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HUSKY HAPPENINGSThe Quarterly Newsletter of

Dumont High School

In This Issue

page 2 Need To Knows

page 2 Athletic News page 2 Guidance News

page 3 Clubs & Student News

pages 3-4 Boosters & Parent Groups News page 4 Upcoming Events

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Need To KnowsJunior Parent Meeting

The Junior Parent meeting originally scheduled for November 4 has been rescheduled for January 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the DHS Auditorium.

Midterm ExamsMidterm exams will be administered to high school students on January 19, 20, 21 and 22. Those dates will be single session days for all DHS students.

Winter RecessSchool will be closed from December 24 through January 1 for Winter Recess. School will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2010.

Winter BreakSchool will be closed from February 15-19 for Winter Break. School will reopen on Monday, February 22, 2010.

Athletic NewsThe Fall Sports Season wrap-up:

Girls VolleyballThe Lady Husky Volleyball Team, under third year Head Coach Jamie Kipp, finished their season 13-5 in the league and 17-9 overall. The team qualified for the County and State Tournaments this season, but sustained a 2-1 loss in the first round of the State Tournament. The team will see six student-athletes qualifying for All-League Honors.

Boys SoccerThe Boys Soccer Team, under second year Head Coach Chuck Hogan, finished their season with a record of 5 wins, and 14 losses. The team will see two student-athletes qualifying for Honorable Mention All-league Honors.

Girls SoccerThe Girls Soccer Team, under second year Head Coach Stacey Del’Re, finished their season with 4 wins, 8 losses, and 1 tie in League play. They finished just shy of qualifying for the State Tournament. The team will see five student-athletes qualifying for All-League Honors.

FootballThe Varsity Football Team, under second year Head Coach Andrew Wells, is currently 2 and 6. They will be playing a State Consolation game against Garfield on November 13. The team then finished their season playing against Tenafly on Thanksgiving morning.

Boys and Girls Cross CountryThe Girls Cross Country Team, under Coaches Jon Bennett and Tom Montuori, competed in the BCSL American League Championship Meet and the County Championship Meet. The Boys Cross Country Team also competed in the BCSL American League Championship Meet and the County Championship Meet, taking third place overall in both meets. The team will see eight student-athletes qualifying for All-League Honors.

CheerleadingThe Cheerleading squads did a terrific job igniting school spirit into the teams and fans this season under the direction of fourth year Head Coach Alyssa Ruggero and second year Assistant Coach Dana Rivers. Also, the DHS Cheerleaders will be hosing a Cheerleading Competition at DHS on Saturday, February 6.

GymnasticsRepresenting DHS in her inaugural season, our independent sophomore sensation, led by Coach Steve Titus, proved to be ultra competitive. Our sophomore gymnast qualified for both the county and state sectional meet, scoring exceptional results in both competitions.

Special ThanksOn behalf of the DHS Athletic Department and all of the school’s student-athletes, we would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge with thanks

the many contributions received from the Dumont Athletic Boosters Association. Their financial contributions to the weight room, field sound system, and all of the individual athletic programs are sincerely appreciated and will undoubtedly benefit all of our student-athletes.

Fall Sports Award AssemblyThe Athletic Department held its Fall Sports Awards Assembly on December 10 in the DHS Auditorium.

Winter Sports

Good luck to all the winter sports teams who are just getting their practices underway. Support the boys and girls basketball teams, indoor track, wrestling, bowling, and hockey teams. Schedules are posted daily outside the Trainer’s Office, and are also available for viewing on the district website www.dumontnj.org under DHS Athletic Department. For any further athletic information, contact Mr. Nic Nese, Athletic Director, at (201) 387-3094 or view the website.

Guidance NewsThe Guidance Department recently held its annual 8th Grade Open House. Dr. Paul Collins, Director of Guidance, coordinated the program, which provided parents with an overview of all the programs offered at DHS.

The Guidance Department held a Career Fair for students on November 13 in the DHS Cafeteria.

The Guidance Department also conducted a Senior Parent Meeting regarding Financial Aid on December 14 in the DHS Cafeteria.

DHS students will begin course selection for the 2010-2011 school year in January 2010.

