Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday’s Diversity Fair highlighted the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of local families.
Despite the chill outdoors, the outlook was sunny at the Marshall School cafetorium on Saturday afternoon. Diversity Fair booths filled the room, and the aromas of many types of food wafted through the air. According to Robyn Brody-Kaplan, who has organized the fair for the past four years, this event has been an annual and beloved tradition at Marshall School for several years. Children and parents who attended were invited to take a "Citizen of the World" passport at the entrance, where Brody-Kaplan asked each family where in the world they're from. Children were then invited to post flags on a world map, highlighting their countries of origin. By the event's end, the world map was covered, with nearly every continent and dozens of …
40.747876
-74.248153
Marshall School
262 Grove Rd
/articles/from-england-to-ethiopia-at-marshall-school
6284
/locations/307228
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The spring 2009 edition of Guildscript has been recognized beyond the district's borders.
SCHOOLS|2 days ago
The Columbia High School art and literary magazine Guildscript received two national recognitions, a first-place award in the competitive American Scholastic Press Association competition and the rank of "Excellent" in the 2009 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines. The award-winning edition was published in the spring of 2009 under the direction of Literary Editors-in-Chief Emily Hahlbeck and Hillary Knecht; Art Selection Committee Leaders Katie Haas and Emily Hahlbeck; and Design Editor Molly Hoffman, all 2009 graduates. Faculty advisors are Mary Brancaccio, CHS English teacher, and Cindy Malhotra, CHS graphic arts teacher. The American Scholastic Press Association …
40.73507
-74.26695
Columbia High School
17 Parker Ave, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/chs-literary-mag-earns-2-national-honors
2997
/locations/304898
Friday, March 12, 2010
The signature piano scene from "Big" is accomplished thanks to technology and a few MIDI files.
It's a big theater weekend in Maplewood and South Orange, with the Columbia High School production of "Big" premiering at 7:30 p.m., and The Strollers' production of "Indian Blood," taking to the boards over at The Burgdorff Center for Performing Arts at 8 p.m. Who says there's no culture in the 'burbs?! It's the signature scene, the "Big" moment, if you will, when main character Josh dances on a lighted piano to the tune of "Heart and Soul" and "Chopsticks." And in the Columbia High School production of "Big," the scene is a collaboration of music, dance, lights and a MIDI file or two. Charlie Hooven, who works for Synergy, the company that cares for the district's technology, including smartboards and cameras, has long been a go-to guy …
40.73507
-74.26695
Columbia High School
17 Parker Ave, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/a-big-musical-moment
2997
/locations/306373
A school-wide project teaches students to work with clay and recognize hunger in our community.
The bowls were empty, but the cafetorium was full. On Thursday night, Marshall School hosted its first Empty Bowls Project, the brainchild of art teacher Jessica Fong. For the past two months, Fong explains, every child at Marshall, from pre-kindergarten through second grade, crafted a pottery bowl. "When I saw that kiln," says Fong, who was new to the school last year, "I knew we had to do this project." Inspired by a charitable effort in Michigan, Fong taught the students not only to work with clay and to see a project through the firing process, but to become more aware of hunger. While the original project had the bowls for sale, Fong recognized that, for younger children, their artwork is "too precious to sell." Instead, families …
40.747876
-74.248153
Marshall School
262 Grove Rd
/articles/empty-bowls-pantry-filled-at-marshall-school
6284
/locations/306169
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The South Orange-Maplewood school district was not defrauded of payroll taxes in the scam allegedly run by Ameripay.
Over the weekend, the Star-Ledger reported that 14 school districts, a dozen municipalities and one county were caught in an alleged payroll tax scam by Ameripay, a now defunct payroll firm. The South Orange-Maplewood school district was listed among those 14 school districts. However, in a statement issued this afternoon, school district officials stated, "The school district employed Ameripay only to process payroll and to print checks. The disbursement of funds has always been handled in-district. The district does not use a third party for this purpose as was done by the municipalities and school districts who were cited as being defrauded. The district's funds were never at risk. At the time of the allegations against Ameripay, the …
40.735883
-74.264616
South Orange Maplewood Board of Education
525 Academy St, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/soma-school-district-not-involved-in-alleged-payroll-scam
5366
/locations/304106
South Orange and Maplewood schoolchildren write to penpals from N’Donyo Wasin Primary School in Kenya.
