Ocean City High School Principal’s Report

May, 2016

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.

Michael Kimball was the Rotary Club Student of the Month. Gregory Fischer was the Exchange Club Student of the

Month.

Support Staff Member of the Year John Torcasio was selected as the 2016 OCHS Support Staff Member of the Year. Listed below are some characteristics that colleagues noted: The most patient and caring aide in the building; Never complains and will do what is best for kids and school; Always smiling and friendly, extremely helpful, Puts the students first and finds ways to individualize their education and always with a smile! Congratulations John!!

ACADEMIC AWARDS NIGHT On May 20, the 45th Annual Academic Awards Program was held in the Auditorium. Students are honored for having a GPA over 3.3 for consecutive marking periods. There were 223 students honored for one year of honors. They each received a certificate. The 135 two-year award winners received an engraved key chain. Engraved pens and cases were given to 124 three year award winners. Each of the 98 four-year award winners were presented with a plaque and a description of their school activities, their future goals and college plans were read by Dr. Jamison.

The Junior Senior Prom was held May 21st at the Flander’s Hotel. This event was attended by over 580 students. Due to the rain, the red carpet arrival was held inside the Flanders where students were announced before proceeding into the event. Students and chaperones were treated to food and entertainment until 11:00 pm before being transported to the High School for the After Prom. Food was donated by many local restaurants and boardwalk merchants. There were many huge blowup games for the kids to play and compete on. Maureen McLaughlin won the $1,000 senior prize and Juana Parral won the $500 junior prize. Many other prizes, including bicycles, kayaks and surfboards were given out that night. Many thanks to the Class of 2017 advisors Mr. Keith Zammit and Mr. Aaron Wohlrab for the work they did planning the prom

SADD Club SADD Club students, Rialee Allen, Issy Gilhooley, and Sam Horowitz, along with advisor Mrs. Debbie Cathcart worked with the Ocean City Police Department and South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization for a successful presentation of Share the Keys in the OCHS auditorium. Share the Keys is a research based, data-driven program designed to reduce teen driver crash risks by increasing parental involvement. The evening was open to junior and senior students, along with their parents and/or legal guardian. With over 100 students and adults in attendance, the program focused on safe driving tips, Graduated Driving License laws, and proper adult involvement with teenage drivers. Students in attendance received $10 discounts on prom tickets and a few lucky winners received the following prizes, compliments of local businesses/affiliations: One free limo to the prom - Avalon Limousine $100 gift certificate - Rissy Roos Dress Boutique Two $50 gift certificates - Spinning Wheel Florist $75 gift certificate - Here Comes The Bride Tuxedo Eight $100 cash awards - The Exchange Club, The Storage Inn II, Barra Vaughn Insurance Two free prom tickets - The Flanders hotel SADD Club members, Phoebe Prettyman, Alanna Palombo, and Grace Steele, recently

won the Public Service Announcement Contest for Cape Assist under the guidance of advisor Mrs. Debbie Cathcart. The students wrote messages in regards to one of the following topics: 1. My Drug-Free Pledge to Myself Is… 2. I’m a Role Model Because… 3. Addiction Begins in

the Medicine Cabinet. The three girls attended an awards ceremony at Avalon Golf Club along with other students within the county. Students recorded their messages for local radio coverage during the next few weeks. Ms. Lauren Sacs, the school district’s Student Assistance

Counselor, joined the girls along with their parents.

TAG TEAM TAX TIME! Congratulations to ALL of the FINANCIAL LITERACY students in Mrs. Cathcart, Mr. Mensinger and Miss Norton's classes! They successfully completed their TAX UNIT!!! Students learned all about PAYCHECKS and the difference between gross pay and net pay. They saw what kind of deductions will be taken out of their paychecks (now as a teenager and in the future in their career jobs). Many students are starting their first job this summer...so learning how to fill out a W-4 FORM came in handy for them! Students got to use W-2 and 1099 FORMS and learned about the different parts of each form, who send the forms and by what day they should receive them. They used W-2 and 1099 forms to complete 1040 EZ FORMS. They are ready to tackle doing their own 1040EZ Form next year!!!! Miss Norton's Financial Literacy students ended their unit by actually "working" on a client's tax return. They were given W-2 forms from their client as well as 1099 forms. Students were paired up to complete their client's 1040EZ form. Their client, Monica Lindo, a fictitious teenager from another school district, felt that she didn't have to take Financial Literacy and did her 1040EZ form on her own. Miss Norton's students had to COMPARE the 1040EZ form they completed for Monica to the one that Monica completed and find all of the mistakes that Monica made! The consensus was that Monica TRULY NEEDED to take a Financial Literacy class! Miss Norton's students found COUNTLESS mistakes! The following students successfully completed Monica's 1040EZ Form and found ALL of the mistakes that Monica made:

