FTMHS NewsFLASH

Tentative April Events:

April 1:

• April Fool's Day--don't be fooled today!
• Spirit Week No. 2: "Senior Citizen Day" (To honor the generation that is most at risk, dress like a senior citizen or write a note and leave it in a neighbor's mailbox to show you care.)

April 2:

• Spirit Week No. 2: "Jersey Day" (In honor of our favorite sports teams that are unable to play right now.)

April 3:

• Spirit Week No. 2: "Pajama Day" (To remind us how lucky we are to be comfy and cozy...pajamas are the best part of virtual learning.)

April 9:

• Marking Period III Ends.

April 10 -17

• Spring Break--Enjoy! "Practice Social Distancing!"

April 24:

• Report Cards will be available in Genesis after 2 p.m. ...for sure!
• NHS Membership Applications are due.

April 27:

• Board of Education Meeting at the High School at 7 p.m.

March 24, 2020

Dear Parents of AP Students,

I hope you and your families are safe and healthy!

Although it’s very likely that you are already familiar with this information because of the way that it has been disseminated by our AP teachers to our AP students, if you click on the link below, you will find the latest information from the College Board regarding this year’s AP testing:

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

After reading this information from the College Board, here are some important takeaways:

1) AP testing will take place online and at home this year.

2) AP exams will be 45-minutes long, and they will be comprised of free-response questions only.

3) The College Board is working hard to be fair to our students. (“To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.”)

4) “Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year to earn. For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.”

5) The College Board is providing (and will continue to provide) teachers and students with a great deal of free resources.

6) Students will have the option of taking their AP exams sooner or later. These dates, and other AP updates, will be communicated by the College Board (via the link above) on April 3rd.

7) Given this year’s unique circumstances, “any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.” I contacted the College Board about how a student would do this. I was told that the student would not take the exam, and that the College Board would provide refunds for any unused exams. (Just for the sake of clarity, I’m sure that it would be our District that would provide refunds to students/parents, rather than the College Board directly.)

I believe that your children are smart and capable, but more important than that, I believe that they are hardworking. I believe that our AP teachers are talented and that they are dedicated to helping your children succeed. Although the coronavirus has created challenging circumstances for us, there is no doubt in my mind that amazing opportunities for success still await your children by virtue of our collective efforts and teamwork.

Please never hesitate to contact me for any reason.

Sincerely,

John Cogan

Principal, FTMHS

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2020/mar/24/New%20Jersey%20Cancels%20Statewide%20Student%20Assessments.pdf

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 Raymond Moody as our Elks’ Student of the Month for February. Raymond is a hardworking individual who was selected because of his strong character and academic and extracurricular achievements. Congratulations, Raymond!

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

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

Jessica Bartholomew, Kaitlyn Bernhard, Darius Bland-Johnson, James Caporaletti,

Alexsis Carlani, Faith Carll, Alexandria Carnivale, Benjamin Czifra, Isabella Dunphy,

Michael Dunphy, Jaelynn Edwards, Elle Jimenez, Gabrielle Loftin, Kierra McKenzie,

Georgia Moore, Bria Moscetti, Victoria Nitti, Arthur Piotrowski, Angelica Pruitt,

Jezmel Rivera, Madison Schubert, Grace Sullivan, Katie Suplicki, Ellayjah Trammell,

Mohammad Uddin and Matthew Williams.

Congratulations to these students for doing such a great job!

Thanks to our Parents Organization--Kaitlyn Bernard, Bella Dunphy, Elle Jimenez, Georgia Moore, Jezmel Rivera, Madison Schubert and Matthew Williams... were chosen to receive $10 WaWa gift cards for personifying enthusiasm and doing an excellent job creating the Virtual "Morning Announcements" for the Month of March!

"Citizenship" -- Character Education (February)

Thanks to our Parents Organization, Gavin Embley, Duygu Erzurum, Allison Slotkin and

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

• Mrs. Luyber nominated Gavin because he is responsible, kind, respectful and has a positive attitude.
• Mrs. Zucchero nominated Duygu because she is a very active member of the school and is always asking how she can help with school events.
• Mr. Cipriano nominated Allison because she consistently volunteered to help out selling refreshments during basketball games for Unified.
• Ms. Paiva nominated Andrew because he is a phenomenal citizen in the classroom and the community.

Gavin Embley

Duygu Erzurum

Allison Slotkin

Andrew Wirth

• NHS Membership Applications are due by Friday, April 24, at 1:30 p.m. to the Main Office. The first writing response (the synthesis essay) must also be emailed to Ms. Hughes by Friday, April 24, at 2:05 p.m. at lhughes@florence.k12.nj.us. (Do not "share" the document in Google drive. Students must email it from their school email accounts.)

