FTMHS NewsFLASH

Tentative April Events:

April 1:

• Blue Week starting with A-Day .
• Character Education Theme for April: Honesty.
• Equity Focus for April: Muslim Culture.
• End of Marking Period 3.

April 2

• Spring Recess: April 2-April 9.

April 12

• "B" Day--Gold Week: Virtual Instruction for all students this week following the Burlington County Health Department's recommendation to have "virtual-only" classes immediately after spring break.

April 13

• "A" Day--Gold Week: Virtual Instruction for all students this week.

April 14:

• "B" Day--Gold Week: Virtual Instruction for all students this week.

April 15

• "A" Day--Gold Week: Virtual Instruction for all students this week.

April 16:

• "B" Day--Gold Week: Virtual Instruction for all students this week.
• Report Cards available in Genesis after 2 p.m.

April 19:

• Blue Week starting with "A" Day; Merge Blue/Gold Cohorts if permitted at this time.

April 20:

• I&RS Team Meeting starting at 8 a.m.

April 26:

• Gold Week starting with "B" Day.
• ScIP Team Meeting at 2:20 p.m. in the Media Center.

April 27:

• Senior Class Trip No. 1 - Camp Ockanickon.

April 28:

• PLC Meeting at 2:20 p.m. in the Atrium.
  

Report Cards will be available after 2 p.m. in Genesis on April 16. To view your child’s report card, simply log into Genesis (https://parents.genesisedu.com/florence) and click on the “Grading” tab at the top of the window.

Also, please feel free to log into Genesis at any time to see how your child is progressing in his or her courses. Checking Genesis frequently will enable you to see clearly how your child is performing throughout the school year.

If you are having trouble logging in or need your email and password reset, please contact your child’s counselor as soon as possible. (nsebastian@florence.k12.nj.us or jvarga@florence.k12.nj.us)

Special Recognition – The Bordentown Lodge No. 2085 B.P.O. Elks has a program whereby, once a month, they recognize and reward a FTMHS “Student of the Month.” This student must be a senior. It is our pleasure to recognize Marcus McIntyre as our Elks’ Student of the Month for February.

Marcus is a hardworking individual who was selected because of his strong character and academic and extracurricular achievements.

Our students have been doing a wonderful job personifying the character education trait of "Enthusiasm." Here are our Students of the Month for the month of March!

The following students were chosen by our faculty for the way they personified this character trait:

Khaled Abdellateif, Daniel Bates, Ida Brooks, Alexsis Carlani, Izayah Cross, Dabalina Dey,

Radika Dhar, Jaime Haas, Nazifa Hasna, Andrew Hinnant--no picture available, Thomas Hurley, Aidan MacIntosh, William Navarra-Czepiel, Breanna Ojeikere, Wayde Parkerson, Nathaniel Phillips, Arthur Piotrowski, Ryan Sams, Kylie Slater, Allison Slotkin, Grace Sullivan and Andrew Ulisse.

Enthusiasm -- Character Education (March)

Thanks to our Parents Organization -- Izayah Cross, Breanna Ojeikere, Nathaniel Phillips and Arthur Piotrowski were chosen to receive $10 WaWa gift cards for doing such an excellent job!

Izayah Cross

• "For enthusiasm, I nominate Izayah Cross. Whenever there is a topic he enjoys, you can see his face light up. He contributes to the class discussion and is excited to participate."

(Nominated by: Ms. Paiva)

Breanna Ojeikere

• "Breanna has enthusiastically created displays for Black History Month. She is always happy to volunteer to assist her school community and she has had a very positive effect on her school and community. She completes every task with a smile on her face."

(Nominated by: Ms. Rodan)

Nathaniel Phillips

• "Nate is very involved in sports and extra-curricular activities at Florence. He played on the Soccer Team this fall and is currently playing on the Unified Sports Team this season. Nate has enthusiasm in every task he completes.'"

(Nominated by: Mrs. Covaci)

Arthur Piotrowski

• "I would like to nominate Arthur Piotrowski for this month's character trait. I can think of no other student that personifies 'enthusiasm' more than Artie. He is always eager to learn, participate and bring positive energy to every class and lesson."
  

