The Dragon Review

August 2026

On behalf of the entire staff at Brick Township High School, I would like to welcome our new and returning students and families to the 2026-2027 school year. I hope you found time this summer to take care of yourselves, to enjoy time with friends, family, and loved ones, and to recharge and reinvigorate for the upcoming year.

As we begin this new academic journey, I am reminded of the incredible potential and promise that each school year brings. These past summer months have afforded our dedicated faculty and staff an opportunity to prepare for the year ahead. Our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating environment remains unwavering. We at Brick Township High School value the partnership and collaboration that exists within our learning community. It is through this partnership that we will succeed in our commitment to providing an optimal learning environment for our students to learn and grow. We value open communication between home and school. Our teachers are here to support your child’s learning journey, and we encourage you to stay engaged and informed about their progress. Please know that we value and respect every one of our students, recognizing the immense responsibility that each member of our learning community possesses to effectively support, guide, and inspire our students to succeed. We encourage all students to actively participate in our co-curricular activities and clubs. These opportunities not only provide avenues for personal growth and exploration but also help build lasting friendships and connections that extend beyond the classroom.

As the school year progresses, you will receive regular communication updates in the form of monthly newsletters, mass notification through our blackboard system, and website updates. Information is also shared through our school’s twitter feed @BTHSDragons, consider following for regular updates. Additionally, please consider joining the PTSA for the 2026-2027 school year. Membership to the PTSA needs to be renewed yearly. PTA Membership Link.

Please take some time to review the important information contained within this newsletter as it will support a successful upcoming school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the main office at 732-785-3000 ext. 2000 or visit our website at www.brickschools.org/bths for additional information. I am looking forward to greeting our students on the first day of school, which is Thursday, September 3. As a reminder the first two days of school, September 3 and September 4, will operate on a half day early dismissal schedule. I am confident that together we can continue to ensure the success of each student at Brick Township High School.

We look forward to a year with academic achievements, personal growth, and memorable experiences. Together, we can make this school year a successful and enriching one for all members of our school community. I consider it a privilege to serve as your principal and look forward to supporting you in this upcoming school year. Thank you for being BTHS Dragon Proud! Go Dragons!

Sincerely,

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Principal

Brick Township High School strives to inspire, empower, and challenge our students to pursue excellence in reaching their fullest potential within a learning environment that values equity, belonging, and inclusivity. We are united in the expectation that all members of the learning community contribute to a safe and respectful learning environment, while maintaining strong school-family relationships and promoting a well-rounded educational experience that meets the diverse needs of each of our students. We will honor our traditions while consistently offering students access and opportunity. We maintain the core values of Tradition, Pride, Acceptance, Integrity, and Respect.

In an effort to assist with your transition to Brick Township High School, students will have an opportunity to attend Freshman Orientation on Wednesday, August 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Students will tour the building, meet members of the BTHS staff, and collaborate with peers. The event will contain various opportunities for engagement with peers and increased understanding of BTHS processes and procedures. Parents will have an opportunity to attend a Freshman Parent Information Session on Wednesday, August 26 at 6:00 p.m. This event will be held in the BTHS auditorium. BTHS Freshman Orientation Letter

The BTHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a volunteer organization that aims to increase parental participation through collaboration between parents, teachers, and staff. Joining this organization connects you to the school community, while providing you an opportunity to directly supports the students at BTHS. Communication associated with upcoming PTSA Meetings is pushed out to members through the Memberhub platform. The BTHS Parent Teacher Student Association is accepting membership for the 2026-2027 school year. Please consider joining the Brick Township High School PTSA. LINK to Memberhub

The Women’s Club of Brick Township is selling Green Dragon Cubs to help support scholarships for BTHS students. BTHS is grateful for the continued support of the Women’s Club of Brick, whose ongoing commitment to our school and community provides valuable opportunities and scholarship assistance to our graduating seniors. Access this link to order your own Green Dragon Cub.

Senior Portrait sessions were completed over the summer. There will be makeup sessions on Wednesday, October 7, or Thursday, October 8 for any student who missed the summer session or is unhappy with their pictures. More information will be shared closer to the date.

Underclass pictures will take place in the Auditorium on the following dates:

• Grade 9 - Wednesday, September 30
• Grade 10 - Thursday, October 1
• Grade 11 - Friday, October 2

Students will not be called down, and will be responsible for reporting to the Auditorium at their designated time according to a schedule that will be posted in the google classrooms and website. Additional information will be shared as the dates approach.