• If an applicant did not request teacher recommendations before the closing, please email the teachers instead. Applicants can request forms from Ms. Diaz via email.
  

• The interviews are scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2020, in Room D110. The Faculty Council conducts student interviews. Students should dress as if for a job interview.

• Incomplete applications will not be accepted; be sure that both parents/guardians and students sign the application, and that students initial the application. Please read all the directions carefully.

• The NHS Induction Ceremony is still tentatively scheduled for Monday, June 1, 2020, at 6 p.m. with dinner to follow.

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Hughes at lhughes@florence.k12.nj.us or Ms. (Delgado) Diaz at jdiaz@florence.k12.nj.us.

Congratulations to Duygu Erzurum and Hailey McElven!

Principal’s Academic List

At the end of the third marking period, students who earn A’s in all of their courses will be assigned to the “Principal’s Academic List.”

We added this program based upon the feedback we have received from students, staff and parents. We have students who are hungry to show what they can do, and we are eager to recognize them!

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

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

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

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

During the closure of schools due to the health emergency, the FTMHS School Counseling Department will be 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

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

OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday from 7:40-11:40 AM

We will try to respond to parent and student emails and inquiries as promptly as possible, but if they are made after school is over for the day, then we may not be able to connect with you until the following school day.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out to their parent or guardian and these local agencies:

NJ PerformCare Mobile Response: 877-652-7624

Screening & Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP): 609-835-6180

For emergencies: call 911

Our website also lists many available resources:

https://sites.google.com/a/florence.k12.nj.us/ftmhs-counseling-department/home?overridemobile=true

The FTMHS School Counseling Department would like to ensure that students and parents are fully informed about the benefits and limitations of a virtual platform.

Benefits:

• Online platforms provide school counselors with the ability to communicate and disseminate information to the student body as well as parents/guardians in an efficient manner.

• Communicating online provides flexibility for the counselors as well as accessibility for students to review information at their convenience.

• Parents also have more flexibility to participate in meetings through alternative methods (e.g. Google Meet).

• School counselors have the ability to collaborate with other staff/teachers online to make sure the students are receiving the proper services needed for their success within and outside of the classroom.

Limitations:

• Confidentiality and Privacy cannot be guaranteed with services provided through online platforms.

• In the event that a student/parent identifies or a school counselor believes that the virtual meeting is not private or other participants not anticipated are observed, the meeting will be rescheduled for another time when confidentiality and privacy can be ensured.

• Depending on each individual student’s needs, telehealth may or may not be the best medium. School counselors will try to recommend the best medium based on each individual student and their visual and/or verbal needs.

• In a crisis situation, please dial 911.

• The timing of connections with students and parents varies based on virtual activity.

• If technological failure interferes with the goals of the meeting being achieved, another meeting will be scheduled at a mutually convenient date and time.

Tips for Taking Care of Your Mental Health

During Coronavirus Closures:

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to social media and news stories about COVID-19. It’s okay to stay informed, but overexposing ourselves to too much information can be stressful and overwhelming.

• Make sure you are still taking care of your body! Getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and making sure we are still moving around can help us take care of our mental health. Some ideas to consider:

• Practice mindfulness and/or meditation.

• Make sure to get some fresh air and sunlight, maybe sit by a window while doing homework/or reading, do a quick workout in your own yard, etc.

• Use home workout videos to keep moving and exercising.

• Find some healthy recipes and try your hand at cooking, not only are you fueling your body with healthy food, but it could also be a fun experience!

• Make time to connect with others who live in your home or with friends through phone calls or video chats. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

• Practice hobbies and activities you enjoy. It's important to keep up on school and work, but fun and enjoyment are also factors that promote positive mental health. This could also be a good time to try something you’ve never had the time to do. Sites like Youtube have plenty of free how-to videos that can help you learn new skills, such as new dance moves, or cooking techniques.

Additional Resources

Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak (SAMHSA)

Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety

Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies

10 Things To Do With Your Teens While ‘Social Distancing’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mrs. Emery made a bunch of face masks to help with needed supplies in the community.

Note from Mrs. Emery:

If anyone is looking to be tested for the Covid 19 virus, call Jefferson at (844)542-2273 and ask for a telehealth specialist to evaluate you. They will do a phone screening, then schedule a video screening.

If it is determined that you need a test, they will schedule a drive-up for you in Cherry Hill on Cooper Landing Road. Anyone can call, regardless of which hospital your primary care physician is associated with now.

