September was a busy month--replete with exciting activities and the opportunity for students and staff members to set the stage for an excellent new school year. As we move into October, you will see that VTHS has even more opportunities for students to engage in our educationally-sound and exciting school environment.

Thank you for all you do to ensure that your children are arriving to school prepared to learn--that task does not end when they become young adults--it just changes!

At Vernon Township High School, we will continue to focus on the New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning Competencies and Sub-Competencies during the 2019-2020 school year.

"We define emotional intelligence as the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions." ~Salovey and Mayer

On Friday, October 4th, 22 VTHS students attended the annual Pass It Along Leadership Conference at Sussex County Community College and arrived back to school enthusiastic about sharing all that they have learned with their peers!

Pass It Along is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build confident, compassionate, and resilient teenagers through leadership, volunteerism, and self-discovery. This is the first time Vernon Township High School has participated in the conference and we are very excited about the opportunity to work with these student leaders--and Mrs. Gonzales, Mrs. Merck and Mrs. Romeo, who accompanied the students to the conference--in order to make a positive impact on the entire student body.

This year, the VTHS School Climate Committee is working together with Key Club to organize the Week of Respect, which is scheduled for the week of October 7th through October 11th. As has been the tradition in the past, there are daily themes that promote kindness and awareness of several social issues.

Please help us in promoting participation and extra kindness throughout the week!

Monday (10/7) - Wear blue shirts for World Day of Bullying Prevention. The school has been registered with the national initiative called Stomp Out Bullying.

Tuesday (10/8) - Wear clothing with numbers for Everybody Counts Day, promoting respect for others and random acts of kindness.

Wednesday (10/9) - Wear mismatched clothing in an effort to show how school is a safe place to be yourself.

Thursday (10/10) - Wear school spirit clothing to promote a united front against bullying and acting instead as upstanders.

Friday (10/11) - Dress up like a superhero - today is HERO day – which stands for Help... Encourage...Respect Others.

In an effort to extend our acts of kindness beyond the walls of Vernon Township High School, we will be holding a food drive throughout the Week of Respect. Please encourage your child to bring in a non-perishable food item each day. If everyone participates, this will enable us to donate over 5,000 food items to local food pantries!

Thank you for your support!

On Tuesday, October 8th, our freshman class will experience an assembly with Keith Hawkins. This is an annual event for VTHS and is always well-received. We would like to sincerely thank Mr. and Mrs. Flannery and the students from DECA for always assisting in making this program possible.

Please click on the link below to review the Keith Hawkins website and learn more about his life-changing program.

Vernon Township High School has been provided with the opportunity to present a new musical about opioid abuse and its impact on teens and families. "Anytown" was developed in partnership with the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and RWKBarnabas Health in response to the devastating impact prescription opioid misuse, heroin, and fentanyl have had on communities throughout New Jersey. Key research and feedback during the development of this musical was provided by RWKBarnabas Health's Institute for Prevention and Recovery.

All VTHS students will be attending a presentation of "Anytown" on Wednesday, October 9th. In order to accommodate the programs, we will be following a unique schedule for the day. Students will attend all classes for shortened periods.(If your senior follows an early dismissal on a daily basis, please have them stop by the office for more details about their day.)

The VTHS administration would like to thank Mr. Byrne, Mrs. McAloney and Mrs. Romeo, who played key roles in making this program possible.

The link below is a Study Guide for "Anytown," which is filled with information about the production:

On Monday, October 14th, students will follow an Early Dismissal Day schedule and will dismiss at 11:20 am. This early dismissal schedule will allow faculty members to participate in a variety of professional development opportunities.

There will be no afterschool activities on these days and the Student Center will be closed. All students must depart the high school at 11:20 am on October 14th.

On Wednesday, October 16th, all 10th and 11th grade students will be taking the PSAT assessment following homeroom in the gymnasium and/or wrestling room. Students will all report to homeroom, where attendance will be taken prior to the start of the exam. Sophomores and juniors will be missing periods 1 through 4, but will be attending periods 5 through 9.

Please note that all 9th and 12th grade students will also have a full day of school and will be attending classes during periods 1 through 9.

Mr. Russ Rogers, Director of Math, Science and Testing sent a letter to the parents/guardians of all 10th and 11th grade students in September, which delineates the particulars of the PSAT.

This year, VTHS will offer four opportunities for parents/guardians to visit the high school to discuss their children's progress.For your convenience, there will be 2 afternoon and 2 evening conference sessions offered. The schedule is listed below.

Please make every effort to attend Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences this year to ensure that 2019-2020 is a successful experience for your child.

In order to accommodate the conference schedule, students will be dismissed at 11:20 am on each of these days. There will be no afterschool activities on these days and the Student Center will be closed. All students must depart the high school at 11:20 am, unless otherwise instructed by their coaches or advisers. Thank you.

On Wednesday, October 30th during period 2, all students whose parents/guardians have granted permission for them to do so, will take an anonymous survey on their attitudes and behaviors regarding tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. The information will provide the Vernon Coalition, a Center for Prevention and Counseling program, assistance in the evaluation of current drug prevention programs and assess the need for new and/or modified programs.

You can visit www.pridesurveys.com for a sample questionnaire and more information about the company itself.

We would like to thank all of the parents/guardians who have provided permission for their children to be surveyed.

Following the tradition that began last year at VTHS, all students will be permitted to wear Onesies on Halloween if they would like to dress in costume on that day.

This will be a fundraiser for the junior class and further information will be forthcoming!

The VTHS Guidance Department is busily preparing informative evening sessions for all of our students--and their parents/guardians--as they apply to college.

Please take advantage of these wonderful opportunities by reviewing their flyer and joining them!

Please consider encouraging your child participate in this year's What's Your Anti-Drug contest.

The submission form is located below:

Josh Gottheimer has shared a flyer about Service Academy Night, which will be held on October 7, 2019 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Bergenfield High School Auditorium.

Please see the flyer below:

Pride in Action brings together and educates LGBTQ+ and allied youth in an inclusive space for self-discovery, support and action. Pride in Action is open to all individuals.

Please see below for more information:

"Some people think only intellect counts:

knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by,

knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it.

But the functions of intellect are insufficient

without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy."

~Dean Koontz

Thank you for allowing us to work with you and your child during the 2019-2020 school year.

If we may be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.