Kyleigh’s Law & New Pedestrian Law For NJ Drivers
Two new laws will be in effect by May 1, including a law that requires drivers to come to a full stop whenever they see a pedestrian trying to cross the street at a crosswalk. The new law is effective April 1 – no fooling.
Under the old law, a driver was required to yield to a pedestrian, a requirement that was flexible and poorly; defined: did it mean slow down, or come to a stop? Who knows? And in New Jersey, at least, no one cared, except pedestrians. Just try walking across Washington Street in front of the Rocky Hill Inn during rush hour some night.
Under the new law, whenever a driver sees a pedestrian about to cross at a marked crosswalk, absent a green light, the driver must come to a complete stop and allow the pedestrian to cross. That will be a big change for NJ drivers.
The second law, which goes into effect on May 1, requires a vehicle whose driver is under the age of 21 to display a red sticker in the corner of the license plate. That way, a police officer will know at a glance if a car is being driven unlawfully by a conditional driver, who is by law, forbidden from driving between 11 pm and 5 am. Also, 17-year-old drivers will have to drive with a provisional license for a year before getting their basic driver’s license at 18. The decals will cost $4 and are removable.
The law was named after a 16-year-old passenger, killed in an accident while being driven by a 17-year-old driver who lost control of his car and hit a tree.
No MHS Post Prom This Year
The MHS Post prom, which had offered a safe haven for partying students who didn’t want that magic night to end, isn’t on this year.
A spokesperson from the MHS Guidance Office said it was, “lack of interest.”
She explained that a survey went out from the PTA for parents and students to help organize and run it for this year, and there were too few takers to get it off the ground.
The result: this year’s Post prom went the way of the Rec Dept. Spring Egg.
Skillman PDS Student Helps Develop iPhone Math App
When seventh graders Brandon Frank of Princeton and Joseph Haggerty of Skillman wanted to help their Princeton Day School (PDS) classmates learn Algebra, they decided to go high tech. The pair developed an iPhone mathematics application, called Math 101, that challenges students with problems from PDS’s Algebra I Part I curriculum. The app, available online from Apple’s App Store, costs 99 cents. The boys are donating one third of the profits to their school.
John_howe@pds.org
It all started when Brandon, who has always been interested in technology, attended an iD Tech computer programming camp at Rutgers University last August. There he learned the object oriented scripting language JavaScript. He used it to write his first app, ultimate blackjack. “At first” Brandon recounts, his parents “weren’t sure it would work.” Later, they said “How in the world did you do this?”He then started writing a second app, ultimate slots, in the object oriented programming language C++. With the start of school in September time was limited, so he recruited Joseph to help. Brandon taught Joseph C++ and the two decided to make a math app “since we both like math.” According to Joseph “at first it was hard but once I got the hang of it, it was very easy.”
Math 101 required 136 pages of C++ code. This is no small feat as this reporter, who was a programmer for ten years, can attest. Considering that the creators are two seventh graders, it is remarkable. Their classmates approve. “Some people come up to me and say ‘Way to go on the app!’” says Joseph. The boys did take the “easy way out” by offering multiple choice problems since they were easier to program.
According to PDS algebra teacher John Howe “They developed the app on their own. They came to me for a little guidance on the math part; otherwise they did it on their own. They were pretty experienced in how to create an app by the time they came to me. They wanted to get this up and running so their classmates could use it this spring.”
“Math 101 was designed to help other kids with tests. Anyone can use it.” says Joseph. It also features a “Problem of the Month” and a “Teacher’s Pick” brain teaser, which the boys solicit from their classmates. Brandon and Joseph are reformatting Math 101 so it can be run on an iPad. “We’ve been working around the clock to get this app done.”
The boys also felt a need to give back to their community. They priced the app at 99 cents because “you make somewhat of a profit and can donate to the community but it’s not too expensive for kids to buy.”
When asked about their future aspirations, Brandon says “I really like programming.” Joseph thinks he will continue programming “as a hobby” and notes “you can do really cool stuff with it.” For anyone interested in programming their own iPhone or iPad app, Joseph recommends checking out www.developer.apple.com. “You can download tutorials. It’s kid-friendly.”
State Cuts Aid to Board of Education 63.8% - Taxes Will Increase - Activity Fee Remains
The Montgomery Township Board of Education anticipated a 15% - or $1.9M - cut in aid from the State of New Jersey, as well as that same amount of aid “impounded” by the State for the current school year. The Board prepared a $78M budget with a .9% increase in spending. But on March 17 the State informed the Board that $3.9M - or 63.8% - of expected State aid would be cut. The Board held a five hour long public meeting, attended by some 200 people, on March 23 to discuss how to reconcile this difference. It announced 22 staff layoffs and the elimination of the Upper Middle School (UMS) athletic program.
At its April 1 public meeting – six hours long - the Board announced a 5% cut to administrative and supervisory salaries in response to budget concerns voiced by those attending. That night, the Board adopted a $78M budget with a .66% increase in spending. The average homeowner in Montgomery will pay an additional $546 (6%) in school taxes next year, while Rocky Hill residents will see a $200 (4%) increase.
To shave $1.5Mfrom its budget, the Board proposed staff reductions including two elementary World Language teachers ($196.5K; this eliminates the program at the elementary level); two teachers each in kindergarten, third grade, the Lower Middle School, and Orchard Hill Elementary School (OHES) academic support, all due to lower enrollment ($524K); three nurses reduced to part-time ($106K); two technology aides ($68.6K); twelve education support assistants reduced from full to part-time ($282K); one clerk at each school ($234K) ; and a Montgomery High School (MHS) social worker ($72K). OHES and MHS will have two fulltime nurses; the remaining schools will have one fulltime and one part-time nurse. There is currently one tech aide in each school; next school year the elementary and middle schools will share one.
At the administrative level, roughly $.5M in cuts include two Directors ($179K - one part-time); one Supervisor ($103K); four Directors who will be reassigned to the middle schools with part-time teaching duties ($116K); four Teacher Leaders at the elementary schools who will become Supervisors who teach part-time ($60K); and a clerk at the Board office ($46K).
Additional cuts to the budget include reducing the supply and textbook accounts by 10% ($282K); cutting OHES and Village Elementary Team Leader stipends ($97.5K); reducing professional development ($43K); and not adding a proposed part-time gym teacher at UMS ($33K). Cutting the UMS athletic program would save $64K. The parking fee for MHS students will be increased from $30 to $200 to generate an additional $59K.
The Board also proposed cutting MHS’s Supervisor of Guidance on March 23. Nearly 20 people spoke on behalf of Tina Renga, who currently holds this position, citing her dedication to the students during their college admissions process. After debating the issue until 1am, the Board decided to keep the position by reinstating the activity fee for UMS and MHS students who participate in co-curricular sports or activities. During each of the last two years this fee has generated around $100K. It is not known whether Renga will fill the position in September.
The Board’s original budget, prepared before the State announced its cut in aid, would have increase taxes for the average Montgomery homeowner by $423. The drop in State aid would have hiked this number to $850 if the cuts listed above were not enacted. Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim said “We believe the budget that we’re putting forward degrades what we have here in Montgomery.”
Kim noted that out of the 600+ school districts in New Jersey, Montgomery was one of only 14 districts that met the State’s criteria for providing a ‘thorough and efficient education’ yet saw their State aid cut over 10%. The State also considers these 14 districts to have a ‘high’ local tax burden because they pay more than their ‘fair share’. “This gives you a sense of how lean Montgomery is relative to our comparative districts notwithstanding the high taxes our residents pay” said Kim. In a press release, he stated “This [cut] isn’t about fairness, efficiency, or educational effectiveness. It is wrong on a number of levels.” At the April 1 meeting he explained that the State had arbitrarily cut State aid to each New Jersey school district by 5% of its operating budget. Board Member Charles Jacey commented “We didn’t plan to get hit on the head with a meat cleaver.”
An agreement with the Communications Workers of America – the union which represents the Township’s bus drivers - approved on April 13 will freeze their salaries for next year and lower the budget by $112K. Meanwhile, salaries for the Montgomery Township Education Association (MTEA), who represent 80% of the District’s workforce including teachers, will increase 2.35% on average. At both meetings, several residents voiced their concern over this raise in light of cuts to staff and asked the teachers’ union to renegotiate their contract. One resident said “Have the bargaining units ask ‘Who wants to lose their job so the rest of you can have a raise?’.” Another resident commented that “If the teachers would share in the sacrifice their working conditions would be better.” The Board reopened negotiations with MTEA regarding their contracts in April; talks are ongoing.
Triple tier bussing, where bus drivers run three instead of two consecutive routes was suggested by Michel Parise. She said this change, requiring one hour between starting and ending times for the elementary, middle, and high schools, could save over $600K. Board Secretary Thomas Venanzi replied that because of the extensive discussion and planning it would entail, it could not be implemented in September, but could be discussed further later in the year.
State aid will cover 2.7% of the District’s expenses for next year ($2.2M), while local taxes will cover 92.4% ($65.7M). Kim said the Governor has proposed cutting the cap on New Jersey School Districts’ spending from 4% to 2.5%. Debt service on funds for the referendum will amount to $378K for the coming school year.
Montgomery is 19% below the state average for total per pupil cost, administrative cost per pupil, and classroom instruction cost per pupil. It is 33% above the State average for extracurricular costs. According to Venanzi, “this was how the student activity fee came about.” The District has been studying these costs to find money-saving efficiencies.
Although some County and State legislators were invited to the March 23 meeting, none attended. However, some Township Committee Members were present at the meetings.
Kim and Pettit met with New Jersey State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler and State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman in early April. According to Kim, the legislators “acknowledged that Montgomery was a model district in its efficiency and effectiveness. If the State's revenue picture continues to improve in the fourth quarter, there is a possibility that Montgomery may get some restoration of the recently impounded $1.9M from the 2009-2010 school year. There is a chance that budget negotiations within the State Legislature may result in additional State Aid monies for the District that will be earmarked specifically for tax relief.”
MTSD Responds To MTEA
Proposal to Reinstate Activity Fee and Increase Parking Fee Eliminated
The Governor challenged school districts around the State to secure a wage freeze from all employees. For MTSD, a wage freeze would achieve a $1.6M savings for taxpayers. The MTSD Board of Education met and surpassed the Governor's challenge by reducing personnel salaries and benefits by $2.4M for FY11. The $2.4M saved in salaries and benefits comes from a combination of administrative salary reductions, reductions in force, healthcare contributions, and the like. Residents will, however, still face a tax increase due to the magnitude of the State's cut in aid ($3.9M) to MTSD.
Superintendent of Schools, Earl Kim, complimented all employees for stepping up under the circumstances. He noted that every staff member made a contribution in order to mitigate the effects of the disproportionate cut in State Aid. Teachers and secretaries gave back 25% of their salary increase for the 2010-2011 school year, administrators gave back between 42% and 100% depending on their position, and bus drivers gave back close to 100%. "While the average Montgomery and Rocky Hill home will face a tax increase of $494/year and $173/year respectively, due to the increase in the general fund levy ($546 and $200 for the respective average home adding the debt service from the previously-approved referenda), Montgomery teachers will share that burden by giving up between $500 and $900 each. The burden of the State cuts is being shared, and this reflects our faculty and staff's commitment to their school-community and keeping our educational system whole," said Mr. Kim.
Kim notes that data collected from comparative school districts during negotiations revealed that MTSD teachers were paid significantly less than other teachers of equal experience, so the concession by the teachers was especially appreciated. "One of our Board's goals is to be able to recruit and retain the best teachers. While MTSD offers a terrific work environment for teachers, economics are also important. We need to pay our teachers fairly in a district that expects a great deal from its staff."