(Nominated by: Mr. Donovan)

This is a wonderful program! We will once again be challenging our students to settle for nothing less than their best. We want to see our students succeed, and we will be communicating to them that we want them to set their sights on earning a GPA of at least a 3.0 (or a “B” average) with no “D” or “F” grades in any course for each marking period of the school year. Please join us in challenging your child to be content with nothing less than his or her best effort!

Students who earned at least a 3.0 (with no “D’s” or “F’s”) will be recognized at the end of the THIRD marking period.

Thanks to our GENEROUS Parent Organization, four students -- one from each grade level --

will be randomly chosen and treated to a $25 Wawa gift card!

AP Testing

We have officially scheduled our 10 AP class testing dates with 70 students taking a total of 101 exams.

Students will be taking the tests from May 3 - June 11 either in a paper-pencil or computerized format. If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Fazekas, District Testing Coordinator at 609-499-4640 Ext. 3156.

We wish all our students the best of luck! #FlashesProud.

The bench was made with 500 pounds of soft plastic (grocery bags, newspaper bags and wrap from around water bottles) that was collected by the Interact Club with assistance from members of the Florence Township community.

Groups are eligible to participate in the Trex Recycling Program every six months, so the Interact Club is well on its way to collecting another 500 pounds of plastic for a second bench.

Here are some of our classroom activities:

Honors English II

The Honors English II classes are researching persons of note as an extension of this year's equity focus:

• Students were asked to research a remarkable or notable individual from a group that we have discussed (or will discuss) in class this year as an identified group deserving more equity in American society. This group can include but is not limited to:

• Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders

• Black Americans

• Latinx Americans

• LGBTQ2+

• Native Americans

• Women (as a minority group)

• People With Disabilities

• People who celebrate a faith that has been persecuted or that is in the minority in the United States, such as Judaism or Islam.

Student presentations will be in class or over the Google Meet.

For Women's History Month, the Music Department has been exploring different influential and important female musicians.

Some of the musicians covered throughout the different classes have been: Beyonce', Bebe Neuwirth, Billie Holiday, Sutton Foster, Melba Liston, Martha Argerich and Khatia Buriatishvili.

The Equity classroom activities this month that I did for my classes were to discuss and focus on Women in Science and Mathematics using the following website: https://libguides.lib.umt.edu/c.php?g=598364&p=4144426

Also, another website that was really of interest to the students was the website entitled: 100 Women Who Changed the World. Here is the link:https://www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/ Both of these websites are posted in Google Classroom, and we pick one woman each time we meet to discuss her importance and contributions to the world.

Earth and Space and Astronomy Classes

Both the Earth and Space class and the Astronomy class focused on females in Science. They examined internal biases that society holds about women in Science, looked at statistics and read about some fantastic women in the field.

Theater Class

Mr. Donovan's "Classical Style of Acting" class took a look at and analyzed the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of "Much Ado About Nothing," which features an all African American cast in a modern setting, and portrays the female characters in ways that reject traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

This empowers the women in the show in a way that is not often seen when using a classical text - ironically one that was written in a time when women were not even allowed to act on stage.

The intersection of race and gender representation in this performance was an excellent way to recognize both Black and Women's History Months as we transitioned from February into March.

While this past year has certainly taken us all by surprise, our Florence Twp. Memorial H.S. Parent Organization (FTMHSPO) continues to find ways to support our school, students, and staff! Please check out our MANY fundraisers, which helps offset projects, events, and funding and directly impacts FTMHS needs! We hope to see you virtually at our next meeting Monday, April 12, 2021 @ 6:00 pm. We welcome any and all ideas and involvement. No membership fees are required!

TO JOIN THE FTMHS PO: Complete the form https://forms.gle/ALmC5WSganPWM7aT8

TO JOIN THE VIRTUAL MEETING VIA GOOGLE MEET : https://meet.google.com/pav-egzm-yxf

SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL:

FTMHS PO Flag Fundraiser:

Show your school spirit and order a Florence Flashes large house or small garden flag to decorate your lawn, home or give as a gift. See flyer for more details.

