School News: Character Education Awards October 2003

Art show exhibits student talent and creativity
At Monticello High School’s annual Spring Art Show, students of all grade levels showed off their artistic talents

and creativity in a big way. The exhibit, presented as a professional-style art opening, touted room dividers and walls covered with colorful renditions of relief portraits, hand-made jewelry, collages, oil paintings, pencil drawings and more. Hand-sewn original design creations from the Fashion Design class made one onlooker comment that Monticello “might have the next Gucci!” Creative photography, three-dimensional sculptures and hand-painted, original design canvas bags rounded-out the display of talent and creativity.

For tenth-grader Domenica Accomando and her cousin ninth-grader Debra Lynch, this was a very exciting event, as it was the first time they displayed their artwork in public. Both girls explained how they created their work to proud family members as they went from piece to piece admiring the show.

AP (advanced placement) art student Maria Taggart, has displayed her work many times through the years. But even though this was far from her first show, the excitement of unveiling her work for all to see was a thrill. With dozens of art classes under her belt and a portfolio filled with elaborate artworks, she is on the path to her dream of becoming a

professional artist. “I like to combine what I learn in each class to create unique works of art,” explained Taggart. “The many art classes I have taken at school have really helped me hone my skills.”

But the importance of art classes goes way beyond the beauty of the finished products. Research studies continue to find that creative arts activities have a profound effect on the developing mind of young students. There appears to be a direct link between the amount of time a child spends engaged in creative activities and the development of problem-solving skills that apply to all subject areas. One recent study has even linked increased artistic activity in students to improved test scores. Monticello School District identifies the fine arts as a key component to preparing students with the diverse skills necessary to be productive and successful during their school years and after graduation.

Photos: 1: Pencil drawing by HS senior Chrissy Bunce, who plans to attend art school in the fall.
2: AP art student Maria Taggart with the hand-crafted summer shirt she created in her Fashion Design class. Art teachers Lisa Baisley, left, and

Brenda Sywalski are very proud of the quality work their students have produced this year.
3: B&W photo of Anthony Carmeci taken by 11th-grade artist Vanessa Porter.
4: From left, Liz Accomando stands with her granddaughters Domenica Accomando and Debra Lynch as the girls show her the collage creations they made in their Studio in Art class. Also pictured are family members Paul Accomando Jr., Marco and Maryann Laterza, and Eve Korzelius.
5: Sophomore Casey Zier with the hand-painted canvas bag she created in her illustration class.

Team Brittany filled with love and determination right to the finish line
On June 16, 29 supporters turned out to run and walk for Team

Brittany at the Annual Rhulen Rock Hill Run and Ramble. The team was a way for Monticello High School student Brittany Beckman's friends and family to raise money to help pay for her Leukemia treatment.

The enthusiastic team won first place for being the largest team and raising the most money. Team members Emma Cohen and Kelly Pfeister came in 2nd and 3rd respectively for individual fundraising, raising a combined total of almost $1,000. Brandon Beckmann was the first member of Team Brittany to cross the finish line, clearing the 5K in 20 minutes.

Approximately $10,000 was donated to Brittany's family to help with her medical expenses.
Photo: Friends Daria Coney and Brittany Beckmann with the first place team trophy.

Congratulations to Monticello High School's 4th Quarter Honor Roll students
4.0
Marina Lombardi, Kate Oldfield, Ruben Rebolledo, Carly Rice, Zenaida Torres, Bethany Ulrich,
Anissia Westerman, Chelsea Brennan, Rebecca Concors, Andrea Drollinger, Taylor Dubois, Jessica Fingers, Allie Goldsmith, Crystal Gonzalez, Aria Shafai, Benjamin Smith, Colleen Thomas, Rachel Zager, Phylicia Bediako, Ingrid Carvo, Bryan Fuller, Ann Joy, Katherine Kocijanski, Terrence Mullen, Tanya Perez, Tyler Salovin, Lee Srokosz
High Honor Roll
Denise Allen, Ashley Beckmann, Kyle Bennett, Carlye Benson, Anthony Bisignano, Anastasia Bowden, Devin Bunce, Jenna Carbonara, Sonia Centeno, Daniel Cook, Anthony D’Abbraccio, Juliana D’Abbraccio, Ashley Dejesus, Christina Demestrio, Evan Etkin, Travis Fruchtman, Thomas Gonzalez, Rebecca Goodman, Mandee Heal, Amy Heins, Lianna Hollander, Brian Johnson, Justin Larchevesque, Hui Won Lee, Liza Macentee, Emily Martin, Mariana Montoya, Natalia Montoya, Stephanie Niforatos, Jacqueline O’Rourke, David Osrow, Jason Pabon, Vikas Patel, Jennifer Privett, Dylan Puckett, Katherine Sisco, Taylor Thomas, Mitchell Waichman, Wes Wallgren, Victoria Walters-Lemenze, David Wilbur, Marisa Zable, Marisela Acevedo, Ebony Andrews, Annalisa Bova, Lauren Byrne, Alicia Cardona, Emma Cohen, Daria Coney, Amy Conway, Devinne Depuy, Christopher Dunn, James Dzurica, Tricia Dzurica, Jacob Gault, Juanita Gray, Amanda Hedglin, Richard Heins, Jordan Herzog, Meghan Hughes, Kathryn Justus, Lauren Katz, Gabrielle Komatz, Jordan Kunis, Elli Kyprianou, Jordan Martin, Hannah McCallion, Kelly Owens, Aesha Patel, Vrundan Patel, Kyle Raymond, Brandon Retana, Xenia Retana, Nicko Rosario, Alexis Russell, Danielle Schnitzer, Kara Silverman, Matthew Thomas, Casey Titus, Rion Welsh, Andrew James Whitcomb, Tanner Wuerthner, Tyler Wuerthner, Shaun Wundrack, Casey Zier, Artur Atanov, Natasha Brown, Lillian Carbonara, Monica Concors, Brendan Devine, Autumn Eggleton, Taylor Fasce’-Alper, Niccole Fortunato, Darren Fraser, Christian Giunta, Daniel Green, Katherine Green, Brett Grossfield, Austin Madnick, Jason Osrow, Pollyanna Palhano, Maria Pavese, Rebecca Perlman, Sarah Pimienta, Justine Raymond, Jillian Scheinfield, Philip Shulman, Janelle Slutsky, Jose Tobal, Rosalyn Velez, Jasmin Abreu, Nicole Accomando, Alexandra Astras, Christine Bunce, Crystal Cleveland, Stephanie Cone, Tara Feller, Jared Goldstein, Ivy Lam, Corey Lubniewski, Amanda Mastrantone, Alexandra Mclean, Andrew Moss, Roshni Patel, Maricruz Retana, Kaitlen Rubin, Danielle Trotta, Logan White, Matthew Wissman
Honor Roll
Samantha Arriaga, Alicia Bakken, Savannah Behrent, Virginia Boyd, Brittney Bradley, Simone Bryant, Colin Bunce, Nicholas Burton, Christopher Cavanaugh, Matthew Daitsman, James Durland, Jeffrey Feinstein, Khrysta Garrison, Irini Gialaboukis, Trevor Goldstein, Richard Jersey, Kimoni Josephs, Alicia Lamaur, Giuliana Lapiana, Christine Loucks, Krista Mangabang, James Michel, Jonathan Millard, Joseph Molewski, Brandon Morales, Paul Nesin, Lisa Papacharalambous, Jasmine Perry, Shanese Pettway, Kelly Pfeister, Kayla Pikul-Walsh, Tyler Richardson, Rebecca Salovin, Dylan Saunderson, Tiffany Sheerer, Briana Slutsky, Stephon Spriggs, Donia Vankeuren, Jessica Venditti, Stephanie Baez, Sheryl Berkowitz, Jazzmin Cassanova, Raymond Chase, Harold Conklin, Jessica Conklin, Amanda Decker, Alyscha Deluca, Maryjane Donato, Gypsie Finnegan, Jennifer Gallego, Daniel Gilbert, Owen Goodman, Cheryl Jernigan, Kiahkia Jones, In Sung Jung, Saige Kashan, Sarah Klein, Shamya Koen, Kyle Lounsbury, Carlie Maree, Jesse Martinez, Erik Mayberg, Kimberly Murran, Oded Naiman, Evan Nolan, Alysia O’Rourke, Joshua Oates, Dara Perlman, William Richards, Jacob Rubin, Yasmin Rumsey, Selena Samuel, Scott Sanford, Jonathan Santiago, paige Schoonmaker, Mary Setren, Kyle Smith, Amanda Snyder, Julia Stephenson, Maria Taggart, Dara Tanzman, Nyoki Tate, Petra Vega, Shanne Waknine, Alexis York, Brittany Beckmann, Jamee Bockman, Alexa Lyn Buckles, Alyssa Centeno, Victoria Dunlap, Jessika Fasce, Timothy Gonzalez, Stephanie Gray, Dior Jackson, Nefthaly Leon, Gabriela Medina, Catherine Poli, Samantha Putzer, Joseph Santelli, Frank Segro, Ashley Shore, Ryan Sonnenschein, Dennis Stafford, Nathan Ulrich, Robert Venditti, Cory Waichman, Jessica Welch, Stephanie Wexler, Samantha Berger, Jaclyn Bunce, Jesse Campanaro, Anthony Carmeci, Samantha Cerbone, Katherine Crawford, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Donald Emerson, Cassandra Fredell, Joanna Goldfarb, Katherine Gonzalez, Tanisha Gray, Kristal Haupt, Stephanie Havre, Jessica Hyman, Kristen Johnson, Maximilian Katz, Bejan Keredian, Christopher Ketcham, Tonya Labarbera, Genny Lee, Michelle Litts, Alexander nagoda, Darian Niforatos, Muzafera Nikocevic, Danny Paik, Iris Robinson, Melissa Ruiz, Lorenzo Santos, Jeremy Siegel, Bobbi Jo Smith, Angelica Snyder, Samuel Sorto, Caitlin Stawarz, Corrin Trombley, William VanHage, Caitlin Vankeuren, A’lisha Waddell, Te’neshia Washington, Amanda Welsh, Tyrone White.

