Underclassmen Tips For Success

By Michael Greenberg

High school is a period of change and development in many students’ lives. Some can find it stressful, especially when attending a prestigious school such as Biotech. The curriculum is very demanding, and underclassmen who are newly exposed to it may have trouble coping. These tips will help underclassmen navigate the challenges they might face in their first two years.

1.    Learn Time Management
Time management is one of the most crucial skills that students need to learn in high school. The concept refers to effectively planning your events and balancing school work with other activities in order to succeed in all areas. If you know there is a busy day ahead and you won’t have much time at home to finish your homework, take advantage of the lunch period to catch up on work instead of playing basketball outside. If you know you get home from sports practice at 9:00 and you have to study for three tests that night, try to work studying in throughout the week before, and even miss practice if you need to. Time management is necessary for high school students to learn in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and succeed. Remember to take advantage of the opportunities you have to stay ahead.

2.    Lunch Is Yours, Use It
One of the features of BTHS that students like the most is the one-hour lunch period we have, every day of the week. Many different things can be packed into that lunch period, whether it be club meetings, studying for tests, finishing homework, or playing sports outside. Lunch is very accommodating for a student, and it is important to remember this when worrying about assignments or tests. The Media Center is almost always open for students who want to fit some extra work into their schedules.  

3.    Don’t Worry About the Past
Many underclassmen spend too much time worrying about assignments that they have already handed in, or being angry at themselves for making mistakes on tests. This is probably one of the worst mindsets to have as a student. It is important to realize that there is nothing that you can do after submitting that assignment. Stressing out too much over it can do nothing but hurt you, both through self-esteem and disrupting your concentration on current or future assignments. While this mindset may seem obvious or useless, it is crucial. High school is not the same as middle school and expecting to ace every test can seriously lower a student’s self-esteem. Be sure to put events in perspective, and keep the present in mind.

4.    Get Enough Sleep
Though it may sound cliché, sleep is one of the most important facets of your high school career to worry about. Yes, the BTHS curriculum is demanding and sometimes you feel that you need to study an extra couple of hours even though it is already late at night, but staying up late studying will only leave you tired in the morning. This might affect your concentration, coordination, and cognitive ability the next day. Bragging about who stayed up longer is often seen as a sign of dedication or determination to succeed, but over time the detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep will become clear. Strive for 8 hours of sleep a night to maintain a healthy sleep schedule.

5.    Get to Know Your Class
The students in your class will be with you for the next four (or three for sophomores) years of your lives. Forging friendships in high school is crucial for the social development of students, and some friendships last long out of high school. Take advantage of all of the opportunities BTHS gives students to socialize and get to know each other, such as Chill Sessions, Dances, and everyday lunch periods. Having close friends you can depend on can make the high school experience much more enjoyable.

6.    Enjoy Yourself!
Even though high school is a time where students are expected to perform extremely well academically, grades are by no means the only focus of these four years. High school is a time for students to explore their interests, from clubs and activities to sports and volunteering. Do not let your high school years become centered around grades and college admissions. It is important to do what pleases you, and enjoy yourself! As with all new experiences, many memories will be made in high school. Try your best to make them as happy as possible.    

Back to Biotech: Changes for 2018-19

By: Bridget Corpus

Hey Biotech!

It’s that time of year again—back-to-school! To the Class of 2022, welcome to Biotech! Now that we’ve been at Biotech for a few weeks, everyone is definitely getting to know their teachers, learning how to navigate from class to class, and catching up with friends. Clubs will be up and running very soon, the season of exams will begin, and sooner than you think, we’ll be back to normal.

If you’re a sophomore, junior, or senior, you may have noticed some changes in  the school. Whether it be new faculty or physical appearances, here’s a breakdown of a few of the differences from last year:

-Mr. Cherubino
The first new faculty member we’re welcoming to Biotech is Mr. Cherubino, the Intro to Computer Science and AP Computer Science A teacher! Mr. Cherubino has had a career in Information Technology, working in Florida, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and teaching both graduate and undergraduate college computer science courses. He is also a certified Open Water Scuba Diver, having diving experience around Florida and the Caribbean. Mr. Cherubino also enjoys traveling and camping, and has camped throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada. This is his first time teaching at the high school level, but he already enjoys the spirit and individualism of the students at BTHS. Mr. Cherubino is hoping to pass his knowledge and experience down to his students, and wants to encourage them to become achievers throughout their high school years. Be sure to say hello and welcome Mr. Cherubino to Biotech!

-Intro to Computer Science instead of Digital Literacy for the freshmen
As freshmen, all students took Digital Literacy during the first semester. This year, however, Digital Literacy has been replaced with Intro to Computer Science! Many of you may be curious as to what the freshmen will be learning in this course. Taught by Mr. Cherubino, it covers a wide variety of topics including computer hardware/software, networking, file structures, and the development of computer programs, where students will learn how to design, create, debug, and test programs. This is a great addition to the variety of courses that Biotech offers.

-Ms. Froonjian
Another new faculty member we’re welcoming this year is Ms. Froonjian, the freshman Intro to Biology/Genetics teacher! Ms. Froonjian graduated from Stockton University in 2017. She has taught at 4 different schools as a temporary leave replacement teacher, until finally coming to BTHS. Some hobbies she enjoys are practicing yoga, hiking, swimming, reading, painting, and knitting. A few fun facts about Ms. Froonjian are that she is a lifeguard during the summer, she helps out with a kombucha company, she is a vegan, and her last name is Armenian. She’s looking forward to getting to know both the students and staff at Biotech, as well as learning more strategies to become a better teacher! If you see Ms. Froonjian in the halls, make sure to give her a warm welcome to BTHS!