Superintendent Kim also reported that due to public input at recent Board of Education meetings, the Board has decided to eliminate the proposed reinstatement of the Co-curricular Participation Fee and to maintain the Senior Parking Fee at the current $30 level. In taking this action, the Board of Education hopes to avoid potential significant budget reductions that may be imposed by the local governing bodies should the budget be defeated and which would impact the quality and integrity of the educational system.
"We hope that our residents recognize the extraordinary commitment of our Board of Education and the entire school-community and will affirm the dedication and excellent service our staff provides by coming out to VOTE on April 20th," said Kim.
MTSD Welcome New and Returning Board of Education Members
SKILLMAN, NJ – The Montgomery Township School District is thrilled to welcome two new members and one returning member to seats on the Board of Education. New members, Shalini Bhargava and Lei Yu, and returning member, Andrea Bradley, will occupy three seats for a three-year term ending in 2013.
Ms. Bhargava, a scientist by profession, has lived in Montgomery for six years and has two children in the district schools. “We moved to Montgomery because of the great schools and the strong sense of community,” says Ms. Bhargava. “I feel passionately about putting my time and energy into our children and our schools – our greatest resource,” she goes on to say.
Dr. Yu is a professor of genetics at Rutgers University and moved to Belle Mead in 2005. He has been an educator for over twenty years and has served on a number of national and university-level committees and advisory bodies, including a 4-year term on the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, appointed by the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. “Having been an educator my entire professional career, I am keenly aware of the impact of education on one’s career and life,” says Mr. Yu. “Good schools need good community support. I have watched my children thrive in the Montgomery schools and look forward to contributing my experience and support to the school system,” he states.
Ms. Bradley has served on the Board of Education for 6 years. She has lived in the community for 13 years and has three children in the district schools. A retired lawyer, Ms. Bradley is active in her synagogue, Temple Beth El and the American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School. “I believe strongly that we all have an obligation to serve our community, in whatever capacity that may take – schools, sports, religion,” Ms. Bradley says. “I believe my passion for children and education and my skills as a lawyer in analyzing and addressing issues have allowed me to contribute positively to our community and to the school district,” she goes on to say.” Ms. Bradley says she is looking forward to her third term and “keeping the focus on educating our children and providing them with the opportunities a top quality education provides.”
Waldorf School of Princeton Offers After School Programs to the Community
This fall the Waldorf School of Princeton will once again offer after school enrichment programs that will be open to all children in the community. Enrollment is open for acting workshops and a Chinese calligraphy class beginning in September. The classes will be held at the Waldorf School of Princeton, located at 1062 Cherry Hill Road.
Students in grades five through eight are eligible to participate in the acting workshops, which will be held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. The workshops are taught by Carol Kehoe, a resident of Hopewell and a member of Actor's Equity who has worked in the theater as an actor, director, producer and teacher for over 25 years.
A Chinese calligraphy class is offered for students in grades one through eight on Tuesday afternoons. The class will be taught by Seow-Chu See, a professional artist.
“It is wonderful to see the children from our school and from other schooling environments coming together and participating in programs that reflect the approach of Waldorf education. We look forward to welcoming students from the community to the after school program”, said Mollie Rose, Faculty Chair at Waldorf School of Princeton.
For more information and to register please contact Jessica Alfaro at 609-466-1970 x110 or mail to: frontdesk@princetonwaldorf.org.
New Horizons Montessori Introduces Infant And After School Programs
New Horizons Montessori located in the Skillman section of Montgomery is adding an infant program to their existing preschool offering of Montessori programs for children of our community. This latest addition will fill a gap that many parents wish, had been filled much earlier. Current parents are happy with this latest offering, as it caters to their early childhood education needs.
In addition, the school is adding a new set of After School programs on different days of the week. Classes will be run in collaboration with different organizations. New programs include Dynamic Fit-Kids, Lets Learn 3-D Design and Art, Bollywood Dance, Homework Help and Academic Enrichment classes in Language and Math. All these programs are available to the children of our community up to the age of 12, who do not necessarily attend the regular Montessori program.
New Horizons Montessori, established in 1998, is a member of the American Montessori Society that oversees the quality of their programs and staffing. They can be reached at 609-252-9696 or their website- www.NHMontessori.org.
Montgomery's 'StarTalk' Part of National Foreign Language Initiative
This summer, for the first time, a Chinese immersion camp program for 5th to 8th grade students was offered in Montgomery, thanks primarily to the efforts of high school language teacher Jenny Lu.
In January 2006 President Bush announced a call for greater U.S. educational efforts in critical-need languages - strategic, commonly spoken languages such as Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Swahili, and Urdu, which are not widely taught in the U.S. The National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) was founded as a result in 2007.
The goal is a U.S. citizenry able to collaborate, cooperate, and create along with o
ur global partners.
The NSLI created a program called StarTalk targeting young American children to provide them with other-language capability and to expand the number of Americans mastering foreign languages. Other programs under the NSLI umbrella include Title VI/Fulbright Hays programs of the US Department of Education, The National Security Education program of the National Defense University, and study abroad and exchange programs of the US Department of State.
StarTalk's mission is to increase the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical need foreign languages by offering students (K-16) and teachers of these languages creative and engaging summer experiences that exemplify best practices in language education and in teacher development.
A teacher friend encouraged Montgomery high school Chinese language teacher Jenny Lu to apply for a grant through the federal program. Lu got the green light from Montgomery school administrators and won the grant. The Association of Chinese Schools (ACS) was the Montgomery program sponsor.
Greater than two-thirds of students in the 4 week, 60 hour Montgomery Chinese Immersion Summer Camp had no knowledge of Chinese language when they began in early July. In fact, it was a requirement of the grant that no more than 30% of the students come from a Chinese speaking background, since teaching emphasis was on Chinese as a second language.
Ms. Lu stated, "We hope that the StarTalk summer program will pique children's' interest in the Chinese language and culture and that this introduction will encourage them to take a step beyond, such as studying Chinese in high school."
The program included three classes, two beginner and one more advanced, each with a mix of ages and each with an industrious language teacher. One culture teacher floated between the classes.
On the eighth day of camp site evaluators from the NSLI visited and there were some nerves. But the deputy program director was very impressed with Ms. Lu's curricular approach, which intertwined culture and language together.
The children particular enjoyed the cultural element - which was about a third of the course time. This included Chinese brush painting, calligraphy, dance, songs, tai chi, and many other aspects of Chinese cultural learning. All the students were able to learn how to play Chinese yoyo and do tricks; no small feat.
From the start, students were immersed in Chinese language, including during cultural activities. When directions were given to a student on what to write or paint, the teacher reinforced the names, expressions, and use of Chinese spoken and written language. For example, after the students learned how to count numbers, the culture teacher would ask them to count the fish they had painted.
To demonstrate the skills the students learned in four short weeks, a last day program was presented on July 30th by the classes at the Montgomery Center for the Performing Arts. The theme Ms. Lu chose was "Chinese New Year in Summer".
As a surprise to the audience, the two-hour program opened with the traditional Chinese lion dance and music, with four students costumed as two brightly colored lions performing all the well-practiced steps in good synch.
Chinese New Year activities, such as household and food preparations, were acted out and explained in Chinese by student groups. Celebration activities were also acted out and described - things such as gongs, drums, dragon dances, firecrackers, red envelopes, and other gifts to express good wishes.
The legend was told of how specific animals came to represent years in the Chinese lunar calendar. Students in teams of two spoke in Chinese sentences about a selected animal - pig, sheep, duck, cow - what it looks like, how it acts, how it sounds, while acting out the sentences, to the amusement of the audience.
Chinese translations of common rhymes and songs, (Twinkle, twinkle, little star, The body song) and dances (Macarena) were recited and sung, with accompanying gestures. Lovely artwork was displayed, done by each student using traditional Chinese techniques.
Assisting Mrs. Lu and the four teachers, who came from outside the school district, were four Montgomery high school students.
During the presentation, Mrs. Lu thanked Assistant Superintendent Tom Barclay for his support, as well as Superintendent Earl Kim, who was unable to attend. The culture teacher, Mrs. Chen, gave a lovely painting to Mr. Barclay depicting three stylized shrimp in a pattern. Known as dragons of the sea, the shrimp symbolize leadership in Chinese culture. A framed painting of fish was also given for Mr. Kim. The Chinese word for "fish" sounds similar to a word meaning "more than enough to eat" or plenty. Fish have therefore become the symbol for plenty, an important expression of good wishes for the Chinese New Year.
Asst. Superintendent Barclay commented, "Chinese is obviously an important language for Americans to become familiar with. This program is the beginning of something bigger happening here in Montgomery."
If the success of this summer's camp is any indication, Mr. Barclay may be exactly right.
RVCC TO OFFER SAT PREPARATION CLASSES
Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), in conjunction with the Educational Services Center, will offer two SAT preparation courses this fall. The classes will be held Sundays, September 12 to October 31, from 2-5 p.m., and Mondays, September 13 to November 1, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Students are invited to register for either class. Both will be held at the College’s Branchburg Campus.
The 24-hour SAT test preparation course covers the material included in the math and verbal sections of the SAT Reasoning test. Each three-hour class is divided equally between math and verbal sessions. The math session reviews basic mathematical concepts, basic and advanced algebra, and geometry. The verbal session includes sentence completion, reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary building and essay writing. Test taking strategies are an integral part of the program. Homework is required.
The fee for each course is $420. For more information, call 908-526-1200, ext. 8404 or email youth@raritanval.edu. Youth program brochures also can be picked up at the College Advancement office (located in the lower level of RVCC’s College Center), weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
RVCC, located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ, and serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 40 years, offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates. In addition, customized training programs and non-credit courses are available for those seeking personal and professional development.
The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
New Head of School Leads Stuart
With focus on academics, spirituality, and service;
Highlights importance of single gender education
When school starts next month, a new Head of School, Patricia L. Fagin, Ph.D., will welcome the nearly 500 students to Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.
Dr. Fagin is Stuart's seventh Head of School, and the first in the school's 47-year history who does not belong to a religious order. Coming from another Sacred Heart school, Dr. Fagin is strongly committed to maintaining Stuart's focus on the Goals of the Sacred Heart Network, inspiring academic excellence, developing a life of faith, fostering personal growth, and encouraging a strong sense of community and commitment to service.
"Working with students of all abilities, I've seen first-hand that having a spiritual base to rely on is vitally important as they work through the challenges and joys of learning," said Dr. Fagin. "The Sacred Heart goals, which Stuart students live and breathe every day, help students build that foundation, create their own community based on shared beliefs and values, then turn outward and take action to help and transform the broader community."
Stuart is a Catholic girls school, well-known for its active community service outreach and requirements, both in the Princeton area and beyond. "Relationships matter," said Dr. Fagin. "Relationships among communities, and among individuals. Stuart students build relationships through service commitments helping others, and, equally important, the students benefit personally - they learn and grow from those experiences."
Dr. Fagin notes that relationships are key to the education of girls. "When we teach girls using skills and reasoning that is integral to them, they learn better. For example, learning can be relational. When we show girls how facts build upon facts and tie together, they understand those relationships - and gain knowledge. The value of an all-girl education is that we can teach to girls' unique strengths and intrinsic understanding."
"Dr. Fagin's commitment to Sacred Heart values, and her vision, shared with parents and trustees, of Stuart as a school that enriches, inspires and empowers young women, made her the perfect choice as our new Head of School," said Steve Lemenager, Stuart's Chairman of the Board of Trustees. "All of us in the Stuart community - students, parents, alumnae, faculty and trustees - welcome Patty Fagin and look forward to her leadership as the new school year begins."
Dr. Fagin will be recognized as the new Head of School on September 16 at an Installation Ceremony at 10:00 am, in Stuart's Cor Unum auditorium, officiated by Monsignor Greg Malovetz, Stuart's chaplain.
