FTMHS NewsFLASH

Tentative March Events:

March 1:

• Blue Group Week starting with B-Day (From March 1 to March 5).
• Character Education Theme for March: Enthusiasm.
• Equity Focus for March: Women's History Month.

March 3:

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

March 5:

• Progress Reports available on Genesis after 2 p.m.

March 8:

• Gold Group Week starting with A-Day (From March 8 to March 12).

March 15:

• Blue Group Week starting with B-Day (From March 15 to March 19).

March 16:

• I&RS Team Meeting.

March 17:

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

March 22:

• Gold Group Week starting with A-Day (From March 22 to March 26)

March 24:

• Parent Presentation at 7 p.m.: "Addressing Virtual School Stress and Its Impact on Learning for Parents and Caregivers."

• This presentation will discuss the challenges of virtual learning from a mental health lens, exploring the concept of virtual learning anxiety and its effects on executive functioning. We will explore strategies that parents and caregivers can employ to provide children with the structure and support needed to reduce stress and enhance access to executive functioning skills. Participants will leave with an understanding of how mental health impacts learning, as well as steps they can take to improve their child’s school performance.

  
  

  Meeting Link Information

  https://effectiveschoolsolutions.zoom.us/j/3752517776?pwd=VHQya2doVWc4UTdQekNHUjJoQnJSQT09

  Meeting ID: 375 251 7776
  Passcode: ESS

March 29:

• ScIP Meeting in the Media Center at 2:20 p.m.

Join us in getting our mental health in check this March! With so much going on in our world today, the FTSD wants to work with you and our students to improve your overall well-being. Check out our family fun calendar below for how you can get involved! Also, check in with your child as we will be focusing on Mental Health Mondays each day in March during school hours.

As always, visit our FTSD website which provides a page dedicated to mental health awareness. We're here to help and care about you and your family!

Progress Reports after 2 p.m. in Genesis on March 5. To view your child’s progress report, 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.

Mrs. Perri will be taking over Mrs. Holmstedt's Art classes as our new long-term substitute teacher on Monday, March 1.

Mrs. Perri is a talented artist who has worked as the Stage Design Advisor for our Spring Musicals on a number of occasions in previous years.

She's a wonderful person who wants to see our students succeed.

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 Jumaris Hernandez as our Elks’ Student of the Month for January. Jumaris is a hardworking individual who was selected because of her strong character and academic and extracurricular achievements.

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

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

Iris Azcona, Taylor Bridges, Christina Cook, Jaelynn Edwards, Thomas Hurley, Sincere Johnson, Rajveer Kaur, Yamilka Lazu Delgado, Aidan MacIntosh, Maiyah McDuffie, Breanna Ojeikere,

Sarah Olatubosun, Krisha Patel, Benjamin Popso, Grace Skinner, Luke Skinner, Allison Slotkin,

Grace Sullivan, Stacey Tompkins, Darien Woody and Declan Yasick.

Citizenship -- Character Education (February)

Thanks to our Parents Organization -- Taylor Bridges, Christina Cook, Thomas Hurley and

Grace Skinner were chosen to receive $10 WaWa gift cards for doing such an excellent job!

Taylor Bridges

• "Taylor always strives to be a productive member of our school community and I think she will go on to do great things and be a fantastic citizen of the world."

(Nominated by: Mr. Donovan)

Christina Cook

• "Christina has been an integral part of the community and inspired others through her membership in No Place for Hate--her lovely card for the Masonic Village and her participation in the January Equity Focus lesson on Living With a Disability."

(Nominated by: Ms. Levine)

Thomas Hurley

• "Thomas does things for the good of all--an incredible student. He is always looking for ways to be a worthy and upstanding citizen within our own school community."
• "He consistently leads his actions with the thought of, 'Is this the right thing to do?'"

(Nominated by: Mr. DuBrul and Mr. Donovan)

Grace Skinner

• "Grace genuinely cares about her community, as demonstrated by donations and volunteering. Whenever anyone is helping Ms. Rodan, Grace Skinner is there."
• "Grace is trustworthy, honest, shows great respect for others and volunteers to help those in our community who are in need."
• " ...consistently helping the community and showing pride in her community."

(Nominated by: Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Pereda and Ms. Rodan)

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 second marking period.

