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South Brunswick Schools Newsletter JULY 2009 www.sbschools.org P O B O X 1 81 I M O N M O U T H J U N C T I O N , N J 0 8 8 5 2 I ( 7 3 2 ) 2 9 7 - 7 8 0 0 I F A X : ( 7 3 2 ) 2 9 7 - 8 4 5 6 School and Business Partner to Go Green the South Brunswick facility in an effort to find ways for the staff to become more eco-friendly and energy-efficient. The group has found a number of ways to cut down on energy costs and increase recycling within the facility – they extended that to its partnership with Brooks Crossing. In conjunction with the school, L'Oreal hosted a poster contest with a recycling theme. Students were invited to create posters encouraging people to recycle and save the Earth by doing so. The poster contest was a huge success! Approximately 45 entries were received. The top 30 were chosen by L'Oreal officials to be placed on display in the lobby of their Deans Rhode Hall Road facility, for all employees to see. Employees were able to vote on their top picks by category (K/1, 2/3, 4/5). The top vote getters in each category received special recognition from L'Oreal and were also recipients of some really cool prizes which included an iPod, tickets to the movies or Six Flags Great Adventure, plus baskets of L'Oreal products. The top 30 poster artists were invited over to L'Oreal to spend time with the Green Team, where members explained some of the simple things that they do as a company to save energy and recycle/reuse materials. They helped students brainstorm ways they could be more eco-friendly at home and within their own school. This gesture helped Ms. Mahoney decide that Brooks Crossing could be doing more as a school to be more eco-friendly. As such, the school will create its own Green Team next year. "We're going to find ways that we can be more 'green' and energy-efficient in our building," said Ms. Mahoney "They (the L'Oreal Green Team) inspired us." I Brooks Crossing and the School District have found themselves a new partner within the community – L'Oreal. Representatives from the cosmetics company contacted school officials earlier this year to find ways to partner with the school to promote "green experiences." What ensued has been a wonderful collaboration on a recycling poster contest, according to Principal Jodi Mahoney "They have been such wonderful partners to work with. They have been more than generous with their ideas and rewards for the children," said Ms. Mahoney. The L'Oreal Green Team was formed at What’s Inside: New Dayton and Deans Schools Principal .....................................p. 4 SBHS Goes National.... p. 7 Cyber Safety................p. 8 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 ‘08-’09 Goals and Objectives ~ Status Report Annually, the South Brunswick leadership team comes together to establish priorities, write goals, develop plans to meet those expectations and determine what documentation will serve as evidence of completion. For the 2008-2009 school year, the Administration presented the Board of Education with a list of eight goals that it planned to achieve. At the closing Board of Education Meeting of the school year, the Administration presented a status report to the Board. Each goal area had several areas of highlight. They are as follows: Curriculum and Instruction The State-mandated Five-Year Curriculum Review Cycle is ongoing and progressing as planned here in South Brunswick. All twenty-six programmatic areas are in some stage of review, revision or refinement! The District is in the process of moving its curriculum documents into the “South Brunswick Template” (includes NJQSAC requirements). Full documentation is being prepared for staff to be made available on our internal Internet and a parent version will also be made available online. To date, parent guides for the Health Education and Mathematics curricular areas are available online. By August 2009, many other areas will be posted online. In addition, parental quick guides (8-page documents of curriculum overviews by grade level) have been posted online. The middle and high schools are evaluating Character Education models that will compliment the K-5 program. Professional Development The District successfully piloted the FLEX Model, where 900 staff members performed 5.5 hours of professional development requirements at different times of the year (weekends, after-school, summer) in lieu of attending the February Professional Development Day. We continue to address the equity and exceptionality needs within the District as well as create a long-range professional development plan that will identify and meet the needs of all staff members. The plan will allow for one- to five-year planning cycles, ensure accountability and sustainability of our initiatives over time. Educational Technology Technology proficiency surveys for students (Grades 4 and 8) and staff were revised and implemented in accordance with State mandates. Cyber safety lessons were expanded this year to include Second Grade and Tenth Grade. Steps are being taken at the middle school level to plan for Cyber safety lesson implementation in 09–10. These lessons are all in addition to formal Cyber safety instruction already taking place in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 9. The District continues to implement its Teacher Workstation distribution (high-powered computer, projector, DVD-CD player combo). This year, work stations were installed in all Grade 5 classrooms, and selected subject areas in the middle and high school. SMART Boards have been strategically placed within the schools, furthering instructional opportunities. Facilities All of the above takes place in District facilities. With lots of hard work, all maintenance