School News
Summer Session: Extended School Year (ESY) 2025
High Point School’s “Eagle’s Nest” Newsletter
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Transition Fair & Career Expo
This year’s Transition Fair & Career Expo wasn’t just a resounding success, it was our best one yet! With a diverse array of participating organizations, hundreds of counselors, and numerous institutions of higher learning in attendance, the goals of the event included:
- Networking with industry professionals
- Exploring education & career opportunities
- Learning about job training & internships
- Connecting with vocational programs & military branches
- Getting expert advice on career transitions
Attendees included: the Job Corps, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit, Bergen Community College, Essex Community College, Always Health Institute, Lincoln Tech, Branford Institute, Electrical Technical Bootcamp, the NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marines, and so many more!
Our invaluable social workers, Ms. Bautista and Ms. Rivera, coordinated the entire fair, complete with swag bags, refreshments, parent invitations, and decorations. Although this annual event is geared mostly toward our seniors and juniors, all of our students showed up and had meaningful conversations that informed them about their future options and career paths.
A huge part of High Point’s program is preparing our students for what lies ahead after they leave us, so we couldn’t be happier with this year’s tremendous turnout and outcomes.
Art Contest Submissions
Each year, the ASAH Student Artwork Contest recognizes works by students in special education programs throughout the state, asking them to focus on a specific theme. For 2025, the theme of Special Education Week (May 11–15) is “Planting the Seed of Education,” and we couldn’t be more impressed by the High Point competitors who submitted artwork this year! We don’t even care who wins, we’re just so excited about 7th-grader Manuel’s flowerpot, 8th-grader Jordan’s sunflowers, and 12th-grader Dezire’s meditation paintings. The growth in these artists is clear to see in these beautiful compositions and in the wonderful imaginations that created them.
Black History Month Schoolwide Celebration
Our annual celebration of Black History Month was a visual—and a culinary—extravaganza this year! History teacher Ms. Pullins worked diligently to plan a customized event befitting of the occasion that she knew would delight our students.
First, our students created an entire wall display commemorating historical Black figures. They learned so much about their chosen subjects in the process of researching and composing their individual posters, piquing their curiosity to learn even more.
Then we hosted a special movie day (including popcorn!), with the students getting to choose between two viewings: either The Hate U Give or The Six Triple Eight, both of which highlight incredibly important aspects of the Black experience. Afterwards, we engaged in group discussions that explored the deeper themes of the films, further igniting the students’ interest and promoting activism among our student body.
And no Black History Month would be complete at our school without a delicious spread accompanying the activities … and our in-house chefs, Mr. Dyum and Ms. Simmermon certainly didn’t disappoint with this year’s catered menu. The “good for your soul food” included fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens and other sides, banana pudding, and sweet tea.
It was truly a month that’ll go down in history!
Brand-New AV Room on Campus
It all started with our beloved basketball games. Our amazing English teacher Mr. Doell (who just happens to be wildly skilled in so many other areas, like photography, producing, and sound recording) was filming them with a GoPro camera, and the students showed interest in videography—in making their own clips that could feature school happenings, in-school interviews, sports events, you name it. To cultivate this interest, we quickly created a dedicated space for our new AV elective, which will not only give students exposure to all the equipment and technology involved, but which will also grant them the tools and skills to create their own productions, publish their own AI videos on our “High Point Happenings” YouTube channel (coming soon!), and learn about music recording functions and basic video editing.
Mr. Doell is outfitting the room with an unbelievable array of hardware and software, including: colorized backdrops, stands and poles, professional lighting options, and all kinds of camera gear. He’s also working on a Mac mini setup that incorporates Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro X, a USB audio interface, keyboard controller, powered speaker monitors.
“I’ve been wanting to add this offering to High Point ever since I joined the staff,” says Mr. Doell. “Our new weekly Friday elective aims to engage students in multiple 21st-century multimedia skills-based learning that will allow them to experiment with and experience all kinds of AV functionalities in ways that are both creative and educational.”
