The Central Connection

Check out our website calendar to stay up to date on the latest events and important dates!

DATES TO NOTE:

• November 3, 4 and 5: Senior Portrait Retakes and Makeups (appointment required)

• November 5-6: School Closed-NJEA Convention

• November 11: Parent Engagement Committee Meeting, 6:30PM in IMC

• November 11: Tri-M Music Honor Society Inductions, 7:00PM in Little Theater

• November 16: Board of Education Meeting, 6:00PM (public session starts at 7PM) in Little Theater

• November 19, 20 and 21: Fall Play-12 Angry Jurors, 7:00PM in Auditorium

• November 21: Matinee performance of Fall Play at 2:00PM in Auditorium

• November 24: Annual Day of Music with sending districts

• November 25: Early Dismissal for Students and Staff, 12:00PM

• November 26-27: School Closed-Thanksgiving

This month's theme is Thankfulness in recognition of the upcoming holiday.

📆 2026-2027 Calendar

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🏈 Sports Schedule

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In case you missed our posts online - check out our latest news!

• We have several Hunterdon Central students who are part of the All State Choirs and the choirs will perform in Atlantic City during the NJEA teachers convention, November 5 & 6. We are thrilled that our students' voices will be heard by many at the convention!
• Who will win the Battle of the Classes in the upcoming Cornhole Tournament? Stayed tuned as the tournament gets underway in November. Winning pair from each building will win $30 gift card and their vice principal will have to wear a turkey costume!
• At the October 26th Board of Education meeting, our Director of Curriculum and Instruction presented the NJGPA-A results from the spring 2026 administration. You can review the presentation here.
• On November 22nd, the Hunterdon Central Music Department will host its annual Day of Music. Music students from all sending districts come to the high school for a day of collaborative performing and learning from one another along the way.

In October, we had all facets of the school working at full capacity. The learning inside the classrooms brought the opportunity to build a positive momentum as we progressed through our comprehensive curriculum. Our support systems are ever-present to assist our growing adolescents. Our co-curricular activities have been providing students with enriching experiences and collaborative smaller communities within our school. And the fall athletics season has seen triumphs and challenges that are all a part of the growth process.

We take the accomplishments and forward progress into November, a month focused on the theme of thankfulness. I am thankful for the partnership our staff and families have forged this school year so far, and productive communications within this partnership will help maintain our positive progress. I am thankful for the students who have stepped up to lead in the various ways they can to better our school community, and to serve as excellent role models for their peers. I am thankful for the tireless work our booster clubs and other volunteers have put in to help complement the efforts of our coaches and advisors. And I am thankful for all of my fellow colleagues in playing their part, directly or indirectly, to provide our students with a dynamic, welcoming and safe environment to learn and grow.

- Edward C. Brandt, HCRHS Principal

Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP) utilizes peer-to-peer education to increase students’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors associated with healthy decision-making. Carefully selected junior and/or senior students are enrolled in the Teen PEP course and provided with educational training that addresses a range of topics. The student peer educators, in turn, conduct a series of structured workshops with groups of younger peers, faculty, and parents/caregivers.

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The Hunterdon Central Choral Department was so pleased to host the University of Delaware Chorale directed by Dr. Paul Head on Friday, October 23rd. Former HCRHS alumnus Maximilian Niedziejko is a senior Music Education Major who sings with the Chorale. The students of the HCRHS Choral department enjoyed a 30 minute concert. Then the Hunterdon Central Noteworthy and Madrigals ensembles performed and Max (a former member of each ensemble) joined them for a song. The presentation concluded with a combined song. Thank you to the University of Delaware Chorale for visiting!

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In January 2027, Hunterdon Central will administer the Seal of Biliteracy proficiency test. The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English by high school graduation.

Hunterdon Central students interested in taking the proficiency test may need to complete a sign up form. See details below.

• Who MUST fill out this form:

  • Students who want to test in a different or additional language alongside their current World Language course.

