FTMHS NewsFLASH

December Events:

December 3:

• Spring Musical Callbacks in the Auditorium.

December 4:

• Spring Musical Callbacks in the Auditorium.

December 6:

• Marching Band /Tree Lighting Event; 7 p.m. step off.
• Spring Musical--Cast list posted.

December 10:

• Spring Musical--Mandatory Meeting for Parents and Cast members at 6 p.m.

December 11:

• College Information Night at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.

December 12:

• Spring Musical--First Rehearsal--Read-through.

December 13:

• One Session Day--Dismissal at 11:40 a.m. for Students.
• PM In-Service for Staff (12:20 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.).
• ESL Trip to the Ritz Theater.

December 16:

• Board of Education Meeting at 7 p.m. at the Riverfront Middle School.
• Parent Organization Meeting at 6 p.m. in the Media Center.

December 17:

• Hoops for the Holidays at 6 p.m. at the Riverfront School.
  
  

December 18:

• Winter Concert at 6:30 p.m.

December 19:

• Environmental Trip to Wells Mills County Park.

December 20:

• One Session Day--Dismissal at 11:40 a.m.
• Progress Reports will be available on Genesis after 2 p.m.

December 23 to January 1:

• Winter Recess.
• Rest-Relax-Enjoy Family Time Together.

We are very excited to welcome Ms. Annie Levine as a new Science teacher at FTMHS. Ms. Levine brings with her great experience, a terrific personality, and a passion for teaching Science. We are confident that she will be doing an excellent job teaching our students.

The Timberwolve Marching Band will be performing in Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day Parade and were practicing today on our track and field.

Mr. Dave Lease, former member of the Florence Township Board of Education, relocated to South Carolina several years ago. Mr. Lease is very active in White Knoll High School's Marching Band and made arrangements with Dr. Ambrosius to use our facility.

There were 417 entries this year. The posters were judged over a 3 day period by students and staff at Rowan College of Burlington County. Seven gift cards were awarded to the artists who received the most votes. Also, twenty honorable mention certificates were presented.

We would like to thank all the students who participated in this year's poster contest.

Concession Workers for the "Powderpuff" Game...

When you see someone in a uniform,

Someone who serves us all,

Doing military duty,

Answering their country’s call.

Take a moment to thank them

For protecting what you hold dear,

Tell them you are proud of them,

Make it very clear.

Just tap them on the shoulder,

Give a smile, and say,

“Thanks for what you’re doing

To keep us safe in the USA!”

We are excited to host a series of parent nights dedicated to helping you learn more about technology trends.

We ask that you please complete the Parent Technology Survey & we will gear our sessions to your request!

http://bit.ly/parenttech19

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

Thanks to our GENEROUS Parents Organization, four students – one from each grade level – will be randomly chosen and treated to $25 Wawa gift card!

At the end of the first marking period, students who earn A’s in all of their courses will be assigned to the “Principal’s Academic List.” We’re adding this program based upon the feedback we’ve received from students, staff, and parents. We have students who are hungry to show what they can do, and we’re eager to recognize them!

Special Recognition – The Bordentown Lodge No. 2085 B.P.O. Elks have 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 Anita Chacko as our Elks’ Student of the Month for October. Anita is a hardworking individual who was selected because of her strong character and academic and extracurricular achievements. Congratulations, Anita!

Our students have been doing a wonderful job personifying the character education trait of "Helpfulness." Here are our Students of the Month for the month of November:

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

Sezer Ates, Kaitlyn Bernhard, Luke Castano, Stephanie Coble, Aiden Daciek, Felix Diaz, Jaelyn Edwards, Duygu Erzurum, Emily Flowers, Grant Foody, Melissa Jones, Tanisha Khabe, Samara Lakhan, Destiny Lightfoot, Cristin MacIntosh, Hannah McElven, Kierra McKenzie, Jack Miller, Georgia Moore, Brandon Myslinski, Kingsley Nwagbaraji, Angelica Pruitt, Jaden Ricketts, Ryan Sams, Matthew Showard, Keziya Skaria, Olivia Smith, Grace Sullivan, Alexa Taylor, Alexa Varchetto and Matthew Williams.

