Hillcrest Academy North
April 2023
Principal's Message
The month of April was an exciting time at Hillcrest Academy North. Students are very productive in the classrooms and are enjoying learning the content. Our second incentive trip took place at the Woodbridge Community Center where ALL students enjoyed roller skating together. Students commented on how much they enjoyed being with one another outside of HAN while some were thrilled to try roller skating for the first time. Our seniors enjoyed a morning at Union County College on April 21, 2023 touring the campus, hearing from admission representatives, and exploring majors they are interested in. Community Service Projects continue to be attended at the Elizabeth Public Library by numerous students especially those in need of community service hours. It is certainly a pleasure to see how hard students are working in the classes during my daily walk-throughs. Students are engaged, curious, asking great questions, and trusting one another in taking certain academic risks in the classroom. Very well done!
Great job, HAN Students and Staff!
Mission, Teamwork, and Communication!
Regards,
Mr. Marquet
Please look to the link found at the bottom of this page for our feedback survey. We are always interested in getting better!
Upcoming Dates
May 5th - Cinco de Mayo Celebration
May 8-12th - State Testing
May 29th - Memorial Day - No School
May 31st - Credit Retrieval Deadline
Student of the Month
Leslie
Leslie is a junior and has been at HAN for two years. She excels academically, is a compassionate friend, and is an extremely talented artist. Leslie most recently helped Mrs. Flores with the Spanish classes Cultural and Women's History Month Projects. Leslie drew the outlines for all of the projects that the other students filled in. The hallways of HAN are now decorated with Leslie's drawings!
Teacher Spotlight
Mr. Van Cleef, Supervisor of Instruction
Mr. Van Cleef has worked at Hillcrest Academy North for ten years! He started as a Social Studies Teacher and is now in his second year as the Supervisor of Instruction for both Hillcrest Academy North and South. Mr. Van Cleef's positive energy radiates throughout the building and students are constantly seeking him out for assistance and advice. Mr. Van Cleef is a dedicated administrator and always encourages and supports staff members. HAN students and staff are lucky to have Mr. Van Cleef as the Supervisor of Instruction!
Classroom Spotlights
Mrs. Flores, Spanish Teacher
This month students are working on the unit “La Familia y Las Tradiciones / Comida” in Spanish class. Students distinguished the similarities and differences between the patterns of family celebrations of the target culture related to activities, family, and celebrations of the local culture in different Spanish countries. This unit fits precisely in the social studies component of high school standards, where students are exposed to different experiences, family traditions, and lifestyles of other people around the world with “La Quinceanera”. Then, as an assessment students will research different Holidays, traditions, culture and food around the world, which exposes them to a variety of cultures, families and traditions in other countries (as well as their own). The experiences help the students identify the similarities and differences, so they can grow a deeper level of appreciation and respect for others. Moreover, the Spanish classes are preparing a "Cinco de Mayo" celebration (assembly) for Friday May 5th. This celebration will help to develop a culture for learning by communicating a passion of the students to work together in different ways. They would create research projects in each of my classes and share with their peers and staff.
Mrs. Goldenberg, Social Worker
April has been a busy and productive month in the social work office! There has been a lot of focus on graduating seniors -- meetings held with each student to discuss graduation status and/or concerns being one of them. We also visited the campus of Union College of New Jersey (formerly Union County College) and had a representative from NJ HESAA come speak with seniors and help them with the financial aid progress. Additionally, SEL classes have been in line with the theme of the month of Responsibility and Self care: discussing progress for the year until this point as well as a lesson on being a Grump vs. an Optimist. The social worker also meets with students daily regarding social, personal, or school related issues as needed and communicates with parents on a regular basis regarding these concerns. Finally, scheduling and credit retrieval has been monitored by the social work office for the past several months.
April at HAN
School Leadership
HAN Junior Felipe offered to help Mr. Mojovich and Ms. Miller by taking photos of students and staff for the Yearbook. Felipe followed a list of photos needed, found the necessary people, and used the iPad to take the pictures. The HAN Yearbook is now complete thanks to Felipe's efforts! He even took a great selfie with Mrs. Di Carlo!
Student Culture
HAN Custodian Mr. Jones and senior student Isaiah helped Ms. Rivas work on a special video project! Students and staff members shared words about how important HAN is to them and the impact the school has made. We cannot wait to see the final project!
Social Emotional Learning
April is a busy month for HAN seniors preparing for graduation and life after Hillcrest! Mrs. Goldenberg has been meeting individually with students and using time in the Social Emotional Learning weekly sessions to review students' status with Credit Retrieval, Community Service, and yearly grades. Students are focused and excited for the fourth Marking Period!
Theme of the Month: Responsibility and Self-Care
Economics Class - Credit Cards
Students in Ms. Miller's Economics classes completed their lessons about credit cards with a project to help them decide if they are ready for a credit card and which beginner card might be good for them. Economics students have spent all year learning information and skills that that will help them become financial independent.
Self Care Corner
Students are able to visit the Self Care Corner outside the Main Office! We currently have books and personal care items available for the students to use. Students are encouraged to advocate for themselves and their Social Emotional needs and the focus on Self-Care this month allowed students to improve upon those skills.
Principal's Awards
Every month, HAN staff nominate students for Principal's Awards! Fitting with the April theme of Responsibility, the awards of Integrity, Most Respectful, and Best Citizen were awarded to students who rose above and beyond the standard expectations.
School in the Community
Roller Skating Field Trip!
HAN students and staff were able to enjoy a trip to the roller skating rink to start off Spring Break! Everyone was able to rent skates and test out their balancing skills while skating around the rink. Students were also able to play games at the arcade and spent time with their friends. Everyone who went on the trip raved about how much fun they had!
UCC Senior Trip
HAN seniors along with Mrs. Goldenberg and Ms. Rosenfield were able to take a trip to Union County College! Students learned about the different programs available at UCC and were able to take a tour of the campus. We are excited to see the seniors take the next steps in their education!
HESAA Presentation
A representative from the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority visited HAN and presented to students interested in attending college next year. The representative explained the different options of paying for college and then helped students complete their FASFA applications!
Click the link above to complete the UCESC Feedback Survey!
About HAN
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