Tag: McNair

Monthly Update for December 2025! ☃️

Hi everyone! ☺️ Here’s the update for December for all Jersey City Public School students. To see the full calendar for this school year, click here.

December 23rd: Half Day (12:45 Dismissal)

December 24th – January 2nd: Winter Break (9 days)

  • Marking Period 2 ends January 28th! Students can check their grades and schedule on Infinite Campus. For any parents that want to see a step by step guide on how to view your child’s grades on the Infinite Campus website, click here.
  • For anyone wondering about Jersey City Public School Attendance Policy, click here.

For families whose children play winter season sports, you can access the stats and schedule on the nj.com website. 🏒 🏀

Infinity and McNair Applications for Fall 2026 Entrance Now Available

The application process for McNair Academic and Infinity High School is now open to 8th and 9th-grade students seeking admission! The application process is only open to students residing in Jersey City. Online applications can be accessed here. Applications opened on November 26, 2025 and completed applications must be submitted by Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Note that a PSAT score is still a required part of the application. You can view our posts on McNair and Infinity to see how PSAT scores affect how applications are evaluated.

As of now, Infinity and McNair High School’s plan is to begin sending out acceptance letters in late February.

How to Prep for College Before Senior Year

How to Prep for College Before Senior Year

Hi everyone! 😊 Here are four steps to take before the end of junior year to prep for the college application process. It’s never too early to start doing these things so I recommend that freshmen and sophomores also read this! ☀️

Your junior year summer will likely be filled with SAT prep and narrowing down the list of prospective colleges. Thinking ahead now will lighten your load later, and your future self will be grateful you did.

  • Start early with SAT prep. Starting SAT prep during junior year gives you the flexibility to study at a steady pace rather than cramming the summer before senior year and during the first marking period. It also helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. By starting early, you’ll have more time to focus on improving the sections that need the most work, increasing your chances of a higher overall score.
  • Explore your career interests. During your junior year, try exploring careers to discover what interests you. It could be through a part-time job, volunteering, job shadowing, and more. If you enjoy the work, consider joining a related club at your school to keep building on that interest. The earlier you start volunteering or interning, the more time you have to grow in the role—and possibly take on leadership (eventually becoming a club leader, for example), which looks great on college applications.
  • Start exploring prospective colleges. Begin building a list of colleges you might be interested in during your junior year. The summer after junior year is a great time to attend a few college campus tours or virtual info sessions. Niche is a helpful tool to organize and compare the colleges that interest you.
  • Get serious about volunteer hours. As of 2025, students at Jersey City Public High Schools must complete 25 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. Note that this threshold can change from year to year. Students are responsible for tracking their own hours (it can be during the school years and / or the summers), which includes obtaining a letter that lists the hours completed from the organization you volunteered with. I recommend following Jersey Cares if you are looking for volunteer opportunities, and specifically seeking opportunities that align with your interests. The Jersey Cares website features a Volunteer Opportunity Calendar, which can be filtered by location to reveal hundreds of ongoing events near you. Ideally, there should be a theme—for example, if you are in healthcare, you might volunteer at Jersey City Medical Center.

Feel free to comment or email us directly if you have further questions! 😊

Jersey City Schools Enforce Districtwide Classroom Cell Phone Ban

The New Jersey Department of Education is aiming to create an “unplugged” classroom setting starting this school year. Many other districts and states are in the process of adopting stricter in-school device policies to reduce distractions.

What the Policy Says

  • The Jersey City Board of Education unanimously passed the ban on personal communication devices on September 18, 2025, to take effect October 1, 2025.
  • This includes smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets. This rule might extent to personal laptops, which means students would start using school-issued chromebooks only in classes (I will update this page if so!)
  • Under the new policy, students must have their phones in backpacks, lockers, or in the pouches provided by the school during class time.
  • Use of devices is allowed during noninstructional times, such as in the hallways and at lunch.
  • There are exemptions for students with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), IHP (Individualized Health Plan), or under Section 504 accommodations.
  • Repeated violations may require students to turn over their device each morning (this just depends on your school)

Potential Benefits

  • Reduced distractions
  • Improved focus and engagement in classrooms
  • Better social interaction among students
  • Supports policy alignment — consistency across all 39 public schools in the district.

This is definitely a big change! For any students who are bummed about it, it might be helpful to know that even the presence of your phone reduces memory recall. A study with undergraduates found that those who had their smartphone nearby (even if turned off) had poorer recall accuracy on memory tasks compared to those without their phones. So, this policy might benefit you more than you’d think! 😊😊

Important Information for the Upcoming School Year (’25-’26)

Hi everyone! 😊☀️ For students in Jersey City Public Schools, I hope everyone enjoyed their first full week back at school! To access this school year’s monthly calendar, click here.

School Checklist and Tips

  • For middle school and high school students, make sure you don’t forget your IDs (freshman are given them during orientation)
  • Bring your chromebook (make sure it’s charged)
  • If you participate in a fall sport, make sure you remember equipment, uniform, and anything else you’d need depending on if you have a game or practice. Throughout the year, to look at your team’s statistics and roster, you can usually find updated information on the nj.com site.
  • New students should receive an infinite campus account in the first two weeks of school. To learn more about what your infinite campus account contains and how to log in, click here.
  • High school seniors are permitted up to three additional excused absences for college visits, provided they submit proof to their guidance counselor (for example: an email that confirms you attended a college tour). For those of you curious about attendance policy, click here.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and good luck to all students this year 🍀

Monthly Update for June 2025! ☀️

Hi everyone! Here is the update for June. For students, remember that finals start next week on Monday, but after finals there are only 6 days of school left.