Patty Fagin comes to Stuart after six years as Head of School at Villa Duchesne in St. Louis, MO, an all-girl, Sacred Heart school for grades 7 - 12. Prior to that, she was executive director of Guilford Day School in Greensboro, NC, a school for students with learning disabilities in grades 1 - 12. She earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She had previously earned an Educational Specialists degree in School Administration from the University of Missouri and a Master of Arts degree in Media Communications from Webster University, both in Kansas City, MO. Her Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education is from Fontbonne College in St. Louis, MO.
About Stuart: Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart is an independent Roman Catholic school for girls in kindergarten through grade 12, as well as a coed preschool and junior kindergarten. Now celebrating its 47th year, Stuart is a member of the National and International Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Stuart offers an education deeply rooted in the goals and criteria of the Sacred Heart that enriches, inspires and empowers its students. While academic rigor is emphasized at Stuart, values are also placed on physical, social and moral growth.
Daily Chinese Program For Speakers And Non-Speakers
pre-K to 6th grade
The Good Good Study Learning School (GGS), a non-profit educational organization in Montgomery Township, is pleased to announce the introduction of a high quality, after-school program dedicated to teaching Chinese language skills to the children of our community. GGS will conduct Chinese language classes within Montgomery School District facilities from dismissal until 6 pm every school day. After last year's successful pilot program, GGS is all set for its second year!
Taught in Chinese, subjects range from basic language skills to math, science and arts. All classes are led by qualified language instructors. Every day, students are exposed to the rich and diverse Chinese heritage, culture, and traditions through fun and interactive classroom activities. The combined study hall program allows all school homework to be performed in the class as an extended part of a student's work day. This allows families to have more quality time at home!
In addition to serving Chinese heritage children, GGS provides Chinese as a second language (CSL) class, fulfilling a growing need for introducing Chinese language and culture to the general population. From a young age, students will enjoy a unique opportunity to explore the most widely spoken language in the world, helping them to develop an important life skill for their future.
The program begins in September, with the start of the school year at Orchard Hill Elementary School and Village Elementary School. It is open to children from pre-k to 4th grade. GGS has limited availability, with openings filled on a first come -- first serve basis. A Lower Middle School program will be available soon.
GGS is pleased to work with the Montgomery Township School District on delivering this valuable, after-school program of the highest quality.
For more information please contact Jennie at 973-462-0763 or ggslearning@gmail.com.
MTSD Board of Education Adopts 2010-11 Budget
On Tuesday, July 6th, the MTSD Board of Education adopted a 2010-11 school budget of $77,294,716. The budget included $69.9M in general fund spending, $6.8M in debt service spending and $0.9M in grant spending.
This year's budget process presented many challenges to the district, not the least of which was the transition in the Governor's office in Trenton and the devastating state aid cuts that followed, totaling more than $5M, leaving the district in the unfortunate position of having to cut programs and services for the 2010-2011 school year. Despite increases in enrollment, this new budget represents a $206K decrease over the 2009-10 school year and despite this decrease in spending, property taxes on the average home in Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill Borough will rise $271 and $49 respectively.
Executive County Superintendent, Trudy Doyle, made several recommendations to the district which are reflected in the newly-approved budget, including a general fund spending decrease of $770K, increases in activity and facility-rental fees, and reductions in operations and maintenance areas. The district also had to eliminate 25 full-time positions and reduce 9 positions from full-time to part-time. Selected bus routes will be eliminated, maintenance projects will be postponed, summer staffing will be reduced and communications services will be eliminated.
Notably, there is no change in busing or school starting times for the 2010-11 school year. Triple-tier busing will not be introduced in 2010-11, but the County Superintendent has directed the district to implement this busing plan in the 2011-12 school year. In addition to this directive, the district will be reviewing all transportation services to identify other potential tax savings for the residents.
"The Board of Education has acted swiftly to meet the directives of the County Superintendent, but remains deeply concerned with some of the County's recommendations for the 2010-11 school year and their certain impact on the 2011-12 school year," says Superintendent Earl T. Kim. "As a result of the state aid cuts and the County's directive to appropriate any current surplus to
2010-11 instead of 2011-2012, we are looking at a $3.5M revenue shortfall in 2011-12, which will result in significant program and staff reductions." The MTSD Board of Education has already initiated a review of several programs and services which have the potential to generate tax savings in 2011-12. Transportation, custodial and maintenance services, elective programming and co-curricular programming are just a few of the areas under consideration.
With the budget for the 2010-11 school year approved, the Board of Education and Central Office can renew their focus on our highest priority - the business of educating children. The Montgomery Township School District remains a highly efficient and productive district with a passionate and talented staff devoted to enriching the lives of our children on a daily basis.
To see more information on the 2010-2011 school budget, a message from Superintendent Earl Kim and a specific list of reductions approved for the coming school year, please visit our website at www.mtsd.k12.nj.us.
Educating ‘Generation Me’ Children
Princeton, NJ July 7, 2010
Over the past couple of decades, parents have managed to raise a generation of kids who, while smart, engaging, and technically savvy, lack personal drive and ambition and crave instant gratification. Parents and educators have done this by giving them endless rewards without asking for accomplishment in return; by teaching them that they cannot walk to school, ride their bikes, or play outside without supervision; and by over-scheduling and over programming them, giving them cars, phones, and computers in abundance. Turning "Generation Me" into "Generation Move" (kids with drive and ambition) isn't going to be easy, but Dr. Janine Caffrey, author of Drive: 9 Ways to Motivate Kids to Achieve gives it her best. She recently selected the Princeton Montessori School for the filming location for her new talk show, TCK: Taking Care of Kids, which is soon to air on Princeton Television. The show gives viewers a first-hand look at what happens when parents are guided in such a way. “Helping parents guide their children with limits and reasonable expectations through their many developmental stages is one of the most important skills educators can offer to parents,” says Marsha Stencel, Head of the Princeton Montessori School. She agrees with Dr. Caffery that parenting should be relatively simple, and a whole lot of fun!
§ To view this show go to http://www.janinewalkercaffrey.com/video.html
§ The Princeton Montessori School, www.princetonmontessori.org, is an independent, coeducational day school serving children from infancy through eighth grade. The School is also known for its nationally and internationally renowned Montessori teacher education programs at the Princeton Center Teacher Education, www.pctemontessori.org.
§ Tours of the Princeton Montessori School and Princeton Center Teacher Education are offered to the public on Thursdays at 9:00 am. Visitors are requested to call Mary Beth Evans to RSVP at (609) 924-4594.
Montgomery Schools “Highest Achieving, Lowest Spending”
District Leadership Invited to Serve on State Funding Formula Review Panel
Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim has been invited to serve on a Professional Judgment Panel of sixteen superintendents to review the Adequacy Model that lies at the heart of the state’s funding formula. The Panel will subsequently make recommendations to the Commissioner in accordance with the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. According to Assistant Commissioner Willa Spicer, the districts that were invited to serve on the panel were those that demonstrated “the highest achievement with the lowest spending” among comparable districts throughout the State. The Panel’s work will be completed by August 10th.
“We are pleased that experts, with detailed information on school budgets across the state, validated what we have been trying to say for years: the Montgomery Schools are careful stewards of the public’s tax dollars,” said Kim. According to the state’s Comparative Spending Guide for 2009-10, if Montgomery were to spend what the average K-12 district, with similar demographics spent, it would have an additional $8M per year for programs for students. Kim credited the school board, faculty and staff for their hard work, frugality and value-driven budgeting. Families, he noted, play a major role in supplementing the educational experiences of children in the district. “What the schools cannot provide due to budget constraints, our community—the PTAs, Boosters and Education Foundation—has been willing to support through fundraising and individual initiative,” Kim remarked.
Kim also notes, however, that “the schools are the victim of their own success.” Districts that are more efficient than others are less able to pare down when revenues fall or additional mandates are issued. There’s less room to pare down and less capacity for additional work. “The State really ought to think about using the tools it has, the efficiency standards and effectiveness benchmarks, to reward good system management rather than treating all districts with a one-size-fits-all solution like hard caps or across-the-board cuts in aid…We look forward to participating in the process and hope that reason and not polemics will drive our panel’s
Montgomery Students with Disabilities Meet Nearly All State Requirements
According to the State of New Jersey Department of Education (DOE)’s “No Child Left Behind”/Title I report using 2008-2009 data, students with learning disabilities in Montgomery Township’s Upper and Lower Middle Schools (UMS and LMS) did not make “adequate yearly progress” (AYP). These groups passed 40 out of 41 indicators for mathematics or language arts (LA) proficiency on the NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge. Village Elementary School (VES) met the State’s “safe harbor” criteria based on improvement from the previous year. As a result, it was deemed to have made AYP despite failing to meet one of the 41 LA requirements.
Montgomery High School juniors met all 41 indicators measured on the High School Proficiency Assessment. Regarding the middle school students, Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim says “We take it seriously if any of our students do not meet standards. While the number is very small, we are concerned.”
A total of thirteen Montgomery students with disabilities did not meet LA requirements while one student at LMS did not meet mathematics requirements. Special needs sixth graders at LMS met 40 out of 41 indicators, and so did not qualify for AYP in LA. UMS students met 40 out of 41 indicators, failing to make AYP in mathematics. The DOE does not follow special education achievement in lower elementary schools such as Orchard Hill Elementary.
Montgomery Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim states “We need to do better for these students. We know we have more work to do.” To address the situation, “We look at individual students, their learning environment, and what programs they are instructed with. We are calling comparative districts that were successful and asking them what they are doing. Administrators as well as instructors are involved in analyzing the problem and crafting solutions.”
Kim notes that “Our larger schools make us more likely to be flagged,” since schools with less than 30 special needs students for each group of grades are not tracked. “Also smaller schools make it easier to provide individual attention and be directly involved with more families. Only four of our 23 comparative districts met AYP; all those that did not were flagged for performance of special needs students. And more of our special needs students are required by the district to take the exams rather than be exempted. Our reasons for this practice are well founded despite the adverse impact they have on the ‘statistics’.” Still, Kim states “We want to explain the variance. These are children with the greatest learning needs, and they deserve every advantage we can provide.”
To view the DOE’s Title I 2008-2009 reports, go to www.nj.gov/education/title1/accountability/ayp/0910/.
MTSD Credit Rating Upgraded to AA+
Standard and Poor's, the nation's leading watchdog of financial stability, has upgraded Montgomery Township Board of Education's credit rating on its general obligation debt to "AA+" from "AA" . S & P lists the district's "strong economic and financial profile" as well as "sound financial performance and position that has been maintained over the past several years" as reasons for this upgrade.
As a result of the upgrade to AA+, the school district was able to secure a more favorable interest rate at their recent bond sale, resulting in a $100K/year savings over the next 15 years on the costs associated with the referendum projects.
"The results of the school district's bond sale were extraordinary," says Dave Thompson of Phoenix Advisors, the district's financial advisor. "The Board's conservative budgeting and financial operations served well in the analysis of the School District's credit condition", he goes on to say.
Superintendent Earl T. Kim is thrilled that the "...upgraded credit rating will bring the district well over $1 million in savings over the next 15 years." The Montgomery Township Board of Education is also thrilled with this upgrade to AA+ and commends School Business Administrator, Thomas Venanzi, for his unparalleled dedication to the district's fiscal stability.
Montgomery Township School District Board of Education Adopts 2010-11 Budget
On Tuesday, July 6th, the MTSD Board of Education adopted a 2010-11 school budget of $77,294,716. The budget included $69.9M in general fund spending, $6.8M in debt service spending and $0.9M in grant spending.
This year's budget process presented many challenges to the district, not the least of which was the transition in the Governor's office in Trenton and the devastating state aid cuts that followed, totaling more than $5M, leaving the district in the unfortunate position of having to cut programs and services for the 2010-2011 school year. Despite increases in enrollment, this new budget represents a $206K decrease over the 2009-10 school year and despite this decrease in spending, property taxes on the average home in Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill Borough will rise $271 and $49 respectively.