We couldn’t be more excited to offer this new activity to our budding AV specialists, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our own personal multimedia and digital photography pro, Mr. Doell, for bringing this vision to life—to full audio/visual effect!
Scientific Progress
Science teacher extraordinaire Mr. Heslin sure is turning up the heat in class this year! With the goal of maximizing engagement among his high schoolers, he’s devised a wonderful lineup of weekly interactive experiential lessons that are keeping his students engrossed and immersed. These include the marble ball run project, the paper airplane STEM project, the exothermic chemical reaction lab, simulations of volcanic eruptions, and more!
“I love incorporating hands-on science labs because they bring learning to life,” Mr. Heslin explains. “By engaging students in practical activities, we tap into the affective domain, fostering a deeper connection to the material. This approach makes science feel real and relevant, sparking curiosity and encouraging students to explore and discover on their own.”
Whether they’re digging for dinosaur bones or investigating the effects of chemical reactions, our students are dialing up their scientific learning just as much as Mr. Heslin is dialing up his fun and fascinating curriculum!
Fun Field Trips!
Community-based learning (and fun!) is integral to our programming, so whenever and wherever we can, we plan field trips for our students to places that not only reward them for their good behavior, but that we hope will appeal to them on all levels. Recent trips have included outings to the Bergen Performing Arts Center, the Liberty Science Museum, Dave & Buster’s, Tac Ops for laser tag, and both the Sea Life aquarium and the ice skating rink at American Dream.
Pictured here are the students who achieved CEO and Manager levels in our behavioral system last semester, enjoying time at the famous American Dream complex, where they hung out together, played games, and took pictures with some of their favorite cartoon characters. Congratulations to all the students who continue to attain their program goals—we’ll be sure to keep planning incentivizing field trips for the near future!
Yoga to De-Stress
Adults aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of stress these days! In fact, there’s so much pressure on young people right now to keep up—in school, on social media, in life—that we make sure to take the learning outside the classroom sometimes, beyond traditional academics, to get our kids out of their heads and into their bodies.
Twice monthly, both staff and students have the option of meeting in our downstairs gym to engage in yoga classes led by a certified yoga instructor. Emphasis is placed on stress management, therapeutic movement and breathing, and soothing techniques, and our counselors are on hand to observe student behavior and address any issues that may arise.
To extend the calming effects of the sessions, student-made posters around the school remind them to take time to pause and breathe when things start feeling overwhelming, and we’ve also set up quiet areas in some classrooms. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by student participation so far and look forward to further growing the program.
Male Mentorship Program
At High Point, we take our responsibility very seriously to help shape our young boys into conscientious and capable young men. Our ongoing Male Mentorship Program plays an integral part in that goal by bringing in community leaders to talk to our male students about such topics as making good choices, starting a business, dealing with family issues, and developing leadership skills. Serving as mentors, big brothers, and father figures, our guest speakers provide invaluable guidance, life lessons, and hope for participants, reinforcing the program’s theme: “Your Beginning Is Not Your End.” Stay tuned to hear who Mr. Dante will be inviting to come visit us next!
The Holidays Are Knocking!
Beautifying our school is a high priority around here, and so when holiday time rolls around, we open our arms to our yearly Classroom Door Decorating Contest! Everyone gets in on the fun, with both students and teachers alike working hard to add lots of holiday cheer to our hallways. We loved seeing all the creativity in action with such fun and festive designs!
A Thanksgiving Feast
High Point School celebrated the season of giving with a delicious Thanksgiving luncheon. Chef Duym and Chef Simmermon put together an amazing spread of turkey, gravy, and all the fixins. During the lunch, students were able to reflect on all they are thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to all our students, staff, and their families—we’re thankful for you all!