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

Youssef Badaoui (Grade 9); Ashley Rafferty (Grade 10); Mckenna Bernardo (Grade 11); and Mohammed Islam (Grade 12) were randomly chosen and treated to a $25 Wawa gift card!

AP Testing

• https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/ap-2020-2021

Our school will be administering AP exams from May 3 - June 11. Each student will be given the opportunity to take their exam by paper/pencil or electronically. Teachers for each subject area will be discussing all options with the students to make the best decision possible.

Our only second-semester AP course is Microeconomics, and we will need to know whether or not your child will be taking that test by Friday, March 5. The cost of the AP exam is $86. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Florence Township Memorial High School.” (We cannot accept cash.) Please drop off all AP payments to Mrs. Belcher in the Main Office. If your child is in our Free and Reduced Lunch Program, then the College Board and the District will work together to cover the cost of your child’s AP exam(s). Please email Mrs. Belcher at kbelcher@florence.k12.nj.us to register your child for his/her exam in this circumstance.

This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board is not going to charge us if we cancel our order for your child, provided we do so at the beginning of April. Although we strongly encourage all of our AP students to take their AP exams, we will be able to refund you for the cost of the exam as long as you cancel your order by Thursday, April 1. In order to cancel an AP exam for your son or daughter, all that you need to do is email our AP Coordinator, Ms. Barbara Fazekas, at bfazekas@florence.k12.nj.us.

Our staff chose to "de-stress" by participating in a virtual paint party. All were encouraged not to give up their professional jobs before they have had additional training. :)

Here are some of our classroom activities:

AP Lit:

The AP Lit class closely read, annotated, and studied "Heritage" by Countee Cullen in two jamboard sessions.

AP Lang:

The AP Lang students have read and analyzed James Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers."

Honors English II: Students are reading "A Visit to Grandmother" by William Melvin Kelley.

I am reading selected poems from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes at the beginning of class to all levels.

During English class, we will be comparing Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman. They are both African American women who are poets and activists.

We will read one poem by each author and discuss how each poem makes us feel.

• This month Mrs. Covaci's classes have been learning and writing reflections about African American Civil Rights activists. We have discussed activists such as Amelia Boyton, Dorothy Height, Ida B. Wells and Jessie Owens, to name a few.
  

• In addition to the reflections, Mrs. Covaci's junior class voted unanimously and started an inquiry-based project. They selected Dr. Martin Luther King as their main focus. A request was made to read and listen to, "The Other America" by Dr. King. After reading, listening, and reflecting on his speech, students decided they wanted to learn more about who influenced him and what motivated Dr. King to start his activism. Students are currently researching Dr. King's influencers. As an end project, students have requested to write a paper or create artwork about their findings.

For the month of February, Mr. Senni began each class by reading about a Famous African American mathematician. These ranged from inventors, scientists and other accomplished individuals in the field.

There was a heavy emphasis on the magnitude of these accomplishments for the time period and the difficulties the individuals overcame to be successful.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_kXGmofrGli4Tc0EGBsCtnVgy5mC3suCDWfo1tGm6Gk/edit?usp=sharing

All Music Department classes at FHS have been working on an on-going project this month, a Black History Month Listening Journal. Every class period, we discussed one important and influential black musician. Then we listen to a piece performed by/composed by that musician and the students write down their reaction to that day's piece. By the end of the month, every class will have listened to 9 different musicians.

Musicians that have been featured in the various classes are: Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston, Marian Anderson, Prince, James Brown, Diana Ross, Sanford Allen, Jimi Hendrix, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Parker, Frank Johnson, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, George Bridgetower, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Louis Armstrong, Hazel Scott, Stevie Wonder, Thomas Wiggins, Florence B. Price, John Legend, George Walker, Scott Joplin and Alicia Keys.

Mr. DuBrul's classes discussed George Ashby who was the last surviving civil war soldier. He is buried in Allentown NJ.

Ten or so years ago, Mr. DuBrul lived next to the graveyard where he is buried. Now, Mr. DuBrul lives across the street from George Ashby's old house.

