FTMHS NewsFLASH
November 2021
Calendar Information...
Tentative November Events:
November 1:
- Musical--Audition Packets available in the Main Office before/after school or during your lunch period.
- Special Program--Part 2: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training in the Media Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
November 3:
- Faculty Meeting at 2:20 p.m. in the Atrium.
November 4-5:
- School Closed--NJEA Convention.
November 9:
- After School Recital at 2:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
- Writing Assignment Due from all Departments in the Main Office.
November 10:
- Band Boosters' Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Media Center.
- Musical Interest Meeting from 2:10 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
November 11:
- Future Flashes Night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- End of Marking Period I.
November 14:
- Seniors -- Painting Parking Spaces from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
November 15:
- Administer English Department Writing Assignments this week.
November 16:
- Musical--Dance Call meeting; Time: 2:10 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Auditorium.
- I&RS Team Meeting starting at 8 a.m.
November 17:
- Musical Audition Day 1; Time: 2:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
November 18:
- Musical Audition Day 2; Time: 2:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
- Powder Puff Football starts at 6 p.m.
November 19:
- Report Cards Available on Genesis after 2 p.m.
- Senior Class Trip Payment No. 3 to Mrs. Pereda (Room E109) or Mr. Pereda (Gym).
November 22:
- PM In-Service at the High School--12:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. in the Atrium.
November 23:
- Parent Conferences in the Afternoon from 12:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.; Evening Conferences from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
November 24:
- One Session Day--Dismissal at 11:40 a.m.
November 25:
- "Celebrate Thanksgiving" with Family and Friends.
- Football Game Against Riverside at 11 a.m.
- Celebrate Senior Day at the Game for Football/Band/Cheerleaders.
November 26:
- Thanksgiving Recess.
November 29:
- ScIP Meeting in the Media Center at 2:20 p.m.
- Science/Technology Departments will administer their Writing Assignments this week.
- Board of Education Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Atrium at the High School.
November 30 and December 2:
- Musical Call Backs from 2:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
Homecoming King and Queen
King: Eamonn Glynn
First Runner Ups: Cassaundra Alicea and Noel Nabors
Second Runner Ups: McKenna Bernardo and Kevin Krall
2021 Homecoming Court
Spirit Week--Class Banners
Class of 2025--Freshmen Class
Class of 2024--Sophomore Class
Class of 2023--Junior Class
Class of 2022--Senior Class
Spirit Week--Pumpkin Competition
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Spirit Week--Outdoor Stunt Games
Freshmen Class
Sophomore Class
Junior Class
Senior Class
2021 Homecoming Dance
Spirit Week--Who won "Spirit Week?"
Ms. Rodan announces the 2021 Spirit Week Winner...
4th Place--with 4,500 Points-- is awarded to: The Freshmen Class
3rd Place--with 5,375 Points--is awarded to: The Sophomore Class
2nd Place--with 5,955 Points--is awarded to: The Junior Class.
1st Place--with 6,005 Points--is awarded to THE SENIOR CLASS. 2021 Spirit Week Winners--Great Job, Seniors!
Grade Level Class Advisors
Sophomores: Mary Bryne and Joe Varga
Juniors: Arielle Holmstedt and Mike Flynn
Seniors: Leanne Pereda and Cesar Pereda
Knock Out Opioid Campaign
Knock Out Opioid Campaign
The NHS participated in the Knock Out Opioid campaign and created posters to spread awareness for school violence awareness week.
General Reminders--Updated:
- Arrival to School: Please arrive at school between 7:25 a.m. and 7:35 a.m. Pull your car up to the Media Center door. Someone will be wearing an orange vest in that area. When your car stops along the front of the school. Students need to get out of their car at that location and walk to the front door. We want to keep the cars moving at all times. Never pull out and try to pass over cars in the lineup after you have dropped your child off--wait patiently in line for movement. Parents/guardians should not be dropping off or picking up students in the Main Parking Lot in front of the school. When picking up your child after school, go to the student parking lot for pick up.
- Chromebooks: You can still purchase insurance to cover your Chromebooks--the cost is $35. Checks/Money Orders can be made payable to FTMHS. Never send in CASH for any type of school payments. Please remind your child that Chromebooks need to be charged every night so students are ready to use them the next day.
