National Bullying Prevention Month

Welcome to our 3rd annual College Fair! Shout out to Ms. Inez, Ms. Amanna and the entire Guidance department for making this happen for our buccaneers! All students from grades 9-12 had an opportunity to attend the fair and speak to college representatives, receive important information about careers and financial aid, and ponder about their exciting futures! Thank you to all the institutions of higher learning that came to visit us and speak to our students.

• Albertus Magnus College
• Baruch College- CUNY
• Berkeley College
• Bergen Community College
• Binghamton University
• Caldwell University
• Drew University
• Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Felician University
• Georgian Court University
• Iona University
• Kean University
• Lincoln Technical Institute
• Manhattan University
• Monmouth University
• NJIT
• Parisian Beauty Academy Paul Mitchell Partner School
• Ramapo College of New Jersey
• Rider University
• Rutgers University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Saint Peters University
• Seton Hall University
• St. Thomas Aquinas College
• Stockton University
• William Paterson University

On October 24, Dr. Murphy and members of the Environmental Club joined volunteers cleaning up the beaches all along the Jersey shore and participated in Clean Ocean Action's Beach Sweeps in Seaside Heights. Thank you buccaneers for caring about our beaches🌞

• Banoff - My 8th-grade ELA students continued exploring our essential question, “Does technology improve or control our lives?” After reading “Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon?” students created presentations using Google Slides or Canva. They researched real people, including Paralympians, actors, models, and scientists, whose lives have been impacted by bionic technology. This project gave students a chance to strengthen their research and critical thinking skills while exploring real-world advancements in technology, their benefits, and the ethical concerns surrounding their use. To wrap up our unit, my students will watch Disney Channel’s Smart House and make connections to Ray Bradbury’s 'There Will Come Soft Rains' and Cory Doctorow's 'The Brave Little Toaster'. All three stories explore technology taking on human roles, from a house that manages everyday tasks to appliances that have minds of their own. Students will compare how technology is portrayed in each story and continue thinking about our essential question: “Does technology improve or control our lives?”

• ELA Study Skills (with Minieri)-

• Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: Students found a “famous failure” and showed how this person turned their misfortunes into success, using the strategies from the video.

• Time Management- For one week, students had to track their activities and how they are dispersing their time. Then this transitioned to watching a TED-Talk video aligned how students and adults can work through procrastination. Students worked on a collaborative project

• Feliciano- Spanish II regular and honors are about to start a new unit, Las vacaciones! AP Spanish Language and Culture are learning the nuance of writing a good essay (in Spanish of course!). Spanish 3 Honors is about to start a new unit La Comida!

• Jerman - English II students just finished reading Act One of "The Crucible" and discussing themes such as power, fear, and hysteria. They are also gaining knowledge of Puritanism and what it was like to live under a theocracy in Salem Village in 1692.

• AP Seminar just finished persuasive presentations called "Food Fight" in which they were asked to research a current food trend and convince their audience that it should be ended, changed or replaced. This project reinforced several essential AP Seminar skills. Students did a fantastic job for their first time presenting!

• Fridman - The students of English III are creating masks inspired by the masks worn by Jack and his hunters in William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies. Choosing from a range of options, students decide to make masks representing 1) a character from the novel, 2) themselves, and 3) a universal theme such as success, tragedy, or leadership.

• AP LIT is fully immersed in their short stories unit, currently focused on Southern Gothic.

• AP Lang have been having inspired discussions focusing on the speeches of great orators such as MLK, MALALA, Abraham Lincoln, RFK, and Patrick Henry! ("Give me Liberty or Give me Death"!)

• Garcia - Spanish 1: Students are learning subject pronouns and the verb Ser (to be). They are practicing using these concepts to describe themselves and others. 8th Grade: Students are exploring the flags and national symbols of Latin American countries. They are also learning about the meaning of independence and its importance to national identity.

• King- My 7th grade classes are working on the SRSD POWER-TIDE-LLLC strategy using articles from Achieve3000. Students just worked through the P1, P2 and P3, and Organize (TIDE-L) steps and today started writing a paragraph using what we prepped as a class. My 8th graders read "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury and "The Brave Little Toaster" and then wrote gist statements and took a reading comprehension test on the two stories. We are now reading, "The Landlady," and "The Monkey's Paw."