Mr. DuBrul read an article to the students about a guy in his hometown who petitioned to rename "Negro Run," and successfully changed it to Ashby Run.

https://www.app.com/story/news/history/2019/03/04/allentown-negro-run-george-ashby-creek-civil-war/2989354002/

"Profiles in Excellence"

Mr. DuBrul shared the video on John Lewis with his classes.

https://youtu.be/5ayewOtuixI

Physics

In Physics class, we are planning a debate to determine the best energy source in terms of cost, renewability, and environmental impact.

Students will be highlighting the contributions of notable African Americans such as Hazel O'Leary, the first woman and first African American to head the U.S. Department of Energy who supported research in solar and energy efficiency technologies and Dr. Novella Bridges whose research includes the reduction of diesel emissions in vehicles and the production of hydrogen for fuel cells.

Astronomy Class

For this month's equity focus, Astronomy classes will be watching and discussing "Hidden Figures" which outlines the stories of three brilliant African American women who were the brainpower behind launching some of NASA's most famous missions into space.

Earth and Space and Astronomy Classes

The classes will listen to an NPR broadcast entitled, "Short Wave" which celebrates black excellence in science.

Enjoy a preview here...

" Diversity imparts strength and resilience. That's an underlying principle of evolution — and it's equally true of the group of people who study science. A wealth of research demonstrates that having diverse people involved in STEM fields produces better results. But the latest data from the National Science Foundation shows that people of color are still underrepresented in science and engineering — as are women and people living with disabilities. "

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/28/810035026/short-wave-celebrates-black-excellence-in-science

African American Research Project

Unsung Heroes

Everyone is required to complete a research project on an African American Scientist/Inventor. Your project will include:

1. Birth, Birthplace and Death of the scientist as well as their family.

2. The person’s childhood years and where they attended school.

3. Where did they go to college?

4. Adult life and family

5. What did they invent or discover?

6. What are their achievements in Science, Math, English, the Arts and African American History? Did they win any awards?

7. Fun Facts

8. Pictures

*You may create a slide, google document presentation, a Powtoon, or Jamboard presentation. If you are going to do a slide presentation or a Powtoon, you must have at least 10 to 12 slides! Please edit your work for grammar or misspelled words. The project was due on Thursday, February 26, 2021.

So far this month, students watched a video on MLK and Booker T Washington. After the video, we had a discussion to discuss their stature within the African Americans in US History.

We will cover the Civil Rights Movement thoroughly later in the year when we get to the unit within the American Studies II curriculum.

• In my theater classes, we read an article called "Why Black Culture Thrives Among Rampant Racism," and discussed how some of our most prolific art is born out of times of great struggle and oppression.

• We also watched a special called "Blackface: A Cultural History of a Racist Art Form", and discussed the history of this troubling practice and why it still has effects on modern entertainment and pop culture today.

March 24 at 7 p.m.
This presentation will discuss the challenges of virtual learning from a mental health lens, exploring the concept of virtual learning anxiety and its effects on executive functioning. We will explore strategies that parents and caregivers can employ to provide children with the structure and support needed to reduce stress and enhance access to executive functioning skills. Participants will leave with an understanding of how mental health impacts learning, as well as steps they can take to improve their child’s school performance.

Meeting Link Information

https://effectiveschoolsolutions.zoom.us/j/3752517776?pwd=VHQya2doVWc4UTdQekNHUjJoQnJSQT09

Meeting ID: 375 251 7776
Passcode: ESS

The Florence Twp. Memorial High School Parent Organization (FTMHSPO) is an active parent group that meets monthly to discuss and plan ideas and events as well as fundraising to support the overall well-being of our students, staff, and administration as needed.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions we have unfortunately had to make adjustments to the normal tasks we undertake each year to support our school. We were not able to hold our 2 biggest fundraisers (Prom Fashion Show 2020, Breakfast w/ Santa 2020 and Prom Fashion Show 2021). However, we are still looking to host fundraisers and provide support to our school in other ways as follows:

• Our January 2021 Clothing Drive and Fratelli's Food Night were both huge successes! Thank you for your support.

• The next FTMHSPO Clothing Drive will be held on Saturday, May 15, so start saving those bags.

• Look out for our Food Fundraisers at Vinny G's on April 12, Mother's Day Treat Box and Garden & House Flag Fundraisers. More details to follow very shortly.

• We continue to provide monthly gift cards to our FTMHS Academic Achievement award winners and students of the month who are caught doing something good.