projects were completed within the scope of the budget and on the established timeline. In addition, improved security measures such as cameras and buzzers were implemented at all schools. A grant was submitted to obtain supplemental funding for purchasing/ installing additional safety measures. The District is in the midst of an energy audit of all District facilities and will bring recommendations to the Board in early fall. Cost Effectiveness/Containment The District has done much this school year in the name of cost effectiveness and cost containment. Overtime in all budget areas continues to be monitored and maintained following a 4-year analysis of such costs. The District administered an Energy Audit on its facilities and will present its findings to the Board later this summer. Additionally, we maintained a comprehensive list of cost containment measures engaged by the District. The District continues to look for ways to share services with other organizations including the Township and the County. School Safety They say that safety “doesn’t happen by accident.” As such, South Brunswick continued to maintain its strong commitment to safe and caring schools. Proximity cards which enable only employees to enter through locked school doors were put into place. The District continued to pursue grants to further fund its safety initiatives. An emergency situation manual was distributed to all staff and training occurred in this area. Health and Student Support An Administrative Desk Reference Guide was created for staff responsible for creating Section 504 Plans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The District provided training for building level teams in the State’s Best Practice Model for implementation of Intervention and Referral System mandates. Procedures were addressed to provide more consistent compliance with the requirements of this mandate at individual schools. The District also created a system-wide Behavioral Committee to oversee the efforts to strengthen our abilities to deal with significant student behavior challenges. We also updated policies and procedures for the administration of medication for life-threatening conditions such as asthma and severe allergy reactions. Miscellaneous Finally, there were four areas that fit into miscellaneous category. Firstly, the District continues to build its Human Resources Information Tracking System that provides staffing totals by department and/or function and allows for more position control oversight. The District continues to prepare for State Monitoring and study the State Accountability Act. Finally, the High School Administration researched the International Baccalaureate Program. Due to the economic climate, we will not pursue this program at this time. In early fall, the Administration will approach the Board with an updated list of goals and objectives for the 2009-2010 year — and off we will go once again! I 2 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 Planning our Future Everyone is excited about the fifth graders' big jump from elementary school to middle school. It’s not an easy step and it requires lots of planning before the graduation actually takes place. Thankfully, the smart fifth graders at Brunswick Acres School have already started thinking about their goals and their expectations for middle school. This thinking process will lead them to become successful leaders of America. “I really want to get better grades next year, and I also want to make lots of friends,” says JooYoung, a fifth grader. Many students like JooYoung want to get much better grades next year. A lot of people are also wishing to make new friends, and get closer to their old ones. Some other goals include achieving in reading and writing, winning the school talent show, and even learning brand new subjects. Not only are the fifth graders thinking about their goals for next year, they are also contemplating about their long-tem goals or future jobs. “My long-term goal is to become a successful Vet. My goal for next year is to get good grades, and that will really help me become a Vet,” says Salma, another excelling fifth grader at Brunswick Acres School. Like Salma, there are a lot of people who wish to take the medical route in their lives. There is a much wider range of prospective jobs and long-term goals that the fifth graders want to pursue, from actresses to inventors. The seniors of our school are also wondering about what it would be like at middle school. Their expectations for next year are remarkable. “Lockers will make my time at middle school much easier, and I can hardly wait for the students in different classes to meet each other. Middle school will be a blast,” says Nikhil, a pondering elementary school senior. Middle school will be an outstanding and significant change for the fifth graders. Our fifth grade students will take a giant step this year, and no one can wait for it. In fact, this step is so large and important that it will probably change our marvelous seniors' lives – starting with bright and sharp students and turning them into great men and women who will lead our nation proudly. ~ Written by Gopa Praturi, a fifth grade student in Ken Kowalski's class. Gopa is an aspiring journalist. I Student Performers Take to the Stage Indian Fields School, as do all of our schools, looks to foster opportunities to enhance the social, emotional, artistic and academic growth of our student population. One of the ways that Indian Fields encourages this growth is through student participation in various venues to share their talents with the school community. Members of the school community showcased their talents during the school's annual Fifth Grade Variety Show and the Jazz Band Concert — separate events held