A Spooky Halloween
Well, to be honest, it was more like a fun Halloween … and based on the awesome costumes, our staff seems to enjoy this day even more than our students, as they go all out every year to “dress up” our school to the max! We also use the day as a creative outlet for our students, inviting them to paint pumpkins to their heart’s delight and to participate in karaoke and games. The only tough part of our annual celebration is picking winners for the costume contest!
No Bullying Allowed!
Every year, High Point proudly observes National Bullying Prevention Month to keep anti-bullying measures top-of-mind, considering the prevalence of this issue in U.S. schools, and to keep our students aware of both the dangers that accompany bullying and the rewards that come from its opposite, kindness. This year, we dedicated October 11 to a full day of fun activities that celebrated teamwork, comradery, problem solving, and laughter. Students also viewed a short film on the subject and engaged in thought-provoking discussions about bullying in class, including why it happens and what to do about it.
We want to extend special congratulations to some standout students who received Character Awards for displaying acts of kindness in our school. Amiya R. (in the Love Yourself sweatshirt) and Angelina M. (in the Nike sweatshirt) are true mentors to their fellow students, consistently demonstrating empathy, patience, and care toward their peers. And Peter A. was recognized for his kindness as well (shown here with his teacher, Mr. Lee, and School Supervisor Ms. Pulido). Young people like this who are willing to go the extra mile are making the world a better place, one step at a time.
Thank you to all the teachers who participated, especially Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Irick, and Mr. Heslin, and to the counselors who put this joyful and reflective day together: Ms. Rivera, Ms. Bautista, and Ms. Tineo. All your hard work is deeply appreciated!
Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2024
Being part of the ongoing fight represented by Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a standing tradition at High Point School. But we don’t just stand up to cancer … we walk! On October 25th, we were honored to be sent off by Councilman Bruce Masopust, who lent a special greeting and his support to our very passionate—and pink!—efforts. We’re also indebted to Mayor Luna of Lodi, New Jersey, and the City Council for recognizing our commitment.
As we walked the streets of our town this year bringing awareness to our community while simultaneously teaching our students peaceful advocacy, our homemade signs garnered lots of attention from passersby and kept our spirits high as we continue to participate in a cause and a conversation that saves lives.
Hispanic Heritage Month 2024
It’s very festive time around here, from September 15 to October 15 each year. That’s because it’s our annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, replete with all its colors, decorations, music, traditions, and food! We capped off the month this year with a special school-wide luncheon featuring items from different Hispanic countries that was enjoyed by all. Thank you, Chef Duym, for your contributions!
Annual Water Status Announcements
Click here for NJDOE notice of “Exemption from Testing of Lead in School Drinking Water.”
Click here for most recent previous report on lead testing in the school’s water.
Cosmetology Vocational Program
Anyone familiar with HPS’s comprehensive education model knows how much emphasis we place on not just teaching our students academic skills, but on providing vocational training that will better equip them for a variety of future career paths. That’s why were delighted to move our cosmetology training program on-campus this year, piloting it over the summer and then launching it full-scale in the fall, in our newly outfitted space designated exclusively for this purpose.
Students are exposed to a variety of cosmetology areas and aspects—such as hair, makeup, nails, skin care, sanitation, and professional standards—in a series of cumulative classes that build on each other and complement each other. Pictured here are several of our participating students practicing the tools of the trade and refining their hands-on techniques.
On-Staff Pediatrician Joins the High Point Team
Breakfast of Champions
March 8 started off very well! To both reward students and continue to encourage them to make good choices, all students on Manager and CEO level were treated to a “breakfast of appreciation” by school leaders. Ms. Pulido, our program director, rolled up her sleeves and got things sizzling in the kitchen, along with Ms. Banks and Ms. Tineo. The resulting smells that wafted throughout the school will hopefully inspire our Job Seeker, New Hire, and Associate level students to climb on up that ladder to management status so they can have a seat at the table next time!