Congratulations to these students for doing such a great job.

In addition to receiving certificates, these students were all recognized over the PA system for their fantastic work! Thanks to our WONDERFUL Parents Organization, Felix Diaz, Hannah McElven, Angelica Pruitt and Grace Sullivan were chosen to receive $10 WaWa gift cards for doing such an excellent job! These students will also be recognized at our next BOE meeting as examples of the great students we have at FTMHS!

"Respect" -- Character Education

Thanks to our Parents Organization, Jaelynn Edwards, Jeffrey Trayner, Monower Mesbah and RiLee DiMassa were chosen to receive $10 WaWa gift cards for doing such an excellent job!

These students were recognized at our November BOE meeting as examples of the great students we have at FTMHS!

Every year, the College Board offers an AP test for every AP course that a school might offer. The point of each test is to measure student mastery of the AP curriculum. Students who do well on these AP tests are able to earn college credit for the work that they have done in high school.

Here are two very valuable links that I encourage you to explore to learn more about the benefits of AP testing:

• https://apscore.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies
• https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap

Our school will be administering AP tests on the following dates this year:

AP United States Government & Politics – May 4th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP Spanish Language and Culture – May 12th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP English Literature and Composition – May 6th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP European History – May 6th @ 12:00 p.m.

AP French Language and Culture – May 15th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP Chemistry – May 7th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP United States History – May 8th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP Biology – May 11th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP Calculus AB – May 5th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP English Language and Composition – May 13th @ 8:00 a.m.

AP Microeconomics – May 13th @ 12:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30 pm the Florence Twp. Memorial High School Counseling Department will host a "College Information Night" for all students/parents, however, current juniors/seniors families are strongly encouraged to attend!

The event will cover a broad range of topics including the importance of student engagement, standardized testing, FAFSA and other financial aid programs, NCAA guidelines, online tools such as Naviance, Common App, College Board, the application process, junior/senior timeline, Early Action/Early Decision, and an overview of what is offered to help students get ready for college.

The goal is to assist each of our FHS families in exploring, applying, and deciding upon their chosen colleges and reduce as much stress as possible since the college application/decision processes require many stages of discernment and action.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Counselors: Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga

The "No Place for Hate" committee is committed to establishing a student voice that is inclusive for all students.

The goals of the committee are to build a school culture of acceptance and understanding.

We plan on achieving this by creating opportunities for student concerns and themes relevant to young adults to be shared and explored in ways that celebrate student voice and inclusivity.

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.

Progress Reports

Progress reports will be available in Genesis on December 20. To view your child’s report card, simply login to Genesis (https://parents.genesisedu.com/florence) and click on the “Grading” tab at the top of the window.

Also, please feel free to log in to 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.

Art Club: Mrs. (Finamore) Holmstedt, Advisor

Class of 2020: Ms. Fenn and Mrs. (Couts) Byrne

Class of 2021: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Zucchero

Class of 2022: Mrs. Pereda and Mr. Pereda

Class of 2023: Mrs. Holmstedt and Ms. Tannenbaum

Computer Science Club: Mr. Roberson, Advisor

Cultural Awareness for Everyone: Ms. Delgado, Advisor

Debate Team: Mrs. Bjornstad, Advisor

Environmental Club: Mr. DuBrul, Advisor

Game Club: Ms. Fenn and Mr. Weatherbee, Advisors

Interact: Ms. Rodan

Marching Band Director: Mrs. Croley

Front Line Advisor: Mr. Steven Obetz

National Honor Society: Mrs. Hughes and Ms. Delgado, Advisors

Newspaper Club: Mr. McEnnis,Advisor

Science Club: Mr. Flynn, Advisor

Student Council: Ms. Rodan

Yearbook: Mrs. Eckart and Mrs. (Finamore) Holmstedt

The Art Club is open to any student with an interest in art, design, or creativity! The art club will meet on alternating Tuesday afternoons in Mrs. Holmstedt’s Room, F108.

Students are finishing designing their own crayons! Students will start artist inspired masks next! Meetings in December will be held on December 3 and 17!

