The Dragon Review

May 2022

Hello Dragon Nation!

It has been a busy month in Dragon Nation as we are quickly approaching the end of the 2021-2022 school year. We kicked off the month of May by recognizing our wonderful BTHS staff for their daily contributions to our school community. Staff were honored and recognized during the first week of the month with Staff Appreciation Week. Although it was previously announced, this year’s Teacher of the Year Ms. Erika Karu and Educational Service Professional of the Year, Ms. Angela Smith were formally recognized at this past month's Board of Education Meeting for their accomplishments. Ms. Smith and Ms. Karu are staples for our school culture, daily supporting the varied needs of our students. Moreover, I am extremely honored to announce that Ms. Erika Karu was named the District Teacher of the Year at the May BOE Meeting. Congratulations to Ms. Smith and Ms. Karu for their achievements as you both are amazing educators, leaders, and advocates of our school’s success.

I am also proud to announce that Brick Township High School has joined the Unified Sports program, affording athletes and partner students an opportunity to work together towards common goals. It has been extremely rewarding to see students join together to collaborate, participate, and facilitate our first ever kickball league. Students have been participating in joint practices on a weekly basis, preparing for the culminating athletic competition between Brick Township High School and Brick Memorial High School on Thursday, June 16 at 6:00 PM at the Veterans Memorial Athletic Complex. Pictures of our students participating in this event are included below.

Attention Seniors! Please pay close attention to the following important information.

• Graduation is set for Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00 PM. Graduation will take place behind the school on Keller Memorial Field (BTHS Football Stadium). Students will be expected to report at 4:30 PM. A Rain Date of Thursday, June 23 at 9:00 AM has been set if there is inclement weather and the planned graduation ceremony needs to be postponed.

• The Senior Picnic will take place June 8 at Brick Beach 3. Seniors must submit the required paperwork in order to attend this event. It is also required that students take BTPS transportation and follow the presented guidelines. Any questions, see your class advisors Ms. Freedley & Ms. Mustacchio.

• Yearbooks will be distributed to Seniors on Wednesday, June 8 at 12:45 in Cafeteria 2 following the conclusion of the Senior Picnic.

• The Senior Breakfast will be held on Thursday, June 16 at 7:45 in Cafeteria 3.

• Cap & Gown Distribution and BTHS Device Collection will take place on Monday, June 20. It is expected that all Graduating Seniors are present.

• Graduation Practice is set for Wednesday, June 22 at 9:30 AM. It is expected that all graduating seniors are present for this practice as it is essential that all Seniors are aware of the graduation procedures and expectations.

Graduation information will continue to be shared, as needed, through multiple platforms to ensure that all students, parents, and families are aware of the details of the event. Please make sure that your child is a member of the senior class google classroom as important information is regularly shared through this medium. If you have any questions regarding any of the information presented within this message, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s assistant principal and/or school guidance counselor.

Respectfully,

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Principal

Hello Dragons!

Here is an update about what’s happening on campus here at BTHS. On Monday, May 16, 2022 through Thursday, May 19, 2022, Brick Township High School administered the NJSLA - ELA/MATH test to students in Grade 9, as well as the NJSLA - SCIENCE test to students in Grade 11. The Junior Prom was a huge success at Pat’s 30 Acres in Wall Township.. The BTHS Advisory Council had lunch with Mayor Ducey on Monday May 23rd. Senior Scholarship Night, sponsored by our Guidance Department, was Wednesday May 25. Scholarships were distributed to over 90 well deserving seniors from local donors, teams/clubs, and organizations.

Our district Volleyball Tournament will be hosted by the class of 2025. This event will take place on May 26th from 5-7pm in the LRMS gymnasium. There will be 6 teams competing for the title of Brick Township Volleyball champions. Teams include Brick Township High School Faculty/staff team, Winning team from BTHS Volleyball Night, Brick Township Police Department, LRMS Faculty/staff team, Brick Township All-star team, and Brick Township Public Schools Administration team! On Wednesday, June 1, 2022 there will be a Holocaust Survivor Assembly. The Senior Ball has arrived! It will be held at Jumping Brook Country Club in Tinton Falls on June 2nd from 5-9 PM.

School Based

During the month of May, the School Based Program conducted class presentations on "Test Anxiety" to help students relieve stress that comes with everyday or yearly state testing. SBYSP continues to conduct monthly outreach to Freshmen through the Peer Leadership program that empowers them to build communication skills, trust, socialization, decision making, and resiliency. Our grand opening of the BTHS Reset Room on 5/25 starts a year-long process of offering self-care and wellness programs designed to support staff in practicing regular health, wellness, and balance into their lives daily.