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Clubs & Student News30 Days of Giving Dumont High School student clubs and activities are took part in our first annual “30 Days of Giving”. Numerous student organizations participated in charitable work from November 3 until December 22.

On Veterans Day, four students, Junior Katharine Rosa, Seniors, Emily Emmet, Tina Zaggia and Candey Aponte, gave short speeches at the Old North Church, on " What Veterans Day means to me. " These speeches were read to Veterans from Bergenfield and Dumont along with the Mayor and selected council members. The attending Veterans were most grateful for being recognized for their valor in service for freedom.

Teen Freedom made Thanksgiving baskets for people in need in Dumont. Students are working in teams of about 4 or 5. As a team, they were responsible for bringing in non-perishable items for the baskets, raising $10 towards a Stop & Shop gift card which will be attached to the basket, selling "turkey boosters" for 50 cents to go towards the gift card, and contributing to a bake sale. Bake sale funds raised also went towards the gift cards. They attached gift cards so the receivers of the baskets could purchase the perishable items for their holiday dinner (turkey, fresh produce, dairy items, etc.) On Wednesday, November 18, the teams gathered in the Auditorium and put the baskets together. The baskets were wrapped in colorful cellophane, decorated with ribbons, and finished off with a card from the team wishing the family (or individual) a happy holiday. The gift certificates from Stop & Shop were also attached with the card, dollar value determined by our fundraising. On Thursday, Judy Rainey, the social worker in Dumont, picked up the baskets. They were delivered to people that are currently enduring hardships right here in Dumont. This was the second year for the project and Judy tells us that the 17 baskets we delivered last year were

greatly appreciated. We did receive some heart-felt “Thank You” notices last year which was very rewarding. The receivers remain anonymous.

On Dec. 1st, Unity Club and Media Club hosted their holiday party. They have collected left over Halloween candy and repackaged it into goody bags for kids in rural Tennessee that don't get anything for the holidays. Thet have a contact there that distributes the candy and in past years she has been very thankful.

On Dec. 8th, the Unity Club went to a Habitat for Humanity work site in Garfield. They helped with the construction of a home. They also collected pop-tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This will end in February. Mrs. Maynes plans to get the students to volunteer to wrap holiday gifts at Paramus Park for Habitat for Humanity. They would volunteer for two hours and the proceeds of the wrapping go to Habitat for Humanity.

The Sophomore Class hosted a student/faculty volleyball game on November 24. The sophomore class hosted a food drive for the teacher/student volleyball game. The admission fee was $2 or $1 with a can of food to donate.

The Dumont Chapter of Future Educators collected hats and gloves for an orphanage of 60 boys in the Ukraine. They are between the ages of 10 and 17. They collected donations from members and any one else who would like to participate until December 16th. A portion of our "Caps in the Classroom" profits were used to purchase additional hats to cover the amount of boys if we don't collect enough.

The Spanish Honor Society erected a “Giving Tree”. Ornaments indicating gift wishes from children were hung on the tree. Students were able to take an ornament and purchase a gift or needed item for a child. The gifts were collected on December 18 and then given to a local church for distribution.

The National Honor Society visited a Veteran’s Home in December. The

students spent time with the veterans and participated in social activities with the soldiers.

The Student Government and PACK co-hosted a movie night to benefit a local family in financial need.

DHS Youth TheatreUnder the direction of Ms. Tuxill, the DHS Youth Theatre will perform the drama “Twelfth Night” on December 3, 4, and 5 at 7:00 PM in the DHS Auditorium. For information about these performances, you may contact: Ms. Tuxill: (201) 387-3000, ext. 6092 or Ms. Mascarelli: (201) 387-3000, ext. 3017.

The DHS Youth Theatre will perform their London Theatre show on February 4, 2010. More information on that show will follow later.

Boosters & Parent Groups NewsAthletic BoostersThe Dumont Athletic Boosters has had a busy fall season raising funds to support the athletes and coaches through the food concession and clothing sales. The Executive Board would like to thank all the members who volunteered to help during the fall season. Membership is still ongoing, and there are more members this year than last year.

Athletic Boosters will meet on the following dates for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year:

Wednesday, January 6, 2010Wednesday, March 3, 2010Wednesday, April 14, 2010Tuesday, May 18, 2010

All meetings will be at 7:15 PM in the DHS Media Center.