"I like playing with my friends. Do you have friend(s)?" wrote John L., a 12-year-old student at N'Donyo Wasin Primary School in Isiolo, Kenya. John was writing in response to one of the participants at the Maplewood Library's African Pen Pal Program. Kids of all ages are welcome, and in their letters, they express their feelings and share the names of their best friends, favorite subjects and favorite foods with a student at N'Donyo Wasin Primary. The program takes place at the Maplewood Library a few nights a year. It most recently took place in the packed children's room of the Main Library on Monday night. "I love that kids can write to other children and learn about their culture," said Nancy Thelot, parent of a 12-year-old …
40.730054
-74.277846
65 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ
Maplewood Library
/articles/local-students-take-part-in-penpal-program
/locations/303719
Monday, March 8, 2010
On Friday, more than a dozen parents and staff read to children in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.
"I like sharing my love of reading with kids," said Michelle Schwartzbard, a mother of an SOMS eighth grader. Schwartzbard, along with 12 other parents and staff, read to SOMS students on Friday as part of Read Across America, which commemorates the March 2 birthday of Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. "If you haven't read a Dr. Seuss book, than you haven't lived life," school librarian Kathleen K. Anderson told students. During the daylong festival of books, "Cinderella," "The Little Prince," "The Secret Garden" and "Half Broke Horses," among countless other works, were read to different groups of students. "As long as there has been a Read Across America celebration, SOMS has participated in it," said Anderson.
40.74847
-74.26283
South Orange Middle School
70 N Ridgewood Rd
/articles/read-across-america-celebrated-at-soms
4899
/locations/303070
Saturday, March 6, 2010
North Hunterdon eliminates two-time defending sectional playoff champs.
The Columbia girls basketball season came to a shocking end on Saturday afternoon when the team lost 34-33 to the third-seeded North Hunterdon Lions at South Orange Middle School. The loss eliminated them from the North II Group 4 state sectional playoffs and ended their chances at a three-peat in the section. "We were saying that it was surreal. We were stunned. But you have to show up for every game. You can't take any one for granted," said Columbia girls head coach Johanna Wright. "It's very difficult when you have that amount of seniors because there's no tomorrow for them. This is it." North Hunterdon came in with a game plan of not turning over the ball, beating the Columbia press and forcing the Cougars into a half court offense, …
40.74847
-74.26283
South Orange Middle School
70 N Ridgewood Rd
/articles/columbia-girls-stunned-at-home
4899
/locations/302328
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Bret Schundler discussed surplus freezes and possible reductions in state aid allocations at a panel on Monday.
Bret Schundler, newly sworn in as New Jersey's Commissioner of Education, defended the cuts in school aid already enacted by the Christie administration and warned educators Monday that more are on the way. Schundler spoke at the Garden State Coalition of Schools meeting at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School Monday night. The topic of conversation was the current financial state of education in New Jersey. Many districts represented received notice recently they would not be getting the remainder of the state aid they were expecting. And most are also expecting state aid cuts for the 2010-2011 budget year. "We all know we're in trouble here–in the state, in the country, in the local districts," said Lynne Strickland, executive director…
40.714226
-74.359518
272 Morris Ave, Summit, NJ
/articles/education-commissioner-defends-budget-cuts-5
/locations/300141
The South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race focused on "Mind the Gap!" and discussed the role of leveling in the middle and high schools.
"Almost there" signs lined the hallway of South Orange Middle School, directing members of the community to the library for a discussion of the Academic Achievement Gap as highlighted in the National Public Radio program "Mind the Gap!" Hosted on Tuesday night by the Schools Committee of the Community Coalition on Race and the Seth Boyden PTA, the meeting began with introductions by Carol Barry-Austin and Sue Willis, co-chairs of the Schools Committee, and from Rhonda Wilson-Duncan, president of the Seth Boyden PTA. Wilson-Duncan explained the format of the evening: a panel discussion led by Nancy Solomon, followed by table discussions, a return to a large group discussion and closing remarks from Community Coalition on Race Executive …
40.74847
-74.26283
South Orange Middle School
70 N Ridgewood Rd
/articles/coalition-hosts-a-conversation-about-the-achievement-gap
4899
/locations/300128
The SOMS cast of "Cinderella" had a preview yesterday. They walked over to CHS for the final dress rehearsal of "Big." Two thumbs up was the verdict! more ›