High school AP Chemistry students share their love of science with Duggan 5th graders
When Jeanine Nielsen’s AP Chemistry class was given the task of choosing a demonstration that interested them to present to their peers, they decided to take the assignment one step further. They approached Nielsen wanting to know if they could do their demonstrations for some younger students to show them that science can be exciting. Duggan Principal Patti Sonnenschein then arranged a field trip with her 5th grade students and the wheels of science were in motion.

On June 12, "it was an incredible feeling," for Nielsen as she watched her students transform into mentors making the fifth-graders cheer with wonderment. But not only was the younger group awash with fascination, they also learned that experiments don’t always go as planned, and when some of the experiments didn't work, it opened the door for the unexpected.

The afternoon ended with some outdoor demonstrations that shot into the air and produced loud bangs and left the Duggan 5th graders with an awe and excitement about chemistry and science.

Next year Nielsen would like to expand the presentation to include all of the district elementary schools.

There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere.
- Issac Asamov -

Congratulations to the 2007 Monticello High School Graduates Jasmin Abreu, Diana Accardo, Nicole Accomando, Jessica Agosto, Barbara Alcantara, Faith Alleva, Brian Arango, Rosa Arballes, Alayne Ashman, Alexandra Astras, Jahde Barasch-Grose, Christopher Bass, Miles Berens, Samantha Berger, Jocelyn Bigio, Emily Billig, Patrick Birtch, Kenneth Blanchette, Andrew Bova, Rachel Bowens, Jessica Bowens, Ed Boyles, Alexis Brinkerhoff, Alexis Bruno, Christine Bunce, Jaclyn Bunce, Olivia Burton, Joey Cabrera, Ashley Calhoun, Jesse Campanaro, Romar Caraballo, Anthony Carmeci, Daniel Carroll, Franklin Carvajal, Ashley Castro, Raymond Castro, Jr., JannyMaro Catada, Samantha Cerbone, Nicole Christopher, Paige Cintron, Joseph Cirelli, Crystal Cleveland, Iris Clopton-Robinson, Sarah Coates, Joshua Cohen, Stephanie Cone, Tiffany Conklin, Katherine Crawford, Jameil Cruckshank, Jessica Cruz, Brendon Cunningham, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Brian Daitsman, Vincenzo Davi, Jessica Davila, Kearstin DeGraw, Michael DeMestrio, Heather Demundo, Sarah Depuy, Cierra DeWitt, Andres Diaz, Omar Diaz, Joseph Durante, Samantha Elliott, Donald Emerson, Adam Feinberg, Tara Feller, Alyssa Fello, Brendan Ference, Sharrell Fields-Martin, Wayne Fletcher, Ryan Fogarty, Patricia Forget, Cassandra Fredell, Anthony Freeman, Martel Funney, Stephen Gagnon, James Garcia, Joanna Goldfarb, Jared Goldstein, Katherine Gonzalez, Luis Gonzalez, Jr., Johnny Goodin, Maureen Goodman, Meredith Gray, Roselyn Gray, Tanisha Gray, Christine Green, Biko Grogan, George Hall, Shannon Hastings, Kristal Haupt, Stephanie Havre, Gabriel Henriquez, Joseph Hernandez, II, Daniel Hindley, Jessica Hinton, Jeffrey Hornyak, Anthony House, Michael Hughes, Heather Hummel, Jessica Hyman, Jennifer Jahn, Arthur Johannes, Danielle Johnson, Kristen Johnson, Tamara Johnson, Joseph Jones, Shane Jones, Maximilian Katz, Christopher Ketcham, Shawn King, Amanda Knapp, Catherine Koenig, Vildana Kolenovic, Ryan Kowalyk, Tonya Labarbera, Christopher Lacey, John Lacey, Ivy Lam, Courtney Lambert, Thomas Lane, Jessica Latimer, Genny Lee, Alma Lekovic, Alexander Levine, Michelle Litts, Carlos Lopez, Chelsea Lorino, Corey Lubniewski, Jason Lubniewski, Tiffany Mack, Ashley Mangabang, Anthony Mann, Laura Marquez Vasquez, Amanda Mastrantone, Matthew McCauley, Christopher McDougal, Alexandra McLean, Raquel McLeod, Lemuel Mercado, Benedetto Miraglia, Luis Miraglia, LaShawn Moorer, Estefania Morales, Andrew Moss, Keith Munoz, Alexander Nagoda, ShellyMarie Nelson, Heather Nieves, Darian Niforatos, Muzafera Nikocevic, Isabela Nikocevic, Michael Norman, Elizabeth Oakley, Amy Ortiz, Angel Ortiz Sierra, Danny Paik, Joshua Palmisano, Damien Pantoja, Justino Paredes-Cordero, Logan Parsells, Roshni Patel, John Patterino, Tanya Perez, Joshua Picarello, Melissa Pinto, Michael Pittenger, Besnik Prelvukaj, Cordnelius Price, Michael Quon, Daniel Ramos, Maricruz Retana, Stephanie Richards, Emile Rivera, Yalitza Rivera, Terry Rode, II Jr., Pedro Rodriguez, Nelson Rohrs, Tiffany Roosevelt, Gerald Rose, Heather Rosenbaum, Kaitlen Rubin, Melissa Ruiz, Kaycee Rundle, Tyler Salovin, Samantha Sanok, Lorenzo Santos, Theresa Sarosy, China Saunders, Anthony Schick, Alexandria Schnitzer, Heather Scott, Ashley Seoane, Maxine Sheehan, Daniel Siegel, Jeremy Siegel, Zachary Siegel, Chante Simon, Janelle Slutsky, BobbyJo Smith, Jillian Smith, Satanya Snowden, Angelica Snyder, Samuel Sorto, Lee Srokosz, Bryan Stanton II, Caitlin Stawarz, Anna Stein, Rodney Stickle, Tiana Suarez, Damaine Tate, Mark Thornton, Gina Tillman, Cameron Tompkins, Michael Torres Rothberg, Corrin Trombley, Danielle Trotta, Allen Tweed, William VanHage, Jr., Michael Vandermeulen, Caitlin VanKeuren, Christopher Vaquedano, Elizabeth Vazquez, Aneris Vega, Heather VonHegel, A’lisha Waddell, Shaheedra Walker, Te’neshia Washington, Ishmael Weekes, Amanda Welsh, Rebecca Werkmeister, Clynet White, Logan White, Tyrone White, Jacob Widmann, Jessica Willcox, Matthew Wissman, Ashley Woods, Monika Zalewska

Monticello freshman enriching the lives of others
Monticello High School’s student community action group, the Monticello Panther Paws, has been extremely

busy this year reaching out to the community with a helping hand. The group of 33 ninth-grade students, led by their Freshman Enrichment teacher Gernilee Schombs, has collected coats for the needy, fed the homeless, and has volunteered for various community activities. Now to top off all of their other hard work and good deeds, students decided to help the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sullivan Class of 2007 with their “Build-a Backpack” initiative to benefit Safe Passage of Sullivan County.

