SHS is BACK on the MAT

BACK ON THE MAT

December 17, 2024

By Clara De Leon

(Photo Credit- Rocco Cortese)

Sparta Wrestling is back! Returning this season are athletes Logan Hrenenko, Liam Hassloch, and Ryan Hrenenko and their early energy shows great promise for upcoming matches this season. The Sparta High School Wrestling Team also welcomed many new athletes this season. Both Praise Ojo and Hunter Chlodnicki have decided to join the team as Seniors and hope to bring successful results. Chlodnicki’s first match was this past Thursday and he displayed incredible skills for his first year coming into the role. It will be exciting to see how he does the remainder of the season.

With this new experience Praise Ojo is now taking on, when asked why she chose to join the team, Ojo shared that she always had interest in participating in contact sports and wanted to learn something new. She was also inspired to join by returning athlete, Jeisy Castro who was able to share the struggles and successes that come with competing in a typically male dominated sport. Castro shared that there is “a lot of power” that comes with taking on the role.  Alongside the mental strength and confidence that one needs to have for the image they present themselves with. With this however, Castro also shared that the team treats each other as equals regardless of gender.

Captain Logan Hrenenko emphasized that he tells the team to give it their all, win or lose, and hopes that his teammates are dedicated and determined to take home victory in the upcoming season and clearly his words are motivating the team. Both Liam Hassloch and Ryan Hrenenko were able to share that there is nothing more motivating than being able to wrestle in an environment with support from teammates. 

SHS MODEL UN

SHS MODEL UN

by Clara De Leon 

The Sparta High School Model United Nations Club has been preparing for their annual trip to Washington, DC for the North American Invitational and is asking for support from the community.

With the upcoming trip taking place February 13 to 16, the club is asking for help with finances needed for buses, tours, and other upcoming fees. Any money donated will go to the students participating in the club alongside furthering their education and hopefully gaining successes. In just this past year, 2024 Sparta High School Graduate, Juliette Sanchez was able to win the Best Delegate award. This award recognizes students who participated in the conference and were able to demonstrate superior performance, preparation, and knowledge. As the students attend conferences simulating the United Nations in the Capital of the US, they will be able to expand previous knowledge on diplomacy and international relations and with luck, bring home more awards for Sparta High School. Students will be able to make new friends and learn about the social aspect of politics that affect many of the decisions that have come to form today’s political world. This year however, the trip is looking to be around 400 dollars for each student due to the number of students able to attend. WIth this, both fundraising and sponsors play a role in hopefully lowering the price for the students. Thankfully though, this year, students participating in the club have been able to come up with exciting fundraising ideas. They are looking forward to a Hot Cocoa and Popcorn stand on December 13 during lunch for students interested in donating. The prices for Hot cocoa or Popcorn are looking to be no more than five dollars with 2 for 1 deals set to take place the day of. Nevertheless, if any parents are interested in helping out, Model UN is also in need of Sponsors for the trip. Anybody willing to donate money, can contact shannon.psensky@sparta.org. Having said that, if anybody is interested in contacting sponsors, that is also incredibly helpful and the process is fairly simple. Any businesses, stores, etc. can be contacted asking if they would be interested in sponsoring Sparta High School’s Model United Nations. They can donate any money they are willing to share and will in exchange be considered sponsors for the rest of the trip. This will give them plenty of publicity and a great deal of appreciation from the students whose trips are now more affordable thanks to said help. If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact jakkas1@students.sparta.org ,  chintham@students.sparta.org, or shannon.psensky@sparta.org for more information regarding the fundraising and financial costs of the trip.

SHS ART IN MONTCLAIR

 SHS Art Department visits Montclair Art Museum

by Julia Miller

Photo Credits: Christine O’Brien Mase

On Thursday, November 21, the Sparta High School art department visited the Montclair Art Museum. The experience included a guided tour through the museum and a figure drawing class. Students in AP Drawing and Painting, AP Sculpture, and Advanced Drawing visited the museum. Art teachers Mrs. Mase, Mr. Davis, and Mrs. Cstalos guided the students through the trip. It was an exciting experience for students to see a variety of artwork. Different sculptures and paintings were throughout the museum, and many different mediums were used. Mrs. Mase said, “The figure drawing class was to give a taste of how an actual class runs on a more advanced level, understanding the need for observational drawing” and “Touring the museum was to see that what they are learning is applied in museums and to find inspiration from the artists displayed.” 

A section of the museum was dedicated to art pieces from New Jersey, which was inspiring for students to see. The art department was excited to give students the opportunity to visit the art museum; Mrs. Mase recognized this by saying, “Many of our students have never been to an art museum or a drawing class outside of their education. I hope it fosters a continuation and love for visual art.” This was a great experience for students and staff to broaden their perspective on art. 

