Wall High School Knightly News

Dear Wall High School students, families, and staff,

Report Cards

The 3rd marking period has closed and report cards will be available in the Genesis Parent Portal and Student Portal on Monday, April 20th at 2:15pm.

Spring Sports

Spring Sports are in full swing! Check out the link for team schedules in the Athletics section of the newsletter, and we invite everyone to come out and support our student athletes this spring!

NJSLA-A Testing

We begin another round of state testing later this month on April 29th and April 30th. All 9th grade students will participate in NJSLA-A Writing and Reading assessments. 9th grade students must bring a fully charged school issued Chromebook to school on testing dates. All students should report to school on time and be in their first class or testing location by 7:20 am each day. Please encourage your 9th grade students to get a good night's sleep before testing and to have some breakfast as well.

- Mr. Davis

Mark your calendars! Join us for a special parent evening with Doug Collier, Professor of Criminal Justice at Monmouth University and Retired DEA Agent, who will shed light on the items and behaviors teens often hide in plain sight. Learn what to notice in your teen’s everyday spaces and how to start meaningful conversations that truly make an impact.

The Wall High School Military Wall of Honor was unveiled in a ceremony on Wednesday, March 4th. Thank you to everyone who joined us that evening, and a special thank you to all those who played a role in creating the Wall of Honor.

If you know a Wall High School graduate who served or is currently serving in the military, they may use the button below to submit a form to be added to the Wall of Honor.

Yearbook is now $120

Link to order: Buy Your Yearbook

Please consider joining us for our Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings. These meetings will offer you a chance to hear information regarding school programs and other important information directly from the High School Administration. The PAC meeting schedule can be found by clicking the button below. The next meeting is May 27th at 9am.

The Wall High School Parent-Teacher Organization plays an important role in building a strong school community and supporting programs for both students and staff. PTO funds help provide classroom resources, student events, teacher appreciation activities, and more. We encourage every family to join the PTO for the 2025–26 school year and pay annual dues—your participation directly benefits our school. Membership information and payment options can be found through the link below. Thank you for helping us make this year exceptional for our students.

• September 17, 2025
• November 12, 2025
• January 14, 2026
• March 11, 2026
• May 13, 2026

As Teacher Appreciation Week approaches (May 4-8), we’re excited to show our incredible teachers just how much they mean to us. Their dedication, passion, and hard work make a lasting impact on our children every single day — and now it's our turn to give back.

We’re reaching out to kindly ask for donations for our Teachers luncheon on May 6th. Whether it’s through snacks, gift cards, or monetary contributions, every little bit helps in letting our teachers know how much they are appreciated. See button below on how you can help.

Thank you.
Mandy Roarty
WHS PTO Executive Board

Thank you to Broad Street Dough Co., Broadway Hot & Honey, FoodTown and Target for donating gift cards to support the Wall High School PTO Teacher Appreciation Program. Your support helps us celebrate our incredible teachers and is truly appreciated by our entire school community. Each month we honor two staff members who go above and beyond for our students, and we reward them with one of the gift cards that has been donated to the PTO.

Katherine Doran (Art), Joseph Ambrozy (Business), Michael Fury (English), Elizabeth Byrnes (Family Life), James Davis (Math), Ronald Pilla (Media TV), Kelly Puzo (Music), Ashlyn Holobinko (PE/Health), Rezo Aspanidze (Science), Bridget Mangan (Social Studies), Esther Harr (World Language)

Lily Brady - 10th Grade

Jennifer Hunt - 11th Grade

Adrianna Taliercio - 12th Grade

Gavin Cartinella, Nicholas Forte, Jade Luckey and Thomas Plisky

Two English 9 Honors students make the second round of the New York Times 2025-26 Tiny (100-Word) Memoirs Contest. They placed in the top 17% out of 14,232 total entrants. Congratulations to James O'Hara who wrote, "The Emboldened Retriever" and Matthew Newman who wrote, "When Our Worlds Met."

Five student artworks from our Digital Illustration class were selected for the Monmouth Teen Arts Festival Cover Design Contest, an exciting achievement for our program. Although the pieces were named runner-ups, all five works will be featured in the official festival program distributed to students and educators from across Monmouth County who attend this year’s event. This is the first time our school has had five artworks selected by the judging panel to be included in the program, a milestone we are incredibly proud of!