• To support and recognize our wonderful teachers and staff for all they do for our children each day, we have purchased doughnuts/coffee during National Kindness Awareness Week and provided a luncheon during parent-teacher conferences in November. We will also be providing them treats during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

• Currently, we are working with the administration to help provide an end-of-year Class of 2021 activity as well as provided funding to offset costs towards the May 2021 prom.

We truly 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 ON Monday, 3/1/2021 @ 6:00 PM: https://meet.google.com/pav-egzm-yxf

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

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.

The Florence Township Education Foundation is hoping for warmer weather soon. To help get ready, the Foundation is having a beach towel fundraiser. The towels cost $23. Checks payable to: Florence Twp. Ed. Foundation and send your check to the Roebling School by March 5.

Vaccine is still limited to healthcare workers, first responders, those 65+ and those 16-64 with certain underlying health conditions

(more information can be found here: NJ State Covid-19 Vaccine Eligibility Information).

If you are looking to register for a vaccination, please try one of the three options below. Vaccine is still in limited supply, so we ask for your patience in obtaining a vaccine appointment.

Vaccination Registration sites

1. Virtua Mega Site in Moorestown:
   www.virtua.org/vaccine
2. NJVSS:
   https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/
3. Any of the sites listed here:
   Covid-19 Vaccine Locations for Eligible Recipients

For assistance, please reach out to the NJ COVID Vaccine hotline at:
1-855-568-0545

School Nurse: Alison Emery

Script Analysis & Dramaturgy

In Script Analysis & Dramaturgy, we are learning about the process of being a "dramaturg," which includes lots of research to give a play context and bring it to light.

As a practice run before we jump into a full play, we watched the Pixar--short film "BAO," and split into 4 dramaturgical groups to research

1. Structure/Theme;

2. Setting/Culture;

3. Filmmaker (Playwright) background; and

4. Music/Colors/Imagery.

The groups compiled their findings in a slideshow and presented them to the class.

In Science class, our students learned about sound waves and vibration. Our class made phones out of cups, string and paper clips.

Students found sound waves were carried through the string through vibration enabling them to hear their partners at the other end of the cup!

Holocaust Survivor Project in 10th Grade CP English

Students were responsible for researching the life and experiences of a Holocaust survivor, beginning with his/her life before WWII began, his/her experiences during WWII or in a concentration camp and what he/she did or where he/she went after WWII ended.

This project served as a primer for our reading, discussion, and dissection of the novel, “Night.”

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 has been hard at work with the "Profiles in Black Excellence" series as well as assisting with the Blessing Bags for the Homeless.

Moving forward, we will be preparing to continue our Black and Brown Excellence for Women's History Month.

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 Trip committee met on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, to discuss possible day trips. The committee selected about 6 or 7 trips that their classmates might be interested in attending. Once the day trips are approved, we will post a Google Form in Classroom for you to select the top 4 trips that interest you. Your advisors will work on trip details/packages for each trip selected. Students will have the option to select as many trips that they would like to attend. More information will be dropped in Classroom.

Jr./Sr. Prom

The Junior and Senior classes are going to be working together to sponsor this year's prom.

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

The Junior and Senior classes are working together to plan this year's Prom at The Merion in Cinnaminson on Thursday, May 20, 2021. We had our first committee meeting to share ideas and feedback.

The Junior class will also be running a drive beginning in March so please be on the lookout for donation boxes.

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

In spite of the additional “Virtualness” due to relentless snow, I have been fortunate to see some members of the Class of 2023 on a regular basis.

Those Sophomores involved with basketball have been doing a great job in spite of all the adversity they continue to be experiencing.

I want to remind the Class of 2023 to be sure to sign the “No Place for Hate Pledge,” if they haven’t already done so, and continue to be vigilant with mask-wearing, social distancing and other necessary covid precautions.

We can’t tell you how much we miss seeing all of you!

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

The Class of 2024 collaborated with Student Council and Interact Club to provide Valentine's greetings to the senior citizens in the Brookdale Senior Center in Florence.

We are currently planning our next community service activity and are excited to partner with other groups and clubs!

Advisors: Mrs. Byrne and Mr. Varga

The Computer Science Club is working with the Newspaper Club to continue building a television station.