Computer Club - Cyber Start America Challenge Victory!

BTHS students have been participating in the CyberStart America Challenge (formerly GirlsGoCyber), which was an online Cyber Security Program with hundreds of challenges. Students that qualified (20,000 points or more) are acknowledged for their accomplishment and are eligible for prizes, cash awards and scholarships. The Computer Club hosted weekly CyberStart sessions after school and ran a BTHS competition to encourage any student to join. We had over 50 students participate. All of the students really enjoyed the experience and learned a tremendous amount about cyber security in the process. Ultimately, four of our BTHS students qualified with top honors.

The students finishing, in order of their highest score, are as follows:

1. Grace Rodenberg - G10
2. Anthony Allocca - G11
3. Fabrizio Arguedas Delgado - G11
4. Allison Buzinkai - G11

See the picture below of our accomplished students.

Military Recognition Ceremony

Brick Township High School held its Military Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, May 24. The Military Recognition Ceremony affords our school an opportunity, as a community, to recognize those who make such significant commitments to our country and fellow citizens. This also included the five Brick Township High School students who made the decision to enlist in a branch of the armed forces. It was an impressive ceremony, where each of the students were recognized. On behalf of the entire Brick Township High School faculty, I would like to recognize and acknowledge each of our future service members for their courage, service, and commitment to their community and country.

Senior Scholarship & Awards Night

Brick Township High School Seniors were recognized for their achievements and contributions to the BTHS learning community. It was a speech evening where four years of hard work, persistence, and grit are validated by presenting well deserving seniors with awards and competitive financial scholarships. This evening was part of a larger intermediate capstone event in the lives of our students who have future plans to pursue higher education goals. It is also a night where personal hopes and dreams of continuing an education plan after graduating from Brick Township High School become more tangible. This evening was made possible by community organizations, individuals, and BTHS Clubs/Team who have been generous enough to support and recognize our amazing students by providing scholarships to help students defray the cost of furthering their academic pursuits. Over 90 scholarships & awards were presented during the ceremony totaling over $115,000. Congratulations to all of the seniors who were recognized.

Well it has been a whirlwind this past month for the Dragon Athletic teams!

Baseball had a couple of key winds vs. Toms River North - and of course they did it in dramatic fashion! The Dragons won in extra-innings at the Mariner’s field and then a couple of days later took the Mariners down at home! These two wins were huge in the power-points calculations for the NJSIAA tournament. The team has a couple more days before the cut-off. If the team continues to pitch, hit and field well then Brick may just sneak in as the #16 seed. Fingers crossed!

The Boys Lacrosse and Tennis teams ended their seasons this week (week of 5/16). The Boys Lacrosse team held their Senior Night vs. St. John Vianney and while the score of the game was not what the team wanted - the turnout of friends and families honoring the seniors was impressive! Boys Tennis lost a tough last match - but the team is young and there is a lot of promise for next year!

The Girls Lacrosse team qualified for the NJSIAA tournament and traveled to Moorestown on 5/18/22. While the outcome of the game was not what they hoped it would be, the girls should hold their heads high! It was a terrific season. Their Senior Night was held in the rain, but the girls were victorious vs. Manalapan. Congratulations Lady Dragons on your season!

Boys Golf had a great run this spring! They finished the year with a 9-6 record. The #1 Golfer, Derek Nahrwold, had a great season. The team qualified for the NJSIAA and Derek missed the cut for the Individual tournament by 1 stroke! Derek will continue to play golf on his own, but will still be involved in golf as he enters the PGA Management program at Coastal Carolina.

The Girls Softball team has persevered through a tough year and has one more game as of this writing. This is another young team with promise in their future.

Finally our boys and girls Track & Field teams have had several major rainouts this spring. The Ocean County Relays have been pushed back to May 26th (was May 6th) and the final tri-meet is now scheduled for 5/23/22. We are beginning the championship portion of the season. The Shore Conference Championships will be held at Neptune on 5/21 and the NJSIAA Sectional meet will be held 6/3 and 6/4. Both teams competed at Penn Relays and had a great experience.

The Clubs have all been busy as well! The Drama Club’s “Acting for a Cause” was held in early May and they raised $273.00 and donated the monies to the Jersey Shore Animal Center in Brick.

Schedules can be found at: shoreconferencenj.org -.click on Brick Township!

LET’S GO DRAGONS!

