… school is back in session
By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
School is back in session this week for students in local districts.
ROBBINSVILLE
Students returning to school today will be seeing a lot of new faces in Robbinsville schools.
Over the last few months, the district has hired 25 new teachers and three administrators, including a permanent business administrator and assistant principals at both Sharon Elementary School and Pond Road Middle School. Also, the assistant principal/athletic director position at Robbinsville High School was split to accommodate growing athletic program enrollment.
Last week, the Board of Education approved current Pond Road Middle School teacher and math team leader Sharon Moffat to serve as the district’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics supervisor, beginning Jan. 1.
”We’ve really needed some assistance (in those areas) for some years as the district has been expanding,” said Superintendent John Szabo.
The district last week hosted keynote speaker and author Harry Wong for 400 area educators — 30 from Robbinsville — to help first-year teachers set the tone for the upcoming school year.
”Dr. Wong’s book, ‘The First Days of School,’ has been used as a primer for first-year teachers in more than 100 countries,” the superintendent said. “We had the guru himself here, and at no cost to the district. It was a great way to start a new school year.”
Teachers spent most of last week attending workshops and setting up their classrooms for opening day.
Sharon Elementary School teacher Darlene Jones, who has been with the district for 37 years, said “every year teaching gets better and better,” and that her favorite part of teaching is seeing the changes that take place in her first-grade students.
”It’s exciting to see the growth in the children from their first day of school to when they leave at the end of the year,” she said. “Some of them come in and maybe don’t know how to read, but at the end of the year, they’re reading like everybody else.”
Pond Road Middle School teacher Cindy Chmielewski said she is excited to get back into the classroom for her 26th year in Robbinsville, but still gets first-day jitters.
”I still have those nightmares that night before we start,” she said. “I always dream that I forgot my lesson plans or I left all the papers in the copy room, but all the jitters go away by the time the kids walk in the door.”
After more than two decades in the Robbinsville (formerly Washington) School District, Ms. Chmielewski said she has seen a lot of changes.
”When we started, the district was one school with kindergarten through 8th grade and there were chickens in the yard. When I told people I worked in Washington, no one knew where that was,” she said. “Now, there are no more chickens, but we have 10 fifth-grade classes and (Robbinsville) is not something no one knows about anymore.”
The fifth-grade teacher recently sent her daughter off to her first year of college and said the new school year will help take her mind off it. She said she is also looking forward to meeting her students.
”The first day, they’re all so quiet. Everyone has a perfect class the first day,” she joked. “But the kids are excited to learn and make a good first impression. It’s really a wonderful district.”
B.C. Preston, supervisor of curriculum and instruction in Robbinsville, said the district has revised its curriculum to be more aligned with an “understanding by design” format. The history curriculum has been streamlined between 8th, 9th and 10th grade to decrease overlap and increase depth in the program, he said. The foreign language program also has been expanded, with Robbinsville High School now offering Chinese II based on the first-year popularity of Chinese I during the 2007-08 school year.
This school year will mark the last for Dr. Szabo. The superintendent, who plans to retire in June, said last week that it was interesting to speak to teachers entering their first year of school as he enters his last after 36 years in education. He added that he is excited about witnessing students’ progress this year.
”Any student with determination and will is capable of doing just about anything they want to,” he said. “I have high expectations for students and I’m looking forward to getting into the classroom to encourage and see them meet those expectations.”
MILLSTONE
The first day for students in the Millstone Township School District is today.
”We’re looking forward to getting everyone back in gear,” said Superintendent Mary Anne Donahue, adding that sixth-grade students at Millstone Township Middle School attended an orientation last week to get their schedules and practice opening their lockers.
Opening in the district this year is an integrated preschool program for 3 and 4-year-olds. There are still four available spots in the program, which operates for two-and-a-half hours in morning and afternoon sessions, Dr. Donahue said. The cost is $325 a month per student.
The first day for Millstone teachers was Tuesday. This year, the district is welcoming 15 new staff members, including nine teachers, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Keith Buckalew and Transportation Coordinator Jill Ottignon.
Though Dr. Donahue said she is looking forward to working with the new staff members, she did not hesitate to recognize those who have spent extensive time within the district. Millstone schools celebrate five-year milestones and this year, the district has five employees entering their 20th year, five entering their 15th year and 12 entering their 10th year, she said. They were honored during a welcome speech Tuesday.
In addition to schools re-opening, Dr. Donahue said that the district is looking forward to “One Night on Broadway,” a compilation of play selections starring Broadway and professional talent. The show, sponsored by the Board of Education, will be the first of its kind to take place in the Performing Arts Center on Dawson Court. For tickets to the Sept. 20 show, call 732-786-0950, ext. 51010.
PLUMSTED
Students in the Plumsted School District returned to class Wednesday for a new school year under a new superintendent.
Mark DeMareo, who was appointed in July, became the district’s first permanent superintendent in more than a year after a wave of resignations in administration.
”I’m so impressed by the people I’ve met here,” he said. “I’m very eager to start working with them all, to join in expanding and enhancing the excellent educational opportunities offered here in the Plumsted Township School District.”
The district also is welcoming Thomas Mille, the new coordinator of technology, and Dr. Gerald H. Woehr Elementary School Principal Robert Burkhardt, who was appointed in July to fill a vacancy left by former Principal Jean Morgan in May.
Dr. DeMareo said the district will be focusing this year on the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC), a monitoring and evaluation system for public school districts based on instruction and program, personnel, fiscal management, operations and governance.
Plumsted School District staff reported to classrooms on Tuesday. Dr. DeMareo gave a welcome address, administrators met with teachers and a new-teacher training program was held.
UPPER FREEHOLD
Allentown High School students returned to school Wednesday and kindergarten through 8th grade students in the Upper Freehold Regional School District began classes today. Pre-K students will return Monday, Sept. 8.
Three additional temporary trailers the district purchased to combat severe overcrowding in the buildings will be open this school year. The purchase and installation costs totaled about $284,000, said Superintendent Richard Fitzpatrick.
The district also will bus students to the Robbinsville Field House on West Manor Way to provide appropriate space for physical education classes. The cost for the 36-week school year is about $49,000.
School officials are looking forward to the Sept. 13 groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the anticipated Breza Road Middle School, which will help alleviate the current crowded conditions in district schools.
”Our community has been so patient and we’re really starting to make clear that the school is going to be built,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said.
The Sept. 13 event will begin at 11 a.m., when a ceremonial first shovel will be placed in the ground. There will be refreshments and music provided by students, and the first 100 students to attend will receive hard hats, Dr. Fitzpatrick said.
Progress within the district’s curriculum also is taking place with a curriculum mapping initiative, the superintendent said. Teachers are entering their lesson data into a system that will create maps based on grade level, subject, themes and more to allow educators to better understand and create consistency within the curriculum.
The district has also added a number of new courses this year, including public speaking, graphic design, robotics and early and modern U.S. history. The district will also be piloting a K-5 Envision mathematics program and a number of reading and writing programs, Dr. Fitzpatrick said.
School officials last week welcomed 30 staff members entering their first year with the district. Dr. Fitzpatrick spoke very highly of the new hires and was excited to see two former UFRSD students returning to teach where they were once taught.
The superintendent delivered a welcome speech Tuesday.
”We have a wonderful mix of tried and true staff and young people with new ideas all working side by side for our kids,” he said. “I would match the concern for kids here to any other district I’ve been in.”

