Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Army Private Nathan Badeen became one of the earliest Arab Americans to serve in the Continental Army. Badeen hailed from a family of farmers and merchants originally from the Hauran area, better known now as Syria. After being abducted by French traders, he ended up in Canada and later traveled south into the thirteen colonies arriving near Massachusetts around the start of the Revolutionary War. According to the documents acquired by the Library of Congress, Nathan Badeen willingly joined the Continental Army on January 1, 1776. He bravely served his country until his death at Fort George on May 23rd of the same year. This message was brought to you by Adriana Sosa of the ERASE Club in honor of Arab American Heritage Month.

Etcetera's annual Coffeehouse event is scheduled for Friday, May 29th. Sign up to perform music, to sing, to recite or read poetry, to act out a dramatic scene -- any live performances are welcome! Look for Etcetera's Coffeehouse posters to scan the QR code and sign up. Start rehearsing now!

Whippany Park Math Club will be hosting the last math competition of the school year this coming Wednesday, April 22nd! It is a team-based competition, so the more, the merrier! Calculators and other computer-based tools are allowed! If you have been waiting for an opportunity to see what the math competitions are like, this is a great time to check one out! If you have any questions, please reach out to an officer or email Mrs. Savela. Hope to see you there! 

Happy Earth Day from the Environmental Club! Here’s today’s fact: The average American consumes over 200 pounds of meat each year. Producing this amount requires significant resources and contributes to issues like water waste, deforestation, and increased methane emissions. One simple way to make a difference is by trying “Meatless Monday” - choosing plant-based meals just one day a week can help reduce your environmental impact. Small changes in our daily choices can have a big impact on the health of our planet. Be sure to join us today after school in Room 202 for our school-wide clean-up as we celebrate Earth Day. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to the boys’ track team for defeating Morris Catholic yesterday and winning the conference! The following boys won their events: Mike Bimonte- 100 and triple jump, Brayden Lo- Mile and 2 Mile, Jason Griffin- 400 and 200, Max Guerard- 110 Hurdles, Milan Lopez Tassan- 800 Meters, Andrew Steinberg, David Angulo, Jason Chan and Jason Griffin 4x400, Gavin Kelly- High and long jump, RJ Yu- Pole Vault, Alex Choiu- Shot Put, Sean Gilbert- Javelin, Jason Sica- Discus, Great job boys!

Congratulations to the Girls Track and Field Team for their 114-26 win over Morris Catholic and their 137-3 win over St. Elizabeth yesterday. A special congratulations to the seniors for their final duel meet of the season. The team clinched the conference title with both wins. The girls were lead by the following winners at their events: Megan Cusmano: 400 Hurdles, Maleah May: 100, Kate Rossi: 1600, Camila Gomez: 400, Riley Wright-Phillips: 100 Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Ana Angelica: 800, Elena Loeuis: 200, Sadie Boudreau: 3200, Nimisha Anand: Shot Put, Discus, Hailey Gibbons: Javelin, Amanda Wickenheisser: Pole Vault, Great Job Girls! They team will compete next at Randolph Relays this Saturday.

Congratulations to the boys golf team for a decisive win yesterday against Morris Catholic at Brooklake Country Club.  Led by Chris Buzza with a 41 and followed up with a 42 by both Frankie Scrocco and Colin Mullooly and rounded out with a 44 by Luke David the team won 198-169.  They look to continue the streak on Monday against Pequannock.

Whippany Park would like to wish Rocco Rizzitello a Happy Birthday today.

The word of the day is panacea (pa·nuh·see·uh) (noun) – universal cure or solution.