Check our monthly calendar
for more times and events!

Our next issue will be published on February 16. Please submit all calendar entries for events through March to Fahima Hilal by February 1, email FAMS20@hotmail.com, and submit all articles to Marianne Bente by February 7,
email CM2D@optonline.net. Thank you.

Focus on the Faculty

Nobody at the Academy is as famous as Dr. David Ostfeld, Admissions Chair.  Dr. Ostfeld, who has earned the respect of everyone at the Academy, wears many hats. He originally came to the Academy in 1991 as a chemistry teacher, and as a result of his expertise and leadership has evolved into the department liaison. Additionally, under his tutelage, our chess team has been state champs for four consecutive years and has placed seventh in a national competition. Perhaps he is best known for his work in admissions, which over the years has grown into an enormous job. This is a position that requires endless hours of work, extraordinary patience and honesty and integrity beyond reproach. From the Open Houses to the famous "Yes" letters, David oversees it all, with a personal commitment to selecting the best students for the incoming class. David gives more than 100% to all of these endeavors and still manages to keep his sense of humor! It is truly a pleasure to work with David who is a consummate professional. Everyone at the Academy has been the beneficiary of his talents and hard work.

-- Pat Cosgrove

GLE's FAMILY HUB FORUM SCHEDULE

The remaining family hub forums for this school year will be held on January 25, February 15, March 22, April 19, and May 17. All forums will meet in the Teterboro Commons, from 7PM to 9PM


The Parent Educational Institute presents...
Dr. Peter Walsh
speaking on teenage health issues
on Monday, March 14, from 7PM - 9PM.

More information will follow in the February newsletter. Please contact Carol Hermalyn with any questions, email:  cjh3@optonline.net.

Reminder to Parents

If your child will be absent from school for any reason please call 201-343-6000 extension 2226 to report the absence. (If you don't have the extension handy,  just follow the prompts for reporting attendance.)

Vol. 7, No. 4                        PPO CONNECTIONS                            January 2005          Page 2

Class News

Class of 2005   *On January 25, we will participate in a community night at the Blue Moon Cafe at their locations in Englewood and Woodcliff Lake. The restaurants will donate 20% of all receipts with coupons attached that they receive that night. We invite you and ask for your assistance in getting the word out about this event. This is a very easy way to make some needed money for the senior class! There is no official start or end time, as long as it's during the restaurant hours (more details below).  *The Fashion Show, Snow, Silk and Satin, will be held on February 10 from 7PM to 11 PM at the Clinton Inn, Tenafly Tickets are now available during lunch mods outside the upstairs cafeteria. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for students. Students selling a $40 ad for the ad journal will receive a free ticket. For tickets or other information, parents may e-mail agnchu@bergen.org or katkoo@bergen.org.    *Orders for senior t-shirts will be taken within the next few weeks. A flyer showing the design will be given to the students. The price per shirt is $10.  *Please remind your senior to verify his/her community service hours. They need this 40-hour requirement to graduate.  Community service advisors for each academy are: Dr. Bajwa, Science and Engineering, Mrs. Min, Medical and Business and Mr. Torres. Visual, Culinary and Telecommunications.

Class of 2007  *The Sophomore Semi-Formal will be held on Friday, April 1, at the Princess Chateau, in Lodi.  Tickets will go on sale on February 28, at $45.00 per person through March 18. Prices will increase to $50.00 per person if purchased between March 21 and 24.  *A Sophomore Showcase will be held on March 24 at 7PM in the school auditorium. All parents and friends are invited to attend this talent show.    *Class of 2007 rings will be on sale in April. A Jostens Representative will be meet with parents at school on April 14 at 7PM. The representative will also take orders on April 18 and 19 during lunch mods. Information regarding class rings will be mailed home.  *The Class of 2007 is still interested in holding an auction fundraiser. Although some parents have stepped forward, we still need additional volunteers before moving ahead with this event. Please contact our class advisors (Nancy Sytsma nansyt@bergen.org or Bonnie Obojkovits bonobo@bergen.org) if you can help.  *The Pennies to Dollars Fundraiser concluded in December. Two-thirds of our students participated. *Thank you to all parents who donated items to the Open House Bake Sale. It was a huge success.

Class of 2008 *During December, we held three successful fundraising events: a performance of The Nutcracker, a holiday candy-gram sale, and an Academies logo canvas bag sale.  Many thanks to our Class Advisors, our student council, and all the students and parents who participated.  Additional activities are being planned for later this year.  Both large and medium canvas bags are still available. If you are interested, please contact Shiaoling Paxson at wpsling@aol.com for a new order form.

