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Winter IssueWinter IssueWinter Issue

A ROCKY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

M rs. Joanne Carbotti’s fifth Grade

T&G students had the middle school

“Science Experience” with seventh grade

science teacher Mrs. Eileen Carroll.

T he students enjoyed their experience

by visiting and participating in a lab

activity with Mrs. Carroll. The elementary

students really enjoyed being in a middle

school science classroom with lab tables

and equipment. It also gave them an

opportunity to experience the science

curriculum at the middle school. The

students experimented with stream tables

and used the scientific method to

observe and experiment with different

variables to see how erosion takes place

over time based on such variables as

water run-off, the amount of water and

use of a slope. Students also examined

rocks and identified them based on their

weight, color, and other variables. It was

an insightful lesson on stream tables and

rocks and also gave the students a glance

into life as a middle schooler. See photo

below.

T & G TEACHER RECEIVES GREEN GRANT

M rs. Joanne Carbotti, T & G teacher for grades five through eight

received a Green Enforcer grant from Office Depot in the amount

of $500.00. She has used the grant money to purchase supplies for

Creative Kids Day in June. Every June, her eighth grade T & G students

are leaders for an afternoon of fun filled learning activities and always

with a specific theme in mind. This school year Mrs. Carbotti’s students

will be working on the “Green” theme teaching younger T & G students

in grades two through seven about ways to conserve energy, recycle and

renew natural resources. This activity brings Mrs. Arlene Terpenning’s

and Mrs. Carbotti’s students together to share an engaging afternoon

with hands-on activities and a culminating craft that brings the theme

home. Thanks to Office Depot this year’s activities will be plentiful.

Pictured above: Mrs. Eileen Carroll, Vanna Menodozza, Camille Coelho, Cara

McDonough, and Maddie Ramonoff. Students are from EJF-Aldene and Robert

Gordon Schools.

February 2012February 2012February 2012

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RPHS ADVANCES STEM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

RRR PHS is making great strides in technology education with new

grants, curriculum and programs.

SSS TEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) teachers

Danielle Romero, Raymond Bangs, and Dennis Dagounis won the

PSE&G Environmental Education grant. The teachers collaborated to

create an innovative, interdisciplinary project geared to foster student

involvement and interest in the STEM disciplines.

TTT he project is entitled STEMming Across the Disciplines and will

allow students in various science and technology/engineering

classes to design, plan, and construct a Learning Lean-To outdoor envi-

ronmental education center in the courtyard of the high school to be

used by STEM classes across the school district.

AAA dditionally, technology teachers Danielle Romero and Jameson

Chin were accepted into the Engineering by Design New Jersey

Initiative’s Pilot Cohort. The goal of the program is to enhance the

quality of STEM education in New Jersey. Roselle Park is one of 14 elite

districts to be chosen to receive integrative STEM (iSTEM) curricula

and assessments that will raise the bar for technology and engineering

education.

T echnology Foundations will be a new class added to the high school

as a result of the Engineering by Design curriculum. This class will

be one of many advanced offerings in the high school’s new honors pro-

gram - Science and Technology Preparatory Institute. Select gifted

freshman will be accepted into this rigorous program, which focuses on

STEM education. Students will be emerged in innovative classes,

preparing them for college and careers in these competitive fields. With

small class sizes, project based learning, and their own personal

computers to keep, students will be prepared to take classes for credit

at local universities by their senior year.

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HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGSHIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGSHIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

SPANISH HONOR SOCIETYSPANISH HONOR SOCIETYSPANISH HONOR SOCIETY

Kelly Bulger

Melissa Carle*

Jessica Chowdhury

Juan Camilo Escobar

Sergio Escobar

Jason Garcia

Kevin George*

Samantha Graham

Ericka Gutierrez*

Jennifer Gutierrez

Bianca Ignacio*

Arianna Kalkandis

Natalie Macari*

Joseph Magaletta

Bridgette Maiorelli*

Alissa Moritz

Nicole Peres*

Richard Perez*

Deanna Picciano*

Melissa Pichardo

Danielle Pickett

Joshua Rodriguez*

Ashley Rubertone

Ludmia Savaille

Millie Savaille

Samantha Tunnell*

Kayla White

FRENCH HONOR SOCIETYFRENCH HONOR SOCIETYFRENCH HONOR SOCIETY

Danielle Antonucci*

Katherine Canas

Raquel Caso

Santiago Clavijo*

Mirna Giron

Halisa Gjokaj

Lisa Marie Palacio

Heer Patel*

Karn Patel*

Parth Patel

Roma Patel

Fabiana Perugorria

Joyce Pesantes*

Matthew Prado*

Keon Quittley*

Jandelle Serapio

Michelle Tocora

INDUCTION INTO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETIES

T he World Language Department of RPHS held their 14th annual Induction Ceremony in the high

school auditorium on November 7, 2011. Seventeen students were inducted into the French

National Honor Society and twenty-eight students were inducted into the Spanish National Honor

Society. The ceremony included candle lighting while students received their certificates and pins

and recited their oaths. Guest speaker was Joanna Ollinick, former Spanish Honor Society Inductee

and current teacher at RP Middle School. Family and friends attended and were invited to a

reception after the inductions.

