eatontown public schools newsletter links/district newsletter/2014... · evan rea woodmere school-...
TRANSCRIPT
"Blending Tradition and
Innovation to Drive
Educational Excellence”
As we enter the month of April, I
am confident that most of us are
comfortable with leaving winter
behind with the opportunity to
hopefully spring forward into
warmer weather. As residents of
New Jersey, one of the few states
that truly has all four seasons, we
come to expect the harsh reali-
ties of winter, however, the last
two winters have been intense. It
will be a true reward to spend
some time outside watching our
baseball, softball and track teams
compete during the Spring sports
season. Educationally speaking, I
am very proud of our students
and staff for their efforts in pre-
paring and completing the
PARCC (PBA) assessment. Our
students and staff responded ad-
mirably to the new assessment
system. Over 600 students were
assessed in the month in of
March. The PARCC test will be
completed in late April to mid
“SPRING FORWARD”
by Scott T. McCue, Superintendent of Schools
April, 2015
Volume I, Issue 2
Board of Education
Bob English, President
Carl Lawson, Vice-President
John Bennett
Ed Fitterer
Joe Fukushima
Deborah Martinock
Shellie Miller
Sharyn Palenzuela
Peter Siino
Ins ide th i s issue:
Woodmere Hal lway 2
Decorat ing Contest
Specia l Vis i t at 2
Meadowbrook
Vetter Part ic ipates 3
In NAEP
Ful l o f Talent 4
Memoria l School 4
Experiences His tory
A View of PARCC 5
News from the ELL 6
Department
Winter Sports 7
Teams
Student Honored 8
Teachers o f the 8
Year
B last Of f for Math 8
May with the administration of
the End of Year Assessment.
Moving forward, the district is
beginning preparations for new
science standards called Next
Generation Science Standards.
Although full implementation of
these new science standards is
not expected for close to two
more years, Eatontown Public
Schools is preparing for the im-
plementation of these standards
in the near future. In addition,
the Department of Education has
adopted new technology stand-
ards as well. The district technol-
ogy curriculum will be revisited
and revised this summer in order
to align to the new technology
standards for next school year.
During the final third of the
school year, there are many ex-
citing programs and opportunities
ahead. Please stop by the Memo-
rial School Fields and watch our
student athletes compete. Our
students and coaches appreci-
ate the support.
In addition, please attend our
Spring Concerts hosted at each
school in the district. Please
consider attending our various
school fun nights hosted by our
PTOs/PTA. Your child would
love to see you come to school
events, and it is a great oppor-
tunity to learn more about the
Eatontown School Community.
Last, but certainly not least,
please remember that there
still is over one full marking
period remaining this school
year. Even though the weather
is improving and the days are
longer, students still need to
attend school routinely and
prepare for school each day.
Looking forward to seeing you
in the months ahead. Thank
you for your support!
Eatontown Public Schools
Newsletter
Important Dates to Remember
April 3rd to April 10th- Schools Closed June 4th- 7th Grade Philadelphia Trip
April 13th- Schools Reopen June 12th- 8th Grade Dance
April 17th- End of the Third Marking Period June 22nd- Last Day of School
April 24th- Report Cards Issued
May 13th- 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip
May 21st- 6th Grade Tri-school Dance
Leadership Team
Scott T. McCue
Superintendent of
Schools
Jay Medlin
Principal of Memorial
School
Valerie Cioffi
Principal of
Meadowbrook School
Kristoffer Brogna
Principal of
Woodmere School
Kevin Iozzi
Principal of Vetter
School
Debbie Nappi
Supervisor of Special
Services
Tara Micciulla
Director of Elementary
& Secondary Education
Lori Youngclaus
Business Administrator/
Board Secretary
Student Council
Officers
President
Brian Waltsak
Vice-President
Jamaal Hall
Secretary
Rachel Miller
Treasurer
Doreen Munck
Woodmere Hallway Decorating Contest
In November it was decided that Woodmere School would participate in a school-wide Hallway
Decorating Contest. The staff at Woodmere is very competitive and enjoy a friendly competition
now and again. The goal for each of the four hallways was to decorate their hallway and make it the
most creative and decorative in the school. A winter theme was chosen and each hallway given a
specific aspect of winter to focus on. The themes included Winter Sports, Winter Flea Market Bi-
zarre, Winter Wonderland, and Penguins in Winter.
