Wall High School Knightly News

Remember that school is closed for President's Day on Monday, February 19th and Tuesday, February 20th. Enjoy the long weekend, and please take a few minutes to review all the news and highlights in this month's newsletter.

A representative from the Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) will visit WHS on Wednesday, January 31st at 9:00 am to share information with sophomores about shared time programs. The online application for MCVSD is now open and can be completed. For more information on programs and to apply: MCVSD Admissions Information & Application

MCVSD offers numerous shared time programs for juniors and seniors at Wall High School. Shared-time programs provide an opportunity for students to enroll in a career and technical education course while attending their home high school. The shared-time classes are a half-day in length and the student continues with their regular course of study at their home high school the other half of the day. Most programs consist of two years of study in which the student learns skills that will qualify them for entry-level jobs or prepare them for further education in their chosen career and technical education field.

Click here to learn more about each program

If you have any questions, please reach out to your school counselor.

No school 2/19-2/20 for Presidents Day

The Wall Township Education Association is encouraging students to pause from their busy lives to acknowledge the teacher whose talent and dedication made them unforgettable. Who is your most memorable teacher?

Open to all students | Deadline: 3/1/24

Winners will be recognized at the April Board of Education meeting! See flyer for details.

The calendar for K-5 schools has been updated this year to include an early dismissal schedule (1:05 PM) for K-5 students on February 28, 2024. Kindly refer to the revised calendar for more details.

• Click here for the calendar

Christopher Dailey, Mason Adam, Quinn Butler, and Sophia Koepping (not pictured)

Mason Thorn, Christian Girardy, Cooper Breen, and Aiden Cannon

• Monica Kirschenbaum | Art
• Alana Sabonjian | Business
• Mia Litterio | Consumer Science
• Mackenzie Reilly | English
• Andrew Vario | Math
• Sophie Quakenbush | Media TV
• Jared McLaughlin | Music
• Reese Shropshire | PE/Health
• Joseph Donofrio | Social Studies
• Damien Clayton | Technology Education

The artworks of Marisa Amitie and Isabel McTaggart have been selected to represent Monmouth County at State Youth Art Month! Marisa's wood-burned drawing "Rustic Daisies" and Isabel's stoneware sgraffito ceramic bowl "Tree of Life" were both stand out pieces for the Art Educators of New Jersey judges. Their teachers, Mrs. Jill Alexander and Mrs. Kerry Kelley, along with family and friends of the students are invited to celebrate this outstanding accomplishment later this month at the Grounds for Sculpture state award ceremony!

Congratulations, Mr. Joshua Tennant, on being honored with the Crimson Knights Foundation Gala Award for Exemplary Faculty!

Please join the Crimson Knights Foundation for their 4th Annual Gala Awards on Thursday, March 21, at 5:30 PM. This event celebrates and honors distinguished Wall Township Community members.

This year, the Foundation is honoring:

• Chief Sean O’Halloran, Chief of Police for the Wall Township Police Department - Excellence in Community Leadership Award
• Tiffany Steiner, Director of Intervention Programs and Student Wellness K-12 - Meritorious Administrator Award
• Joshua Tennant, Chairperson of the Science Department and Wall High School Teacher - Exemplary Faculty Award

This event is open to all! Click here for additional information and to purchase tickets.

"Spring Sports" are scheduled to start in March. Boys Tennis begins March 11th and all other Spring sports begin on March 14th. If you are interested in participating in Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Softball, Track , Boys Tennis or Boys Volleyball, please make sure your physical is up to date and on file with our nurse’s office. To sign up for the sport you will need to log into your Genesis account and fill out the Spring Sport Form. Sports Physicals are due to the nurse’s office no later than February 23rd for Spring Sports.

Here are important points to be aware of:

• All physicals are reviewed and approved by the school physician

• This process takes 2-3 weeks

• This process may require additional clearance if requested by the school physician

• Sports physicals are valid for 365 days

• Sports physicals must not expire prior to the first practice date for any sport

• Sports physicals must be delivered to Wall High School

• Wall High School cannot accept faxes or scanned documents for sports physicals

• Questions can be directed to either Mrs. Marschalk, amarschalk@wallpublicschools.org or Mrs. Moriarty, nmoriarty@wallpublicschools.org

• The Sports Physical form can be accessed on the district website and also attached here

• Sports Physical Form

Later this month, our students will be reading to the third graders at our elementary school as part of Read Across America. Stay tuned!

Students visit the 5th grade classes and teach them all about character building, being kind, making good choices on social media, and a message of anti-bullying!

What is La Chandeleur?

• A French holiday that takes place each year on le 02 février
• It’s popularly believed to be a day of great superstition
• Traditionally, the French make and eat crêpes for la Chandeleur
• The day is often compared to Groundhog Day, as the fortunes (or misfortunes of the new year) are superstitiously decided.
• La Chandeleur also has some religious roots (aka Candlemas)

WHS French 2 classes celebrated Mardi Gras with a scavenger hunt, snacks, and creating Mardi Gras masks!

Over four evenings, the Wall High School Mock Trial team, comprising two juniors and eight sophomores, competed in the Monmouth County Mock Trial Championship Tournament. The event is part of the statewide competition sponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. All Monmouth County competitions are conducted in courtrooms at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold.

After competing against Allied High School and Rumson Fair Haven High School, the Wall team advanced to the elimination rounds. On February 6, 2024, the prosecution team from Wall prevailed over the defense team from Middletown North High School. The following evening, Wall’s defense team competed against the prosecution team from Colts Neck High School. Colts Neck, the defending champion, boasts a very senior and experienced team. Although Wall did not prevail, the scoring was very close. As it turned out, Colts Neck went on to win the county Championship and will advance to the statewide competition.

The Wall team, collectively in their second year of competing in Mock Trial, begins preparation in earnest in October when the case to be tried is released. Students assume the roles of witnesses and must be familiar with their statements and any reasonable inferences that can be drawn from them. Students serving as attorneys prepare and deliver opening and closing statements to the jury, examine and cross-examine witnesses, and make arguments to the court. James Tracy, Esq., provides legal instruction to the students.

With this year's success, the future looks bright for the team!

Pictured: Francis Gavin, Noah Gribko, Jack Baldasare, Katherine Doran, Kierney Grace, Brandon Risko, Frankie DaSilva, Sean Cartinella, Reagan Urban, and Attorney Advisor James Tracy Esq.

The month of February is dedicated to the exploration of the mindset, Passion First.

Passion First teaches understanding that each of us is a unique expression of human existence, and that our lives should be focused on finding our individual genius. Essential to this is making our dreams authentic and aligned with our core values.

4 Key Components:

• Focus on Strengths
• Explore Your Interests
• Take a Stand
• Be Authentic