Sparta High School Wellness Fair Encourages Students and Staff to "Paws", Reflect and Recharge

 

Sparta High School Wellness Fair Encourages Students and Staff to 

"Paws", Reflect and Recharge

-By Oracle Staff

9/29/2026

Sparta High School students and staff had the opportunity to pause, recharge and focus on their well-being during the school’s Wellness Fair, held in the Library during lunch on Monday, September 28.

The fair gave participants a chance to learn more about mental health resources available at the high school while taking part in activities designed to reduce stress and promote healthy ways to reset during the school day.

Students were also encouraged to reflect on the wellness tools they already have and the strategies they can use when school, activities and everyday life begin to feel overwhelming. Sometimes taking a few minutes to step away, talk with someone, spend time with friends or simply slow down can make a difference.

One of the most popular visitors was Jeter, Sparta’s favorite support pup, who provided plenty of smiles and some much-needed quality time with students and staff.

Mrs. Feldmann, a retired Helen Morgan School teacher who now works at the Sparta Public Library, also joined the event and brought supplies that allowed participants to build their own wellness kits. Students could choose items and resources to take with them as reminders of different ways they can manage stress and care for themselves.

The Wellness Fair also highlighted the many resources available to students throughout the school year, including the Align Wellness Center, Child Study Team and School Counseling Departments.

“Today’s Wellness Fair was a reminder that you are never alone,” Mrs. Hutesbaut said. “The Align Wellness Center, Child Study Team, and School Counseling Departments want you to know that there are people here who see you, support you, and are always willing to help.”

She also reminded students that struggling does not mean they lack resilience.

“Resilience doesn’t mean you never struggle. It means remembering that you have the strength to keep going, the courage to ask for help, and people around you who care,” Mrs. Hutesbaut said. “Choose positivity, keep going, and remember that you don’t have to face the hard days by yourself!”

The Wellness Fair served as an important reminder for both students and staff that mental health matters and that asking for help is a sign of strength. With resources available right here at Sparta High School, no member of the school community has to navigate difficult moments alone.

In the middle of a busy school day, sometimes taking a little time to reflect, recharge and connect is exactly what we need.

Sparta Girls Tennis Serves Up Second-Place Finish at HWS Tournament

Sparta Girls Tennis Serves Up Second-Place Finish at HWS Tournament

By Sachi Paniker

9/28/2026

On Friday, September 25, the Sparta Girls Tennis Team competed in the HWS tournament as the defending champion after winning the team title in 2025. Riding high from their tough wins this season against Morristown, Morris Hills and Montville, the girls team secured a second place finish with 18 team points. In second singles, co-captain Sara Schwarz won first place in an upset over Voorhees player, Schuyler Abramson. Sparta also found success in first doubles, where top-seeded Juliet Shim and Brinnley Moriarty secured another win. 

Emily Dondero, co-captain, competed in the first singles and Layla Boohoff competed in the third singles. Julia Schwarz, the only freshmen on the team, and Brooke Evelyn competed in the second singles. The team is rounded out by alternates Sunny Young, Reese Bruno and Karina Matteson

The current team record is 6-5 but the season isn’t over yet. State tournament matches start this week so make sure to show your support for the girls! 

(Photo Credit J.Derricks)

Taking a Break: Bananagrams in the MRC

Taking a Break: Bananagrams in the MRC

by Hayden Denmead

9/25/2026

School days can feel long, especially by the time eighth period comes around. After classes, assignments, tests, and everything else students have going on, sometimes you just need a break.

Lately, students have been finding that break in the MRC.

During eighth period, Bananagrams has become a pretty big thing. What started as a few people playing a quick game has turned into something students look forward to. People gather around the table, grab their letters, make words, and try to be the first to use all their tiles.

And it gets competitive pretty quickly.

Mrs. Tafuri says one of the best parts is the competition. “It’s fun to compete and argue about what is a real word,” she said. Those arguments are definitely part of the game. Someone puts down a word, someone else questions it, and suddenly everyone has an opinion.

Senior Brendan Coombs enjoys the social side of the game. “It is fun to play with friends and teachers,” he said.

That's what makes it a good break during the school day. You're still thinking, but it doesn't feel like an assignment. It's also a chance to put down the Chromebook or phone, talk to people, laugh, and take your mind off schoolwork for a little while.

Taking a break during the school day is important. Sometimes a few minutes doing something different is all you need to reset and be more focused when you get back to work.

The MRC is a place to study, research, read, and get work done, but it can also be a place to take a break.

And right now, during eighth period, that break usually involves friends, teachers, letter tiles, a few arguments over whether a word actually exists, and eventually someone yelling “Peel!”

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JOIN THE ORACLE!

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Sparta High School Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of September 11

9/14/2026

by The Oracle Staff

On Friday, September 11, 2026, Sparta High School came together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks through remembrance, reflection, and a powerful firsthand account of service.

The day began at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center. Student Council President Valerie Kopco delivered a moving statement to the Sparta High School community, honoring the nearly 3,000 lives lost and recognizing the extraordinary courage of the first responders, ordinary citizens, and countless others who stepped forward to help that day. The school community then observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims and their families.

The commemoration continued during lunch in the Sparta High School Library/Media Resource Center, where the Law Enforcement Club, in partnership with the Library, hosted a special viewing of a 9/11 anniversary documentary.

Librarian Mrs. Angela DeLuccia opened the program by providing students with historical context and reminding them why, 25 years later, it remains important for a new generation to learn about September 11. For today’s high school students, 9/11 is history rather than a lived memory, making firsthand accounts especially meaningful.

Following portions of the documentary, students had the opportunity to hear one of those firsthand accounts from a familiar member of the Sparta High School community.

SHS Security Guard Kevin Radday was a member of the New York City Police Department when the attacks occurred and participated in the rescue and recovery efforts that followed. Radday shared his experiences with students, providing a personal perspective on the courage, sacrifice, devastation, and humanity he witnessed during one of the most difficult moments in American history.

He also shared artifacts connected to those experiences, including items from fellow SHS Security Guard Robert Kelly, who also served with the NYPD.

The artifacts and personal stories brought history beyond the pages of a textbook or images on a screen. Students were able to hear directly from someone who answered the call to serve and to better understand the experiences of the first responders who rushed toward danger while so many others were trying to escape it.

While the program remembered the tragedy and tremendous loss of September 11, it also focused on what happened afterward.

In the days and months following the attacks, communities came together. First responders, volunteers, neighbors, strangers, and people from across the country worked side by side to rescue, recover, comfort, and rebuild. Differences seemed smaller, and helping one another became more important.

Radday ended the program by challenging students to carry that lesson forward in a simple but meaningful way: pay forward an act of kindness.

Twenty-five years later, that message remains an important part of the legacy of September 11.

For Sparta High School, the anniversary was not only an opportunity to remember a defining moment in American history, but also to remind a new generation that even in the darkest moments, courage, service, compassion, and unity can make a difference.

We remember those we lost. We honor those who served. And we carry their legacy forward through how we treat one another.