In the quest to be the best urban school district in the state of New Jersey, students and faculty have come together to strive for success.

The club S.T.R.I.V.E. was created to allow students and teachers to work together, to find ways to motivate students to strive for academic success. Created in 2011 by Mrs. Jose, STRIVE stands for Students and Teachers Reviving and Instilling the Value of Education.

This organization has as its goal to explore creative ways to inspire students to achieve  their highest potential while here at PHS. The main initiative of this group is the Zero-Free Challenge. In this program students pledge to complete all assignments in a marking period for a class or classes (student’s choice).

When they achieve this goal, they get recognition (see STRIVE winners on this page) in the form of a certificate of accomplishment and a prize.

Other activities and initiatives sponsored by this organization are the Motivational Assembly in May by guest speaker Reggie Walker, football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. There is also an end of the year awards dinner in June for students who really did strive to do their best in all their classes.

If you want to strive to be the best that you can be, and you feel like you are up to the challenge, then don’t waste any time. Join STRIVE.

By Sharief Masri