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.

Report Cards will be available in Genesis on April 24. To view your child’s report card, simply login 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 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.

French Classes:

Given the unusual circumstances, the French program will be using various on-line resources, including the following websites for the purposes indicated:

• Conjuguemos for grammar study and testing,
• Duolingo for grammar and vocabulary study as well as for reading and listening comprehension with stories and podcasts in intermediate French,
• Quizlet for individual and group vocabulary study and maintaining pronunciation,
• Gimkit for group vocabulary study

Instructor: Mrs. Bjornstad

AP French Classroom

In AP French the students are making a video of each giving a news report on the coronavirus. A written report was due initially and the videos were due Monday, March 23. We will be working on the topic of immigration as well, using: an excerpt from a novel by Julien Suaudeau in which he describes a “cité,” or housing project, in a Parisian suburb; a podcast on Duolingo describing an incident involving a fire at a Parisian housing project; several news articles and textbook excerpts about immigration, racism, integration, and assimilation in France; and the song “Deuxième génération” by the singer Renaud.

We are also keeping in touch by email and sharing what we are doing during the school shutdown.

Instructor: Ms. Bjornstad

Biology Class

Mr. Du Brul's Biology class is getting a virtual glimpse of the process of chicken egg development. Students get to see how eggs are incubated, candled, and hatched.

The chicks then go into a brooder until they are feathered out enough to go outside.

Instructor: Mr. DuBrul

Pit Band 2020

Prior to the switch to E-Learning the Concert Band, Concert Choir and Show Choir were all working hard daily to prepare for their upcoming concert. We hope you will be able to hear their hard work at some point in the near future.

Until then, the students are practicing on their own at home while also reviewing some basics of music theory and music appreciation online.

Instructor: Mrs. Croley

Art Club: Mrs. (Finamore) Holmstedt, Advisor

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

Class of 2021: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Zucchero, Advisors

Class of 2022: Mrs. Pereda and Mr. Pereda, Advisors

Class of 2023: Mrs. Holmstedt and Ms. Tannenbaum, Advisors

Computer Science Club: Mr. Roberson, Advisor

Cultural Awareness for Everyone: Ms. (Delgado) Diaz, Advisor

Debate Team: Mrs. Bjornstad, Advisor

Environmental Club: Mr. DuBrul, Advisor

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

Interact: Ms. Rodan, Advisor

Marching Band Director: Mrs. Croley

Marching Band--Front Line Advisor: Mr. Obetz

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

Newspaper Club: Mr. McEnnis and Mr. Lamaestra, Advisors

Science League Competitions: Mr. Flynn, Coordinator

Spring Musical: Mr. Donovan, Director

Student Council: Ms. Rodan, Advisor

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

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 continuing to work on artist inspired masks using cardboard mask forms, tissue paper, and tempera paint. After masks are complete students will work on a stained glass tile design.

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

Senior Class Trip--Class of 2020

The Senior Class Trip is tentatively rescheduled for June 7, 8, 9 and 10. We will provide information as soon as we get updates from the travel agency.

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

During the first part of March, the Prom Committee met to finalize some last-minute details. This year's prom theme is "Garden of Memories." ...and what memories these students will have over the next several weeks!

On March 27, the advisors and Prom Committee members had a virtual meeting using Zoom.

Advisors: Gina Smith and Alyssa 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

The Sophomore Class is narrowing down possible venues to host the Junior/Senior Prom for May 2021. We will begin a Senior Trip payment plan ideally in May so keep an eye out for that information. We are also looking into a fundraiser to run in May.

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

Please stay tuned for freshmen class fundraising opportunities coming very soon! We would like to start a fundraiser as soon as we report back to school! We are also in the process of discussing possible prom locations for Prom 2022!

Advisors: Mrs. Holmstedt and Ms. Tannenbaum

At our last meeting, the students were continuing on their app and putting it all together into one project.

We also were working with the "No Place for Hate" group on starting the video shoot.

Advisor: Mr. Roberson

The Cultural Awareness for Everyone (CAFE) Club raised enough money through pretzel sales to purchase customized hoodie sweatshirts.

In March, the CAFE Club also started making decorations for the Annual Multicultural Family Night which has been postponed until June 4.

Advisor: Ms. (Delgado) Diaz

The Debate Team does not meet regularly after the competitive season. We offered the opportunity to observe a mock debate in early March, and we have designed a sweatshirt and started planning to purchase letter jackets and varsity letters.

