Wall High School Knightly News

Dear Wall High School students, families, and staff,

NJGPA Testing for all 11th Graders

Please note that the mandatory NJ Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) will be administered to all 11th graders the week of March 16th. We had a brief assembly last week where I encouraged 11th graders to give their best effort because passing the assessment is a graduation requirement. A more detailed testing schedule will be shared shortly with 11th graders and their parents and guardians. Please encourage your 11th grader to do their best, to get a good night's sleep before testing, and to bring their fully charge Chromebook to school on the testing days.

WHS Alumni Military Wall of Honor

Please join us for the unveiling of the WHS Alumni Military Wall of Honor on Wednesday, March 4th at 6pm in the North Gym. See the flyer below.

Spring Sports Registration

Spring Sports registration is open. Please see the links in the athletics section of the newsletter for registration information.

Scheduling for the 26-27 School Year

Counselors are almost done meeting with students to finalize course requests. If you have questions about the scheduling process or course requests, please reach out to your child's school counselor.

See the Counseling Department section further down in the newsletter for more information regarding Monmouth County Vocational School Shared Time Programs if you are interested in applying for one of those programs.

- Mr. Davis

On Thursday, January 22nd, during the Band Concert, we formally dedicated and renamed the music hallway in honor of Mr. Les Hollander. Mr. Hollander retired earlier this year after 55 years of teaching music at Wall High School.

There is a plaque in the hallway that reads:

Hollander Hall

Dedicated in Honor of Mr. Leslie Hollander - Teacher at Wall High School from 1970 to 2025

Mr. Hollander built the foundation of music education at Wall High School, developing the district’s instrumental music program, inspiring generations of students, and defining excellence in the arts.

Mr. Hollander transformed music education in Wall Township, and left an enduring legacy of learning, artistry, and commitment.

In gratitude for his remarkable contributions to Wall High School and the Wall Township Public Schools.

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

Thank you to Broad Street Dough Co., Broadway Hot & Honey and FoodTown 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.

Clarisa Herrera (Art), Madeleine McInnes (Business), Erin Robinson (English), Marilyn Marroquin (Family Life), Brooke Mendes (Math), Katelynne Espinoza (Media TV), Avonlea McInnes (Music), Quinn Carmody (PE/Health), Jesus Chavez Espana (Science), Grace Osmond (Technology Ed), Reagan Urban (World Language)

Maggie Houston - 9th Grade

Karina Cherrington - 10th Grade

Brianna Young - 11th Grade

Francisco DaSilva - 12th Grade

Rezo Aspanidze, Elisabeth Campanile, Hazel Garrote, Sophia McCormack and Meghan O'Hare

Brooke Mendes and Brayden Dunfee

Emily Lutkiewicz and Dan Dahrouge

Ella Dowd and Alan Bagagem

Amanda Regan and John Buffa

Charlotte Switzer and Declan Freud

Ella Dowd and Dan Dahrouge

Melody Kusters (grade 10) and Erin McBarron (grade 11) were both selected by a panel of Art Educator of New Jersey judges to be the ONLY two Monmouth County high school students recognized at the state level for their beautiful artwork. AENJ only selects two works of art to represent Monmouth County and our Wall art students earned both of those spots! The students will be honored at a Youth Art Month State Reception on March 28th at Grounds For Sculpture.

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 December!

Rebecca Girardy - Region II Symphonic Band

Joshua Clark - Region II Symphonic Band

Justin Lee - Region II Wind Ensemble

Liv Perry - Region II Symphonic Band, All-State Symphonic Band

Eamon Nelson - All-Shore Jazz Ensemble

Julia Bowen - All-Shore Orchestra

Lauren Tremblay - All-Shore Orchestra

Kelly Puzo - All-Shore Orchestra

Gianna Zanette - All-Shore Orchestra

Monmouth County College Fair co-sponsored by the Monmouth County Guidance Directors’ Association (MCGDA), and Brookdale Community College (BCC). The college fair is for any student looking to gain more information, get connected, and meet in-person with college representatives.

Monmouth County Spring College Fair

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: Collins Arena (Parking Lots 6 & 7) on the Brookdale Community College campus

Strive Scan Registration: Students can register their contact information for the college fair by visiting StriveFair.com. Students will then receive a barcode once they register to easily and electronically share their contact information with the college representatives they meet at the fair! Students will be re-sent a copy of their barcode two hours prior to the fair start time.

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.

Join us for a hands-on resume writing workshop designed to help young women confidently highlight their skills, experiences, and career goals. For students in grades 6th through 12th. Click below for the flyer with more info and a link to register.

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.

WHS Heroes and Cools kids conducted lessons at the elementary schools this week about being kind, trusted adults, having good character, and being up standers.

Wall High School Peer Leaders visited residents at the Care One in Wall to give out Valentine’s Day cards and spread love and kindness!!!

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.

The Crimson Knights Foundation's 6th Annual Gala. will be held on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, at Spring Lake Manor. This event celebrates and honors distinguished Wall Township Community members. Please click here to read the 2026 Press Release.

It's time to start planning for the 2026-2027 school year! Please take note of the upcoming registration dates for our youngest students:

• Kindergarten Registration: Monday, February 2, 2026
• Preschool Registration: Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Children are registered in their neighborhood schools in the order that completed registrations are received. Please be advised in the event that grade-level capacity is reached, incoming students may be assigned to another WTPS elementary school.

Registration Questions?

Do you have questions or need assistance with the registration process? Please follow this link to the district website or contact Kerrin McGowan, our District Registrar, with all your questions and inquiries.

• Email: kmcgowan@wallpublicschools.org
• Phone: 732-556-2658

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

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