-Mrs. Mitchell’s retirement and Mr. Arpa is coming back
Mrs. Mitchell, teacher of sophomore US History and freshman World Cultures will be retiring this September. She has been at BTHS from the very beginning, a true part of our community and someone we will miss dearly. With Mrs. Mitchell leaving, Mr. Arpa will come  back in early October to permanently teach both World Cultures and U.S. History I! Mr. Arpa chose to become a teacher as a second career in life. He has always had a passion for history, and he wanted to follow and share that passion with others. We can see his admiration for this subject, as he says, “What we learn from history gives us the opportunity to understand people and effectively engage the political and social issues of today. It is essential to know and understand the human experience to avoid being simply reactionary to the issues we must decide on today. Humans have achieved so much, yet suffered so greatly.  An understanding of history is the first step in improving our world.” Mr. Arpa enjoys baseball, as well as listening to music, skiing, watching movies, and taking his dog to the park. He says that he could not be happier than to be coming on board to Biotech, as the students have made such a good impression that he cannot dream of wanting to teach history anywhere else. Make sure to welcome Mr. Arpa back to BTHS when you see him!

-Club Fair
The club fair is an  event that is a great way to kick off the beginning of the school year, as students (especially freshmen) can find groups of people who share the same interests as them! Last year, we were not fortunate enough to have the event happen, but this year it was an amazing success. On Friday, September 21, official and unofficial clubs lined the front of the MPR during lunch. Students crowded around the trifolds, signing up for everything they found interesting while eating some of the snacks the clubs provided. Some of the new student-led groups this year include Psychology Club, Genders and Sexualities Alliance, and Math and Chess Club. For the freshman who didn’t sign up or weren’t there, you can send an email to the club officers, and they’ll sign you up! Be sure to get involved, as this is a great way to continue working at your passions.

-Macbeth
During the 2016-2017 school year, all of the students at Biotech went on a field trip to see a production called Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. This year, on February 1st, 2019, the junior class will be attending a production of Macbeth at the Two River Theater in Red Bank! In anticipation for this event, the students of the Class of 2020 will read Shakespeare’s Macbeth during English class in the weeks leading up to the trip.

It’s always a good thing to see Biotech undergoing changes that help make our school an even more enjoyable place to be. Best of luck to everyone this year!

Summer 2018 Information

Summer Office Hours

Summer Homework

Junior Year Tips

By: Ester Teper
    
    Junior is arguably one of the hardest years, whether it be due to the looming idea of applying to college, or simply the rigor of academic classes. For me, junior year was in exactly the style that I expected to be, and I got many useful tips from the upperclassmen beforehand that I am now sharing with you. Junior year is definitely the first year that you are not guided by the hand through everything, and teachers treat you like an adult. The summer between sophomore and junior year is the time that most people mature the most, and it reflects how well they do in school.

[1] First off, make sure you do your objective notebook. Ms. Jensen offers extra credit on every single test if you do the objectives. Not only does it help your grade, but if you write out all of the notes in this notebook, you are automatically studying. Furthermore, you have a made studyguide for you by the end of the year! I think that this is actually the most important tip throughout junior year.

[2] For clubs and outside of school activities, make sure that you’re doing what you love. Freshman year I got involved in literally every single club in our school, and am still slightly active in most. However, I only commit myself to 2-3 clubs that I absolutely love and care about. You need to find these things for you, and never give up on the.
- On that note, if you have been doing something for a really long time outside of school (like playing an instrument or playing a sport), don’t suddenly stop due to a lack of time. Figure out how you can make more effective use of your time, whether it be coming to extra help or studying as lunch. You can decrease the number of hours you spend on something, but don’t give up on a hobby or something that’s really important to you. However, school comes first!

[3] If you are in IB Spanish SL, I recommend that you actually read the articles and practice your grammar. If you don’t practice the grammar, you will most likely lose it by the end of the year, as noone is going to guide you through it.

[4] If you are in a class where memorization is concerned, pay attention in class. I found that junior year I had almost no homework. However, there was a test or quiz every single day. (I can show you my PowerSchool calendar if you don’t believe me!) This meant that I paid attention in class and tried to understand everything, and ended up studying the night before. This is what nearly everyone does, but if you didn’t fully listen during class and suddenly have to take a cumulative test, this isn’t the best idea! No one is forcing you to take notes, no one is giving you random worksheets, and no one will tell you what to do. You need to really figure out how you study best and apply that.

[5] Don’t lose yourself. I cannot emphasize this enough. I have found that throughout my Biotech career, I have changed immensely, whether it be for the better or worse. However, something that I’ve found is that I found it increasingly difficult to connect with myself in the middle of junior year. When there is such a highly competitive and intense curriculum, you might want to bury yourself in your studies. Don’t forget to have fun!

    I hope these were useful for you! Good luck next year and I hope everyone has an amazing summer!

Class of 2022 - Freshmen Orientation

Class of 2022 - Freshmen Orientation

• Freshmen Orientation Presentation
• Freshmen Orientation Packet
• Placement Exams: Algebra & Spanish - May 22 @ 3:00; Geometry: May 29 @ 3:00