Panther News

Welcome back and Happy New Year! It has been wonderful to see our students return refreshed and ready for the second half of our school year.

As we settle back into our routines, it is hard to believe that we are already approaching the end of Marking Period 2. Because this is such a pivotal time in the academic calendar, it is of the utmost importance that all parents and guardians log into Genesis this week to check your child’s grades and overall progress. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding their performance, please reach out to their classroom teacher and school counselor.

I also wanted to share an important update regarding new wearable technology. Students are not permitted to wear smart glasses—devices with integrated cameras, recording capabilities, or internal displays—during school hours. These devices pose significant challenges to our learning environment as they can compromise academic integrity during assessments, infringe upon the privacy of other students and staff through unauthorized recording, and create unnecessary distractions during instructional time. If your child owns these, we ask for your partnership in not permitting them to bring them to school.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support as we work to maintain a safe, focused, and respectful environment for all our students in 2026.

We are proud to announce Thomas Cannataro as our December Student of the Month!

Last month, our school focused on the theme “Live to Give & Friendship.” This theme encourages us to think about the impact we make and the legacy we leave behind. It teaches that true success comes from serving others and maximizing our own potential through kindness and respect.

Thomas embodies these values every day. Staff members describe him as an intelligent, respectful, and diligent student who younger peers look up to. His impact carries over onto the ice, where he is regarded as a phenomenal teammate. Thomas has the rare ability to hold his peers accountable while remaining supportive and encouraging—a quality that binds his team together toward a common goal.

Thomas, your dedication to your community and your teammates is an inspiration. Congratulations!

New Jersey DECA is a statewide student organization, with more than 13,000 student members, that prepares high school students for careers in business, marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. Through classroom learning, competitive events, and leadership opportunities, NJ DECA helps students apply real-world skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and decision-making.

Students participate in district, state, and international competitions, gaining hands-on experience by solving business scenarios and presenting their ideas to industry professionals. NJ DECA also emphasizes professionalism, networking, and leadership development, making it a great way for students to build confidence and prepare for college and future careers.

On Thursday, January 8th at Kean University our DECA Districts were held with over 2,000 students from the surrounding area competing to qualify for DECA States, which will be held the first week in March in Atlantic City. We are proud to congratulate our outstanding DECA students on qualifying from District Competition to the State level!

Congratulations:

John Mize - Entrepreneurship Series Individual Event

Max Kapiloff and Krish Patel - Entrepreneurship Team Decision

Bryce Kent - Personal Financial Literacy

Jathan Papa and Adrian Laljie - Sports and Entertainment Marketing Management Team Decision

Sophia Bobrowsky - Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series Individual Event

Lia Perdikis - Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series Individual Event

This achievement reflects months of hard work, preparation, and dedication to developing real-world business and leadership skills. Competing against talented students from across the region, our qualifiers demonstrated strong critical thinking, professionalism, and the confidence needed to succeed in highly competitive events.

We wish our qualifiers the best of luck as they continue their journey and represent our school at the NJ State DECA Conference.

Please support HOSA on 1/17 at Shop Rite of Little Falls from 9 AM to 2 PM as we hope to support our upcoming regional and state competitions through a can shake.

On January 6-9, Jelani Remy worked with cast members of MMS/CGHS School of Rock and their choreography for three numbers in the show. Picture features the character Dewey Finn played by Luca Sandomenico.

HOSA is looking for individuals to share their story with students as they migrated into a health career field. Please reach out to Mrs. Gioia Degenaars (degenaars.gioia@cgschools.org) if you would be interested in speaking to our students!

Use this link to order your Cap & Gown by January 31st!

Need a Tutor? The National Honor Society Cedar Grove High School offers Peer Tutoring for all

high-school students (you do not need to be a member of NHS to request a peer tutor).If you

would like to request a peer tutor, please follow the procedure below and check out the peer

tutoring catalog in the attachments for the students name, availability, and subjects they are

offering to teach. We have an amazing group of Senior NHS tutors who are eager to tutor your

student/child.

Procedures:

● Students should contact their teacher for additional assistance.

● Teachers/Counselors may recommend students try the National Honors Society peer

tutoring program.

● Teachers may share this catalog with students in need of tutoring, and the student may

select a tutor that they believe will be a good fit for them. Please keep in mind that many

students tutor in multiple subjects (and many students tutor in the same subject), so try

to find who you feel will be the best fit for your needs.

● Contact Ms.Halawani by email to notify her of your tutor preference BEFORE contacting

the tutor. If a teacher/counselor is contacting Ms. Halawani on behalf of a student,

please include the student in the email.

● After confirming tutor availability with Ms.Halawani copy down your tutor’s contact

information from the catalog.

● Contact your tutor to schedule your sessions.

● Report back to Ms. Halawani informing her of when you are holding tutoring sessions.

Note: Any conflicts/issues should be reported to Ms Halawani: halawani.mirna@cgshools.org

All up-to-date Cedar Grove High School Athletic schedules, event locations, and live streams can always be found at: CGHS Athletic Schedules

Live streams of home athletic events on our CGHS Stadium Field and inside our CGHS Gymnasium can always be found at: CGHS Live Stream Link

Please see the attached 2026 APT Scholarship application. The application is due Jan 12th.

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m excited to share information about Pomptonian’s 7th Annual Healthy School Lunch Challenge. This challenge was created to honor National Nutrition Month, inspire students to get involved in the kitchen, and spark excitement around creating healthy meals. And this year, high school students have the chance to win $1,000!

Key details include:
• Recipe Submission Deadline: January 19th
• Categories: Pre-K through 5th grade, 6th through 8th grades, and 9th through 12th grades
• Winners: Each category will have two Grand Prize Winners and one Super Grand Prize Winner
• Prizes: Pre-K through 8th grade Super Grand Prize winners will win a KitchenAid mixer
• High School Cook-Off: The top three high school contestants will compete in a live culinary challenge at Driscoll Foods’ professional kitchen, Kitchen 71, on February 20th from 8:30 AM–2:30 PM

We also created a short video explaining the competition: 7th Annual Healthy School Lunch Challenge, and flyers with full details are attached.

To get a sense of the excitement, here is last year’s High School Lunch Challenge Cook-Off video.