As the competition commenced, it was interesting to see how each hallway transformed into some-
thing out of a story. The students and staff worked together to turn their hallway into a winning
product. Not only was this activity fun, but it promoted team building, creativity, learning interest-
ing facts, and artistic talents. Each hallway turned out great and was worthy of being the winner.
During the judging day, all the students and teachers hard work was put to the test. A panel of four
judges walked the hallways to determine who would be the winner of a PTA sponsored breakfast.
While the judging was close and the decision was extremely difficult, the Penguins of Winter were
the victors. It was a well-deserved victory and fun was had by all. Woodmere cannot wait until next
year’s competition. Woodmere wonders what next year’s theme will be?
“A road traveled with a
good friend is never too
Page 2 EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Volume I , I s sue 2
On February 25, 2015, Mrs. Caroline Casagrande,
Assemblywoman of the 11th Legislative District of
New Jersey visited Meadowbrook School's 4th
grade classes. She spoke with the fourth grade stu-
dents about her position as an Assemblywoman
and the importance of citizenship in our communi-
ties. Assemblywoman Casagrande involved stu-
dents in activities that demonstrated the process of
how a bill becomes a law. Students also brain-
stormed and discussed important issues that they
felt should be addressed in our community. As-
semblywoman Casagrande answered many ques-
tions about traffic laws, smoking bans, and pollu-
tion. All fourth grade students took an oath to do
their very best in school, to respect their com-
munity, and to honor the state that they live in.
Meadowbrook School thanks Assemblywom-
an Casagrande for her time and presentation.
Assemblywoman Casagrande
Visits Meadowbrook School
Fourth Graders
According to the most recent
data, did you know that New
Jersey’s fourth grade students
are ranked number one in
Reading when compared to the
other fifty states in the union?
Did you also know that they are
nationally ranked number four
in Mathematics, and there is
only 6 average points separating
us from being ranked number
one? This information is pro-
vided by the National Assess-
ment of Educational Progress
(NAEP). NAEP is the largest
national representative and con-
tinuing assessment of what stu-
dents know and can do in vari-
ous subject areas. NAEP offi-
cials collect data through a care-
fully constructed test that
measures student achievement
in various subjects. It is admin-
istered by the National Center
for Education Statistics, a
branch of the U.S. Department
of Education, and the Vetter
School fourth graders were
honored to join 100 other NJ
schools in representing de-
mographic groups such as
gender, socioeconomic status,
and race/ethnicity to gather
this year’s NJ data for the
National Report Card.
In the days leading up to the
February 11th test date, Mr.
Iozzi and the fourth grade
teachers, gave the students a
lesson in pride, explaining
how highly regarded the edu-
cation in New Jersey is in
comparison to the rest of the
nation. Mr. Iozzi compared it
to the movie Rocky (which
ironically, after all these years,
our newest generation of
students still recognize). He
told the students how hard it
was for Rocky to reach the
top and how it represented
the hard work and dedication
he had to have to get there.
The fourth grade students
were made to realize that
they too have been working
hard in school, not only this
year, but each year getting to
this moment… and it is being
recognized by the nation.
They were told, like Rocky,
they currently hold the title.
They began to feel honored
that they were chosen to not
only represent Eatontown,
but to be a representative of
NJ. Suddenly, the Vetter
fourth graders began to be-
lieve in their abilities and
could not wait to defend
their title in Reading and
move up to number one in
Math (you can just hear the
theme to Rocky playing in
the background).
Vetter School fourth graders
performed their civic duty as
they participated in the
NAEP test on February 11th.
The representatives that vis-
ited our school that day com-
mented that they travel all
over NJ to administer this
test and that they could not
remember a warmer, more
accommodating, and enthusi-
astic atmosphere for the ad-
ministration of the test. The
district is very proud of not
only our fourth graders but
all of the Vetter students and
staff. At the end of all of
this, we’ll all be able to yell,
“Yo Adrian…I did it!!”