- Entering the School: Students will be entering the building through the front main doors. Immediately upon entering, you may pick up a free "breakfast" bag and then go directly to your HR/Period 1 class.
- Feel Sick: If you feel ill during the school day, please have your teacher give you a pass to go get checked out by our school nurse, Mrs. Emery. If you are not feeling well when you get up in the morning, please stay home. Remember to wash your hands frequently
- Parking for Students: Please park in the student parking lot adjacent to the Football Stadium. Please drive 5 mph in the parking lot area.
- Student Lunches: We continue to have 2, 3, or 4 students assigned per lunch table. Limited outside seating is available in the courtyard. Students will have assigned seating at the lunch tables—this is needed for contact tracing purposes. Breakfast/Lunch will be provided free to all students.
- Water Fountains: The fountains are on—students are encouraged to bring their own water bottle and use the fountains as refill stations.
National Merit Scholarship Program
CONGRATULATIONS, Lana--we are PROUD OF YOU!
Letter of Commendation -- Outstanding Performance
Student of the Month -- Special Recognition
Marie is a hardworking individual who was selected because of her strong character and academic and extracurricular achievements.
Congratulations, Marie!
Character Education Program
Every month at least one student – from each grade level – will be recognized for the fine job he/she has done in bringing the word of the month to life. These students are nominated by our school staff. The Character Education “Word of the Month” for November is Helpfulness. We will communicate the rest of our character education traits to you over the course of the school year.
Let’s work together to get our students to focus on why each trait matters! We need all of our students to see that they can help others through their positive words and actions.
Character Education Program--"Word of the Month" for October was "Respect."
Andrew Boyd, James Carnival, Finley Charles, Benjamin Czifra, Jamar Dowling, Ethan Kelly, Jacob O'Hare, Makayla Osburn, Arthur Piotrowski, Logan Rabatie, Francesca Ralko, Jesse Ross, Daniel Studzinski, Andrew Ulisse, Jaden Vinueza-Amistad, Alexandra Witty and Darien Woody.
Chosen to Receive Special Recognition!
"Respect" -- Character Education (October)
Thanks to our Parents Organization -- Finley Charles, Jamar Dowling, Daniel Studzinski and Alexandra Witty were chosen to receive $5 Wawa gift cards for doing such an excellent job!
Finley Charles
Nominated by: Mr. Smith
Jamar Dowling
Nominated by: Mr. Tobass
Daniel Studzinski
Nominated by: Mrs. Eckart
Way to GO!
Alexandra Witty
Nominated by: Mrs. Eckart
Way to GO!
Academic Achievement Program
This is a wonderful program! We will once again be challenging our students to settle for nothing less than their best. We want to see our students succeed, and we will be communicating to them that we want them to set their sights on earning a GPA of at least a 3.0 (or a “B” average) with no “D” or “F” grades in any course for each marking period of the school year. Please join us in challenging your child to be content with nothing less than his or her best effort!
Students who earned at least a 3.0 (with no “D’s” or “F’s”) will be recognized at the end of the 1st marking period.
From the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office...
...A Special Presentation on "Social Media and Bullying Safety" for Grades 9 and 10
Presenter: Detective Jenn Applemann
Financial Aid Workshop
Financial Aid Workshop
Below is the link to the Financial AId presentation in case you missed it or would like to refer back to it.
22-23 HESAA Financial Aid
Genesis Parent Portal (http://bit.ly/2hqH935)
Report Cards--November 19, 2021
Report Cards will be available after 2 p.m. in Genesis on November 19. To view your child’s report card, simply log in to Genesis (https://parents.genesisedu.com/florence) and click on the “Grading” tab at the top of the window.
Also, please feel free to log in to Genesis at any time to see how your child is progressing in his or her courses. Checking Genesis frequently will enable you to see clearly how your child is performing throughout the school year.
If you are having trouble logging in or needing your email and password reset, please contact your child’s counselor as soon as possible.
Principal’s Academic List
We’ve added this program based upon the feedback we received from students, staff, and parents. We have students who are hungry to show what they can do, and we’re eager to recognize them!