on the same evening. The Variety Show featured the showcasing our talented students musically (piano, violin, vocal) as well as through other artistic venues (elements of gymnastics, hip hop and modern cultural dances), which were choreographed by the students and highlighted many different cultures. Other performances included student-created comedy acts. More than 50 students were involved in the show and 23 acts were performed that evening. The program was coordinated by teacher Jeanine Calandruccio. The Jazz Band performance included a small group of select students performing pieces that reflected the "Truly American" music form of Jazz. The musical performance was accompanied by a slide show that highlighted famous Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, among others. The program was under the direction of Music Teacher Ed Cedar with assistance from fellow music teachers Yvonne Chin and Dan Martinho, who also played instruments alongside the student performers. I District Mourns Teacher The South Brunswick School District community is mourning the loss of one of its beloved staff members, Christin Jay Smith. Ms. Smith passed away on July 2 at the age of 27. Ms. Smith was a life-long resident of Monmouth Junction and a product of our school system, having graduated in 2000. Ms. Smith graduated from Rutgers and returned to her roots as a teacher at Brooks Crossing, where she proudly served the school community as a fourth grade teacher and had recently attained tenure. She also spent time as a kindergarten and third grade teacher during her time at Brooks Crossing. Ms. Smith had a passion for teaching and genuine love for children that showed each and every day in the classroom and through her interactions with colleagues and parents. She was well-respected by her colleagues, parents and students. Ms. Smith was no stranger to the District community. She worked on many school and District-level committees and served as a model resource for the District's writing initiative. Additionally, she assisted in Brooks Crossing's musical productions and served as co-advisor to the school's yearbook. "Christin was an exceptional teacher and an even better person. Her students adored her and she returned their love tenfold. She utilized an energetic and artistic approach in her classroom that created an incredible learning environment," said Gary McCartney, superintendent. "Her warmth, charisma and caring nature were immediately obvious to all who came into contact with her. As a South Brunswick graduate, Christin considered working at Brooks Crossing 'a dream come true' and a way to continue the rich legacy from which she felt she so greatly benefited." Counseling services have been made available to students, parents, staff or community members who are having a difficult time with Ms. Smith's passing. Information regarding these services has been made available on our Web site, www.sbschools.org. I 3 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 Moving Onward and Upward forward to getting to know the Dayton and Deans schools staff, the students and families. I've heard so many great things about both buildings. I feel very fortunate to get to be a part of that." Ms. Rosenberg started her career in South Brunswick ten years ago. She has worked as special education teacher, as well as a regular education classroom teacher at Constable and Brooks Crossing before moving over to Cambridge to serve as the Assistant Principal there in 2007. "Starting in this District as a student teacher and throughout each of the last ten years, this District has over and over again proven to be such an outstanding educational institution that always puts the kids first. I feel so fortunate to be able to be a part of it," she said. The Dayton and Deans schools principalship was created as a result of the District's administrative restructuring plan brought about during the 09–10 budgeting process. Dayton and Deans schools will remain K-1 facilities and will continue to feed into Brooks Crossing (Deans students) and Indian Fields (Dayton students). Ms. Rosenberg will work in concert with Brooks Crossing Principal Jodi Mahoney and Indian Fields Principal Mark Daniels to ensure a smooth transition for all students into Brooks Crossing and Indian Fields schools. Ms. Rosenberg plans to move both buildings forward in their missions, set forth by previous administrators. "We'll work to collaborate with Jodi Mahoney and Mark Daniels to ensure that the greater school community offers the best education possible," she said. "Collaboration is the key! We want the Dayton and Deans schools to feel like a home to the staff and to the families. I want to continue building the climate that values students' academic, social and emotional development above all else." Ms. Rosenberg credits her supportive family, including her parents and husband, for allowing her to take the plunge into her new dream. "I am blessed with amazing parents who are so supportive," Ms. Rosenberg said with a tear in her eye. "I have always had incredible parents. To this day, they are still my best friends. As for my husband – he gets it. He gets me. He understands that this is my love, my passion.” I Amanda Rosenberg is fulfilling a life-long dream. This month, Ms. Rosenberg becomes the principal of Dayton and Deans schools. "I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity. But, along with that comes a feeling of sadness because I'm leaving here (Cambridge)," said Ms. Rosenberg. "But I'm looking A Visit with Community Helpers Who gets excited about taking a trip to the library? First grade students from Constable School do! One day in early May, the students and their teachers, led by LibraryMedia Specialist Adriana Amaya boarded a school