A  chronicle  of  the  excellence  at  Parsippany  High  School  Vol. 6, Issue 4 (June 2016)

Hello  RedHawks,    Well  we  made  it.  Graduation  and  summer  are  here.    It  has  been  a  real  pleasure  working  alongside  the  students  of  PHS  for  the  past  ten  months.  We  are  so  proud  of  their  hard  work  and  all  that  they  have  accomplished.    Between  ACDEC  and  our  Baseball  and  Softball  State  Championships,  it  has  been  a  great  spring.    Throw  in  NHS  Inductions,  Senior  Awards,  the  Spring  Musical  and  multiple  concerts  and  it  becomes  amazing.  We  will  miss  the  Class  of  2016—best  of  luck  to  them  in  all  that  they  pursue!  

Dr. Mulroony

September 6 – Freshmen Orientation 7 – First Day of Classes 12-16 – Spirit Week 16 – Frosh Day & Pep Rally 22 – Senior Bleacher Picture

October 3 – No School Rosh Hashana 12 – No School Yom Kippur 16 – Making Strides Walk  

PAR HIGH TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

Congrats to our amazing English Teacher Mrs. Julianne Sanchez who was named the PHS Teacher of the Year and was recognized at a June BOE Meeting. Congrats also to Mr. David Sabella who was surprised with the District’s “Distinguished Faculty Award” at the same BOE Meeting. Mr. Sabella was chosen as the best secondary educator for the entire district.

BABY MINICHIELLO Congrats to our Italian Teacher, Mrs. Angela Minichiello who had a baby girl, Vittoria Sara Garcia (7 lbs. 8 oz.), on June 13th.

HISTORIC DAY FOR PAR HIGH ATHLETICS

Friday, June 3rd will be a day we will always remember at Parsippany High School. Both our Baseball and Softball teams hosted State Sectional Finals and claimed State Titles in front of hundreds of loyal Redhawk fans. For the softball team, it was their 2nd consecutive North II, Group II Title. They were the 4th seeded team and upset Hanover Park before blanking Lodi 10-0 in the final. The baseball team a more circuitous route to their championship, coming in as the 8th seed and having to upset top-seeded Rutherford and 4th seeded Harrison on the road before defeating Lyndhurst 6-1 in the finals. It was the first baseball State championship in 36 years. Congrats to both teams and coaching staffs.

In This Issue… p. 2 Student Council Election Results p. 3 PowderPuff Results; Anti-Drunk Driving Program p. 4 Redstock a Success; Hawkeye Award Winners p. 5 Patracuolla wins Mr. PHS p. 6 Baseball Makes Group 2 State Final p. 7 Softball Repeats as State Champs p. 9 Spring Band Recap; South Korean Visit p. 11 Micro-Fiction Contest Winner; ACDEC Nationals p. 10 Scholars of the Month; Redstock Sponsor List p. 14 Top 11 Sports Stories of 2015-16  

 

THE MARCH OF THE TIN MEN This month our some of our Geometry students learned about surface area by creating a man (also robots, sheep, and unicorns) then calculating the surface area. It was a cooperative project set up to help students work together to determine the amount of tin foil they would need to cover their man. The students got to show their math skills and their creativity while having fun!  

GOLF TEAM HIT THE LINKS The PHS golf team finished with a 3-13 record this season. However, the future looks brighter with two impressive freshmen, Dominick Migliazza and Kevin Weiss on the rise. Sophomores Alex Cavaluzzo and Nick Garafano also improved and look to bolster the team next year. Seniors Anthony Gerardo and Michael Lindner added leadership and depth to the squad. Dominick Migliazza earned 2nd Team All Conference and Nick Garafano earned Honorable Mention All Conference.

ALL-AMERICAN GOHN Congrats to PHS junior PJ Gohn who took 6th place at the UWW Cadet Greco Roman Wrestling Nationals, his 3rd All-American finish.  

ITALIAN EXCHANGE COMING IN THE FALL

PHS continues to go global! World Language Italian students at PHS are getting ready to host for their first ever Italian exchange students in September 2016. They are excited to finally meet their foreign exchange students and to utilize their Italian knowledge. They also can’t wait to share our American culture and language with their new friends. Please help us give the young Italian students from Siena, Italy a warm welcome in September 2016!  

STUDENT COUNCIL AWARDS Our PHS Student Council was honored at the June NJASC Awards Ceremony with two awards: 1- A State Charity Award for our work for and towards the state charity, Hope Loves Company. 2- A Community Smiles Award for the MANY hours of community service supplied by the students and staff of PHS. PHS still boasts the largest Student Council in all of New Jersey and surely one of the best!  STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS

Here are your 2016-17 Student Council and Class Officers: Class of 2019 (Sophs) Pres: Tyler Grieco VP: Chris Davanzo Sec: Juliana Smith Treas: Kevin Weiss Class of 2018 (Juniors) Pres: Sebastian Abreu VP: Ethan Kaplan Sec: Aahna Ghosh Treas: Udhay Khullar Class of 2017 (Seniors) Pres: Matt Michalik VP: Lexie Tymikiw Sec: Zachary Imp Treas: Spencer Huang Executive Board Pres: Cristina Fernandez VP: Sara Di Pippa Sec: Salena Le Donne Treas: Khalid Alzubi BOE Rep: Olivia Leon At-Large: Sydney Clark, Dominique La Capra, Patrick Lanigan, Maliha Mannan, Hamza Naqvi

NAHS SPANISH MURAL

Thanks to our National Art Honor Society for the ridiculously amazing mural in the 800 wing. It depicts various aspects of Spanish culture.

