Home of the Hornets
The 2021-22 Valley Echo Staff is made up of four newcomers eager to deliver the news to their community and expand their writing skills. Click on the article to read more about the reporters and learn how to submit ideas for articles to the Valley Echo.
Sophomore Daren Lomuti is excited to be making his debut as a journalist for the Valley Echo during the 2021-2022 school year. Ready to contribute a unique perspective, Lomuti is looking forward to growing his love for writing and informing the Passaic Valley community.
Junior Gabrielle Lim joined the Valley Echo staff this year, offering her past experience in journalism to the team. She hopes to add her own unique voice to the paper and inspire more students to write.
Sophomore Ava Mania joined the Valley Echo team this year, bringing her strong work ethic to the publication. With her leadership, sociable personality, and motivation, she has a drive for connecting with Passaic Valley students and administration.
Abby Kosch ‘24 joined the Valley Echo this 2021-2022 school year. After a freshman year impacted by virtual learning, she is eager to involve herself with the Passaic Valley High School community.
An eager team of students from Mr. Sander's Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Environmental class have been learning how to plant, seed, water and harvest produce in a partnership with Greens Do Good of Hackensack, NJ.
In April, Thomas Gaita '21 was accepted into the New Jersey Scholars Program (NJSP) for 2021. He was selected to represent Passaic Valley High School among only 35-40 other students across the State of New Jersey.
Passaic Valley welcomes five more new staff members this school year, including Ms. Vicki Coyle, Mr. Silvester Mercado, Mrs. Laura Long, Mrs. Lourdes Chami Hajir, and Mr. Mario Gaita.
Performance Arts teachers have found new, creative ways to tackle issues with live performance through a screen and fully embraced technology in the virtual classroom.
Photography and Design classes, instructed by Ms. Melanie Vasa and Ms. Lori Demsey, have made a smooth and astute transition into the virtual classroom, providing students with the necessary software, whilst allowing them a creative outlet to showcase their work.
During Passaic Valley's first asynchronous snow day on December 17th, Mr. William Goodman's Climate and Weather course participated in a Snow Depth Analysis activity.
As classes have moved online, Passaic Valley's classical arts classes have adjusted in creative and ingenious ways. Teachers have teamed together and gone out of their way to provide students with the materials they need to make the transition.
The Passaic Valley Wrestling Team added to PV's impressive year in sports by finishing with a 7-1 record. The team also won a league title and Coach Joseph Wassel was named Big North Coach of the Year.
For the first time in Passaic Valley history, the Boys Winter Track Team took home both the Boys Independence League Championship and the County Championship. For his leadership during such a successful season, Coach Joel Thornton was named Big North & Passaic County Coach of the Year.
The Boys Basketball team finished their season with a 12-3 record as Big North Independence Division Champions. The Hornets defeated Wayne Valley 47-46 in overtime on March 6 to force a three-way tie with Wayne Valley and Wayne Hills their first division title in eight years.
The boys' Varsity Soccer team has had an astonishing run this season, accomplishing a 9-3-1 record and becoming the Big North Independence Division Champions. Taking the top seed in the County Tournament, the team will face Passaic High School this weekend at home.
On February 3rd, Brianna DeLuccia ’21 was awarded the National Girls and Women in Sports (NGWS) Award by New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). This prestigious honor is given to female athletes who are leaders both on the field and in the classroom.
On November 2nd, the Girls Cross Country Team took home the Big North Conference Championship for the first time in twenty-four years. The team raced against Wayne Valley, East Side High School, and John F. Kennedy High School, defeating them and winning the elusive league champion title.
The PV Theater Department is currently producing their annual Spring Musical. This year, they have chosen Mamma Mia!, a favorite amongst students and families. The cast and crew have been hard at work to safely produce this year’s show.
The Passaic Valley Theater community frequently adopts traditions from Broadway. One of which, the Legacy Robe, was awarded to Alex Paese '21 this year for her contributions to the theater community throughout her high school career.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, Passaic Valley Summer Theater (PVST) cancelled their highly anticipated mainstage play Beauty and The Beast and their junior production Moana. In response, PVST cast and crew decided on an entirely original idea, filming a documentary called Ghost Light.
Passaic Valley’s Theatre Program continues to rehearse, while innovatively adhering to social distancing guidelines. Staff and cast members of this year's The Little Mermaid have turned to online conferencing technology for preproduction.
Film Photography student Sam Droney’s photograph was selected for the 2020 Fresh Perspectives art exhibit. Photography Teacher Ms. Melanie Vasa was pleased to hear the news as being accepted is an impressive achievement. “I am so happy for Sam. He is a wonderful person and deserves this,” Ms. Vasa said.
Throughout the month of January, the National Art Honor Society collected 20 grocery bags worth of canned goods, which were then donated to the Human Needs Food Pantry, in their eighth annual Soup-er Bowl Canned Food Drive.
