High School Volume 23, Issue 1 NEWSLETTER · Is a member of the Social Studies department teaching Psychology. She is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a BA in Psychology

John F. Kennedy Memorial High School

A State of New Jersey Best Practice School A National & State of New Jersey “Learn & Serve” Leader School A New Jersey Governor’s School of Excellence

Volume 23, Issue 1

Published with pride for our school community

October 2014

NEWSLETTER

Construction Underway at JFK

John F. Kennedy Memorial H.S. A State of New Jersey Best Practice School

October 2014 A National & State of New Jersey Service-Learning Leader School Page 2

A Message From Our Principal

The 2014-2015 school year is well underway and your sons and daughters should be engaged in curricular and extra-curricular activities at this point. At our opening class assemblies this year, the important theme of “50 Years of Excellence” was emphasized to our students. Our students are being challenged to achieve excellence in Academics, Athletics and the Arts. In addition, treating all of their peers with respect as well as respect to all adults in the building is a goal that will be stressed throughout the school year. The reinforcement of the theme by parents and guardians will certainly increase our students’ chances for a successful school year and high achievement. We are especially proud of the following achievements during the 2013-2014 school year:

HSPA scores – Lang. Arts – 95%; Math – 87% -

Bio. – 77%

AP enrollment up. Most ever WTSD history – great scores - congrats

12 students scored 800 on the SAT- Math or Verbal section

2 Commended Scholars

NHS – was able to collect 90 pints of blood

Our students collected over 5,000lbs of food during the 2013-2014 school year

Raised $6,000 for several charity organizations

Band, Show Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir and Chorus Members received several awards for their performances

GMC – Championships in Boys’ and Girls’ Volleyball

54% of our students made the Honor Roll

We had students go to Colby College, Colgate Univ., Syracuse Univ., Stevens Institute of Technology, TCNJ, Cornell, Rutgers, Air Force Academy, and NYU.

John F. Kennedy has strong traditions of academic excellence and established partnerships with its community. Kennedy’s diverse community is a microcosm of today’s society. We value our diversity, acknowledge the many different languages spoken by our students, and strive to recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual. This uniqueness coupled with a strong sense of community lends itself to the following quote.

Please be assured that our entire staff is committed to the theme “50 Years of Excellence” as we work with your sons and daughters this school year. Each and every one of us, from teachers and administration to support staff, are dedicated to providing the best possible educational experience for our students. Our children, our community, and our future deserve no less. We wish our students the very best for the 2014-2015 school year.

"What makes a good school has very little to do with how rich or poor the students are or the type of curriculum that's taught. It has very little to do with special programs, expensive playing fields, snappy uniforms, or whether the school is wired to the internet. What makes a good school, wheth-er it's public or private, religious or non-religious, charter or non-charter is a feeling. A feeling shared by the entire staff and student body that their school is special. A feeling that their school really belongs to them."

—P. Manna That's JFKMHS.



John F. Kennedy Memorial

High School Newsletter

The John F. Kennedy Memorial High School Newsletter is published four times a year. It is prepared at Kennedy using Microsoft Publisher. The electronic file is made available on the JFK Website.

Michael A. Cilento, Principal

Sherry Wandras, Vice Principal

Steve Caroscio, Vice Principal

Newsletter Staff:

Brittany Roth, Editor Danielle Sawyer, Editor

2014 — 2015

School Calendar

September

First Day of School ..................................................................... September 3

Rosh Hashanah ................................................................ September 25—26

October

Diwali .............................................................................................. October 23

November

Employee In-Service Day ............................................................ November 4

NJEA Convention .................................................................. November 6—7

Thanksgiving Recess ........................................................ November 27—28

December

Half Day ...................................................................................... December 23

Winter Recess .................................................................... December 24—31

January

Winter Recess (cont’d)……………………..………………………January 1—2

Martin Luther King Day .................................................................. January 19

February

Presidents’ Day ............................................................................ February 16

April

Spring Recess ................................................................................ April 3—10

May

Memorial Day ....................................................................................... May 25

June

Last Day of School .............................................................................. June 18

WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

DR. ROBERT ZEGA SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

JOHN BADER

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

DENNIS DEMARINO

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR/ BOARD SECRETARY

JOANNE SHAFER

DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL SERVICES

JULIE BAIR

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL SERVICES

BOARD OF EDUCATION

BRIAN MOLNAR, PRESIDENT JOHN GOLDEN, VICE PRESIDENT

FRANK DELLAPIETRO III DANIEL HARRIS BRIAN F. SMALL

MONICA MICHELLE SMITH EZIO TAMBURELLO

JONATHAN TRIEBWASSER EILEEN ZULLO

PLEASE NOTE:

Unused storm days will be used to extend Spring Recess and/or

Memorial Day Recess. Additional inclement weather days

will be made up during other vacation times at the discretion of the Board of Education.



