SHORELINE THE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER OF SHORE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL - FALL/WINTER 2013
Monmouth Park Highway 36 West Long Branch, NJ 07764 (732) 222 - 9300 (Phone) (732) 222 - 8849 (Fax) www.shoreregional.org
Monmouth Beach Oceanport Sea Bright West Long Branch
CHROMEBOOK 1:1 As a complement to Shore Regional High School’s philosophy of Students First, each student and faculty member was issued a Chromebook laptop computer at the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year. “Creating a learning and teaching environment
but also increase their 21st century
in which every student and faculty
schools Technology Coordinator,
member is connected will not only
Mr. Michael Vaccarino.
broaden their learning window
technology skills.” states the
Through this program,
Mr. Bruce Preston, the District Director
the school will enhance
of Curriculum & Instruction believes the
student learning while
community should “view the devices of our 1:1
improving achievement in
initiative as an environment in which learning
the core content areas. By
thrives through individual and collaborative
preparing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an evolving technological landscape, this program will enhance capabilities and collaboration relative to the education and workforce expectations of the 21st century. The goal is to connect the faculty and students through collaborative applications both in and outside of the “traditional” classrooms and school building. The new movement in providing the most up to date technology equipment to the learning process is called the Shore Regional 1:1 Initiative.
“As digital le arners, stude nts will need technology tha t is easily acc essible, readily availa ble and trans parent.”
Shore Regional’s 1:1 initiative is a necessary progression in classroom technology integration. It is the educational recognition that all students live in a technologically demanding world. As digital learners, students will need technology that is easily accessible, readily available and transparent.
endeavors. These devices provide an environment rich in resources that, in turn, provide the necessary supports for the evolution of learning.”
M O R F R E LETT L L E R R A F S A M O H T Shore Regional has been very busy with facilities improvement projects, aligning curricula with the Common Core, the new teacher evaluation implementation, and new technology deployment with our 1-to-1 initiative. The administrative team has done a fantastic job organizing their time and implementing these projects. This new school year has been filled with some exciting new initiatives. The key word here is “new”. In a way, this school year marks a new beginning; new administrators, new curricula, new organizational structures, and new ideas. While “new” is good and refreshing, we must never forget the best of the “old” and where “we” came from. All new initiatives are positioned with the student in mind first so as to improve responsiveness and staff support so students get what they need. “The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating students who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations of students have done. We insist on teaching children our past, when, in fact, we should be teaching them their future”. It’s an exciting time in education and those who are willing to take risks (along with the responsibility and accountability that comes with it), understand improved student performance can only come about by trying bold new and innovative initiatives. 2013-2014 is proving to be an amazing year!
Mr. Thomas G. Farrell Superintendent of Schools
LETTER FROM DENNIS KOTCH
The start of the school year has been a great success with many improvements in and around Shore Regional High School. Most obvious and notable are the new sidewalks, curbs and parking surfaces that adorn the entire campus. Many years of cost saving initiatives have brought this much-needed project to completion. On the technology front, Shore Regional High School launched their Chromebook 1-to-1 technology initiative in September. Again, cost-saving initiatives have made this long awaited project a reality.
The Office of Business Administration saw a truly transformative, cost-saving implementation of shared services during the previous school year with the sharing of one Superintendent with two districts and a Business Administrator with three districts. These shared services took yet another step on July 1, 2013 with the sharing of one Superintendent with three districts and one Business Administrator with all four districts in the Shore Regional community. It has been a professional goal of the Office of Business Administration to see all of these shared service initiatives to fruition in order drive down the taxes in the communities we serve. We have already brought to reality hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost savings and more are planned. Most of the districts in the region saw zero percent budget increases for the 2013-2014 school year. As we begin building the budgets for the 2014-2015 school year we anticipate further tax reductions without the loss of jobs or programs. This is what shared services are all about. The Office of Business Administration has seen many fiscal successes and strives to achieve more. This office is committed to transparency and efficiency and welcomes community input to assist in providing students with the most fiscally prudent and accommodating educational amenities. -Dennis Kotch Business Administrator
Conor O'Brien Grade: 12
: "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." -Apple Inc. : My role models are my mom and dad. They are both successful in what they do and I aspire to be like them when I get older. They are genuine and caring and inspire me everyday to just be myself! Teacher with the most impact: Mr. Labush is the teacher that has had the most impact on me. He has mentored me in all aspects of life over the past four years and has helped me become the person that I am today.