Senior Lunch
A week after our Dave & Buster’s trip, our graduating seniors again left the premises on Monday, June 18, for a special lunch out—this time, as a more private and serene way to spend some final one-on-one time with their fellow graduates and their teacher, Ms. Patti, and teaching assistant, Mr. E. As a small party celebrating a big victory, the group enjoyed some downtime together as everyone looked forward to what’s to come for our departing seniors. You may be leaving the building later this week, but you’ll never leave our hearts!
“Love Is Respect” Initiative
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
February is recognized nationally as the month designated to bring awareness to the issue of teen dating violence. Schools across the country participate in activities that promote education and prevention, creating a dedicated time and a safe place in which to openly discuss healthy and unhealthy relationships, warning signs, and what can be done to reduce the frequency of dating abuse.
According to the CDC, one in four teens will experience dating abuse in the coming year. If we know the signs of dating abuse, then we can recognize it when we, or a friend or family member, experiences it. If we feel comfortable talking about healthy relationships, then we will be empowered to be respectful to our partners and speak out when things are not right. If we know what resources are available, then we can guide a friend or even ourselves to help if and when we need it. Education, awareness, and intervention are key to eliminating dating abuse. At High Point School, we concentrated on all three throughout the month of February.
During the week of February 12–16, High Point students enthusiastically participated in the “Love Is Respect” campaign. The hallways and classrooms were adorned by students with posters and flyers. On February 13, students observed “Wear Orange Day” to support this awareness effort, and other activities during the week centered on the themes of respect, love, and random acts of kindness.
Then, on February 20, students were visited by guest speakers from Bergen County’s Alternatives to Domestic Violence program, who imparted a wealth of information on what defines abuse/violence in a relationship. Students learned how to look for red flags and how to empower themselves to enter healthy relationships. Resources were also provided to students.
You can learn more about this critical problem at:
Acting the Part
A Very Special Guest Speaker Teaches Very Special Skills
On February 7, High Point students welcomed guest speaker Jody Wood, a professional actor who specializes in introducing improvisational skills to students by allowing them to learn and challenge themselves in a comfortable environment. Jody focused on coaching new ways to socialize while assisting our students in improving their listening and communication skills. Students were encouraged to work collaboratively with their peers to build upon one word at a time to create stories. Through one of Jody’s exercises, students were taught skills on how to live in the moment and to listen thoroughly before reacting and responding. Students also worked on strengthening their public speaking abilities by performing in front of their classmates and teachers. This was done in a way to increase the students’ self-efficacy and to help them believe in their ability to respond appropriately in conversations. Jody’s presentation was a vey welcome activity to our students, particularly those who are interested in careers in music, literature and theater.
100 Days of School
An Annual Observation of a Turning Point in the Year
Each year, High Point commemorates the 100th day of school as a way to plant ourselves in the present, so we can look back on what we’ve accomplished so far in the school year, then look forward to what we still want to accomplish, striving after our goals with renewed vigor. As part of the observance on February 15, to symbolize fresh beginnings, our Culinary Arts program supervisor Mr. Torres, along with a few select culinary students, prepared a wholesome and hearty full-course breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, and orange juice. Students were allowed to enjoy the meal in their classrooms, where discussions were held on recognizing healthy support systems in the classroom and at home. Teachers also led discussions throughout the day on the significance of this day and the importance of staying focused as we roll into the remainder of the school year. The next 100 days, here we come!
Banking on Our Community Partners
A Special Financial Literacy Seminar by Valley National Bank
On Friday, October 20, Judith E. Rabinowitz and Robert Grasso (pictured at right), representatives from Valley National Bank’s Sales Management Division in Elmwood Park, treated our students to a presentation on the importance of financial literacy. All of High Point’s juniors and seniors attended the event, as part of their Consumer Math and Financial Literacy course requirement. Ms. Rabinowitz and Mr. Grasso gave students the opportunity to complete a budget plan featuring fixed and variable expenses, then held a follow-up open forum to address student questions and concerns. Thank you, Valley National Bank, for contributing to our students’ general knowledge by enhancing their fiscal responsibility and education!