The Parent-Faculty Forum is an organization of concerned JFK parents and staff members. Throughout the course of the school year, the Parent-Faculty Forum hosts various fundraisers to raise money for scholarships for our JFK students. The dues for the Parent-Faculty Forum are $10 per family. In order for your child to be eligible for a scholarship from the Parent-Faculty Forum, your family must be paid members. Please join the Parent-Faculty Forum and help support our students. Fill out the form below and return it with your check for $10 to the Main Office, Attention: Parent Faculty Forum. Please make your check payable to John F. Kennedy Memorial High School PFF. Funds raised during the course of the school year will benefit your child!

Join the JFK Parent-Faculty Forum

JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL Parent-Faculty Forum Membership

NAME OF STUDENT(S):______________________________ PHONE #_____________________________ PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME__________________________________STUDENT(S) GRADE(S):__________ ADDRESS________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT(S) HOMEROOM(S)______________________ $10 Check Enclosed

Please do not send cash through the mail

Marking Period

Starts Interim Reports Posted Ends Report Cards

Posted Parent Access

1 9/3/14 10/8/14 11/12/14 11/18/14

2 11/13/14 12/18/14 1/29/15 2/4/15

3 1/30/15 3/5/15 4/13/15 4/17/15

4 4/14/15 5/15/15 6/10/15 6/18/15

Interim Report and Report Card Dates



Purchase the 2015 Kennedy Yearbook Early

and Receive a Discount By: Mr. Anthony Palombo

Ms. Kelliann O’Brien, Yearbook Advisor, and Mrs. Brittany Miller, Assistant Yearbook Advisor, and the yearbook staff have been diligently producing the 50th edition of the All-Color school yearbook. Camelot 2015, “Beyond Tradition” promises to be an outstanding volume that will be cherished forever by the students. Don’t miss out on having a record of your high school memories. Every aspect of the high school experience in Academics, Athletics, and the Arts has been captured. With your copy of the yearbook you will be able to fondly recall your participation in that special extracurricular club, organization, or team.

The deadline for purchasing a 2015 John F. Kennedy Memorial High School yearbook with a discount is fast approaching. The cost of the yearbook is $100 and purchases may be made either by a check payable to John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, in cash, or for your convenience it may also be purchased on-line at the Jostens website by credit card. Order forms for the yearbook are available on our school website. Purchases for the yearbook prior to December 12, 2014 will receive a discount and only cost $80. Purchases by check or in cash are to be submitted in person to the Yearbook Financial Advisor, Mr. Anthony Palombo, in Room 106. Seniors purchasing a yearbook with additional features including personalization, “Then and Now” photographs and messages, Personal Ads, or Group Photos should submit their orders also by December 12, 2014. The number of pages in the yearbook for personal ads, group photographs, “Then and Now” submissions, or business ads is limited and will be honored on a first-come, first-served

basis. Discounts for yearbooks with additional features are not available after December 12, 2014.

The basic yearbook may be purchased on-line but any additional yearbook features or products from Jostens listed on the website are not available for purchase by credit card. If you wish to purchase the basic yearbook on-line by credit card please visit www.jostens.com .

Yearbooks are available for purchase by all students of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. Seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen may purchase a yearbook. Yearbook order forms may be downloaded from the JFK High School website. Don’t delay any further in purchasing your 2015 yearbook.

Every student who purchases a yearbook will also receive a code for access to a Replayit.com time capsule that will house photographs taken throughout the school year.

Yearbooks are scheduled to be distributed on June 5, 2015 to seniors at the Senior Breakfast and to underclassmen during lunch periods.

Watch the 2014 –2015 Yearbook Staff’s Commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMToqNgeTmk

http://www.jostens.com





JFK Welcomes New Staff Members Ms. Krista Chirco

graduated from JFK High School in 2009 and is excited to start her first year as a business teacher. She graduated with a B.S. in Management from Kean University in 2014 and holds a New Jersey teaching certificate. Ms. Chirco is looking forward to introducing the business world to her students. Ms. Chirco is also an active NJISAA certified Gymnastics judge. She holds the New Jersey Chapter 3 elected position of gymnastics rules interpreter and is currently the youngest judge in the state.

Ms. Stacy Dercole Is a member of the Social Studies department teaching Psychology. She is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a BA in Psychology. Ms. Dercole has been teaching in the district for 11 years. Ten and a half years at Woodbridge High School and a half a year at JFK High School in 2010. She is very excited to be back at JFK for the semester!