For the project, students collected enough donations and materials to assemble 40 backpacks for middle and high school-aged students who are considered “at risk” and are relocated from their homes at short notice. “The kids who get taken out of their homes still have to come to school,” explained ninth-grader Mariana Montoya. “And they don’t have a lot of time to take the things they need with them.” That’s why the backpacks include not only notebooks, pens, pencils and paper, but also hair care products, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

For Montoya and many of the other students in the Freshman Enrichment class, this is the first time in their young lives they have volunteered to help others in their community. And according to student Giuliana LaPiana, all of this do-going has gotten her hooked. “I love helping other people; it gives me such a wonderful feeling - like I’m really making a difference in their lives,” explained LaPiana. “I find it so rewarding to make someone smile.” Most of the donated items the students have gathered during their projects have come from faculty, staff, parents, community members and local businesses.

The filled backpacks were picked up by Leadership Sullivan Class of 2007 member Kathy Kreiter along with Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce President Terri Hess and Vice President Lisa Mills in early May. They will be combined with the rest of the community-donated backpacks and will be delivered to Safe Passage within the next few weeks.

The names of all the students who participated to help others in their community are: Ashley Beckmann, Kyle Bennett, Anthony Bisignano, Ginger Boyd, Nick Burton, Colin Bunce, Jenna Carbonera, Dan Cook, James Durland, Evan Etkin, Andrew Gunther, Greg Hall, Rick Jersey, Giulianna Lapiana, Marina Lombardi, Liza MacEntee, Jamie Michel, Joe Molewski, Mariana Montoya, Kate Oldfield, David Osrow, Lisa Papacharalambous, Rubin Rebolledo, Carly Rice, Heather Schnabel, Mitchell Waichman, Tori Walters-Lemenze, Jackie O’Rourke, Gabrielle Platt, Bethany Ulrich, Hu’Wan Lee, Kelly Pfeister, and Julianna D’Abraccio.

Photos:
Top – From left, ninth-grade students Carly Rice and Giuliana LaPiana help fill the donated backpacks for the Safe Passage youths.

Center – From left, Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sullivan Class of 2007 member Kathy Kreiter chats with ninth-grade student Mariana Montoya, Monticello High School Principal Arleene Siegel-Lerner and student Lisa Papcharalambous.

Bottom – High School teacher Gernilee Schombs, second from right, stands with a bunch of her students as they work assembling their backpacks for charity. “I’m so proud of them,” expressed Schombs.

High School students honored for commitment
The American Cancer Society selected Monticello High School

student organized group Teens Against Cancer as a Sponsor for the Sullivan County Relay for Life. The group was chosen due to its unwavering commitment in its fight against cancer.

The club's coordinators, Samantha Berger and Monika Zalewska (pictured) were awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the American Cancer Society for their dedication to the goals of both the club and the ACS. The Relay for Life was held on June 2.

Mr. Monti 2007 crowned in good company
On May 5, the Mr. Monti pageant, a senior class fundraiser, raised nearly $1,000. Approximately 40 students from the junior and senior class worked hard to make this such a successful event with their participation as contestants, escorts, stage crew and assistants.

The evening included the contestants showcasing casual wear, a trip to the beach, an individual talent, a costume of a significant historical figure, and two rounds of random questions spontaneously answered. They were required to participate in two ensemble dance numbers, "You've Got To Move It" and "YMCA," the latter which got the entire audience involved.

Though all the contestants did a wonderful job, the honor of Mr. Monti 2007 was bestowed upon Jason Lubniewski, with Brian Daitsman finishing as first runner-up. Thanks to all the participants for their hard work and good humor!

The bake sale was stocked and run by Joyce Koscis, her family and consumer science class.

Congratulations to Monticello High School's 3rd Quarter Honor Roll students
4.0
Nicole Accomando, Denise Allen, Brittany Beckmann, Phylicia Bediako, Ingrid Carvo, Rebecca Concors, Bryan Fuller, Meredith Gray, Katherine Green, Ann Joy, Tyler Solovin, Danielle Schnitzer, Aria Shafai, Lee Srokosz, Rachel Zager
High Honor Roll
Jasmin Abreu, Marisela Acevedo, Ebony Andrews, Samantha Arriaga, Alexandra Astras, Ashley Beckmann, Kyle Bennett, Carlye Benson, Annalisa Bova, Anastasia Bowden, Chelsea Brennan, Christine Bunce, Devin Bunce, Jenna Carbonara, Lillian Carbonara, Samantha Cerbone, Stephanie Cone, Daria Coney, Amy Conway, Daniel Cook, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Juliana D’Abbraccio, Christina Demestrio, Brendan Devine, Christina Dobbs, Andrea Drollinger, Taylor Dubois, James Durland, James Dzurica, Tricia Dzurica, Autumn Eggleton, Donald Emerson, Evan Etkin, Jessika Fasce, Tara Feller, Jessica Fingers, Ryan Fogarty, Darren Fraser, Mahogany Gaillard, Jacob Gault, Irini Gialaboukis, Christian Giunta, Allie Goldsmith, Jared Goldstein, Trevor Goldstein, Crystal Gonzalez, Thomas Gonzalez, Rebecca Goodman, Daniel Green, Amy Heins, Richard Heins, Jordan Herzog, Lianna Hollander, Meghan Hughes, Brian Johnson, Kristen Johnson, In Sung Jung, Maximilian Katz, Katherine Kocijanski, Jordan Kunis, Tonya Labarbera, Ivy Lam, Genny Lee, Michelle Litts, Marina Lombardi, Corey Lubniewski, Liza Macentee, Austin Madnick, Emily Martin, Jordan Martin, Amanda Mastrantone, Erik Mayberg, Andrew Moss, Terrence Mullen, Darian Niforatos, Stephanie Niforatos, Kate Oldfield, Jacqueline O’Rourke, David Osrow, Kelly Owens, Pollyanna Palhano, Aesha Patel, Roshni Patel, Vrundan Patel, Rebecca Perlman, Gabrielle Platt, Dylan Puckett, Justine Raymond, Kyle Raymond, Ruben Rebolledo, Brandon Retana, Xenia Retana, Carly Rice, Nicko Rosario, Kaitlen Rubin, Alexis Russell, Dylan Saunderson, Paige Schoonmaker, Frank Segro, Philip Shulman, Katerine Sisco, Briana Slutsky, Janelle Slutsky, Bobbi Jo Smith, Jesse Smith, Stephon Spriggs, Caitlin Stawarz, Maria Taggart, Colleen Thomas, Matthew Thomas, Taylor Thomas, Casey Titus, Zenaida Torres, Corrin Trombley, Danielle Trotta, Bethany Ulrich, Rosalyn Velez, Robert Venditti, A’lisha Waddell, Shanne Waknine, Wes Wallgren, Victoria Walters-Lemenze, Te’neshia Washington, Jessica Welch, Amanda Welsh, Rion Welsh, Rebecca Werkmeister, Andrew James Whitcomb, Logan White, Matthew Wissman, Tyler Wuerthner, Shaun Wundrack, Marisa Zable, Casey Zier
Honor Roll
Atikka Almodovar, Artur Atanov, Stephanie Baez, Alicia Bakken, Ariel Beach, Brandon Beckmann, Sheryl Berkowitz, Jamee Bockman, Virginia Boyd, Ed Boyles, Nicole Boyles, Brittney Bradley, Brendan Briggs, Natasha Brown, Simone Bryant, Carly Bulaga, Jaclyn Bunce, Nicholas Burton, Lauren Byrne, Sabrina Call, Jesse Campanaro, Jazzmin Cassanova, Alyssa Centeno, Crystal Cleveland, Emma Cohen, Ashley Colombo, Monica Concors, Harold Conklin, Tiffany Conklin, Amanda Cooper, Ashley Coutant, Daniel Cunningham, Joshua Cunningham, Anthony D’Abbraccio, Brian Daitsman, Tirrell Dandridge, Amanda Decker, Shane Deitchman, Ashley DeJesus, Devinne Depuy, Christopher Dockery, Victoria Dunlap, Christopher Dunn, Taylor Fasce’-Alper, Brendan Ference, Nicole Fortunato, Travis Fruchtman, Khrysta Garrison, Daniel Gilbert, Joanna Goldfarb, Katherine Gonzalez, Raymond Gonzalez, Juanita Gray, Tanisha Gray, Brett Grossfield, Kristal Haupt, Mandee Heal, Amanda Hedglin, Maxine Hoffman, Anthony House, Richard Jersey, Kimoni Josephs, Saige Kashan, Lauren Katz, Nicole Keesler, Bejan Keredian, Christopher Ketcham, Gabrielle Komatz, Elli Kyprianou, Christopher Lacey, Giuliana Lapiana, Justin Larchevesque, Jessica Latimer, Ian Laufersweiler, Hui Won Lee, Nefthaly Leon, Christopher Loucks, Kyle Lounsbury, Jason Lubniewski, Krista Mangabang, Hannah McCallion, Gabriela Medina, Brian Mendez, Cristian Merino, James Michel, Joseph Molewski, Mariana Montoya, Natalia Montoya, Brandon Morales, Kimberly Murran, David Murry, Paul Nesin, Muzafera Nikocevic, Evan Nolan, Joshua Oates, Jason Osrow, Jason Pabon, Danny Paik, Lisa Papacharalambous, Vikas Patel, Maria Pavese, Liana Perez, Jasmine Perry, Kelly Pfeister, Kayla Pikul-Walsh, Sarah Pimenta, Catherine Poli, Vanessa Porter, Lucas Price, Jennifer Privett, Samantha Putzer, Justine Raymond, Maricruz Retana, Regenald Rios Costello, Iris Robinson, Terry Rode, Jacob Rubin, Brian Ruperti, Rebecca Salovin, Selena Samuel, Joseph Santelli, Jonathan Santiago, Sabrina Santos, Jillian Scheinfeld, Anthony Schick, Mary Setren, Tiffany Sheerer, Ashley Shore, Kara Silverman, Jillian Smith, Michael Snowden, Satanya Snowden, Amanda Snyder, Angelica Snyder, Ryan Sonnenschein, Julia Stephenson, Brittany Stickle, Tiana Suarez, Nyoki Tate, Nathan Ulrich, William Vanhage, Caitlin Vankeuren, Donia Vankeuren, Petra Vega, Celina Velez, Cory Waichman, Mitchell Waichman, Tyquan Walker, William Watson, Ishmael Weekes, Jami Welch, Anissia Westerman, Stephanie Wexler, Tyrone White, Jacob Widmann, Jordan Wilson, Catherine Witt, Tanner Wuerthner