Executive County Superintendent, Trudy Doyle, made several recommendations to the district which are reflected in the newly-approved budget, including a general fund spending decrease of $770K, increases in activity and facility-rental fees, and reductions in operations and maintenance areas. The district also had to eliminate 25 full-time positions and reduce 9 positions from full-time to part-time. Selected bus routes will be eliminated, maintenance projects will be postponed, summer staffing will be reduced and communications services will be eliminated.
Notably, there is no change in busing or school starting times for the 2010-11 school year. Triple-tier busing will not be introduced in 2010-11, but the County Superintendent has directed the district to implement this busing plan in the 2011-12 school year. In addition to this directive, the district will be reviewing all transportation services to identify other potential tax savings for the residents.
"The Board of Education has acted swiftly to meet the directives of the County Superintendent, but remains deeply concerned with some of the County's recommendations for the 2010-11 school year and their certain impact on the2011-12 school year," says Superintendent Earl T. Kim. "As a result of the state aid cuts and the County's directive to appropriate any current surplus to2010-11 instead of 2011-2012, we are looking at a $3.5M revenue shortfall in 2011-12, which will result in significant program and staff reductions." The MTSD Board of Education has already initiated a review of several programs and services which have the potential to generate tax savings in 2011-12. Transportation, custodial and maintenance services, elective programming and co-curricular programming are just a few of the areas under consideration.
With the budget for the 2010-11 school year approved, the Board of Education and Central Office can renew their focus on our highest priority - the business of educating children. The Montgomery Township School District remains a highly efficient and productive district with a passionate and talented staff devoted to enriching the lives of our children on a daily basis.
To see more information on the 2010-2011 school budget, a message from Superintendent Earl Kim and a specific list of reductions approved for the coming school year, please visit our website at www.mtsd.k12.nj.us.
Summer Enrichment Success
In a town where the academic scene has undergone some drastic changes in the past few months, one thing has remained the same: for another year, the Montgomery Township School District has again successfully run its Summer Enrichment Program.
Learning in an environment that is academically stimulating, yet with a camp-like atmosphere, students of all ages had a wide variety of classes in which they could partake. They had the option of refining skills that will help when school starts in September, in classes such as “Discover Your Roots,” a class in which students learned about the roots of vocabulary; “Math Challenge,” a class in which students practiced their arithmetic skills; or, “Science by Consensus,” a class in which students learned concepts that could be applied to a wide variety of scientific fields.
For older students, those preparing for the college application process had options of SAT Prep classes for both the math and verbal sections. For the younger scientists, the Mad Science Organization came to the LMS campus to teach classes ranging from “Secret Agent Lab,” where kids used science to be sleuths, to “Mad Machines and Jr. Engineers,” where students explored the mechanical side of science.
Students looking for a more camp-like class nevertheless found themselves learning something new each day in classes such as “Rocket Design Blast-Off”, “Express Yourself”, “Robotics” and “Let’s Put on a Musical”. This year’s musical class culminated in two wonderful productions of ‘Cinderella’ on Friday, July 16th, after two weeks of casting, rehearsal, and set design.
This year’s program was another success by all accounts, not least of which was program director Meredith Quick, who said, “the Montgomery Summer Enrichment Program continues to run smoothly year in and year out due to the outstanding participation of parents and students, as well as a great faculty who truly have a passion for what they do.” She went on to say, “we feel that we’ve achieved our goal of providing children with the chance to exercise their minds and broadening their horizons during the summer months.” Whether they were decorating cakes, putting on musicals, building robots or blasting off rockets, this year’s Summer Enrichment Program was surely rewarding for all involved.
MTSD Approves Participation in Somerset County Renewable Energy Program
On Tuesday, July 27th, the Montgomery Township Board of Education approved a resolution to participate in the Somerset County Improvement Authority (SCIA) Renewable Energy Initiative. The school district had identified three schools that met the criteria for participation in the program. The SCIA had informed the school district recently that all three schools were selected among the initial pool of public facilities included in the program for solar photovoltaic panel installations.
The proposed projects for the schools include a 380.65 kw roof-mounted system at Orchard Hill Elementary School, a 426.42 kw ground-mounted system at Montgomery Upper Middle School, and a 1,030.4 kw roof-mounted system at Montgomery High School. The project at the high school is the largest project identified by the SCIA.
The SCIA program is in line with other energy conservation measures already initiated by the school district in an effort to address concerns to protect the environment while saving tax dollars for the community. The school district previously installed a ground mounted 75 kw solar photovoltaic panel system to service the board of education offices in the fall of 2008. The district will also be undergoing substantial renovations to existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at four schools starting in the fall as part of a referendum approved by the community in December 2009 which will also provide significant energy savings and provide improved climate conditions in the schools. The school district will also be seeking proposals later this school year to address other areas of the district where it can save taxpayer dollars in the area of energy consumption.
The solar panels at the three schools will be installed at no cost to the school district and community. The return for the school district will be in lower energy costs at the three schools which is estimated to be in the 20-35% savings range. Other returns include assisting the district in generating lower greenhouse gas emissions and lessening our dependence on fossil fuel based energy production. The school district will also incorporate the benefits of renewable energy into the curriculum with monitoring equipment on the panels which can display real time information provided in the classroom.
The financing for the projects will be handled by the SCIA where they will issue taxable debt at low rates. The SCIA bond debt service will be paid by the developer who will finance the costs of the solar panel systems through a combination of sources which include the sale of solar energy to the district, the sale of solar renewable energy credits into the competitive secondary market, and federal tax incentives.
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary Thomas Venanzi, who initiated the projects on behalf of the school district, indicated that the projects would commence at the schools during 2011 and would be completed by the end of the calendar year so that the schools could take advantage of energy savings during the 2011-12 school year which will be an extremely difficult budget year. He stated that this initiative will assist the school district in keeping some of its programs as it begins to develop a budget for 2011-12.
Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim saluted Mr. Venanzi for his aggressive efforts to secure these projects for the schools and for the taxpayers of Montgomery. “Were it not for Mr. Venanzi’s experience with these kinds of partnerships, it is doubtful that the district would have been able to secure three school projects of this scale. Since his hiring a few years ago, Mr. Venanzi has been responsible for saving the district literally hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in energy costs through cost-avoidance measures (e.g., energy conservation practices), rebates, demand-response programs, and alternative energy solutions. It is this kind of innovation that allows Montgomery to remain the most efficient yet effective district in its comp group.”
Early Drop off Program for those affected by new school bus timings
New Horizons Montessori in the Skillman area of Montgomery is offering an Early Morning Before School Care program starting in the fall.
This will allow parents who may be affected by the new proposed busing schedule for Montgomery school district transportation. Parents will be able to drop off their children at New Horizons Montessori, from where the school bus will take the children to their respective schools.
New Horizons Montessori is also introducing new After School Programs that include “Home Work Help” and Dynamic Fit Kids Program.
Both, the Before School and After School Programs are open to all children between the ages of 5 and 10, who may not be attending their regular school programs.
Parents can contact New Horizons Montessori for more details at (609) 252-9696
Montessori Early Drop off Program For those affected by new school bus timings
New Horizons Montessori in the Skillman area of Montgomery is offering an Early Morning Before School Care program starting in the fall.
This will allow parents who may be affected by the new proposed busing schedule for Montgomery school district transportation. Parents will be able to drop off their children at New Horizons Montessori, from where the school bus will take the children to their respective schools.
New Horizons Montessori is also introducing new After School Programs that include "Home Work Help" and Dynamic Fit Kids Program.
Both, the Before School and After School Programs are open to all children between the ages of 5 and 10, who may not be attending their regular school programs.
Princeton Junior School Celebrates Graduation
On Wednesday, June 9, students, faculty, family and friends gathered at Princeton Junior School to celebrate the all school graduation.
The ceremony included an all school procession lead by bagpiper, Don Mee, welcoming remarks and citations for all Grade V graduates by Headmaster, Peter Rapelye as well as musical performances by the PJS Choir and the Grade V graduates.
Grade V students received acceptances from a number of schools, including Chapin School, The Hun School, Newtown Friends School, The Pennington School, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, Princeton Day School, Princeton Montessori School, and Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.
The Princeton Junior School is an independent school offering the highest standard of education for children in Pre-school through Grade V. The School is situated on six acres near the intersection of the Route 206 and Fackler Road in Lawrenceville. The site, near a branch of the Shipetauken Creek, includes meadows, woods and wetlands.
For additional information on the School, please contact Deborah M. Agnew, Director of Admissions 609-924-8126.
County Superintendent Recommends Tax Levy Amendment
Awaits Review by State Education Commissioner - Executive County Superintendent (ESC) Trudy Doyle recommended that the tax levy for the Montgomery Township School District be reduced by $2.08M, up from the $1.9M reduction developed by the Township's School Budget Review subcommittee. Doyle directed the Board of Education to study triple tier bussing and outsourcing of custodians and bus drivers, and submit plans for these to her by January. She also recommended an examination of the District's business office to find efficiencies. New Jersey State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler is reviewing Doyle's recommendations and will forward his comments to the Board by June 30.
The amended tax levy recommended by Doyle was $63.36M, which is a 2.29% increase from the previous year. "We recommended an adjustment to reduce the tax levy, including a $770K reduction in appropriations (from sources such as student activity fees) and $1.3M in additional revenue." Regarding the proposed activity fees, Doyle noted, "We thought that it was a bit high. We suggested $26K, not $200K, in additional revenue, or $5 per child. Moving to three-tier bussing (in September) would be very hard; contracts were already awarded and would have to be rescinded. You'd have to change bell schedule." Doyle has asked the District to reduce its transportation budget by $125K. Noting that the District's business office has nine fulltime staff, she asked, "Can they run with less people?"
Doyle projects that the District will receive $350K in State aid for extraordinary special education, which is granted when at least one student in a district requires $40K or more in education costs.
Doyle explains "Montgomery knew this number but did not include it as revenue. They were concerned with the cut in State aid, although historically the State has funded this."
The Board has qualms about receiving this aid, noting "No proof of that has been presented to the District; we have extremely grave concerns with the ESC's projections of additional State aid."
Doyle stated that the State will "absolutely" provide it. Doyle says the District will attain $900K in surplus for the 2010-2011 school year. "We looked at their unencumbered balances, what we think will be left over by June 30 - knowing they would have outstanding bills. We came up with $578K in unencumbered balances from this year as of May 24 and $320K in additional surplus from their own revenue. We looked at budgeted compared with actual revenues."
Montgomery Superintendent of Schools Earl Kim says, "We disagree with the ESC's surplus projection because she grossly underestimated our May and June expenses using a flawed methodology. In a brief phone conversation, we demonstrated that she had failed to account for at least $400K in June expenses. This deflated her projected surplus to $500K. We then offered to sit down with her, as reviewing a 100-page document over the phone is not practical, but we have not been invited to a meeting. If the ESC's recommendations are approved by the Commissioner, it will likely trigger an appeal, or further significant reductions in programs and services to generate surplus."
The Board says money will be needed to address an expected $2.3M revenue shortfall for the 2011-2012 school year. According to Kim, "The ESC is essentially ensuring that we cut programs next - or the following - school year, depending on how the Commissioner rules. Appropriating surplus to 2010-11 actually increases the revenue shortfall to $3.2M for 2011-2012. To generate $3.2M in savings for the 2011-2012 school year would require a reduction of 32 teachers. 70% of reductions would have to be staff. Even if we budgeted with a 4% cap, we would fall at least a half of a million dollars short of revenue. Any surplus generated in the current year should be directed to fill that void to prevent a fiscal train wreck."
Doyle admitted, "It might be true. They may need more. They think we overestimated revenue, but we stand by our numbers." She added, "You have another year to look at your total operation and look for efficiencies that might eliminate this revenue shortfall."
