As we look towards the holiday season, the spirit of giving is evident in Rochelle Park, from our participation in Lee Denim Day, the largest single-day fundraiser nationwide for breast cancer, to our involvement in "Movember", a foundation that raises awareness for men's health programs, to our December food collection for the needy. 

On Thursday, November 20th, Mr. Tanis' junior English classes hosted their annual Great Gatsby Party, bringing the novel to life. This event was filled with the music, dancing and clothing from the period of the 1920's. As the Gatsby story deals with lavish parties, students were asked to bring in special hors d'ouvres, food, desserts, and soft drinks, which were served in champagne flutes! The classroom was decked out with drapes, lamps, and vases with flowers while staff and students dressed in clothes that were in keeping of the early 1920's. Our young men looked handsome in their vests, suits, ties, suspenders and fedoras and our young ladies were knockouts with their flapper headbands, boas, feathers, and skirts with fringes. And for entertainment, dancers performed an original Charleston routine. A roaring good time was had by all who attended. 

We begin the month of December, with our National Honor Society Induction Ceremony, scheduled for tonight at 7:00 p.m. This year, we will be inducting four students into Rochelle Park's chapter of NHS, one sophomore and three seniors. These four new inductees will join our present two members, bringing our membership for this year to six.

Mr. Montesano has been busy helping our seniors to send out their college applications and a few have already received acceptance letters. They will continue to hear from schools in the coming months. We are also happy to say that eight of our seniors will be participating in the Bergen Community College Experience Program. Through this program, our current seniors are allowed to take a class at BCC during the Spring semester. During the month of December, Mr. Montesano will begin to work with our junior class.  

On December 17th, our Community Service Club will travel to the Dellridge Nursing Home in Paramus, and treat the patients to a holiday choral performance. Our students often speak about how many of the patients smile and tell them how much they appreciate their presence and holiday cheer. 

Our annual holiday breakfast is scheduled for December 23rd. Our Student Council members and our Culinary Arts class work together to transform our Sage Day caf� and gym into a winter wonderland. Students and staff are treated to a delicious pancake breakfast. Following the breakfast, all our Advisory Groups will participate in a Quiz Bowl. The halls at Rochelle Park are filled with excitement as we prepare to begin our holiday break. 

On behalf of our entire staff at Rochelle Park, we want to send our warmest holiday wishes for a beautiful holiday season, filled with lots of peaceful and joyful moments. Enjoy the break with family and friends, and we will see you in the New Year!

This month Sage Day Boonton will feature our History and College and Career Departments. In our history classes, all of our students are focusing on improving their research skills through various projects. In Global Issues, our seniors are focusing on current issues in the world. Some of these topics include globalization, climate change, and the importance of fair trade. In Constitutional Law and Civics, our students are exploring what it means to be an active citizen.  These students are currently exploring ways to get involved in their communities. One way of encouraging involvement in the community will be to schedule a field trip in the spring to the Boonton Historical Society. This will be a great opportunity for our students to learn more about the history of our community.

Another way of encouraging student involvement in the community is through the ongoing efforts of our College and Career Coordinator, Mr. Dan Montesano. Mr. Montesano collaborates with local businesses to establish structured learning experiences/internships for our students in local stores and businesses during or after the school day. Sage Day Boonton currently partners with a jewelry store, a bakery, and a florist to establish job-related experiences that help prepare our students  for post-high school transition. At this time, nearly all of our seniors have completed their college applications and some seniors have already been hearing about acceptances from colleges and universities. Our juniors are beginning to meet with Mr. Montesano to discuss the college application process as well as potential structured learning experiences. Mr. Montesano will be available to meet with our Boonton campus parents during the January Parent Support Group meeting.

November was an eventful month as we completed our first marking period, held parent-teacher conferences, and celebrated Thanksgiving with a traditional meal and reflection on what makes us thankful.