Students lend a "paw" to help community
Monticello students' volunteer group the Panther Paws served lunch at the
Monticello Federation for the Homeless for two weeks in March as a way to help

strengthen the school's bond with its community.

The group also volunteered volunteered at the Family Fun Day held at the Duggan School in the town of Bethel on April 1.

They are supervised by their ninth-grade English teacher, Gernilee Schombs. Pictured from left, Nick Burton, Ginger Boyd, Kate Oldfield, Andrew Gunther, Huiwon Lee, Rick Jersey and James Michel.

High school musical Grease a singing success
Monticello High School students captured their audience at the recent musical performance of the classic love story Grease, when the fictitious Rydell High School in Chicago became the scene for two star-crossed lovers, played by Erik Mayberg and Chante Simon, to be all odds.

The Greasers and their Pink Ladys sang many popular, timeless songs.

Helping the homeless in Monticello
A group of freshman organized by English teacher Gerni Schombs, in conjunction with Community Unity of Sullivan County, coordinated the first annual Panther Paws Coat Drive. Participants collected more than 70 coats, which will be distributed by students to the needy at the homeless shelter in Monticello. While students are there, they plan to serve lunch.

Pictured are: Kyle Bennett, Heather Schnabel, David Osrow, Ginger Boyd, Ruben Rebolledo, Joe Molewski, Nick Burton, James Durland, Kate Oldfield, Evan Etkin, Daniel Cook, Lisa Papcharalambous, Mariana Montoya, Greg Hall, Mitchell Waichman, Anthony Bisignano, Jackie O'Rourke, Jenna Carbonara, Mrs. G. Schombs, Liza MacEntee, Bethany Ulrich, Colin Bunce, James Michel, Giuliana Lapiana, Vitoria Walters-Lemenze, Carly Rice.

Missing are: Ashley Beckmann, Rick Jersey, Andrew Gunther, Marina Lombardi, HuWon Lee, Gabrielle Platt, Kelly Pfiester.

Hypothermia lesson brings high school and elementary students together
During a recent project, high school science students in Christine Hart's class were studying the effects of hypothermia and creating informational packets to inform people about its dangers. To add another dimension to the lesson, students created coloring books to help Rutherford Elementary School 4th-grade students from Jennifer Jessup's class understand how a person gets hypothermia and what they can do to avoid it and treat it.

As part of the presentation, the high school students prepared hot chocolate for the younger students and explained that it was one of the best remedies for hypothermia, since it warms the body to its core, provides glucose for immediate use and protein and fat for energy later. As an added treat, the high school students surprised the elementary school students with popcorn as well.

The high school students really enjoyed working with the Rutherford students and expressed that it was a very fulfilling experience for them. According to their teachers, they also enjoyed working together and they felt their classes really benefited from this collaboration.

Monticello High School raises money for cancer research
Joyce Koscis organized this year's Daffodils Days, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. As a school community, the faculty and staff raised $575. A special thanks to all of you who participated in this campaign.

Congratulations to all the Monticello High School 2nd Quarter high achievers:
Perfect 4.0
9th Grade:
Denise Allen, Marina Lombardi, Ruben Rebolledo
10th Grade:
Hector Cerna, Rebecca Concors, Jacob Gault, Crystal Gonzalez, Aesha Patel, Nirali Patel, Aria Shafai, Rachel Zager
11th Grade;
Phylicia Bediako, Bryan Fuller, Pollyanna Palhano
12th Grade:
Anthony Carmeci, Joshua Cohen, Meredith Gray, ivy Lam, Tyler Salovin, Lee Srokosz

High Honor Roll
9th Grade:
Jason Arias, Ashley Beckman, Kyle Bennett, Caryle Benson, Anastasia Bowden, Simone Bryant, James Buckley, Devin Bunce, Jenna Carbonara, Sonia Centeno, Daniel Cook, Anthony D’Abbraccio, Juliana D’Abbraccio, Ashley DeJesus, Evan Etkin, Trevor Goldstein, Thomas Gonzalez, Rebecca Goodman, Mandee heal, Amy Heins, Lianna Hollander, Richard Jersey, Justin Larchevesque, Liza Macentee, Krista Mangabang, Brian Mendez, Natalia Montoya, Stephanie Niforatos, Jacqueline O’Rourke, Kate Oldfield, David Osrow, Jason Pabon, Sarah Palmisano, Jennifer Privett, Dylan Puckett, Carly Rice, Dylan Saunderson, Katherine Sisco, Briana Slutsky, Taylor Thomas, Bethany Ulrich, Donia Vankeuren, Wes Wallgren, Victoria Walters-Lemenze, David Wilbur, Marisa Zable
10th Grade:
Marisela Acevedo, Ebony Andrews, Stephanie Baez, Sheryl Berkowitz, Annalisa Bova, Chelsea Brennan, Charise Catabay, Emma Cohen, Daria Coney, Amy Conway, Tirrell Dandridge, Taylor Dubois, James Dzurica, Jessica Fingers, Allie Goldsmith, Amanda Hedglin, Richard Heins, Jordan Herzog, Meghan Hughes, Kathryn Justus, Jordan Kunis, Elli Kyprianou, Jordan Martin, Alysia O’Rourke, Kelly Owens, Vrundan Patel, Brandon Retana, Nicko Rosario, Alexis Russell, Danielle Schnitzer, Maria Taggart, Colleen Thomas, Matthew Thomas, Casey Titus, Petra Vega, Rion Welsh, Tyler Wuerthner, Shaun Wundrack, Casey Zier
11th Grade:
Ingrid Carvo, Ashley Colombo, Brendan Devine, Jessika Fasce, Niccole Fortunato, Darren Fraser, Christian Giunta, Daniel Green, Katherine Green, Ann Joy, Katherine Kocijanski, Nefthaly Leon, Austin Madnick, Rebecca Perlman, Vanessa Porter, Samantha Putzer, Justine Raymond, Cristina Roman, Joseph Santelli, Jillian Scheinfeld, Ashley Shore, Philip Shulman, Janelle Slutsky, Jesse Smith, Nathan Ulrich, Celina Velez, Rosalyn Velez, Robert Venditti, Jami Welch
12th Grade:
Jasmin Abreu, Nicole Accomando, Alexandra Astras, Christine Bunce, Stephanie Cone, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Tara Feller, Brendan Ference, Joanna Goldfarb, Jared Goldstein, Taisha Gray, Kristal Haupt, Jennifer Jahn, Maximilian Katz, Tonya Labarbera, Michelle Litts, Corey Lubniewski, Amanda Mastrantone, Andrew Moss, Danny Paik, Roshni Patel, Maricruz Retana, Terry Rode, Kaitlen Rubin, Angelica Snyder, William VanHage, Te’Neshia Washington, Amanda Welsh, Logan White, Matthew Wissman

