news from the berkeley heights public schools 2-23-2015
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NEWS FROM THE BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MARY KAY MCMILLIN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Reptiles slithered and crawled into the world of Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center recently as the experts from Reptile World in Maryland expanded the schema of the Grade 1 students. Michael Shwedick from Reptile World is one of America's leading reptile wildlife educators. The students enjoyed discovering what reptiles are, what makes them different from birds and mammals, and how important they are in our environment. Many of the myths and misconceptions about reptiles were dispelled, helping students have a better appreciation and understanding of these animals. Mr. Shwedick and his associate, Mr. David, introduced the children to a snapping turtle, a crocodile, an alligator, a lizard, milk snakes, an anaconda and a very large albino python during the 90-minute program. There was also a question-and-answer session following the presentation. Mr. Shwedick gave teachers his e-mail address in order to make sure that if any students had a question, they would get an answer! The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation sponsored the Reptile World assembly based upon a grant application written by Mrs. Susan Poage, Grade 1 Teacher. All of the First Grade teachers were very enthusiastic about the content and presentation quality of the program. Following the assembly, First Grade students created a fact board about reptiles in the Grade 1 hallway at the school. The project will continue as students learn more about reptiles during non-fiction literature and writing projects. Special area teachers have integrated reptiles into their classroom work as well. In the library, students listened to fiction and non-fiction books about this topic; in Art class, they explored the survival method of camouflage, and in Physical Education the students experimented with how different reptiles move.
Transcript of news from the berkeley heights public schools 2-23-2015
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2-23-2015.docxNEWS FROM THE BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MARY
KAY MCMILLIN EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
Reptiles slithered and crawled into the world of Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center recently as the experts from Reptile World in Maryland expanded the schema of the Grade 1 students. Michael Shwedick from Reptile World is one of America's leading reptile wildlife educators. The students enjoyed discovering what reptiles are, what makes them different from birds and mammals, and how important they are in our environment. Many of the myths and misconceptions about reptiles were dispelled, helping students have a better
appreciation and understanding of these animals. Mr. Shwedick and his associate, Mr. David, introduced the children to a snapping turtle, a crocodile, an alligator, a lizard, milk snakes, an anaconda and a very large albino python during the 90-minute program. There was also a question-and-answer session following the presentation. Mr. Shwedick gave teachers his e-mail address in order to make sure that if any students had a question, they would get an answer! The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation sponsored the Reptile World assembly based upon a grant application written by Mrs. Susan Poage, Grade 1 Teacher. All of the First Grade teachers were very enthusiastic about the content and presentation quality of the program. Following the assembly, First Grade students created a fact board about reptiles in the Grade 1 hallway at the school. The project will continue as students learn more about reptiles during non-fiction literature and writing projects. Special area teachers have integrated reptiles into their classroom work as well. In the library, students listened to fiction and non-fiction books about this topic; in Art class, they explored the survival method of camouflage, and in Physical Education the students experimented with how different reptiles move.
THOMAS P. HUGHES SCHOOL Thanks to the generosity of the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation, Thomas P. Hughes School was recently able to host the S.E.E.D.S. presentation for all fourth and fifth grade students.
S.E.E.D.S stands for Student Education & Experience Disability Sensitivity. The goal of the program is to increase disability awareness and sensitivity in our community. S.E.E.D.S. provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about people with disabilities through an informative in- class lecture, dynamic student activities and group discussion.
S.E.E.D.S. works by introducing disabilities and touching on topics such as the challenges and opportunities facing people with disabilities. Students learn about the impact that harassment has on people with disabilities while it increases their acceptance of diversity and social responsibility. Through education and interactive learning, S.E.E.D.S. hopes to “plant an idea and grow
understanding.” Our students benefitted greatly from this amazing program!
