WOW! WHAT A "FAMILY"!!!!
THE ACADEMY UNITES TO SUPPORT THE RYVKIN FAMILY

Included in the last PPO Newsletter was a request to help one of our own, graduate Dmitry Ryvkin. Your response was immediate and your generosity overwhelming. To date, direct donations from this community have exceeded $15,000. The response from the Ryvkin family has been one of amazement and deep, sincere appreciation. There continues to be hope that the new medication will be effective.

Our original intent was to send an individual thank you note to each of you. Several of you, however, noted that you would prefer we save the postage and put that money into the account so please accept this message as our expression of gratitude.

Mrs. Ryvkin's co-workers at Valley Hospital have been legally advised that it is not feasible to establish a tax-deductible fund. Therefore, all of our efforts are being placed into a non-interest bearing account for Dmitry that enables the money not to be considered income for the family.

We are seeking approval for a variety of fund-raising activities. The first will be a tee-shirt sale with the design done by students from BCA. We look forward to the community's continued support of upcoming activities as we continue to assist with this effort.

Theatre Art News Trimester II

At this mid-point in the second trimester Academy students are honing their theatre arts skills and gaining knowledge and experience in a diverse set of theatre-related activities.  Forty freshmen from all academies have been cast and are working with their senior directors and experienced student-stage managers on six one act plays.  The six senior directors studied directing practice and theory in an elective during the first trimester.  They then selected and cast a play of their own choosing and continue to receive feedback on the progress of their rehearsals from their instructors.  This evening of student-directed one act plays, Freshman First Night, will be presented on Monday March 8 at 7PM.
Rather than direct a freshman play, one student from the directing class is assisting director Bill Hathaway in our Trimester II main-stage production.  Working with over forty students from all academies, Mr. Hathaway had this to say about the production: "In the four hundred years or so from its premier, William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream has undergone more metamorphoses than Ovid could have dreamed of.  From Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen to Peter Brook's Royal Shakespeare Company production of 1970, the play has been extraordinarily responsive to the cultural energies and diversities of many an era.  Bergen County Academies' students in all their cultural energy and diversity will now bring their talent to bear on this exquisite and whimsical piece of classical literature.  Be sure to mark your calendar:  Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at 8PM."
Continuing a tradition begun last year, Performing Arts: Theatre Concentration freshmen made their Academy main-stage debut, on January 15, in a montage of poetry and dance at the International Day of Tolerance Assembly in celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Theatre freshmen and sophomores are studying dance this trimester with guest-teaching/artist Endalyn Taylor, who when not teaching our students, is appearing on Broadway in Aida.  Theatre freshmen and selected students from other Academies are working with Dr. Raymond Bath and guest-teaching/artist Jennifer Little on a Wednesday project exploring the history of the American musical.  This project will culminate in a cabaret performance on Wednesday March 10 at 7 p.m.
The orchestra for this year's spring musical Guys and Dolls is already at work, under the direction of Mike Lemma, preparing this classic score from the "golden age" of the American musical.  Auditions for actors, singers and dancers will be held at the end of January
I am excited to report that performing arts parents are forming an arts "booster" group the goals of which include getting to know each other better and exploring ways of supporting the performing arts at The Academies.  The contact parent for this group is Merri Neidorff, merri@neidorff.com.

--Dr. Rebecca Strum

Music News

BCA students got a taste of international culture from students and teachers of the Kiriat Yam Youth Orchestra. On December 15 Concert Band members hosted an exchange concert with students from the conservatory in Israel. After listening to their performance, our own Concert Band, String Quartet, Guitar & Mandolin Ensemble, and Choir performed for them. The afternoon continued with a pizza party for all 200 people and an impromptu jam session where students from both programs got to know each other through music. The entire event took place in the BCA auditrium and was covered and published by local newspapers.

--Michael Lemma

PEACE BY PIECE

The Academy community will soon be embarking on a creative project intended to open both hearts and minds. "Peace by Piece" is a collaborative artistic project begun by the Bergen County artist Maureen Bennett O'Connor shortly after 9/11. Her vision is to create a traveling exhibit of at least 1,000 art pieces that reflect on individual concepts of "peace." A variety of individuals, groups and schools have already contributed art pieces, primarily on canvas. Recently, O'Connor obtained a grant enabling her to partner artwork from schools in Europe and the Middle East.

In January, AVPA students, student council representatives and faculty had the opportunity to meet with O'Connor and view part of the exhibit, which was installed by the students in the auditorium. Now, it is our community's turn to "add" to the exhibit and become part of this international project. Some AVPA students have already signed up to create their own vision of "peace;" we are now inviting everyone - not only students but also parents -- to join in the process. Information about the exhibit can be obtained online at www.peacebypiece.info. Further information about the exhibit, as well as a possible Academy-wide art project based on the concept, will be discussed at the next general PPO meeting in March. The PPO invites any parent/guardian or student interested in participating or coordinating the project to email grsvokos@optonline.net with their contact information. More information will be forthcoming.

COLLEGE CORNER...
The time to start thinking about summer programs in now!
Any student and/or parent interested in learning about summer opportunities should stop by the College Resource Room. Mrs. Silvana Forne-Neves is compiling an updated folder of available programs. Many of these programs have deadlines so it is never too early to start.

You may also log on to our website www.bergen.org/Guidance and follow the link for summer programs to learn what is available. Remember to capitalize the word guidance when using the web address. Here you will find detailed explanations of the various programs.

A popular program at the Academy over the past few years has been Landmark Volunteers. If you would like to learn more about this program please contact Mrs. Forne-Neves at sylfor@bergen.org.