If possible, we would like to meet several times in April, May and June to discuss teams for next year and to begin work on the new topic. Any meetings will be announced to the FTMHS community.

The 2020-2021 Policy Debate Topic is:

Resolved: The United States federal government should enact substantial criminal justice reform in the United States in one or more of the following: forensic science, policing, sentencing.

Advisor: Mrs. Bjornstad

Here are a few trips that are still in the planning stages...

• Two tough stretches of the Batona Trail in the NJ Pine Barrens. Students will travel an 8.5-mile stretch traversing parts of the Franklin Parker Preserve.

• Then a second hike on a Saturday starting at the southern end of the Batona Trail and taking us through 10 miles of wild country.

Looking forward to starting trips again!

Advisor: Mr. DuBrul

On March 3, the Game Club met to schedule the next three meetings to diversify our activities.

We decided on the following:

• a Nintendo Switch Tournament;
• a PlayStation 4 FIFA video game tournament;
• a Game Club Picnic to celebrate our return from Spring Break.

We need to modify our dates/plans moving forward. Stay tuned—we will get more information out to you soon.

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 happy to announce that juniors Nevaeh Baimba and Allison Slotkin were selected as delegates for RYLA 2020.

RYLA is a four-day leadership retreat that will take place in late June. Students work with their peers from throughout New Jersey to develop leadership skills.

The club is continuing its plastic project. The group is collecting 500 pounds of soft plastic to create a bench through the Trex company. These include: plastic bags, bubble wrap, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, cereal bags and newspaper bags. Please save us your bags, we are halfway to our goal!

Advisor: Ms. Rodan

Instrumental Director/Conductor: Mrs. Croley

Vocal Director: Mr. Obetz

Technical Director/Programs: Mr. Carlani

Choreography/Costuming: Mr. Breen

Set Construction: Mr. Dow

Scenic Design: Mrs. Perri

Volunteers who help with the set/design:

Thank you: Mr. Burns, Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Popso, Mrs. Nitti and Ms. Houseworth.

A huge thank you to all that made it possible - cast, crew, pit, staff, admin, parents, family, and the community at large... It takes a village to make a musical, and everyone stepped up.

We are so lucky, unlike many other schools in this turbulent time, to have been fortunate enough to share our hard work with an audience. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Here are some great photos for you...

The FTMHS chapter of the National Honor Society delivered over 130 carnations with personalized messages on Thursday, February 13.

Virtual Mentoring Program

The National Honor Society is pleased to announce a Virtual Mentoring Program at FTMHS, thanks to the hard work of our guidance department. The members of the NHS chapter are available to virtually mentor any student who is struggling and could use some peer guidance at this time.

If you would like to have one of your children participate, please contact the guidance department.

• Mr. Joseph Varga: jvarga@florence.k12.nj.us
• Mrs. Nancy Sebastian: nsebastian@florence.k12.nj.us

The guidance department and NHS advisors will privately and discreetly match your student to an NHS student. This opportunity gives the struggling student another chance to succeed and gives NHS students a chance to earn volunteer hours online.

Service Hours

Due to the school closing, the chapter has reduced the number of service hours required for the 2019-2020 academic year (for current members) to 20 (down from 30).

Advisors: Mrs. Hughes and Ms. (Delgado) Diaz

Our next focus will be on how our students, staff and community are dealing with the pandemic.

We also will feature our school play and our spring sports.

Advisors: Mr. McEnnis and Mr. Lamaestra

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

Student Council members conducted a collection drive to benefit the Burlington County Code Blue Shelters. The group collected hats, gloves, blankets and toiletries for the Burlington County Code Blue Team for the Week of Kindness from February 18-21.

The Student Council, along with the Interact Club, hosted a luncheon for our Florence Township senior citizens on Sunday, March 8. The seniors were treated to a buffet lunch and got to hear about some of the projects and activities going on at FHS.

At the conclusion of the luncheon, our special guests enjoyed the FHS Music Department's rendition of "The Addams Family." A wonderful time was had by all.

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!

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

WE HAVE MADE OUR FINAL DEADLINE! Thank you so much to our staff, students, and faculty for all of your help with this year’s publication!

Advisors: Mrs. Eckart and Mrs. Holmstedt

The FHS Parent Organization offers a program where you can purchase gift cards from us at Shop Rite, Roebling Town Market & Acme and then a percentage goes into an account for your child to pay for class/school expenses later on! Check it out! See the flyer below.

CLEAN OUT THOSE CLOSETS

You asked and we delivered! Back by popular demand, the FHS Parent Organization will be hosting a SPRING Clean Out Your Closets Day on May 16. Start packing up those bags now! Please see the flyer below for more details!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

I'm 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

Character is what you do when you think no one else is looking.