BTHS Students of the Month - May

Students are nominated by BTHS staff members for outstanding effort in the classroom and positive contributions to our community. Congratulations to our Students of the Month. Students will be honored with a certificate, gift, and their names will be displayed on the marquee.

Isabella Hoffman. Grade 9

Isabella is a true go-getter. She works hard and is just a great all around kid. She is a reliable member of my Key Club. She is also a member of various sports teams and other clubs but she balances her time well. She is working to get our school a Surf Team, which has just been officially approved. She is a true school leader and I can not wait to see what amazing things she does over her high school career. - Mrs. Mount

Grace Rodenberg, Grade 10

Grace excels in Chemistry Honors in classwork, tests, quizzes and labs. She works well with others and always does her best. - Ms. McDevitt

Mathew Cimino, Grade 11

I had Matt during Semester 1. He would create our Fun Friday activity every week. Although I no longer have him in class, he continues to create Fun Friday activities for my current class. -Mrs. Buell

Vy Vy Pham, Grade 12

Vy Vy is such a go-getter and she doesn't even realize it. She works full time, runs a store in Vietnam, helps at her mom's work on her one day off, and is a senior. She has been working tirelessly to get herself set to attend OCC next year and get enrolled in the EOF program. She is kind, compassionate, and humble and her smile could light up a room. I am always in awe of her strength and stamina. - Mrs. Celona

Stay connected and informed about BTHS happenings through SGA. If you haven't already done so, join the SGA Google Classroom (q2hav5z) and follow SGA on Twitter and Instagram (@bths_sga). Class elections will take place in May and students will only be able to vote through the SGA Google Classroom. Anyone is welcome to attend SGA general membership meetings!

The BTHS Class of 2022 is ready to wrap up the year! From our seniors: We would like to thank all of our teachers for inspiring and guiding us these past four years. You have been the greatest role models and we are grateful for the fun and safe environment you have provided us. When we look back at our years at BTHS, the one thing that will ALWAYS stick out is the long lasting impact you have all imprinted on our lives. We will miss seeing you everyday. From a simple hello in the hallways to supporting our class events, we genuinely appreciate every little thing. As we move on to this new chapter, we take all you have bestowed upon us: pride, courage, compassion, intelligence, and so much more. You have helped shape us into the young adults that we are now. Thank you for everything! - Class of 2022

The Class of 2023 held their Junior Prom on Thursday, May 19th. It was a huge success! Thank you to all students and staff for a memorable evening. A big thanks to Yellow Brick Road Ice Cream on Mantoloking Road for donating some delicious ice cream for the event. Another thank you has to go to our dedicated staff for helping to chaperone the event on their own time. Students are looking forward to celebrating this memorable night with their class! Please be sure to check out our Google Classroom (code: 4z3x6zp) for important updates. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. DeBonis (cdebonis@brickschools.org or room 306) or Ms. Scipione (dscipione@brickschools.org or room 202).

The Class of 2024 will host a Snack Tent and Flower Sale at Graduation on June 22 to raise money for our Junior Prom. Sign ups for donations and to volunteer for the event will be done through our Google Classroom in June. The Class of 2024 is also very excited to announce that we will be co-hosting a Gift Auction in the Fall with the Class of 2025. We will release more details about this huge fundraising opportunity before summer as we will need help from students and parents to assist with securing gift basket donations and planning the event! Members of the Class of 2024 should join our Google Classroom with code ozvfp3p . Please reach out to Mr. Lucchetti flucchetti@brickschools.org in room 205 or Mrs. Ianniello lianniello@brickschools.org in Guidance with any Class of 2024 questions!

The Class of 2025 is hoping to finish off the year strong with several fundraisers and activities they have planned. Make sure you are checking the google classroom for updates, events, volunteering opportunities and more. We really need the help and participation of all students to ensure the success of all of our events. We are excited to announce that we will be hosting this year's Brick Township Spike Night Volleyball Tournament on May 26th from 5-7 pm in the Lake Riviera Middle School gymnasium. Volleyball teams will consist of Brick Township High School Faculty/staff team, Winning team from BTHS Volleyball Night, Brick Township Police Department, LRMS Faculty/staff team, Brick Township All-star team, and Brick Township Public Schools Administration team. Please come out and show your support. Email Mrs. Vélez at mvelez@brickschools.org or Mr. Pazmino at cpazmino@brickschools.org if you have any questions.

