HOPEWELL VALLEY: CHS, Timberlane principals get ready for 2010-11

By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
   Hopewell Valley Central High School will open Sept. 8 with about 1,282 students.
   Principal Michael Daher reports that the class-size breakdown, as of Aug. 20, was: ninth grade, 311; 10th grade, 298; 11th grade, 338; and 12th grade, 335.
   Initiatives include:
   — On Sept. 7, from 7:45-10:45 a.m., CHS will hold a special orientation for ninth-grade students only. Students will have the opportunity to ride the bus to and from school, walk through their schedule of classes and meet their teachers.
   — The high school “has moved to a model of formulating Professional Learning Communities for staff in the building. This is an initiative that has been used in other buildings in the district, but now will be used district-wide,” Mr. Daher said.
   — In the fall, Challenge Day will be held at the high school. This event took place for the first time last spring at Timberlane Middle School and “was extremely well received by the students, staff, and parents,” Mr. Daher noted. Students in 10th grade will participate.
   — Central High will host four exchange students from other countries. Two of the students are from Germany, one from China, and one from Slovakia.
   — There will be a new bell schedule this year. CHS has changed its daily schedule. There will no longer be a separate homeroom period. First period class will begin at 7:45 a.m. Announcements typically made during homeroom now will be made during the last 10 minutes of the extended first period. To view the daily schedule, follow the Daily Schedule link found on the CHS website.
   New staff members at CHS include:
   — John Grimaldi will teach German. He joins the staff after having served as a German instructor the past two years at Duke University. He has a bachelor’s degree in German studies from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in German literature from Duke. He served as a tutor of German tutor at Duke and the Universitat Konstanz, Konstanz, West Germany. He also studied abroad at the Universitat and the European College of Liberal Arts in Berlin, Germany. He is a graduate of Hunterdon Central High School, Flemington.
   — Nupura Dalvi will serve as a long-term substitute teacher in special education. Ms. Dalvi is a graduate of Bombay University in India, where she majored in science, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in life science. She received her master’s degree (life sciences with a major in neurobiology) from Bombay two years later. She is completing a master’s program in special education at Rider University. She has worked in the district for five years as a paraprofessional at Stony Brook Elementary School.
   — Jackie Olsen has joined the special education staff. Ms. Olsen taught high school special education last year at the Mercer County Special Services School District. She also spent a year teaching at Lawrenceville Elementary School and Roger’s Elementary School in East Windsor. A graduate of Georgian Court College from which she received a bachelor’s degree in special education, she is certified as a yoga instructor and has worked as a local training program coordinator and coach for the Special Olympics.
   — Allison Parker has been hired to replace Lillian Rankel, who has retired as a science teacher at the high school. Ms. Parker has a bachelor’s degree in physics and meteorology from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in science education from Rutgers. She did her student teaching last fall at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and has worked as a graduate assistant and part-time physics lecturer at Rutgers.
   — Steven Per is making a career change after having spent his entire professional career in industry. Dr. Per is a graduate of Gannon University, Erie, Pa., from which he received a bachelors’ degree in biology and chemistry. He received his doctorate in biochemistry through Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He also has completed a post-doctorate fellow in molecular biology from the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. He will be a long-term substitute in science.
   — Kay Potucek is the new drama teacher. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, she has a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in acting and directing. She has a master’s degree in theatre studies from Montclair State University. She has taught theatre classes at Mercer County Community College and the College of New Jersey and has acted in and directed many productions. She served as director for CHS’ musical production of “Aida” this past winter.
   — Nicholas Tusay is a graduate of Rutgers University School of Engineering from which he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace. He also participated in the Study Abroad Program at the University College London, in London, England, as well as the Japanese Language Study. He has been an English teacher at Studio May in Sapporo, Japan, and has two years of teaching experience at The Pennington School, where he taught physics, honors physics and AP physics. He will teach physics at CHS, his alma mater, as a long-term substitute in science.
   Timberlane Middle School Principal Tony Suozzo will welcome approximately 960 students on opening day, Sept. 8.
   On Sept. 7, from 7:45-10:45 a.m., Timberlane will hold a special orientation for sixth-grade students only, without their parents. The students will have the opportunity to ride the bus to and from school, walk through their schedule of classes and meet their teachers.
   Among 2010-11 highlights are:
   — The school theme will be “Unity through Diversity,” which fits “with the many different things we will be doing with students this year at Timberlane. Our goal this year is to emphasize to our students that strength comes in numbers and that although each of us is different in many ways working together we can accomplish anything,” said Mr. Suozzo.
   This message will be reinforced throughout the year in a variety of programs. In November, Dr. Michael Fowlin will visit Timberlane students and perform a 75-minute program, “You don’t know me until you know me.” His program focuses on providing students with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the different cultural, ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds students and staff come to school with each day.
   — Eighth-grade students will participate in Challenge Day in January. Since 1987, Challenge Day has been providing schools, both nationally and internationally, with an experiential workshop that focuses on ending fear, isolation, separation, and loneliness. Challenge Day “successfully addresses some common issues experienced by most schools, including rumors, cliques, gossiping, teasing, bullying, harassment, stereotypes, racism, and the hidden pressure to create an image that will live up to the expectations of others,” Mr. Suozzo said.
   — Back-to-School Night is Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
    New staff members include:
   — Ellen Bocchieri is returning after spending time with her family. She worked at Timberlane teaching science from 1996-2002. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree from the College of New Jersey. She will teach seventh- and eighth-grade science on the Aviator team.
   Maryalice Topoleski graduated from Kean University with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a minor in theater. She has worked in the Linden School District where she served as a drama instructor while also working with special needs students. She also is well-versed in technical theater and choreography. She will teach performing arts to seventh- and eighth-graders.
   Marisa Marsini, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree (in education). She spent the last two years teaching science as a leave replacement in the Princeton School District. She will teach seventh-grade science on the Voyager team.
   Sarah Blaikie has an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania as a school social worker. She has worked as a social worker in the Clinton School District, Hunterdon County. She also worked at Hunterdon Behavioral Health, part of Hunterdon Medical Center, as a crisis intervention counselor. She will join the child study team as a social worker.
   Tanya Verba has a bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg University and a master’s degree from Holy Family University. She is a special education teacher, who will teach social studies part-time to seventh-graders.
   Jamie Courts, who spent the last two years teaching social studies at Central High, will teach eighth-grade social studies on the Adirondack team.
   Sarah Paluzzi will teach art for grades six-eight. She spent the last three years teaching art at Bear Tavern School.
   Martin Knott will teach seventh-grade social studies on the Trailblazer team. He comes from Bear Tavern School where he was a fourth-grade teacher.
   Jackie Kurisko, a paraprofessional who worked last year as a paraprofessional at Hopewell Elementary, will work with a special needs student.
   Jane VonJaglinsky, a paraprofessional who worked last year as a paraprofessional at Stony Brook, will work with a special needs student.
   Chris Goodwin, a paraprofessional who comes from Stony Brook, will work with Fran Szymanek in the new PAL (Practical Academic Learning) program.
   Debra Toth, a paraprofessional who comes from Stony Brook, will work with special needs students.