PEER BUDDY UPDATE

The Peer Buddy Club has had a busy spring at PHS. Peer Buddies took a field trip to Funplex in May, and the Freshmen and Sophomore Concepts students studied painting with John Darvie at the PAL. Peer Buddies also hosted a service night in memory of Peter Hebberd. Donations were made to Hackensack Medical Center, St. Francis Assisted Living, and The Community Food Pantry in Bloomfield NJ.

 

PHS BOOK CLUB READS THE CHOCOLATE WAR A new organization at PHS was the Book Club. We read four books throughout the year and actually live-tweeted with two of the authors. For the spring book we read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. The Chocolate War is about a private, all-boys school where a secret society of students fights the faculty for control of the building. Unfortunately, for some of the boys, they get caught in the middle. The Book Club met in June to discuss the book and eat some snacks.

ANTI-DRUNK DRIVING PROGRAM Big thanks to Mr. Rizk and Det. Lenahan who put together another powerful Anti-Drunk Driving for our seniors. The program, told through the perspective of four of our senior students, Kevin Jones, Jessica Phillips, Dee Spillert and Melissa Novotny, depicted the consequences of drinking and driving, from the party to the wreck to the hospital. Making the event even more powerful, members of the Parsippany Fire Department, Poiice Department, and Rescue Squad, demonstrated what an actual rescue looks like. Special thanks to senior Jake Feldman and the TV Production class for organizing all of the video and recording.

JUNIORS SHOCK SENIORS IN POWDERPUFF; LEDONNE SPRINTS TO MVP Congrats to the Class of 2017 on their 20-0 victory over the Class of 2016 in our annual Powderpuff Football Game at Redstock. The juniors were led by the shifty and elusive Salena Le Donne, who scored rushing touchdowns of 68 and 50 yds and added a 70-yard interception TD before halftime. Salena had 128 rushing yards on three carries to earn the MVP of the game. Other Junior standouts included Defensive MVP Gianna Arnaldy (2 sacks, 2 stops), Lilian Tran (3 stops), and Abby Smith (1 sack, 2 stops). The Seniors played a great game, but the big plays hurt them. They were led by Offensive MVP Dee Spillert (62 passing yds, 36 rushing yds, 25 receiving yds), Defensive MVP Meg Wisniewski (2 passed defensed, 1 catch), Julia Krevis (3 stops) and Autum Foley (2 catches, 20 receiving yds). Special thanks to the Coaches, Mrs. Van Wingerden for organizing the event, and Mr. Hurta and Mr. Lazzari for officiating. In other news, the Cheerleaders turned in yet another comedic, entertaining, and mostly disturbing performance at halftime. Fellas, you are brave and I give you credit. I really just hope I can forget the whole thing however…  

GIRLS LAX HAS PROMISING START Girls Lacrosse 2016 Season: The PHS Girls Lacrosse team finished their inaugural season with a record 2-10. They were led by captain and leading scorer Catherine Lanigan while Megan Carlos and Steph Hernandez led the team in assists. They had their first-ever Varsity Lacrosse win on May 2, 2016 at Hackettstown High School by a score of 10-7. They later won against Boonton High School. The girls really improved all year and there are 21 returning varsity letter winners for next season Defensive MVP: Skyler Schey, Abby Smith, Sophia Leogrande Offensive MVP: Lilian Tran TEAM MVP: Catherine Lanigan

CAREERS IN MEDICINE OPEN HOUSE Thanks to Mr. DiBernard and the Careers in Medicine Class for hosting our annual Open House in June. Student created and facilitated booths highlighting various health issues and special guests including nurses, pharmacists, rescue squad and doctors spoke to students about their careers. It was an informative and successful event.  

AP ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD EXPERIENCE

AP Environmental Science students had the opportunity to experience science out in the field. They conducted a lab at the Rockaway River where students did various tests on water quality and collected and observed aquatic macroinvertebrates. They also studied habitats at the zoo in preparation for designing their own 5-biome zoo.  