Ms. Michele Ginda transferred from Fords Middle School to JFK this year. This is her 17th year teaching having previously spent 3 1/2 years at Ross St. School and 12 1/2 years at Fords Middle School. She teaches Special Education, Science and Spanish. Ms. Ginda grew up in Carteret and went to Bishop Ahr. She graduated from

Monmouth University and holds Bachelor's Degrees in both Special Education and Elementary Education and an Associate's Degree in Psychology. Ms. Ginda is very excited to join our JFK family!

Mr. Andrew Hill happily joins the staff at JFK High School as a History Teacher and Head Varsity Basketball Coach after

spending the previous eight years at Colonia High School. Before being hired as a teacher in Woodbridge Township, Mr. Hill graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington College (Md.) in 2006 with a BA in History. At Washington College, he played point guard for the Shoremen for four years and was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta (National History Honor Society). In addition to his degree in History, Mr. Hill earned a MS in Sports

Management from California University of Pennsylvania and a Supervisor’s Certificate from Rowan University. Mr. Hill is very familiar with Woodbridge Township since he was born and raised right around the corner from Woodbridge in Carteret. While at Carteret High School, he was a member of the National Honor Society and competed on the baseball, basketball, and football teams for the Ramblers. Mr. Hill hopes he can extend his love of history to his students and help prepare them for college or professional careers."

Mrs. Casey Hugelmeyer

joins the JFK Mustangs Social

Studies Department. She

received a B.A. in Psychology

with a Minor in History at the

University of Delaware in 2003.

She spent the last 11 years

teaching History at Woodbridge

Middle and is excited to move

up to the High School level. She

will be returning to work after

being on Maternity Leave to

teach Psychology this Spring.

She enjoys spending time with

her 3 sons and thinking of

creative ways to keep them

busy. She looks forward to

joining the JFK staff especially

with her husband, Mr.

Hugelmeyer!



JFK Welcomes New Staff Members Mrs. Michelle Perosi

is excited to be the newest addition to the JFK Performing Arts Faculty! Born and raised in Colonia, (Shh! Don’t tell anyone!) she is happy to now be teaching in the district that she grew up in. Mrs. Perosi received a BFA in Dance from the Boston Conservatory and has also studied at the Alvin Ailey School. She has performed with many small modern dance companies throughout the New England and Tri State areas. She received her teacher certification in 2001 and piloted the Dance Programs at both Ocean County and Union County Vocational Technical Schools/ Career Academies for Performing Arts. While at Union County Vocational Technical School she was one of the district advisors for (SMAC) the Student Movement Against Cancer/Relay for Life club which raised over $600,000.00 while under her direction. She is a member of Dance NJ and the National Dance Education Organization. She has worked closely with NJDOE Performing Arts Department in developing Model Curriculum Assessments for Dance in efforts to support and encourage dance curricula throughout the state of NJ. She is the mother of 2 very active and energetic boys who keep her on her toes! She loves to dance, loves to support the fight

against cancer, and loves FOOD….ALL KINDS! She is psyched to be part of the Mustang Community and share her passion for dance with the students of JFK High School!

Mrs. Carrie Sweeney Carrie Sweeney is thrilled to be teaching at the high school she graduated from exactly 20 years ago! Mrs. Sweeney has been at Iselin Middle School for the past 13 years, and felt it was the perfect time to

embark on a new journey. She is excited to be here and loves seeing so many of the students she taught at IMS. Mrs. Sweeney received a B.A. from Stockton College in Literature, and has her M.A. in Administration and Supervision from Kean University. She currently resides in Cream Ridge, NJ, and is a mother to 3 sons who

are 8, 5, and 3. In her spare time (which of course is rare being a working mom!) she enjoys biking, and in the summer she loves to go to the beach. Mrs. Sweeney's school year is off to a great start. The faculty and staff have been so kind and helpful, and she loves the intellectual challenge of teaching new literature. She wants to thank everyone here at JFK for welcoming her with open arms. Mr. Frank Tedesco Mr. Tedesco joins the Physical Education department as a Health, Driver's Education, and Physical Education teacher. Mr. Tedesco has a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education from Kean University. He is a lifelong resident of Woodbridge Township and a 2005 graduate of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. Mr. Tedesco began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant football coach at Metuchen High School where he coached for 2 years. He has spent the past 3 years as an assistant football coach at JFK and is also an assistant coach in Boys Track and Field. Mr. Tedesco is thrilled to be coaching and teaching at his alma mater and is looking forward to a great first year.



Semifinalist for National Merit Scholarship By: Mrs. Beth Short

John F. Kennedy Guidance Department is very pleased to announce that Paheli Patel is a semifinalist for the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Competition. She is amongst the highest scoring entrants in New Jersey on the PSAT/NMSQT

®. To be considered

for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting several

requirements, including maintaining a record of very high academic performance in all courses throughout their high school career. Paheli has the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million. We would like to wish her the best of luck as she waits to hear if she has advanced as a finalist.