bus and made the trek over to the South Brunswick Public Library. As they came off the bus and walked through the double-doors into a sea of books and a hushed quiet, students looked around with amazement and, with excitement in their voices, whispered to anyone who would listen, "I've been here before! I was just here with my mom and dad." The visit to the library is an extension of a first grade unit that focuses on community helpers and was divided into two components ~ a visit with the librarians for story time and then a tour of the facility, where students were encouraged to discuss the similarities and differences between the public library and the Constable School library. It is also an opportunity to showcase what a wonderful resource the library can be. The trip provides a real life context for children as it allows them to draw parallels between what they are learning in the classroom and places around town. On this day, students were greeted by Childrens’ Librarians Susanna Chan and Jennifer Williams and were led into the story room, a newly renovated area of the facility. There, first graders enjoyed special story time with the librarians and a little discussion about how to properly handle and treat your library books. "Love your library books," explained Ms. Chan before she began reading to her young, eager audience. "Don't tear pages out of it or let animals or chew the pages or covers. A tour of the facility featured stops in the young readers non-fiction and fiction areas as well as the CD and DVD collections. Students learned about the public library's book coding system, which can easily be found on the binding of each book. Laminated de-coding sheets are located throughout the library. Students even learned how to scan their library card and check out books on their own, as well as where the book drop off bins are located. As part of the visit, students receive an application for a library card as well information on the public library's summer reading program, "Be Creative at your Library." I 4 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 From the desk of the Superintendent Gary P. McCartney Looking Back on the Year that Was For most of us, the conclusion of an activity, event or time period gives the opportunity for introspection and assessment of our efforts. Being no different, I am looking back over the 2008 – 2009 School Year in analytical fashion. The pertinent questions that I utilize are the following: (a) How did our students perform? (b) What did we achieve as a District? (c) What did we do well? and (d) Where can we improve? While no column in a newsletter will adequately accommodate a comprehensive response to this retrospective examination, I would like to share several of my year-end reactions. First, and certainly foremost, our students have performed admirably on the many academic, artistic and athletic fronts available to them. School Summer Hours Elementary Schools Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Middle Schools Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Student Registration By Appointment Only Call your school of attendance to schedule a registration appointment. High School Main Office Hours Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Student Registration Tuesday and Thursday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. You must call in advance for an appointment, (732)329-4044, Ext. 2247. Student Registration Offices are closed the weeks of July 20 and August 10. Statewide testing, juried art contests, athletic endeavors, National Merit competition, band shows, music festivals, debates and science competitions are but a few of the forums where our students regularly demonstrated their skills and talents. In every instance, they achieved exceedingly well. None of these many successes just happened. On the contrary, these successes were created through the efforts of many. Committed and motivated students, dedicated teachers and exceptionally skilled administrators created the conditions in which success thrives. I couldn’t be more proud of our students and staff. Our School District enjoys an outstanding reputation because of these individuals. When I consider what we did well this year, aside from our student and staff successes, my thoughts are immediately focused on our “operational behavior.” As an administrative team, we have been able to systematize our approaches to almost all that we do. For example, the planning for and construction of the 2009 – 2010 budget that yielded no tax increase required a very disciplined sense of accountability. The budget process required all decision-makers to submit requests that reflected financial/personnel reductions without direct impact on instruction and students. Painful as it was, especially for those who lost jobs, the economic reality and the sense of fairness to our taxpayers required this approach. Another area that has required a systematic style of operation is our budget deficit. As you no doubt recall from past reading here, the New Jersey Legislature, several years ago, created a bill that reduced General Fund balances of school districts to two percent of the budget. The manner in which this was done has created an annual $4 million budget deficit. In other words, we must always end each financial year with a balance of $4 million to be applied to the next year’s budget. Very prudent and disciplined spending has allowed the District to create this balance each year. To the question, “Where can we improve,” I can speak for the Board of Education and myself by stating, “Every where.” Our plan is to continue our thorough analysis of all areas of our School District. Ongoing scrutiny of all costs will continue to be the practice. While the ever-upward moving