2016 HAWKEYE AWARD WINNERS Congrats to our 2016 Hawkeye Award Winners. Each year we recognize members of the PHS Community who go above-and-beyond to make Par High a better place for everyone. Because of their generosity of time and energy, their enthusiasm, their love of PHS, these are the 2016 honorees who were recognized before the Powderpuff Football game on June 4th. Staff: Marygrace Record (Media) Monika Castillo (English) Parents: Robert Nowicki Sue Gerardo Students: Samantha Gurth Catherine “Cat” Lanigan Support Staff: Carmella Foehner (Main Office Secretary)

KEY CLUB PARTICIPATING IN RELAY FOR LIFE

Kudos to our PHS Key Club for participating in the Annual Relay for Life fundraiser on June 4th at CCM. Members participated in a candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate loved ones lost to cancer and then conducted the relay throughout the night. Thanks to Key Club Advisors: Megan Barry and Marygrace Record

REDSTOCK BIGGER, BETTER THAN EVER! We hosted our annual community service festival, Redstock, on June 4th from 12-4:00. The event features free games and booth from PHS clubs and organizations in addition to over 50 local businesses. We also had performances by the PHS Jazz Band, PHS Dance Team, Lenahan School of Irish Dancing and Soul Search Records. Some of the activities included a dunk tank, bounce house, jousting, pet rocks, relay races, fishing games, temporary tattoos, ring toss, balloon animals, etc… Hugs thanks go to all of the businesses who helped out, to all of our clubs and advisors, to our students who set-up and then facilitated games, our amazing custodians for all of their labor, and Mrs. Russell and Mr. Bush who coordinated the event.

8th GRADERS VICTORIOUS IN CMS FLAG FOOTBALL GAME

Congrats to the team of 8th graders who defeated the 7th graders 41-6 in our annual Central Middle School Flag Football Game. The 8th graders were led by Nana Agyemang who scored 4 TDs, Tyler Thiel with 2 TD passes, Nicholas Santangelo with 2 TD passes and Vincent Colatoni with 135 receiving yds. The 7th graders were led by Aiden Figueroa who scored a TD and had 65 receiving yds and 65 rushing yds.

PAR HIGH ART SHOW On May 26th PHS held its second annual Arts Festival. Art works from 18 different Fine Art classes were on display, including Photography, Painting, Drawing, Honors Art Portfolio, AP Studio Art, Multi-Art, Graphic Design and Ceramics. The choir came out and delighted the guests with a few beautiful pieces. It was a great opportunity for the school to see all the amazing skills our students have developed over the year.

STEVEN PATRACUOLLA WINS MR. PHS

Big congratulations to senior Steven Patracuolla who was named Mr. PHS in a heated competition in May. Seven senior boys competed in three categories including entrance, talent and questions. Overall, their acts were entertaining, peculiar and fun (kinda), featuring pro wrestling, David Bowie, Price is Right, Chaudruc intimidation, and Spiderman. The contestants included: Nigel Feliz, James Kinzer, Declan Devens, Nick Ebel (4th, but the People’s Champion), Ryan Homler (3rd), Alex Wang (2nd) and Mr. PHS 2016 Steven who won the crowd over with his clever answers and his Dora the Explorer act. (David with his family including his brother, Mr. PH 2013) à

SHOP RITE STARS Congrats to all of our 2015-16 Shop Rite Stars. Their pictures will be permanently on display in the main hallway. Academics: Marine-Ayan Ibrahim Aibo, Nathalia Lie, Anne Cheng, Ariana DeFelippo The Arts: Brianna Kelley, Lyla Evans, Daniella Farkas, Julianna De Intinis Athletics: Declan Devens, Nigel Feliz, Steven Patracuolla, Katie Hsu Service: Samantha Gurth, Brianna Cooper, Jyotsna Ramaswamy, Liliana Ferrara Leadership: Cat Lanigan, Ally Schlosser, Ally Devanzo, Nikita Kolotov

NHS INDUCTIONS We are pleased to announce that we inducted 72 new members to the PHS National Honor Society on May 24th. Students are inducted into NHS if they meet the academic, service and leadership requirements as set forth by the school and the National Charter. The ceremony was highlighted by the outgoing class getting their gold NHS cords and the incoming members being introduced by the Class of 2016. Science teacher Nancy Lennon delivered the Keynote Speech and did a tremendous job. Thanks to advisors Matt Reidinger and Ellen Bellarmino for organizing the event.

BASEBALL HAS HISTORIC SEASON/UNBELIEVABLE RUN The PHS Baseball Team finished the year with a 17-11 record. They beat Par Hills for the Mayor’s Trophy for the 2nd year in a row. They also finished the year on an incredible hot streak, going from the #8 seed to winning the North 2 Group 2 State Sectional Title for the first time in 38 yrs). They then defeated Jefferson 8-3 in the semifinals before advancing to the State Group 2 Finals. The boys finished ranked #37 in NJ.com Top 50 teams in NJ. All Conference Awards 1st Team: Declan Devens, Emil Matti 2nd Team: Tommy Nowicki, Anthony Scannelli, Bener Uygun Honorable Mention: Dan Ruggiero

“CHOPPED” COMPETITION IN FOODS

Mrs. Collado’s Foods classes hosted their annual Chopped competition, modeled after the popular Food Channel show. Students were given specific ingredients and a set time limit to create their dishes, and staff members served as judges, assessing the food based on appearance, taste, presentation, etc… As always, it was a delicious example of the good things happening in the Foods room.

