The Dragon Review
June 2022
Principal's Announcement
June 2022
Hello Dragon Nation!
It is hard to believe another school year is drawing to a close. I would like to recognize and congratulate all of our BTHS staff and students for their accomplishments this past school year. I am most proud of the active collaboration observed throughout the school year between our staff, students, and parents to achieve targeted goals and academic excellence. It is through these partnerships we are able to attain our greatest achievements.
These past few weeks presented multiple opportunities to observe the high level of student character, excellence, and talents present at Brick Township High School. Our Seniors were recognized at the Senior Scholarship and Awards night, where over 90 scholarships and awards were presented during the ceremony totaling over $115,000. Congratulations to all of the seniors who were recognized. Moreover, our BTHS Band and Choral programs put on an awe inspiring Spring Concert this past month. The level of professionalism and quality of music was magnificent. I continue to be amazed at the talented students attending our school.
As we complete another year, we express our gratitude to the Class of 2022 for their leadership and commitment to BTHS throughout these last four years. The entire BTHS faculty and staff are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to celebrating their achievement at the upcoming graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00 PM. As our senior class prepares for life after BTHS, I wish all of our underclassmen a restful, safe, and enjoyable summer break. I urge all of our BTHS families to remain connected throughout the summer as important information will be posted on our school website and, when necessary, pushed out through our mass notification system. As always, if you need help in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the school using one of the guidance or administrative contacts below!
Please make sure to spend time reviewing all of the information present in this school year’s final edition of the Dragon Review as it contains important information regarding the upcoming Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00 PM.
Respectfully,
David Kasyan, Ed.D.
Principal
Graduation: Class of 2022
A Rain Date of Thursday, June 23 at 9:00 AM has been set if there is inclement weather and the planned graduation ceremony needs to be postponed. Any changes to the scheduled graduation date and time will be pushed out to families through the blackboard mass notification system, however, all efforts will be made to hold the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00 PM.
Graduation: Parking
- Students - Park behind the school.
- Parents - Park in the West Parking Lot. The West Parking lot has the recently installed solar carports. Overflow parking will be at the Warren H. Wolf ECDC complex.
- Parents in Need of Assistance - Park in the East Parking Lot near the athletic office. There will be staff available to offer assistance. If handicapped assistance is needed, please contact Mrs. Reddan in the Athletic Office. at Ext. 2038.
- Overflow Parking - If you arrive at BTHS and have difficulty finding a parking space, please proceed to Warren H. Wolf ECDC complex. BTPS transportation will be providing a shuttle service, beginning at 5:00 PM, for anyone parking at the WHW complex.
Thank you in advance for following the provided parking plan.
Graduation: Cap & Gown Distribution
Cap & Gown Distribution as well as BTHS Device Collection will take place on Monday, June 20. Students will begin being called down during Block 1 to participate in this event. All outstanding financial obligations or fines (Library, Textbook, Café, etc.) must be resolved with Mrs. Schuster by June 17 in order to receive your Cap & Gown. Ms. Schuster can be reached at Ext. 2004.
Graduation: Expectations & Procedures
The BTHS administrative team is looking forward to recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of our graduating seniors. We are looking forward to a successful graduation ceremony, however, it should be noted that participation in the ceremony is a privilege. The Administration reserves the right to remove any student whose behavior or appearance is deemed objectionable. Senior ladies are to wear a dress, skirt, slacks, dress shoes or dress sandals for the ceremony. No flowers are to be worn on clothing. Senior gentlemen are to wear collared shirts, dress pants and shoes. Jeans, shorts, flip flops, sneakers, and sunglasses are unacceptable for this occasion and will not be permitted. No purses, yearbooks, cell phones, or cameras are allowed.
All seniors wishing to walk in graduation must attend the Cap & Gown Distribution on Monday, June 20 at 7:30 AM and Graduation Practice on Wednesday, June 22 at 9:30 AM. Seniors will be required to report to the Auditorium by 4:30 PM on graduation day. Seniors should park behind the building.