Honor Roll
9th Grade:
Samantha Arriaga, Dzhessika Atanova, Alicia Bakken, Ariel Beach, Brandon Beckman, Anthony Bisignano, Virginia Boyd, Brittney Bradley, Colin Bunce, Nicholas Burton, Christopher Cavanaugh, Amanda Cooper, Shane Deitchman, Christina Demestrio, James Durland, Travis Fruchtman, Khrysta Garrison, Michael Gould, Kenisha Haynes, Brian Johnson, Kimoni Josephs, Hui Won lee, Christine Loucks, Angela Macedonio, Emily Martin, Stefon McGinnis, James Michel, Joseph Molewski, Mariana Montoya, Paul Nesin, Vikas Patel, Jasmine Perry, Kayla Pikul-Walsh, Tyler Richardson, Jennifer Rivera, Serafin Rodriguez, Dorentina Rraci, Michael Ruggiero, Rebecca Salovin, Troy Smith, Matthew Strong, Zenaida Torres, Jessica Venditti, Mitchell Waichman, Anissia Westerman, Jordan Wilson
10th Grade:
Cynthia Acevedo, Lauren Byrne, Harold Conklin, Pedro Correa, Alyscha Deluca, Devinne Depuy, Andrea Drollinger, Christopher Dunn, Tricia Dzurica, Gypsie Finnegan, Theresa Fuoto, Mahogany Gaillard, Daniel Gilbert, Juanita Gray, Juliette Harvin, Kiahkia Jones, Lauren Katz, Gabrielle Komatz, Kyle Lounsbury, Carlie Maree, Jesse Martinez, Erik Mayberg, Hannah McCallion, Kimberly Murran, Evan Nolan, Joshua Oates, Dara Perlman, Kyle Raymond, Xenia Retana, Jacob Rubin, Yasmin Rumsey, Scott Sanford, Jonathan Santiago, Sabrina Santos, Paige Schoonmaker, Mary Setren, Gregory Siegel, Kara Silverman, Deon Smith, Kyle Smith, Amanda Snyder, Julia Stephenson, Nyoki Tate, Stacey Trinidad, Shanne Waknine, Andrew James Whitcomb, Tanner Wuerthner, Alexis York
11th Grade:
Artur Atanov, Brittany Beckmann, Jamee Bockman, John Bowens, Nicole Boyles, Natasha Brown, Vincent Brugaletta, Alexa Lyn Buckles, Lillian Carbonara, Monica Concors, Ashley Coutant, Christina Dobbs, Victoria Dunlap, Autumn Eggleton, Taylor Fasce’-Alper, Austin Gager, Timothy Gonzalez, Brett Grossfield, Kevin Hackett, Maxine Hoffman, Ian Laufersweiler, Daniel Madsen, Gabriela Medina, Terrance Mullen, Lorena Ortiz, Maria Pavese, Liana Perez, Sarah Pimienta, Catherine Poli, Justine Raymond, Frank Segro, Jessica Simpson, Ryan Sonnenschein, Dennis Stafford, Hailey VanKeuren, Cory Waichman, Britney Walsh, Ty’Nessa Washington, Jessica Welch, Stephanie Wexler, Catherine Witt
12th Grade:
Samantha Berger, Jaclyn Bunce, Jesse Campanaro, Jannymaro Catada, Samantha Cerbone, Brendon Cunningham, Joshua Cunningham, Brian Daitsman, Jessica Davila, Sarah Depuy, Omar Diaz, Samantha Elliott, Adam Feinberg, Stephanie Havre, Anthony House, Genny Lee, Muzafera Nikocevic, Melissa Pinto, Iris Robinson, Tiffany Roosevelt, Jeremy Siegel, Jillian Smith, Satanya Snowden, Caitlin Stawarz, Rodney Stickle, Tiana Suarez, Corrin Trombley, Danielle Trotta, Caitlin Vankeuren, A’Lisha Waddell, Tyrone White

High School Choir sings for community event
On Saturday, May 12, Monticello High School’s Renaissance Choir, lead by Choral Director Snezana Lazich, sang a variety of songs at the historic plaque dedication honoring the Smith family.

The ceremony, which was overseen by NY State Chief Justice Judith Kaye, was at the site of the former Smith Brothers Farm in the Town of Thompson. Kaye, who is Benjamin Smith’s daughter, is also a graduate of Monticello High School.

Lazich, who is new to the high school music program, is trying to expand the chorus's involvement in more community activities. Click here for more Music in Monticello stories.

Employee Highlight

With the vast amount of technology use growing in our schools, the need for periodic maintenance is necessary. Each school in the district has a tech person on staff that troubleshoots and repairs equipment when needed.

For Monticello High School tech guy David Linton, (pictured) he's always on call to “keep the computers running!”

Monticello students debating their way to the top
The Monticello High School Debate Team is in the midst of a very successful season. They have traveled to tournaments all across the country, competing successfully on a local and national level. The team has attended almost 40 tournaments so far, with many of the debaters competing nearly every weekend. Earlier in the year, some of the students were invited to debate in Los Angeles, and are now preparing for a trek to Atlanta.

Monticello's debate team has been in existence for more than 60 years and has produced many graduates who have gone on to attend Ivy League schools.

This year's team has about 25 members and is overseen by advisor and teacher Sabrina Graham, who, by the way, was on Monticello's Debate Team when she was in school!

High school students gearing up for chopper ride
With the renewed local interest in chopper-type motorcycles being fueled by the success of Orange County Choppers, students in Monticello High School’s “Land, Sea and Air” class are revving up their own brand of choppers. Bicycle choppers that is, under the guidance of technology teacher Robert Sywalski, students are using their brawn and their brains to create their own individually-styled bike.

“This is not a cookie-cutter assignment where every student in the class creates the same thing,” stated Sywalski. “Each finished project is unique.”

According to Sywalski (pictured below) students have to learn and hone many different skills to complete this assignment, including proper bicycle terminology, how to weld, and internet research. They also are required to make

the bike ergonomically sound so that it can actually be ridden.

As for the students, they’re thrilled. With their creativity being unleashed and unfettered, they get to choose and design their own creation. Though some are making their bikes to give to their younger siblings, most are waiting in anticipation of taking them out for a ride!

Community businesses sought to help keep students motivated
Together, Monticello High School and RJK Middle School have more than 500 students who work hard every quarter to make the Honor Roll and High Honor Roll. Presently, the schools reward these students with a complimentary bagel breakfast. Though the students understand that their hard work benefits them in many ways, the district would like to offer them more of an incentive to study hard. So in an effort to strengthen the school/community connection and to keep revenue local, it has been proposed that the schools create a “Discount Card” for these high achievers.

This new program would entail area businesses to offer a discount to students on their products or services. For example, restaurants, movie theatres, hair salons, pizzerias, bakeries or any retail shop could set the discount amount they want to offer. Each quarter, all students who qualify, would be given a card with the names of the participating businesses. Each card would have an expiration date prior to the release of the next Honor Roll list.

Any business interested in participating, would need to register with the high school and participate till the end of the school year. For more information, or to request a registration form, please call Kelly Schadt at 794-8840, Ext. 10915.

