BCIT MEDFORD NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2018
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
The school year is flying along as we look to head into Winter Break. It is always amazing how fast the school year moves as it only seemed like weeks ago that we opened our doors back in September.
We just finished our first PARCC testing window for the 2018-19 school year as both semester one Math and Language Arts students have successfully completed the required state testing. When we return in January, the guidance department will schedule any students that need to make up any missed sessions.
Parents and students are reminded that our first semester Non-Credit make up sessions will begin in January. The dates for credit make-up are posted under the school calendar on our web page. Please visit the Medford homepage to review the new attendance policy!!!
A lot of great things are happening at the Medford campus, so please be sure to scroll through the newsletter and enjoy all the stories and pictures of all the recent happenings on campus!
The BCIT family would like to wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday season. Stay warm and be sure to enjoy this special time of year with friends and family.
Happy Holiday’s
Mike Parker
________________________________________________________________________________________________
GUIDANCE/TESTING/SCHEDULING/SENIOR NEWS
PARCC testing for Semester One English classes will take place December 11th - 13th.
PARCC testing for Semester One Algebra II and Geometry courses will take place December 18th - 20th. Make-up testing for English and Math will take place January 8th - 10th.
Attention Juniors and Seniors - please check the BCIT-Medford Guidance webpage for updated information in regards to Scholarship Opportunities.
ASVAB testing will be on December 5th.
We are offering the RCBC placement test, the Accuplacer, on Tuesday, February 5th for registered Seniors. Please contact your student’s guidance counselor with any questions in regards to this assessment.
Congratulations to Henry Huber!
________________________________________________________________________________________________
AWESOME JOB BY OUR STUDENT COUNCIL!
Thank you to all the students and staff that helped make this all possible. A special thank you to all those that donated the turkeys and a special shout out to Mrs. McCardell for continuing the tradition of having her girl scout troop supply the pies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
STUDENT ACTIVITY ORGANIZATIONS
BCIT-Medford offers a wide range of student activity organizations. We recommend and encourage all students to become involved in at least one club/organization. Feel free to contact the staff advisors and see how you can become involved. Additional information may be found on the school website under Student Life. Click HERE to view our student activities.
Medford Tech is happy to announce that our online payments are currently active for General Obligation (ID’s, books, etc.) and Senior Trip payments. To make an online payment please click HERE and create a MySchoolBucks account. Then find your product and make a payment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
WINTER SPORTS
Our Winter Sports season is just getting started and our teams are beginning to compete at various competitions and games across the state. The Athletic Participation Consent Form has been revised and is available on the school’s website for download. All student-athletes and his/her parent/guardian must sign and submit this form to the Athletic Director’s office at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the sports season in order to participate. More information is available on the Athletics website.
*ALL STUDENT-ATHLETES MUST SUBMIT THE REQUIRED ATHLETIC PACKET TO THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE TO GET CLEARED - THERE IS A DIRECT LINK HERE
Winter Coaching Staff:
· Boys Basketball - Nick Powell npowell@burlcoschools.org
· Boys and Girls Bowling - Jeff Pensabene jpensabene@burlcoschools.org
· Cheerleading - Victoria Danser vdanser@burlcoschools.org
· Girls Basketball - Edward Kenney ekenney@burlcoschools.org
Please come out and support our Jaguar Athletic Teams. The bowling team competes at Medford Lanes. The boys and girls basketball and cheerleading teams compete in the gymnasium on campus. For schedules to all events and games click HERE
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
PHYSICAL EXAMS
The State of New Jersey requires that all students must pass a licensed physician’s or licensed nurse practitioners physical examination prior to participation in any sport. Physical exams are valid for 365 days. Student-athletes must submit a completed physical examination packet to the Athletic Director’s Office at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the sports season they intend to participate in. Only the “Preparticipation Physical Evaluation” forms, approved by the NJ Department of Education, will be accepted. Students may not participate until the school physician has approved their physical exam. If a physical exam was completed more than 90 days prior to the start of the sports season a Seasonal Update Form must be completed and submitted to the Athletic Director’s Office.
Physical exams are being offered at school by appointment only on the date listed below. Students must make an appointment for the physical with the nurse prior to the specific physical date. To schedule an appointment by phone please call 609-654-0200 and ask for the school nurse.
Tuesday, December 4th @ BCIT-Medford (in nurse’s office)
GET INVOLVED and be proactive to make the most out of your high school experience!
For your convenience, please visit the link below to access the Required Athletic Packet: *Every student-athlete must submit the required athletic packet to be cleared for athletic participation.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
STUDENT ATHLETE INFORMATION
Any senior student-athlete wishing to compete in the NCAA Division I or II must complete an application through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Click HERE to register. You must complete this process to receive any type of athletic scholarship money! Student athletes are reminded to send their SAT and ACT test scores to the Eligibility Center by entering the code “9999” in the box when registering for the tests. Any senior student-athlete wishing to compete in the NAIA level must register through the NAIA Eligibility Center. Click HERE to register. You must complete this process to receive any type of athletic scholarship money!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEDFORD TECH APPAREL
Please check out our online spirit wear store to get your Medford Tech apparel. It can be customized for any academic, career major content area, club/activity or athletic team. The items are shipped directly to your house. Please click HERE to take you directly to the online store.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
BCIT MEDFORD CTE NEWS
Congratulations to BCIT APA alumni Jahmar R. Ortiz on his run of "A Bicycle Country". We are so proud of everything you have accomplished. Keep working hard!!!
A bicycle can symbolize life. It is composed of two wheels that turn constantly. However, when visualizing a wheel, it is difficult to determine which direction it is moving.