A LifeTouch photographer will be on-site during graduation to take pictures of the graduates as they receive their diploma cover. Pictures are available for purchase through the LifeTouch website if desired. At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates and their families may take pictures on the field.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Graduates may pick up their diplomas from guidance staff at the designated tent area out on the field. Any graduate that fails to pick up their diploma, following graduation, will need to make an appointment to pick up the diploma in the guidance office during the school's summer hours.
The graduation ceremony is a traditional and joyous celebration. We ask that you respect all of our graduates by not using air horns or noisemakers of any kind. Please remain in the stands until the ceremony has ended. After the ceremony has ended, family and friends may come onto the field to take pictures.
The entire Brick Township High School community thanks you for your support over the last four years. These graduates are wonderful students and we feel extremely proud of all their accomplishments.
Information & Announcements
End of Year School Schedule
On Wednesday, June 15 - Wednesday, June 22, Brick Township High School will be operating on an early dismissal schedule. School will start at 7:10 AM and dismiss at 11:30 AM.
School Hours in the Summer
BTHS will be open from Monday - Thursday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM during the Summer months. If you need assistance, please call the school ahead of time to set up an appointment for your visit.
School Issued Laptop Devices
All students currently enrolled in a digital arts class who were issued a special laptop must return this device to their teacher and receive a Chromebook in return. Your teacher will communicate when this swap will take place.
Grade 12 students must return their laptop devices prior to receiving their cap and gown on Monday, June 20.
Grade 9 - 11 students will be keeping their school issued Chromebook for the summer.
We recommend the following:
- Fully charge and shut down the device
- Place the laptop and charger into the provided protective case.
- Store the device in a dry, temperature controlled location.
If you are withdrawing from BTHS and transferring to another high school, please contact our guidance department at 732-785-3000 x2019 to schedule a time to come to the school, complete the necessary paperwork, and return your district issued device and charger.
School News
Mural Making at BTHS
Mural Making is an Art Elective available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have passed Art 1. This course dives into the history of mural making and evaluates the art form’s current impact on communities both big and small. Students in this course are able to learn the skills required to plan, propose, & create new murals for their school and beyond.
This year students were back in the building full time and were able to create new murals after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. The return of the mural making process has hopefully brought smiles to many faces in the building & we’d like to update everyone on the progress that was made by a small but mighty group of Mural Artists this school year.
Students began the first semester with a collaborative mural to enhance the IMC doorway. They blocked out an ocean themed color scheme to make the doorway more visible and easier to locate. They also honed in their line painting skills in the Photography room by creating a zentangle mural on one of the cabinets. Students then reflected on the impact of teachers during the pandemic and created a mural in honor of that. They came up with an inspirational quote and created a mural for the teachers in the east wing Faculty Room. Students were then able to explore their own mural ideas and came up with new concepts for the hallways. Students created a nature mural around the stairwell 20 entrance to spark imagination and wonder, a floral mural in the 200s hallway & the beginnings of a large-scale music mural outside the chorus and band rooms.
Mural Art has a way of reflecting the thoughts and feelings of a community and our artists will continue to enhance our school hallways and beyond next year. Looking forward, mural artists will begin the second phase of the music hallway mural, redesign & begin a large-scale GSA, diversity, & inclusivity mural in the 100s hallway, & begin other murals soon to be conceptualized!
Cross Disciplinary Collaboration: LOJ & Forensics Courses
Mindfulness Immersion
Local mind-body coach Jennifer Vinges visited the Mindful Immersion classes in May, bringing her message of "Take 100% responsibility for your life!" Students learned how to power up their day in five minutes, how to support big dreams, the significance of consistency (small things lead to big results), and the mindset for turning up their personal power. They practiced hands-on techniques for making their mind their greatest ally. What an inspiration!
The Regaler - School Literary Magazine
Attention Seniors
June Students of the Month
BTHS Students of the Month - June
Students are nominated by BTHS staff members for outstanding effort in the classroom and positive contributions to our community. Congratulations to our Students of the Month. Students will be honored with a certificate, gift, and their names will be displayed on the marquee.
Samantha Jones, Gr. 12
"Sam has become an exceptional student in AP Biology and all of her classes this year. Her maturity and willingness to help her classmates in lab and with class content has been exceptional. She has demonstrated strong leadership skills the second half of the year."