FIRST-EVER MUD RUN A SUCCESS The Senior Class hosted a Mud Run in May as a fundraiser for their class through www.yourfirstmudrun.com. Overall over 100 people tackled the family-friendly mud course and had a great, muddy time in the process. Thanks to Ms. Fedo for coordinating the event and to the seniors who helped to run stations. Keep your ears open for news about next year’s Mud Run.

JUNIOR AWARDS BREAKFAST On May 20th we held our Annual Junior Awards Breakfast and honored twenty-two rising juniors who are making a difference in academics, leadership and service. Thanks to our Guidance Dept. who coordinated and hosted the event. There are bright days ahead for these students!

GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS PHS was fortunate to have an expert from Google come in to demonstrate how students and teachers can use their iPhones and a cardboard box to virtually explore the world. Locations explored included: the moon, Mars, Machu Pichu, Chichen Itza, Barcelona, Versailles, London, Great Barrier Reef, Galápagos Islands, Verona, The Congo, and Antarctica.

LEADERHIP CONFERENCE AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL Mr. Bush and Mrs. Regenye took twenty PHS students to a Leadership Conference at Madison HS in May. Once there, students met with other leaders from schools around Morris County and discussed leadership ideas and activities to bring back to their home schools. The student-leaders included: 9th Grade: Daniela Chernyavsky, Hannah Maqsudi, , Alen Mathukutty, Richard Sevilla 10th Grade: Vanessa Bravo, Joe DiPinto, Rachel Hoffman, Ali Ozdemir, Stephanie Shen 11th Grade: Sean Callaghan, Imani Chambers, Rebecca Goddard, Meg Leitner, Hamza Naqvi, Param Shukla

PHS SCIENCE FAIR Thanks to our science students and Ms. D’Arienzo for organizing and delivering out first-ever Science Fair at PHS. Students created and interactive experiments and presented them to their classmates all day long in the Media Center. Experiments included a self-propelling car, a CD hoverboard, goop, etc…

SOFTBALL TEAM REPEATS AS STATE SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS The Lady Red Hawks Softball Team proved last year was no fluke, winning the North II, Group II State Sectional Title for the second consecutive year. Their 24-7 record equaled last year's win total, as they became the first team in program history to have back-to-back 20+ win seasons. Highlights included three wins against teams in the NJ.com Top 20 rankings, along with knocking off the #1 seeded Hanover Park Hornets in the Section Semi-Finals. Just like last year, the bats came alive in the Section Finals as the girls won 10-0 over Lodi to cap off a tremendous championship season. The team was also recognized by the New Jersey State Umpires Association with the Harry Nowick/Andrew Pecora Award and was honored at a banquet on June 16th. The award is given to recognize the Spirit of Competition and Exemplary Sportsmanship! Congrats to All-Conference Players: 1st Team: Caitlin Brennan and Megan Leitner 2nd Team: Luisa Barone, Claudia Bennett and Sarah Waffenfeld Honorable Mention: Alivia Mercuro

MAY SERVICE NIGHT A SUCCESS PETE’S BUDDIES MAKES DONATIONS

Our May Service Night was held on May 16th and was hosted by our Peer Buddies

Club. Over seventy students gathered and completed multiple service projects. The projects included: painting Redstock posters that were displayed at the elementary schools, donating goods and decorating gift bags for Pete’s Buddies. Pete’s Buddies is a program that provides gift bags to children in hospitals; all donations are made in the name of former PHS student Peter Hebberd, who passed away last year. This year they donated almost 100 goody bags to Hackensack Children’s Hospital!

DEGIRONIMO WINS LAKELAND HILLS YMCA

AWARD Congrats to PHS Math Teacher & Track Coach Briane DeGironimo on being named Educator of the Year by the Lakeland Hills YMCA. Mrs. DeGironimo was honored at a dinner in May and was joined by the entire track team. Thanks for all you do for PHS!

SPRING TRACK CONTINUES RECORD-BREAKING HABITS The Track & Field Team wrapped up a very successful year. The girls placed second overall at the North II Group II State Sectional Meet. The girls gave it all they had and we are so proud of them. The following individuals were sectional champions: Kathryn Campbell in the Javelin, John Burk in the Shot Put, Ally Schlosser in the 1600 and 3200, Eric Schlosser in the 3200 and the 4x800 Team of Ally Schlosser, Kati Hsu, Cristina Fernandez and Kate Bernauer. Our NJAC Conference Champions were Nicole Herrera in the 400 Intermediate Hurdles, John Burk in the Shot Put and the Discus and Kathryn Campbell in the Javelin. Kathryn was also the Morris County Champion in the Javelin. Advancing to the Meet of Champions was Kathryn Campbell and Autum Foley in the Javelin, John Burk in the Shot Put and Ally Schlosser in the 3200. We saw ten school records broken. Individual records were: Nicole Herrera in the 400 Intermediate Hurdles, Ally Schlosser in the 3200, Eric Schlosser in the 3200, Kathryn Campbell in the Javelin and Shot Put and John Burk in the Shot Put and Discus. The Girls Distance Medley Relay Team of Cristina Fernandez, Nicole Herrera, Kati Hsu and Ally Schlosser ran 12:43. The 4x100 Team of Nicole Herrera, Michelle Herrera, Julia Krevis and Olivia Shoshan ran the fastest fully automatic time in school history. The Boys Distance Medley Team of Steven Patracuolla, Kwaku Agyemang, Chris Lupo and Eric Schlosser broke a 16 year old school year. We lose a very talented senior class this year and hope to rebuild next year.