While the Newspaper Club is creating the segments, the Computer Science Club is learning how to edit them so that we can begin getting school information out to the public.

Advisor: Mr. Roberson

The students finalized the digital recipe book.

The CAFE Club has started coordinating with the Newspaper Club to highlight different cultures represented in our school community in the monthly newsletters.

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

Advisor: Ms. Diaz

The Debate Team has just finished competing in a tournament within the South Jersey Debate League on Wednesday afternoons.

Our Varsity Team:

Lana Duke, Zaria Harewood, Rajveer Kaur, and Marcus McIntyre comprise the varsity team.

The Varsity Team tied for first place in their division, and went on to the championships in a three-way tie with Shawnee High School and Cherry Hill East High School. On Thursday, February 25, Florence placed third in the South Jersey Debate League championship.

Our JV Team:

Finley Charles, Tanisha Khabe, Ben Popso, and Declan Yasick comprise our Junior Varsity team. The JV Team members are all first-year debate teams and have done remarkably well.

We are grateful to Jaskiran Mangat, our student judge, and to Hazal Akkaya and Grace Kurtz for serving as varsity and JV timers. Krisha Patel serves as a volunteer timer, and we are grateful for her timely help.

The FTMHS Debate Team is open to all. We will begin working on next year's resolution in a few weeks. If you are interested in the environment (next year's resolution) and would like to be a part of a winning team, consider joining the Debate Team. You will receive some great coaching from this year's seniors and juniors if you join now.

Advisor: Mrs. Hughes

Co-Presidents: Mesbah Monower and Logan Trayner

Mr. DuBrul's Environmental Club will be taking a "virtual trip" to the Bass River State Park on Saturday, February 27. Students will get to follow Mr. Du Brul as he hikes through the Pygmy Plains.

Questions will be answered and students will learn the science, history, and future of this delicate area.

Advisor: Mr. DuBrul

President: Gursahajpreet Singh

Vice-President: Alexandra Witty

Secretary: Finley Charles

The Game Club is investigating the possibility of participating in ESports sponsored by the Army National Guard. This program offers the opportunity to play computer games as a team against other teams from other schools. The prospects look interesting. If you are a gamer and wish you could get involved, contact Mr. Weatherbee at the High School.

The Game Club Game Drive is in full swing and we are collecting old or new games to distribute to families so that they may spend quality time together during the pandemic quarantine. Give your game a second life through donation at Florence Township Memorial High School.

We continue to meet on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Among us is the game of choice, but we are looking for other ideas.

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

Blessing Bags

Interact members and Black and Latinx Student Union members helped to put together Blessing Bags to distribute to homeless individuals. Each bag includes toiletries and individually wrapped snacks.

Chemo Comfort Bags

Interact members are also putting together Chemo Comfort Bags which will be donated to a local hospital.

Needed Items Include:

Blankets, chapstick, lotion, hand sanitizer, hard candy, gum, mints, and puzzle books! Items can be dropped off at the high school Main Office if you would like to donate.

Collection of Plastic Bags Continues...

The Interact Club is continuing to collect plastic bags. We collected over 500 pounds of plastic and received a bench from TREX which will be put together and placed in the courtyard. The program was such a success that we are currently collecting more plastic for a second bench. Please email grodan@florence.k12.nj.us to make arrangements for plastic pick up.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

Keep an eye out for the big announcement:

Our 2021 MUSICAL...

Coming soon!

Director: Mr. Donovan

Follow us on Twitter...

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

Tutoring Center

The NHS started tutoring 7th and 8th-grade students at Riverfront in a virtual "Tutor

Center" and continues to tutor at the high school as well.

Community Service

NHS members assisted the community with shoveling snow.

Book Drive

The NHS has started sorting the many books received for the Book Drive to support CHOP's Reach Out and Read program.

Food Pantry

Over 650 cans of food were donated by NHS members and taken to the Food Pantry at Florence United Methodist Church.

Eagle Scout Project

Members have assisted a fellow member with his Eagle Scout Project in revamping the food pantry with fresh paint and build-outs.

Advisors: Ms. Diaz and Mr. Weatherbee

The Newspaper Club has joined forces with the Computer Science Club to create a news station. If you are interested in broadcast journalism, then the Newspaper Club needs you. We need students to record and report the news. This can be done virtually.