Regarding the Board, Doyle comments, "They did a good job estimating what they needed. But the budget was defeated by the voters; therefore the budget must be reduced. The message from the Governor and Education Commissioner is 'contain cost'; that's the only way you can control property taxes. They have a wonderful school district, but it's expensive. There's a person at the end of the line who has to pay that bill." Concerning the state's recommendation to limit raises, Doyle notes "If the teacher's union had agree to a pay freeze, it would have resulted in tremendous goodwill in the community; you could take that to the bank!"
Kim counters that the district delivered $2.2M in reductions to salary and benefits - including administrative, support, and teaching staff - that exceeded the $1.6M, which might have been saved through a freeze. "While it may have made for good politics, it would not have helped us to make up for the deficit created by shifting more of the school funding burden from a progressive income tax to a regressive property tax. In addition, it would have made the District less competitive in the teacher labor market."
Doyle says the process that was started when the Montgomery Township Committee was unable to reach a consensus on the tax levy amendment "was intense and not easy. You hope this never happens." Out of the 17 school budgets that were voted on in Somerset County, 15 were defeated; while throughout the State, 315 out of 538 were voted down. In eight New Jersey districts (none in Somerset County), the towns' governing bodies certified, or approved, a tax levy amendment, but their school districts did not accept them and have appealed to the State Education Commissioner.
The final tax increase for Montgomery and Rocky Hill taxpayers, specific cuts within the District, and fees to be paid by students are all yet to be determined.
List of Local 2010 High School Grads & Where They Are Going
Montgomery High School
Gilbert Acevedo, Raritan Valley Community C.; Sonali Ahuja, Rutgers U.; Krista Alessandri, Widener U.; Selen Altiok, Rutgers U.; Sandeep Ambrose, Rutgers U.; Connor Andres, Ursinus C.; Julia K Arnold, College of NJ; Dylan Ayrey, Rochester Inst. of Tech.; Kevin Azimi, Rowan U.; Allison Bacon, U. of Virginia; Danielle Baginsky, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Mohamed El Hedi Bahri, Rutgers U.; Shreshth Bajaj, Northeastern U.; Paulina Bak, Rutgers U.; Kelsey Ballinger, Bucknell U.; Stephen Baptiste, Rutgers U.; Joshua Barmak, Ithaca C.; Jennifer Barron, New York U.; Christian Philippe Benz, George Washington U.; Catherine Best, Rutgers U.; Nikita Bhargava, Smith C.; Erik Biago, Raritan Valley Community C.; Kelly Birmingham, Lafayette C.; Tyler Blakemore, Bucknell U.; Kirstin Hailey Blatterfein, Rutgers U.; Zane Adam Bohrer, Wentworth Inst. of Tech.; Mihaela Bojneag, Rutgers U.; Brian Bona, U. of Miami; Robert Booth, Trinity International U.; Jonathan Bozzick, Valley Forge Military C.; Paige Brach, Alvernia U.; Katelyn Brady, Towson U.; Kirsten Brendel, Savannah College of Art and Design; Michael Brown, Rowan U.; Miranda Bull, Syracuse U.; Bridget Burns, American U.; Daniel Cafiero, Franklin and Marshall C.; Robert Cai, Harvard U.; Anna Calabro, Fairleigh Dickinson U.; Adam Caldwell, U. of Arizona; Christopher Caliguire, Wake Forest U.; Elizabeth Camuti, Cornell U.; Corina Cappabianca, New York U.; Matthew Carco, Raritan Valley Community C.; Margaret Carr, Vassar C.; Hope Carter, Ithaca C.; Matthias Cassar, Raritan Valley Community C.; Justina Chan, Drexel U.; Gayathri Chenimineni, Rutgers U.; Melanie Chervin, Quinnipiac U.; Brandon Cheslock, George Washington U.; Matthew Chinn, Wake Forest U.; Rome Chopra, Rutgers U.; Lawrence Chow, Johns Hopkins U.; Taylor Colaiacovo, La Salle U.; Michael Colangelo, Raritan Valley Community C.; Veronica Colon-Lopez, Felician C.; Karlee Comollo, U. of Vermont; Ellen Connacher, Syracuse U.; John Connolly, Lehigh U.; Morgan Conroy, Rutgers U.; Joseph Cooper, Middlesex Community C.; Nicole Corazza, Colgate U.; John Couch, Rutgers U.; Jennifer Cranmer, Ohio U.; Gregory Cui, Rutgers U.; Alicja Cygan, Rutgers U.; Courtney Cytryn, Hobart and William Smith C.; Akash Dalsania, Rutgers U.; Julia Daniels, Grinnell C.; Terence Darcy, Northeastern U.; Abhinav Das, New York U.; Emily Davis, Rutgers U.; Adrian Gabriel Dela Cruz, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art; Lauren DeLucia, Duke U.; Marisa Desa, U. of Connecticut; Teresa DeSario, U. of Delaware; Dane DiMartino, Rutgers U.; Dylan Dineen, Moravian C.; Trevor Dineen, Lycoming C.; Melanie Dionne, Montclair State U.; Claire Disdier, Cabrini C.; Anthony Donadio, Ohio State U.; Ryan Donovan, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Brian Dougherty, Drexel U.; Ian Douglas, Trinity C.; Jamie Eckhardt, Western Ontario U.; Kristina Elkington, Monmouth U.; Richard William Epp, Concordia U.; Jideobi Ezeonu, Edinboro U. of PA; John Fagard, Pepperdine U.; Dylan Faille, PA College of Tech.; Christina Fakes, Rice U.; Ryan Fallon, Rutgers U.; Vincent Favetta, Fordham U.; Alana Marie Fazio, Cabrini C.; Benjamin Feigenbaum, Stony Brook U.; Ashley Ferentchak, Johnson & Wales U.; Danielle Ferullo, Rutgers U.; David Fields, Boston U.; Gabrielle Fiorillo, Bryn Mawr C.; Alec Fishbone, College of NJ; Christopher Fisher, Northeastern U.; John Richard Foley, Syracuse U.; Matthew Fox, Neumann U.; Michael Friel, U. of Connecticut; Ashley Fullwood-Custis, U. of Redlands; Tyler Gabrielski, Boston U.; Alexander E Gaillard, College of NJ; Matthew Gallitz, Raritan Valley Community C.; Alyssa Gartenberg, McGill U.; Gabrielle Gatti, Monmouth U.; Lauren Geary, Quinnipiac U.; Troy Gebhart, Widener U.; Christina Ann Germak, Rutgers U.; Dhairyasheel Ghosalkar, Cornell U.; Alexandra Giannini, U. of Delaware; Errol Gingis, Undecided; Daniel Giordano, Rutgers U.; Nithya Gnanarajah, Rutgers U.; Kelsey Godfrey, Lafayette C.; Christine Godinez, U. of Richmond; Michael Goldman, Miami U., Oxford; Daniel Gonzalez, Raritan Valley Community C.; Ashley Gottfried, James Madison U.; Alexandra Gray, School of Visual Arts ; Arismita Guha Ray, Drexel U.; George Gurzo, Mercer County Community C.; Julian Haag, U.S. Marine Corps Recruiter; Thomas Burks Hackett, Bucknell U.; Katherine Sarah Hadinger, Marist C.; John Hakanson, U. of Miami; J. Stewart Hallman, Rutgers U.; Elizabeth Halpin, American U.; Kyle Hamilton, Raritan Valley Community C.; Sang Han, Mercer County Community C.; Nisma Haq, Rutgers U.; Amory Hare, Union C.; Asia Haren, Raritan Valley Community C.; Megan Harless, Northeastern U.; Christina Hartnack, Stonehill C.; Ali Hasan, Rutgers U. at Newark; Connor Hayes, Long Island U., C.W. Post Campus; Joseph Heebner, Case Western Reserve U.; Scott Heil, Loyola U. Maryland; Ross Hemmel, Carnegie Mellon U.; Kristofor Hendrickson, College of NJ; Carly Jayne Hering, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Anne M Herman, Rhodes C.; Rachel Hoff, College of the Holy Cross; Nicholas Holdreith, George Washington U.; Emily Homan, Delaware Valley C.; Shirlyn Hong, Northeastern U.; Kristopher Hopkins, Rochester Inst. of Tech.; Scott Hrudowsky, U. of Scranton; Alexander Hsia, Cornell U.; Ke Huang, Columbia U.; Patrick Hurley, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State U.; Marisa Iati, U. of Notre Dame; Elvin Ip, Rider U.; Jonathan Irish, Raritan Valley Community C.; William Irving, U.S. Marine Corps Recruiter; Amanda Isidro, Liberty U.; Kelsey Jacobson, U. of Maryland, College Park; Min Angie Jang, Parsons School of Design, New School U.; Kelly Jenkins, Drexel U.; Matthew Jerzewski, Syracuse U.; Carissa Johnson, Drew U.; Dale Johnson, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Tapan Kar, U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Nicole Kaufman, Drexel U.; John Kazan, St. Mary's C. of Maryland; Skylar Kelly, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Alicia Keri, Drexel U.; Carl J Keri, DeSales U.; Michael Kichura, Rutgers U.; Rebecca Kilkenny, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Sun-Jong B Kim, Syracuse U.; Lacey King, Centenary C.; Patrick King, Rutgers U.; Kayla Kirschner, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Frederic Klostermyer, Catholic U. of America; Katie Kochis, Rider U.; Rachel Kolb, College of NJ; Daniel Kozaryn, Mercer County Community C.; Vaishali Krishnamoorthy, Vydehi Inst. of Medical Sciences; Kristin Krukowski, Navy; Priscilla Kuo, College of NJ; Veronica Kyrk, Boston U.; Sarah Ladyman, New York U.; David Lafaman, U. of Scranton; Michael Lan, Northeastern U.; Jacob Paul Land, Loyola Marymount U.; Olivia Lang, West Virginia U.; Allison Larcombe, U. of Maryland, College Park; Jared Lawrence, Rutgers U.; Michael Leddy, Johns Hopkins U.; Nicole Lee, New York U.; Rachel Lee, U. of Notre Dame; Xue Ling Lee, Mercer County Community C.; Matthew Lekh, Miami U., Oxford; Roshan Lellahi, Suffolk U.; Alexander Lepera, Towson U.; Cameron Levis, U. of Colorado at Boulder; Frank L Li, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Kevin Li, U. of Texas, Austin; Valerie Li, College of NJ; Alanna Liao, Rutgers U.; Kevin Lisanti, Pennsylvania State, University Park; James Loupos, U.S. Naval Academy; Ana Lucien, Rasmussen C.; Rebecca Lui, Carnegie Mellon U.; Lan Luo, New York U.; Kendra Lyons, Rhodes C.; Ryan MacMorris, College of NJ; Ian MacPherson, U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint; Ravi Mahadevan, Duke U.; Adam Mainwood, Raritan Valley Community C.; Katherine Manfredi, West Virginia U.; Joseph Dominic Mankowski, La Salle U.; Julie L Manock, Rutgers U.; Lauren Mariana, Rutgers U.; Sean Marinelli, U. of Michigan; Rachel Martin, Lafayette C.; Elena Martinez, Rider U.; Michael Massone, Wesleyan U.; Brian Matejek, Princeton U.; Kate Matheson, Industry; Ryan A Maurer, Central Michigan U.; Jeffrey Mayer, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State U.; Christina Mazzeo, U. of Scranton; Anna McCall, Roberts Wesleyan C.; Alison McFadden, U.of Vermont; Elijah McMillian, United Tech. Inst.; Kyle Mechini, Oklahoma City U.; Kevin Meier, Boston U.; Melvin Mendoza, Rutgers U.; John Menon, Rider U.; Jeffrey Mertz, Ithaca C.; Paige Miele, Mercer County Community C.; Christine Mihalik, Coastal Carolina U.; Marisa Mikrut, George Washington U.; Lindsey Milich, Quinnipiac U.; Ivana Miljanic, Rutgers U.; Lilian E Min, U. of So. California; James Minnis, Bucknell U.; Adwiteeya Misra, Dartmouth C.; Rebecca Moeller, U. of Delaware; Jina Moon, Boston C.; Joshua Moore, Mercer County Community C.; Rebecca Morack, Parsons School of Design, New School U.; Amanda Moreno, Temple U.; William Morgan, Raritan Valley Community C.; Jennifer Morgenstern, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Caryn Moyer, Ramapo College of NJ; Taylor Mulligan, U. of Miami; Pooja Murali, U. of Texas, Austin; Thiviya