BOYS LACROSSE COMPLETES FIRST SEASON

The PHS Boys Lacrosse team completed their inaugural season with a record of 1-15. Despite their relative inexperience, the boys had a competitive season and won their first game ever, 6-5 over High Point at home. Standout performances were given by freshmen Pat Lanigan who was their leading scorer, Rich Martin on defense, and Alex Wang, Tyler Grieco and Rob Hockey. Overall, the team had good numbers and will continue to grow and improve despite the loss of some key seniors. Thanks to Coach Hill for leading the way.

GCC STAND UP FOR CULTURE COFFEE HOUSE The GCC Club held their annual Coffee House in May. Many students shared their talents and performed original works of poetry, creative non-fiction and fiction. In addition, the PHS Dance Team performed and Nick Carillo sang a song and played guitar. Thanks to the GCC Club for hosting the event and for the delicious snacks (especially the tacitos!).

BALDWIN PIZZA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Congrats to the Winter Athletes of the Week. Each honoree receives an Athlete of the Week t-shirt, a Redhawk pin and a gift card to Baldwin Pizza. 4/4 Megan Leitner – Softball 4/10 Dominick Migliazza – Golf 4/18 Olivia Shoshan – Girls Track 4/25 Nicole Herrera – Girls Track 5/2 Cat Lanigan – Girls Lax Pavlo Busko – Tennis

5/9 Kati Hsu – Girls Track 5/16 Ally Schlosser – Girls Track 5/23 Luisa Barone – Softball 5/30 Caitlin Brennan – Softball 6/6 Declan Devens – Baseball

FOLLOW PHS ON TWITTER @ParHighMulroony (Dr. Mulroony)

@ParHigh (Student Council) @ParHighVP (Mr. Rizk, Asst. Principal)

@Mr_Bush_PHS (Mr. Bush, Asst. Principal) @ParHighMediaCtr (Media Center)

@parhighguidance (Counseling Dept.) @PHSbands (Band)

COOPER SAYS GOODBYE TO PHS/PTA

Many thanks to long-time PTA President, Roberta Cooper, for all of her years of service and generosity to the students, parents and staff of PHS and the district. You will be missed sorely!

PHS BANDS HAS A TREMENDOUS SPRING

The PHS Bands had two very successful concerts (Spring Concert on June 1 and Solo & Small Ensemble Concert on June 15) to close out the school year. The PHS Jazz Ensemble had another exciting season performing at Just Jake's in Montclair, the Lakeland Hills YMCA Annual Awards Dinner (Knoll West), Redstock, Senior Awards, and the annual Jazz Café in the PHS Cafeteria. The PHS Marching Band was invited to perform in the 75th Annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival as the "Out of State Honor Band" and brought home a few more accolades including 2nd Place in their division, 3rd Place overall, and Best Flags in the Grand Feature Parade. We also just found out that sophomore Ethan Kaplan (tenor sax player) was accepted to perform in the NAfME All-National Concert Band in November at the NAfME National In-Service Conference in Grapevine, TX. Congratulations to all of our current and graduating band students on an incredible year!

SOUTH KOREAN SCHOOL VISITS PHS Par High was the proud host of Seogwipo School from South Korean on May 3rd. Soegwipo brought thirty students on their visit and they had a great time learning about PHS and our students. Needless to say, they were amazed at some of the differences. Seogwipo was on a two-week tour of the east coast and visited colleges such as Princeton, Columbia, Yale and Harvard. We are in good company. Thanks to our PHS tour guides who did an excellent job: Steve Patracuallo, Alivia Mercuro, Tia Ayton, Jess Phillips, John Burk, Ryan Hoeler and Christina Xu.

POMPTON LAKES EXCHANGE PHS was glad to host 25 students from Pompton Lakes High School in early June, reciprocating a visit that we made to their school in the winter. The visit was highlighted by school tours of PHS, a powerpoint highlighting activities from our school and a series of ice-breakers. The 24 PHS tour guides and the Pompton Lakes visitors had the opportunity to share ideas over lunch. It was a great activity.

DE INTINIS RECEIVES FASHION HONOR Congrats to PHS Senior Juliana DeIntinis who was chosen to style a fashion look for Adidas through the FIDM Fashion Program. The publication featured the designs of several high school fashion designers. Juliana will be attending FIDM in California in the fall and has been designing her own line of clothes over the years.

BOYS TENNIS TEAMS FINISHES STRONG The Boys Tennis Team had a great season under the leadership of Coach Mike Miller! They finished the year with 9 wins and 9 losses and were competitive all season long. Captain Pavlo Busko let the team with 11 wins and received 1st Team All Conference. 2nd Team All Conference went to Adit Patel and Priyam Patel at doubles. And Mike Wang earned Honorable Mention.