TO ORDER CLICK HERE: https://forms.gle/mWRsZCHZdsVQZb9Z8

FTMHS PO Spring Clothing Drive Fundraiser:

Save the date -- May 15, 2021! Start your spring cleaning early and save those bags of unwanted items for us! We make a certain percentage off of every pound we collect. See flyer for more details.

FTMHS PO Vinny G's Food Fundraiser:

Save the date -- April 12, 2021! Visit Vinny G's for breakfast/lunch and part of the proceeds benefits the FTMHSP. Treat yourself to a great meal, support an amazing local business & help fundraise for our school! See flyer for more details.

FTMHS PO Prom Tux Fundraiser: It's almost prom time -- May 20th to be exact! Get your tuxes ordered soon! For every tux rented at Princeton Tuxedo (near the Quaker Bridge Mall) $10 goes back to the PO! See flyer for more details.

Also, be on the lookout for our Mother's Day Treat Box & Prom Basket Raffle Fundraisers -- COMING SOON! More details to soon follow!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact us at ftmhspo@gmail.com.

A fun, family event raising money for our teachers and classrooms!

Top Golf - Mt. Laurel

Sunday, April 25th

1:00-4:00 pm

$45.oo per person

Book your bay of 4-6 people by contacting

Barb Fazekas - bfazekas@florence.k12.nj.us

or calling 609-499-4620 ext 3156

Please use this resource to complete/update/sign-off on important electronic forms. Afterwards, please use this extremely valuable tool to monitor your child's grades, assignments and attendance.

"Because spring break is right around the corner, here is the latest travel advisory from NJ Dept of Health. This is the link to the webpage for more information. https://covid19.nj.gov/forms/njtravel

WELCOME TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY'S TRAVELER ADVISORY FORM

New Jersey has issued a travel advisory that asks anyone entering New Jersey from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) to quarantine at home, in a hotel, or in other temporary lodging following recommendations from the CDC:

• If travel is unavoidable, travelers should consider getting tested with a viral test (not an antibody test) 1-3 days before the trip and again 3-5 days after the trip.
• If travelers test positive, they should self-isolate for at least 10 days and should postpone travel during that time.
• If travelers test negative, they should quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
• If testing is not available (or if the results are delayed), travelers should quarantine for 10 days after travel.

The advisory is no longer specific to certain states. Because of the rising number of case counts across all states, there is an increased risk of spread of COVID-19 upon return from any travel.

We ask that anyone who travels to New Jersey from a state/territory outside the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) complete the following form to provide information about where you are traveling from and your destination.

At this time, individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should continue to follow the State’s travel advisory.

The self-quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected.

Individuals should leave the place of self-quarantine only to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items.

While in New Jersey, we ask that you monitor your symptoms via self.covid19.nj.gov, which will provide you with up-to-date public health information.

Please note that this advisory does not apply to individuals:

• Who are returning to New Jersey after traveling outside of the state for less than 24 hours or those traveling to New Jersey for less than 24 hours - Even where travel is less than 24 hours, however, individuals are still discouraged from engaging in non-essential travel to other states to the extent possible.

• Who are in transit through the state to another destination, provided that the time spent in the state is only the amount of time necessary to complete the transit, make use of travel services, such as a highway rest stop, or make necessary travel connections.

NOTE: If your final destination is in New York State and you are not staying in New Jersey for more than 24 hours, please complete the New York State Traveler Health Form.

School Nurse: Alison Emery

Earth and Space Science

In Earth and Space Science, students are studying fossils. We are currently using breakout rooms to complete a Project Based Learning assignment where students are identifying mysterious fossils, acting as paleontologists, biologists, climatologists and archaeologists to design a display for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Students will be presenting the week before Spring Break.

Astronomy Class

In the Astronomy Class, students just finished learning Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion and are diving into Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. Students have calculated several planetary orbital periods and eccentricity of orbits! Curious about how to do it yourself or what it means! Ask a member of the Astronomy Class! They could even help you calculate your weight on another planet!