Monticello Wrestlers having Successful Season
The Monticello High School Varsity Wrestling Team, the Panthers, is having one of the most successful seasons in recent years. The team’s record, 5-2, is undefeated in league matches.

They’ve also been very successful in tournaments, with four champions and numerous wrestlers placing in the top five.

The Panthers placed 3rd in the 14 team tournament scoring 106 points. The team had three champions, Vinny Brugaletts (140lbs), Alexis Bruno (189lbs) and Rodney Stickle (215lbs). Jesse Campanaro (145lbs), John Bowens (125lbs), Andres Daiz (119lbs), and Andrew Moss (152lbs), placed third. Cory Waichman (275lbs), placed 4th.

Note to parents:
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the fire alarm was activated in the high school building. The fire department responded and discovered a faulty heat sensor. Students were evacuated for approximately 7 minutes. The alarm company was contacted and is working on resolving the situation.

Monticello Rotary Club’s Interact arm is strengthening community ties
Juggling a full load of school studies, homework and extracurricular activities, students in Monticello High School’s Interact Club still seem to find the time to participate in a variety of volunteer community activities.

A service club for youths, ages 14-18, Interact is sponsored by the Monticello Rotary Club, which guides members in developing local service projects.

At Interact’s recent Annual Pancake Breakfast, the students spent the morning flipping hundreds of pancakes and scrambling dozens of eggs for parents, teachers, students, community members and Rotary Club members out looking for a scrumptious meal.

“The kids are really dedicated and are a credit to the community,” stated Monticello Rotary Club member and local attorney Martin Miller, who is one of the numerous Rotary members who came out to support the students’ fundraiser.

For Interact Club President Jesse Campanaro, it was just another day in paradise! The humble, soft-spoken senior not only heads the group, he is the student representative on the Board of Education and is involved in many other school activities.

“This has been one of the most productive years that I’ve seen,” expressed Campanaro. “It’s great to have the community and members of Rotary come out to support us.”

The Interact Club is also involved in other fundraising and community events, including Rotary’s foreign exchange weekend, the annual Halloween parade, the annual Breast Cancer Walk-a-thon and its fall Tricky Tray. Members also participate in community service work, including the recent litter pluck and flower planting around the high school building.

All monies generated from the fundraisers go toward college scholarships for graduating seniors. The group anonymously picks the scholarship recipients based on their service to the school and community involvement. Then they surprise the winners at a school assembly in June with their awards.

For more information about the group, please contact the club advisor, high school guidance counselor Sheryl Manz at 794-8840.

Beloved Monticello High School social studies teacher and varsity baseball coach John Spear, died in an auto accident on January 19. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Michel, has written a letter to parents about this most tragic event. Please click here to read.

Cafeteria payment system gets upgraded
Beginning the week of January 8, the high school and middle school will be implementing a new cash register system called, a point of sale system. The students will enter their student ID number on a keypad, which will bring up that student's account. They will then be able to pay for that particular day's breakfast, lunch or any other item they wish, with the amount being deducted from their balance. This system also accepts any amount of money for prepayment.

This exciting new program was implemented in our elementary schools earlier this year and has proven to be very successful. It also allows the school to print out a memo for parents that includes account balances, money owed and a report on what foods their child is purchasing to eat.

For more information, or for questions, please call 794-8840, Ext. 10970.

The Ashley & Sierra Memorial Scholarship Fund
awards an annual scholarship to graduating seniors in the Monticello Central School District. For more information, click here

Congratulations to our students who made the Monticello High School Honor Roll for the first marking period

Straight A’s
Grade 9 – Denise Allen, Irini Gialaboukis, Marina Lombardi, Dylan Puckett, Marisa Zable.
Grade 10 – Rebecca Concors, Aesha Patel, Nirali Patel, Aria Shafai, Matthew Thomas, Rachel Zager.
Grade 12 – Nicole Accomando, Joshua Cohen, Maximilian Katz, Amanda Mastrantone, Lee Srokosz, Logan White.
High Honors Grade 9
Jason Arias, Samantha Arriaga, Alicia Bakken, Ashley Beckmann, Kyle Bennett, Carlye Benson, Anthony Bisignano, Anastasia Bowden, Virginia Boyd, James Buckley, Devin Bunce, Nicholas Burton, Sabrina Call, Jenna Carbonara, Sonia Centeno, Daniel Cook, Anthony D’Abbraccio, Juliana D’Abbraccio, Shane Deitchman, Ashley Dejesus, Christina Demestrio, Evan Etkin, Travis Fruchtman, Khrysta Garrison, Trevor Goldstein, Thomas Gonzalez, Rebecca Goodman, Gregory Hall, Mandee Heal, Amy Heins, Lianna Hollander, Brian Johnson, Justin Larchevesque, Liza Macentee, Krista Mangabang, Brian Mendez, James Michel, Joseph Molewski, Mariana Montoya, Natalia Montoya, Paul Nesin, Stephanie Niforatos, Jacqueline O’Rourke, Kate Oldfield, David Osrow, Jason Pabon, Sarah Palmesano, Vikas Patel, Jasmine Perry, Jennifer Privett, Ruben Rebolledo, Carly Rice, Dylan Saunderson, Catherine Sisco, Brizna Slutsky, Taylor Thomas, Zenaida Torres, Bethany Ulrico, Donia VanKeuren, Jessica Vendetta, Victoria Waters-Lemenze, David Wilbur.
Honors Grade 9
Michelle Acevedo, Ariel Beach, Brandon Beckman, Brittney Bradley, Kevin Brown, Simone Bryant, Colin Bunce, Christopher Cavanaugh, Amanda Cooper, Matthew Daitsman, Jessica Dorn, James Durland, Andrew Gunther, Richard Jersey, Giuliana Lapiana, Hui Won Lee, Jesse Levine, Christine Loucks, Angela Macedonio, Davona Mapp, Emily Martin, Stefon McGinnis, Shamari Murray, Shanese Pettway, Kayla Pikul-Walsh, Tyler Richardson, Serafin Rodriguez, Rebecca Salovin, Tiffany Sheerer, Salvatrice Stephen, Takumba VanPutten, Mitchell Waichman, Wes Wallgren, Anissia Westerman, Jordon Wilson.
High Honors Grade 10
Anthony Aber, Marisela Acevedo, Ebony Andrews, Stephanie Baez, Sheryl Berkowitz, Annalisa Bova, Chelsea Brennan, Lauren Byrne, Emma Cohen, Daria Coney, Amy Conway, Andrea Drollinger, Taylor Dubois, Tricia Dzurica, Jessica Fingers, Daniel Gilbert, Allie Goldsmith, Chrystal Gonzalez, Amanda Hedglin, Richard Heins, Jordan Herzog, Meghan Hughes, Kathryn Justus, Lauren Katz, Nicole Keesler, Jordan Kunis, Elli Kyprianou, Kyle Lousbury, Jordan Martin, Jesse Martinez, Erik Mayberg, Alysia O’Rourke, Kelly Owens, Vrundan Patel, Dara Perlman, Carol Philip, Kyle Raymond, Brandon Retana, Alexis Russell, Scott Sanford, Jonathan Santiago, Danielle Scnitzer, Paige Schoonmaker, Mary Setren, Kara Silverman, Maria Taggart, Amanda Tejada, Colleen Thomas, Casey Titus, Rion Welsh, Andrew Whitcomb, Tyler Wuerthner, Shaun Wundrack, Casey Zier.
Honors Grade 10
Tiykiah Anatole, Jay Burke, Katie Cahill, Charise Catabay, Christopher Champagne, Mattew D’Aloia, Tirrell Dandridge, Amanda Decker, Alyscha Deluca, Devinne Depuy, Christopher Dunn, Gypsie Finnegan, Mahogany Gaillard, Heidy Galeas, Erin Giumarra, Owen Goodman, Juinita Gray, Juliette Harvin, Kiahkia Jones, Andrew Katz, Marcy Ketcham, Shamya Koen, Francheska Lopez, Carlie Maree, Hannah McCallion, Derreck Miller, Kimberly Murran, Oded Naiman, Evan Nolan, Joshua Oates, Nicko Rasario, Jacob Rubin, Sabrina Santos, Gregory Siegel, Amanda Snyder, Julia Stephenson, Jerry Taggart, Nyoki Tate, Stacey Trinidad, Jessica Uczarczyk, Shanne Waknine, Edward Walsh, Alexis York.
High Honors Grade 11
Artur Atanov, Brittany Beckmann, Phylicia Bediako, Jamee Bockman, Nicole Boyles, Ingrid Carvo, Thomas Cavanaugh, Ashley Columbo, Monica Concors, Daniel Cunningham, Brendan Devine, Victoria Dunlap, Autumn Eggleton, Jessika Fasce, Niccole Fortunato, Darren Fraser, Bryan Fuller, Christian Giunta, Daniel Green, Katherine Green, Brett Grossfield, Owen Ince, Ann Joy, Katherine Kocijanski, Austin Madnick, Pollyanna Palhano, Maria Pavese, Rebecca Perlman, Vanessa Porter, Justine Raymond, Joseph Santelli, Frank Segro, Ashley Shore, Philip Shulman, Janelle Slutsky, Jesse Smith, Ryan Sonnenschein, Melanie Stickle, Nathan Ulrich, Rosalyn Velez, Robert Venditti, Ishmael Weeks, Jami Welch.
Honors Grade 11
Rosa Arballes, John Bowens, Alexa Buckles, Carly Bulaga, Diego Cabezas, Lillian Cardonara, Alyssa Centeno, Ashley Coutant, Taylor Fasce-Alper, Patricia Forget, Raquel Fortunato, Kevin Hackett, Maxine Hoffman, Dior Jackson, Lauren Kirschenbaum, Ian Laufersweiler, Nefthaly Leon, Danial Madsen, Gabriela Medina, Terrence Mullen, Lorena Ortiz, Sarah Pimienta, Catherine Poli, Samantha Putzer, Regenald Rios Costello, Brian Ruperti, Jillian Scheinfeld, Jessica Simpson, Ian Sindorf, Dennis Stafford, Hailey VanKeuren, Celina Velez, Cory Waichman, Britney Walsh, Kevin Watson, Jessica Welsh, Stephanie Wexler, Catherine Witt, Heather Zoll.
High Honors Grade 12
Jasmin Abreu, Alexandra Astras, Emily Billig, Christine Bunce, Jaclyn Bunce, Ashley Calhoun, Anthony Carmeci, Jannymaro Catada, Samantha Cerbone, Crystal Cleveland, Stephanie Cone, Brendon Cunningham, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Jessica Davila, Tara Feller, Brendan Ference, James Garcia, Joanna Goldfarb, Jared Goldstein, Maureen Goodman, Roselyn Gray, Tanisha Gray, Stephanie Havre, Heather Hummel, Amanda Knapp, John Lacey, Ivy Lam, Genny Lee, Michelle Litts, Corey Lubniewski, Tiffany Mack, Raquel Mcleod, Andrew Moss, Danny Paik, Roshni Patel, Maricruz, Retana, Iris Robinson, Terry Rode, Kaitlen Rubin, Tyler Salovin, China Saunders, Jeremy Siegel, Jillian Smith, Satanya Snowden, Caitlin Stawarz, Rodney Stickle, Corrin Trombley, Danielle Trotta , William Vanhage, Heather Vonhegel, A’lisha, Waddell, Te’neshia Washington, Amanda Welsh, Rebecca Werkmeister, Tyrone White, Matthew Wissman.
Honors Grade 12
Patrick Birtch, Olivia Burton, Jesse Campanaro, Joshua Cunningham, Brian Daitsman, Vincenzo Davi, Kearstin Degraw, Heather Demundo, Darah Depuy, Samantha Elliott, Donald Emerson, Cassandra Fredell, Stephen Gagnon, Katherine Gonzalez, Shannon Hastings, Anthony House, Kristen Johnson, Joseph Jones, Christopher Ketchem, Tonya Labarbera, Christopher Lacey, Matthew McCauley, Darian Niforatos, Melissa Pinto, Corey Price, Tiffany Roosevelt, Kaycee Rundle, Samantha Sanok, Lorenzo Santos, Zachary Siegel, Angelica Snyder, Caitlin VanKeuren.