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.

• The Coronavirus Is A Good Reason To Quit Vaping

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.

Marijuana/Cannabis Information

Marijuana/cannabis use is increasing among young people throughout the state. It’s very important to keep in mind that despite its social promotion and acceptance by the wider population--there are many concerns about the short and long term effects of its use on the teenage brain. Marijuana use is known to negatively impact a young person’s memory, especially short term memory, and motivation. It contributes to difficulty in managing stress, interferes with the development of emotional maturity and can cause anxiety disorders and other psychological disorders and make any psychological/psychiatric difficulty worse. It is far from harmless as is assumed by many.

Please take a few minutes to refresh your understanding of the known hazards of cannabis use and why young people need to avoid using it. The cannabis available today is not the same substance that was introduced into popular culture in the ’60s. It’s many times more potent and has been subjected to hybridization and genetic manipulation.

Links:

• JUULERS AGAINST JUUL

• Oppose Legalization/Commercialization of Recreational Marijuana in NJ

• New Jersey governor renews call for legalizing marijuana

• Even a little marijuana may change teen brain, study finds

• Study: Giving Up Pot for a Month Leads to Better Memory in Young Adults

• Study: Laying Off Pot Improved Teens' Learning

Contact Information:

Please contact ​John Lamaestra at the high school at (609)499-4620 x 4225 or email me at jlamaestra@florence.k12.nj.us if you have any concerns or questions and follow me on Twitter for important news, motivation and updates @FT​SD_Counselor.

Student Assistance Coordinator: Mr. John Lamaestra

Scholarships and Summer Programs

Seniors should check their school email, Naviance, and now the Counseling Department Google Classroom for updates and new scholarships. Students should reach out to their counselor for the classroom code if they don’t have it. Thankfully many scholarships are online these days. Our Twitter feed also lists many national scholarships and programs.

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 attended the information session at FTMHS on October 23, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. in the high school auditorium.

Step 2: DONE

Seniors had to apply by January 30 to be part of the Spring Ahead Program. Seniors wishing to attend RCBC in the fall can still apply online at www.rcbc.edu

Step 3: DONE

On February 12 accepted students took the Accuplacer test at FTMHS. Retakes are possible at the Test Center on the Mt. Laurel campus. https://www.rcbc.edu/test-center

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. As of now, this trip is postponed and we will inform those seniors when we have a new date.

College Admissions Testing

College Board is cancelling the May 2 SAT administration. Makeup exams for the March 14 administration are also cancelled. Registered students will receive refunds. The ACT scheduled for April 4 is rescheduled for June 13.

College Board states they will provide future additional SAT testing opportunities for students as soon as feasible in place of cancelled administrations. The June 6 SAT administration is not yet cancelled.

College Board and Khan Academy will continue to provide free resources online, including full-length practice tests and personalized learning tools at khanacademy.org/sat

More information can be found on collegeboard.org and act.org

College Financial Aid Information

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

CSS Profile

Many colleges require the FAFSA and CSS Profile for financial aid consideration. Check the college website for requirements and deadlines. The CSS profile can be accessed here https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

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

This 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

The College Scorecard 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

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are staying safe and well. I am available if you need me.

My hours are: 7:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

You can contact me in several ways...you can

• email me: AEMERY@FLORENCE.K12.NJ.US OR
• Conference with me using ZOOM OR GOOGLE HANGOUTS (using that email)
• Website: https://sites.google.com/a/florence.k12.nj.us/ftmhs-nurse/home

STAY HEALTHY!

The COVID-19 Information Hub is now online. The New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub provides New Jerseyans with the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the State's response, including information about services such as food assistance and small business assistance.

Visit the COVID-19 Information Hub.

School Nurse: Mrs. Emery

Spring Sports

The official start date of spring sports is to be determined.

All student-athletes must have a current physical on file and completed the on-line registration for the team of participation.

2020 Spring Athletic Coaching Staff

Baseball: Kyle Ballay

Softball: Alyssa Zucchero, Mackenzie Pyne

Tennis: Sue LaBaw, Dave Tindall

Girl's Track & Field: Mike Flynn, Carol Ballay

Boy's Track & Field: Ross O'Neill, Anthony Arecchi

Contact Information

Mary Ellen Cassidy, AD Secretary x4149 (x6)

Audrey Tannenbaum, Athletic Trainer x 4154

John Cogan, Principal x4202

Maria E. Sadar, Vice Principal x4204

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.

GO FLASHES!

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