PERIOD 1: Casey Helm, Reese Bloomstead, Shannen Urban, Louis DiLuzio

PERIOD 2: Avery Panico, Peter Horowitz, Ali Hendricks

PERIOD 3: Luke Leonetti, Lucas Rooney

PERIOD 5: Estelle Richardson, Emily He, Meg Sutter, Mikaylah Mossman, Billy Kroeger, Jordan Henry, Aaliyah Jackson

PERIOD 6: Ella Curtin, Luke Meli

Monica awarded EVERY STUDENT with a prize for using their tax know how to work on her 1040EZ....and gave all of the students named above a certificate and gift bag! WAY TO GO OCHS FINANCIAL LITERACY STUDENTS!!!

Social Studies and Spanish Immigration project Mrs. Daniel’s honors world history classes and the Mrs. Brennan’s Spanish 5 classes were involved in a co-curricular project. The language students were prepared to play the role of an agent at various stations through which an immigrant may have passed when arriving at a Spanish version of Ellis Island. The stations could be customs, registration, holding or counseling.

The Social Studies classes are asked to come into school in character. They choose the day before to be parents or children and make passports for their family. Some students have a little Spanish

but most have no idea what is being said to them. It is a wonderful role play for them as they are not used to being so dependent on another language. Some adapt quickly and try to communicate while others remain bemused as they are instructed on their entry into the

country. The purpose is two-fold: the

American students can find out what it must have felt like to enter a country and speak little or none of the language, and the language students can have an

opportunity to use the language that they have learned. All students can

see the value of being able to communicate in another language and perhaps gain

some understanding of what it is like to be new to a situation.

.

Mrs. Daniel’s Honors World History classes and World Cultures class used their loose change to help others, hopefully to change some lives. We raised enough to buy a goat and two chickens for needy families. Selling surplus milk and eggs can allow a family to send their children to school.

We also donated $50 to a clean water fund to help the campaign to give everyone clean water. The top fundraising class was Honors World History period 2.

Mr. Grimley lives and

breathes the Civil War

for his students!

Mr. Chas Dolinsky talked over two days to every freshmen class about his grandfather in law, Corporal Lightcap’s experiences in WWII. The corporal was an Ocean City police officer drafted to serve in Europe. He kept meticulous notes and took photographs wherever he went. His photographs of Paris, Nuremberg, Munich, the Austrian Alps, and finally the liberation of Dachau are really unique to this Ocean City soldier. He received the bronze star three times for his bravery. The pictures of Dachau are an eye witness account of what really happened in a concentration camp towards the end of the

war.

Club Activities The members of National Honor Society have been busy! This school year, our members have completed over 2400 community service hours! And we aren’t stopping there. Please consider participating in our backpack drive. We are collecting used backpacks and bags to benefit the homeless clients of Jewish Family Services. There will be bins set up during locker clean-out. Thanks for helping! Key Club, in coordination with Ocean City’s Special Education Parent Advisory Committee and Best Buddies, held their third annual Fitness Fun Day on Saturday, May 14th. The theme was again a fitness focus with various stations set up for the local children. The Key Club members and Best Buddies set up stations that included two bounce houses, corn hole, line dancing, an obstacle course, basketball, volleyball, soccer, kickball, and face painting. The Key Club members and Best Buddies buddied up with the children and guided them through the different stations. Our volunteers had a blast with the children and can’t wait to see them again next year.