Lunch Menu for the Month of November
Parent Organization
Our next FTMHS Parent Organization meeting will be held on Monday, November 29, at 6 p.m. in the HS Media Center.
We are currently looking for parents to join our fundraising committees to plan/organize our Breakfast w/ Santa & the Grinch in December and Prom Fashion Show in March. If interested please email us at ftmhspo@gmail.com.
Also, we have revamped our Scripts Gift Card Program. Those families interested in purchasing Shop Rite, Roebling Town Market or Acme gift cards to benefit their children's savings funds for school events/purchases please refer to the flyer below!
"Driver's Education" -- Mrs. Smith
The Sophomore Driver's Education Classes are gearing up to take the NJ State Permit Test. Florence High School has been chosen to be a part of the Pilot Program when administering the test. It will be given completely online for all our students currently enrolled in Driver's Education. I feel very confident that our students are prepared and ready to pass.
Dance--Mr. Breen
Mr. Breen’s Dance class has been working on Broadway Jazz Dance technique.
We have also watched the movie musical “The Wiz” and “Chicago” to compare jazz dance techniques taught in class.
Musical Theater and Theater Performance Classes--Mr. Donovan
In both Musical Theater and Theater Performance, we have been looking at Lin-Manuel Miranda's contribution to the theater landscape, most notably with "In the Heights" and "Hamilton." We have been looking at this work to not only recognize the strides they represent in terms of Hispanic/Latinx representation in entertainment, but also to analyze some of the criticism these pieces have received along the way.
ESL Class--Ms. Diaz
ESL students in Ms. Diaz' class are learning about the Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos) and are creating personalized skulls to celebrate the holiday.
After School Clubs for the 2021-2022 School Year:
Clubs/Activities
Black and Latinx Student Union
Class of 2022--Seniors
Class of 2023--Juniors
Class of 2024--Sophomores
Class of 2025--Freshmen
Computer Science Club
Cultural Awareness for Everyone
Debate Team
Environmental Club
Game Club
Interact
Marching Band Director
Marching Band--Front Line
National Honor Society
No Place for Hate Club
Newspaper Club
Robotics Club
Science League Competitions
Special Olympics
Spring Musical
Student Council
Yearbook
Art Club
The Art Club is open to any student with an interest in art, design, or creativity! The art club will meet in Mrs. Holmstedt’s room, F108.
Meetings are scheduled for November 2, November 16, November 30, and December 14.
Currently, students are working on a word design project and will be moving on to mosaics with tile, glass, and plastic next!
Advisor: Mrs. Holmstedt
Black & Latinx Student Union
The BLSU is moving forward with exciting plans for the coming months. We will be involved in the holiday community service projects, and we will also be electing our club officers.
COME JOIN THE BLACK AND LATINX STUDENT UNION!!!!
This club was created to address the needs of our Black and Latinx students at Florence Township Memorial High School. This club is open to ALL but will be focusing on the unique challenges faced by our students from the Black and Latinx communities.
This club will provide an opportunity for students to support each other emotionally, receive the academic support that they need, serve the community, and build their post-high school marketability for college, technical school, the military or the workforce.
Our goal is to have fun and provide a positive experience in a safe space, while at the same time building and preparing our young people for the world.
This club will focus on:
*Social Support
*Academic Assistance
*Emotional Support
*Field Trips
*Mentorship
*Leadership Training
*Focus on community-police relations
*Community Service
* Mental Health
*Physical Health and Fitness
*Relationships with teachers, administration, and staff
*Post High-School Plans
Advisor: Mr. McEnnis
Class of 2022 (SENIORS)
Class of 2022
President: Lana Duke
Vice President: Cassaundra Alicea
Treasurer: Zaria Harewood
Secretary: Jaskiran Mangat
Historian: Samara Lakhan
Co-Advisors: Mrs. Leanne Pereda and Mr. Cesar Pereda
Spirit Week 2021
Our class worked hard to win their final Spirit Week. Way to go Seniors!
Thank you to everyone who participated, especially those individuals who worked on our class banner and decorated our pumpkin.
Senior Class Trip Information
The second payment for the Senior Class trip is past due and the third payment will be due on November 19. Any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Pereda or Mr. Pereda.