  • Students who are not currently enrolled in any World Language class, but want to take a language proficiency test.

• Who DOES NOT need to fill out this form:

  Students taking the test for an upper-level World Language class in which they are currently enrolled. Students will automatically test through their course.

Sign-Up Details:

• Sign-Up Form: SIGN UP LINK

• Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026

• Requirement: You must use your HC student email address to submit the form.

Please reach out to Dr. Laura Arrendondo, Supervisor of World Languages, if you have any questions.

Students in Ms. Santora's Foods for Fitness class have been exploring healthier ingredients to incorporate into foods and beverages, which led the students to a discussion about alternatives to traditional soda, refreshers, and other sugary drinks. Girly Pop Dirty Soda, a local food truck business, visited the class to provide students with the opportunity to experiment with dirty soda creations and explore ways to make these beverages healthier. A sincere thank you to Girly Pop Dirty Soda as they did a great job introducing students to different ingredients, beverages, and candies that can be used to create fun and healthier drink options! This was a great lesson to connect the classroom learning to real-world choices and encourage students to think more critically about what goes into the foods and beverages they consume every day.

• HC hosted a speaker for the Marine NROTC. Students learned about the Marine NROTC, college scholarship opportunities, and career potential along this pathway.
• In October, New Jersey schools observe different themes, one of which is Domestic Violence Awareness. HC hosted the NJ4S organization during a unit lunch block this past month. There were table presentations and activities at different locations in the building related to violence prevention. Students were able to stop by the table, share ways they feel safe in their school community, and also ways they can contribute to a healthy and safe environment.
• November marks the midway point in the first semester. Parents will be reminded sometime in mid-November to check Genesis with their students to view academic progress at the midpoint of the semester.
• Peer Tutoring - Various levels of student support are ongoing. Part of the counseling curriculum involves supporting students through counseling meetings, as well as through different resources beyond the counseling office. Students are encouraged to take advantage of things like peer tutoring available through groups like the honor societies listed below. Peer tutoring is a service learning opportunity for our student members, and an academic peer support for our student body. Students may sign up using a QR Code, shared widely in both physical classrooms and Google Classrooms.
• Mu Alpha Theta, Hunterdon Central’s Math Honor Society - students can inquire with Ms. Kelly Koval to learn more.

• Science National Honor Society is hosting (Science) Tutor Thursday! SNHS students will be in room 100 on Thursdays during tutorial to help students! Level: Any level! Topics: Earth & Environmental, Biology, Chem, Physics, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology, and Biomedical Sciences.

Reminders:

• Check Genesis for passes from the counseling staff

• Be aware of drop/add, and level change dates

• Check the Genesis gradebook, and be comfortable with each of your Google classrooms

• Remember–the staff in Counseling Services is here for our students and we look forward to working with you!
  

From our College & Career Counselor, Jennifer Nuechterlein -

• The senior class is busy applying to colleges! They have collectively submitted over 1,100 applications in the early round, with many more to come!
• Post-Secondary Pathways Week will be held November 16-20. This week of programming provides juniors and seniors with exposure to pathways after high school including community college, trade school, military, and work. Any senior interested in applying to RVCC should sign up for the application workshop on November 18, during block 2. Students willl receive information in early November to sign up for these programs.
• Save the Dates: Early College Planning Night for 9th and 10th grade families will be December 2 at 6:30 pm and 11th Grade College Planning Night will be January 13 at 6:30 pm in the Little Theater.

A Successful Fall Season!

As the fall sports season begins to wind down, we are proud to celebrate an outstanding season for Hunterdon Central Athletics! Our student-athletes, coaches, and teams have represented Hunterdon Central with tremendous effort, sportsmanship, and dedication. We are excited to recognize several teams that have achieved championship success this fall.

Fall Sports Highlights

Congratulations to the following teams on their outstanding accomplishments!

• Boys Cross Country: Skyland Conference Champions and Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tri-County Champions! Freshman Lucca Sanz took first place in the Central Jersey Sectional Meet and the team took second place advancing them to Group 4 Final!