Advisor: Mrs. (Finamore) Holmstedt

Class of 2020 Officers for the 2019-2020 school year are:

President: Sophia Smith

Vice President: Reagan Glassmire

Secretary: Bella Dunphy

Treasurer: Olivia Loftin

Historian: Joe MacArthur

The fourth payment for the Senior Class Trip is due on Friday, December 13, in the amount of $100. The total amount for the trip MUST be paid off by December 13. If you need your balance, please email Mrs. Byrne at mbyrne@florence.k12.nj.us.

During this holiday season, please help us collect "Socks for the Homeless." Did you know socks are the number one requested item in homeless shelters? Join the Class of 2020 by donating to our sock drive; and as a community, we can help those in need! We are collecting socks from December 1 -19. Please drop off the new socks in the Main Office.

Advisors: Ms. Fenn and Mrs. Byrne

Class of 2021 Officers for the 2019-2020 school year are:

President: Robert White

Vice President: Aaron Taylor

Treasurer: Mohammed Islam

Secretary: Kyle Oakley

Historian: Emily Habeck

This year’s Community Service Project is Burlington County Animal Shelter donations. We are directing our efforts towards the animals in the BCS that have to spend the Holidays in the shelter. Here are some of the items that are needed at the shelter:

• Unopened DRY/WET Dog and Cat food
• DRY Kitten Food
• Tuna, Sardines, and Chicken Broth (for sick cats)
• Kitten Milk Replacement (KMR) Formula and Bottles...
• Kuranda Cat and Dog Beds
• Cat Toys and Treats
• Dog Kongs
• Dog Wobblers
• Cat Litter (NON-Clumping Only)
• Slip-Lead Dog Leashes
• Cat Carriers and Dog Crates
• Flea/Tick Preventative
• Blankets & Towels (no comforters)
• Sheets
• Bleach
• Cleaning supplies (Blue Dawn Dish Detergent, sponges, etc.)
• Liquid Laundry Detergent (high efficiency, scented/unscented)
• Dryer Sheets
• Paper Towels
• Large Trash Bags

The Class of 2021 (Prom Committee) will be meeting again during our lunch period to discuss many important topics such as:

• Junior-Senior Prom Theme

• DJ/Photo Booth Contacts

• Prom Favors

• Menu - Food Menu for students that have food allergies

• Decorations

We will be collecting Senior Class Trip Payments. This is an optional payment program.

• Senior Class Trip 2021-- Please check out our "Class of 2021 Google Classroom" for more information about the senior class trip payment program to Disney World in 2021.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:gsmith@florence.k12.nj.us or azucchero@florence.k12.nj.us.

Advisors: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Zucchero

Class of 2022 Officers for the 2019-2020 school year are:

President: Olivia Smith

Vice President: Cassaundra Alicea

Secretary: Finley Charles

Treasurer: Layla Lucas

Historian: Samara Lakhan

Our class has teamed up with the Freshman class to run a stuffed animal drive through the month of December. We will be collecting new or gently used stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes to donate to the Habitat for Humanity of Burlington County and Greater Trenton.

The drive will run from December 1- December 19. Any questions, contact Mrs. Pereda.

Please check our Google Classroom to stay updated on future events throughout the year.

Advisors: Mrs. Pereda and Mr. Pereda

President: Christopher Krall

Vice President: Abigail Anthony

Secretary: Caitlin Corsi

Treasurer: Kate Woolston

Historian: Sydney Slotkin

Thank you to our officers that attended Future Flashes night on November 12!

The FTMHS Freshman and Sophomore classes will be running a

STUFFED ANIMAL DRIVE

from December 1 - December 19, 2019

Stuffed Animals can be new or gently used and can be brought to the high school's main office.

All items will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity of Burlington County and Greater Trenton - Princeton.

What kinds of stuffed animals can I donate?

With all the birthdays and holidays, toys and stuffed animals start to pile up in the corners of the kids’ bedroom. You can invite your children and other family members to help select the special stuffed animals and toys to donate to charity.

Families who are struggling to make ends meet can’t often stretch their budgets to include toys and stuffed animals for their children. And sometimes, it’s these little things that can make a big difference for a child.