Students in the International World Hunger Club will be holding Bake Sales on the next three Fridays (January 21, January 28, and February 7) to raise money for the benefit of the Tsunami victims of Southeast Asia. If you would like to help with this effort, you can contribute baked goods for the sales. You or your child should deliver the baked items to the club's advisor, Mrs. Karen Anderson, in Room 120, early each Friday morning.

ATTENTION AEDT PARENTS
EWeek is coming!

Because National EWeek is during our school's break, February 20-25,  AEDT activities for National EWeek will be observed during the week of March 14. 
In order to provide T-Shirts and a lunch to all AEDT students, we are asking all AEDT families to make a donation of $10-15. If you have not yet done so, please send a check made payable to "STUDENT ACTIVITY FUND, EWEEK 2005", to  Grazia Svokos, 633 White Pine Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417.  Please be sure to include your child's name and grade with the donation as well as your email address so that we can keep you informed of the events.
We are also looking for interested parents to help with the events.
Interested? Let us know -- send us your name and contact information with your donation.

--Rachel Bunin, June Finkelstein, Ansar Kazmir,
Anitha Ramnath, Madhuri Shukla, and Grazia Svokos

Get a delicious meal
AND support our Senior Class

Dine in, or take-out, at the Blue Moon Mexican Cafe in Englewood or Woodcliff Lake, between 11:30AM and 9:30PM, Tuesday, January 25, and 20% of your bill will be donated to the Bergen County Academies!

Just bring a "Community Night" coupon with you detailing the offer to the restaurants, at 21 East Palisade Ave., in Englewood (201-541-0600), or 42 Kinderkamack Rd., in Woodcliff Lake (201-782-9500). Coupons are included in this mailing. Additional copies are available in the main office, and from Gloria Liu (210-417-3727) or e-mail katkoo@bergen.org. They may be given to people who might be interested in participating by eating lunch or dinner at one of the two restaurants.  Sorry, you must have the coupon with you in order to make the donation! All proceeds go towards defraying costs of 2005 graduation and activities!

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Cultural Connections...

January 2005 Theatre Arts News

Academy students are immersed in an incredible variety of Theatre Arts work and activities as we begin the new calendar year.  Productions are rehearsing, others are auditioning; familiar projects and classes and new ones are in progress and exciting field trips round out the program.
Theatre Arts students are involved in a new collaboration with our partner, The North Jersey Philharmonic.  On Wednesday morning, January 26, seven AVPA theatre students from all three of our current classes will perform with North Jersey Philharmonic musicians.  The piece, entitled Oceanophony, written for octet and narrators includes music by Bruce Adolphe and poetry by Kate Light; we have added dance.  Students from county elementary and middle schools will be the audience for this unique interdisciplinary piece that allows students to "plunge into an ocean of music and poetry to meet the sarcastic fringehead fish, puffer fish, stoplight parrotfish, a love-struck seahorse, and octopus, cleaning fish, and more!"
Freshman AVPA Theatre students have begun work on their musical theatre project with guest/teaching artist, Jennifer Little, while Juniors are the first to experience the junior project; "Further Training and Working in Theatre Arts Professions."  In this project, as part of the unit on college theatre programs, Juniors were fortunate to have as guest speakers, actress/teacher (NYU and Sarah Lawrence) and Academy parent Christine Farrell and Stephen Hollis (Theatre Department chair from FDU).  The unit on "How an Actor Gets Cast" will include a field trip and workshop at Actor's Equity Association in the City.
Students from all academies are currently working with director Bill Hathaway on our Winter play, Shakespeare's As You Like (the Academy production will be set in the 1960's) and with stagecraft teacher Bill Pavlu and guest/artist Lincoln Stulik on creating this 1960's environment.  The orchestra has learned one third of the music already, and auditions for Spring Musical 2005, Les Miserables are underway.  Seventy students from all academies participated in the dance auditions conducted by guest/artist Stephen Bourneuf (back for his third show with us) and an even greater number of singers performed music from the show as their audition for Drs. Finley and Strum.
Students from all academies will, for the second year, participate in The Speech and Theatre Teachers of New Jersey annual Theatre Competition and Festival held at Rutgers University on Saturday, January 29.
A wonderful field trip enhances our January work: all AVPA Theatre students will see the Roundabout Theatre's, Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's moving and topical, Pacific Overtures.