Advisors: Mrs. Pereda and Mr. Pereda
Class of 2023 (JUNIORS)
President: Sarah Olatubosun
Vice President: Abigail Anthony
Secretary: Abimbola Obayanju
Treasurer: Mikayla Maschke
Historian: Sydney Slotkin
Junior Class FUNDRAISER information
Order forms will be sent home with all Juniors.
MIKE’S CRUMB CAKE FACTORY FUNDRAISER!!!!
ORDER THE BEST TASTING CRUMB CAKE AROUND!
A DELICIOUS-- 8” by 8” crumb cake for only $10.
All orders are due by December 1, 2021, and must be paid in advance.
Please make checks payable to FTMHS CLASS of 2023.
Crumb cakes will be ready for pick up at the high school on December 14.
Student sellers are responsible for picking up and delivering orders to their buyers.
Please email aholmstedt@florence.k12.nj.us with any questions
Advisors: Mrs. Holmstedt and Mr. Flynn
Class of 2024 (SOPHOMORES)
Class of 2024 Officers
President: John Paul Dunphy
Vice President: Matthew Barton
Secretary: Madelynn Hoch
Treasurer: Kaycee Carnival
Historian: Radika Dhar
The Class of 2024 had a great time competing in the various challenges of Spirit Week last month!
We will be planning some upcoming class fundraisers, and we will support the various charity drives during the upcoming holiday season.
Advisors: Mrs. Mary Byrne and Mr. Joseph Varga
Class of 2025 (FRESHMEN)
Class of 2025 Officers
President: Andrew Piotrowski
Vice President: Liam Virula
Secretary: Ritika Bakkamanthala
Treasurer: Rudrhaneel Sen
Historian: Cailyne Diaz
The Freshman Class had an amazing debut for "Homecoming" this year with great performances in both the Water Balloon Toss and Hula Hoop Contest at the Pep Rally.
Special "shout-out" to Ritika Bakkamanthala for her amazing work on the Class Banner.
Advisors: Ms. Paiva and Mr. Senni
Computer Science Club
This month we continued with the creation of our business page.
Using 'We Flow' as our platform, we will start adding businesses!!
Advisor: Mr. Roberson
Cultural Awareness for Everyone Club (CAFE)
The Cultural Awareness for Everyone Club created awareness posters to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The CAFE Club is currently working on creating cultural awareness bookmarks.
Advisor: Ms. Diaz
Debate Team
The Debate Team is moving forward with researching this year’s resolution as we prepare to compete in the South Jersey Debate League in December.
The Debate Team meets on Tuesdays after school.
Advisor: Mrs. Hughes
Environmental Club
The Environmental Club is planning on planting collected seeds from native trees as well as some trees from other regions. Students will be able to bring trees home to either keep in pots or plant in their yards.
Advisor: Mr. DuBrul
Game Club
The Game Club elected officers on October 26. Results of the elections were not available at the time of publication. Elections were for the positions:
- President,
- Vice-President,
- Secretary,
- Treasurer,
- Parliamentarian, and
- Club Champion.
The Club Champion is elected by winning a game over other candidates. This Club Champion election will occur monthly or bimonthly to be determined by club membership.
The Game Club is also looking for musicians to start a band to play at Game Club Tournaments. Look for the interest survey in your grade level classrooms and join the Game Club today.
Advisors: Mr. Weatherbee and Mr. Senni
Interact Club
The 2021-2022 Interact Officers are:
President: Logan Trayner
Vice President: Hazal Akkaya
Secretary: Burne Das
Treasurer: Preet Singh
Sergeant at Arms: Declan Yasick
Publicity Chair: Sarah Olatubosun
The Interact Club is continuing to collect plastic bags. We collected over 500 pounds of plastic and received a bench from TREX which will be put together and placed in the courtyard. The program was such a success, that we are currently collecting more plastic for a fourth bench. Please email grodan@florence.k12.nj.us to make arrangements for plastic pick up.
The Interact Club is also partnering with the Book Smiles program to collect books for classroom libraries and students in underserved communities.
Advisor: Ms. Georgie Rodan
Marching Band
The Marching Flashes have had a fantastic competition season, most recently scoring an 80.86 at Region 7 Championships on Sunday, October 24. This is their highest competition score since 2017!