SPRING PEP RALLY PHS ushered in the Spring Sports season with a spirited Pep Rally on April 8th. After introducing all of the spring teams and recognizing the winter standouts, the PHS Dance Team performed. Then we began the competitions! Congrats to the Seniors for winning the Frozen T-Shirt contest, and big kudos to the Freshmen who shocked the world by winning the Tug-O-War. Finally, the Sophomore Class ran a raffle for students to pie select teachers in the face.

CINDERELLA A BIG HIT

Congrats to the members of the PHS Drama Club who put on a tremendous three-night run of Cinderella in March. As usual, the acting, singing and dancing on stage was amazing, and the technical support through sound & lighting and stage design was the best. Special congrats to our senior actors; thanks for four years of great performances!

CHOIR NEWS The PHS Choir has had a wonderful year! They performed in their third and final concert on May 18th, which featured all of the choirs, as well as many soloists. The Concert Choir, as well as our Chambers, Women’s, and Men’s ensembles learned more difficult and challenging music this year and grew so much musically! Since the last newsletter, four students were accepted into the New Jersey All State Honors Choir. They are: Anya Kosachevich; Soprano 1, Veronica Mendoza; Alto 2, Josh Gonzalez; Tenor 2, and Bobby Wilson; Bass 1. All together this year, over twenty students were accepted into Honors Choirs. We are so proud of all of the students’ hard work and dedication to their craft! The seniors will be missed so much, and we wish them all of the best! Have a wonderful summer!  

         

 

ACDEC BRINGS BACK HARDWARE FROM NATIONALS IN ALASKA

Congrats to our back-to-back-to-back State Champion Academic Decathlon Team for earning multiple medals on their trip to Alaska this spring. As always, we are so proud of their accomplishments. Here are the results:

Katherine Yang: Gold, Essa Rohan Khajuria: Gold, Math

Nikita Kolotov: Silver, Economics Anne Cheng: Bronze, Essay Miki Hansen: Bronze, Music Will Chen: Bronze, Speech

WORLD LANGUAGE HONOR SOCIETY PHS was proud to induct several new members to our World Language Honor Societies this spring. Students who met the academic criteria in Spanish, French and Italian were newly inducted and outgoing senior members were given their specific language cords for graduation. Thanks to our terrific World Language teachers for putting the event together.

MARCH FOODBANK TRIP Thanks to the 65 PHS Students who attended our March Service Trip to the Community Foodbank of NJ. Students and teachers sorted and organized food that was sent to shelters around NJ. It was hard work but incredibly rewarding.

MICRO-FICTION CONTEST WINNER Congrats to freshman Josette Fortes who won the Micro-fiction contest for the Totem Magazine. Take a moment to give her work a read….

“The Never-Ending Battle” The bullets rained down, with no place to fall, except the hearts of the ones who continued moving. Moving meant destruction, it meant involvement, something nobody wanted. The girls caught in the crossfire, did not move, and was not involved, but was still shot in the end. In fact, she was shot many times, but could not escape. She sat there with her head down, trying to act invisible, as if she no longer existed. Her efforts saved her, as the bullets came to an end, noticing that she was still, though as few still flew by. The silence lingered, but for only a few moments. An opponent rushed to their safe area, only to start weeping. The girl stayed put, she still could not move, as the other one was still present. Her comrades came to comfort her as she continued to weep, with futile efforts at first. Soon, the weeping ceased, and all was silent again. The other one ran elsewhere to collect his thoughts, and the girl could finally move. She moved to her room, where she felt protected from all that was around her. She sat there, silently with tears slowly falling on her cheeks. She clung to the locket given to her, hearing the sounds of the happy family from so long ago.  

TOTEM 2016 PHS's annual Literary and Art magazine was released this month. The magazine showcases the written and visual art work of many students at PHS. This year's theme was based on sketchbooks and journals. The quality of the work in the Totem is fantastic, it is chosen from a huge collection of works submitted by the students. Copies are available in the Main Office.  

THANKS  TO  OUR  2016  REDSTOCK  SPONSORS  American Cancer Society LivWell Pharmacy Applebee's Mary Lou Hale's School of Dance Barefoot Rehabilitation Center Massage Envy Ben Michalik, Allstate Insurance Mathnasium Boiling Springs Savings Bank Mayor Barberio Buffalo Wild Wings Ozzie Niazi, Edward Jones C2 Education Parsippany Library Class Act Embroidery Parsippany Troy Hills Animal Shelter Cluck-U Payal Beauty Salon Detective Bob Lenahan Romila Bajaj, Weichert Realtors Parsippany Police Department Santander Bank Doreen Brennan, Mary Kay SAT by MBA Eclipz Salon Soul Search Records Five Guys Burgers & Fries Susan J. Kroeger, CPA Gripp Plumbing & Heating, LLC The Lenahan School of Irish Dance Habit Burger Grill TriTech/Ricoh Office Products Houlihan's Triveni Gurikar, Re/Max JAG Physical Therapy United Pro Wrestling Association Jeffrey Levine, Coldwell Banker Wawa Kafe Mozart Y2 Academy Konner Chevrolet BHHS Horizon Realty LA Fitness My 3 Sons Grocery Delivery    

KEY CLUB CONCLUDES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR

18 Key Clubbers attended the annual NJ District Key Club Convention where they celebrated a successful year and attended sessions on leadership and service. Upon their return, the new Executive Board, led by President Stephanie Shen, kicked off the Pennies for Patients Campaign and raised $390 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Members decorated and setup luminarias to honor those affected by  cancer at Relay for Life at CCM. Key Club will use funds it has raised throughout the year to make a donation to the Parsippany Food Pantry.  