• Terzian- Students have been working on future tense (language) along with learning story elements (content). We are practicing both through reading short stories. Students use future tense to predict what will happen in the story as well as identifying story elements (characters, setting, plot, conflict, etc.) and explaining how they are important to the story.

• Corso - 11th grade honor students are in the middle of a webquest entitled Borders and Belonging. They did a compare and contrast on Jim Crow/DR/DACA using case files. Students built timelines and noted important events. This was an introduction lesson to Oscar Wao.

• Minieri - In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are reading Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X. We are listening to the audiobook through MackinVia courtesy of our school library; this text is narrated by the author herself. To mimic some of Xiomara’s poetry within the narrative, students have written their own haikus and a personal writing piece about their “most impactful day.” We continue to have ongoing conversations about authority versus autonomy, cultural expectations when exploring religion, and coming to age through stages of adolescence.

• Reyes - 9th Grade- The Poet X; 10th Grade- The Crucible (just in time for Halloween!); 11th Grade- Death of a Salesman; 12th Grade- 12 Angry Men

Dr. Murphy's AP Psychology classes used their knowledge of different areas of the brain and their functions to create colorful brains from Playdoh. Very creative! Great job guys!

Kordosky:

Anatomy: feedback loops, vectors and pathogens for disease. Basic chemistry review,

bonding, chemical reactions, organic and inorganic molecules

AP Biology: importance of carbon, functional groups, organic and inorganic molecules

Forensics: Developing observation skills, types of evidence, chain of custody, search patterns

Engineering: using vanishing points, scale drawings

Honors Integrated Biology: Scientific method, basic chemistry, atomic structure and function

Kaur:

Integrated Biology: Wrapped up chemistry of life (radiocarbon dating, build a molecule, quiz #

1), Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration (reaction patterns, CO2 & seasonal changes, labs,

Quiz # 2)

Nutrition: Wrapped up 5 mins of science ppts, perfect meal project, gardening (hydroponics-

lettuce, cleaned out the outside garden), food stories topic

Murphy:

AP Psychology: Central and peripheral nervous system, functions of parts of the brain,

neuronal activity, celebrity brain presentations

H integrated Chemistry I: Atoms and isotopes; Scientific measurements - scientific notation,

significant figures, dimensional analysis and unit conversions, the metric system

Chemistry I: Atoms and isotopes; Scientific measurements - scientific notation, significant

figures, dimensional analysis and unit conversions, the metric system

Henriquez:

Math Study Skills: integers and solving equations

8th grade Integrated science: force and motion showing Newton’s law of motion.

Spirig:

Automotive I:. Electricity Fundamentals

Automotive II:Starting and Charging systems

Auto elective I: Fasteners and Thread Repair

Auto elective II: HVAC Diagnostics.

Prenderville:

Cybersecurity I Core class (Tech+) : Advanced mobile devices IOS/Android, Cybersecurity

labs: build your own phishing emails, Iphone/Android forensics

Cybersecurity II (Networking): Server build, OS installation, VMs and Hypervisors, Tech+

certification prep FC0-U71

Computer Science elective (Intro to Computer Science): Mobile Device power delivery,

Iphone/Android forensics, Advanced mobile devices, essential acronyms, 6 steps of

troubleshooting.

K. Duchensky

• The students in Ms. Duchensky’s Social Studies 8 class completed a map, locating key landforms, civilizations, cities, and waterways of the Fertile Crescent. They delved into the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian, and Phoenician civilizations, highlighting each civilization’s history, leaders, culture, and achievements. They read excerpts from the Code of Hammurabi and discussed the fairness of the laws and punishments. The students also learned about the Tower of Babel, the Gate of Ishtar, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

• For Hispanic Heritage Month, the students read and discussed daily quotes from Hispanic people in various professions. They also read an article about how the Spanish conquistadors attempted to erase the Aztec perspective and culture but failed to do so through existing Aztec artwork.

J. Mackenzie

• In his World History classes, the students learned about the Italian and Northern Renaissance and started the Protestant Reformation. They looked at various famous examples of Renaissance art and discussed the art styles.

• Mr. Mackenzie’s US History 1 classes discussed Spanish and French exploration and the establishment of the northern, southern, and middle colonies in North America. They also held impromptu debates about whether students would go and settle the New World and why.

• On Columbus Day, we discussed the controversial history of his exploits in the New World and the positive and negative consequences they had on the world at large.