Their final two competitions are NJ State Championships on Saturday, October 30, and Atlantic Coast Championships on Sunday, October 31.
Music Director: Mrs. Croley
Musical Production
Musical Classroom Code: 6idy6mb
National Honor Society
Socktober Drive
The National Honor Society sponsored a SOCKTOBER drive to collect new socks to donate to area homeless shelters.
Tutoring Center
The NHS started up the Tutor Center which has been well attended and is scheduled for every Tuesday after school.
Knock Out Opioid Campaign
The NHS participated in the Knock Out Opioid campaign and created posters to spread awareness for school violence awareness week.
Trunk or Treat Community Event
The NHS co-sponsored the Trunk or Treat event at the Florence Township Fire Department on October 24.
Community Cleanup Event
The NHS participated in the Community Cleanup on October 30.
Local Food Pantries
The NHS continues to collect canned goods which will be used to fill Thanksgiving baskets and will be delivered to local food pantries.
Advisors: Ms. Diaz and Mr. Weatherbee
Newspaper
The members discussed:
- club rules and goals;
- dividing up areas for articles;
- assigning students areas of research and writing;
- deadlines were discussed as well as goals for each meeting;
- publication goals for at least the next two editions;
- established goals for our first short-run edition of the Sentinel--to be published very soon.
Some students began working on teacher interviews for our first publication. We worked on fine-tuning those interviews as well as writing staff biographies.
Advisors: Mrs. Covaci and Mrs. Petosa
No Place for Hate
No Place For Hate
No Place For Hate was busy designing and creating a large banner of Week of Respect. During lunches, our students facilitated a signing event where the goal is to have the entire student body sign the banner AND the No Place For Hate Pledge.
Next week, students will be creating and editing a school climate survey. The survey will be administered to the entire student body and from there, No Place For Hate can design and implement school-wide initiatives aimed at making our school an even more welcoming and inclusive place that represents the diversity of our wonderful community.
Advisor: Ms. Levine
Pit Orchestra
Pit Orchestra is an extra-curricular activity consisting of instrumental music students who perform for the Spring Musical.
Our rehearsals are going to begin in late December or after winter break depending on when the books arrive. If you are interested in being a member of the Pit Orchestra reach out to
Mr. Obetz so he can get you the information you need.
Pit Orchestra Director: Mr. Obetz
Robotics Club
The Robotics Club met to discuss our involvement in the Robotics first competition.
We are processing the paperwork to recover our parts and start planning our robot!
Advisor: Mr. Roberson
Student Council
Student Council
President: Cassaundra Alicea
Vice President: Sarah Olatubosun
Secretary: Maiyah McDuffie
Treasurer: Bella Obayanju
BOE Rep.: John Paul Dunphy
Historians: Jaskiran Mangat and Gabrielle Fleming
Executive Members: Finley Charles, Zaria Harewood and Mikayla Maschke
The Student Council just completed our Annual Spirit Week. We had:
- dress-up days,
- a class banner contest,
- a pumpkin decorating contest and
- class vs. class Kahoot game.
We would like to thank the class advisers and the students who participated to make these events a success.
During this time, the 2021 Homecoming Court was presented to their peers. The court included 20 students from the senior class; ten boys and ten girls. On Friday, October 15, Eamonn Glynn and Zaria Harwood were crowned Homecoming King and Queen 2021.
Student Council is currently participating in Red Ribbon Week by placing paper ribbons with positive and anti-drug messages throughout FHS.
Our annual food drive is also beginning. We are collecting various items to make baskets for those in need from our community. Donations will be accepted at Roebling, Riverfront and the HighSchool through December 11. We are also accepting frozen turkeys, gift cards and monetary donations to offset the cost of items needed to complete meals.
Advisor: Ms. Georgie Rodan
Yearbook
The yearbook is welcoming all students that are interested in joining our staff! Come design this year's book with us! Meetings will be held in Mrs. Holmstedt's room F108 from 2:10 p.m. to 3 p.m. on November 11, November 18, December 2 and December 16.
2021-2022 yearbooks are on sale NOW!