Vetter’s Fourth Grade Students Do Their First Civic Duty
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2
Page 3
“Learning never exhausts the
mind.” -Leonardo Da Vinci
2015 Spelling Bee
Winners
Vetter School-
Kelly Huang
Woodmere School-
Gemma Lascano
Meadowbrook School-
Prabhnoor Singh
Memorial School-
Kylie Tang
The Business Office has been working our way through the process of compiling the
2015-2016 school year budget. The tentative budget was adopted by the Board of Edu-
cation at the March 9, 2015 BOE Meeting and then will be submitted to the State De-
partment of Education County Office for approval. Once approved, the formal public
hearing is scheduled to take place at the Board Meeting of April 27th.
The proposed budget maintains all educational programs, continues our preschool pro-
grams, supports our technology initiatives and allows for additional opportunities for pro-
fessional development that will allow our staff to continue to use new and innovative
ways to deliver instruction. There also are maintenance and capital projects being dis-
cussed at the committee level as of this date. The goal continues to be to provide a
quality, first-rate education to the students of Eatontown in a fiscally responsible manner.
BUSINESS OFFICE NOTES by Mrs. Lori Youngclaus, Business Administrator
2015 Geography Winners
Vetter School-
Evan Rea
Woodmere School-
Ava Yeagle
Meadowbrook School-
Alexa Dornemann
Memorial School-
Charles d’Emery-Edwards
Primary Business Address
Phone: 732-542-1310
Fax: 732-578-0017
Website: www.eatontown.org
Spring Concert Schedule
Woodmere Spring Concert & Art
Show— April 30th at 7:00 pm
Vetter Spring Concert & Art
Show— May 20th at 7:00 pm
Memorial Spring Concert & Art
Show— June 2nd at 7:00 pm
Meadowbrook Spring Concert &
Art Show— June 4th at 6:00 pm
All the way back in September, the buzz around school was all about this so called Tal-
ent Show. People would talk and many times the conversation would broach the topic of
this wonderful show that featured some of Woodmere’s best and brightest students. They
would say, this is a show you can not miss or just wait until you see that show. Well on
Friday, March 6th, that show took place. The annual PTA Woodmere Talent Show which
featured the theme of circus life was held. Sixteen acts took the stage for a night full of
memories and laughs. Students put their talents on display and captivated the audience
with their performances. Acts like singing, dancing, magic, and spoofs entertained the
crowd and brought joy to the school. The students worked so hard and showcased their
creative talents. They stood proud, as did all in the audience, to know that they gave it
their best. It was a night to remember and one that we hope comes back year after year.
Everyone left with a smile on their face and the feeling that they got treated to something
special. Woodmere is looking forward to next year’s show!!
Eatontown Public Schools
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Volume I , I ssue 2
Spring is finally here according to the
calendar, and here are a few remind-
ers from the Health Offices:
Kindergarten registration was con-
ducted in early March and parents are
reminded that their children will need
to have a documented physical exami-
nation and required immunizations
before entering school. Parents of
students that will also be entering
sixth grade in the fall are reminded
that their students are required to have both the Tdap Vaccine (given no
earlier than the 10th birthday) and the
Meningococcal Vaccine (given after
the 11th birthday). Documentation of
these vaccines must be submitted
prior to the first day of school in
September. Finally, it is not too
early to begin preparing for the 2015-
16 school year. If your child is inter-
ested in participating in school sports
in the fall, a current physical must be
on file at the school. The only form
that can be accepted is available on
the website or at the school office.
The physical must be approved by the
school physician prior to the first day
of tryouts. Please schedule a physical
over the summer and turn in all nec-
essary form by the first day of school
so that an opportunity to participate
will not be missed.
The 8th grade was privileged to have Mrs.
Tova Friedman come to school on January
27th to tell the story of her life experience.
Mrs. Friedman survived Auschwitz con-
centration camp as a six year old child. She
and her family were captured by the Nazis
and taken to Auschwitz where she was
able to stay with her mother and survive
until the Russian army liberated them. Jan-
uary 27th was an important day for Mrs.
Friedman as it was the anniversary of her
liberation. The 8th grade students were
given the opportunity to ask Mrs. Fried-
man questions after her presentation. The
students have studied the Holocaust at
length in their Language Arts classes and
were very appreciative to be able to hear
about history first hand.
FULL OF TALENT— WOODMERE SCHOOL!