The Ocean City High School Key Club’s recent “One Day Without Shoes” 5K Run and

one mile fun walk proved to be a tremendous success. More than 160 barefoot runners

took part in the festivities, planned as a fundraiser and awareness raiser to benefit children

without shoes. The event, which consisted of a barefoot 5K run starting at 23rd

St. Beach

and continuing to 40th St before returning; and a fun run/walk from 23

rd to 18

th and back

drew students and faculty representing each school in the district, faculty, community

groups and individuals. For each participant who posted a barefoot picture on social

media, TOMS: One for One shoes donated a pair of shoes to a child in need. Kara

McNally of Ocean City was the overall winner of the 5K, finishing in 25:36; second place

went to Mark Tuner of Clearview High School in 28:13, and Nicole Schweim of Ocean

City came in third in 28:32. OCHS teachers Kelly Halliday and Lauren Miley also took

part in the barefoot 5K.

All participants

received a tee shirt and

were invited to partake

in post-race

refreshments. Some of

the participating groups

included the well

represented OCHS

Softball team led by

John Bruno, Associates

of the Sisters of St.

Josephs of Somers

Point, and sixth graders from the Ocean City

Intermediate School. The largest group was

“Bornhardt’s Barefoot Buddies,” and

the Intermediate school’s Student Council manned

the water station at the race’s halfway point. Key

Club is looking forward to hosting this event again

next year.

Ms. Jenn Dean’s Advanced biotechnology/

forensics class had two special visitors from

the Cape May County Sheriff’s Park Mounted

Unit. Chief Warrant Officer Joe Bisel

introduced his 1200 pound partner “Dodge”.

Bisel spoke to the Forensic students about his

background in law enforcement including his

30+ years’ experience in the various units in

the Ocean City Police Department. Retired

from Ocean City, Bisel’s extensive law

enforcement expertise coupled with his 15+

years of experience with horses supplement the

Sheriff departments’ elite staff.

Bisel explained his current duties as a sworn

Sheriff officer, as well as the additional

requirements of taking care of his partner.

Similar to K9 training, having a mounted unit

requires a great deal of training with Dodge by

attending various academies and keeping up

with daily training. Dodge is currently

stationed at the zoo but is also assigned to

concerts (on the beach), festivals, parades and

helps in search and rescue details. Bisel states

that one police officer on horseback is the

equivalent of 30 officers on foot because of

his/her visual vantage point. When on

horseback, Bisel is 10 feet in the air which

gives him far better field of vision when on

patrol. The advantage of having a mounted

unit is that the horse can maintain better crowd

control as the horse weighs 6 times the weight

of an average police officer and can move

masses amount of people out of areas relatively

easy. The horse can also smell things up to 3

miles away. Horses can often cover ground

where there is heavy brush and far more

quickly than an officer on foot. They are often

used in conjunction with the K9 unit for search

and rescue. Throughout the school year,

students were exposed to a variety of law

enforcement careers which included speakers

like Officer Bisel. Presentations such as this

gvve these Forensic students a unique aspect to

how science is incorporated into law

enforcement. Thank you Officer Bisel!

Interact Club and Water Safety Month The Interact Club members joined the Rotary Club at the Primary School to educate kindergarteners about water safety. Interact students helped kindergarteners read the story Josh the Otter and put on a puppet show for them. Written to educate young children about water safety, this children’s book encourages children to swim only with adults and to float on their backs – just like an otter! – if ever in danger. Thanks to the Rotary Club and the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation, each kindergartner received a copy of the book. Emily McCoy, Sarah Gardner, Sara Carocciolo, Emma Kelly, Cassidy Buch

Spanish Club celebrated the end of year by going to a Mexican Restaurant in Atlantic City. They enjoyed eating authentic Mexican food and practiced their Spanish. Everyone had a

wonderful time and it was a great opportunity for the students to share.

Mrs. Cook and Miss Pohlidal invited a local Italian chef from Sea Isle City into their International Cooking classes to prepare fresh pizza and discuss Italian culture and cuisine. Giacomo Avanzato, owner of Azzurra Pizzeria, demonstrated to students the process of making a fresh pizza from scratch and spoke about how the various regions of Italy affect the cuisine.

Students in Miss Pohlidal’s Child Development classes get to experience what it is like to

care for a newborn. Students enrolled in the class take home a RealCare Baby 3 Infant

Simulator (a computerized infant simulator). The RealCare Baby Simulator Project allows

students to experience the challenges associated with real life parenting by using the most

realistic infant simulator available. This project requires the student to be the sole caretaker

of the Baby, whose sounds and behaviors replace those of a real infant. Students are

required to feed, burp, rock, cloth, and change the diaper of the baby. The experience is

intended to demonstrate the full-time commitment required of parenting an infant.