Yearbooks cost $70, are hardcover and full color! Go to the high school website and order from the link under the parent resources tab or use the link below!
Shout out to your student and purchase a yearbook ad today! Click the link below!
Advisors: Mrs. Eckart and Mrs. Holmstedt
From the Desk of Mr. Lamaestra (SAC) Student Assistance Counselor...
The Development of GOOD CHARACTER ...
...is not an isolated skill to be taught in one area of a child’s life. It is an effort of home, school, and community to instill in our young people good values. The development of good character touches our personal development, it impacts our success with academic development in learning, and good character is essential in the workforce to be successful in our careers.
https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2021/09/27/dea-issues-public-safety-alert
Important Resources:
If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about COVID-19, or just want to talk to someone, the following resources are available:
2nd Floor Youth Hotline of New Jersey: 888-222-2228
PerformCare/Mobile Response: 877-652-7624
Camden County Crisis Intervention - Twin Oaks: 856-428-HELP (4357)
New Jersey Mental Health Warm Line (Mental Health Resources): 877-294-4357
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Counseling Support Services:
I'm available for consultation, support, counseling and referral services including:
Academic
Family Alcohol/Drug Use
Technology Dependence
Anxiety and Depression
Divorce
Behavior Management
Other Mental Health Concerns
I'm also available for consultation, support, and referral services. Please contact me via email to make the appropriate arrangements.
Contact Information:
Please contact Mr. Lamaestra, Student Assistance Coordinator, at the high school at (609)499-4620 x 4225 or email me at jlamaestra@florence.k12.nj.us
Counseling Office News
The high school counselors, Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga, invite you to visit the updated Counseling Department website which is accessible from the high school main page or by clicking here. There you will find useful information and links for academic support, mental health resources, college planning and research, post-secondary financial aid, etc.
Seniors
Senior Class College Packets can be found in 12th grade English Google classrooms, the Class of 2022 Google classroom, and on our counseling department website. This PDF packet contains a wealth of information about the college application process. Seniors have a few tasks to do in their Naviance Student accounts, such as requesting recommendation letters and completing the Student Brag Sheet and Scholarship Application. The counselors have visited senior English classes and are meeting with seniors individually to talk with them about post-high school planning.
Colleges Visiting FTMHS
Any senior can meet with any of these college reps to learn about their programs, admissions process, housing, financial aid, etc. You must get a pass ahead of time from Mrs. Gola in the Counseling Office for the day and the time of the visit. Meetings will take place in the Career Room in the Counseling Office. Here are the upcoming dates and times:
- November 2 at 11 a.m. Holy Family University
- November 16 at 11 a.m. Rutgers - Camden
- November 17 at 9:30 a.m. Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC)
- November 30 at 9 a.m. Ramapo College of NJ
College and Trade School Visitations
Students who are researching colleges may be able to do a virtual tour from the college’s website or from virtual tour sites such as https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/.
BCIT Adult Education is a great, local trade school that is taxpayer-funded. Visit their website www.bcit.cc/AdultEdu and click on Registration to learn about their various programs.
College Admissions Testing
The SAT and ACT have undergone significant changes due to COVID-19. Please visit their official websites for the most current information. More than 1,600 four-year colleges and universities are now test-optional for this admissions cycle in response to the effects of the pandemic. Check a particular college’s Admissions Office site for their admissions requirements and testing information before you register for a test.
College Admissions Testing
The SAT and ACT have undergone significant changes due to COVID-19. Please visit their official websites for the most current information. More than 1,600 four-year colleges and universities are now test-optional for this admissions cycle in response to the effects of the pandemic. Check a particular college’s Admissions Office site for their admissions requirements and testing information before you register for a test.
College Financial Aid Information
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2022-23 school year will open on October 1, 2021. You will need information from the parent’s and student’s 2020 tax returns. Visit fafsa.gov to get started.
If you are applying to any New Jersey schools, you can find your state financial aid information on the HESAA website in your NJFAMS account which can be found under the Students tab. https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/Default.aspx
New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority or HESAA has valuable resources for college and career planning and financial assistance. One important ebooklet is the Student Loan Guide. Here is the link to several of their publications and ebooklets: http://www.hesaa.org/Pages/HESAAPublications.aspx
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
All college-bound student-athletes should explore the NCAA eligibility qualifications early in their high school careers. Please visit the following websites for more information: www.eligibilitycenter.org and www.2point3.org
College Cost Calculator-- What does college really cost?