Congratulations on this achievement, Paheli!

JFK Guidance Recognizes Commended Students

By: Mrs. Alison Kirk

John F. Kennedy Guidance is proud to congratulate six Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Krishna Dave, Meeki Lad, Stephanie Vincitore, Aman Purba, Ankur Poddar, and Madhav Patel are the scholastically talented seniors who are the recipients of this great honor. In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses. We sincerely hope this letter of

recognit ion wi l l enhance these students’ educat ional opportunit ies and encourage them in their pursuit of academic success. On behalf of the Kennedy family we joyful ly congratulate Krishna, Meeki, Stephanie, Aman, Ankur, and Madhav!!

(Left to right): Aman Purba, Ankur Poddar, Krishna Dave, Stephanie Vincitore, Meeki Lad, Mahdav Patel.

http://www.nationalmerit.org/entering.php





National Achievement Scholarship Program

By: Mr. Brian Phillips

It is with great pleasure that I recognize Ayana King as she has been considered a distinguished scholar through the National Achievement Scholarship Program. The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding African -American high school students. Of the more than 160,000 students who entered the 2015 National Achievement Program, over 4,700 are honored with this distinction. Academically, Ayana has been very strong and consistent throughout her tenure at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. It is noteworthy to point out that Ayana attempted and succeeded in a variety of challenging courses at our school. Ayana currently holds a GPA of 3.84 and is ranked 24th in her class. Ayana has also managed to effectively balance a variety of extracurricular

activities with her rigorous academic schedule. To highlight, Ayana is a distinguished member of the National Honor Society, Captain of the Step Team, and an active participant in the Dance Exchange. Furthermore, Ayana has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for all four years and has competed in either Winter or Spring Track for the past three years. Outside of school, Ayana has displayed a thorough understanding of a service learning commitment. Ayana has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, and the Sister to Sister Network.

Furthermore, Ayana has logged miles with the Heart Association Walk, MS Walk, and the Susan B. Komen Walk. Ayana intends on pursuing a major in sports management. I fully anticipate Ayana successfully completing any goal that she sets forth for herself.

Congratulations Ayana!



Guidance Recognizes Students/Stars of the Month

By: Mr. Bryan Wilson

Kiernan Williams Academically, Kieran is currently ranked 80 in a class of 359 and has attained a 3.45 GPA. Since his freshmen year he has enrolled in an extremely demanding program of accelerated (R-track) preparatory and advance placement courses. He is a consistent member of both the academic and attitude honor rolls. Overall, he is a consistent A/B student and is well respected by his teachers and peers. Kiernan is a natural born leader, who has the ability to lead others. He possesses a pleasant personality and has a tireless work ethic. Outside the classroom is where Kieran is a rising star. Not only is he an active member of his community and school; he is a potentially a division I soccer prospect. He has been a member of the varsity soccer program for the past 4 years and was voted team captain during his senior year. Kiernan is also a member of the Jersey Knights Fire, which is a highly competitive club soccer team, which competes in various tournaments throughout the United States. In addition, Kiernan has been a member of the varsity swim team for the past 4 years and was voted captain during his senior year. Not only is he a star athlete, he has worked part-time as a lifeguard at Sparkling Pools for the past several years. Not only is he a valuable member of his community but he is one of the most respected members of our student body. He was elected to the National Honor Society during his junior year and is a current member of Student Council. He is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Captain of the Ultimate Frisbee Club and was selected to participate in the Youth Leadership Council at Monmouth University. The quality that impresses me most about this young man is his leadership qualities. He sprit headed the ultimate fundraising event at JFK, in which the student body raised money for the American Cancer Society by running a “Duct Tape Teacher”. Kiernan was the leader of the whole event, it that he organized the whole event from start to finish.

Georgette Stillman Academically, Georgette has competed with our very best students from the first day of school. For her main academics she is enrolled in all accelerated (R-track) courses. She is definitely an A/B student and is time after time on the honor and attitude honor rolls. I can assure that these courses are extremely difficult and she has challenged herself to the maximum. There is little doubt that Georgette has the intellectual gifts, scholastic acquirements, and social skills that will enable her to benefit fully from the opportunities that lie ahead. She is currently ranked 56 in a class of 359 and I can personally attest that Georgette is an extremely hard worker and earned every bit of that 3.70 GPA. She plans to major in a pre-med program with a minor in music. Georgette has established that delicate balance between her academics and extra-curricular activities. She is an avid musician and is an integral member of our awarding winning marching band. In addition, she has participated in the following clubs: Key Club, Chorus, School Play and Video Game club. She has found time to volunteer at JFK medical center, Trintas Hosiptal, and a local soup kitchen. In addition, she works part-time in a pediatric office during the summer.