benchmarks of NCLB will continue to challenge the District, we will do all that we can to assist our students in their quest to meet the standards. Student success and school success should never be narrowed by one measuring stick, so we will continue to prepare our students for the many opportunities that will allow for even greater successes beyond South Brunswick. All things considered, as I look back over the 2008 – 2009 School Year, I know that our focused efforts and goal-driven approaches have made a difference. The power of careful and comprehensive analysis has been and will continue to be essential to our success. But analysis alone is never enough. The words of Einstein say it best: “Everything that can be counted doesn’t necessarily count, and everything that counts cannot always be counted.” Your support of the South Brunswick School District, both past and hopefully in the years to come, “counts” greatly and for that, we are all deeply grateful. Sincerely, Gary P. McCartney Superintendent of Schools 5 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 Celebrating Brain Awareness Week Fifth graders at Monmouth Junction School had the rare opportunity to look at and handle brains thanks to a visit by local scientists from Wyeth Discovery Neuroscience and Princeton University to commemorate Brain Awareness Week (March 16-22). Volunteers gave hands-on demonstrations to students to provide a deeper understanding of the brain and its functions, including learning and memory, sensory perception and even the importance of wearing a helmet while biking. These interactive stations like the Brain Bar taught students how bigger brains with more "wrinkles" are important for carrying out difficult behaviors such as hunting. Each station supported the fifth grade Sound and Light Science Unit and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Science. Brain Awareness Week activities are typically organized by higher educational institutions, Wyeth (located in South Brunswick) has been a key participant for the past couple of years. Wyeth partners on the event included Princeton University and the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. Research Scientists Lilly Mark and Steve Leiser took lead roles in organizing the visit. The activities were well-received by student participants. “What I really loved is that the stations were all hands-on. I never even thought I would get to touch a brain! …The brains were so squishy, mushy, juicy, and smelly, but above all they were cool. I think it was awesome looking at rabbit and rat brains,” said Diallo. Brain Awareness week is an international effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a non-profit organization whose goal is to advance public awareness about the progress and benefits of neuroscience research. I Crossroads C.A.R.E.S. About Character! If you walk the halls of the South Brunswick middle schools or visit a classroom, you will see that social-emotional learning and development is alive and well at Crossroads. The homegrown Character Education approach developed by the middle school staff is centered on five central principles ~ cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control. Everything the school does works to support instilling these principles in their students to help them grow and develop socially, while continuing their academic achievements. This philosophy begins with the small learning community structure called, a Unit. This type of learning environment allows staff to foster relationships with their students and provides the opportunity for them to get to know their students on a deeper level, furthering the notion of caring for the entire child, not just enhancing their academic skills. The five principles are infused within the daily culture of the school. For example, staff members find ways to naturally infuse the principles during their classroom lessons. They also use instances that occur outside of the classroom (example – discipline infraction) or in the media to discuss how a given situation was handled and how it connects to the principles and what was done well or how things could have been done differently. It's all about capitalizing on those teachable moments. On a broader scale, each school hosts assembly programs throughout the academic year that reinforce the character education principles, and student leadership groups such as the Student Council, Peer Leadership Teams and the Crossroads North ACT I group take a key role in building awareness for C.A.R.E.S. and what it means. To explore other possibilities that will further enhance the Character Education initiative at the middle school level, staff has begun to study the Developmental Designs approach to Character Education. This approach is the middle school arm of Responsive Classroom, which is the elementary level Character Education program. One of the goals of Developmental Designs is that students come to know their peers and appreciate each other. The middle school staff will also perform an internal audit of its current Character Education offerings and look for ways to systemically enhance its program to benefit all students. I Family Connect Announcement Attention middle and high school families! We advise parents/guardians and students to store your Family Connect access information (username and password) in a safe location, so they can be referred to as necessary. Do not discard. Family Connect is a secure system, so please keep your information confidential. This Log-in and Password follows the parent/guardian and student through middle school and through high school graduation. Incoming sixth graders and newly enrolled students and parents/guardians of these students will receive this information by mail in