: I am on the soccer team and am also a member of the Student Council.
: I will go to college and pursue a degree in business or economics. I want to make a difference and make the world a better place. I would also like to travel the world and see what else is out there for me.
Victoria Cantelmo
Grade: 12
:
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there”
-Theodore Roosevelt
: Muhammad Ali Teacher with the most impact: The teachers that have had a large impact on me are Mrs. Miano and Mrs. Ensor. Mrs. Miano encouraged me and inspired me everyday that I entered her classroom. She was very motivational and made the class enjoy math despite the level of difficulty. Mrs. Ensor has taught me lessons that I can apply both in and out of the classroom, and I will never be able to repay her for that. : FCA,SAW, NHS, Cross Country
: Future Goals/Plans: In the future, I would like to attend a school that meets my needs both physically and academically. I would like to participate in cross country, and indoor & outdoor track throughout college. I hope to become a nurse and help to better the lives of others.
Samantha Irace Grade: 12
:
“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” - Michael Phelps : My role model has to be my dad. I don’t know what I would do without him. He pushes me to be the best person I can be in all aspects of my life. Whether it’s school or sports, he is always by my side cheering me on to make sure I am playing my hardest or doing my best. He is successful and hardworking, and I strive to be like him everyday of my life. He has taught me everything I know from working habits to being a loyal New York Jets fan. I can only hope that I can be as great as he is to me to everyone I know. My dad is nothing but nice to me, and I am forever thankful for everything he does for me. Teacher with the most impact: The teacher that has had the most impact on me has to be Mr. Santangelo. He has been my softball coach for three years, and he has taught me to always have a positive outlook on every situation. Nothing is as bad as we make it seem. I now also have Mr. Santangelo as my anatomy teacher. Even though I have only had him for a couple of weeks, he is the best teacher I have ever had. He makes learning enjoyable, and I cannot wait to get into class and learn. Nothing is better than knowing that someone will be there for you in and out of school, and Mr. S has been there for me. He has been a great impact on me, and I could never thank him enough.
:
I am currently involved in FCA, Interact, Swimming, and Softball.
: My future goals and plans are to go to college and major in Sports Administration and hopefully get a job with the New York Jets. While I’m in college getting my degree, I plan on swimming because I’m in love with this sport. I can’t imagine not being able to participate in it. I want to pursue a degree in business or economics to make a difference and make the world a better place. I would also like to travel the world and see what else is out there for me.
John Leslie Grade: 11
:
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” - Stephen King
: My role model would have to be my parents and grandparents. They have guided me through school, and supported me in the clubs and sports that I have joined. Their advice to me is some of the most important lessons I have learned. Teacher with the most impact: The teacher that has impacted me the most is Mrs. Ensor (English). Her Creative Writing class introduced me to many different poetry and story styles which I like to use when I write. I enjoy working on the Voices Creative magazine and C.A.S.A. meetings with her.
: The clubs that I am currently in are: C.A.S.A, The Great Books Club, Interact, Mock Trial, and Voices. : My future goals in school are being in the next Shore Players shows and playing for the bowling team. After high school, I want to go to college to study art and literature.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Created in 1968 by a group
of forward thinking faculty at the International School of Geneva, The International Baccalaureate program started out as a single program for mobile students preparing for University. 45 years later, it has grown into a global educational standard for ages 3 to 19 with the clout behind it to provide a high quality education for all participating students. Shore Regional High School has been an IB participant for the past 7 years and is one of only three participating schools in Monmouth County. Linda Ensor has been the Coordinator of the program for the past 7 years, as long as the IB program has been at Shore Regional High School. She states that participation in the program puts Shore Regional
High School students “on par with people all over the globe, and generally, levels the educational playing field.� Students can participate in The IB program in both their Junior and Senior years and can sign up for single courses, the certificate program or the IB diploma. Students have the choice to pick their classes and course load, much like the Advanced Placement Program. All classes are set up to have a consistent curriculum for
“ participation in the program puts Shore Regional High School students “on par with people all over the globe, ” ”
students to give them a more global exposure to education, a variety of perspectives and greater tolerance as a whole. While faculty does play a strong role in facilitating, assigning and directing students, participants are ultimately placed in a learning environment that teaches them to be self motivated and self taught and then expected to produce projects that reflect their research and learning. In short, it prepares students for the college experience and classroom culture. One of the highlights of completing the certification and/or diploma program is the possibility of