Nadesakumaran, Rutgers U.; Creasen Naicker, Raritan Valley Community C.; Kyle Naidu, Rutgers U.; Petra Shipman Nanney, Loyola U. Maryland; Cameron Napoliello, Salisbury U.; Amuthan Narthana, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Emily Nemeth, Ithaca C.; Taylor Neveling, Drexel U.; Laura Ng, Rutgers U.; Christopher Nieves, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical U.; Casey Niper, Marist C.; Danielle Nozza, Centenary C.; Conor O'Brien, Towson U.; Emma O'Sullivan, Drexel U.; Carter Oakley, Syracuse U.; Arseniy Okrainets, William Paterson U. of NJ; Teresa Ilona Olah, King's C.; Chioma Onyiuke, Saint Peter's C.; Andrew Orlowicz, Rutgers U.; Shane Ottey, Raritan Valley Community C.; Aashish Panvelkar, Berkeley C.; Francesca Parayno, Raritan Valley Community C.; Pooja Parikh, Rutgers U. at Newark; Kalyan Paruchuri, U. of Massachusetts, Amherst; Cassandra Passarella, Loyola U. Maryland; David Peister, Rowan U.; Abigail Pereira, New York U.; Ana Peterhans, Tulane U.; Deanna Petrelis, Loyola U. Maryland; Michael Piazza, Rutgers U.; Kara Pizzolato, Coastal Carolina U.; Ankith Polavarapu, Rutgers U.; Paul Popescu, Princeton U.; Kellen Porter, Rutgers U.; Jillian Prentice, U. of Richmond ; Joshua Prevost, Seton Hall U.; Lisa Qian, Rutgers U.; Vennessa Ama Quansah, Rutgers U.; Anjali Ramaswamy, Johns Hopkins U.; Talia Ramo, Muhlenberg C.; Kirsten Rarich, U. of Washington; Shannon Reagan, U. of Colorado at Boulder; Steven K Reiman, Northeastern U.; Laura Resnick, U. of Pennsylvania; Christopher Restaino, U. of New Haven; Amanda Ribeiro, Loyola U. Maryland; Sean Ridder, McGill U.; Robert Robinson, Monmouth U.; Raymond Romano, Syracuse U.; Alexander Rook, College of NJ; Danielle Rosenberg, Pennsylvania State; Carlee Rosenthal, U. of Michigan; Lindsey Rosenthal, Syracuse U.; Jennifer Rossi, Raritan Valley Community C.; Samuel Rothman, Rutgers U.; Jamin Rozenblat, Central Piedmont Community C.; Jacob Rubin, Drexel U.; Chelsea Ryan, Loyola U. Maryland; Shehab Saad, NJ Institute of Tech.; Divya Saboo, U. of Mumbai; Salina Salas, Rider U.; Ranjit Sankar, Rutgers U.; Rebecca E. Sasiela, Johnson & Wales U.; William J Sasiela, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Paul Schafer, George Mason U.; Sydney Scharer, U. of Arizona; Garrett Schwarte, Pennsylvania State, University Park; Danielle Sciotto, Shippensburg U.; Adriana Scott, U. of Maryland, College Park; Deepika Seethamraju, Rutgers U.; Nathan Seto, Rutgers U.; Daniel Sgammato, Loyola U. Maryland; Lara Shegoski, U.S. Air Force Academy; Sarah Sheldon, Muhlenberg C.; David Shen, Rutgers U.; James Shen, Brandeis U.; Olga Shvirst, Union County C.; Jared Simmons, Raritan Valley Community C.; Ambika D Singh, Princeton U.; Suraj Sinha, Northeastern U.; Andrew Sklansky, Ithaca C.; Aaron Skoultchi, Rowan U.; Brittany Smith, U.S. Army Recruiter; Julianne Smith, Loyola U. Maryland; Kelly Jean Smith, Drexel U.; Christopher Smyth, William Paterson U. of NJ; Young Sun Song, Pratt Institute; Katherine Specht, Rice U.; Hillary Spohn, George Washington U.; Julie Sprotzer, Northeastern U.; Katherine Jenny Stansfield, U. of Vermont; Cassie Stevens, Towson U.; Samuel Eshaan Stevens, Rutgers U.; JeanMarie Stewart, Roger Williams U.; Sydney Christine Stewart, Northeastern U.; Morgan Stokes, Unknown; Kevin Sun, Harvard U.; Vineet Surapaneni, U. of Texas, Austin; Lela Swartz, Lafayette C.; Amber G Sweeton, Nyack C.; Cristina Taggart, Arizona State; Sowmya Takkellapati, U. of Massachusetts, Dartmouth ; Dylan Talarick, Mercer County Community C.; Peter Taraschi, Alfred U.; Julian Tartacoff, Rutgers U.; Camille Tastenhoye, McGill U.; Sayla Tenenbaum, Temple U.; Brian Testa, Saint Joseph's U.; Aravind Thelekatt, Purdue U.; Jeffrey Thomsen, Coastal Carolina U.; Kathy Tieu, Otis College of Art and Design; Dennis Tom, Rutgers U.; Katherine Marie Tonkin, Messiah C.; Andrew Treble, Culinary Inst. of America ; Mark Treichler, Providence C.; Amanda Triplett, McGill U.; Theodore J VanLiew, Castleton State C.; Sarah VanPeenen, James Madison U.; Rebecca Varghese, American U.; Harrison Venema, Middlesex Community C.; Adam Verducci, Pennsylvania State; Michael Viggiano, Quinnipiac U.; Lauren Villaverde, Lehigh U.; Charles Wade, Raritan Valley Community C.; Emily Wang, New York U.; Jane Wang, Princeton U.; Jeffrey Wang, Rutgers U.; Nicholas Warner, Ithaca C.; Ryan Warrier, Lafayette C.; Carolyn Weinschenk, U. of Notre Dame; Peyton Wells, Drexel U.; Kyle D Wernicki, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State U.; Jessica White, Richard Stockton C.; Sean Wiegmann, Monmouth U.; Charles Williams, Raritan Valley Community C.; Shannon Williams, Raritan Valley Community C.; Kathryn (Katie) Winge, U. of Texas, Austin; Michael Woitach, U. of Richmond; Kelsey Wojtowicz, Loyola U. Maryland; Rosemary Wright, U. of British Columbia; Andrew Wu, New York U.; Yan Wu, Princeton U.; Eric Wyluda, U.of Vermont; Mengqi (Merry) Xiao, Northwestern U.; Peter Xiao, Carnegie Mellon U.; Roy Xiao, Princeton U.; Fei (James) Xue, Rutgers U.; Conway Yao, Tufts U.; Chung-Yang (Yang) Yeh, Rutgers U.; Mark Yetter, U. of Delaware; Chelsea Zahn, Pratt Institute; Taylor Zahn, Bucknell U.; Christopher Bo Zhang, Rutgers U.; Nan (Justin) Zhao, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.; Diane Zhou, U. of California at Berkeley ; Cooper Zhu, New York U.; Jodi Zimmerman, Syracuse U.;
Princeton Day School
Theodore Casey, Hobart and William Smith C.; Adrienne Esposito, Texas Christian U.; Ethan Geltzer, Emerson C.; Savannah Hecker, Washington U. in St. Louis; Neil Karandikar, U. of Chicago; Nishant Nair, U. of Pennsylvania
The Hun School
Michael Ford, Alexandra Liaskos, Alexandra Passano, Nicole Reynolds
The Pennington School
Nikita S. Schulman
Immaculata
Stephen Simon
Karl Held Named President at The American Boychoir School
(Princeton, NJ) - Chester W. Douglass, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The American Boychoir School announced the appointment of a new president of The American Boychoir School, Mr. Karl Held effective May 15, 2010. In his announcement, Dr. Douglass said, “We are fortunate to have Karl Held serve as the President of The American Boychoir. He brings a wealth of academic, business, and performance experience that complement the distinctive and unique music education mission of The American Boychoir School”.
No stranger to Princeton or The American Boychoir, Mr. Held was educated at Westminster Choir College, and in the 1980s served as the executive producer of numerous Boychoir recordings under conductor and Music Director, James Litton. Other recording projects include the latest in the series of American Boychoir recordings, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Litton-Lodal Music Director, and a recent SONY MASTERWORKS release of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods with previously unreleased material in honor of the composer’s 80th Birthday. Held is in production of a 13-part orchestral radio series for WQXR, formerly the classical radio station of The New York Times.
Acting upon his belief in the importance of Arts in Education, Karl Held has served on several national councils for The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, including the 25th Anniversary Celebrations in 1996, and he serves as an adviser to numerous arts organizations in New York City. From 1998-2009, he served as the Senior Advisor to the president of Gettysburg College. During this tenure, he developed several programs including The Ambassadors Series, an international concert and lecture series incorporating cultural classroom exchanges on a global level. Mr. Held was also instrumental in moving the Leonard Bernstein Center for Artful learning from the GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles to Gettysburg College where it was hosted from 2005-2009. The mission of the center was to strengthen education on a national level by preparing teachers, schools and communities to use the arts and the artistic process to learn across all academic subjects. He is a founding member and former Chairman of the Adams County Arts Council, founding board member and secretary to the National Trust for Historic Gettysburg, and was recently named a member of the board of Help is on the Way Today-Cabaret Cares, an organization dedicated to assisting children living with HIV and AIDS. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the presentation of the Key to his native Gettysburg, PA by Mayor William Troxell for “the promotion and appreciation of the arts for all Americans”. Mr. Held is a 2010 Tony and Drama Desk nominated Producer for the recent Broadway revival of RAGTIME, and a 2010 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award for his Production of HYSTERICAL BLONDNESS.
MHS teacher and student to join Earthwatch Expeditions
Montgomery High School is pleased to announce that English teacher, Christine D’Amore and rising senior, Aileen Jiang have been selected to receive Earthwatch Institute fellowships this summer.
Funded by grants, the Earthwatch Institute is an environmental organization that promotes awareness of environment issues across the world. Earthwatch fellows work with scientists from all over the world to conduct research in the field.
This summer, Aileen will be traveling to Arizona to participate in the “Southwestern Earth and Skies Through Time” expedition. Her grant was awarded through the generosity of Earthwatch’s Student Challenge Awards Program (SCAP). Ms. D’Amore will travel to Wyoming on a “Songbirds of the Rocky Mountains” expedition thanks to a grant by the Gerladine Dodge Poetry Foundation.
Aileen and Ms. D’Amore are not strangers to volunteerism. Ms. D’Amore has been the advisor of the Interact Club at MHS for the past six years and Aileen will serve as president for the 2010-2011 school year.
For more information about the Earthwatch Institute, visit www. earthwatch. org.
MHS AP Economics Teacher to Participate in AP Program Reading
Mr. Robert Zywicki, teacher of AP Economics and World Studies at Montgomery High School, was selected to participate in the annual Reading and Scoring of the College Board's Advanced Placement Examinations this June in AP Macro Economics.
Each year, the AP Program, which is sponsored by the College Board, gives more than 1.5 million capable high school students an opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses and examinations. Based on their exam performance, successful students can receive credit and/or advanced placement when they enter college.
More than 2.9 million examinations from more than 30 AP Courses were evaluated by over 10,000 AP Readers from universities and high schools. Representing many of the finest academic institutions in the world, these educators come from the United States, Canada and abroad.