MEMORIAL SCHOOL HONORED TO HOST
MRS. FRIEDMAN, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR
Page 4
During the month of March, students in Grades 3-8 have taken the Performance
Based Assessment component of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for
College and Careers (PARCC) assessments in Language Arts and Mathematics.
PARCC is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that
measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers.
These computer-based tests give parents, teachers, and schools detailed information
about how the students are progressing in their learning, and the data to help teach-
ers customize learning to meet the students’ needs.
Eatontown has been preparing for the PARCC testing over the last few years. Stu-
dents in grades 4-8 have a one-to-one ratio of tablets to students provided to them.
Teachers have received training on the Common Core State Standards and the
PARCC tests. Students have been practicing the testing functionalities in their class-
rooms. Schools have practiced readiness with Infrastructure Trials during the
month of February. Even parents have received some information. On Wednesday,
February 11, 2015, 75 parents attended the PARCC Parent Information Night held
at Memorial Middle School. Mr. Scott McCue, Superintendent of Schools, and Mrs.
Tara Micciulla, Director of Elementary and Secondary Education, presented a Pow-
erPoint on the Common Core State Standards and the make-up of the PARCC as-
sessment. Representatives from Senator’s Beck’s Office and the NJ School Boards
attended the event. After the presentation, District Math and Literacy coaches ex-
plained the test to parents by grade level and allowed the parents to see sample
problems. Beginning April 27th, students will take the End of the Year (EOY) com-
ponent of the PARCC. The Language Arts EOY will focus on reading comprehen-
sion. The Mathematics EOY will have students demonstrate further conceptual un-
derstanding of the standards and demonstrate mathematical fluency when applicable
to the grade level. Students can reinforce important academic skills at home by
reading every night and using StudyIsland in English Language Arts and Math.
Page 5
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2
Reminders
Spring Recess
All schools are closed
from April 3rd through
April 10th. Schools reo-
pen on Monday, April
13th.
“Books are portable
magic.” -Anonymous
Eatontown Public
Schools Parent Portal
If you would like to re-
ceive school notices elec-
tronically, please request
a form through your
school’s Main Office.
This form to register for
this service will be pro-
vided to you. Thank you
for your cooperation.
If you have already regis-
tered for this service, you
do not need to do it
again.
A VIEW OF THE PARCC by Mrs. Tara Micciulla
Director of Elementary & Secondary Education
Page 6
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2
The ELL Program, based at Vetter School and Memorial School, has had an eventful year. Ms. Lancton and Mrs. Mindnich work with 51 ELL students
on a daily basis, both pushing into mainstream classes with our advanced students and pulling out students of lower language proficiency in a small
group setting. The Eatontown School District receives Title III funds for our ELL program. A component of the funding is to incorporate the entire
family into the Title III program and enrich the learning with special programs.
In doing so, from October through December evening classes were held for parents covering current news topics. Elizabeth Claire’s Easy English
News, which is a monthly newspaper specifically written for English language learners, was used in the classes. Students were welcomed to come with
their parents and were supervised by Bushra Saeed, a Board approved volunteer who also is the mother of one of our 2nd grade students. She read
with them and worked with technology. A variety of cultures/languages were represented at the classes. Later, in January, a four week After School
Multi-Cultural Storytelling Hour was offered for 25 K-2 students. Julie Pasquale, from Storytelling Arts, Inc. did an amazing job engaging all of the stu-
dents with her unique storytelling abilities and the students gained both listening and “visualizing” skills.
Currently, the ELL department is offering an evening Family Literacy Program entitled “Success in School for Families.” On Wednesday evenings from
6:30—7:30 p.m., families come to Vetter School and participate in activities which focus on foundational literacy skills and vocabulary development.
This is a great opportunity for the parents not only to work with their children, but to learn educational games and other techniques to help their
child achieve academic success. Parents can ask for help with notices or questions they may have about their child’s homework. This evening pro-
gram has been a very positive experience for all involved and continues to grow on a weekly basis.
As ELL Teachers, Ms. Lancton and Mrs. Mindnich are involved in the PARCC (3-8) and Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State
to State (ACCESS) testing. All K-8 students are tested with the ACCESS test, during a specific window of time, in order to establish their English
proficiency levels from year to year. The test evaluates each student in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. With the results of this Assessment
they are able to determine the student’s specific areas of strength, possible areas of weakness, and whether or not they can be exited from the ELL
Program.