Colleges are required to have a college cost calculator (aka net price calculator) available on their websites. Please check them out when researching colleges.
College Scorecard:
Updated for 2021: Compare colleges and get information on fields of study, salary after graduation, costs, debt load after graduation, etc. It provides clear, accessible, and reliable national data. collegescorecard.ed.gov
Feeling Overwhelmed?
If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about COVID-19 (or anything else) and want to talk to someone, the following resources are available:
2nd Floor Youth Hotline of New Jersey: 888-222-2228
PerformCare/Mobile Response: 877-652-7624
Camden County Crisis Intervention - Twin Oaks: 856-428-HELP (4357)
New Jersey Mental Health Warm Line (Mental Health Resources): 877-294-4357
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
For emergencies: call 911
Counselors: Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga
School Nurse
Gatherings
CDC continues to recommend avoiding large events and gatherings. Currently, CDC does not provide numbers to define small and large events.
Large gatherings bring together many people from multiple households in a private or public space. Large gatherings are often planned events with a large number of guests and invitations. They sometimes involve lodging, event staff, security, tickets, and long-distance travel.
CDC’s large events guidance might apply to events such as conferences, trade shows, sporting events, festivals, concerts, or large weddings and parties.
Small gatherings are informal in nature and may occur with family and friends you regularly socialize with, often at someone’s residence. They typically do not involve long-distance travel.
Small gathering guidance might be more appropriate for social gatherings that are more intimate with close friends and family, such as small holiday parties, family dinners, and small special celebrations.
CDC offers the following guidance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Event planners should work with state and local health officials to implement this guidance, adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. This guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which gatherings must comply.
Promoting Healthy Behaviors that Reduce Spread
Event planners should consider implementing strategies to encourage behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 among staff and attendees.
- Stay Home when Appropriate
- Educate event staff and attendees about when they should stay home.
- Advise event staff and attendees to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, or if they have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19.
- Develop policies that strongly encourage event staff who are sick to stay at home without fear of reprisal, and ensure staff is aware of these policies.
- Consider developing flexible refund policies for attendees for events that involve a participation fee. See additional information about Communication, Leave (Time off) Policies, Back-up Staffing, and more in the sections below.
- CDC criteria can help inform staff about when it is okay to end isolation or quarantine:
- CDC recommends conducting health checks such as temperature screening and other symptom checking of staff and attendees in a way that is safe and respectful, and in accordance with any applicable privacy laws and regulations. It is important to keep in mind that temperature screening and screening of symptoms alone may not prevent someone from attending the event who has COVID-19.
- Physical (Social) Distancing
- Adjust the size of an event based on the ability of attendees from different households to stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart.
- Remind attendees upon arrival to stay at least 6 feet away from people who don’t live with them.
- Discourage attendees and staff from greeting others with physical contact (for example, handshakes). Include this reminder on signs about physical distancing.
- Find additional information below about how to modify layouts and maintain healthy environments.
- Masks
- Require that staff and attendees wear well-fitting masks that fit completely over their noses and mouths. Make a plan beforehand for how compliance will be monitored and ensured.
- Encourage attendees ahead of the event to bring and use masks at the event. Consider having masks on-hand to provide to staff and attendees who do not bring their own.
- Advise staff and attendees that masks should not be placed on babies or children younger than 2 years old, anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
- The following categories of people are exempt from the requirement to wear a mask:
- A child under the age of 2 years.
- A person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, for reasons related to the disability.
- A person for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty as determined by the workplace risk assessment external icon.
- Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
- Require staff and attendees to wash their hands frequently (for example, before, during, and after taking tickets, or after touching garbage) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence.
- If soap and water are not readily available, staff and attendees can use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub their hands until dry.
- Encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors. If possible, keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard.
- Adequate Supplies
- Ensure that you have adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene pdf icon[290 KB, 2 pages] Supplies include soap, water, hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, a way to dry hands (e.g., paper towels, hand dryer), tissues, disinfectant wipes, masks (as feasible), and no-touch trash cans.