Please email jpiwowarczyk@brickschools.org with any questions.

BTHS will host the SAT on the following Saturdays:

• September 12- Registration deadline: August 28
• October 3- Registration deadline: September 18

These early fall test dates give students an opportunity to take the SAT before the demands of the school year begin to increase. Register on the College Board website.

The first day of school for students is Thursday, September 3. The following information will assist with a successful 2026-2027 school year.

• Bell Schedule
• Student Handbook
• Digital Backpack Access
• BTHS Announcement Feed

The student handbook along with the other listed documentation contains important information about the process and procedures at BTHS. Please review these important pieces of information with your child.

Parent Portal will be open for parent access on Thursday, August 27 at 4:00 PM. Students will be able to access their schedule for the 2026-2027 school year at this time. Please take time to review your schedule for the new school year.

Please note that only requests to correct scheduling problems caused by errors in course assignments will be honored. We are unable to accommodate requests for schedule changes related to teacher, block, or convenience changes. If changes are needed a Schedule Change Form must be completed. Students must submit a Schedule Change Form within the following time frame:

• 10 - Credit Courses: 10 school days from the beginning of the school year.

• 5 - Credit Courses: 5 school days from the beginning of each course.

All students should be informed that there will be a service dog in our school assisting one of our students. This service dog is a trained companion for the student and is able to assist him/her in many of the daily routines while learning at school. See additional details by accessing the attached notification letter. BTHS Service Dog Notification Letter.

Student Food Service Experiences:

• Breakfast: Upon arrival, students will have an opportunity to go to a cafeteria to pick up breakfast. Breakfast will close at 7:05 AM.
• Lunch: Students will have the opportunity to purchase / receive lunch during their assigned lunch period. Students will be assigned either A or C lunch. Students will be required to input their student ID number. Students must remain in their selected eating locations (Cafe 1 / Cafe 2 / Cafe 3) for the duration of the lunch period. Students will not be permitted to eat lunch in the library.

CLICK HERE to access the BTHS Food Service web page, where you can find complete department information. Additionally, the Free and Reduced Lunch application is posted on this page. The application is offered in both English and Spanish.

Click Here to Apply for Free / Reduced Price Meal Benefits

All students, who attended Brick Schools last school year, should have a district issued device in their possession. Students should be prepared to bring their fully charged device with charger to school on Thursday, September 3.

Grade 9 Students will receive their district issued device at the conclusion of Freshman Orientation on Wednesday, August 26. Any Grade 9 Student not attending orientation will receive their device on the first day of school.

If you are a new student to the district and have not yet been issued a laptop device, please visit Mr. Marvin's office in the East Office on the first day of school. A device will be prepared for distribution on the first day of school.

If your district issued device is in need of support or you have questions regarding any aspect of your device including Google Applications, please proceed with accessing the following link as Tech Repair Depots have been scheduled to provide assistance. Tech Repair Depot Schedule.

Building Hours - Public

Brick Township High School will be open for business between the hours of 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Visitors should schedule an appointment when at all possible so we can be prepared to greet you. All visitors will be required to show photo identification and state the purpose of their visit prior to being buzzed into the building. Upon entering the building, all visitors must proceed directly to the Main Office Front Desk.

Building Hours - Students

Brick Township High School will be open to students between the hours of 6:50 AM and 1:30 PM. Students who are on campus outside of these hours MUST be under the direct supervision of a District Staff member (e.g. teacher, coach, advisor). In order to ensure the safety and proper supervision of your children, students who are not with a staff member will NOT be granted access to building outside of these hours.

Drop off of Items

Drop off of student items will be allowed prior to 9:00 AM and after 1:30 PM. In order to limit traffic in the building, a drop off bin will be located outside the front door. If you need to drop off items, please label the item clearly with your student's name, place in the box, and buzz the front desk to alert that the items are there. Items brought to school between 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM will only be accepted in extreme circumstances and require the approval of an administrator.

Students are to be dropped off and picked up at the East Lobby Entrance, which is Door 34. BTHS Staff will be present at this location to assist with parent traffic patterns. The main entrance horseshoe will not be used for parent drop off / pick up during arrival and dismissal timeframes.

Brick Township High School Seniors and Juniors, who possess a valid driver’s license, will be permitted to drive their vehicle to school and park in designated locations on the BTHS campus during the 2026-2027 school year. Parking Permit Application 2026-2027. The cost of a parking permit is fifteen dollars, cash or check accepted. Please have exact change when making payment. Payment will be collected when applying for the parking permit.

