Ocean City High School Principal’s Report

March, 2013

CONGRATULATIONS! Ocean City High School has been awarded the 2013 National Gold Council of Excellence

Award by the National Association of Student Councils. This is the third year in a row OCHS Student Council has received this honor. Over 180 high schools were named National Councils of Excellence but OCHS is one of 163 of those high schools nationwide to receive the highly-esteemed honor of being named a National Gold Council of Excellence. Congratulations!!

Congratulations to Ms. Mimi Fleming for being named in the 2013 County Teacher Recognition Program as OCHS Teacher of the Year.

KAITLYN FOX ACHIEVES TOP ACT SCORE

Kaitlyn Fox, a junior at Ocean City High School, earned the highest possible composite score of 36 on a recent ACT test. This achievement is significant and rare. On average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Among test takers in the high school graduating class of 2012, only 781 of more than 1.66 million students earned a composite score of 36. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take ACT’s optional Writing Test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score. In a letter recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT CEO Jon Whitmore said, “While test scores are just

one of the many criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals.” ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. colleges, and exceptional scores of 36 provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead. Congratulations to Amy Phillips for being selected for the 2012-2013 Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY). This program is open to sophomores with demonstrated or potential leadership skills.

Mr. OCHS 2013!!

Congratulations to Connor Brady Mr. OCHS 2013! Cheerleaders, Maddi Halliday, Leanna Haas, Lexi Phiefer and Carissa Schultheis spent two weeks choreographing and teaching the guys dances and a fitness routine. The contestants performed to a sold out audience. First Runner Up – Vince Terry Second Runner Up – Tim Hong Third Runner Up –Dylan Perry and Mr. Congeniality – Nate Hartsough. Other

contestants were Christian Candeloro, Ivan Traczuk, Essam Hafiz, Jayme Jaussi and Ollie Tomasello.

The Cinema Production Club is selling DVDs of this show. Mrs. Brenda Colón-Smith and Mrs. Kathy Sykes would like to thank the judges – Mrs. Cathy Finnegan, Mr. Peter Madden, Mrs. Liz Ulmer, Dr. Rob Cardwell and Mr. Michael Martirone, the cheerleaders, contestants, Mr. Bruno, Mr. Trauger and the technical production staff for all their help during the two weeks of rehearsals.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE Thanks to the entire Ocean City High School community for their support of the 2013 Red

Cross Blood Drive. The students and staff who participated helped to make the 2013 Blood Drive the most productive drive ever at OCHS! The Red Cross staff continually compliments our students for their conduct and level of community service. Because of your support, the drive was able to raise pints of blood that will directly benefit over 500 patients in the South Jersey community.

We would like to thank the following for their support: Dr. Jamison and the High School Administration, Mrs. Phyllis Turner (Interact Club Advisor), Mr. Matthew Purdue, (Student Council Advisor) Mr. Gannon and the Custodial staff, Mrs. Millar, the Physical Education Department, the Attendance Office, and all of the staff who participated as well as voluntarily covered classes for staff donors.

LITTLE DRESS PROJECT History Club & Ms. Barbara Daniel and Art Club & Ms. Rubina Dombrosky held their first meeting on March 18th during community lunch.

This is a project for African orphans where pillow cases are turned into dresses. We will be inviting students, clubs and staff to come to B105 on Day 4 lunch to work on this activity. We are still collecting pillow cases and they can be dropped off to room C105 or B105. Dresses have also been sent to other countries in crisis such as Dominican

Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, The Philippines, Cambodia, Mexico and

thousands and thousands to

Haiti.

CLUB ACTIVITIES History Club invited JSA to their annual Historical Cookie making contest judged by Mrs. Maguire and Mrs. Fleming. Awards were given for Most Creative – Courtney Thern, Sarita Charap, Lauren Sutherland for the Pope and Hannah Lucy, Emily Breed with Taft in a bathtub.

