South county schools are ready for classes

SHRHS is 21st in New Jersey Monthly’s top high schools ranking

By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
   An estimated 936 youngsters will go back to classes next week when the four public schools in southern Hunterdon County open for the 2012-13 school year.
   Local school officials and administrators recently shared their news and their plans for the year:
    — Celeste Mosby, South Hunterdon Regional High School board of education member, reports that SHRHS moved from 74th, in 2010, to 21st in 2012 in New Jersey Monthly’s top high schools ranking.
   According to the list, this makes South the top-ranked public high school in Hunterdon County.
   According to the magazine, the following categories were used “as indicators” in compiling the rankings, Ms. Mosby said:
   — School environment, which includes data such as average class size, student-faculty ratio, faculty with advanced degrees and AP tests offered.
   — Student performance, including average SAT scores, students scoring 3 or more on AP tests and the percentage of students achieving advanced proficiency on HSPA.
   — Student outcomes, which is based on a new, federally mandated graduation rate calculation implemented by New Jersey in 2011 that “divides a school’s number of four-year graduates by the number of first-time ninth-graders who entered the cohort four years earlier.”
   After getting the good news, Principal Mark Collins — who is just about ready to open school on Sept. 6 to 423 students (an increase of 45 students over the previous year) — said:
   ”The faculty, parents, students and the greater South Hunterdon community are pleased to celebrate South Hunterdon Regional High School’s recent recognition . . . South Hunterdon ranked 21 out of more than 300 schools throughout the Garden State . . . The collective efforts of a talented faculty working with motivated and engaged students form the basis for South’s consideration as a top high school. We are excited by our recent success, but acknowledge our school’s efforts will be directed toward sustaining excellence over the long term.”
   THE TOP new staff member is Joanne Calabro, interim superintendent. She came to SHRHS this summer from Hackettstown and Fort Lee schools.
   Other new staff members include: Alex Chan (high school English); Dave Hallinan (high school math, former teacher at JP Case and new head girls basketball coach); Aracelli GilPedreschi (Spanish); Krista Regan (health and physical education); and Kimberly Snyder (middle school math, former teacher at East Amwell Elementary School).
   New program — SHRHS will focus its staff development on the Charlotte Danielson Framework for teaching. This model is used to meet the needs of novice teachers as well as enhancing the skills of seasoned educators.
   School improvements: The installation of 200 new lockers and Middle School gym renovation
   School motto — Work Hard — Be Kind!
— Stockton Borough School — Chief School Administrator Suzanne Ivans expects 57 students when classes begin Sept. 5.
   ”We made the initial DOE Rewards School list for being in the top 10 percent of New Jersey schools for our test scores and we are in high demand as a Choice School. Our enrollment is up and our phones have been busy,” Ms. Ivans said recently.
   ”We have a bunch of new initiatives, but as always, we strive not just for a great school education with a focus on academics, but “life education.”
   Thus, the school-wide enrichment theme is “Etiquette,” with an emphasis on different cultural norms, appropriate dress and manners, and how to build a kind, respectful, and empathetic school community
   Children will learn about: Greeting people, when to stand up, introducing yourself, making an introduction, shaking hands, empathy, sharing, never allowing others to sit alone, setting the table, table manners (how to set a table, how to pass food, how to butter your bread/roll), compliments, how to properly sit while waiting, thank-you notes, thanking a host, telephone manners, hygiene (body and breath), clothes (proper clothes for the situation/ quality of clothes reflect the quality of the event), entering and exiting a room (when to hold a door), showing kindness to the elderly, respect for adults/ parents/coaches/teachers/all service people, respecting neighbor, removing hats and interrupting,.
   The school plans to integrate the school theme into all subject areas. For example, in Spanish vocabulary — por favor, de nada, gracias.
   —The school will include Spanish with its French language program for all grades. The PTO will continue to support the Mandarin Chinese workshops for intermediate students. Thanks to a pilot LAEF grant last year to start a Spanish language program, “we now offer a premier elementary World Language Program,” said Ms. Ivans.
   — The school will introduce a new series, “Being a Writer,” with an increased emphasis on student writing and publishing.
   — The school plans full implementation of the 21st Century Learning Curriculum, with additional laptops, a class set of iPads, email accounts for all students in grades three-six accompanied by safe usage lessons and technology integration in classroom instruction.
   The school is “bursting with new technology (multiple wireless routers and devices). Plans are to have one unit (i.e. laptop or tablet) per student this school year.
   — The school plans to overhaul its web page.
   — Lambertville Public School — Principal Geoff Hewitt expects 221 students when school opens Sept. 6.
   Students will meet new staff members, including Elizabet Donahue, who will teach second grade (a new position). Susan Bertocci will teach fourth grade (a new position). Patricia Krug will teach first grade (a one-year replacement). Others are: Arielle Staub, special education teacher; Anastasia Sciorra, paraprofessional; and Allyson Allen, also paraprofessional.
   The two new classroom teachers have been added to accommodate LPS’ growing student population.
   LPS, in collaboration with West Amwell Elementary School, will focus on improving student achievement through an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, math and the arts (STEAM + Arts).
   This will be accomplished through implementation of the new Common Core Curriculum (adopted by most states); the acquisition of more iPads (through the generosity of Lambertville Area Education Foundation) in the movement toward a one-to one iPad initiative; the Robotics Student Club; new software (i.e. Real Time, which will allow the school to better manage student data and which will provide parents web access to their children’s grades; and continued collaboration with teachers in Stockton, West Amwell and South Hunterdon Regional School districts
   All teachers and administrators in the South school districts are focusing on improving their professional practice through training in the Charlotte Danielson Model of Effective Teaching.
   ”This intensive and collective effort examines research-proven best practices in the delivery of education. Through in-person and on-line training, teachers and administrators will develop a deeper understanding of instructional strategies to improve student learning,” said a spokesman.
   This initiative should prepare teachers for the implementation of the new state-mandated teacher evaluation system, which begins in 2012-13. By focusing on the teacher evaluation this year, the entire staff should be well-prepared for 2013-14.
   Seven additional choice students from other school districts will attend LPS in September. Choice students are students whose parents have elected to enroll their children in LPS.
   Many staff members engaged in professional development over the summer, such as attending art courses, graduate-level courses, training in reading interventions and technology. The Lambertville Teachers’ Academy offered two courses taught by West Amwell and Lambertville teachers in the use of iPads in Education.
   West Amwell Elementary School — Principal Deborah Sarmir plans to open school on Sept. 6 with 235 students.
   For other 2012-13 details, see Lambertville Public School section that discusses LPS and West Amwell collaboration.
    — Ruth Luse