• Donate a teddy bear for a child to cuddle up to at night.
• Donate a floppy-eared bunny to make naptime more comfortable.
• Donate a set of dolls for girls to play dress-up and pretend.
• Donate a stuffed animal that will reassure a little one during the school day.
• Donate large stuffed animals.
• Donate small stuffed animals.
• Donate stuffed animals of any shape and size.
• Please do not donate ripped, overly worn or stained stuffed animals or those with parts missing.

Any questions please contact Mrs. Holmstedt or Mrs. Pereda

Advisors: Mrs. Holmstedt and Ms. Tannenbaum

We received the grant from the Parents Organization and are proceeding with building a district app.

Advisor: Mr. Roberson

• Jannatul Zenith, CAFE representative, was present at “Future Flashes Night” to answer any questions about the CAFE.

• CAFE members met on November 21 and created a flyer advertising multicultural events and festivals in the local area in December. Flyers are posted throughout the school.

• CAFE members will sell pretzels after school on December 19 to raise money to support the club.

• Members are also creating “Hello” signs in a variety of languages to be displayed around the school.

December meeting dates are: December 3 and 17. Please join us!

Advisor: Ms. Delgado

The Debate Team meets every Tuesday after school in D111. We have met September 24, October 1, 15, 22 and 29 and November 5, 12 and 19.

December Meeting Dates:

We will meet on December 3, when we will have a mock debate on this year’s resolution between our varsity teams, and December 10, when we will give JV teams the opportunity to have a mock debate and the varsity teams will complete final preparations for the first competitive debate the next afternoon at Moorestown High School. Our last meeting will be on December 17.

Our first competitions will be December 11 and18. JV teams have made the choice to be affirmative or negative. Affirmative teams are developing plans, and both affirmative and negative teams are researching the subject matter.

As the season progresses, the negative teams will have the opportunity to see a variety of affirmative plans and to research and further develop their means of attacking those various plans. Affirmative teams will continue to tweak their plans to address weaknesses that appear at the competitive debates.

Our teams are as follows:

Varsity affirmative: Anita Chacko and Rajveer Kaur

Varsity negative: Thomas Ulisse and Leuna Sen

JV affirmative: Tanisha Khabe and Fabiha Usha

JV negative: Lana Duke and Zaria Harewood

JV negative: David Buddie and Eric Mattson

We would like to thank Eric’s mother for volunteering to buy us a second set of Baylor briefs!

We are thrilled to be sponsored by Hamilton Bagel & Grill thanks to the generosity of the owner and FTMHS alum Charlie LeVach and often receive their bagels to share at our meetings. Yummm!

Advisor: Mrs. Bjornstad

Mr. DuBrul’s Environmental Club completed a hike in the New Jersey Pine Barrens on November 5. Students were able to hike 6 miles along the Batona Trail, a 50-mile long stretch connecting Brendan Byrne State Forest, the Parker Preserve, Wharton State Forest, and Bass River State Forest. Students learned about fire ecology, wetland ecology, and NJ hydrology. Students also were able to visit the crash site of the famous Mexican aviator, Emilio Carranza, who died in a tragic plane crash in Burlington County about 100 years ago.

Students also got to do an evening trip to the Franklin Parker Preserve in Chatsworth, NJ. A bonfire was made and hotdogs and smores were cooked. Students learned about owls, the solar system, and the history of the NJ Pine Barrens.

Our next trip will be a hike at Wells Mills County Park in Waretown, NJ.

Advisor: Mr. DuBrul

The students witnessed 4 "shooting stars" and the "Milky Way" ...and, of course, they enjoyed hot dogs and made smores over an open fire.

Chaperones: Mr. DuBrul, Mrs. Triglia and Mr. Varga

The Game Club is organizing itself for the long year ahead.

Nafisa Hasna and Gavin Embley are leading the charge and are leaders for any questions.

Phase 10 and Connect 4 Tournaments are being set up for Mid-October.