For Your Information:
There were almost 400 students who made the Honor Roll at Monticello High School during the first marking period.

Students on Monticello's Math Team took 1st place out of nine teams at the December math meet in Pine Bush.

Students come together to give to the needy
Monticello High School Student Council recently held its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Under the chairmanship of Jackie Bunce, Danielle D’Abbraccio, Lily Carbonara and Taylor Fasce, the students and staff at the high school collected over $4,000 to provide complete Thanksgiving meals to 100 families. The High School Chorus also made a sizeable donation to this worthy cause. In addition, the students at Chase Elementary School contributed more than $150.

Students on the Food Drive Committee delivered bags of the food items necessary for a holiday meal to area families on November 22. Student Council

Advisor Beth Lauri was thrilled with the ongoing success of the program. This was her 20th year coordinating the food drive, which has been a tradition for the high school for more than 40 years.

Students also hold an annual Holiday Toy Drive and collect money to buy toys for children at the Sullivan County Head Start program in Monticello. Santa Claus and his elves then deliver the toys to the children in late December.

Monticello High School senior Jared Goldstein, was recently honored by being selected to participate in the N Y State All State Music Festival, held in Rochester, NY Nov. 30-Dec. 3.
Jared was selected out of thousands of students who auditioned for this honor in the spring of 2006. Monticello congratulates him for a job well done!

Monticello students make it to the 2006 Area All-State Music Festival
On November 17 and 18, seven Monticello High School students got a chance to perform at Liberty High School in the region's most coveted concert. These students were chosen from a group of over 1,000 applicants from Zone 9 (Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, Ulster County and Greene Counties).

Selections were based on their outstanding solo audition scores from last spring’s NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo evaluation festival. Students met with their counterparts at Liberty High School on November 17 for a five-hour intensive rehearsal. The students returned on November 18 for continued rehearsals, which culminated in two performances. The ensembles were led by guest conductors form various parts of the country, who also shared with the students their wealth of knowledge and experience as top professionals in their field.

The selected Monticello High School students are:
Area All-State Band: Christian Giunta, Ryan Fogarty
Area All-State Orchestra: Danny Paik, Caitlin VanKeuren
Area All-State Women’s Chorale: Jasmine Abreu, Corrin Trombley
Area All-State Mixed Chorus: Jared Goldstein

“Stay Put” called due to disturbance
On Tuesday, November 28, High School Principal Ms. Arleene Siegel-Lerner called for a Stay Put after several students became involved in verbal altercations in different areas of the building.

The Stay Put lasted from Noon till 12:35 p.m. Staff members stepped in quickly and separated students, thus avoiding any physical altercations. The police were contacted as a precautionary measure and the necessary disciplinary action will be taken against those involved.

This type of serious disruption to the educational process in our school will not be tolerated.

There was a faculty meeting at the end of the day to discuss safety in the school. We will continue to maintain high standards so that all students can feel safe and attend their classes with out having these types of disruptions.

Code 4-Stay Put - Definition
This code is used for medical emergencies or major disturbances. If there is a need, there will be a Stay Put announcement over the PA system. Teachers are to shut and lock their doors and keep students in their classrooms until an “all clear” announcement is given. This may mean keeping students in class beyond the passing bell into the next period. The school nurse will respond to any medical emergency and/or appropriate resources will be called upon to assist with the situation. When the “all clear” is given, bells will resume. While we are in a stay put, regular teaching and learning is able to occur. Classrooms operate as usual.

Students get rewarded for positive behavior
On November 16, Monticello High School celebrated its first PBIS Rewards Night with an open gym, a movie showing and free snacks and refreshments. The more than 600 students who did not get any referrals during the first quarter of the year were invited to attend. But with incessant pouring rain and a tornado-watch in effect, attendance topped out at about 50 attendees. Those who did show-up, played games, hung-out and had a great time.

"We are very proud of our students," stated High School Principal Arleene Siegel-Lerner on behalf of her PBIS team which includes Assistant Principal Douglas Murphy and staff members Chris Zottola, Deb Fasche, Suzanne McClinsey, Melissa Hubert and Scott Fitchett.

PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, is a program that rewards positive behavior and teaches respect, responsibility, readiness and safety.

Since it has been such a success at the middle school level, administrators decided to enact it at the high school beginning this past September. And to their delight, the students are responding positively and really trying hard not to misbehave!

High School math students take high regional honor
Each year Monticello students take the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 exams. This exam is taken by students throughout the country, as well as schools in several foreign countries. Last year Monticello had three students score over 100 points on the AMC 12 exam. The top three students comprised the school's team for the competition. The team results for the entire country have just been released, and for the 57th Annual AMC 12 exam, Monticello High School had the highest team total, beating out all the other schools in Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties, with a score of 322.5!