Guidance Stars Guidance Stars of the Month:of the Month: Ysabel TevesYsabel Teves

John Luke LoacesJohn Luke Loaces



Eco-Friendly Club Off to a Green Start By: Ms. Danielle Sawyer The JFK Eco-Friendly club is off to a green start this school year. New officers Jon Schmalenberger, Harshil Patel, Navya Yarramaneni, Shivane Patel, Riya Patel, Kedar Jani, Karan Patel, and Bindi Parikh are ready to the lead the club in upcoming environmental activities. Students will begin the year with a soy candle fundraiser in order to help fund our awareness events to be held throughout the year. The club also hopes to raise enough money to buy a water fountain/bottle filling station for the school cafeteria that includes a digital monitor tracking how many plastic bottles are saved by using refillable water bottles. In addition the Colonia Clean-Up that club members participated in on September

27th, the Eco-Friendly

Club has some exciting things planned for the fall. Some upcoming events include Go Green Halloween where the school will be encouraged to go

paperless for a day and America Recycles Day where the club hopes to visit a local elementary school to educate younger students about environmental issues. As always, the Eco-Friendly Club seeks to dedicate themselves as a club to efforts that better the environment as well as to create environmental awareness among the student body and throughout the JFK community.

Video Game Design Class “Dives In” to SeaSprint Game Development

By: Ms. Danielle Sawyer A new course is being offered at the high schools throughout Woodbridge Township School District, and Video Game Design students have begun developing games using the GameSalad Creator Software. Currently, students in Ms. Sawyer’s Block 2 Video Game Design class are creating a game called SeaSprint based on instructions from the GameSalad curriculum. SeaSprint features a seahorse who floats through the water collecting treasure for points and avoiding sea urchins which decrease the

players’ health. Students have programmed the game from start to finish using actors, rules, attributes, behaviors, media, and other GameSalad Assets. At the conclusion of the SeaSprint lab, students will have built this professional quality sample game from start to finish. A demo can be viewed here. In early October, students will also begin developing their own independent projects with total creative control over the game. The students

have impressed Ms. Sawyer with the knowledge they have already acquired and their developing expertise in introductory video game design.

http://gamesalad.com/education/resources-for-education/curriculum



JFK is going paper-less for a day…

Friday, October 31,

2014

GO GREEN

HALLOWEEN!



Kicking Off the Key Club By: Ms. Amy Halloran

The JFKMHS Key Club is entirely dedicated

towards serving the community in any way they can.

With a countless number of volunteering

opportunities and projects, the Key Club strives on

making a significant difference. Volunteering

opportunities and activities include Tooling Around

the Township, where students clean and repair the

homes of residents who are unable to do so

themselves, as well as Valentines for Veterans,

where students gather to create Valentine’s Day

cards for veterans simply to put a smile on their

faces and show our appreciation. One of the Key

Club’s most successful events was the Melanoma

Walk. Students gathered around the track to show

their support for the fight against Melanoma. Close

to one hundred participants were present and the

Key Club was able to raise a more than $500 to

donate to those struggling with Melanoma. The Key

Club is always an exciting and rewarding way to get

involved and give back to your community!

Special Effects Guest Speaker Visits Visual Arts Dept.

By: Mrs. Vivianna Acuna-Francisco On Friday, September 19th, 2014, the Visual

Arts Dept. was fortunate to have Liz Krov, special

effects artist visit

students to discuss her

career. Ms. Krov spent

the entire day with

students giving a hands

on demonstration as

well as providing

materials for students to

create their own special

effects make-up. Students

from Mrs. Acuna-

Francisco's Intro to Visual

Arts classes, Mrs. Evanko's 3D and Intro classes,

and Miss Friedman's

photography class and

AP/Art Majors all attended

Ms. Krov's day long

demonstration.

Liz Krov is a fine

artist. She specializes in

painting and works in

various capacities in the

film industry as a

special effects

make-up artist,

beauty make-up

artist, wardrobe

coordinator, and in

art department as

set dresser and

prop master. Ms.

Krov was very

informative

discussing all

aspects of her

profession and the

many roles she

takes-on on set.

She discussed her

educational background and the educational path

she took and is taking to succeed in her industry.

Students were very excited about the demonstration

and eagerly created their own horror make-up.

To view the entire album of photographs of

students special effects work, please visit Mrs.

Acuna-Francisco's page on the JFK website (http://

www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/kennedyhs) and click on

Special FX Guest Speaker.