adding up to 30 college credit hours to a students’ college application. Universities function on an independent basis of whether or not they accept IB credit hours, however big name institutions including Villanova, Penn State, Princeton and Yale Universities all accept credit hours. All Florida and California state schools accept hours as well. A high school student with the IB diploma could walk into their freshman year with one full semester of hours completed. For a complete description of the IB Program, Mission Statement and a list of participating Colleges and Universities visit www.ibo.org
I NT E RA CT CLU B re Regional’s Club Kristin Pontoriero, Faculty advisor to Sho g skills into helping Interact, channels her teaching and coachin The Interact Club is an young people help the local community. ts once a month before all volunteer extracurricular club that mee assistance to local school hours to communicate and provide and donations. organizations in need of volunteer services featured in New Jersey Leisure Guide as one of the top 20 Halloween events across the state. “This is such a tight-knit community,” states Pontoriero when asked about what her favorite aspect of a student run volunteer organization is, “and this is a great way for them to give back locally and spend time with peers who share their positive interests.” “Each student can choose their activities and pick the ones that focus on their interests.” Pontoriero cites the example of how a Shore Regional football player volunteered to help shovel sand out of the streets during post Sandy efforts. “He could use his strength to give back to the community, and that is what we are trying to teach them.” During the 2013 holiday season, the club is focused on the Annual Food Drive Competition to benefit the Student Exchange Hunger Campaign which distributes food to families in need throughout the state of New Jersey. The student driven effort challenges all Shore Regional homerooms to rally and compete for the largest amount of non perishable shelf stable foods and beverages. Other efforts the Club works for include local Super Storm Sandy events, fund-raisers for Shore Regional student and faculty, a holiday clothing drive and the Halloween Hayride at Allaire State Park, which was
The organization has over 100 student members who complete at least 10 volunteer hours per semester. When they complete the year’s worth of hours successfully, they receive a Certificate of Good Standing from The Interact Club which can then be credited to their application for the National Honor Society.
Shore Regional’s Interact Club is being recognized for winning the fourth division for High Schools across New Jersey in The Students Change Hunger Challenge! Shore Regional was able to raise over 300 pounds of food for the needy in October and November. Congratulations to Ms. Cook's Homeroom for winning the competition!
Shore
Devil Dancers
Lawrence Edwards laughs as he describes the continued support of the Shore Devil Dancers half time show for the football team. The Shore Devil Dancers, which started out as a very small, 15 member club, has flourished into performing arts concept that has worked itself into the school curriculum.
The Shore Devils Dancers perform at all football and men’s and women’s basketball games as well as local malls, community events and their Annual Holiday Performance at Pier Village in Long Branch. The team has grown to about 24 members over its 5 year lifespan.
Edwards, whose professional training includes a BA of Fine Arts from Rutgers University and experience with the likes of the Knicks and Liberty half-time shows at Madison Square Garden and time with a professional modern dance company in NYC has switched gears to teach and coach young people in the fine art of dance.
Edwards also teaches both dance classes offered as a gym alternative and a student elective. Dance Lab, the alternative physical education option, is a class on movement, technique and expression, where as the elective class, Elements of Dance explores the history, technical vocabulary and the business aspect of dance, dance companies and studios. Edwards hopes to add a performance class in the future where students will also learn production, lighting, sound and staging as it pertains to the art of dance.
“Shore Devil Dancers is a great way for young people to be involved in a team sport and have a sense of unity without the aspect of competition and winning,” says Edwards “it still gives the group a great sense of belonging and working together towards something.”
The Shore Devil Dancers also participate in the Teen Arts Festival at Brookdale Community College where teenagers throughout the state of NJ are invited to showcase their own creative talents and express themselves through their choice of art.
The fall is classically one of the busiest times of year in Guidance Offices all across America. The Guidance Office at Shore Regional High School is no exception. The Guidance Office has processed 500 college applicatio ns to date and will surely process an additional 200 more by the start of the New Year. Each year, Shore Regional students get into some of the most competitive colleges in the country, and the guidance office takes great pride in their students’ accomplishments and continued successes. The Guidance Office has purchased PrepMe, an online, School-wi de testing preparatio n program. PrepMe offers a unique approach to ACT®, SAT® and PSAT® test preparatio n that individualizes instructio n based on where students need the most help and the amount of time they have to prepare for their exams.