 SENIOR PROM A HIT

Many thanks to the Class of 2016 for a terrific Senior Prom on June 9th. Everyone had a great time at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany. Thanks, also, to the throngs of PHS teachers who came out to see everyone. PHS SCHOLARS OF THE MONTH

Congrats to these outstanding PHS student scholars. All of the monthly recipients will be honored at a bagel breakfast at the end of the year.

MARCH

Science: Matthew Haeussler Math: Declan Devens English: Princes Anth Choir: Marcus Ng’Oche PE: Stephen Adkins Social Studies: Nicole Phelan World Language: Justina Avent

APRIL

Science: Nicholas Carrillo Math: Janaki Vekaria English: Zara Hassah Civics: Lawrence Lin PE: Alex DePietro Social Studies: Priya Shah World Language: Maurizia de Palma  

 

   

PHS CLASS OF 2016 TOP 25 STUDENTS

Congrats to the Top 25 students the Class of 2016

1. Marine-Ayan Ibrahim Aibo, Cornell University 2. Anne Cheng, Brown University 3. Nathalia Lie, Cornell University 4. Janaki Vekaria, Rutgers University 5. Astha Singhal, University of Maryland College Park 6. Kati Hsu, Cornell University 7. Amanda Chen, Rutgers University 8. Sarah Anwar Ansari, Boston College 9. Yang Fu, New York University 10. Megan Jennifer Wang , Vassar College 11. Radha Vyas, University of Pennsylvania 12. Declan Devens, Furman University 13. Christine Padula, Rutgers University 14. Anil Bhatnagar, Cooper Med School 15. Allie Davanzo, The College of New Jersey 16. Lawrence Lin, Rutgers University 17. Michael Wang, Rutgers University 18. Jessica Slevin, Northeastern University 19. Alexander Wang, U.S. Naval Academy 20. Zachary J. Granet, Rutgers University 21. Justina Chiara Avent, New York University 22. Yatindra Awasthi, Johns Hopkins University 23. Ally Schlosser, Boston University 24. Jyotsna Ramaswamy, Stevens Institute of Tech 25. Farhan Kazi, Rutgers University

APRIL SERVICE NIGHT Thanks to the STARS Club and all the students at our April Service Night who helped the Jersey Battered Women's Shelter by creating signs to increase awareness and by preparing gift bags which were donated.  

ENGLISH 2 HONORS HEADS TO BROADWAY FOR THE CRUCIBLE

(written by Rachel Hoffman, Aahna Ghosh, Bon June Koo, and Isabella Cacciottolo)

On Thursday, June 2, Mrs. Maucione took her first and eighth period students in English 2 Honors on a trip to New York City to see Arthur Miller’s The Crucible on Broadway. We left school around four o’clock so that we could eat beforehand, and ventured off into the city, looking forward to a fun evening. Quality entertainment, good friends, a great teacher and wonderful city… what else could anyone ask for? The play took place at The Walter Kerr Theatre on 48th Street. These two classes read and studied the book in the beginning of the school year. Each student imagined the characters and setting differently and while watching the movie version of the play in class, students were given the opportunity to compare what they imagined to the director's perspective. This was done yet again watching the Broadway play, which had a more modern setting and characters that were portrayed much differently compared to the movie. We as students, had the opportunity to see the book we so thoroughly enjoyed in the classroom, come to life right before our eyes. The portrayal of Abigail’s relationship with John Proctor was one of the most thought-provoking aspects of the play. It questions who truly is at fault in the adultery of John Proctor and Abigail Williams, and if Abigail Williams is someone to be hated for her actions, or pitied because of the events in her life that made her become the person she is. Without a doubt, seeing The Crucible on Broadway was an enjoyable learning experience outside of the classroom allowing students to enjoy themselves yet see everything in a new perspective.  

RACE TO THE FINISH Thanks to the many PHS students who helped to facilitate games and coach students during Race to the Finish, a district-wide Field Day for students with special needs.

 

GIRLS STATE DELEGATES SELECTED Congratulations to Miki Hansen and Deepika Nagabhushan for being selected as delegates to Girls State! This nationally recognized program, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, will be held in late June on the campus of Georgian Court University. During their week-long stay, Miki and Deepika will become “citizens” of a fictitious city, county, and state, and participate in the practical processes of self-government and good citizenship in a democratic society. This unique experience will also give the girls an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the basic ideals and principles of government, develop leadership skills, and instill a deeper appreciation for their roles as American citizens. Congratulations also to Pooja Manhas and Kiera Lewis for being selected as alternates.  