Spanish teacher takes a cultural approach to learning

The Day of The Dead is a Mexican celebration honoring loved ones who have passed on from this world. It is a day of remembrance, of festivity and of love, a love that doesn’t die because someone is gone, but is cherished and remembered year after year.

At Monticello High School, Spanish Language Department Director Donna Leyden wanted to share her knowledge of the holiday as a tool for learning about different cultures. So she invited Jennifer Jessup’s 4th grade Rutherford Elementary School class to participate in fun and games, back-dropped by traditional decorations and authentic Mariachi music. Some of the day’s activities included paper folding, mask-making, and a word search game using the Spanish language.

High School Spanish teacher Maritza Waknine and her Native Speakers Class participated in the activities by constructing an alter honoring those who have passed away. This tradition is also part of the Day of the Dead holiday and it is used to help the living honor and remember loved ones by displaying things they liked and photos from their lifetime. Many candles are lit through out the home, as it is believed it helps guide the spirit on its journey.

Musical workshop brings students and professionals together

On October 31, Monticello High School music students participated in a Chamber Music Workshop at Tri-Valley. Resident artists from the Weekend of Chamber Music group performed for the students and demonstrated chamber music rehearsal techniques. Historical elements were discussed, as the music encompassed a variety of styles and periods. In the afternoon, students performed and were coached by the professional musicians. The day’s events served as a wonderful learning experience for the students.

The students that performed were:
Funky Shoes: Tanisha Gray, Iris Robinson, Ashely Castro, Corrin Trombley
Left Over Meatloaf (Guitar Quartet): Cory Waichman, Corey Lubniewski, James Michel, Dan Carroll
Shake Well Before Use: Eric Mayberg, Kyle Raymond, Christian Guinta
Auditorium Group: Ann Joy, Caitlin VanKeuren, Owen Goodman, Danielle D'Abbraccio, Rosie Gray

This program was funded in part by an ACMP grant and by the Weekend of Chamber Music. Lunch was donated by the Tri-Valley Theatre Arts Club.
Thanks to Monticello for providing the transportation and personnel so our students could be involved in this event. A special thank you to Lori Orestano James and Tri -Valley for hosting the event.

Oktoberfest poets shine at recent reading
During the recent open poetry reading

at Monticello High School's library, students, parents and administrators all gathered to celebrate literary expression.

The event included the reading of original works, classics and contemporary authors. Home-cooked yummies were donated by Joyce Kocsis' food classes for all to enjoy!

The library holds many literary events periodically throughout the school year, including other poetry readings. For information about other literary events, call librarian Eline Hill at 794-8840, Ext. 6.

Bowl-a-Rama fundraiser rolled in the dough
On Wednesday Nov. 1, the Sports, Entertainment, and

Event Management Class held a bowling tournament and fundraiser in an effort to try to raise money for its members to attend a professional basketball game this spring.

Students in the class recruited other students and staff to enjoy a couple of hours of bowling fun. Participants included Mrs. Tighe, Mrs. Brockner, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Manz, Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Biro, Mrs. Rau, Mrs. Levinson, Mr. Devlin, and Mr. Tighe.

Each team’s scores were averaged and the team with the highest combined average won a prize. The winning team was comprised of Mrs. Brockner, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Rau. They each received a bowling towel, a rosin bag, and a ball cleaner. Their combined average was 140.
After expenses, the group had raised $250 towards the cost of tickets, which is $60 each.

More fundraisers are planned throughout the rest of the year to raise the remainder of the money needed for the student trip.

Arts Administration Day held for high school students
Tri-Valley Central School Theatre Arts Club and their advisors Keith Edwards and Regina Hartman along with music director Lori Orestano James in combination with Monticello Principles and Practices students and teachers, Ann Trombley and Wendy Levinson, gathered recently for a discussion about arts administration. Community experts Bill James, Norman Duttweiler and Terry Schommer were on the panel. Subject matter included creation and understanding of production budget and contracts, and writing press releases and feature articles. The students participated in a panel discussion and then worked in small groups for break-out sessions.

For Your Information:
Monticello High School own 11th grade student Jessica Simpson was named as "Miss Sullivan County" 2006!

The Royal Closet - students solicit prom dresses from companies and parents of former students and sell them to other students at bargain prices of $10-25. Along with the dresses, there are gift certificates for hair appointments and manicures as well. For more info, call Mrs. Sheryl Manz at 794-8840, Ext. 10959.

NEW ATTENDANCE POLICY - Effective Immediately
All students who are late to first period will be marked late to school and will need to get a white pass from the Attendance Office.
After three (3) lates = In-House Suspension.

After four (4) lates = Out-of-School Suspension
and a mandatory parent meeting will be held with the Assistant Principal and Attendance Officer.

If you have any questions, please call High School Principal Arleene Siegel-Lerner at 794-8840.

Members of the Interact Club held their annual

Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, Oct. 29, and raised almost $900 for their Scholarship Fund. During the day's event there was a steady flow of about 40 diners, that included parents, teachers, community members and other students. Many Monticello Rotary Club members came out to support their affiliate group. During the past 26 years, Interact has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships to graduating Monticello High School seniors.

In another community-related volunteer effort, the Interact Club held a road-side clean-up and adoption of the section of Route 42 between the VEO and the MCSD Administration Building.

Members also weeded the flower bed outside the high school's main office, then planted fall flowers and mulched the ground.

Thanks to all who participated in Lee National Denim Day.
Almost $700 was raised to help in the fight against Breast Cancer. Participants included school administrators, faculty and staff. Individuals who donated $5, wore denim and the color pink, were given a breast cancer ribbon pin.

Teens against Cancer would like to express their gratitude to the Rock Hill Pharmacy for their $352 donation and to the Debate Club and the Senior Class of 2005 for their generous donations as well.

All the funds will be forwarded to the American Cancer Society and will be used exclusively to help cancer patients in Sullivan County.

Since Teens against Cancer began in November 2005, the money raised through fundraising efforts has been able to assist ten people with cancer in our local community.

Thanks to the support of local businesses, community members, faculty and students, we can help people with cancer. For more information, please call Joyce Kocsis at 794-8840, Ext. 10856.

More action news
Teens against Cancer was chosen by the American Cancer Society to represent our Sullivan County Chapter in the “Wall of Hope" held in Washington DC on this past September.

A banner with the name of our school and club was signed by students, staff, and community members and was displayed as part of one of the biggest temporary monuments ever erected on the Mall in our nation’s capital.

The exhibit was displayed to send a message to lawmakers that cutting funding for lifesaving research and federal programs that prevent, detect and treat cancer would slow the tremendous progress this nation has made in the war on cancer during the last decade.

Panther Camp helps create a positive freshman experience for incoming 9th graders

Incoming 9th grade students were introduced to their new school Aug. 23-24 at the first annual Panther Camp. The newly-designed orientation program was not just an introduction to the school - it was developed to help students “break the ice” with their peers and begin new friendships. Panther Camp was also a way of introducing team-building skills, which will be a major aspect of the school's new Freshman Experience. Funded by a five-year grant, the school-within-a-school was created to help ease the transition to high school by grouping students and teachers into a smaller learning environment. Full story

School Bus Information Correction
Please note: The departure time for the High School and Middle School late bus listed on the School Bus notice mailed recently to parents in the district information packet is incorrect. Late buses depart from the High School and Middle School on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons about 4:45 p.m. The late bus is available for athletes, students in detention, and students receiving academic assistance. Students must have a pass issued by a teacher or administrator to board the late bus.

Siegel-Lerner appointed High School principal

Arleene Siegel-Lerner, assistant principal at Monticello High School, was appointed June 20 by the Board of Education to serve as the new High School principal.

A 1972 graduate of Monticello High School, Siegel-Lerner went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ithaca College. She also holds a Master of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University, a M.S.W. degree from Fordham University, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Administration from SUNY at New Paltz.

Siegel-Lerner has served as assistant principal at Monticello High School since 1999. She resides in Rock Hill. Both of her sons graduated from Monticello High School. Jacob Lerner, MHS Class of 2000, is a graduate of Brandeis University. Her youngest, Joseph Lerner, MHS Class of 2003, currently attends attending Ithaca College.

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