Congratulations to these talented artists (pictured left to right): Katie Doran (Grade12), Emma Grant (Grade 12), Maddox Mizelle (Grade 12), Mallory Fitzpatrick (Grade 2), and Aubrie Hickey (Grade10).

Two Wall High School art students have been selected for a prestigious state-level recognition through the Art Educators of New Jersey (AENJ). Melody Kusters (Grade 10), a Drawing and Painting 1 student, and Erin McBarron (Grade 11), a Drawing and Painting 2 student, were chosen by a panel of AENJ judges as the only two high school students from Monmouth County to be recognized at the state level for their outstanding artwork.

Each year, AENJ selects just two works of art to represent Monmouth County, and both honors were awarded to Wall High School students this year. Melody and Erin will be recognized at the Youth Art Month State Reception on March 28 at Grounds For Sculpture.

Congratulations to these talented artists on this exceptional achievement!

As Wall Township celebrates its 175th anniversary, eight members of the school’s National Art Honor Society were recognized for creating commemorative poster designs for the milestone celebration. Students submitted artwork in two categories, Digital Paintings and Traditional Renderings, showcasing their creativity and artistic skill. The students were formally honored during a recent Wall Township Committee meeting for their contributions to the township’s celebration.

Traditional Renderings: Best in Show: Brooke Roland, 1st Place: Chiara Byrnes, 2nd Place: Quinn Butler and 3rd Place: Devin Gottschalk

Digital Paintings: Best in Show: Clarisa Herrera, 1st Place: Rory Dunfee, 2nd Place: Avery Feely (not pictured) and 3rd Place: Katherine Doran

Congratulations to these talented students for helping commemorate this important milestone in Wall Township’s history!

The WHS Mock Trial team competed in the Monmouth County Mock Trial Championship Tournament at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, part of the statewide competition sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. Students prepared since October, taking on roles as attorneys and witnesses while presenting arguments, examining witnesses, and delivering opening and closing statements with guidance from volunteer attorneys. After strong performances in the first two rounds—including a win over Red Bank Catholic—Wall advanced to the final eight teams out of 17. In the quarterfinal round, Wall faced Colts Neck in a close match, with Colts Neck narrowly earning the victory and later advancing to the county championship. Several senior members will graduate this June after years of dedication to the team, which has consistently finished among the county’s top teams over the past five years. Returning members look forward to competing again next season.

The prosecution team from left to right:

Sarah Risko, Esther Harr, Noah Gribko, Jennevieve Dellett, Jack Baldasare, Katherine Doran, Robin Glackin, Reagan Urban and our very own courtroom sketch artist, Julia Ahlfeld.

Katherine Doran, Prosecuting attorney engaged in direct examination of a witness played by Jennevieve Dellett

Silver Medal winners in the March 3rd SONJ Unified Bowling Cup!

Congratulations to the following students who successfully auditioned into the All-Shore Symphonic Band. The band is comprised of students from Monmouth and Ocean counties. We are very proud of your musical achievements!

Avery Rausch - Flute

Avonlea McInnes - Clarinet

Octavio Esquivel - Trombone

Joshua Clark - Euphonium

Karina Cherrington - Oboe

Christian Girardy - Trumpet

Nathaniel Shuman - Trumpet

Ella Dowd - Clarinet

Colin Harris - Percussion

Eamon Nelson - Percussion

Isabella Nieves - Oboe

Rebecca Girardy - Clarinet

Abigail Kowsaluk - Percussion

We've started something new this year to recognize and celebrate our staff at WHS. The Knight of the Month award recognizes Wall High School staff members who go above and beyond in serving our students, colleagues, and community. One is nominated by colleagues and another is chosen by the Senior Student of the Month. Congrats to our two staff members recognized for February!

Monmouth County Vocational School District offers numerous shared time programs for juniors and seniors at Wall High School. Shared-time programs provide an opportunity for students to enroll in a career and technical education course while attending their home high school. The shared-time classes are a half-day in length and the student continues with their regular course of study at their home high school the other half of the day. Most programs consist of two years of study in which the student learns skills that will qualify them for entry-level jobs or prepare them for further education in their chosen career and technical education field.