BOYS STATE DELEGATES SELECTED Congratulations to Param Shukla and Zachary Imp for being selected to Boys State! Sponsored by the American Legion, Boys State is a week-long citizenship program held each June on the campus of Rider University. Param and Zachary will represent American Legion Post 249 of Parsippany at Boys State and, while staying on campus, will have the opportunity to participate in a model state, complete with government bodies and elected public officials. Param and Zach will gain practical training and develop an in-depth understanding on how state government operates, while at the same time, building character and honing their leadership skills. Congratulations also go out to alternates Thomas Mercado and Spencer Huang for being picked up by neighboring posts at the county orientation meeting. Thomas and Spencer will represent posts in Florham Park and Morristown, respectively. We’ll have four PHS RedHawks at Boys State this year. Way to go gentlemen!   ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB CLEAN-UP The PHS Environmental Club cleaned up the school grounds and in return will receive a $500 grant to spend on recycling supplies. In addition, the club donated $150 to the town's food pantry and $50 to the Parsippany Animal shelter as well as supplies for the shelter. They also attended a planetarium show at CCM.  

TOP 11 PHS SPORTS STORIES OF 2015-16 1. PHS Baseball wins State Sectional Title at home; Advances to Group 2 State Final. As an improbable 8 seed, the baseball team, behind the coaching of Ken Dobkin and the arms of Tommy Nowicki and Declan Devens, knocked off the #1 and #4 seeds before defeated Lyndhurts for the title. Next they avenged a loss of Jefferson in the Goup 2 Semis before losing a heartbreaker to West Deptford in the Group 2 Finals. What a great and memorable run. 2. Softball Repeats as North 2, Group 2 State Sectional Champions. Our PHS softball team is slowly becoming a powerhouse. After winning the sectionals last year in Bernards, the girls beat #1 seed Hanover Park in the semis and then took the title at home this time, beating Lodi 10-0 in 5 innings. In the Group 2 Semis, the lost a tight game to Demarest who eventually won it all. 3. Girls Cross Country wins State Sectional Title for first time ever. Led by Coach DeGeronimo and Meet of Champions qualifier Ally Schlosser, the PHS girls ran to their first State Title ever, winning North 2, Group 2. The team consisted of Katie Hsu, Christina Fernandez, Kate Bernauer, Nicole Herrera & Christina Herrera. CHECK THIS! 4. Girls Winter Track wins first State Sectional Title ever; records continue to fall.... Top Scorers included Kathryn Campbell, Cristina Fernandez, Michelle Herrera, Nicole Herrera, Kati Hsu, Ally Schlosser, and Olivia Shoshan, all of whom advanced to the Group Meet. 5. Declan Devens earns 12 Varsity Letters over four year. Declan accomplished something possibly no other male student-athlete has done in the history of PHS by earning 12 Varsity Letters in three sports. During his career, Declan has led each of his teams- soccer, basketball and baseball, to the state sectionals. 6. Girls Soccer hosts State Sectional Final vs. Whippany in front of the entire school. After a huge upset win over #1 seeded Lyndhurts, the girls lost a heart-breaker versus Whippany Park after a game-opening goal by Salena Ledonne. We were able to rework the schedule to have they entire student body down at the field to root the girls on. 7. Volleyball repeats at Conference Champions; advances to 2nd round of State Tournament. Behind a senior-heavy lineup, the PHS softball team defended their NJAC Conference Championship and won their first round of the State Tournament. They were led by Nicole Hill, Angelica Link, Autum Foley, Elena Noonan and Kathryn Campbell. 8. Javelin Girls smash Morris County Relay Record. The Girls Javelin Relay Team of Kathryn Campbell, Autum Foley and Arienne Abreu crushed the Morris County Javelin Relay Record by 22 feet. Their unbelievable new mark is 356’ 10”. 9. Bernauer/Marks/Burk excel individually. Sophomore Kate Bernauer qualified for the Meet of Champions in swimming in the butterfly. Freshman Lauren Marks helped to get the first ever PHS entry into the Morris County Bowling Tournament; once there, she won the girls individual title. Junior John Burk smashed all shot & discus records on the way to the Meet of Champs. 10. Lacrosse comes to Parsippany High School. PHS was proud to initiate two new lacrosse teams this spring. With both teams fielding over 30 players, the turnout was great. By the end of the season, both boys and girls teams had won their first games, both of them over schools with long-standing programs. Ironically, both teams' leader scorers were Lanigan with Cat (12) leading the girls and Patrick (9) leading the boys. 11. Wrestling continues winning ways; Gohn qualifies for States again. PHS Wrestling had another successful season, qualifying for the State Sectionals and winning their first match. They also advanced ten wrestlers to the regions, finishing 3rd overall. Junior PJ Gohn qualified for the State Tournament for the 2nd year in a row, taking 2nd in the regions.