To qualify for induction into the honor societies, a student must be enrolled in a level, 3, 4, or AP

language class, have completed two years of high school level language with a grade of A for two

consecutive years, and demonstrate an appreciation for other cultures. Listed below are the names of

the inductees. The asterisk denotes that the student is a second year member.

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TALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCETALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCETALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCE

BEYOND THE CURRICULUM

I n January, students in second

through fourth grades participated

in the Union County Gifted & Talented

Association Convocations at Union

County College. T&G students from

Roselle Park, Linden, Springfield,

Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood,

Cranford, Mountainside, Kenilworth,

Roselle and Westfield joined together

for fun filled days of brainstorming

and problem solving. Teams of

students experienced hands-on

activities, participated in group

decision making, and exercised

leadership skills as they attempt-

ed to solve a problem given to

them at each convocation.

T he second grade students

participated in "Things Aren't Always What They Seem", a convocation that focused on visual perception, persistence of

vision, spatial intelligence, and attention to details. Many of the activities used geometric shapes, various textures and obscure designs

to help the students develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills.

T hird grade students entered the challenging world of a

think tank. In the Think Tank convocation, the students worked

with others that are "the tops" in their field. They were to create a company, develop a product, and produce a commercial.

T he fourth grade students traveled the many regions of the United

States in Travel America, a convocation where students had the challenge of finding solutions to geography questions. As they

answered the questions correctly, they traveled and learned about the many national parks and points of interest in the country. Pictured in the photos above, the RP students pose with their T&G teacher, Arlene Terpenning and Sherman School nurse Barbara Goss. (top left)

MIKI VISITS T & G CLASS

T ricia Baker and her three year old

Pomeranian canine companion,

Miki, visited Mrs. Joanne Carbotti’s

seventh grade T & G class as part of

a training and informative program.

The training helps the seventh

graders prepare for lessons that

they will share with the second

graders from Robert Gordon School

later in the school year. Miki has

received a prestigious award from

American Kennel Club called the

“Award of Canine Excellence

Award” for his work as a therapy

dog and was recently viewed on the

ABC network. Miki works in high

schools in the area to help get

students to talk about their state of

mind and how mental health affects

all other aspects of the body.

Miki also works in South Brunswick

Library’s Tail Waggin’ Tutor program

which gets children to read; especially

those who have disabilities that

would make this task very difficult.

Miki also visits nursing homes,

boosting the spirits of many pa-

tients who get either little or no

visitors. Tricia, Miki’s owner, is a dog

trainer who works with dogs for

both obedience and training. She

has four other dogs in her home. The

students enjoyed this informative

presentation on canine care and canine

occupations, and were entertained by

the many tricks Miki showed off,

like waving, bowing, and even talk-

ing. See the photo below.

A LESSON IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

A s part of the T & G program, Mrs. Joanne Carbotti’s sixth graders

enjoyed the benefits of a convocation on

“Forensic Science” at Union County College, along with other T & G students from districts in Union County. The theme of the sixth grade convocation was a

forensic lab called “The Mystery of Felix”.

S tudents first observed a crime scene and recorded evidence in their CSI

handbooks. With notes in hand, and the

background information provided in their packets along with the information provided by the guest speaker they proceed to a series of ten stations in

classrooms at UCC where they put their observations through testing to find out what happened to Felix. The guest speaker,

Ms. Kristen Vogel is the eighth grade science teacher at RPMS, and holds a degree in Forensic Science and previously worked in a forensic lab.

S tudents are amazed at what they learn from small details left behind at

a crime scene. The culminating activity was provided for students to discuss

their findings and then either identify the guilty party or call for further testing to clearly define who is the guilty party.

A ll of the T & G students in attendance

learned a valuable lesson in Forensic Science, and in general how to make observations that lead to experimentation to find fact filled conclusions that can be

used in a court of law to find a person guilty of a crime. Could there be a future Forensic Scientist among the RP students who attended? See the photo at right.

PREPREPRE---SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!

Pictured at left: Third graders in EJF-Aldene School wrote acrostic poems to honor our veterans. Shown from l to r are A.J. Landi, Brian Farooqi, Danielle Crown, Zania Avendano, Lizzie Almeida, and Giselle Villota.

Pictured below: Led by Instrumental Music Teacher Jeff Manno, the EJF-Aldene fifth grade students perform during the annual Senior Citizen’s Shopping Spree.

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ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!