Over 70 Colleges and Universities visited Shore Regional this fall and many students have already received Early Acceptances to reputable institutions such as: Fordham University University of Maine Michigan State University Rutgers University Seton Hall University
Congratulations to Taylor Mellaci and
Robert Mills for being recognized as National Merit Commended Students!
Alumni Spotlight John Farrell New Jersey has produced many celebrities throughout history including Danny DeVito, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Thomas Edison and The Taylor Ham and Cheese Sandwich. Well, add another big one to the list: John Farrell, Manager of the 2013 World Series Champion baseball team, The Boston Red Sox. More specifically, John Farrell is a Jersey Shore Native and a 1980 graduate of Shore Regional High School. Born on August 4th, 1962 John Farrell lived and grew up in Monmouth Beach and was a star pitcher for the Shore Regional baseball team. Although he was drafted by The Oakland A’s upon his graduation from Shore Regional High School, Farrell turned down the offer to pursue his education at Oklahoma State University. After receiving his college degree, he was drafted by The Cleveland Indians and played for them through the 1990 season. He also played for the California Angels and finished out his career in 1996 with the Detroit Tigers. Farrell joined the Boston Red Sox as Team Manager in October of 2012. One year later, in October of 2013 he was named Sporting News’ 2013 American League Manager of The Year and then famously went on to win the 2013 World Series. This was the first Red Sox home field World Series win since 1918 when they defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. Although Farrell currently resides with his family in Westlake, Ohio, we are proud to call him a Jersey Shore native and even more so, a Shore Regional High School alumnus.
Tina Montanez “Take risks, Dreams come true when you have the courage to pursue them. So find what it is that you are passionate about and pour your heart into it. If it doesn’t work out the first time, keep trying! And most of all, believe in yourself.” Words of wisdom from Tina Montanez, Class of 2005 and business owner, when asked about advice she would give future Shore Regional graduates. Montanez, a recent Shore Regional graduate and a young woman living local, “100% saw (herself) doing something in the fashion industry” and has been working, managing and pursuing her dream to work in the retail business since she was 16 years old. She is the owner of Uphoria Boutique in Little Silver, NJ, pronounced the same as “Euphoria”, the state of happiness and selfconfidence. Montanez chose this name because she wants the customers who come into her ladies’ boutique to feel this “way” when shopping and finding the clothes they love. After attending Brookdale Community College, Montanez went right to work looking for the perfect spot to open her dream boutique:
“I knew for years that I wanted to open a clothing store. It was simply a matter of when and where. One day when I was out to lunch with a friend I discovered the Markham Place Plaza. It was filled with women on their way to the hair salon, running into CVS and going out for lunch with their girlfriends. It hit me how perfect it would be to have a boutique in between these cute restaurants, and other female driven businesses (Hair salon, Nail Salon, Tanning Salon). I got hooked on the idea of opening a store at this location. After that it was a matter of stalking out the area and hoping and praying a space would become available. Luckily 6 months later something did! I immediately jumped on it and took it as a sign that THIS was my chance to make my dream come true!” And since then, she has been selling women’s clothing out of this Victorian and baroque styled boutique targeting ages 14 to 50. “You
can never be too young or too old to want to be current and fashionable. We sell contemporary styles at an affordable price. We want all of our customers to leave happy and well dressed without breaking their bank. So we pick each item with the price, quality and style in mind.” She quotes a line from the movie The Breakfast Club, when remembering her time at Shore Regional “Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people.” She adds, “because success is 200% cooler in the long run!” When she isn’t running her own business, Montanez enjoys traveling to New York to keep current on upcoming seasons in the fashion industry, vacationing, working with animals and being the proud owner of a Yorkshire Terrier named Bentley. Interested? Check out Uphoria at www.facebook.com/SHOPUPHORIA
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Shore Regional Monmouth Park Highway 36 West Long Branch, NJ 07764
POSTAL PATRON Spring Musical 2014
Sweet Charity March 14th, 15, 21st & 22nd - 8pm March 16th & 23rd - 2pm For ticket information email: ShorePlayersTix@shoreregional.org
ShoreLine Contributors Mr. Thomas Farrell Mr. Dennis Kotch Mr. Joe DeLeonardo Mr. Jonathan Warner Mrs. Megan Oliveira
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