10th Grade CP English

The 10th Grade CP English classes are currently reading the novel “Night.” We have been discussing the origins of hatred and intolerance and how those origins can spiral out of control and manifest on such a large scale like in WW2. We have discussed why we must make our world as inclusive and welcoming as possible for all peoples, to avoid events like those we see in the novel from happening again.

Health Classes

Mrs. Smith's Health Classes are focusing on the importance of respect for Mental Health. We have been learning about Depression, Anxiety and many other illnesses.

Teaching the students about having mutual respect, not just for individuals that struggle with mental health, but respect for everyone is of great importance. Understanding various types of identities is also being incorporated into Mrs. Smith's lessons.

Black and Latinx Student Union

Class of 2021

Class of 2022

Class of 2023

Class of 2024

Computer Science Club

Cultural Awareness for Everyone

Debate Team

Environmental Club

Game Club

Interact

Marching Band Director

Marching Band--Front Line

National Honor Society

Newspaper Club

No Place for Hate

Science League Competitions

Student Council

Yearbook

The BLSU is moving right along with various endeavors. We will be assisting Ms. Rodan with her charity Basket project.

We also are in the planning stages for our Alumni Roundtable.

We are continuing to highlight Black and Hispanic women in our morning announcement profiles.

Advisor: Mr. McEnnis

Class of 2021 Officers

President: Nadja Savage

Vice President: Julia Najem

Secretary: Allison Slotkin

Treasurer: Fabiha Usha

Historian: Mohammed Islam

Advisors: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Zucchero

Senior Class Trip Update

The Senior Class Advisors are excited to kick off their first Senior Class Trip scheduled at Camp Ockanickon. The seniors will participate in many different types of outdoor activities at the Camp on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The advisors will be collecting payments over the next week or two.

Jr./Sr. Prom

The Seniors are also working hard to organize the Junior/Senior Prom scheduled for Thursday, May 20, 2021, at The Merion in Cinnaminson. The Juniors and Seniors will be working together to make this a memorable event for all.

Advisors: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Zucchero

Class of 2022

President: Lana Duke

Vice President: Chinenye Nwagbaraji

Treasurer: Alyssa Baldorossi

Secretary: Cassaundra Alicea

Historian: Samara Lakhan

Advisors: Mrs. L. Pereda and Mr. C. Pereda

Class of 2022

The Junior and Senior Classes would like to thank all those who donated to our Burlington County Animal Shelter Drive.

We are busy planning for the Junior/Senior Prom next month.

Advisors: Mrs. Pereda and Mr. Pereda

Class of 2023 Officers

President: Mya Cabanas Montero

Vice President: Abigail Anthony
Secretary: Maiyah McDuffie
Treasurer: Kate Woolston

Historian: Sydney Slotkin

Advisors: Mrs. Holmstedt and Ms. Tannenbaum

The Class of 2023 is in action again!

The First Project

In conjunction with the Student Council, we will be creating and delivering Spring gifts to local senior citizens. The project involves decorating containers and then planting flowers. Each gift will include a card with "well wishes" for a Happy Spring.

The Second Project

Another activity initiated by the Sophomore class, specifically, Kate Woolston, Melissa Jones, Maiyah McDuffie, Mya Cabanas, Sydney Slotkin and Abigail Anthony will be a "T-Shirt Fundraiser." Students are in the process of organizing this project and once the details are "worked-out," we will provide more information regarding orders/sales.

I again want to commend the Class of 2023 for your hard work and dedication during these very trying times. Thanks for all you do.

Class Advisors: Ms. Tannenbaum and Mrs. Holmstedt

Class of 2024 Officers

President: John Paul Dunphy

Vice President: Darien Woody

Secretary: Madelynn Hoch

Treasurer: Kaycee Carnival

Historian: Shadman Adib

At this time, the Class of 2024 is actively supporting the various drives and charitable activities throughout the district.

Class of 2024 leadership is considering future activities for the spring.

Advisors: Mrs. Byrne and Mr. Varga

The Computer Science Club added a new member this month. Right now, we are working on our combined effort for a future TV station!

