Every morning at Nutley High School, an estimated 120 teachers find themselves cutting their lessons short. The reason? A system of crackly speakers all buzzing to life at the same time.
“Good morning, Nutley High School! Time for the announcements: we’ve got a few today!”
NHS students will soon have new food options for lunch and weekend meals that have their roots deeply planted in Nutley history. Adam "Spanky" Jernick, a 2001 NHS graduate, is opening a restaurant across the street from the high school that will offer award-winning burgers, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, sides, and beverages.
The onset of a new year gives people time to reflect about what transpired during the prior year, and also how they might make the upcoming year even better. New Year's resolutions have become a tradition among many people looking to make improvements in their lives, whether small or large. The most popular resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, save more money, do better in school, or spend more time with friends and family.
The Nutley High School RIISE Program has started a new business called the SunRIISE SweetShoppe And More! This new addition is a hospitality business and participants are hoping to bring joy both in and outside of the school atmosphere.
Vice Principal Craig Jandoli started a new holiday tradition, a "Deck The Halls" fundraiser, where the teachers participate in a door decorating contest, and the winner gets to choose a charity to donate the prize money to. Vice Principal Jandoli said, “Initially it wasn’t going to be a fundraiser, but just an opportunity to bring life into the school, give students a different scenery, and get into the spirit of the season.
Key Club members spent five hours helping the employees at Nanina’s In The Park put together baskets of food for Thanksgiving for the less fortunate and load them into trucks on Tuesday, November 22. Key Club Vice President Elizabeth DeSantis said, “It’s nice that Key Club always makes an effort to get the student body involved in events like these.
A 5k run/walk (three mile walk/run and a one mile fun run for children) was held on November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at De Muro Park, in honor of the former Nutley cheerleader, Gianna Signorile. The event raised $10,000 for medical research.
The Key Club held their annual Blood Drive in the small gym on Tuesday, October 18. The event started once the morning announcements were over around 8:15 and didn’t end until approximately 2:45 pm.
Fourteen Key Club members participated in this event along with Ms. Mazza, Mrs. D'Urso, Mrs. Zarillo and Mr. Alberti.
Nutley High School has welcomed Craig Jandoli as its new vice principal. He fills the vacancy left by Jackie Devore, who accepted the position of coordinator of physical education. Jandoli began his first year this past September and has a lot to bring this year. “I’m looking to bring in a fresh energy of pride, I want NHS students to be proud to be Raiders,” he says.
The Key Club represented Nutley High School at the Annual Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade on Sunday, October 9, hosted by the Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Month Committee. Some of the other activities that Key Club hosts are the annual Blood Drive which takes place at the high school and pumpkin painting at the Nutley Museum.
Earlier this month, Nutley High School did something special that has never been done before: “Pie an Adminsitartor!” During last block of lunch, students who spent between $2–$7 had the opportunity to toss a pie at an administrator of their choice, choosing among Mr. Williams, Mr. Materia or Mr. Jandoli. The greater amount that the student paid, the closer they could get to their target. The event took place in the Senior Courtyard.
June 3, 2022 marked Nutley High School’s (NHS) first ever Raiderfest: a series of different events taking place on the Oval, where all the grades competed against one another. Because of the lack of school activities in the last few years due to the Coronavirus, the NHS Student Council is working hard to bring back many events that were once enjoyed by all, and to even start new traditions in the future.
As of June 2022, it is the 23rd celebration of Pride Month. During this time, individuals, whose sexual or romantic attraction and gender identity fall outside the mainstream, commemorate the freedom to be themselves. Pride parades and gatherings are traced back to the history of minority groups who have endlessly fought the decades of prejudice to be accepted for who they are.
For many years, the Egg Drop Challenge was popular with Lincoln School’s 6th graders, who were under the direction of retired teacher, Mr. Comune. It’s an opportunity for the students to bond, practice their engineering skills, and exercise friendly competition. “Our curriculum was up for review and we wanted to include additional units of study such as Engineering and Coding,” says Spring Garden Media Specialist Mrs. Janine Sarno.
Phillip Siculietano is no stranger to Nutley or the Nutley Public School system. Siculietano graduated from Nutley High School in 1982 and began his teaching career in 1992. He is a certified special education teacher specifically in a self-contained LLD program.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, describes mental health, it is “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” This influences our decision making, relationships with others, and general behavior. As such, from adolescence through adulthood, it is an important aspect within every stage of our life. Over the years, the importance of mental health has been gradually discussed, and May is a month to spread even more awareness.
For the past 22 years, the Nutley Chamber of Commerce, an organization representing many businesses in Nutley, has held an annual 5K run. This event is one of the two fundraising events for the Chamber of Commerce. This year, Jim McGuire (President of the Chamber of Commerce), Christina Rodriguez (runner), Dawn Gajewski (runner), and Jaylin Romero (runner) reflected on their experiences and goals for this run. “It was a beautiful morning. I felt confident in my training,” says Dawn, “but was actually just glad to see the race had a good turnout and people enjoying themselves.”
Mrs. Lorraine Restel has been a part of the Nutley School District for 42 years, so her retirement made headlines throughout the community. Currently the Principal of Lincoln School, Mrs. Restel announced her retirement, effective July 1, 2022. “I love my job and will definitely miss it,” Mrs. Restel said.
John H. Walker Middle School produced their professional, junior level show on Friday May 6, 2022 at 7:00pm and on Saturday May 7, 2022 at 2:00 pm. Ms. Christina Alamo, the director of the show, decided on Into The Woods Jr. to be the first show for the middle school.
It’s that time of the year again, when rain seems like it never ends, and the flowers flourish to their extravagant colors. As we leave the stretched out month of March in the past, and welcome April, many can be thrilled for multiple reasons. First, all students are able to take a week off of school to relax their minds. This calls for no homework, studying, or tests to complete. Several students and their families decide to travel for spring break.