Advisors: Mr. Weatherbee and Ms. Fenn

The 2019-2020 Interact officers are:

President: Anita Chacko

Vice President: Leuna Sen

Secretary: Ayisha Nahar

Treasurer: Rajveer Kaur

Sergeant at Arms: Fabiha Usha

The Interact Club is collecting plastic bags, shrink wrap, clean Ziploc bags and other types of plastic (bread bags, cereal liners) to assist Girl Scout Troop 21513. The plastic will be used by the Trex company to make a bench that will be placed in the Florence Township community.

The Interact Club also put together gift-filled shoeboxes for children in countries affected by war, famine, poverty, and disaster. For many of the children, their shoebox may be the first gift they have ever received.

Items that were included in the boxes were Dolls, Uninflated Balls with Pump, Stuffed Toys, Toy Trucks and Cars, Yo-yos, Puzzles, Jump Ropes, Pencils and Sharpeners, Pens, Crayons, Notepads, Coloring Books, Solar Calculators, Stamp and Ink Pad Sets, Hair Brushes, Combs, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Wrapped Soap, and Washcloths.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

The FTMHS marching band continues its support of our community throughout the holiday season with performances at the...

• evening pep rally on November 27;
• the Thanksgiving Day Football Game on November 28; and
• the Florence Township Christmas Tree Lighting parade and festivities on December 6.

FROM OUR BAND FAMILY TO YOURS, have a wonderful holiday season!

Marching Band Director: Mrs. Croley

Frontline Advisor: Mr. Obetz

December 3 and 4: Callbacks

December 6: Cast list posted

December 10: MANDATORY Parent Meeting (parents & cast members)

December 12: 1st Rehearsal/Read-through

Director: Mr. Donovan

The National Honor Society is currently exploring new ideas for a spring activity that will better exemplify our four pillars of leadership, scholarship, character and service.

We hold meetings every other Thursday. Our service component currently consists of providing peer student volunteers in the Tutor Center, held in the Media Center from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. most Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We held a successful all-day blood drive on November 13 at the high school that was open to the local community as well. 53 units were collected in total!

The chapter’s leadership team attended the LEAD conference in Washington, D.C. November 15-17 and returned with some great ideas to further our chapter’s footprint within the community.

Advisors: Mrs. Hughes and Ms. Delgado

The fall issue was published during the week of November 18.

Meeting Dates for November:

• December 3
• December 10
• December 17 (tentative)

Advisors: Mr. McEnnis and Mr. Lamaestra

The purpose of the Science League/Science Club is to provide competition between schools in selected science areas of study.

All competitions are on two levels. One level is for the students. Students within any one testing area are ranked with each other based upon their scores on 3 of the 4 exams. Any student completing 3 of the 4 exams receives a certificate from the Science League.

The top ten percent (10%) of the students receiving a certificate also receive a student plaque. Last year, the League awarded approximately 240 student plaques.

Each school only needs two members for each team, but as many as four students may compete for each subject area. Schools may sign up for one to ten teams. Team scores which are the sum of top 2 student scores are cumulative from January through April.

Competition within each testing area is extremely keen. By the end of the season, there can be as little as one question separating first place from second place.

Advisor: Mr. Flynn

Student Council

President: Kaitlyn Bernhard

Vice President: Madison Schubert

Secretary: Jayana Caesar

Treasurer: Bella Dunphy

BOE Rep.: Grace Skinner

Historians: Duygu Erzurum and Taylor Jusino

Executive Members: Jason Baldorossi and Leuna Sen

November was a very busy month for the Florence High School Student Council. As we begin the holiday season, our food drive has started. Each homeroom is asked to collect 2 complete meal boxes. Each box includes the following items, instant or fresh potatoes, canned vegetables, chicken broth, canned sweet potatoes, cornbread mix, peanut butter, cereal, syrup, rolls, canned fruit, stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, juice, instant pudding mix, jello, pancake mix, napkins, and desserts.

Every homeroom that collects two complete baskets will be entered into a prize drawing, and all the teachers of those homerooms will be placed in a drawing for a $50 Dunkin Donuts gift card. The homeroom that wins the drawing will receive bagels for each student.

Roebling and Riverfront Schools are also assisting with food collection. After collecting items for Thanksgiving, the drive will continue through mid-December for the winter holidays. It is our hope to provide Thanksgiving meals for 40 district families.