MOUNTAIN PARK SCHOOL
It's electric! Grade 3 students at Mountain Park School experimented with making a buzzer sound during their Electrical Circuits Unit in Science. Students attached a red and black wire from the buzzer to the battery and discovered what happens when they are connected. They also realized what happens if you switched where the two wires touched the battery. Students
explored how to make a motor run and even took a motor apart! When it's time for Science, students are excited to learn and discover during this exciting unit of study. ****************************************************************** Let's celebrate writing! Third Graders at Mountain Park spent last month reading and gathering a variety of information from informational texts and Internet sources. Students put the author's words into their own words and chose pages to display their newfound knowledge to share with others in the form of a booklet. Students even wrote an "About the Author" page to showcase their family life, interests, and talents. Grade 3 classes taught by Mrs. Gina Holzmann and Mr. Eli Quinonez then celebrated by sharing their booklets with each other.
MOUNTAIN PARK SCHOOL (continued) If you walked into a Grade 5 Social Studies class at Mountain Park School recently, you might think that you were in Revolutionary- era America. Fifth Graders at Mountain Park participated in a debate between Patriots and Loyalists. The teams had to come up with arguments about British trade restrictions, taxes, and various laws (such as the Proclamation of 1763 and the Intolerable Acts). The students are currently writing rap songs about the Declaration of Independence and the early days of the American Revolution. The performances should be very exciting!
WILLIAM WOODRUFF SCHOOL William Woodruff School’s scientists have been busy finding new ways to make life easier. They designed a variety of technology-based inventions incorporating present technology while using iPads and other devices. The future inventors created items for doing chores quicker and for organizing things. Many of the students utilized everyday resources to construct their inventions.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday was celebrated through morning announcements presented by the Fourth Graders and by listening to the song “Martin,” written by Jonathan Sprout. The students also learned about the Kindness and Justice Challenge of being caught being kind. For two weeks, the students listened to morning announcements about character
attributes and tried during the day and at home to emulate these attributes that were displayed by Dr. King’s actions. The students added their name to the bulletin board announcing, “Let’s Help Others!”
The Student Council was busy during the month supporting those in need and fundraising. Each of the grade levels made sandwiches to support the Bridges program to help local needy residents. A Book and DVD Sale took place where all proceeds will be donated to a charity
to be named. The Student Council also sponsored a Pennies for Pets program to support the Somerset County Animal Shelter. Another fun activity that many students with a sharp eye got involved in was the Winter Photo Contest.
WILLIAM WOODRUFF SCHOOL (continued)
COLUM BIA MIDDLE SCHOOL A recent visit to the Columbia Middle School main office by students from the school’s Guitar Club for an impromptu musical session provided great entertainment to all and a warm feeling on a cold winter day.
Students and parents are reminded that all clubs at CMS offer open enrollment and opportunities for beginners as well as experts. For a complete list of clubs and activities, please check the Columbia Middle School website.
****************************************************************** A recent Grade 8 Science class taught by Mrs. Christina Froehlich at Columbia Middle School included several instructional stations where students were able to determine the effects of air pressure and gravitational forces. As you can see, some students got completely “wrapped up” in their findings as a result of these experiments!
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL All four Governor Livingston High School National Merit Semi-Finalists (pictured L to R) Aziza Khalfani, Emily Xu, Isha Mehrotra and Shree Mehrotra, have been advanced to Finalist status based upon their achievement on the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
(PSAT/NMSQT®) as well as their academic performance in high school and performance on the SAT tests. Approximately 15,000 students nationwide were identified as Finalists from the pool of nearly 1.4 million junior students and more than 22,000 high schools. These Finalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $33 million that will be offered this spring as part of the 60th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Finalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. ****************************************************************** An enthusiastic crowd of over 200 students and parents came out to cheer on the contestants in the annual Governor Livingston High School King of Hearts event earlier this month. This charity event raised $1,000 for the American Heart Association. Ten (10) contestants representing all four GL grades displayed their awesome talents and flashed some stunning looks in a variety of competitive categories. In the end, the judges voted Tim Donohue and Matt Ward champions of the lower and upper classmen. The event is another great example of a Highlander tradition aimed at helping others!