Best Historical Event – Elisa Martinez with Lincoln’s assassination Best Continent – Tara Hadam with South America Ugliest Cookie – Sarita Charap with unicorn waste

In the month of March, the Student Council hosted two events, St. Jude’s Triviathon, and the annual Red Cross Blood Drive. The first event was the Red Cross Blood Drive. Even with complications with weather and the HSPA testing, the blood drive was held on March 8th in the auxiliary gym at the high school. Over 500 lives were saved thanks to hundreds of high school students who signed up to donate. The second event of the month was the St. Jude’s Triviathon. On March 13th the Student Council went to the Ocean City Intermediate School to assist the kids as they completed questions in their book. For each correct answer, money was donated to St. Jude’s Cancer Research. The month of April will be used as a planning month for the Student Council, preparing for the spring events that follow in the month of May.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND VISITORS Thanks to a grant from the Ocean City Education Foundation all sophomore classes went to the Ocean City Historical Museum. Mr. Clark, Mr. Purdue, Mr. DiBartolo, Mr. Grimley, Mr.

Pesda and student teacher Mr. Katz took 11 field trips in two days as part of the Social Studies

curriculum on local history. Mrs. O’Neill was also able

to take the Life Skills students

On March 15, 2013 the Ocean City Consumer Bowl team defeated Middle Township

for the Cape May County championship. The team will again compete on April 18, 2013 at the Southern Regional Competition. Team members are Delaney Heenan, Christopher Mateer, Connor Brady, Frank Brady, Zack Sakena, Carolyn Previti.

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES OCHS Leadership Club is now collecting toothbrushes, bath towels and sample sizes of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, and shaving cream for the A. C. Rescue Mission. We especially need sample-sized deodorants. Collection boxes are located in the Library and Room G103. Thank you for helping us give back to our

community!

Black History Month

Program

This year’s annual library

Black History Month program, the African

American experience through literature by African American writers, was presented by Mrs. Santoro’s public

speaking students and

featured music by Mr. Tym Cox and the OCHS Jazz Ensemble Wednesday, February 27.

Heartfelt thanks to our student

library aides: Erika Lorenz, Austin Satinsky, Julie

Mason, Heather Mason, Amanda Andrews, John Houston, Alexis Somers, Lucy Becker, and Hadly Patterson.

Come to our library and see the beautiful handmade clocks by Mr. Nickles’ woodshop students now on display.

Read Across America - was celebrated on Thursday, March 1, 2013. The day was dedicated to having fun reading Dr. Seuss books!

On March 6 our library celebrated World Read Aloud Day! Students and staff members had an opportunity to sit back and enjoy listening to a reading! Our library celebrated by having read aloud sessions throughout day. We "Read it Forward" on behalf of the 793 million people in the world who cannot read!

Imagine a world where everyone can read...World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.

By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

The 9th Annual Triviathon and Mathathon for St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children was held in the OCIS Library on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Ms. Vicari has coordinated the trivia competition to raise funds for cancer research and treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospitals throughout the world. OCHS Student Council members, along with Mr. Matthew Purdue, and student library aides worked with Mr. Kenneth Porter's Ocean City Intermediate School students.

Students had sponsors pledge money for the number of questions they answered correctly. Students have raised $325.00 so far. Please consider sponsoring a student. To find out more about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital go to http://www.stjude.org/

What do Liquid Paper, circular saws, life rafts, paper grocery bags, and windshield wipers have in common? OCHS students and staff members discovered these and many more inventions created by American women at our National Women’s History Month Program: Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination – American Mothers of Invention on Monday, March 25 during period 3. Mrs. Rebecca Santoro's public speaking students researched and presented these inventions to the audience of approximately 120 people.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH Each student was chosen to be Student of the Month because of exemplary

behavior, character and performance. We appreciate the support of each of the community organizations. There is a critical connection between a successful public high school and a strong relationship with its community.

Christine Mullan was the Rotary Club Student of the Month. Peter Markel was the Exchange Club Student of the Month.