Advisor: Mr. Roberson

Members of the Cultural Awareness for Everyone (CAFE) Club developed the idea to create a digital recipe book representing a variety of cuisine from their individual countries of origin and beyond.

The amazing product represents the students' pride and desire to share other cultures, in the way of food, with the school community.

Contact Ms. Diaz if you are interested in joining the club -- jdiaz@florence.k12.nj.us

Advisor: Ms. Diaz

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19-D_NUZ7TegNufpKkc_yDK8DO8CJ7-Bs/view?usp=sharing

After a highly successful competition season in which we placed third in the South Jersey Debate League, the Florence High School Debate Team is now recruiting new members!

Please consider joining the Debate Team. Our competition season is from December through February--join now to help us get ready for next year's topic: "Protecting Our Water."

We need student judges, timers, researchers and debaters. The team meets on Mondays at 2:20 p.m. via Google Meet.

Consider joining our winning team! Please get in touch with Mrs. Hughes at lhughes@florence.k12.nj.us in D110 to learn more.

Advisor: Mrs. Hughes

Co-Presidents: Mesbah Monower and Logan Trayner

Mr. Du Brul's Environmental Club conducted a virtual field trip on Saturday, March 27. The goal of the trip was to locate reptiles and learn about reptiles of the NJ Pine Barrens.

At the Franklin Parker Preserve, Mr. DuBrul shared pictures of Spotted Turtles, Pickerel, Carpenter Frog, and even a Corn Snake during their virtual Environmental Club Trip.

Advisor: Mr. DuBrul

President: Gursahajpreet Singh

Vice-President: Alexandra Witty

Secretary: Finley Charles

The Game Club/Student Council Game Drive was a success. Thank you to all who donated a game new and used. We will be sending out a form for families to select and receive a game. We collected 60 games of all sorts, so look for the selection form to be published soon.

The Game Club is currently playing Minecraft on Tuesdays @ 3:00-4:30ish p.m. We also showcase some gameplay live. So get your Xbox or Playstation out of the closet, dust it off and we'll see you on Tuesdays.

The Game Club is an open club. Join if you have a free hour or come and play every week. Soon the quarantine will be over--visit us and establish some Game Club friendships.

Advisor: Mr. Weatherbee

The 2020-2021 Interact Officers are:

President: Rajveer Kaur

Vice President: Fabiha Usha

Secretary: Hazal Akkaya

Treasurer: Logan Trayner

Sergeant at Arms: Gursahajpreet Singh

The Interact Club will kick off a shoe drive to benefit Soles for Souls of Bordentown on April 12. The group will collect new and gently used shoes (sneakers, sandals, cleats, and dress shoes) through June 12. The club's goal is 470 pairs of shoes, which represents one pair from each FHS student.

The Interact Club is also partnering with Bordentown Rotary to host a spring food drive from April 12 to April 23. We are accepting non-expired non-perishable food items, which will be donated to local pantries.

The Interact Club recently received its first bench from the Trex Recycle Program. The bench was made with 500 pounds of soft plastic (grocery bags, newspaper bags, and wrap from around water bottles) that was collected by the Interact Club with assistance from members of the Florence Township community. Groups are eligible to participate in the Trex recycling program every six months, so the Interact Club is well on its way to collecting another 500 pounds of plastic for a second bench.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

The Marching Band is getting ready to "Spring Back Into Marching Band!" In preparation for next fall's season, we will be starting some independent practice challenges.

If you are interested in joining the Marching Band for the 2021-2022 season, please reach out to Mrs. Croley (acroley@florence.k12.nj.us), and she will add you to our google classroom so you can participate in our "Spring Training."

Band Director: Mrs. Croley

FLIPGRID AUDITIONS DUE:

Sunday, April 11, by 11:59 pm

VIRTUAL CALLBACKS will be April 15 and April 16

Join Google Classroom for more info and updates:

https://classroom.google.com/c/Mjk3MTIyMjc4NjA1?cjc=5npvc6h

And FOLLOW us on Social Media:

Play Director: Mr. Donovan

President: Allison Slotkin

Vice President: Katherine Hein

Secretary: Krystyna Laszkowski

Treasurer: Fabiha Usha

Parliamentarian: Rajveer Kaur

Historian: Matthew Adkins

Advisors: Ms. Diaz and Mr. Weatherbee

Members of the National Honor Society continued with the Tutor Center at the High School and at Riverfront Middle School.