On Thursday, November 14, our annual Powder Puff football game was held. Through the Powder Puff tournament Student Council raised close to $1,000 to donate to the Catarinicchia Family. Mrs. Catarinicchia is currently battling breast cancer. Girls from each grade participated by playing in the tournament. Several of the boys served as coaches. The seniors won the tournament, followed by the sophomores, juniors, and freshmen.

In December, the Student Council will continue collecting items for the Holiday Drive. We will accept new and gently used toys and clothing along with non-perishable food items until December 19. Please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

The 2019-2020 school year is here- which means it is time to document everything in the YEARBOOK! The Florence Township Memorial High School yearbook is called the “Clavis” which is Latin for key. Any student interested in joining the yearbook staff should attend our meetings. Meetings will be held in Mrs. Holmstedt’s room on alternating Thursdays--listen for the announcements during homeroom!

2019-2020 yearbooks are on sale RIGHT NOW! Yearbooks cost $75, are hardcover and full color! Go to the high school website and order from the link under the parent resources tab or use the link below!

Attention Business Owners and Senior Parents!

Yearbook Ads are on sale through the parent resources tab or use the link below! Shout out your business or show your senior student some love! Contact Mrs. Eckart or Mrs. Holmstedt with any questions.

Here is your link for yearbooks: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01096210

Here is your link for ads: http://jostensadservice.com?REF=A01096210

Do you want to see YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS in the 2019-2020 YEARBOOK?

UPLOAD TODAY! DOWNLOAD THE REPLAYIT APP OR

Go to www.replayit.com and create an account to upload YOUR pictures!

We’ll use your pictures to help create this year’s book!

Thank you to our yearbook staff for all of their hard work so far! We will make our first yearbook deadline of 30 pages on December 2!

Advisors: Mrs. Eckart and Mrs. Holmstedt

Compassion - November Character Trait

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

― Mother Teresa

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

― Leo Buscaglia

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”

― John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vaping continues to be a major concern:

AMA calls for total ban on all vaping and e-cigarette products

Second Person Dies From Vaping-Related Illness in New York

New FDA Anti-vaping campaign plans to target teens

Teens and Vaping: What Parents Need to Know

New Jersey Quitline - 1-866-657-8677

Student Assistance Coordinator: Mr. John Lamaestra

ASVAB Testing

Select 11th and 12th graders will take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for free at the high school on January 15, 2020. Results can be used for career exploration, armed services entry testing, and state graduation testing purposes. Scores will be given directly to students and will not be shared with recruiters. Students should speak with their Counselors if they are interested.

1st marking Period Report Cards became viewable in Genesis on Friday, November 15.

If a student has outstanding fines, the grade will not be viewable until the fines are cleared. Course grades impact sports eligibility, credits towards graduation, grade point average, and class rank. In high school, a grade of 64 or below is a failing grade. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.

Seniors and College Applications

Ask to see your child’s bright yellow college packet which contains important information. Seniors have a few tasks to do in their Naviance accounts, namely the Student Brag Sheet and Scholarship Application and the Game Plan. Please be mindful of application deadlines. Use Naviance Student to help organize the process. If you are having trouble logging in, please contact your child’s counselor.

College Info Night

On Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30 p.m., the Counseling Department will host an evening seminar for all students and parents. Current juniors/seniors and parents are strongly encouraged to attend! The event will cover a broad range of topics including the importance of student engagement, standardized testing, FAFSA and other financial aid programs, NCAA guidelines, online tools such as Naviance, Common App, College Board, the application process, junior/senior timeline, Early Action/Early Decision and an overview of what is offered to help students get ready for college.

Community Service

This time of year is a good time to give back to the community. Many organizations are seeking volunteer help for various drives and activities. We encourage teenagers to get involved and volunteer their free time for a good cause.

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:

Seniors and parents are invited to the information session at FTMHS on Oct 23, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. in the high school auditorium.

Step 2:

Apply online for FREE at www.rcbc.edu before January 30, 2020 and ask your counselor to send your official transcript.

Step 3:

On February 12, 2020, RCBC will administer the Accuplacer test at FTMHS. Visit the Test Center website for sample exam questions and practice. http://www.rcbc.edu/testcenter

Step 4:

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 3, 2020.

