The Dragon Review

August 2022

Welcome to 2022-2023 School Year

Principal's Announcement

August 2022

Hello Dragon Nation!

On behalf of the entire staff at Brick Township High School, I would like to welcome our new and returning students and families to the 2022-2023 school year. I hope you found time this summer to take care of yourselves, to enjoy time with friends, family, and loved ones, and to recharge and reinvigorate for the upcoming year.

As we prepare for the start of another school year, it is important to recognize the collective and individual grit, determination, and resilience our students, teachers, and families have shown over the past year. We are better prepared, now more than ever, to meet the challenges and obstacles that may come our way. We at Brick Township High School value the partnership and collaboration that exists within our learning community. It is through this partnership that we will succeed in our commitment to providing an optimal learning environment for our students to learn and grow into their best selves. Please know that we value and respect every one of our students, recognizing the immense responsibility that each member of our learning community possesses to effectively support, guide, and encourage our students to succeed.

I would like to welcome our new and returning staff members to BTHS. I am proud to introduce them to you and I am confident that they are going to hit the ground running and be great additions to our community. You will find below additional information highlighting both Mr. Longo and Mrs. Smith as they will be joining our BTHS administration team. Please join me in welcoming:

Jason Longo - Athletic Director
Angela Smith - Supervisor of Guidance
Colleen Partenope - Math Department
Michael Puma - Science Department
Krystal Boland - Special Education Department
Alis Bayrooty - Paraprofessional
Barbara Kubiak - Paraprofessional
Andrew Dorman - ELL Teacher
Dr. Denise Furlong - ELL Teacher
Gary Paxton - College & Career / STEM

As the school year progresses, you will receive regular communication updates in the form of monthly newsletters, mass notification through our blackboard system, and website updates. Information is also shared through our school’s twitter feed @BTHSDragons, consider following for regular updates. Additionally, if you are not a member of our School’s PTA please consider joining. PTA Membership Link.

Please take some time to review the important information contained within this newsletter as it will support a successful upcoming school year. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the main office at 732-785-3000 or visit our website at www.brickschools.org/bths for additional information.

I am looking forward to greeting our students on the first day of school, which is Tuesday, September 6. I am confident that together we can continue to ensure the success of each student at Brick Township High School. I consider it a privilege to serve as your principal and look forward to supporting you in this upcoming school year. Thank you for being BTHS Dragon Proud! Go Dragons!

Sincerely,

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Principal

Tradition & Pride: Acceptance - Integrity - Respect

This past school year BTHS began its partnership with NJ PBSIS to design a culturally responsive tiered intervention framework for our school. After completing the first year of the NJ PBSIS implementation cycle, I am honored to bring to your attention the updated BTHS seal, which can be seen below. The entire BTHS learning community had input on the values highlighted in our updated seal, keeping with the “Tradition & Pride”, our students, parents, and staff provided feedback on their core values. Honoring the voice of our students, staff, and parents the ideals of “Acceptance - Integrity - Respect” were identified as inherent values of our learning community to join the long standing BTHS values of “Tradition & Pride”. PBSIS is not a specific program, rather a broad term that describes a set of strategies or procedures designed to improve behavioral success by employing proactive, systematic techniques. This upcoming school year, BTHS will continue our working partnership with NJ PBSIS, where we look to expand on the implementation of tiered supports, inclusive of an explicit school wide expectation behavior matrix coupled with opportunities for student recognition and incentive.

Dragons Soar with AIR - Acceptance - Integrity - Respect

School News

Parent Portal - Student Schedules

Parent Portal will be open for parent access on Thursday, August 25 at 5:00. Students will be able to access their schedule for the 2022-2023 school year at this time.

Student schedules are available for review. Please take time to review your schedule for the new school year. If there is a mistake in your schedule (i.e. missing block during the day, course level, conflict of classes) please email your school counselor. Be sure to include your name and scheduling conflict.

Please note that only requests to correct scheduling problems caused by errors in course assignments will be honored. We are unable to accommodate requests for schedule changes related to teacher, block, or convenience changes. If changes are needed a Drop/Add form must be completed. The Drop/Add form must be signed by both the teacher and a parent/guardian and then approved by the department supervisor and building principal. There must be an open seat in the requested course in order for the drop/add to be initiated. Students must request a drop/add within the following time frame:

10 - Credit Courses: 10 school days from the beginning of the school year.
5 - Credit Courses: 5 school days from the beginning of each course.

