First year students, teachers bond during visit to Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center

Freshmen in Transition (FIT) is a club at Hopatcong High School (HHS) that eases the transition from middle school to high school by promoting leadership and fostering relationships. At the end of the school year, juniors and seniors welcome eighth graders to the high school by hosting a picnic. Throughout the school year, The FIT leaders receiving training from Ms. Fata and schedule activities during freshmen gym periods and a variety of afterschool field trips.
On Dec. 12, The FIT group traveled to NYC and visited the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. Students and chaperones discussed plans for the trip while eating pizza before departing from HHS. They took busses to and from the ferry in Weehawken, generously funded by the HHS PTO. From there, they took the ferry into NYC. The ferry tickets were paid for by the HHS FIT Club. Both contributions helped alleviate some of the cost, which allowed more students to go. The group’s first stop was the Observation Deck on top of the Empire State Building. Next, they walked 5th Avenue toward Rockefeller Center and stopped to see the outside of the New York City Public Library on the way. Once at Rockefeller Center, they ate dinner in the dining area below and then went back up for nighttime pictures in front of the famous tree. For some students, this was their first time in NYC, and for others it was an opportunity to get into the holiday spirit. The chaperones for the trip were Mr. Mulvihill, Ms. Fata, Mr. Spuckes, Mrs. Martinez, Mr. Kately and Mr. Fattorrusso.