We encourage all students to plan early and seek out the program that most interests them.

We have also scheduled class time with juniors in January and February in the College Center to introduce them to the college process and our many resources.

--Terry Brockett and Silvana Forne-Neves

Asset of the Month Project...

The Youth Resiliency Goal Team of The Bergen County Partnership for Community Health seeks to inspire, educate, and empower families, schools and  organizations to support young people's ability to successfully navigate life's challenges. With this in mind they offer the Asset of the Month Project, based on the 40 Developmental Assets, featured in "What Kids Need to Succeed" by Peter L. Benson, Ph.D., Judy Galbraith, M.A. and Pamela Espeland. 

January's asset is #32, Planning and Decision Making:  Young persons know how to plan ahead and make choices. Parents can help foster this asset by assisting in breaking long-term tasks, assignments, and goals, into smaller, more manageable steps.  They can use "what if" questions to help youth make good decisions.  Parents can point out that not making a choice is making a choice…it's choosing not to choose.

Please contact me for more information about the 40 Developmental Assets as well as the Asset of the Month.

--Victor Truscelli, Guidance
email victru@bergen.org

Ask Guidance

What are the requirements for getting
working papers?

Working papers can be picked up in Guidance from our secretary, Mrs. Manisera. For each new job a student gets, a new set of working papers must be filled out. When the working papers are first picked up, a direction sheet is given along with them and Mrs.Manisera explains what needs to be filled out. Each section needs to be completed before we sign off on them. Proof of age, by a document specified on the working papers themselves, should be brought in at the end when it is time for me to sign the papers and then a copy is given to the student to give to the employer. It is important that each section is completed as directed because we have to send a copy to the Department of Labor and they send back to us any and all mistakes. I will say our record has been most impressive as to accuracy!!! Once a student has a set of working papers completed, a copy is placed in their Guidance file and for the next set, we don't need the proof of age document because we will have made a copy to attach to set # 1. The students really are not supposed to come in for working papers unless they have promise of employment. If they are first looking for a job, that should be secured first, and then the working papers process can begin. Any further questions about this, please feel free to contact Guidance at Ext. 3330.

The SPARK Program at BCA

Over the past two decades, schools throughout the United States have discovered the value and effectiveness of programs that utilize students to assist, support, and educate other students. Peer assistance and peer leadership programs can be found in almost every middle school and high schools throughout New Jersey. These schools recognize the importance of peer relationships and utilize this power of peer influence to help all students feel accepted and respected. As the peer leadership program of the Bergen County Academies, SPARK's goal is to foster a supportive environment for all students in the Academy community. Created in 2001, SPARK (Sharing Perspectives Among Real Kids) selects junior and senior students to serve as mentors and role models in the community during the school year. One of the major functions of the SPARK program is to provide a comfortable transition for students as they leave middle school and enter high school. As this can be a very vulnerable time for adolescents, SPARK strives to quickly initiate a sense of connectedness and belonging to the Bergen County Academies. Upon acceptance into the Academies, incoming students immediately sense the support of upper classmen as SPARK members greet them at the Induction Ceremony, play games with them during the May picnic, and write them friendly letters over the summer. When 9^th grade students arrive for Freshmen Orientation in August, they work closely with the SPARK member who will serve as their mentor and friend through out their freshmen year of school. Since SPARK believes that initial impressions are important, we work closely with the Administration to make sure that Freshmen Orientation is a positive and enjoyable experience for all. Other SPARK duties vary throughout the school year depending on the needs and schedule of the community. In previous years, SPARK has conducted student workshops on diversity; assisted at Back To School night; and volunteered their services during Open Houses and interview days.

The SPARK program requires a serious commitment of a student's time and effort as they are expected to attend all SPARK activities (including Freshman Orientation); participate in the Trimester 3 Leadership Project; and attend weekly lunchtime SPARK meetings. SPARK seeks responsible and caring students who represent the diversity of the Bergen County Academies and can serve as positive role models in the community. The peer leadership selection process begins in February and includes a written application, individual interview, group interview, and teacher recommendations. Once selected, students are trained in the areas of interpersonal skills, communication techniques, group facilitation, and leadership characteristics. Students are trained as peer leaders in the spring and serve as SPARK members for the following school year.

In the past three years, SPARK has proven to be an important and respected organization of Bergen County Academies and the community and students have benefited greatly from the dedication and devotion of the SPARK peer leaders. As the SPARK advisor, I have been fortunate to witness the growth of this organization and also see first hand the tremendous influence this program can have on both the student recipients and the student peer leaders. As a group, our goal is to develop into an even more effective program every year and continue to meet and support the needs of an ever-changing Academy community.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  - Margaret Mead

Nancy Sytsma
Student Assistance Counselor
SPARK Advisor

WANTED: Models

Academy students wanting to "strut their stuff" will have the opportunity to audition for runway models in the annual Academy Fashion Show to be held on Friday, March 19.

Auditions will be held following the February break. Students from any class or Academy, both male and female, interested in applying for the event should leave their names and contact information with Junior Faculty advisor Mrs. Koontz, at katkoo@bergen.org.

Parents wishing to donate gifts for the raffle during the event are also asked to please contact Mrs.Koontz

THE KNIGHTS' TIMES
IS A HUGE HIT.....

Many thanks to Maria Careri and her assistants for the fabulous first edition of the Knights' Times. It was a work of art. Students as well as parents enjoyed the detailed articles about our outstanding scholar athletes and all of their accomplishments. Everyone is looking forward to the winter sports edition!