In addition to creating news for TV, we are also in the process of preparing our second issue of the Florence Sentinal.

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

On February 10, No Place For Hate taught a lesson entitled, "The Present" to gym classes.

The objectives of the lesson were to identify biases, discuss experiences surrounding the treatment of people living with disabilities, and identify what we can do as a community to continue development of our school and district as No Place For Hate.

No Place For Hate is also working on starting veggie plants for the Florence Community Garden.

We are also in the process of writing uplifting cards for seniors who have been isolated since the start of the pandemic.

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

Student Council is continuing to foster school spirit by decorating the lockers with cutouts. This month's cutout is a heart. Students and staff have been asked to share things that are near and dear to their hearts.

The group also helped to plan spirit days and special activities for the Week of Kindness. This included posting hearts for teachers with messages of thanks from FHS students!

The Student Council along with the FHS Game Club is currently sponsoring a family game drive. The goal is to help families spend quality time together by playing games.

The Student Council and the Interact Club are also selling bracelets to benefit the Luyber family. Support Team Madison by purchasing a bracelet for $3.00. You can place an order for a bracelet using this link:

https://forms.gle/9CdqTfnjsHRcAXNc7

Thank you to everyone who donated cards to support Madison. She is receiving "happy mail" from FHS on a weekly basis.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

Can you believe we are approaching the one-year “anniversary” of a pandemic lockdown??

So much has changed since last year, including what we are doing with and in the yearbook!

As advisors, we spent the Presidents’ Day weekend on our own "lockdown," finalizing most of the senior section along with most of the staff section, and some club and sports coverage. We were able to submit several parent recognition ads as well. Thank you, family and friends! That means we have two-thirds of the book completed!!

The Yearbook Club now has the challenge of completing sports coverage and finishing up seniors, staff and clubs as well as several candid spreads.

Freshmen:

We are missing about half of your traditional “school” pictures since you did not get them taken on the Picture Days in the fall. Look for a freshman survey in your grade level Google Classroom that will allow you to add your picture to your section of the yearbook.

We are asking students and faculty to participate in any and all surveys as they are posted (even if you only answer one of the questions and send one picture). The biggest difficulty for us is representing ALL members of our high school “family” when we don’t see you in the building. Please help us achieve this goal.

New members are still welcome to join our staff for this month’s deadline. If interested in joining please contact:

Mrs. Eckart aeckart@florence.k12.nj.us or Mrs. Covaci lcovaci@florence.k12.nj.us

There has never been a school year like this one! Preserve a piece of history with a school 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 --March Character Trait is Enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm means having a good attitude and getting satisfaction from getting things done and pursuing your dreams.

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.

Weekly Career NewsFLASH

A Weekly Career NewsFLASH is now being sent to all students via email every Wednesday. It features career advice, job trends, and diverse video interviews from Road Trip Nation. It can be a great conversation starter between students, parents, and counselors!

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: (ONGOING)

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: (TENTATIVE)

Those students who are committing to attend RCBC, and have completed all prior steps will tour the Mt. Laurel campus AND schedule classes for the fall semester on April 14, 2021.

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.

Operating Virtually:

School counselors are available through email and virtual meetings. Email is the best avenue to reach your school counselor. To schedule an appointment, students and parents may email the school counselor directly to find a mutually agreed upon date/time.

Mr. Joseph Varga: jvarga@florence.k12.nj.us

Mrs. Nancy Sebastian: nsebastian@florence.k12.nj.us

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

Boys and Girls Basketball Record Update

Boys Basketball (5-3)

Girls Basketball (2-1)

Wrestling (Co-Op w/Bordentown)

First Practice Wrestling: March 1

First Competition: March 16

Last Competition: April 24

Volleyball

First Practice: March 8

First Competition: March 16

Last Competition: April 24

Unified Basketball

First Practice: March 9 - Practice will be Tuesdays and Thursdays

First Competition: March 17

Last Competition: April 22

***As a reminder, for indoor sports we are only allowing two parent/guardian spectators per player and you must have a pass to enter. 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

Spring Sports

Registration is now open for spring sports. Please complete your online registration and submit your physicals by March 5 for review and approval. Any questions please reach out to your coaches or the athletic department.

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