Please click the button below for more details including links to the MCVSD website, links to the application and more. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school counselor.

Scoir is a solution for students, supporters, counselors, and colleges focused on finding the right fit through a unified college search and planning network. This platform connects students to a powerful set of tools to help them identify their talents, search for their college fit, plan with their supporters, and apply when ready. As a parent/guardian, you play an integral role on Scoir by providing your student(s) with college suggestions, financial information, and general guidance.

On October 22nd, our 9th graders completed the YouScience aptitude assessment, a series of engaging brain games that highlight students’ natural strengths and learning styles.

On November 14th and 18th, students revisited their results during a 7 Mindsets lesson focused on “Passion First.” They learned how to access their one-page summary and full aptitude report, completed a reflection sheet, and discussed how their strengths can guide future academic, college, and career planning. Reflection sheets were sent home.

Families can view results by logging into their student’s YouScience account. Select Aptitude & Career Discovery → Discover Aptitudes → Download Results to access the one-page summary and other reports. Additional tools—career matches, college and major exploration, and conversation prompts—are also available. We are excited to use these results to help guide future conversations about coursework, career exploration and post-secondary planning!

For more information, visit the YouScience parent page.

Please reach out to Mr. Tarantin if you have any questions or would like support reviewing your student’s results.

Everyone should try to join at least one club!

Take a look at the club and activities website and email the clubs advisor if you have any questions.

We had over 85 WHS students (Peer Leaders, Heroes and Cool Kids, and Anti-bullying Task Force) participate in the Read Across Wall initiative at all of the elementary schools. They read "The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors".

Students enjoyed Sensory Day at the Liberty Science Center. They had the opportunity to experience SUE: The T. rex Experience, an interactive, engaging, and hands-on exhibit.

Sean Rosenfeld, Austin Peters, Lindsay Cory,

Sean Rosenfeld and Austin Peters

Ronnie Pilla

Christopher Ochs spoke with our Computer Science students in the auditorium. He provided valuable insights into pursuing a career in computer science and the higher education pathways available. Chris discussed how AI is shaping the field and inspired students with thought-provoking questions and algorithm analysis.

In an effort to spread out school spirit throughout the year, the Wall High School Student Council is sponsoring a Battle of the Classes. Students can earn points for their class at the Pep Rally, Volleyball Night, Hall Decorating, and by attending various school events each marking period. For more details or to stay up to date with Battle of the Classes events, check out @WallStuCo on Instagram.

Join us in celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary with events and activities all year. This section will share district celebrations, announcements, and ways our school community can honor this historic milestone.

As you are aware, Dr. Handerhan announced back in the fall that she will be retiring at the end of this school year. Since then, the Wall Township Board of Education has been actively engaged in the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. At last night’s Board of Education Meeting, the Board of Education appointed Dr. David Bleakley as the next WTPS Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Bleakley brings with him over 20 years of educational experience, and the Board of Education is thrilled to welcome him to the District.

To learn more about Dr. Bleakley, click here. To learn more about the Superintendent Search, click here.

If your family is experiencing economic challenges or homelessness, visit the McKinney Vento webpage for essential information and guidance on available resources.

District Homeless Education Liaison

Tiffany Steiner
tsteiner@wallpublicschools.org
732.556.2647

Congratulations to Cali Buxbaum and Luke Van Benthuysen for making it to the NJSIAA Indoor Track & Field Meet of Champions! Cali placed 7th in the 3200M (10:31.86) and Luke placed 10th (51-6.00) in shot put. We are looking forward to a great spring season!

Congrats to Evan Penn who was named one the NJ Devils January High School players of the month!

Please be advised, WHS will not accept food deliveries from services such as DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, etc. for students in our school. While we understand the convenience these services provide, they create significant disruptions within our main office. More importantly, allowing outside food/lunch deliveries raises concerns about the safety and security of our students and staff.

Please note: Parents and guardians are still permitted to drop off lunch for students who may have forgotten their meals. However, we ask that you coordinate these drop-offs directly through our main office to ensure a smooth process.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we prioritize the well-being and security of our school community.

Mr. Davis