Officers from the NHS attended interest meetings held to open up the 2021-2022 NHS application process and answered questions from candidates.

The NHS is in the process of planning a virtual Crohn's and Colitis Walk for the spring. More details to follow!

Advisors: Ms. Diaz and Mr. Weatherbee

The Newspaper Club has been working diligently to ensure our next publication is ready. You can view the latest publication at Florencesentinel.wordspress.com.

In March, we started working with the Computer Science Club to create a broadcast. The Newspaper Club has created several videos, and the videos are now in the editing stage. Keep an eye out for the first broadcast.

If you would like to be a broadcast journalist, please contact The Newspaper Club to learn how you can join. New members are always welcome.

We would like to hear from you. If you have any newsworthy stories, please let us know.

Mrs. Covaci lcovaci@florence.k12.nj.us

Mr. Lamaestra jlamaestra@florence.k12.nj.us

Advisors: Mrs. Covaci and Mr. Lamaestra

No Place For Hate is currently growing plants to donate to the Florence Twp. Community garden.

Some plants include broccoli, tomatoes, sunflowers and more!

Advisor: Ms. Levine

Student Council

President: Grace Skinner

Vice President: Cassaundra Alicea

Secretary: Finley Charles

Treasurer: Breanna Ojeikere

BOE Rep.: Gabrielle Fleming

Historians: Mya Cabanas Montero and Michael Dunphy

Executive Members: Maiyah McDuffie and Sarah Olatubosun

The Student Council has partnered with the Class of 2023 to bring some springtime happiness to the residents of Duffy School Apartments and Brookdale Senior Living Facility. The groups will be painting flowerpots and planting individual flowers to be shared with each resident.

The Student Council also recently partnered with the FHS Game club to collect 60 gently used board games to share with families in our community. The goal is to allow families to spend quality time together through board games. All of the donated games have been cleaned and sanitized. A link will be shared with families in the near future to select games they would like to have.

The Student Council is also currently working to fill 60 spring gift bags to assist local charities. Needed items include: crayons, coloring books, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, stuffed animals, individually wrapped-candy and snacks.

The Student Council is also continuing the monthly locker cuts. April's cut-out will be an umbrella and students and staff will be asked to write about their favorite rainy day activity.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

As advisors, we spent the first days of spring in our own “hibernation,” finalizing pages for our last regular deadline. We were able to submit several sports spreads as well as candid pages based on various surveys. Thank you, to those who shared with us using those surveys!

The yearbook is now completed...the hardback part of it.

The Yearbook Club now has the challenge of completing sports coverage for our spring sports, which will be published as a soft-bound insert for the yearbook. We have been working with our photographers to schedule pictures with the later starts to seasons as well as access restrictions. We are looking forward to getting full coverage despite all the new obstacles this year!

We are ahead of schedule on the sales of yearbooks: over 60% of our books have been purchased through the pre-ordering link on the school website.

DON’T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A YEARBOOK!

Full-color yearbooks are currently on sale for $75. The only way to guarantee that you can own one is to pre-order.

The link for ordering yearbooks is also on the school website.

Yearbooks: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01096210

Advisors: Mrs. Eckart and Ms. Covaci

Character Education --April Character Trait is Honesty.

“A person who is considered honest is one who displays integrity, is genuine and not deceptive or fraudulent. Honesty is characterized by truth and sincerity. Honesty denotes the quality of being upright in principle and action. Honesty implies truthfulness, fairness in dealing with others, and refusal to engage in fraud, deceit, or dissembling.”

https://www.school-for-champions.com/character/honesty.htm#.YFTrdVVKhpg

The Development of GOOD CHARACTER ...