June 9th – 13th: Elementary, Middle, and High School Final Exams

June 19th: Half Day (12:45 Dismissal)

June 20th: Juneteenth Observed – District Closed

June 23rd & 24th: Half Day (12:45 Dismissal)

The full school year calendar​ can be accessed here.

Monthly Update for May 2025! 💗💗

Hi everyone. Here’s the update for May! There are only 37 school days left to go. The full school year calendar​ can be accessed here.

May 1st: Virtual Record Card Night (6:30-8pm) for High Schools

May 20th: MP 4 Progress Report Cards Due

May 22nd: Parents as Partners Conference (parents can learn about registering here)

May 23rd: Half Day (12:45 Dismissal)

May 26th: Memorial Day Observed— District Closed

  • Juniors will take the NJSLA Science from Monday, May 19 to Thursday, May 22, 2025. (NJSLA is the same week of the AP Makeup exam).
  • For a step by step guide on how to view your child’s grades, click here.
  • Sports teams and schedules can be accessed on nj.com

Monthly Update for April 2025!

Hi everyone. Here’s the update for April, for all Jersey City Public School students. The full school year calendars​ can be accessed here.

April 10th: End of Marking Period 3

April 17th: Half day/12:45 dismissal (Spring Break begins!)

April 18 – 25: Spring Break

April 29th: Virtual Report Card Night (6:30-8pm) for Elementary Schools

April 30th: Virtual Report Card Night (6:30-8pm) for Middle Schools

  • For students taking an Advanced Placement (AP) course, there are 35 days until May 5, which is when AP testing begins.
  • For a step by step guide on how to view your child’s grades, click here.
  • Sports teams and schedules can be accessed on nj.com

The Latest Spring News 2025 🌸🌸

We are pleased to share some exciting news—many Jersey City public schools appear to be implementing new initiatives and making changes lately.

McNair Academic High School Introduces Ugg Boots to Dress Code—But Only Temporarily

McNair Academic High School, known for its business casual dress code, has allowed students to wear Ugg boots for the first time in the school’s history.

Only the Classic Ugg boot has made the cut for this revised policy, perhaps because it is the least ugly of all the Uggs. Students have not received direction on whether fake Uggs, otherwise known as “Fuggs,” comply with the new standard. The iconic Uggs were brought to the U.S. in the 1970s — shortly after McNair was founded. We don’t know whether the McNair administration had considered adding the classic Ugg boots in previous years, however, we can speculate that it would have been a subject of intense debate. 

In fact, some McNair faculty members have already begun filing requests to reverse the policy change, citing concerns about maintaining McNair’s traditionally formal dress code. As a result, this policy will likely be in place for the current academic year.

Let us know your position on McNair’s business casual dress code. Do you think Uggs are a step in the right direction?

PS #5 Receives Funding from NJEA for a School Garden

Last week, Dr. Michael Conti PS #5 received a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Grant for their proposed school garden. We would also like to highlight MS#4 and PS#39 for their active prioritization of sustainability initiatives. Both schools have their own rooftop gardens. These gardens provide a hands-on learning environment for students, and they also enjoy the fresh vegetables they cultivate.

Jersey City District Initiates Infinity Institute Relocation Process

The Impending Relocation of Infinity Institute

Infinity Institute’s potential relocation to the vicinity of Ferris High School (35 Colgate Street) has been a significant topic of discussion since 2012. At that time, the District planned to move Infinity Institute, but many parents objected. They argued that Infinity (193 Old Bergen Road) should stay in Greenville because it is convenient for the majority of its students. However, it now appears that Infinity Institute is actually moving.

Why is Infinity Institute Moving?

Infinity is hosted on St. Paul The Apostle Catholic Church’s property, which means the school’s current location was always somewhat temporary. Infinity rents the facility to accommodate its middle and high school students and renews its lease annually. When the time came to renew the lease for the 2025-2026 school year, St. Paul’s Church told the District that the school would be required to share all facilities with another Catholic school. This new condition, in addition to the high rent that Infinity is currently paying, motivated the District to reconsider moving the school to Ferris in downtown Jersey City.

What building would Infinity use?

The current plan is that the School 9 building, typically used for Ferris juniors, will become Infinity students’ new home. Infinity Institute would not share the Ferris High School building – it would occupy a separate building nearby. The new location eliminates the need for annual lease renewals. Furthermore, the building that Infinity Institute plans to move to is 40 years newer than its current facility. It is more modern and twice the size.

Transportation

Lastly, for parents with concerns about transportation, students that live over two miles away from the public school they attend receive bus tickets (click here for details). 

Potential Benefits of a New Location

The proposed plan to relocate Infinity has created some controversy. McNair Academic High School (Jersey City’s other magnet high school) is also located downtown. If Infinity were to relocate to Downtown Jersey City, the wealthiest area of Jersey City, that area would get both magnet schools. This may look geographically unfair, and in addition, Infinity would be farther away for many of its students. However there are benefits to the new location. The proposed facility includes three floors, a cafeteria, and a gym. It also has an auditorium and air conditioning—amenities that are currently lacking at Infinity’s present location. Ferris High School’s track and grass fields offer a significant advantage to Infinity’s sports program. With access to these facilities, Infinity can potentially strengthen its athletic offerings, which could improve student recruitment. Furthermore, students at Infinity who participate in sports not currently offered by their school may even have the opportunity to join Ferris’ teams at some point in the future.

Also, you can read our page on Infinity here! 😊