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL (continued) The Governor Livingston High School Boys Basketball team recently defeated Jonathan Dayton High School 49-41 in the second annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held at GLHS. It was, however, an even bigger victory for the Highlander community who came together to fight cancer and support friends and family touched by this disease. This great event raised more than $2,300 for the American Cancer Society, Cancer Stinks, and the Isadora Seibert Foundation. Organized by GL Assistant Basketball Coach Joe Reel, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic featured district students Spencer Jacovini, Nicholas Tarabokia and Ryan Diskin as honorary coaches for the evening. While Head Coach Steve Petruzzelli and his players took care of business against the Dayton Bulldogs in an exciting victory, the Highlander Cheerleaders led the fan activities during the event!
Reptiles slithered and crawled into the world of Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center recently as the experts from Reptile World in Maryland expanded the schema of the Grade 1 students. Michael Shwedick from Reptile World is one of America's leading reptile wildlife educators. The students enjoyed discovering what reptiles are, what makes them different from birds and mammals, and how important they are in our environment. Many of the myths and misconceptions about reptiles were dispelled, helping students have a better
appreciation and understanding of these animals. Mr. Shwedick and his associate, Mr. David, introduced the children to a snapping turtle, a crocodile, an alligator, a lizard, milk snakes, an anaconda and a very large albino python during the 90-minute program. There was also a question-and-answer session following the presentation. Mr. Shwedick gave teachers his e-mail address in order to make sure that if any students had a question, they would get an answer! The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation sponsored the Reptile World assembly based upon a grant application written by Mrs. Susan Poage, Grade 1 Teacher. All of the First Grade teachers were very enthusiastic about the content and presentation quality of the program. Following the assembly, First Grade students created a fact board about reptiles in the Grade 1 hallway at the school. The project will continue as students learn more about reptiles during non-fiction literature and writing projects. Special area teachers have integrated reptiles into their classroom work as well. In the library, students listened to fiction and non-fiction books about this topic; in Art class, they explored the survival method of camouflage, and in Physical Education the students experimented with how different reptiles move.
THOMAS P. HUGHES SCHOOL Thanks to the generosity of the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation, Thomas P. Hughes School was recently able to host the S.E.E.D.S. presentation for all fourth and fifth grade students.
S.E.E.D.S stands for Student Education & Experience Disability Sensitivity. The goal of the program is to increase disability awareness and sensitivity in our community. S.E.E.D.S. provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about people with disabilities through an informative in- class lecture, dynamic student activities and group discussion.
S.E.E.D.S. works by introducing disabilities and touching on topics such as the challenges and opportunities facing people with disabilities. Students learn about the impact that harassment has on people with disabilities while it increases their acceptance of diversity and social responsibility. Through education and interactive learning, S.E.E.D.S. hopes to “plant an idea and grow
understanding.” Our students benefitted greatly from this amazing program!
MOUNTAIN PARK SCHOOL
It's electric! Grade 3 students at Mountain Park School experimented with making a buzzer sound during their Electrical Circuits Unit in Science. Students attached a red and black wire from the buzzer to the battery and discovered what happens when they are connected. They also realized what happens if you switched where the two wires touched the battery. Students
explored how to make a motor run and even took a motor apart! When it's time for Science, students are excited to learn and discover during this exciting unit of study. ****************************************************************** Let's celebrate writing! Third Graders at Mountain Park spent last month reading and gathering a variety of information from informational texts and Internet sources. Students put the author's words into their own words and chose pages to display their newfound knowledge to share with others in the form of a booklet. Students even wrote an "About the Author" page to showcase their family life, interests, and talents. Grade 3 classes taught by Mrs. Gina Holzmann and Mr. Eli Quinonez then celebrated by sharing their booklets with each other.