...is not an isolated skill to be taught in one area of a child’s life. It is an effort of home, school, and community to instill in our young people good values. The development of good character touches our personal development, it impacts our success with academic development in learning, and good character is essential in the workforce to be successful in our careers.

Weeding Out the Facts - Free Virtual Event

MARIJUANA LEGISLATION - COMMUNITY IMPACT

FREE WORKSHOP VIA ZOOM

​MARCH 25TH AT 6PM

The presenters will discuss the impact of Marijuana Legalization on communities using the experience of Colorado. "What has the DEA seen in states where marijuana has been legalized? Does the black market really go away?" "What are the impacts that the legalization of marijuana can have on the recovery community, mental health providers, the workplace and messaging?"

This is a community-sponsored event and should be very informative.

Marijuana use is expected to explode as a result of legalization, and prevention and treatment providers across the state are scrambling to understand the impacts and address the needs in these very difficult times. (In Burlington County, we have VERY FEW resources available for adolescents, and those that are available are virtual, which presents challenges and difficulties in treatment and counseling.) We need to be armed with the facts as we address these issues in our school community. I hope you'll consider attending.

REGISTER TODAY!

ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT:​

​bit.ly/CCAATF_WeedingOutFacts

​For further information contact Patty DiRenzo at (856) 374-6137 or patty.direnzo@camdencounty.com

Important Resources:

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about COVID-19 and want to talk to someone, the following resources are available:

• 2nd Floor Youth Hotline of New Jersey: 888-222-2228

• PerformCare/Mobile Response: 877-652-7624

• Camden County Crisis Intervention - Twin Oaks: 856-428-HELP (4357)

• New Jersey Mental Health Warm Line (Mental Health Resources): 877-294-4357

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Counseling Support Services:

I'm available for consultation, support, counseling and referral services including:

• Academic.

• Family Alcohol/Drug Use.

• Technology Dependence.

• Anxiety and Depression.

• Divorce.

• Behavior Management.

• Other Mental Health Concerns.

Contact Information:

Please contact Mr. Lamaestra at the high school at (609)499-4620 x 4225 or email me at jlamaestra@florence.k12.nj.us

I'm also available for consultation, support, and referral services even during these days of virtual learning. Please contact me via email to make the appropriate arrangements.

jlamaestra@florence.k12.nj.us

Student Assistance Coordinator: Mr. Lamaestra

The high school counselors, Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga, invite you to visit the Counseling Department website which is accessible from the high school main page or by clicking here. There you will find useful information and links for academic support, mental health resources, college planning and research, post-secondary financial aid, etc.

Scheduling for 2021-22 School Year

Students have received information and forms regarding course selection for next year. These will appear in the English Google Classrooms as assignments to complete. They will find an Electives Video Presentation, a link to the 2021-22 Program of Studies, and a Course Selection Google Form. Students and parents should have a discussion about courses and should check their Genesis accounts under the scheduling tab for teacher-recommended courses. Questions about recommendations should be directed to the child’s current teacher. Contact your school counselor for scheduling-related questions or concerns.

College Scorecard:

This has been recently upgraded so you can compare colleges and get info on fields of study, salary after graduation, costs, debt load after graduation, etc. It provides clear, accessible, and reliable national data. collegescorecard.ed.gov

Scholarship Hunters:

Seniors! Check the binder in the Counseling Office for newly added scholarship opportunities. Check your email and Naviance account for frequent updates. Our Twitter feed also lists many national scholarships.

RCBC Spring Ahead:

This is a program that allows seniors to apply to RCBC, take assessment tests and schedule college classes with ease.

Step 1: (DONE)

Seniors and parents are invited to view the RCBC Virtual Information Session video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqZrI8Xc0LM&feature=youtu.be

Step 2: (DONE)

Apply online for FREE at www.rcbc.edu/apply as a “NEW APPLICANT” before February 5, 2021 and ask your FTMHS counselor to send your official transcript. Students will receive an acceptance email which will include their RCBC Student ID number, RCBC admissions adviser and other important enrollment information.

Step 3: (DONE)

RCBC English and math placement will be determined via prior test scores, high school courses, grades, and cumulative GPA. A chart to determine placement can be found here.