College Admissions Testing:

SAT:

Go to https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat to register for the SAT and for accurate dates, registration deadlines, and locations. SAT Fee Waivers are available for 11th and 12th graders on the Free/Reduced Lunch Program. Students with a documented disability may be eligible for accommodations on College Board tests. Please contact your child’s counselor or Child Study Team case manager to discuss the process and answer your questions.

ACT:

Go to http://www.act.org to register for the ACT and for accurate testing dates, registration deadlines, and locations. ACT Fee Waivers are available for 11th and 12th graders on the Free/Reduced Lunch Program.

College Open Houses and Tours

Not sure which college is best for you? Attend a college tour or information session. The New Jersey School Counselor Association website has a list of college open houses for the MId-Atlantic area. Visit https://www.njsca.org/college-open-houses/

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 Scorecard

This provides clear, accessible, and reliable national data on college costs, graduation rates, student debt, and post-college earnings. Collegescorecard.ed.gov

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.

Counselors: Mrs. Sebastian and Mr. Varga

As many of you already know, the cold and flu season is upon us. The influenza season runs from October to May and peaks in January and February. Getting a flu shot may help cut down on the number of people that develop the flu. Having the shot may also make the disease less severe if contracted. Children are among the most vulnerable to the disease. Complete information about the flu and how to contain and manage it may be found at www.flu.gov and at www.cdc.gov/flu.

You are reminded to review the following suggestions and review them with your children as well:

1. Wash hands often with soap and water - #1 prevention method!!!

2. Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth

3. Avoid close contact with those who are already sick

4. Get plenty of sleep

5. Eat healthy food and drink plenty of fluids

6. Cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with a tissue or the crook of your arm

7. Stay home if sick for at least 24 hours after fever has gone

8. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL SICK!!!

Please DO NOT send medication to school with your child without a doctor’s note. Any medication, even cold medicine, eye drops, or any over-the-counter medication, must be accompanied by a doctor’s note or it can NOT be brought into school. This is per school policy, which can be found in the school handbook.

When you call your student out if he or she is absent, please include the symptoms your child is experiencing if they are sick. Please be specific. This information is valuable for the school nurse in tracking illnesses among the students.

Please do NOT send your child to school with a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or a continuous cough. Students with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea MAY NOT return to school until they have gone 24 hours symptom-free without the use of medications. This is school policy and health department guidelines

School Nurse: Mrs. Emery

The Gordon Masters Football Club Scholar-Athlete Dinner was held on Tuesday, November 19. The following seniors were recognized as Scholar Athletes: Jason Baldorossi, Jayson Emery, Sean McDaid, Cole Connelly.

BCSL All-Star Senior Showcase

Girls’ Soccer

Kayla Vincent

Boys’ Soccer

Connor Kurtz

Nicholas Yurcho

Cory Tindall

Antonio Carnivale

Field Hockey

Olivia Loftin

Reagan Glassmire

Michel Green

Elle Jimenez

Volleyball

Tionne Strickland

Emily Habeck

Emily Daly

Chantal Galarza Ramirez

2019-20 Winter Sports

Pre-season sign up meetings has taken place for the winter sports of basketball and wrestling (co-op with Bordentown HS). Physicals and on-line registration should be turned into Ms. Tannenbaum ASAP. December 2 is the official first day of practice.

2019-20 Winter Athletic Coaching Staff

Girls Basketball: Gina Smith, Alyssa (Laird) Zucchero

Boys Basketball: Cesar Pereda, Chris Cymbal

Unified Basketball: Christie Brown

Wrestling (Bordentown): James Gill

Cheerleading: Shannon Gurdgiel, Georgie Ryan

Athletic Department Staff

Rick Lee, AD x4150

Mary Ellen Cassidy, AD Secretary x4149

Audrey Tannenbaum, Athletic Trainer x 4154

If you have any questions or concerns regarding athletics, please don’t hesitate to contact the Athletic Office at 609-499-4620 ext. 6. Please visit the Florence Athletic web page for all athletic information and schedules. 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.

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