The AP Reading is a unique form in which academic dialogue between high school and college educators is fostered and strongly encouraged.
"The Reading draws upon the talents of some of the finest teachers and professors that the world has to offer," said Trevor Packer, Vice President of the Advanced Placement Program at the College Board. "It fosters professionalism, allows for exchange of ideas and strengthens the commitment to students and to teaching. We are grateful for the contributions of talented educators, like Montgomery's Robert Zywicki."
Montgomery Teams Compete in Science Olympiads
The high school Science Olympiad team competed on Tuesday, at Middlesex County Community College, against 25 other teams from schools all over the state. Overall we finished 4th.
Our team consisted of 20 students, grades 10-12, competing in 26 different events. The events were supervised and adjudicated by professionals from various NJ businesses and academic institutions.
Results for the top six finishers in each event were announced at the competition. Other places ought to be appearing shortly on the NJ SO web site, but are not there as of this morning.
Our students begin work in September, spending a lot of time after school to learn as much as they can about the various events, which deepens their understanding of various scientific fields and gives them experience tackling mini-engineering design challenges.
Here are our top results:
Ecology--1st--Aditi Misra, Sowmya Takkellapati--Students must demonstrate their knowledge of various climatic conditions and factors that shape the natural environment.
Egg-O-Naut--2nd--Richard Zhang, Taisu Kumar (This is a bottle rocket event. Students had to design and build a device from a 2-L soda bottle that could be launched in the air and return an egg safely. Winners kept the egg aloft for the most time).
Elevated Bridge--4th--Alex Hsia, David Zhao, Comway Yao, James Sha (build a bridge out of balsa wood capable of supporting weight most efficiently)
EpiChallenge--6th--Conway Yao, Aditi Misra, Jane Wang, David Zhao (conduct original research into a public health question and report on the findings. Our students investigated the impact of athletic team membership on student sleep quality and habits)
Experimental Design--2nd--Rich Zhang, Rishi Kaneriya, Nikhil Kaushal (given a situation, design and execute an experiment to answer a question about the system)
Forensics--3rd--Rishi Kaneriya, Aileen Jiang-- analyze evidence from a crime scene.
Helicopter--2nd--Rich Zhang, James Sha, Alex Hsia-- design and build a rubber-band powered helicopter and keep it aloft for a maximum amount of time
It's About Time--3rd--Rich Zhang, Taisu Kumar-- Build a clock capable of determining time in an accurate way. Our students used a pendulum design.
Mission Possible--1st--Alex Hsia, Andrew Chen, James Sha, David Zhao, Tapan Kar-- design and build a Rube Goldberg machine that employs 10 mechanical steps to raise a flag, as close as possible to a time specifed by the judges. Our team put a ton of time into this and were spot-on at competition.
Mousetrap Vehicle--1st--James Sha, Alex Hsia-- design and build a car powered solely by mousetraps that can propel itself along a track, stop, reverse itself, and stop again at a designated line. The judges called our entry "Spectacular."
Physical Science Lab--6th--Taisu Kumar--Design blades that could be mounted on a kind of wind turbine to obtain an electric current, and demonstrate knowledge about alternative energy supplies.
Picture This-- 3rd--James Sha, Alex Hsia, David Zhao--Basically a kind of science vocabulary Pictionary competiton.
Remote Sensing--3rd-- Ashish Krishna, Andrew Chen-- Interpret satellite images and draw conclusions about topography and ecology.
Trajectory--3rd--Taisu Kumar, Richard Zhang-- Build a catapult capable of launching tennis balls precise distances.
Write It-Do It-4th-- Jennifer Li, Conway Yao-- One student must describe in writing a Lego contraption that the judges make. The other student has to build an identical contraption using only his partner's directions.
Other team members: Sakshi Gandhi, Tapan Kar, Kelly Shen, Jerry Zhang
DOE Recognizes Montgomery Middle School
Education Commissioner Bret Schundler today announced that two middle grades schools have been selected as the 2009-10 New Jersey Schools to Watch® in recognition of their high quality academic programs and active support of student development.
This year’s Schools to Watch are Black River Middle School in Chester Township (Morris County) and Montgomery Lower Middle School in Montgomery Township (Somerset County).
The program identifies schools with grades 6, 7, and 8 that do an exemplary job of addressing student achievement and the unique needs of early adolescents. The schools are showcased statewide and nationally to promote their instructional practices, programs to enhance personalization and leadership structures.
“The developmental stage of early adolescence is an important time for students as they experience significant mental, physical, social and emotional growth,” said Commissioner Schundler. “It is during this period, when values and attitudes are developed and goals for the future are set. It is important that we recognize schools that are academically excellent and developmentally responsive to the needs of young adolescents, so they can serve as role models and mentors for others.”
The schools will be recognized at an awards ceremony at Kean University on May 17, at the June 16 State Board of Education meeting, and at the national Schools to Watch conference June 24 to 26 in Washington, D.C.
“Challenging all students to use their minds well during these formative years is critical to continued success in high school, college and beyond,” Commissioner Schundler said. “The schools announced today will become part of a state and national network of high-quality, innovative schools to assist others in their improvement efforts.”
New Jersey is one of 18 states that participate in Schools to Watch, which is sponsored by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. The state joined the program in 2007.
New Jersey Schools to Watch is a partnership between the Department of Education (DOE); the Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality, which includes Kean, Rowan and William Paterson Universities; the New Jersey Middle School Association; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association/Foundation for Education Administration; and the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Schools must apply for the New Jersey Schools to Watch program. Participating schools use national criteria to engage in self-assessment and reflection with an emphasis on high quality instruction, adult advocacy, equal access to programs and services, and sustained support for school improvement. Schools undergo a rigorous review and full-day site visit by a team of educators representing the program partners.
Schools to Watch are designated for three years and must continue to show improvement and a commitment to the needs of middle level students. Each school must agree to host visitations and share best practices at state conferences and workshops.
The DOE and its partners will provide additional technical assistance to the schools not selected as Schools to Watch.
All schools that applied for the designation will become part of a professional development program which will provide technical assistance, and other professional learning opportunities to assist schools to address areas that do not yet meet the Schools to Watch criteria. Schools are encouraged to remain in the network and continue their improvement efforts using the Schools to Watch framework.
With the designation of the two schools today, New Jersey has a total of nine Schools To Watch. The schools originally selected in 2007-08 must reapply for designation in 2010-11 to continue their designation and participation in the program.
Applications for the 2010-11 Schools to Watch program will be available on DOE’s Web site beginning in May and will be due in October. For more information on the Schools to Watch program, please go to: http://www.nj.gov/education/dsis/stw/.
MHS Teacher Designs New Math Twist on Classic Card Game
Dan Fishman knows mathematics and he knows how to make mathematics fun. A teacher of Algebra II and AP Calculus at Montgomery High School since 2005, Dr. Fishman knows that games can be a valuable tool for a mathematics teacher as they allow all levels of students to feel successful and develop skills through play that can often be frustrating during a typical mathematics lesson.
"DocFish is a relatively simple game that can be addictive and fun," says Dr. Fishman. "It evolved over a period of two years as I played prototype versions with my students and with indulgent family members," he says. "All you need is two players and two decks of cards," he goes on to say.
DocFish - a variation on the classic game of Go Fish - helps students memorize multiplication facts, but also become familiar with procedures used to simplify radicals. It also helps them understand factoring and other arithmetic concepts.
"We are proud that others have a chance to share in the passion and creative energy Dan brings to mathematics that we have come to cherish" says District Director of Mathematics, Dr. Christine Burton.
Dr. Fishman's article on his game of DocFish was just published as the cover story in the May issue of "Mathematics teacher," the journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). For more information on Dr. Fishman's game of DocFish or to access the article or other journals from the NCTM, please visit www.nctm.org .
Heart Screenings Offered to MHS Athletes
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) can strike a seemingly healthy teenager during a school sporting event. While it is very rare, the tragedies that can occur make prevention critical. However, the causes of SCD may not be detected in routine physicals.
Although there are tests which can find these conditions, “The main impediment to implementation of a screening strategy for all athletes has been cost” explain Montgomery High School (MHS) Athletic Director Tony Maselli and School Nurse Pam Gizzi. The pair’s perseverance will result in the administration of affordable screenings at MHS in June to detect athletes at risk of SCD, helping to ensure it doesn’t claim one of their students.
In an April letter to MHS parents, Gizzi and Maselli explained “The leading causes of SCD among young athletes are congenital cardiac diseases, particularly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).” There are 200 gene mutations that can cause HCM, which affects in 1 out of 500 people.
An Electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures the heart's electrical activity, can detect "electrical" disorders such as Long QT wave and Wolf-Parkinson-White syndromes, but does not catch all cases of HCM. An Echocardiogram (ECHO), which looks at the heart via ultrasound, usually detects HCM. When performed together, the two tests are most successful in detecting causes of SCD. But an ECHO alone can cost $500, and neither test is covered by insurance.
Six years ago, Gizzi had spoken to the school's doctor about her wish to administer the tests to her students. Maselli had been reading more and more about HCM, which has claimed professional athletes, in the last few years. He told Gizzi, "We really should be doing this." In 2004, an eighth grade student in Montgomery died suddenly. Last year, Kittim Sherrod of Edison and Brandon James of South Brunswick - both 17 years old - died of SCD while participating in sports. Maselli, whose son is an athlete at Spotswood High School, notes "That really got me going again."
Gizzi and Maselli's letter informed parents that "The MHS Athletic Department has been able to secure the services of a Board Certified cardiologist who is prepared to administer the above screening at a cost of $60 for both tests. The EKG is the same as one would get at a hospital, while the ECHO exam focuses on detecting HCM only." The screenings, lasting less than ten minutes, will be offered to graduating seniors and students who plan to participate in athletics or marching band at MHS during the 2010-2011 school year (students currently in grades 8 through 12). They will be held at MHS on June 11 from 3pm and on June 12 and 13 starting at 8am (registration is required by May 24 - see below). "It's the best $60 a parent can spend - less than a pair of sneakers" says Gizzi.
According to Gizzi, "The tests only need to be done once in an athlete's high school career. In the event that the screening picks up any abnormality, the athlete will not be medically cleared to participate in a sport until the high school nurse receives a note from a cardiologist clearing the student to play." She says that if the tests do find something amiss, the student will receive a copy of the test. Maselli adds, "Hopefully we don't find anything. But if we do, the kids are going to have it taken care of."
A bill drafted by New Jersey State Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan would raise awareness of HCM in schools and introduce measures to prevent other students from dying. Diegnan hopes Montgomery's screenings will serve as a model for other school districts in the state. Gizzi notes "If you could save a few kids lives, why not? I've been wanting to do this for years."
To register a graduating or 2010-2011 MHS student for the heart screenings, obtain a consent form from www.mtsd.k12.nj by selecting school 'MHS' and then 'Athletics' from the top bar. Submit the completed form to the MHS nurse's office by May 24 to make an appointment. A check for $60, made out to 'Cranbury H&L Associates, PA' must be brought to the screening. This fee will be waived for students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Township School Budget Vote Fails
A resolution which would have reduced the Montgomery Township School District 2009-2010 Tax Levy of $70,200,000 by $1,943,000 which was passed Monday night by the Rocky Hill Borough Council, was deadlocked 2 to 2 at the Montgomery Township Committee level and did not pass after much public comment at its Tuesday, May 18th meeting. Deputy Mayor Kacey Dyer, of the 5 member Montgomery Township Committee, who is related to a district teacher, recused herself.
The budget is now forwarded to the Somerset County Superintendent of Schools, Ms. Trudy Doyle, for her consideration and determination of final tax levy.
Drugs and Alcohol in MHS Exposed
By Olivia Austin ‘11
Horrible mistakes. Ruined friendships. Destroyed reputations.
Was that last drink really worth it?