Logan Donnelly, Gr. 11
"Logan is a great student. Very courteous and a self starter. He is always going above and beyond to help his classmates and myself."
Alanna Cinquegrana, Gr. 10
"She is the most giving girl you'll ever meet. She helps other students, she is President of Antlers Youth Group of the Elks to raise money for charity, special needs, Vets of America and the homeless. Her team won the Steam challenge with their morphing wheelchair and she is an Honor Roll Student. She led her Antler group for the Memorial Day Parade in Brick."
Abigail Kazensky, Gr. 9
"She is a sweet, polite, conscientious student who always cheers her peers on to do their best!"
Student Government
BTHS Student Government
Stay connected and informed about BTHS happenings through SGA. If you haven't already done so, join the SGA Google Classroom (q2hav5z) and follow SGA on Twitter and Instagram (@bths_sga). Class elections will take place in May and students will only be able to vote through the SGA Google Classroom. Anyone is welcome to attend SGA general membership meetings!
Class of 2022
Congratulations on your graduation and best wishes for your next adventure! We have had the most wonderful time getting to know all of you. The impact you have left on BTHS and on us is inarguable. During our four years together, you have made us so proud to be your advisors. You made it through virtual, hybrid, and in-person learning, turned up the school spirit on Spirit Weeks and for Battle of the Classes, you washed cars, sold popcorn, had the most successful win-a-dance, and much more! So now we have one final request for all of you: Do not let yourself get in the way of anything! You may no longer have teachers and/or guardians to assist you every step of the way now - - it is your turn to run your life. So, use the skills you’ve developed during your time at BTHS and demand of yourself the discipline all your teachers have demanded of you. No one is going to make you get up at 6 AM to get to class on time. No one is going to say, “Hey, you should really brush up on your math skills before that test. Did you do your homework?” And yes, that might sound great; however you may find this new independence and responsibility a difficult experience at first. But, the reward of success that is your own is the greatest of all! So keep doing what you have been doing for the past four years. . . have fun and make us proud! We will miss you. Mrs. Freedley & Mrs. Mustacchio
Class of 2023
The Class of 2023 held their Junior Prom on Thursday, May 19th. It was a huge success! Thank you to all students and staff for a memorable evening. A big thanks to Yellow Brick Road Ice Cream on Mantoloking Road for donating some delicious ice cream for the event. Another thank you has to go to our dedicated staff for helping to chaperone the event on their own time. Please be sure to check out our Google Classroom (code: 4z3x6zp) for important updates. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. DeBonis (cdebonis@brickschools.org or room 306) or Ms. Scipione (dscipione@brickschools.org or room 202).
Class of 2024
The Class of 2024 will host a Snack Tent and Flower Sale at Graduation on June 22 to raise money for our Junior Prom. Sign ups for donations and to volunteer for the event will be done through our Google Classroom and is available now. The Class of 2024 is also very excited to announce that we will be co-hosting a Gift Auction in the Fall with the Class of 2025. We will release more details about this huge fundraising opportunity before summer as we will need help from students and parents to assist with securing gift basket donations and planning the event! Members of the Class of 2024 should join our Google Classroom with code ozvfp3p . Please reach out to Mr. Lucchetti flucchetti@brickschools.org in room 205 or Mrs. Ianniello lianniello@brickschools.org in Guidance with any Class of 2024 questions!
Class of 2025
The Class of 2025 had a very fruitful month. We had two fundraisers that went extremely well. On May 16th we held a yardgames tournament where students competed in two bracket style competitions for both Cornhole and Spikeball. Over 40 students participated and the event was a success. Later in May on the 26th, the Class of 2025 hosted Spike Night (a volleyball tournament). The BTHS Seniors, School/District Administrators, BTHS Faculty, LRMS Faculty, and the Brick Township Police Department competed in a double elimination volleyball tournament. Fun was had by all while spectators and competitors alike enjoyed some of Ms. Velez’s empanadas. The Brick PD came out victorious in the tournament finals beating the previously undefeated High School Student Team back to back. We would like to give a special THANK YOU to our Brick Police Department for sending officers to participate in our fundraiser. It was awesome seeing the kids and them playing together. The SGA ran student elections at the end of May and we have two new executive board members for the 2022-2023 school year. We are planning to finish off the school year with a candy sale, before we break for summer. The Class of 2025 had a great time getting involved in school activities and working to find their place at BTHS! Looking forward to more fun times next school year! Email Mrs. Vélez at mvelez@brickschools.org or Mr. Pazmino at cpazmino@brickschools.org if you have any questions.