Eatontown Elks Essay Contest Winners
News from THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER (ELL) PROGRAM
Grade 5
1st Place Sabrina Sciarappa Meadowbrook
2nd Place Christopher Kohler Meadowbrook
3rd Place Melody Membreno Vetter
Grade 6
1st Place Rebecca Heath Woodmere
2nd Place Hope Pino Meadowbrook
3rd Place Riley Kline Meadowbrook
Grade 7
1st Place Eric Pietz Memorial
2nd Place Alyssa Hughes Memorial
3rd Place Levi Bova Memorial
Grade 8
1st Place Destiny Bland Memorial
2nd Place Nicole Lastella Memorial
3rd Place Evan Newcomb Memorial
Students were recognized at the March
23rd Board of Education Meeting.
Page 7
Memorial School Sports Recognition
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2
Memorial School Girls’ Basketball Team 2015
Memorial School Boys’ Basket ball Team 2015
Memorial School Cheerleading Team 2015
The Eatontown Public School community is very proud of our winter season student athletes. Thank you for representing
Eatontown both on and off the court this year. We appreciate your hard work and dedication.
2015 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
The Teachers of the Year were honored at the February
9th Board of Education Meeting. They were Mr. William
Reich, Memorial School, Mrs. Jessica Kuras, Meadow-
brook School, Mrs. Kelly Schleig, Woodmere School, and
Mrs. Jamie Johnson, Vetter School. Eatontown Public
Schools is proud to have these excellent educators in
our district. They will be honored at a luncheon hosted
by the Monmouth County Superintendent’s at Mon-
mouth University on May 15th.
Memorial’s Kyra Barriteau Accepts a $50,000.00 Scholarship
Kyra Barriteau will be completing the NJ SEEDS Scholars Program this May. The program prepares 8th grade students
for 9th grade placement at an academically rigorous institution or boarding school. Kyra was Memorial’s first SEEDS
Scholar. This year Kyra has spent countless hours studying and attending the SEEDS Saturday Academy preparing for her
SSAT entrance exams and the application process while keeping up with her schoolwork and activities at Memorial. This
past week, Kyra was offered a $50,000.00 annual scholarship for the next four years at the prestigious Fryeburg Acade-
my. Fryeburg is one of the oldest private schools in the United States. The school is located in Fryeburg, Maine. Kyra and
her mother, Michelle Barbosa, were delighted at the opportunity and accepted the scholarship for the 2015/2016 school
year. Many thanks go out to Mr. Medlin, Ms. Rosati, and Mrs. Gallucci for all their help over the past two years. The en-
tire Memorial staff and the Eatontown Public School District wish Kyra the best and look forward to hearing about her
experience with future Memorial SEEDS Scholars.
CONGRATULATIONS KYRA FOR A JOB WELL
DONE!
“Blast Off for Math!”
A Title I Family Involvement Night
By Ms. Rosati, School Counselor at Memorial and
Vetter Schools
On Wednesday March 25th over 30 families attended the “Blast
Off for Math” themed Parent Involvement Night which took
place at Vetter School. Eatontown Public School District is re-
quired to reserve part of their Title I allocation for parent in-
volvement programs, including promoting test taking strategies
and parenting skills. Parent/family involvement significantly con-
tributes to improved student outcomes. Qualifying Title I stu-
dents from Vetter School, Woodmere School and Memorial
School participated in a fun filled evening surrounding the math
theme. Students and families in grades Pre-K through eighth
grade began the evening by enjoying pizza. After dinner, families
moved throughout the building to participate in math activities.
Teachers were located in multiple rooms to assist in the planned
activities. Students were able to show their family math related
computer programs and games using the newly implemented
tablets. Students and families also took part in an outer space
themed art project, math board games as well as worked togeth-
er in an activities/worksheet room. After rotating into each
room students and families returned to the All-Purpose Room to
enjoy themed goodie-bags filled with snacks and school supplies.
Students won door prizes as well. Students took home math
worksheets/games and parents were provided with informational
materials including resources regarding the PARCC state assess-
ment. This was another successful Title I event for our school
community. We look forward to future Parent Involvement
events. Please keep an eye out for the next Title I night towards
the end of the school year!
EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2 Page 8