Opening Day Documents & Information

The first day of school for students is Tuesday, September 6. The following information will assist with a successful 2022-2023 school year.

The student handbook along with the other listed documentation contains important information about the process and procedures at BTHS. Please review these important pieces of information with your child.

Dragon Spotlight

Welcome Class of 2026!

On Thursday, August 25 BTHS welcomed the Class of 2026 to Brick Township High School. Students were afforded the opportunity to engage with peers, tour the school, and attend multiple information sessions focused on pertinent topics. Parents had an opportunity to attend an evening information session. The presentation is linked HERE if anyone missed the information session or would like a refresher on important information and key practices.

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Welcome Mr. Longo! - Athletic Director / Assistant Principal

We are excited to welcome Mr. Jason Longo as the newly hired Athletic Director / Assistant Principal at Brick Township High School. Mr. Longo began his career as a middle school social studies teacher and coach in the Toms River School District. During his time in Toms River, Mr. Longo served as a coach of multiple sports, which eventually led to his first supervisory position as a middle school athletic coordinator. Prior to coming to Brick Township High School, Mr. Longo served as the Athletic Director at Freehold Boro High School for over 7 years, followed by a brief stint at Holmdel High School in the same position. Mr. Longo enjoys family time with his wife and three children, watching sports and officiating recreation basketball and football.

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Congratulations to Ms. Smith - Supervisor of Guidance!

We are excited to bring to your attention that Mrs. Angela Smith was recently named the Supervisor of Guidance for the Brick Township School District. Mrs. Smith was previously the Coordinator of Guidance for BTHS. She began her career at the Princeton Day School as an Admission Counselor and at Paramus Catholic High School as a School Counselor. Mrs. Smith served the Brick Township High School as a School Counselor for 7 years and as the Coordinator of Guidance for 5 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Susquehanna University and then went to Rider University to pursue her Masters of Arts in School Counseling. Mrs. Smith enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 boys at the Jersey Shore, early morning workouts and creating products for her soap business.

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Ms. Carlsson - National Nurse Certification Accomplishment!

Congratulations Mrs. Mary Carlsson for achieving National School Nurse Certification! National Certification for School Nurses is a mark of distinction and accomplishment. National certification represents a national standard of preparation, knowledge, and practice. Congratulations Mrs. Carlsson! Your quest for personal improvement, while modeling the quest for life-long learning is admirable. Our school nurses are vital as their presence makes a difference every day in ensuring a safe school environment where students, staff, and families are constantly supported.

Stay In the Know

Guidance Department

The BTHS Guidance Department is excited to start the 2022-2023 school year. All students are fully supported by our school counselors. Please review the current counselor assignments (alphabetically by last name):

Students Last Name - A - Da ----> Mrs. Ianniello
Students Last Name - De - I -----> Ms. Piwowarczyk
Students Last Name - J - Mo ----> Ms. Donahue
Students Last Name - Mu - Sa --> Mrs. Celona
Students Last Name - Sc - Z -----> Mrs. Walling

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your respective school counselor with any needs or concerns. We firmly believe that our partnership between home and school is paramount in ensuring the success of each of our students. We are here to help and assist in ensuring that each of our students optimize their time and experience at BTHS. We are looking forward to welcoming our students and having a positive and successful year at Brick Township High School.

Note: BTHS will be hosting the SAT on October 1st. Please see the College Board's Website to register. The deadline is Friday, September 2nd.

Food Service

Attention! Meals will no longer be free for ALL students starting in the 2022-2023 school year. Students who are eligible for free or reduced meals will be able to get breakfast/lunch on the first day of school through October 21. Letters were emailed during the last week of July to notify parents of their child's current status. Parents who do not apply for free or reduced meals for the 2022-2023 school year will revert to full paid on October 21. Click Here to Apply for Free / Reduced Price Meal Benefits.

Breakfast: Upon arrival, students will have an opportunity to go to a cafeteria to pick up breakfast. Breakfast will close at 7:05 AM.

Lunch: Students will have the opportunity to purchase / receive lunch during their assigned lunch period. Students will be assigned either A or C lunch. Students will be required to input their student ID.

CLICK HERE to access the BTHS Food Service web page, where you can find complete department information. Additionally, the Free and Reduced Lunch application is posted on this page. The application is offered in both English and Spanish.