Teresa Florentine shows off her own

special effects work

Liz Krov demonsrates on Joseph Balestrieri (completed work

bottom left)



Science National Honor Society By: Mrs. Jaya Chatterjee

Science National Honor Society or SNHS is a prominent scientific organization that will engender a new group of young thinkers who will be the future of industry, research, and scientific exploration for America. The vision of the SNHS of JFK Memorial High School Chapter is to

Encourage and recognize scientific and intellectual thought

Advance the students’ knowledge of classical and modern science

Communicate with the scientific community

Aid the civic community with its comprehension of science

Encourage students to participate in community

service and in turn, encourage a dedication to the pursuit of scientific knowledge that benefits all humankind

Encourage students to enroll in AP Science courses

Represent JFK Memorial High School in various Science competitions like Science Bowl and Shore Bowl 2015

Tutor students in science

Hold Science fairs

Celebrate important dates related to Science and create awareness among students in the school.

Applications for new inductees and volunteers for 2014-2015 have been distributed. The last date of submission is October 22nd, 2014.

JFK American Red Cross Youth Council Changing Lives

By: Aditya Sridhar, Club President So, what exactly does the JFK American

Red Cross Youth Council do? ARC Council Advisor,

Ms. Cathryn Crego; President and Founder, Aditya

Sridhar (Junior); Vice Presidents, Akshay Dedhia

(Junior) and Sitwat Syed (Sophomore); Secretaries,

Keval Gandhi (Junior)

and Saidya Iqbal

(Sophomore); and

Treasurer, Krishna Patel

(Junior), help to bring the

largest humanitarian

organization in the world

to the Mustangs. The JFK

American Red Cross Youth Council, more than just

an active community-service opportunity, is an

amalgamation of five key service areas — Disaster

services, Health and Safety Preparedness services,

Armed Forces services, International services, and

Blood services — collaboration, compassion, and

creativity that go along with the mission of the

council. This council consists of an Executive Board,

committee leaders for all of the major activities, and

the 150 interested members that make the JFK

American Red Cross Youth Council one of the

largest ARC clubs in the entire North Jersey/Central

Jersey region!

The JFK American Red Cross Youth

Council is hosting several events in the next few

months. In October, the Council is collecting knit

hats for veterans in

dedication to the Armed

Forces, selling ARC pins

and buttons, and

collecting canned foods

for the North Jersey

Regional Youth Council

Food Drive with all

proceeds going directly to the American Red Cross.

In November, "Game Night" will be a fun-filled event

where one can play one of his or her teachers to a

game of chess or possibly grab a little snack at the

bake sale. There is, indeed, more to the JFK

American Red Cross Youth Council than meets the

eye. What makes it unique is that supporting the

JFK American Red Cross Youth Council really does

change a life!



Mustang Sports “Roundup” from the Athletic Director

Winter Sports Physicals Winter Sports at JFK are Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Bowling, Boys and Girls Indoor Track, Ice Hockey (Colonia) Coed-Swimming, Competition Cheerleading and Wrestling. Winter Sports Physicals for the 2014-2015 school year will be due on November 1st along with the signature page and emergency contact form. Physicals can be turned in to the main office or the Athletic Director, Mr. Daly. Emergency Forms, Concussion Forms, NJSIAA Steroid Testing Consent Forms and the Student/Athlete Contract can all be found on our Athletics homepage. These forms should be printed and filled out in their entirety. Please submit the Concussion Forms and NJSIAA Steroid Testing Consent Forms to the main office. Please submit the Emergency Forms and Student/Athlete Contract to the HEAD COACH. Sports Physicals are different than those physicals required to enter JFK. All Sports Physicals are valid for 365 calendar days. Students who have a valid physical that will expire after the due date or during the season are asked to schedule the appointment within a reasonable amount of time after the physical expires. PLEASE NOTE: A Sports Physical MUST be completed by a physician, not a chiropractor. Also, ALL information in PART A and PART B should be completed and no information should be left blank. If for some reason you will be getting a Sports Physical out of state please bring these forms with you to the physician.

If the student has already had a physical in the past 365 days they need to turn in a health history questionnaire.

FALL 2014 SPORTS UPDATE To keep up to date with the MUSTANG Athletics please visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial High School website at http://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/Page/8808 or follow on Twitter @jfkmhs. If you have any questions about our athletics programs please contact Sean Daly, the Athletic Director, at 732-602-8656



Sport Head Coach

Football [email protected]

Boys’ Soccer [email protected]

Girls’ Soccer [email protected]

Boys’ Cross Country [email protected]

Girls’ Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field [email protected]

Girls’ Tennis [email protected]

Boys’ Baseball [email protected]

Boys’ Volleyball [email protected]

Girls’ Volleyball [email protected]

Wrestling [email protected]

Boys’ Basketball [email protected]

Girls’ Basketball [email protected]

Boys’ and Girls’ Bowling, Golf [email protected]