• Boys Soccer: Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tri-County Champions!

• Girls Volleyball: Delaware Division Champions!

• Cheerleading: First-place finish at the North Hunterdon Spooktacular Competition!

• Gymnastics: The team captured 4th place overall at the Skyland Conference Championship and senior gymnast Paige Brecht took 1st place on the beam and 6th in the all around!

These accomplishments reflect the hard work, commitment, and pride that define Hunterdon Central Athletics. Congratulations to our student-athletes and coaches on a fantastic fall season!

State Tournament Season Begins!

The postseason is here! Beginning the first week of November, our teams will compete in state tournament action as they look to continue their successful seasons. We are excited to see our Red Devils compete on the state stage.

Good luck to all of our teams as they begin their postseason journeys!

• Boys Cross Country: Group Championship race

• Field Hockey: No. 12 seed

• Girls Soccer: No. 11 seed

• Girls Volleyball: No. 6 seed

• Boys Soccer: No. 5 seed

As we close out the fall season, thank you to our student-athletes, coaches, families, and fans for your continued support of Hunterdon Central Athletics. Your commitment and school spirit help make our athletic programs special. Congratulations on a successful fall season, and best of luck to all our teams in the upcoming state tournaments!

Come out and support our athletes! Click here for our sports schedule. Go Red Devils!

Follow Hunterdon Central Athletics on Instagram @hc_athletics20.

November is a shorter, but busy, month for student activities! As a reminder, students interested in joining a club or activity need to complete the Club Interest Form in Genesis. (Note: if students do not see the Club Interest Form, parent/guardian needs to complete the random drug testing form first.)

Here are some upcoming events:

• Class Councils are hosting a cornhole tournament in November. Sign-up deadline was 10/30. At the end of the tournament, the winning pair's grade level vice principal will be donning a lovely turkey costume!
• Speech & Debate team has competitions on October 31st, November 7th, and November 14th - good luck to them!

• Tri-M Music Honor Society will hold their induction ceremony on November 11th at 7:00pm in the Little Theater.

• Class of 2028 will host a volleyball tournament on November 16 during lunch.

• Robotics Club is being joined by a local Brownie Troupe on November 20th in their efforts to encourage more women to explore STEM as a major or career.

Soldier Support Club is collecting leftover Halloween candy the first week of November to send to troops overseas. You can drop off candy donations to the box at 11/12 entrance or IMC entrance.

Join a club today! All active clubs are listed on our website. You can contact Christine Moss, who supervises student activities, at cmoss@hcrhs.org.

Our Thespians present the classic courtroom drama 12 Angry Jurors as their fall play. Adapted from Reginald Rose’s drama, 12 Angry Men, the play follows the deliberations of a jury of diverse strangers attempting to reach a unanimous verdict in a murder trial.

An Immersive Experience: In this dynamic staging, the audience will be seated directly on the main stage alongside the cast, placing viewers right in the middle of the intense legal proceedings offering an intimate and compelling experience for every attendee. Seating is limited, reserve your tickets now!

Performances will be in the auditorium in the 9/10 building. Tickets are $10 and will be sold in room 214 or in the Commons during lunch the week of November 16th or reserve your tickets to be held at the ticket booth by emailing musical@hcrhs.org (not a musical).

We always love to see what costumes our staff and students will be wearing for Halloween! Here is a sampling from October 30th. And to add to the holiday fun, our Little Devils preschoolers got to go trick or treating around the 11/12 building!

The school store is back open online through November 16, with guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Great opportunity if you'd like to get some gifts!

Order at https://www.spcustomgear.store/HunterdonCentralHSHoliday26.

Looking for the house office or a specific staff member? Access our staff directory on our website:

https://www.hcrhs.org/contact-information.

General Email: communications@hcrhs.org
Website: https://www.hcrhs.org/
Location: 84 Route 31, Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: (908) 782-5727