Pictured above: EJF-Aldene fifth & second grade buddies worked together to create thank you cards to honor our service men and women. Shown from l to r are: Angela Gonzalve and her buddy Hannah Lance, Devarshi Soni with Priyanka Dhingra, Sherif Elashri with Jonathan Gonzalve, Renee Garcia with Leanna DaSilva, Dylan Chhatwal with Alex Morales, and Neel Shah with Vallari Shah.

Above from l to r: Gabriel Freire, Suhani Patel, and

Steven Gassama. Below from l to r: Kylie McCall,

Isaiah Permison, Mariah Ortega, and Jaden Gray.

A s part of their Gingerbread theme, Ms. Megan’s pre-school class helped to make gingerbread houses. Each group is pictured above with the house they made.

Above from l to r: Joseph Longo, Gianna Qiu, and Christopher Tango. Below from l to r: Ryan Wintermute and Aidan Ponzio

THE GORDON GAZETTETHE GORDON GAZETTETHE GORDON GAZETTE

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KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS DAY

F riday, January 6, was Robert Gordon's Kindness is Contagious Day, which is part of their anti-bullying

program for the 2012 calendar year. Robert Gordon believes it

is important not only to react to instances of Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying, but also to develop, foster, and maintain a positive school climate in hopes of preventing future HIB incidents. During Kindness is Contagious Day,

students participated in an assembly where they performed songs, dances, and skits with a positive message. Robert Gordon is committed to making every school day positive and full of kindness. See the six photos.

SHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTSSHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTSSHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTS

Above: Sherman fifth grade student council members display the holiday cards they helped grades three to five create . The cards were sent to the military in support of the ‘Season of Service’ state-wide project.

Above: Sherman students in second grade class 2-C made “sock snowmen” as a holiday project. Cards accompanied these gifts for family members.

Above: Sherman first graders share a skit of “The Little Red Hen” for their principal.

Above: Sherman students working on a creative holiday activity.

Above: HO, HO, HO - a recycling we will go! Good job, Sherman Fifth Graders!

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SHERMAN GLOBE TROTTERS: As can be seen in the three photos above, students from different grade levels partnered up to share and learn about the winter holiday customs and traditions of the various countries being studied in their homerooms.

Above: Sherman Band members warm up prior to the holiday concert held at the high school.

Above: The holiday sing-a-long was enjoyed by all at Sherman School. Students looked

festive in their holiday hats.

A b o v e : K i n d e r g a r t e n students at Sherman School p roud ly d i sp lay the ornaments created at their class parties.

VAN GOGH’S CORNERVAN GOGH’S CORNERVAN GOGH’S CORNER

Pictured above: First graders at EJF-Aldene and Sherman Schools recently learned about abstract art and the artwork of Wassily Kandinsky. They explored Kandinsky’s art, which consists of the basic elements: line, color and shape. After viewing his artwork, the first graders created their own abstract art inspired by Mr. Kandinsky.

7

Pictured above: Students in Mrs. Carrie Russoniello’s art class at EJF-Aldene School recently created these awesome paper sculptures.

Fifth graders first designed a paper using only Sharpies and black and white designs. Once the designs were created, copies were made and 40 paper tubes were assembled. These paper tubes were then used to create unique 3-D sculptures. Problem

solving was important as students contemplated on how to make these sculptures stand on their own!

HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: SENIORSENIORSENIOR---SENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTY

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HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: SENIORSENIORSENIOR---SENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTY

9

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“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”

A Publication of the

ROSELLE PARK BOARD OF EDUCATIONROSELLE PARK BOARD OF EDUCATION

510 Chestnut Street

Roselle Park, NJ 07204

www.rpsd.org

Board of EducationBoard of Education

Roseann Rinaldi - President

Loren Harms - Vice President

Alexander J. Balaban

Troy Gerten

Barney Leinberger

Christopher Miller

Scott Nelson

Dr. Jeffrey Parrell

Barbara Sokol

Patrick M. Spagnoletti

Superintendent of SchoolsSuperintendent of Schools

Susan Guercio

Business Adm./Board SecretaryBusiness Adm./Board Secretary

NONDISCRIMINATIONNONDISCRIMINATIONNONDISCRIMINATION: : : The Roselle

Park School District does not

discriminate against handicapped

persons with regard to admission,

access to or treatment of

employment in its programs, activ-

ities, and vocational opportunities.

For more information, contact

District Public 504 Compliance

Coordinator, Mrs. Susan Carlstrom

at (908) 241-4550.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONAFFIRMATIVE ACTIONAFFIRMATIVE ACTION: : The Roselle

Park School District guarantees

each student equal educational

opportunities regardless of race,

color, creed, religion, sex,

ancestry, national origin, or

racial or economic status.

For more information contact

District Affirmative Action Officer,

Mr. James Shriner at (908) 245-1634.