Coed-Swimming [email protected]

Boys’ Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field [email protected]

Ice Hockey [email protected]

Softball [email protected]

Boys’ Tennis [email protected]

Cheerleading [email protected]

Comp-Cheerleading [email protected]

JFK Athletics Varsity Program Offerings

Fall Winter Spring Football Wrestling Baseball

Boys’ Soccer Boys’ Basketball Softball

Girls’ Soccer Girls’ Basketball Boys’ Tennis

Boys’ Cross Country Boys’ Bowling Boys’ Volleyball

Girls’ Cross Country Girls’ Bowling Golf

Girls’ Tennis Coed Swimming Boys’ Outdoor Track

Girls’ Volleyball Boys’ Indoor Track Girls’ Outdoor Track

Cheerleading Girls’ Indoor Track

Ice Hockey (Colonia)

Competition Cheerleading

You can only participate in ONE SPORT per SEASON

Over 50% of student-athletes participate in 2 sports each year

Over 25% of student-athletes participate in 3 sports each year

Over 50% of student-athletes are on the honor roll

Questions ?

Please contact the Athletic Director: Sean Daly

Athletic Office: 732-602-8656 Fax: 732-326-9336 Main Office: 732-602-8650

mailto:[email protected]



By: Coach Robert Seavy

Maybe it was the inspiration that came from having a brand new track facility available for training. Maybe it was the return of the slightly cooler fall temperatures. Maybe it was the ice cream run to Colonia Dairy Maid. Regardless of the reason, the fact is that the girls’ cross country team is improving and hopefully peaking at the right time. On October 7th, the girls defeated Colonia and Bishop Ahr in a tri-

meet, improving their record to 2-4. The team is led by veteran seniors Emily Shibata, Akhila Sankaramanchi, and Ivy Chan; with crucial contributions from fellow seniors Rose Ogrodnik and Isabel Soriaga, junior Rujuta Patel, sophomore Debra Steele, and freshman Stuti Vyas. The girls will finish their white

division season on October 14th and then prepare for GMC Championships on October 25th.

Girls Cross Country Back on the Winning “Track”

By: Coach Andrew Maurizio

The JFK Football team is focused on

continuing to change the perception of Kennedy

football. After finishing 5-6 last season and

winning the first

playoff game in 20

years, the team

has been working

together since

January. The

team is returning 7

offensive starters,

7 defensive

starters and 16

letter winners.

The 2014 seniors

leading the team

this season are Connor Aston, Mike Hogan,

Anthony DeLeon, Demetrius Williams, Max

Tahzib, John Kiszka, Vinny VanPelt, Pete

Conde, Andrew Allen, Ari King, Stepp Oziegbe,

Terence Young,

Brandon Ramirez,

Jerry Mott, Mario

Morales and Billy

Westervelt.

Varsity Football Fall Update

Pictured left: The Varsity Football and Cheerleading team picture.



By: Coach Rachael Friedman

Cross Country is back on their home turf this year at Merrill Park in Iselin, having been temporarily placed elsewhere due to the construction last year. Coach Friedman is heading a talented group of young runners. Senior captains, Rey Jimenez, Andrew Wallin and Savan Patel are dedicated to their team, getting in early morning practices all summer long and encouraging hard work from their peers every day after school. The

2014 team includes three seniors, thirteen juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen who work hard and stay positive. Although the team has had a tough start, returning junior Rahaul Mahju finished his most recent 5K with a time of 17:41, followed closely by junior Thambu Jissnu.

Part of cross country running's appeal is the natural and distinct characteristics of each venue's terrain and weather. Terrain can vary from open fields to forest hills. We run in the rain, in the mud and this year’s varsity team took on the dreaded Holmdel ‘bowl’ on October 4th, one of the toughest

hills imaginable at about 1 ½ miles, not to mention the 400 meter climb from the start line.

Goals such as running a personal best time or winning a medal help us focus and inspire us to excellence, but in the end we run cross country because we love it and appreciate the way it shapes our views and interaction with the world we live in. This running we love is immune to variations in economics, fads or the competitiveness of our teams. We run on. Good luck to all the JFK Fall sports programs this season!

Boys’ Cross Country Finds Success on New Course

Andrew Wallin, Savan Patel, and Rey Jiminez pose for a pre-meet photo

Seniors give the Juniors a pep talk before on the

start line as the ready for their race at Greystone

park on September 20th .

Coach Friedman

and the 2014 Boys Cross

Country Team on

their home turf at Merrill

Park September

16th.

Freshmen Anthony

Fabbricatore, Prakher Chandra

and Raj Patel congratulate

Brendan Schwear on medaling at

Magee Invitational

September 20th .