Hello BTHS,

The Guidance Department is wishing all of our students a strong finish to the school year. Here is some important information from the Guidance Department:

• AP testing administration took place May 2nd-May 12th.
• Our freshmen took the NJSLA (ELA/Math) and our juniors took the NJSLA (Science) May 16th-19th.
• Scholarship/Award Night for our Seniors will be on Wednesday, May 25th at 6:00pm. We look forward to celebrating our 12th grade students who will be receiving scholarships and awards.
• Military Recognition Day will be Tuesday, May 24th to honor and recognize our graduates who will be serving our country.
• Current Sophomores and Juniors; consider taking the SAT on Saturday, August 27th at BTHS. Please register on collegeboard.org to reserve your seat.
• Stop by Guidance to pick up working papers if you plan to work this summer.
• May Is Mental Health Awareness Month: See the link below to read about how to identify signs and symptoms of mental health issues and how to find treatment. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor for support. Our department is readily available to assist in any of your academic, social, or emotional needs.

Thank You,

Angela Smith

BTHS Guidance Coordinator

School Counselor Google Classroom Codes

Class of 2025 cpgycc4

Class of 2024 bbnv4vs

Class of 2023 vzgx2iq

Class of 2022 qgqsw3m

Hello BTHS Students and Parents!

As the BTHS health offices wrap up all the state mandated health screenings for the 2021-2022 school year and send out any referrals, we would like to focus on Vision Health this month. The NIH-National Eye Institute recognizes May as, “Health Vision Month,” encouraging healthy vision and eye protection. Eye health is connected to our overall health, so having a full eye exam can reveal other health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

NIH-National Eye Institute recommends several things to do to protect your vision.

1. Routine eye examination, including dilation. Many eye conditions go unnoticed without any relevant symptoms.

2. Get your heart pumping by adding physical activity to your daily routine, even if it means dancing between commercials or walking the block while making phone calls.

3. Get to know your family’s history because some eye conditions, such as, glaucoma and macular degeneration can be genetic.

4. Add more eye-healthy foods into your diet, such as dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, and collard greens) and fish high in omega-3 fatty acid (salmon, halibut, and tuna).

5. It is important to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, even when it is cloudy, by wearing protective sunglasses. This is especially important for those with light colored eyes, since you are at an increased risk for cancer or melanoma of the uvea, then those individuals with dark colored eyes.

6. Manage chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure to reduce your risk of vision loss.

7. If you smoke- QUIT or make a plan to stop smoking!

Health screenings are done as another preventative measure, which includes vision. Although vision is not checked at every grade level, if a parent or student has a concern regarding their vision, please reach out to one of the nurses, so we can address the concern.

The National Eye Institute does recognize that there are barriers to healthcare, so they have provided a list of useful resources that are available at little or no cost to those in need to address your eye care needs. Many are unaware that due to the Affordable Care Act many health insurances cover eye examinations for children 19 and younger, so be sure to contact member services. While prevention is key, it is important to seek further medical evaluation when an issue is recognized. If your child did receive a referral for their vision and you need assistance with resources regarding further evaluation, please reach out to one of the health offices.

Respectfully,

Nurse Tammy Yarbrough & Nurse Mary Carlsson

Health Office Contact

West Nurse Office - Mary Carlsson Ext. 2037

East Nurse Office - Tammy Yarbrough Ext. 2009

The BTHS Parent Teacher Student Association is accepting membership for the 2021-2022 school year. Please consider joining the Brick Township High School PTSA.

LINK to Memberhub

Please direct any questions to our PTSA President Mrs. Maria Velez at mvelez@brickschools.org

The PTSA is looking forward to the next opportunity to collaborate with our school community. A meeting link will be sent out to all parents and PTSA members the week prior to our next PTSA meeting.

Principal

David Kasyan

Assistant Principals

Erin Biancella - Grade 12 & Freshman P-Z

Ryan Hesnan - Grade 11 & Freshman H-O

James Marvin - Grade 10 & Freshman A-G

Athletic Director & Co-Curricular Supervisor

Peter Panuska

Guidance Department

Lauren Ianniello - Grade 9 A-L

Angela Smith - Grade 9 M-Z

Jennie Piwowarczyk - Grade 10-12 A-De

Kaitlyn Donahue - Grade 10-12 Di-K

Dawn Celona - Grade 10-12 L-Ri

Marie Walling - Grade 10-12 Ro-Z

Student Assistance Counselor

Lori Roland

Child Study Team

Janet Maciel

Antoinette Sirico

Christine Velardi

Mike Zuccaro

Website: www.brickschools.org
Location: 346 Chambersbridge Road, Brick Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-785-3000
Twitter: @BTHSDragons