Step 4:

RCBC is preparing Virtual Registration Sessions for Spring Ahead students. Those students who have already applied to RCBC should contact the Admissions Department for further guidance. admissions@rcbc.edu

Senior Class College Packets:

The packets can be found in 12th grade English Google classrooms, the Class of 2021 Google classroom, and on our counseling department website. This PDF packet contains a wealth of information about the college application process. Seniors have a few tasks to do in their Naviance Student accounts, such as requesting recommendation letters and completing the Student Brag Sheet and Scholarship Application.

College Admissions Testing:

The SAT and ACT have undergone significant changes due to COVID-19. Please visit their official websites for the most current information. More than 1,400 four-year colleges and universities are now test-optional for this admissions cycle in response to the effects of the pandemic. Check a particular college’s Admissions Office site for their admissions requirements and testing information before you register for a test.

College Financial Aid Information:

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2021-22 school year opened on October 1, 2020. You will need information from the parent’s and student’s 2019 tax return. Visit fafsa.gov to get started.

If you are applying to any New Jersey schools, you can find your state financial aid information on the HESAA website in your NJFAMS account which can be found under the Students tab. https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/Default.aspx

New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority or HESAA has valuable resources for college and career planning and financial assistance. One important ebooklet is the Student Loan Guide. Here is the link to several of their publications and ebooklets: http://www.hesaa.org/Pages/HESAAPublications.aspx

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):

All college-bound student-athletes should explore the NCAA eligibility qualifications early in their high school careers. Please visit the following websites for more information: www.eligibilitycenter.org and www.2point3.org

College Cost Calculator:

What does college really cost? Colleges are required to have a college cost calculator (aka net price calculator) available on their websites. Please check them out when researching colleges.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about COVID-19 (or anything else) and want to talk to someone, the following resources are available:

• 2nd Floor Youth Hotline of New Jersey: 888-222-2228
• PerformCare/Mobile Response: 877-652-7624
• Camden County Crisis Intervention - Twin Oaks: 856-428-HELP (4357)
• New Jersey Mental Health Warm Line (Mental Health Resources): 877-294-4357
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
• For emergencies: call 911

Counselors: Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga

Spring Sports Start Dates

Tennis: March 26

Softball: Pitchers and Catchers March 29; Full Team: April 1

Baseball: Pitchers and Catchers March 26; Full Team: April 1

Boys and Girls Track and Field: April 1

Winter Sports Record Update

Boys Basketball (7-7)

Girls Basketball (6-4)

Volleyball (4-2)

Unified Basketball (0-1)

REMINDER

As a reminder, for indoor sports, we are only allowing two parent/guardian spectators per home player. The NJSIAA is allowing only parents/guardians at this time. No other siblings/students are allowed at this time. If something were to change, we would be sure to update the Florence community. If you can't make the game, follow all of our home games on our Youtube Channel.

YouTube Channel: FTSD Athletics

A link is below and updates will be sent closer to each event:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WZcirf0SlamaRXRdkWq4g.

Online Sports Registration

https://florence-ar.rschooltoday.com/

Physical Forms

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_hBiP4XFZDfaktuck1YNW9xM1k/view

Please contact the athletic office with any questions.

Contact Information:

Kyle Kaminskas, Athletic Director/Assistant Principal --Extension 4150

Mary Ellen Cassidy, AD Secretary (609)-499-4620, Extension 4149

Audrey Tannenbaum, Athletic Trainer--Extension 4154.

John Cogan, Principal--Extension 4202.

Maria E. Sadar, Vice Principal--Extension 4204.

Also, make sure to follow us for up-to-date Athletic information on our Facebook page @FlorenceAthletics and our Twitter Account @FTSD_athletics. LET’S GO FLASHES!

Visit the Florence Athletic Schedule Website for game dates, times, locations, and any changes due to weather.

GO FLASHES!

Website: www.florence.k12.nj.us
Location: 1050 Cedar Lane, Florence, NJ, 08016
Phone: (609) 499-4620
Twitter: @FTSD_HS