By: Coach Joseph Migacz

The 2014 Boys Varsity Soccer Team, comprised of 7 graduating seniors, are led by captains Kieran Williams and Michael Perez. This year’s team is competing in the tough GMC White Division and faces numerous obstacles, including overcoming an 0-3 start to the season. The team looks to come together under the leadership of first year head coach Joe Migacz and compete at a high level in both the GMC and NJ State tournaments. The remainder of the team is comprised of three juniors, six sophomores, and three freshmen. The experience of the seniors of the team, coupled with the sense of urgency for success from the underclassmen, leaves the Mustangs poised for success. Come support the team at home games on our new turf at Lou Bartha Stadium.

The soccer team will also be participating in several community projects, including the Melanoma walk where they raised over $150 for the Melanoma Research Foundation. The coaches wish the best of luck to all of our seniors and thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the Mustang soccer program.

Boys Varsity Soccer 2014

By: Coach Robert Hugelmeyer

The JFK Girls Volleyball program entered its eighth season this fall. The varsity team is a young group, led by some veteran members of the program. Due to the overall inexperience of this year’s team, combined with the team’s promotion to the GMC Red Division (first Red Division team in school history), the Mustangs record is not what it has been the last two seasons, when they won back-to-back White Division titles. However, their 5-12 record to start the season shows that they can compete with the best that Middlesex County has to offer, and they are only getting better. The team hopes to make a run at the GMC Tournament title. Coach Hugelmeyer is proud of the effort put forth this year, and looks forward

to a continued commitment to excellence next season. A special thanks, and best of luck, to our seniors Emily Patten, Marie Khalil, and Khushbu Patel. These girls have set the standard for Mustang Volleyball, and will be missed next season.

JFK Girls Volleyball



By: Coach Colleen Ryan

The 2014 Mustang Cheerleading Program consists of 14 freshman cheerleaders, 9 junior varsity cheerleaders and 21 varsity cheerleaders. The cheerleaders practiced hard all summer, creating routines that are sure to thrill the crowd. The varsity cheerleaders performed their halftime routine on October 3 and executed an enthusiastic performance. The junior varsity incorporated stunting into their hello

cheer. And the freshman showed off tumbling and stunting skills in their hello

cheer. The cheerleaders are excited to be the spirit leaders of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and wish the football players a successful season.

Fall Cheerleading Update

Left: Senior girls pose for a picture before their first

home game.

Varsity cheerleaders get ready to release their balloons after the

kick off, a JFK tradition.

Freshman cheerleaders show off their skills with a

difficult pyramid. JV

Cheerleaders entertain the crowd with

sideline chants.



By: Jessica Matusz, Senior Captain

Having graduated four out of the seven Varsity players from last year, the 2014 Girls Varsity Tennis Team only had three returning players: Jessica Matusz, Thevuni Athalage, and Priyanka Patel. The remaining squad, Priya Agrawal, Ragi Nandha, Clarissa Mercado, and Megha Patel gained a lot of experience playing at the Varsity level this season. Coach York knew early in the season that this would be a challenging year, especially for the new players. He strived for endurance and focused on the techniques of the sport. Coach York also created a comfortable, learning environment where all of the girls were eager to go to practice. With a few weeks left, they look forward to the rest of the season.

Girls’ Tennis Faces Challenging Season

Senior Captain and First Singles Player Jessica Matusz

Plans in the Works for Badminton Club By: Mrs. Swati Bulusu

Plans are in the

works for a girls badminton club at JFK High School after Mr. Cilento approved the proposal. The goal of JFK High School Badminton Club is to provide the opportunity for JFK students that are interested in Badminton to pursue their interest and for those who do not wish/are unable to join a sport team to take part in

sports activity. The club will have a couple of meetings during the winter months, but will start on a regular basis in the spring season (in April) when the gym is available. The club would be a good way to provide participants with physical activity. Badminton Club advisor will be Mrs. Swati Bulusu (Science Teacher at JFK Memorial High School).

Please contact her for further information.



Congratulations to the “Top 8” Candidates

of the

2014 Homecoming Court

Top (Left to right): Emily Patten,

Francesca Destasio, Alexa Novoczynski,

Emily Shibata

Bottom (Left to right): Rose Ogrodnik, Marie Khalil,

Dolly Maharaja, Marissa Vergara

John F. Kennedy Memorial

High School 200 Washington Avenue

Iselin, NJ 08830

JFK Memorial High School Important Telephone Numbers

Main Office: 732-602-8650

Attendance:732-602-3509

Guidance: 732-602-8669

Athletics: 732-602-8656

Nurse: 732-602-8664

P R O U D T O B E

A N A M E R I C A N

Documents

High School Volume 23, Issue 1 NEWSLETTER · Is a member of the Social Studies department teaching Psychology. She is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a BA in Psychology