seat at the Table" on May 11th. All funds raised will go to support Parents of Special People and the arts.
CERN
Dr. Daniel Kaplan, physics and engineering teacher at Matawan Regional High School, was selected to attend this summer’s high school teacher program at CERN. CERN is the largest particle accelerator in the world. It has played a major role in our understanding of the standard model of particle physics. For example, the recent Nobel Prize for the discovery of the Higgs Boson was validated with experimental measurements at CERN.
Only five teachers were selected to attend this program. This is a great opportunity to learn about the latest areas of particle physics and to bring back new materials and approaches to teach about particle physics as part of the physics curriculum. The U.S. part of CERN HST is a research experience for teachers program of the University of Michigan under a grant from the National Science Foundation. The program will run from July 2nd through July 22nd.
Class Highlights
Mrs. Lisciandro's Italian IV and V/AP classes have been working to create a special package for students in Kosovo. Earlier this year alumna, Leila Ali visited some of Mrs. Lisciandro's Italian classes and discussed her important work as a Peace Corps member. She will be stationed in Kosovo for two additional years. In return for her kind visit and wonderful lesson about education in other parts of the world, Mrs. Lisciandro's students created friendship bracelets for Leila's students. They wrote notes of support and even included a few boxes of American Girl Scout cookies (which Leila misses a lot) to share with her "family" overseas. Special thanks to Ms. McDede, Mrs. Dellert, and Ms. Friscia for their support and contributions as well.
Class Highlights
Class Highlights
Senior Class Highlights
Dates to Remember
- March 23rd: College fair at 6 p.m.
- March 30th-April 2nd: Spring musical, Honeymoon in Vegas
- April 3rd-April 6th: Third quarterly measurements
April 3rd: Language Arts, 21st Century Skills
April 4th: Social Studies, Music and Fine Arts
April 5th: Mathematics, World Language
April 6th: Science, Physical Education
- April 6th: PTSO meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the media center
- April 10th-17th: Spring Break