SHS BOOK CLUB

 

SHS BOOK CLUB

By Kate Sutphen

As the colder months approach, the cozy reading season is also in full swing. For all those who enjoy talking about books- here is an opportunity for you!

SHS BOOK CLUB- good books, good snacks, great conversation and company!

The club’s reading selection is often decided upon by its members. Books from different genres and authors are selected, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.

 

For the month of November, the SHS Book Club has chosenThe Family by Naomi Krupitsky. This is Krupitsky's debut novel and was recently released in 2021. This novel is considered to be a captivating coming of age novel, set in the 1930s, about two young girls who grow up in Brooklyn, New York. Their fathers are in the mafia and a sudden event turns their lives upside down and they must navigate their new adventure together.

 Find time to pick up the book over the break and join the club!

The SHS Book Club will meet on December 4 (Day 4) in Mrs. Kopp’s room, 415. See you there! Google Classroom Code: t5pecot

UNIFIED LUNCH

Unified Lunch

By: Elsa Riley

What is a Unified Champion School?

As a Unified Champion School (UCS), Sparta High School promotes social inclusion between students with a range of abilities. With this program, schools like SHS seek to meet three areas of inclusion:

• Inclusive sports: Students can train and compete as teammates, both disabled and non-disabled.

• Inclusive youth leadership: Students can use UCS activities as opportunities for leadership roles.

• Whole-school engagement: Students can participate in school-wide inclusive activities.

How did Unified Lunch Start?

Last year, Nate Stoddard, a current sophomore, approached Coach Jennifer Schock with a desire to make Sparta High School more inclusive. Ms. Schock coaches the Unified sports teams, and supported the idea of starting a program to promote inclusion in the student body. Lunch time is a time of the day where students enjoy 48 minutes to interact and spend time in the cafeteria, but many look for a calmer environment to spend their time. In addition, lunch is a time when most students have the ability to be involved in activities, because sports typically have limited spaces.

Information About the Unified Lunch

Participation in the Unified Lunch program has grown rapidly in the first few meetings. So far, students Jamie Brylawski, Sarah Darmiento, Zach Frisina, Rylan Papaganeres, Elsa Riley, Nate Stoddard, and Melanie Mata are all part of the planning committee, where we discuss future activities and work through the logistics of a unified and inclusive school environment.

The goal of Unified Lunch is to include anyone that wants to play games, talk, eat lunch, and hang out in a quiet and safe environment. We meet every Day 1 during lunch in room 131, across from the annex gym. The Google Classroom, where we share information and updates, can be joined with the code 7fmm33h. Make sure to pay attention to the Sparta Scoop for more updates, in addition to joining the Google Classroom.

On Friday 11/22, we are holding a Friendsgiving, where we will eat lunch and celebrate Thanksgiving together. We will often hold themed lunches like this, so anyone is welcome to share their fun ideas. We are also considering Unified SEL time, a Unified Field Day, and more. Thank you to anyone interested in joining our wonderful program!

 

MODEL UN- JOIN THE CLUB!

 

MODEL UNITED NATIONS- SHS

by Clara De Leon

September 30, 2024

Model UN, also referred to as MUN (Model United Nations), is a club made up of students hoping to learn more about the United Nations. It is an “international relations debate that allows students to act as diplomats, ambassadors, and heads of state of a nation”. Delegates (People participating in MUN) will have to “research topics, imagine solutions, debate with their fellow delegates, reach compromises, and arrive at resolutions that may solve some of the foremost problems facing the globe today”. This trip will take place in Washington DC where students will be able to meet new people, expand on public speaking skills, visit DC, and explore new culture. If there are any questions or concerns, feel free to contact deleonc@students.sparta.org. Our interest meeting will be taking place October 2, Lunch A and B in room 213. Feel free to stop by to hear more about the club. 

https://naimun.modelun.org/overview

Activity Fair in the MRC for Suicide Awareness

Activity Fair in the MRC for Suicide Awareness

By Clara De Leon

9/26/2024

As many know, September is the month for Suicide Awareness. Keeping this in mind, it is important to take this topic seriously and have a safe environment to share feelings and emotions as they come. To help combat these stressors/negative feelings and give students a place to find help, the Sparta High School Align Wellness Center held an Activity Fair, September 25 during lunch. 

They offered multiple different stations regarding physical wellness, mental health, and coping skills. They had yoga, bracelet making, and breathing exercises for the students to do. Students were also able to go around the stations and get signatures from the teachers whilst participating in activities to gain more entry tickets in the prizes offered. These prizes included 2 Pet Portraits painted by Mrs. Mase, A chance to be the weather person on the Scoop, A Wooden shelf, 2 tickets to the musical, and 1 item of School Spirit. However, beyond just getting a chance to win a prize, students were able to gain knowledge on useful skills they can use and destigmatize the topic of mental health.