The month of February was an exciting time at Hillcrest Academy North. We welcome Ms. Flores, Spanish teacher, who has brought such energy to her classroom and the building at large. This is her first time teaching at HAN and has certainly lived up to her "Rockstar" status district-wide. Students have all commented on how "great" she is and how much they are learning in her class. "Friendship and Cooperation" was the SEL theme of the month. Students enjoyed activities in their classes that were spirited in this theme. They celebrated Black History month by decorating a bulletin board and opening up a dialogue in the classes. Valentine's Day was celebrated with a bake sale where students did their own baking at home and sold these items as a fund-raiser for an end of the year activity. Community Service Projects were attended at the Elizabeth Public Library by numerous students who need to earn hours in community service as a requirement for graduation. Lastly, I enjoyed conducting a "Mid-Point Review" with all HAN students where we celebrated our first semester accomplishments and discussed expectations for semester two.

Great job, HAN Students and Staff!

Mission, Teamwork, and Communication!

March 1, 2023 - SATs in Elizabeth for select students

March 17, 2023- SEL Day

March 24, 2023- HAN Career Day

Phadnerson is our student of the month! Phadnerson is a graduating senior and a constant source of positivity at HAN. He embodies all of the qualities of student of the month, integrity, determination, citizenship, and respect. Phadnerson is always willing to help anyone who needs it, whether it be tutoring a fellow classmate in math class or assisting Mr. Jones carrying cases of water into the building. Phadnerson is looking forward to graduating in June and the staff at HAN cannot wait to see what he will accomplish in the future!

Mrs. Goldenberg is the Social Worker at Hillcrest Academy North and is a crucial part of the day to day life at Hillcrest Academy North! Mrs. Goldenberg has worked at HAN for 10 years, is a mom of two, and is a Rubik's Cube master! She graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and minored in Human Development and Family Studies. Mrs. Goldenberg later attended Rutgers University to earn her Masters Degree in Social Work. Her favorite thing about working at HAN is "the students and staff, I love coming to work everyday because everyday is different!" After the post about Mrs. Goldenberg was published on the HAN Instagram, current and former students loved and commented on the post saying "The absolute best" and "She helps me get through the day." Mrs. Goldenberg brings a positive energy to the building and all her hard work is greatly appreciated by the students and staff!

This month has been an exciting one for science students at HAN. All classes continued their mastery of analyzing nonfiction text through the use of online scientific journals and traditional print media such as newspapers and mainstream science magazines. Biology classes learned about the concepts of osmosis and diffusion through a novel "gummy bear" lab - learning and snacks! Environmental science students applied their knowledge of Earth's structure by creating detailed scientific illustrations drawn to scale by hand. They look amazing hanging on the classroom wall! Forensic science students used their newly burgeoning evidence collection skills to gather and analyze latent fingerprints - look out crooks! All young scientists will continue their studies next month with hands-on laboratory studies dealing with genetics, the water cycle, and impression evidence.

This month in Algebra, students have been exploring the many ways to analyze consistent rates of change. Students spent time collecting data in tables, charts and Google sheets. Clearly understanding independent and dependent variables in all situations over time was helpful in developing multiple representations, such as linear graphs or functions and equations. The class practiced finding the rates of growth in plants and the rates of depreciation of the values of vehicles. These lessons help students understand how Algebra is a beneficial tool to avoid being taken advantage of and make precise calculations for what to expect.

Geometry students have been studying all properties of triangles, using given information and theorems to calculate missing angles and side lengths. Mrs. Machado supplied sticks of different lengths to demonstrate the Triangle Inequality Theorem. Triangles are particularly important because arbitrary polygons (with 4, 5, 6, or n sides) can be decomposed into triangles. Thus, understanding the basic properties of triangles allows for deeper study of these larger polygons that will be discussed in upcoming chapters.

Hillcrest Academy North assists students from the Elizabeth Public School District in reaching their full potential by providing an alternative to the traditional high school setting. We offer smaller class sizes with a rigorous and challenging high school curriculum that is aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and prepares students for college and career. Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and empowering school environment that fosters lifelong learning, mutual respect, creativity, and the joy of learning, with an effective, caring, innovative staff, in partnership with home and the community.

Mr. John Marquet, Principal

Mr. Thomas Van Cleef, Supervisor of Instruction

Location: 2630 Plainfield Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Phone Number: (908) 233-9366

Website: https://ucesc.org/schools/hillcrest_academy_north