That’s exactly what senior Alisar Awwad was trying to capture in her production of “A Bicycle Country,” a play she directed that focuses on the journey of Cuban immigrants.
“A Bicycle Country” was performed in the Earl McCarroll Studio Theatre in Dillingham Center from Sept. 22 through Sept. 29. This student-run production is the first play hosted at Dillingham that is composed of an all people-of-color cast. It is a story that explores the Cuban Rafter Crisis and the hardships many immigrants had to overcome to make an adequate life for themselves. It delves into the concept that life is like a wheel — there are always ups and downs and obstacles that stand in the way of immigrants who are simply seeking a fulfilled life.
“‘A Bicycle Country’ goes beyond a historic perspective and more toward a metaphor,” Awwad said.
The play is set during the 1990s when Cuba’s economy was dramatically deteriorating. People were living in extreme poverty. The state of the economy affected transportation to the point where the government issued bicycles to allresidents so they could get to where they needed to go. Food became scarce, and residents were left with basically nothing.
“A Bicycle Country” shares the story of three Cuban exiles in search of a better life, and, as Awwad said, the lives they deserve. The three main characters, Pepe (junior Usman Ali Ishaq), Julio (sophomore Jahmar Ortiz) and Ines (senior Sara Gutierrez), are specifically seeking freedom throughout their journey from Cuba. These “freedoms-from” compose the major themes seen throughout the play. Julio, who is recovering from a stroke, seeks freedom from the restrictions of his own physical body. Another character, Pepe, is in search of freedom from loneliness and is searching to find a way to love himself. Lastly, the third character, Ines, seeks freedom from location. Her hopes and dreams are hindered by her upbringing because in Cuba’s economic state, it is impossible for her to grow and reach her full potential.
The play illustrates how upon entering a new country, hope for self-improvement is instilled in the minds of many immigrants. However, when arriving at a new, unknown country, a place where these characters hope to someday call home, they face a multitude of restrictions. Awwad said the concept of whether these characters are moving forward or backward — hence the bicycle metaphor — comes into question as well.
By working with a cast that was entirely made up of students of color, Awwad said there was no need to educate the cast about the oppression immigrants face because they were already well aware of the oppression and hardship the play expresses due to their own lives and cultural experiences.
“I’m no longer educating people on experiences and what it means to be an immigrant,” Awwad said. “I save time working with people who have similar experiences, understandings or identities that they can pull from in order to understand the story.”
Awwad also said that working with an all people-of-color cast felt empowering and eye-opening.
“Finding people of color has changed my perspective,” Awwad said. “We don’t have to erase aspects of who we are, but rather are given an opportunity for our identities to bloom and flourish in the rehearsals.”
Ishaq, a first-generation student, said he believes being a part of this all people-of-color cast as one of the main characters, Pepe, was an incredible experience.
“There’s new levels of consciousness,” Ishaq said. “We’re able to understand each other through their own afflictions. It’s so joyous the way the life of the text comes out so authentically.”
Awwad also said that she hopes this play will help people to recognize today’s societal problems with xenophobia.
“When we think about the refugee crisis, we think about how many people died — not who died and what they died for,” Awwad said. “We reached a point in society where we are okay with people risking their lives on these dingy rafts and tires, crossing borders in order to seek a better life, as opposed to helping each other out and building each other up.”
Awwad said the main goal of sharing Nilo Cruz’s story is to foster a more open-minded approach to how students on campus view immigration. Awwad said she hopes this story will spark conversation among students on campus and elsewhere.
“I hope people will go and do something with the stories they hear,” Awwad said.
Junior Isaac Bale saw “A Bicycle Country” on Sept. 23.
Bale said the play was very powerful in capturing the story of the Cuban Rafter Crisis. He also said the play made him realize that the stories portrayed in “A Bicycle Country” are still happening today.
“It gives you a true example,” Bale said. “It just makes you think of things that happened in the past, but it also makes you aware that stories like this one are still going on today.”
Ishaq said there are many different messages and themes that compose this play, but the concept of love stood out to him when portraying his character.
“There is always a time to love regardless of what’s going on in life,” Ishaq said.
By Maia Noah — Contributing Writer "The Ithacan"
Published: October 2, 2018
And to add to Jahmar's Kudos list - The 14th annual Syracuse New Times Syracuse Area Live Theater (SALT) Awards
- Sean Patrick Doyle, Chicago (Hangar)
- Camden Garcia, Newsies (Cortland Repertory)
- Jared Brendon Hopper, Pride and Prejudice (Hangar)
- Kyle Knisley, Saturday Night Fever (Cortland Repertory)
- Jahmar Ortiz, Saturday Night Fever(Cortland Repertory)
- Graham Stevens, Xanadu (Hangar)
Thank you to everyone who came out to the 2nd annual APA Car Show on October 13th.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Lenor Mazahreh and Isabella Pacione, 9th grade Vocal Majors in the Academy of Performing Arts, on their acceptance to the South Jersey Junior High Chorus. They will perform with the chorus at the end of January. Congratulations!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
APA Preparing for the Fall Show
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Class of 2020 Homecoming Dance
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Construction Apprenticeship Expo
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you to everyone that donated to the Health Occupations Blood Drive
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEDFORD NHS INDUCTION CEREMONY
Congratulations to the 2018-19 BCIT Medford National Honor Society inductees.
Each student displayed outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and character. We are proud of your accomplishments and wish you the best as you continue your education and pursuit of excellence.
SAVE THE DATE! BCIT WINTER DISCOVERY NIGHT
February 21, 2019*
6 - 8 p.m.
Westampton & Medford Campuses
*Snow Date 2/27
________________________________________________________________________________________________