Stay In the Know
Guidance Department
Hello BTHS,
The Guidance Department is wishing all of our students a strong finish to the school year. Here is some important information from the Guidance Department:
- Marking Period 4 Ends on Tuesday, June 21
- Report Cards Available for Parent access through Parent Portal on Wednesday, June 22.
- Current Sophomores and Juniors; consider taking the SAT on Saturday, August 27th at BTHS. Please register on collegeboard.org to reserve your seat.
- Stop by Guidance to pick up working papers if you plan to work this summer.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor for support. Our department is readily available to assist in any of your academic, social, or emotional needs.
Thank You,
Angela Smith
BTHS Guidance Coordinator
School Counselor Google Classroom Codes
Class of 2025 cpgycc4
Class of 2024 bbnv4vs
Class of 2023 vzgx2iq
Class of 2022 qgqsw3mHealth Office
IMPORTANT End of Year Health Office Reminders:
Please contact the Health Offices for Prescription Medication pick-up to be conducted on June 20th, 21st, or 22nd. > Please speak to the West Wing or East Wing Health Office Nurses to discuss ‘other’ medications that are currently being housed for your son or daughter that will need to be retrieved.
Friendly Reminder; Medication Orders are only current for the School Year for which they are prescribed and Do Not Carry Over from year to year - any medication orders in the form of Asthma Action Plans, Food Allergy Action Plans, Seizure Action Plans, Diabetic Medical Management Plans, PRN Meds (as Needed), &/or other ‘Daily’ Prescription Medications that may need to be administered by the School Nurse for next year will need to be renewed by your attending Medical Doctor, Primary Care Physician, &/or child’s Specialists.~ All of these forms are located on our BTHS Health Office page for downloading and printing.
Please know that the Nurses do not work during the Summer months and telephone messages may not be returned in a timely fashion for these reasons - if there are urgent matters that need to be addressed during this time please reach out to our Main Office line at extensions 2019 &/or 2093 for further assistance, as needed. > Emails are the preferred method of communication for the Health Offices during the Summer months, and email accounts will be checked periodically.
Medical Notes pertaining to Physical Education participation. > If your child has been diagnosed with an injury, or the need to have surgery over the Summer months, please make sure you discuss with your attending physician the need for any Medically Excused Notes relating to Physical Education participation that your child will need to produce to the Health Offices upon the start of classes in September. Also, please Do Not Attach Asthma Action Plans (AAP’s) or Food Allergy Action Plans (FAAP’s) to your child’s Sports Packets upon submission = these documents need to be submitted to the Health Offices separately by the First Day of School.
Respectfully,
Nurse Tammy Yarbrough & Nurse Mary Carlsson
Health Office Contact
West Nurse Office - Mary Carlsson Ext. 2037
East Nurse Office - Tammy Yarbrough Ext. 2009
Brick Township High School
Assistant Principals
Erin Biancella - Grade 12 & Freshman P-Z
Ryan Hesnan - Grade 11 & Freshman H-O
James Marvin - Grade 10 & Freshman A-G
Athletic Director & Co-Curricular Supervisor
Guidance Department
Lauren Ianniello - Grade 9 A-L
Angela Smith - Grade 9 M-Z
Jennie Piwowarczyk - Grade 10-12 A-De
Kaitlyn Donahue - Grade 10-12 Di-K
Dawn Celona - Grade 10-12 L-Ri
Marie Walling - Grade 10-12 Ro-Z
Student Assistance Counselor
Child Study Team
Website: www.brickschools.org
Location: 346 Chambersbridge Road, Brick Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-785-3000
Twitter: @BTHSDragons