- Signs and Messages
- Post signs in highly visible locations (for example, at entrances, in restrooms) that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread pdf icon[ 468 KB, 1 page] of germs by properly wearing a mask, physical distancing, and washing hands.
- Broadcast regular announcements on reducing the spread of COVID-19 on public address systems.
- Include messages (for example, videos) about behaviors that prevent spread of COVID-19 when communicating with staff, vendors, and attendees (such as on the invitation, on the event website, and through event social media accounts).
- Consider developing signs and messages in multiple languages and formats (for example, large print, braille, American Sign Language) for people who have limited vision or are blind or people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Learn more about reaching people of diverse languages and cultures by visiting: Know Your Audience.
- Find freely available CDC print and digital resources about COVID-19 on CDC’s communications resources main page.
New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub
The COVID-19 Information Hub is now online. The New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub provides New Jerseyans with the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the State's response, including information about services such as food assistance and small business assistance.
Visit the COVID-19 Information Hub.
Nurse: Mrs. Emery
Athletic Department--Contact Information:
The Fall season is quickly coming to a close. Please remember to come out and support our teams during their playoff push.
Senior Night Dates:
Football/Band/Cheer: November 25 at 11 a.m.
Freddy Flash:
If you are interested in being our school mascot, “Freddy Flash.” Please email the Athletic Director at kkaminskas@florence.k12.nj.us to express your interest. Thank you.
October Student-Athletes of the Month
Boys' Soccer - Dan Carrillo-Avila
Cheerleading - Busayo "Sarah" Olatubosun
Field Hockey - Bridget Lloyd
Football - Darien Woody
Girls' Soccer - Ashlynn Brennan
Volleyball - Alina Borota
Fall Sports Records and Rankings
Boys' Soccer:
Boys' Soccer record (15-4)
Currently, the #1 seed in Central Jersey Group 1.
Boys Soccer will be home for the playoffs. Please come out and support the team. The dates are below:
Monday, November 1, vs Asbury Park 3 p.m.
Thursday, November 4, vs TBD.
Monday, November 8, vs TBD.
Thursday, November 11, vs TBD.
@FTSD_BoysSoccer.
Cheerleading:
Making banners for all our home games.
Preparing for the pep rally.
They will be cheering at our Thanksgiving Game on November 25 at 11 a.m. Please come out and support the team.
Girls' Soccer:
Girls' Soccer record (6-12).
They are the #11 seed heading into the playoffs.
They will play their first playoff game on November 2 @ Bound Brook at 4 p.m.
@FTSD_girlsSoccer.
Field Hockey:
Field Hockey record (14-3).
They are the #5 seed heading into the playoffs.
They won their first playoff game on October 25 against Wallkill Valley 2-0.
They will travel to Glen Ridge in the second round of playoffs on November 1 @ 2 p.m.
@FTSDFieldHockey
Volleyball:
Volleyball record (13-8).
They are the #3 seed heading into the playoffs.
They received a bye in the first round.
The team will play at home on November 1 @ 5:30 p.m. in the second round of playoffs vs Roselle Park.
@FTSD_Volleyball.
Football:
Football record (3-4).
The team is waiting to see if they qualify for the playoffs.
@FTSD_football.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Contact Information:
Kyle Kaminskas, Athletic Director/Assistant Principal --Extension 4150
Carly Jones, AD Secretary (609)-499-4620, Extension 4149
Drew Andrews, Athletic Trainer--Extension 4154.
John Cogan, Principal--Extension 4202.
Maria E. Sadar, Vice Principal--Extension 4204.
Also, make sure to follow us for up-to-date Athletic information on our Facebook page @FlorenceAthletics and our Twitter Account @FTSD_athletics. Any indoor sporting event will be streamed on our Youtube page @ FTSD Athletics.
Visit the Florence Athletic Schedule Website for game dates, times, locations, and any changes due to weather.
GO FLASHES!
Florence Township Memorial High School
Website: www.florence.k12.nj.us
Location: 1050 Cedar Lane, Florence, NJ, 08016
Phone: (609) 499-4620
Twitter: @FTSD_HS