M. Siddiqi

• Mr. Siddiqi’s AP Human Geography class is learning about human population and migration and reviewed cultural diffusion. The students are currently working on an AP classroom assignment.

• The Pre-AP US History I students discussed the 13 colonies and presented them. The students are currently working on a road to revolution and enlightenment ideas and played a Jeopardy review game.

• Mr. Siddiqi’s AP US History II class started from Unit 7 - Progressive Era and World War I and the students took an exam on those topics. They worked from the textbook and did questions and read out, completed AP classroom assignments, and discussed the legacy of Columbus. The class is starting to cover the roaring 20s.

• The AP Comparative Government and Politics students completed chapter 3 from the textbook, took an exam on Unit 2, and worked on AP classroom assignments. They finished their first country, Mexico, will start to discuss the UK next and discussed recent elections around the world and have students use key terms to describe.

K. Varon

• Mr. Varon’s US History I class discussed early American colonial roots, focusing on the English and Spanish contributions.

• The students in Mr. Varon’s US History II class finished discussing the Progressive Era and changes that brought about the movement and moved onto World War I.

Mr. Maeng & Ms. Lekaj have been having some fun in Algebra 2!

Here are some pictures of kids collaborating at white boards while they solve systems of equations and one student presenting her work in Spanish to the whole class!

It was a beautiful experience. We have so many ELL students in the class and Maeng has been asking some kids to present in Spanish. It's really great for all of us!

Ms. VanTine's students participated in an exciting treasure hunt that challenged their problem-solving skills and teamwork. Teams worked together, solving a series of word problems to unlock a secret code. Those who found the correct combination earned extra credit on their quiz, making the activity both fun and rewarding.

Members of the Bogota High School Art Club will partner with Bixby School to design and create an interactive sensory path in the school’s courtyard. The project will transform an existing outdoor space into a colorful, welcoming, and engaging environment where students can explore, move, and interact with a variety of visual and tactile elements.

Crosley Radio is challenging high school students across the country to customize their iconic Cruiser Record Player by painting, drawing, or more on a Cruiser to create a design the world has never seen before!

Earlier this month, Sculpture Class was challenged to use toilet paper, paint, and other materials to create a food sculpture that looks as realistic as possible. Students learned how to manipulate the toilet paper in different ways to get some really interesting results!

For Art 2 & 3, students were challenged to create a unique and creative artwork that incorporated a duck somewhere within their composition. Students were encouraged to think outside the box and use the duck in an unexpected way while exploring composition, creativity, and personal artistic style. The goal was to transform an ordinary object into an interesting part of an original work of art.

In our Concert Band classes, we have been working on music fundamentals such as long tones, pitch recognition, and scales. Fundamentals are vital in music because they build a musical foundation. In class, I gave the example of chopping down a tree – you would spend more time sharpening the Axe over chucking away the tree because it leads to a faster and cleaner cut. Similarly, playing an instrument works the same way. We have started looking at one of our Winter Concert pieces which is called “The Great Rubber Chicken Galop” featuring a Rubber Chicken soloist.

-Ms. Duran

The Choir has been working diligently with their music to finish learning it. The Students have been putting in a lot of hard work and focus when it comes to learning the music. I am pleased to say the students, as of Friday, know how to sing all the selections for their Winter Concert! We can now spend the next 5 ½ weeks before the concert refining the pieces! The Students progress has been remarkable and they are a very talented group of singers!

-Mr. Wasco

For the first time since 2018, Bogota Jr./Sr. High School will enter a Band Competition and compete as Group III Regional A! This is an exciting moment for the Marching Buccaneers to pave the way for history!📯🎹🎻🎷🎸🎺

Videography I students are now more than a month into producing The Morning Show, Bogota’s daily student-run broadcast. Students run the program across three sections. They write and anchor segments, shoot on our green-screen virtual news set, conduct hallway interviews for our “Fun in the Halls” segment, and edit each episode for the next morning. Each episode is posted to YouTube and emailed to all high school faculty. Teachers submit announcements through a Google Form, and those submissions are turned into branded on-air graphics for each day’s show. Recurring segments include “Throwback Thursday,” which uses archival Bogota photos and newspaper clippings to tell stories from our school and town history. We collaborate with other student groups and staff in the building to provide content and promote the great things happening here.