Yes, it’s true. Montgomery High School students drink and Montgomery High School students abuse drugs. But it definitely isn’t everyone. But whenever you’re in the hallways or eating lunch, you hear rumors about the past weekend’s crazy party and all the wasted people that were there. We hear the positives about drinking from our friends, but rarely the negatives, and we almost never think about the negatives until we experience them ourselves.
Teens go to parties to have fun, and when they drink, it is usually in order to be more comfortable in their skin, to fit in, or to escape from reality. One freshman at college that graduated from Montgomery High School last year experienced a girl’s worst nightmare. Roofies. The real name for them is Rohypnol. Although this girl always covered her cups with her hand, a pill was slipped through her fingers and into her drink. Immediately she felt the effects. “I was lucky though- I was with close, trustworthy people” she explained. Once she felt the results of the roofies, her friends quickly brought her to her dorm where she fell unconscious. But what if her friends weren’t there? While this did happen in college, it is impossible to tell what could happen in high school.
Last school year, 1294 Montgomery High School students took a “Social Norms” survey about drug and alcohol use in school. Of these 1294 students, 778 said they never drank. The ethnicities of the survey participants were as follows: 829 were White, 28 were Black-American, 32 were Latino, 307 were Asian-American, 10 were Native American/Alaska Native, 59 were multiracial, and 34 chose not to answer.
The survey was taken in November 2008, shortly after Halloween, which claims the title of being the holiday with the most profound alcohol use. 494 of the survey participants said they drank only once or twice during the previous month. This past Halloween, at a party, one girl was so intoxicated that she passed out. The smartest action, as decided by the other, equally impaired, partygoers was to put the girl in a shopping cart and leave her in a nearby field by herself, completely passed out.
Our school’s administration fears that students are starting to hit the bottle (or keg) earlier in their high school careers. Earlier this school year, several freshmen were caught drinking alcohol in the girl’s bathroom room at the school during a football game. At some parties, however, freshmen are given non-alcoholic beer by the upperclassmen just to watch them go wild and blame it on the alcohol.
Out of the 1294 students who took the 2008 Social Norms survey, 15.7% admitted to smoking marijuana, while 8.7% had used prescription drugs without a prescription and 22.5% smoked cigarettes. Last year, several girls were caught smoking cigarettes in the bathroom at school, which resulted in expulsion. It was also discovered that a senior boy was addicted to heroin, and he subsequently went to rehab.
Stunningly, an increasing number of students have started getting high on cough syrup. The active ingredient in cough syrups such as Robitussin is dextromethorphan, or “DXM,” and it is similar in nature to highly dangerous opiates such as PCP and Ketamine. DXM is a “downer” hallucinogen- the opposite of LSD “acid”- and produces euphoria and dreamlike trances. Recreational use of DXM is known as “Robotripping,” and several boys from our school are no longer allowed in Shop Rite after they were caught stealing cough syrup one too many times.
The front part of your brain is responsible for decision-making. As a teenager, though, this part is not fully developed, resulting in some poor decisions. Some students are also scared to talk to someone about drug- or alcohol-related topics for fear that they will be judged or punished. However, in our school, Ms. DeGennaro is willing to talk to anyone and everyone about a drinking or drug problem. If you ever need to speak with someone in confidence, never fear that you are alone or that you can’t talk without risk, punishment, or rumors.
School Tax Levy Reduction of $1.9M Subject to County Superintendent Approval
A School Budget Review Subcommittee comprised of Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill Borough officials and residents, assembled after the budget’s defeat on April 20, advised that the $65.4M Montgomery Township School District tax levy for the 2010-2011 year be reduced by $1.9M. This reduction would cut residents’ tax increases, which were $494 for Montgomery and $173 for Rocky Hill on average, in half. To accomplish this, the subcommittee suggested measures such as triple tier bussing and preserving and raising the co-curricular activity fee. When the Montgomery Township Committee failed to reach a consensus regarding the levy amendment, even after Somerset County Executive Superintendent Trudy Doyle attempted mediation, the final decision became Doyle’s responsibility.
Of the changes the subcommittee outlined, triple tier bussing would yield the largest of the recommended savings - $700K – since it would eliminate the need to hire private bus drivers. High, middle, and elementary school start and end times would need to be at least one hour apart, allowing Township bus drivers to drive three consecutive routes both before and after school. Recommended staff cuts included elimination of the Montgomery High School guidance supervisor ($100K); administrative positions ($130K); custodians ($100K); and salary freezes for non-union administrative staff ($78K). Utilizing Township Public Works employees to mow school lawns would save $100K. Reductions to curriculum and development ($200K); tuition reimbursement ($139K); staff training services ($100K); and purchased services ($70K) would net further savings. The New Jersey Education Association, which represents teachers throughout the state, agreed to provide the funds eliminated for staff training services.
$200,000 in revenue would come from a higher and more extensive activity fee and a $200 parking fee (currently $30) for seniors. The current activity fee - $75 for each upper middle and high school student per school year regardless of the number of activities - nets $100K. To raise an additional $100K, it was proposed that a fee be charged for each sport ($200) and club ($100 - $200), and applied to younger students in afterschool music groups. At the May 17 meeting in which the Rocky Hill Borough Council discussed and ultimately passed the levy amendment, Board of Education President David Pettit expressed concern for the new fee, envisioning a scenario where a senior who drove to school and participated in two sports and two clubs could pay nearly $1000 in fees.
Building rental fees would provide another $35,000 in revenues. Originally the subcommittee recommended reducing the School District’s $2.36M in excess surplus by $200,000, but at the Board’s request, the reduction was taken from curriculum and development instead.
Regarding its review of the budget, the subcommittee informed residents via email: “We are quite mindful of the overwhelming vote and will work to reduce the tax burden contained in the proposed budget. Recommended reductions were selected which would have a minimal impact upon the classroom and the quality of educational instruction.” It also noted “The Montgomery Township School District must work within the tax levy but is not bound by the particulars of recommended expenditure cuts.”
Montgomery was represented on the subcommittee by Mayor Mark Caliguire; Township Committeeman Brad Fay; residents and former School Board members Mark Conforti and Bill Hyncik; residents Tom Wilson and Lisa Youngberg; Township Administrator Donato Nieman; and Township Chief Financial Officer Walter Sheppard. Rocky Hill Borough Council President Linda Goldman and Member James Banks represented Rocky Hill. Superintendent Earl Kim, Board Vice President Charles Jacey, Member Andrea Bradley, and Secretary Thomas Venanzi attended the meetings as advisors.
The $78M budget originally proposed by the Board was voted down by 60% of Montgomery residents and approved by 40%. In Rocky Hill, half of the voters approved the budget and half rejected it. Regarding the levy amendment, Caliguire commented “It is important to note that the tax increase will be reduced to 2.5% from the previous 6% in the proposed budget. And this reduction was achieved without any freeze or decrease in the contracted salary increases to the teachers’ union.”
While the Rocky Hill Borough Council approved the tax levy amendment, the Montgomery Township Committee vote on May 18 ended in a deadlock. Mayor Mark Caliguire and Thom Carter voted to approve it; Brad Fay and Louise Wilson voted to deny it. Kacey Dyer abstained from voting since her mother is a teacher in Montgomery.
Wilson and Fay cited their concerns regarding the bussing and activity fee changes and elimination of MHS’ guidance supervisor, but Caliguire was disappointed that a majority could not be reached. “It’s unfortunate and frustrating. The cuts were not draconian; Superintendent Kim said the District would still be providing a thorough and efficient education. Board of Education Members recommended triple tier bussing and extension of the activity fee.”
According to County Superintendent Doyle, Montgomery was the only district in New Jersey that did not approve its tax levy amendment. She met with Banks, Caliguire, Fay, and Goldman for three hours on May 20 but was unsuccessful in resolving the dispute. Doyle must recommend a levy amendment to New Jersey State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler by June 1. The Board anticipates reviewing her proposal, and either accepting it or appealing to Schundler.
Regarding the sequence of events, Doyle says “I’ve never had to do this before.” Doyle noted that her office staff was so inundated with calls from Montgomery parents and community members that they were not able to respond to all of them.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW SCIENCE & NATURE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN
BASKING RIDGE, NJ – The Naturalists of the Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Center have announced a new entertaining and educational program for children ages 3 to 5.
Tree House Gang is an afternoon program series that will introduce children to science and nature through an enhanced learning program incorporating outdoor hikes, hands-on activities, interaction with live animals, and crafts. The program takes place at the Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
The afternoon classes run from 12:45 P.M. to 3:15 P.M. and are offered on Mondays, September 13, 20, and 27, 2010. Each session features a different theme. A snack will be provided during all sessions.
Fees are $50 for 3-day session per person. For information and registration log onto www.somersetcountyparks.org of call 908-766-2489.
Information on this event and other Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org
Princeton Ballet School opens a new studio in the Princeton Shopping Center
and offers new programs for career track students
Princeton Ballet School, the official school of the American Repertory Ballet, will open a new studio space in the Princeton Shopping Center this fall. The 3000 square foot “pop-up” studio, located on the east side of the shopping center between Camillo’s Café and Ace Hardware, will allow the School to offer more classes and special programs at its popular Princeton location. The studio is already being used as a rehearsal space for the school’s pre-professional company, which is preparing for performances at “Cranbury Day” and Hamilton’s “Septemberfest”. The new studio will officially open, along with Princeton Ballet School’s other studios in the shopping center, Cranbury and New Brunswick, when the semester begins on September 10th.
The space allows the school to expand its offerings this year. New this fall is a Junior Division to the pre-professional company for students age 12-14, and a post-high school Company Trainee Program. Both programs offer increased training and performance opportunities for the students involved. “The Company Trainee program is designed as a transitional program for young dancers seeking to move into professional work in the ballet world. Some are taking the program as a ‘gap year’ before college, others are taking a leave of absence from college to pursue their dance dreams, and some are post-college or home school students with very advanced skills,” says School Director, Mary Pat Robertson. The schedule is rigorous, with six hours of training plus rehearsals six days a week, often alongside the professional dancers of American Repertory Ballet.
Among the new students in the Trainee program is Mathilde Labrusse, a native of Paris, France -- also the School’s first student here in the US on an F1 visa. Other trainees include Tori Kennell, a graduate of Orlando Ballet School; Kelsey McFalls, who is taking a leave of absence from NYU to pursue dance as a career; Shaye Firer from Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Kara Harvey, who recently graduated from Oklahoma University with a B.F. A. in dance. Bryana Jones (Piscataway), Erin Keegan (Mercerville), Evan Law (Somerset), and Karen Leslie Moscato (Pennington), all Princeton Ballet School standouts, were also admitted to the prestigious program.
Students from the School will perform at:
Cranbury Day, Cranbury, NJ on September 11, 2010
Septemberfest, Hamilton, NJ September 12, 2010
RVCC TO OFFER YOUTH CHESS CLASSES
Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg is offering two youth chess classes this fall. The following classes have been scheduled:
Chess I (Newcomers/Beginners): Students ages 7-14 learn the basics of chess playing, including the rules, the equipment, how the pieces move and their relative values, and how to achieve victory by checkmating the opponent. The class will be held Saturdays, September 25 to October 30, from 9-10:30 a.m. The fee is $112.
Chess II (Advanced Beginners): Students ages 7-14 who already are familiar with chess are introduced to the world of tournament chess. Topics include opening ideas and the study of tactics, including pins, discovered attacks, skewers and double attacks. The class will be held Saturdays, September 25 to October 30, from 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. The fee is $112.
For information only, email youth@raritanval.edu or call 908-526-1200, ext. 8404. To register, visit www.raritanval.edu and go to Youth Programs in the QuickLinks, or fax to 908-526-3576. Youth program brochures also can be picked up at the College Advancement office (located in the lower level of RVCC’s College Center), weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
RVCC, located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ, and serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 40 years, offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates. In addition, customized training programs and non-credit courses are available for those seeking personal and professional development.
The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
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