Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan!
On behalf of the students, faculty and staff, I welcome you to Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan where a most dedicated and caring group of professional educators positively impact the lives of our students.
Northern Valley-Old Tappan continues to be a center of effective teaching and productive learning. Our philosophy is to provide an environment in which each student seeks answers to questions, challenges assumptions, and develops self-worth. We encourage individual academic excellence, aesthetic appreciation and moral integrity. Recognition of academic and cultural diversity is encouraged to promote mutual respect and acceptance.
The tradition of excellence at NVOT is exemplified in the Class of 2019 that included a National Merit Scholar, 13 National Merit Commended students and 1 National Hispanic Scholar. 680 Advanced Placement tests were administered to students across multiple grade levels in 32 subjects, and85 % of all exams were scored a “3” or higher. There were a total of 117 students recognized as AP Scholars, and 5 students were recognized as AP National Scholars.
The Northern Valley Regional High School District was recognized and certified by Future Ready-NJ for efforts with 1:1 learning technology Macbook Air program as well as recognized for the Career Pathways and Career and Technical Education (CTE) program that includes Biomedical Technology. There are renovated STEM Design and fabrication labs, and there are dual-enrollment programs in place with Seton Hall University, NJIT and Bergen Community College.
Students excelled on formal assessments such as the National Spanish Exam and the National Latin Exam. Numerous students were recognized at various levels of excellence at the Orlando Sea Foreign Language Poetry Recitation Contest at William Paterson University in Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, German. Students were recognized with Distinguished Honors status in Letters about Literature competition. Science and Math League Teams excelled at the county and state levels. STEM League Team continued its successful participation at competitions in North Jersey, and the Technology Student Association had a team of students qualify and excel at the National Technology Student Association Conference.
In theatre arts, the All School Musical, Chicago, received 10 Helen Hayes Metropolitan Theater Award nominations and 2 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star award nominations. The comedic production, Don’t Drink the Water, received 4 Foxy nominations, and the theater arts program received numerous recognition awards at the STANJ Governor’s Award in Arts Theater competition. The Marching Band excelled at the State championships as well as in other statewide competitions and hosted its 3rd annual Saturday Knight Lights competition. Band and Choir students were honored with All County, All State and All Region recognition, and the Music Department again was recognized as an outstanding Music Community by the National Association of Music Merchants.
The Visual Arts Department coordinated another outstanding Fine Arts Festival, and a student was recognized for work at the Art Administrators of NJ Emerging Artists Exhibition. Co-Curricular clubs, such as the Debate, Math, and Science Teams, Peer Mentors, Heroes and Cool Kids, Kinesis Modern Dance, Winter Guard, and FBLA provided purposeful and positive opportunities. The DECA club excelled at the state competition and had multiple students qualify at the National level.
Golden Knights Athletics enjoyed an outstanding year highlighted by: Volleyball - 7th consecutive State Sectional championship; Softball - County Championship; Boys Golf - 3rd consecutive State Sectional championship; and Boys Spring track - State Sectional championship and group County Championship. NVOT was recognized by the NJSIAA for the 2nd consecutive year with a Sportsmanship Banner for being disqualification free in 2018-2019.
Substance awareness educators and lifetime skills programs individual presentations and/or assemblies by Dr. Mykee Fowlin, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, DUI Simulation by local law enforcement, pre-prom presentations for students and parents as well as presentations on bullying, diversity and mental health and well-being.
Students participated in Holocaust Education and Black History Month assemblies. Veterans Day and Memorial Day Observances were coordinated as students benefited from the experience of interacting with those who served our country.
NVOT has been recognized in state and national publications. Scores on standardized tests such as AP, ACT and SAT are among the highest in the county and among the highest in the District Factor Group. Approximately 97% of the graduates of the Class of 2019 are continuing their education at four and two-year colleges, and about 73% of the Class of 2019 qualified and participated in Senior Options opportunities that included medical, business, and educational Structured Learning Experiences.
We at Northern Valley-Old Tappan are proud of the caliber of instruction that is offered. The high school will continue to investigate and implement teaching strategies that foster the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills. We also will continue to promote a positive learning environment in which all students have equal access to learning as well as a respect and appreciation of diversity.
Northern Valley-Old Tappan’s educators are professionals who inspire students to be the best that they can be by translating their potential into successful lifetime skills. We realize that we are entrusted with the ultimate responsibility, the education of a child, and are justifiably proud of our faculty and staff who motivate students to develop a consistent work ethic and achieve their goals. The lifetime skills of effort, work ethic, perseverance, and integrity, skills that students are able to control, are consistently reinforced. It is our belief that when students concentrate on the process and control what they can control, desired results invariably will follow.
We look forward to a rewarding and productive 2019-2020 school year at the Home of the Golden Knights!
Sincerely,
Bruce R. Sabatini, Ed.D., Principal
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan