Dec. 4, 2025
By Isabella Bartlett
Managing Editor
Animal Welfare Club
The Animal Welfare Club’s annual pet supply drive will run through Dec. 22, with donations going to the Bergen County Humane Society at 221 Stuyvesant Ave. in Lyndhurst.
English teacher Miss Rendzia, who coadvises the club with math teacher Mr. Carucci, said the drive is meant to foster kindness.
“I hope students learn compassion for animals… and make a commitment and stick to it,” Rendzia said.
She said the holiday season is the ideal time to support a nonprofit.
“[The holidays] create a sense of generosity, [so] hopefully that makes people want to adopt animals or give them a home,” Rendzia said.
Junior Adrionna Muraglia, the club’s recording secretary, who joined the club last year, said she participates in this supply drive because it helps a local animal charity during the busy holiday season.
“The holidays can get rough, and by giving them supplies, we are able to lift some of that stress off their shoulders,” Muraglia said.
She said the drive brings attention to an important cause.
“I hope to… make sure that more people are aware of the Humane Society so that they can also provide for [it],” Muraglia said.
Chorale
Chorale teacher Ms. Wise leads 40 students in the chorale, an audition-based choir, as they participate in holiday performances, including singing for the Mount Saint Carmel Rosary Society, a group of church members who recite the Rosary, on Dec 9. The group will also lead the Mount Saint Carmel Special Needs Holiday Caroling event on Dec. 6 and carol with Lyndhurst senior citizens at the Senior Citizens Center on Dec. 18.
“I hope to showcase the dedication and talent of our students and to let the community members enjoy the fact that the youth of today are dedicated to the arts and to serving their community,” Wise said.
She said she loves sharing the chorale’s talent with people who request music at their holiday events.
“[I like] watching the expression on people’s faces as they get to enjoy the hard work that we’ve put in for the past few months,” Wise said.
Junior quartermaster Joey Romeo, a three-year member of the chorale, said he looks forward to these performances because they are fulfilling and entertain others.
“These events are a way to give back to the town and show our love and support for others,” Romeo said.
“Whether it be through fundraising or volunteering, I want our efforts to impact others positively throughout the holiday season.”
Romeo said the chorale’s reputation allows the group to share its love of music with the town.
“Event organizers understand that we are a reliable group, which means there is a better chance of being… recommended to others, and I love bringing people together in our community through song,” Romeo said.
Future Business Leaders of America Club
Future Business Leaders of America Club advisors history teacher Mr. Spence and Spanish teacher Ms. Silvelo will be leading members as they participate in Holiday in the Park on Dec. 13.
“One of the key components of FBLA is volunteering, so we’d like to take every opportunity we can to give back to the town,” Spence said.
He said the town asks students to dress up as familiar holiday characters during the annual Tree Lighting ceremony to spread holiday joy.
“[Holiday in the Park] brings out the holiday cheer throughout the town, and it’s something people in town look forward to every year,” Spence said. “Our students get to be involved in something significant.”
Membership vice president senior Kesiah Boyd said she liked dressing up as Mickey Mouse at last year’s event because of the reaction she received from the children in attendance.
“They wanted to take pictures, and it just made me feel good to know that I was making others feel happy,” Boyd said.
She said her favorite part of the holidays is spreading joy to others and inspiring her peers to do the same.
“I hope that students will learn that community service can be fun, and it doesn’t always have to feel like a chore,” Boyd said.
Law Enforcement Club
School Resource Officer Lieutenant Passamano, who advises the Law Enforcement Club, will bring club members to TJ Maxx, located at 423 Valley Brook Ave., to purchase clothing and toys for local families registered with the Lyndhurst School District Giving Tree.
Passamano, who started the club — which is open only to seniors — in 2019, said he began this tradition to foster compassion and teach the importance of community service.
“It is all about giving back to communities, being grateful for what you have and understanding that other people are sometimes in worse-off positions,” Passamano said.
On Dec. 15, members will purchase gifts for children whose identities are kept anonymous and whose families are registered for the Giving Tree at their Lyndhurst school. The Police Department will match the amount of money donated by members, which will then finance the gifts, in addition to a donation from the Goddard School, a preschool at 430 Lewandowski Street.
Passamano said he has been inspired by the generosity of previous club members.
“Last year, a girl donated money from her Sweet 16, which was just great,” Passamano said. “The holidays are a great time of year, but it’s also a tough time for a lot of… families, and it is nice to see these kids step up.”
Senior Angel Sammarone, a member of the Law Enforcement Club, said he is excited to participate in the toy drive to bring joy this holiday season.
“This fundraiser is incredibly important during this time of year because it gives the opportunity for kids and families who are less fortunate to see love and support [from] those around them,” Sammarone said.
He said he is looking forward to coming together with his peers for a good cause.
“I hope students will understand that when we work together… we have the power to bring hope and make a real difference in the lives of families in need,” Sammarone said.
National Honor Society
Science teacher Ms. Manzella, who co-advises the National Honor Society with math teacher Ms. Smeitana, said the organization encourages its members to support holiday fundraisers outside of school.
“Last year, Trina’s Treats did a holiday toy drive, and St. Jude [Children’s Research Hospital] always allows students to send a virtual holiday card,” Manzella said.
She said many of the events NHS members participate in are based on community service.
“[It is important] to think about the greater community and those who are in need, so a lot of [our service] is based around making sure children [feel special] during the holidays,” Manzella said.
Senior Emily Salazar, the recording secretary for NHS, who joined the organization last year, said that participating in these events encourages other students to demonstrate service.
“One of the most valued aspects of NHS is giving back to our community,” Salazar said. “Participating in fundraisers helps us support meaningful causes and set a meaningful example for our peers.”
Salazar said she continues to donate to these fundraisers to bring joy to those who may be struggling during the holidays.
“Whether it be through fundraising or volunteering, I want our efforts to impact others positively throughout the holiday season,” Salazar said.
Winter Cheer Team
Secretary of Student Services Mrs. Montillo, who has been coaching the Winter Cheer Team since 2018, organizes a toy drive that will run through Dec. 17. The proceeds will go to the Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas University Hospital Pediatric Cancer Center in New Brunswick.
Montillo started running this event in 2022 after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. She said she donates the proceeds to the children at the RWJ Barnabas Pediatric Cancer Center because that is where her daughter was treated.
“I was at the hospital when others donated toys, which is where I got the interest to contribute,” Montillo said.
“I got to see firsthand their faces when they were receiving the toys. After [my daughter] got better, we started doing the same thing,” Montillo said.
Sophomore Ridhi Gowda, who has been on the team for two years, said she helped organize the toys the team collected last year and wants students who are not on the Winter Cheer Team to get involved as well.
“I hope students see that even small acts like helping organize or load toys can make a big difference,” Gowda said.
She said the drive reminds others to give back, especially during the holidays.
“The holidays can be really tough for some families, and helping give kids a better holiday experience means a lot,” Gowda said.
World Language Honor Society
Spanish teacher Señora Rojas, who co-advises the World Language Honor Society with Italian teacher Signor Raguseo, facilitates the organization’s annual sock drive for the homeless. WLHS members are encouraged to donate socks, which are then given to the Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation shelter in Union City. This event will run from Dec. 8-23.
Rojas said she enjoys the simple moments with family around the holidays and wants students to learn the value of assisting the less fortunate.
“It is my hope that our continued collaborative efforts will help local shelters support families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Rojas said. “I truly hope that I can motivate and inspire students to participate in this community service.”
Rojas, who grew up in Union City, said she has a personal connection to the area because she understands the community’s needs, which is why she aims to provide an essential item to the unhoused population.
“[Socks are] especially appreciated during the holidays when new, warm socks are distributed just in time for the cold winter months,” Rojas said.
WLHS secretary senior Chloe Sanchez, who was inducted last year, said she enjoys watching compassion transcend language barriers.
She said she plans to participate in the sock drive to spread kindness to those beyond the school.
“Socks are a real need, and it is important to be one of the ones to step up, since many other people won’t,” Sanchez said.
She said charity is her favorite part of the holiday season.
“Generosity is a big thing about the holidays, and it is always nice to see people go out of their way to make another person happy,” said Sanchez.