MOUNTAIN PARK SCHOOL (continued) If you walked into a Grade 5 Social Studies class at Mountain Park School recently, you might think that you were in Revolutionary- era America. Fifth Graders at Mountain Park participated in a debate between Patriots and Loyalists. The teams had to come up with arguments about British trade restrictions, taxes, and various laws (such as the Proclamation of 1763 and the Intolerable Acts). The students are currently writing rap songs about the Declaration of Independence and the early days of the American Revolution. The performances should be very exciting!
WILLIAM WOODRUFF SCHOOL William Woodruff School’s scientists have been busy finding new ways to make life easier. They designed a variety of technology-based inventions incorporating present technology while using iPads and other devices. The future inventors created items for doing chores quicker and for organizing things. Many of the students utilized everyday resources to construct their inventions.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday was celebrated through morning announcements presented by the Fourth Graders and by listening to the song “Martin,” written by Jonathan Sprout. The students also learned about the Kindness and Justice Challenge of being caught being kind. For two weeks, the students listened to morning announcements about character
attributes and tried during the day and at home to emulate these attributes that were displayed by Dr. King’s actions. The students added their name to the bulletin board announcing, “Let’s Help Others!”
The Student Council was busy during the month supporting those in need and fundraising. Each of the grade levels made sandwiches to support the Bridges program to help local needy residents. A Book and DVD Sale took place where all proceeds will be donated to a charity
to be named. The Student Council also sponsored a Pennies for Pets program to support the Somerset County Animal Shelter. Another fun activity that many students with a sharp eye got involved in was the Winter Photo Contest.
WILLIAM WOODRUFF SCHOOL (continued)
COLUM BIA MIDDLE SCHOOL A recent visit to the Columbia Middle School main office by students from the school’s Guitar Club for an impromptu musical session provided great entertainment to all and a warm feeling on a cold winter day.
Students and parents are reminded that all clubs at CMS offer open enrollment and opportunities for beginners as well as experts. For a complete list of clubs and activities, please check the Columbia Middle School website.
****************************************************************** A recent Grade 8 Science class taught by Mrs. Christina Froehlich at Columbia Middle School included several instructional stations where students were able to determine the effects of air pressure and gravitational forces. As you can see, some students got completely “wrapped up” in their findings as a result of these experiments!
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL All four Governor Livingston High School National Merit Semi-Finalists (pictured L to R) Aziza Khalfani, Emily Xu, Isha Mehrotra and Shree Mehrotra, have been advanced to Finalist status based upon their achievement on the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
(PSAT/NMSQT®) as well as their academic performance in high school and performance on the SAT tests. Approximately 15,000 students nationwide were identified as Finalists from the pool of nearly 1.4 million junior students and more than 22,000 high schools. These Finalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $33 million that will be offered this spring as part of the 60th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Finalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. ****************************************************************** An enthusiastic crowd of over 200 students and parents came out to cheer on the contestants in the annual Governor Livingston High School King of Hearts event earlier this month. This charity event raised $1,000 for the American Heart Association. Ten (10) contestants representing all four GL grades displayed their awesome talents and flashed some stunning looks in a variety of competitive categories. In the end, the judges voted Tim Donohue and Matt Ward champions of the lower and upper classmen. The event is another great example of a Highlander tradition aimed at helping others!
GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL (continued) The Governor Livingston High School Boys Basketball team recently defeated Jonathan Dayton High School 49-41 in the second annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held at GLHS. It was, however, an even bigger victory for the Highlander community who came together to fight cancer and support friends and family touched by this disease. This great event raised more than $2,300 for the American Cancer Society, Cancer Stinks, and the Isadora Seibert Foundation. Organized by GL Assistant Basketball Coach Joe Reel, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic featured district students Spencer Jacovini, Nicholas Tarabokia and Ryan Diskin as honorary coaches for the evening. While Head Coach Steve Petruzzelli and his players took care of business against the Dayton Bulldogs in an exciting victory, the Highlander Cheerleaders led the fan activities during the event!