Other upcoming events are the fundraiser at Madison’s from November 9-12 and the Christmas Dinner at

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Madison’s on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

Also, the end of year Sports Dinner will be held on Monday, June 7 at the Colonial Inn. Further information on the dinner will be given out at a later date.

Finally, if you don’t know what to get people on your list for Christmas, the Dumont Athletic Boosters can help you. Visit the Husky Store online @ www.dumontnj.org (under the high school site) for great gift ideas. Just download an order form and shop away!

If you have any questions on upcoming events, membership, or to volunteer, call Lisa Sansone at (201) 384-3777.

Music BoostersMeetings will be held in the Media Center (unless otherwise noted) at 8:00 pm on the following dates:

Monday, January 4, 2010Monday, February 1, 2010Monday, March 1, 2010Monday, April 12, 2010Monday, May 3, 2010Tuesday, June 8, 2010

If you have any questions regarding membership, please call Claire Pidi at (201) 439-1985.

Project Graduation

PROJECT GRADUATION 2010Plans are well underway for the Senior Class Project Graduation festivities. The committee is excited about the evening planned for June 22, 2010 and they do not want anyone to miss out on the fun. The third payment of $65.00 was due in September, and the final payment of $65.00 is due in February. Payments can be mailed to Donna Vetere, 319 E. Madison Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628.

IT IS NOT TOO LATE! If your child is interested in coming to Project Graduation, contact Stephanie McClinton at (201) 385-1542 as soon as p o s s i b l e o r e - m a i l h e r a t

SRMC159@aol.com. If you are unable to make a payment at this time, kindly let her know.

Gift Card FundraiserSenior parents have received information about the Gift Card Fundraiser. It is a quick and easy way to shop for gift cards, and the best part is they are delivered to you within a week. If anyone is interested in buying gift cards for the holidays or anytime, you can call Jo-Anne Hrnciar (75 Cedar Road) at (201) 244-5645 or Stephanie McClinton (15 Barbara Road) at (201) 385-1542. Forms will also be available in the office at DHS. Just fill out the form, enclose a check made payable to Dumont High School Project Graduation 2010 and put it in the Project Graduation mailbox in the DHS Main Office or drop off or mail to the above addresses. The cards will then be forwarded to you. This will be an on-going fundraiser until June 2010.

MeetingsThe Project Graduation 2010 meeting dates for the 2009-2010 school year are:

Thursday, January 7, 2010Wednesday, February 3, 2010Wednesday, March 3, 2010

All Project Graduation meetings will be held at 7:00 PM in the DHS Media Center.

Any questions please contact Stephanie McClinton at SRMC159@aol.com.

PROJECT GRADUATION 2011The Project Graduation 2011 committee has set some upcoming meetings:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009Wednesday, January 13, 2010Wednesday, March 10, 2010Wednesday, May 12, 2010

All meetings will be held at 7:30 in the DHS Media Center unless noted.

Junior parents should have already received in the mail a letter, along with payment coupons, to sign up for Project Graduation 2011. If you are interested in signing your son/daughter up for Project Graduation 2011, the first payment of $75.00 is due on or before

November 30. Payments should be mailed to: Karen Ross, 27 Erie Street, Dumont, NJ 07628.

For further information, please contact Sandy Kraykowski at (201) 387-9181 or Gina Letizia at (201) 384-2384.

Upcoming EventsDecember

• 21-22 Holiday Concert 7:30 PM• 24-25 SCHOOL CLOSED• 28-31 SCHOOL CLOSED

January

• 1 SCHOOL CLOSED• 14 Junior Parent Meeting 7:00 PM• 14 BOE Workshop Meeting 8:00 PM• 18 SCHOOL CLOSED• 21 BOE Monthly Meeting 8:00 PM• 19-22 Midterm Exams• 19-22 One Session Days• 22 End of Second Marking Period• 28-30 S.O. Night 7:00 PM

February

• 4 Dumont Youth Theatre-London Theatre Presentation 7:00 PM

• 6 Cheerleading Competition @ DHS• 10 Dance Showcase 7:30 PM• 11 BOE Workshop Meeting 8:00 PM• 15-99 SCHOOL CLOSED-Winter

Break• 25 BOE Monthly Meeting 8:00 PM

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