-Mr. Rochford

BHS celebrated Red Ribbon Week with messages of hope, upliftment and positivity. Students distributed red ribbons for students to wear in solidarity against substance abuse. On October 29, Ms. Melnick our Student Assistance Coordinator, organized a great assembly for all students courtesy of the organization 'Alumni in Recovery'.

This month, we finished staging for both our Main Cast and Understudy students.

We are now reviewing all staging and students are working to memorize all 3 Acts of the show.

-Mrs. Hochgesang

During October, we have been displaying Horror books in celebration of Halloween, Hispanic Heritage Month Book Pics, and a selection of Nonfiction Books picked by our Library Interns. It is always fun to get in the spirit with fun book selections each month. We also have many New Arrivals which our Library interns read through and typed out a short book summary for so that curious readers can see what they are about. Along with our Library circulation, we have finished our first Sticker Mosaic of the year, and the Makerspace remains a popular spot for the creative.

It's National Digital Citizenship Week! In celebration of this week, Mrs. Hochgesang's Digital Literacy Class created projects based on all topics pertaining to Digital Citizenship for their Digital Citizenship Project Fair in our Library Media Center. Each group of students worked hard, and many freehand drew the pictures onto their posters. We have many talented upcoming artists within the 8th grade at BHS.

The BHS Drama Club is excited to present this year's Fall Play, 'And Then There Were None', original novel by Agatha Christie.

This year we will be accepting digital pay for tickets.
Along with ticket sales, we will be selling concessions, foldable fans, and "Kiss the Cast" candy for those who are interested in buying candies and leaving positive written notes for their favorite student actors.
These will be collected at the end of performances and given to that actor.

The 11 actors carrying out the drama on Soldier Island will be Parker Leong as Mr. Rogers, Annabella Riccardi as Mrs. Rogers, Kelsey Gregory as Fred Narracott, Raquel Camejo as Vera Claythorne, Joseph Miller, as Phillip Lombard, Mattias Mejia as Anthony Marston, Elias Gonzalez as William Blore, Ethan Schwarzenbach as General Mackenzie, Chelsea Pena as Emily Blore, Louis Reyes as Sir Lawrence Wargrave, and Devin Montanez as Dr. Armstrong.

The show will take place on December 4th and 5th @ 7pm. Adult tickets are $12 and Student/Senior tickets are $8.

We hope to see you all there!!

Graphic Arts 1 -Students in Graphic Arts 1 have continued developing their Adobe Photoshop skills while exploring new tools and techniques through two creative projects. First, students applied the Elements of Design and Photoshop tools to create personalized name designs. They then created original digital collages that represent their personalities and interests, using background removal, layers, and special effects to bring their ideas to life!

Graphic Arts 2 - Students completed their first project by designing an “About Me” page for their digital portfolios that reflects their artistic identities and applies the Principles of Design. They are now exploring Blender, learning the fundamentals of 3D modeling and design!

In Digital Photography, students have completed projects exploring the Rule of Thirds and using different camera angles to create more interesting and dynamic photographs. Next, they will begin learning about the exposure triangle, starting with shutter speed

In Digital Illustration & Animation, students completed their first project, exploring foundational drawing skills and learning to create digital illustrations in Adobe Photoshop. They are now working on editorial illustrations, focusing on thumbnailing, creating engaging compositions, and applying their drawing techniques more thoughtfully and creatively.

Our Culinary Arts students are making great progress as we wrap up our second month of school! So far, students have been building their skills in knife techniques, kitchen safety, and Southern cuisine, while enjoying plenty of baking along the way. From developing essential culinary skills to creating delicious sweet treats, it has been a busy and exciting start to the year!

As we close out October, our attention is turning toward one of the highlights of the year—our annual Thanksgiving lunch! Students are looking forward to planning, preparing, and serving another memorable meal for our school community, building on the success of last year's celebration. We can't wait to share what they have been working on!

Our Glam Squad is truly talented! Thank you Ms. Delgado🥰

What a great way to start off the school year buccaneers! Congratulations to the October students of the month. 8th grader Isabella Figueredo Valdivia, 9th grader Reina Villalobos, 10th grader Angela Dai, 11th grader Khloe Garcia, and 12th grader Susana Perez Gomez. Breakfast with the Principal will be held on November 13. Keep up the good work🤓