--Dr. Rebecca Strum

Music News

In the early part of the winter season (December-January) many students are busy auditioning for County Band, Regional Band, Regional Orchestra, and All-State Band. In addition, the pit orchestra begins its rehearsals for the Spring Musical (Les Mis). In fact, all the ensembles are busy in preparation for upcoming performances. In addition to the upcoming Winter Concert, many of the ensembles will be giving smaller performances for special events both on and off campus. The NJ Guitar & Mandolin Society continues to sponsor monthly meetings with guest artists (www.bergen.org/njgms). On January 26, the partnership with the North Jersey Philharmonic continues and includes students in our string ensemble as well as AVPA theater students- they will perform for an audience of over 1,000 students. On February 1, students will sign up for trimester III electives. This is a great chance to choose an instrumental music elective for Trimester III; offerings include: Concert Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Guitar & Mandolin Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Musicianship, and more.

--Michael Lemma

PROJECT GRADUATION 2005 PAYMENTS DUE NOW

We seem to have a good number of seniors who have not yet paid for Project Graduation. If your child is still interested in going please send payment by January 31. The total payment is $200 per student. Please send to:
Debbie Goodlof - Project Graduation Chairperson,
103 Whittman Street
Rochelle Park, NJ  07662

Any students who have paid their initial $100 deposit but have not yet paid the balance must do so by January 31. Please call or email ASAP if you aren't sure of your balance, or if you are interested in serving on the Project Graduation Committee. We need a count of the number of seniors attending, and will be meeting as a committee very soon.
You can reach me at 201-712-9140, or e-mail stylinmom143@aol.com

--Debbie Goodlof

Vol. 7, No. 4                        PPO CONNECTIONS                            January 2005          Page 4

Athletic Booster Club News

The KNIGHTS Athletics Booster Club meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:15PM in the Commons of the Hackensack Campus. All parents are invited to attend.


The Booster Club is hosting a Cheerleading competition on Sunday, March 6. Student and parent volunteers are needed. If you can help, please call Barbara von dem Hagen at 201-791-1368, and leave a message.


Please note that the Winter Sports Varsity Dinner has been changed to TUESDAY, MARCH 8.

College Corner...

Juniors are presently attending classes in the College Center to familiarize themselves with the resources available. Mrs. Neves and I have been meeting with junior Literature classes and have been disseminating information concerning the application process. Hopefully, the students will start researching colleges and start using the resources.


Students learned how to complete a Transcript Release Form and the Common Application, a college application that is accepted by over 100 colleges. Seniors who recently completed the application process were available to share information and answer questions.


Presentations included the three essential tasks in applying to each college:
1. Complete a transcript request form indicating which schools should receive your high school transcript. (An individual transcript request form must be completed for each college.)
2. Have official SAT scores sent to each college. (Students should contact the College Board.)
3. Complete a college application either online or on paper.

Mrs. Neves and I are always happy to meet with students and parents and can be contacted at extensions 3313 and 2359.


--Mrs.Brockett, College Coordinator/Guidance Counselor
--Mrs. Neves, Assistant

MATH BOOSTERS UPDATE

Our team has won the AMTNJ competition and has swept the individual awards with first, second and third place finishes.
Results of the second round of Mandelbrot are in.  Our National team is now tied for third place. One of our Eastern division teams is in first place and another is tied for third place.  All of our NJ Math League teams are tied for first place with seven other NJ high schools with perfect scores.
The Harvard MIT Math Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, February 19.  The team will be leaving on Friday morning and returning Saturday night.  Last year there were registration problems and only a small group of students were able to go.  This year we are expecting that most teammates will be able to go.  Please check with Mr. Holbrook. 
February 19 is the first Saturday of Winter Break, so if your son/daughter plans to go, please don't plan any vacations that start before the 20.  I don't know if we will need parents to chaperone, however parents are always welcome to come along anyway.  It's a great opportunity to network with other parents, see what your children are involved in, and meet some of your children's teachers.  This year the competition will be at MIT, so if you've never been there, this is an opportunity to see a small part of the school.
Thank you to the many parents who have donated money to the team.  If you haven't sent a donation, you can send one to David Drucker, 14-05 Ellis Ave., Fair Lawn, NJ 07410.

--Fay Sharit

See the November Junior Guidance Meeting Recap, on the following page, for more information on the college application process.