School Security

Building Hours - Public

Brick Township High School will be open for business between the hours of 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Visitors should schedule an appointment when at all possible so we can be prepared to greet you. All visitors will be required to show photo identification and state the purpose of their visit prior to being buzzed into the building. Upon entering the building, all visitors must proceed directly to the Main Office Front Desk.

Building Hours - Students

Brick Township High School will be open to students between the hours of 6:50 AM and 1:30 PM. Students who are on campus outside of these hours MUST be under the direct supervision of a District Staff member (e.g. teacher, coach, advisor). In order to ensure the safety and proper supervision of your children, students who are not with a staff member will NOT be granted access to building outside of these hours.

Drop off of Items

Drop off of student items will be allowed prior to 9:00 AM and after 1:30 PM. In order to limit traffic in the building, a drop off bin will be located outside the front door. If you need to drop off items, please label the item clearly with your student's name, place in the box, and buzz the front desk to alert that the items are there. Items brought to school between 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM will only be accepted in extreme circumstances and require the approval of an administrator.

Parent Transportation: Student Drop Off & Pick Up Location

Students are to be dropped off and picked up at the East Lobby Entrance, which is Door 34. There will be a security guard present at this location to assist with parent traffic patterns. The main entrance horseshoe will not be used for parent drop off / pick up during arrival and dismissal timeframes.

Students: Parking on Campus

Brick Township High School Seniors and Juniors, who possess a valid driver’s license, will be permitted to drive their vehicle to school and park in designated locations on the BTHS campus during the 2022-2023 school year. Parking Permit Application 2022-2023. The cost of a parking permit is ten dollars, cash or check accepted. Please have exact change when making payment. Payment will be collected when applying for the parking permit.

Seniors will have the first opportunity to purchase/reserve their parking permit. Beginning on Tuesday, August 16 Seniors may purchase/reserve their parking permit in the South Office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Bring your driver’s license, vehicle registration and ten dollar fee. No student is to park in any parking lot on campus until they have received a permit. Seniors may reserve their parking permit at any time, however, a parking permit will not be issued until proof of driver’s license, insurance, and registration is provided.
Juniors will be able to purchase a parking permit during the week of Monday, August 29th. Juniors must have their driver’s license, vehicle registration and ten dollar fee with them at the time of purchase. Juniors have the opportunity to purchase their parking permit throughout the school year once they have received their license.

Information regarding the parking permit application and process is also available on our school’s website. Again, here is access to the Parking Permit Application.

School Pictures

Attention Senior Parents: Save the date for Senior Portrait Makeup day on September 16th. Students can reserve a timeslot by going to www.ouryear.com and using school code 66214. See this flyer for more information. All seniors must get their portraits taken, and there is no obligation to purchase the portraits.

BTHS Underclass School pictures will be taken 9/21-9/23. Students will not be called down, and should go on their own to the library at the appropriate time based on their last name according to THIS SCHEDULE.

Freshmen: 9/21
Sophomores: 9/22
Juniors: 9/23

Orders should be placed before picture day on www.mylifetouch.com. Use Picture Day ID: EVTF7Q4GV. See this flyer for more details.

Every student should get their picture taken, even if they do not plan on purchasing pictures since they will be used for student ID cards.

Email jpiwowarczyk@brickschoools.org with any questions.

Health Office Message

A few friendly reminders from the BTHS Health Office:

Please do not hesitate to bring any important health-related information to the attention of the health office. Students should stay home when not feeling well or developing signs of illness.
Notification: If you suspect that your child has been exposed to COVID-19, please contact Mrs. Carlsson or Mrs. Yarbrough in the health office.

Health Office Contact

West Nurse Office - Mary Carlsson Ext. 2037

East Nurse Office - Tammy Yarbrough Ext. 2009

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District Issued Student Chromebook Devices

All students, who attended Brick Schools last school year, should have a district issued device in their possession. Students should be prepared to bring their fully charged device with charger to school on Tuesday, September 6. Protective cases were issued in the past and should be utilized to help ensure the safety of district devices.

If you are a new student to the district and have not yet been issued a laptop device, please visit Mr. Marvin's office in the East Office on the first day of school. A device will be prepared for distribution on the first day of school.

If your assigned device is in need of support, please proceed with submitting an eTicket requesting support from the technology department. BTHS Technology Department eTicket

Join the BTHS - Parent Teacher Student Association

The BTHS Parent Teacher Student Association is accepting membership for the 2022-2023 school year. Please consider joining the Brick Township High School PTSA.

LINK to Memberhub