• Seniors will have the first opportunity to purchase/reserve their parking permit. During the month of August, Seniors only may pick up permits in the Main Office beginning on Monday, August 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Bring your driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance card, and $15 dollar fee. No student is to park in any parking lot on campus until they have received a permit. Seniors may reserve their parking permit at any time, however, a parking permit will not be issued until proof of driver’s license, insurance, and registration is provided.

• Juniors will be able to purchase a parking permit on Thursday, September 3. Juniors must have their driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance, and $15 dollar fee with them at the time of purchase. No student is to park in any parking lot on campus until they have received a permit. Juniors have the opportunity to purchase their parking permit throughout the school year once they have received their license.

Information regarding the parking permit application and process is also available on our school’s website. Again, here is access to the Parking Permit Application.

The fall athletic season is here, and we invite our entire BTHS community to come out and support our student-athletes! Check the BTHS Athletics Schedule for upcoming games, meets, matches, and events. Make plans to cheer on our Dragons throughout the season. Your support could make the difference. Fill the stands and show your Dragon Pride! View the Athletic Schedule

Co-Curricular activities provide a channel for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom, offering students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of a well-rounded education. Research suggests that participation in co-curricular activities has the ability to increase students' sense of engagement, connection to school, and sense of belonging, ultimately promoting an increase in student overall state of well-being. Please take a moment to review the BTHS Co-Curricular Activities Catalog. Participation in a club or organization is essential to our success. Join a club or organization in the 2026-2027 school year. BTHS Co-Curricular Activities Catalog

The BTHS Guidance Department is excited to start the 2026-2027 school year. All students are fully supported by our school counselors. Please review the current counselor assignments (alphabetically by last name):

• Students Last Name - A - Da ----> Mrs. Ianniello
• Students Last Name - De - I -----> Ms. Piwowarczyk
• Students Last Name - J - Mo ----> Ms. Donahue
• Students Last Name - Mu - Sa --> Mrs. Celona
• Students Last Name - Sc - Z -----> Mrs. Walling

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your respective school counselor with any needs or concerns. We firmly believe that our partnership between home and school is paramount in ensuring the success of each of our students. We are here to help and assist in ensuring that each of our students optimize their time and experience at BTHS. We are looking forward to welcoming our students and having a positive and successful year at Brick Township High School.

School Counselors will be organizing meetings for senior students in September to discuss important topics related to their graduation and future plans. These meetings will include graduation requirements, assessment requirements and post-secondary plans including our career and college platform, SCOIR. The senior meetings are intended to provide students with the information and guidance they need to make informed decisions about their next steps after high school.

The School Counseling Department utilizes SCOIR as our College and Career resource. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to sign up for college visits through their SCOIR account. Admissions representatives from colleges and universities in the U.S. will be visiting BTHS during the next few months to meet with students. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about specific colleges; admission and application process, as well as student life and athletics.

High school students planning to enroll in Dual Enrollment Courses for the Fall semester 2026 can take advantage of Ocean County College’s Early College Program. Students can choose from Dual Enrollment courses offered at BTHS as well as on-campus or online courses through OCC. Students interested in participating should begin by applying to OCC, registering for their desired courses, completing the required Parental Consent Form, and making tuition payment arrangements. For more information or assistance, contact the OCC Early College Program at 732-255-0400 x534 or email earlycollege@ocean.edu. Please see the attached Early College Information and Steps document. An Early College Representative will be at BTHS in the beginning of September to assist students with registration. Thank you.

Health Office Contact Information:

• Nurse Amanda Cerracchio - acerracchio@brickschools.org - Ext. 2009
• Nurse Jessica Kopenhafer - jkopenhafer@brickschools.org - Ext. 2037

David Kasyan, Ed.D.

Assistant Principals

Erin Biancella - Grade 10 & Freshman P-Z

Ryan Hesnan - Grade 12 & Freshman H-O

James Marvin - Grade 11 & Freshman A-G

Athletic Director & Co-Curricular Supervisor

Jason Longo

Supervisor of Guidance

Angela Smith

Guidance Department

Lauren Ianniello - Students: A - Da

Jennie Piwowarczyk - Students: De - I

Kaitlyn Donahue - Students: J - Mo

Dawn Celona - Students: Mu - Sa

Marie Walling - Students: Sc - Z

Lori Roland - Student Assistance Counselor

Child Study Team

Dawn Eberhard

Lorraine Cooper

Christine Velardi

Mike Zuccaro

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