Hawthorne High School (HHS) held Eighth Grade Orientation on Thursday, November 29, 2012, to showcase for prospective students the academic offereings and the various clubs and extracurricular activities HHS has to offer.
The student-driven evening began with a performance by the HHS Marching Band and Colorguard and was followed by a video with various pictures of distinguished HHS alumni as well as the activities of HHS clubs and extracurricular activities. Included in the video was a Media Arts presentation of the HHS Spirit Week. “It was honestly a very well-done presentation,” said Theresa DiGeronimo, the Library Media Specialist. Next was a presentation from the Drama Club which involved a dance from the movie Footloose.
After these performances, Barry Cohen, principal of HHS, introduced Jennifer Basilone, Director of Guidance, who introduced the new “Career Pathways” curriculum that will be implemented next September. This approach to high school education allows students to take a series of electives that guide them toward a particular career field such as education, business, or arts. Following Basilone’s presentation, various students, teachers, alumni, and parents took the stage to answer questions presented by teacher and coach Gustav Schell. Each member of the panel answered, from personal experiences, the question: “Why should my child go to Hawthorne High School?”
Following this presentation in the auditorium, eighth graders and their parents made their way over to the cafeteria to enjoy punch and cookies presented by Pomptonian Food Service, Hawthorne High School’s cafeteria food and beverage supplier. The students and parents also viewed presentations prepared by all high school sport teams as well as various clubs such as Journalism Club, Italian Club, Creative Writing Club, Drama Club and many more. Cali Branter, a student at HHS as well as a member of the Drama Club, said, “It looked like it was a great experience for the eighth graders, and I think it really changed any doubts they had about HHS.”
Parents and students were then free to visit various locations throughout the high school in an open-house environment to learn more about the different academic offerings. Each academic department, as well as the guidance department, had a staff representative on hand to discuss the curriculum and requirements of each course.
Many administrators, teachers, students, and parents contributed their time and expertise to make this night as informative as possible so that prospective students and their parents could make an informed decision about attending Hawthorne High School next September.