mid-September. I 6 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 A Global Experience Third grade students at Cambridge are becoming more worldly, thanks to a unit of study that focused on different cultures of the world. As part of their studying, students learned about cultural similarities and differences, the immigration process, traditions and foods, before culminating with an assembly program called, "Coming to America Celebration." The assembly included cultural songs and dances, as performed by the third grade students. Performances included Kalinka (a Russian song) and Tinikling, a Phillipine Dance. Each class collectively sang the cultural songs, while each individual class learned a cultural dance. Following the assembly program, students and their guests traveled to different areas of the school to continue the international delight! In the cafeteria, foods from all over the world were available for tasting. Food choices represented the different cultural backgrounds of each student. Food included samplings from Ireland, the Netherlands, India, Cuba and France, to name a few. Over in the school library, student work was placed on display. While studying cultures and immigration in social studies, students created immigration journals which explained family histories and stories of how ancestors immigrated over to America. Also, students brought in family ancestral artifacts, which were placed on display throughout the room. One class created a video, which had each student presenting and explaining what countries their ancestors come from and different traits of their cultures. I Higher Level Experiences South Brunswick High School students are hitting the big time this year by showcasing not only their academic, but their co-curricular talents by attending State, National or International competitions! Four high school clubs/ organizations will participate in such competitions. Congratulations are in order for the following organizations/ students ~ The Odyssey of the Mind team; Architectural Design and Technology (Robotics) teams, members of the Future Business Leaders of America and Student Council member Sam Berk. In order to participate in these activities, students had to research, fundraise and make difficult decisions about the most cost effective way to travel or lodge, said South Brunswick High School Activities Coordinator Gina Welsh. Attendance at these activities is offset by student fundraising, parental contributions and funding provided by the Board of Education. The Odyssey of the Mind team, headed by Nicole Sanyigo and Samantha Saldahna, qualified to attend the World Championship Competition at the end of May. The team finished 24th out of 59 teams that competed. Each June, the annual National Association of Student Councils holds a convention. In January, Student Council member Sam Berk ran for State office and was elected by all presidents in the State (through speeches and campaigns) as one of the New Jersey Association of Student Councils Executive Members. Sam and advisor Lauren Van Hook attended the Denver-base convention in June. There, the pair had the opportunity to speak to other Student Council reps from around the country, gathering ideas and network. The Architectural Design Team and the Technology Student Organization had top finishes at the State Competition held at TCNJ this spring. They too, will head to Denver this summer for competition, with advisors TJ Fawcett and Lisa Sokol. Six students are involved in this activity. Finally, the FBLA members who placed first or second in the State level of competition qualified to go to Nationals. Four students fit this category and will attend the National Leadership Conference in California along with advisors Laura Dec and Karen Hunte. I Construction at Crossroads North Crossroads North Middle School is getting a bit of a facelift this summer. Portions of the school will be renovated and classroom space will be placed on the back of the school. The District is not using additional taxpayer dollars to fund the project, which began in July and should be completed by spring 2010. Instead, the District will use the remaining funding from the bond referendum that was approved by voters in December 2003. Last school year (‘07–’08), four additional classrooms were added to the school as part of the last leg of the referendum work, which also included additions and renovations to Brunswick Acres, Cambridge, Constable,GreenbrookandMonmouth Junction schools. Due to prudent fiscal planning and spending of the referendum money, the District completed its first three phases of the planned construction projects under budget, with approximately $2.2 million remaining. One of the contingencies on spending the unused money is that State mandate requires that it be spent on projects included in the original bond referendum project that the public voted on. Seeing the opportunity to continue building parity between the two middle schools in terms of student enrollment at no additional cost to the taxpayer, and believing that it could complete the project within the scope of a $2.2 million budget, the District opted to add two additional classrooms to Crossroads North. Additional upgrades at the school will include renovations to the three open space areas at the school – new lighting, tile, carpeting and a new roof on that section of the building. The additions and/ or renovations will provide for more student capacity and more efficient use instructional areas which will be renovated. I 7 S P OT L I G H T O N S C H O O L S I J U LY 2 0 0 9 Peer-led Internet Safety Kids are more likely to listen to their friends than they are to an adult. That was the genesis behind the District's initiative to have older students work with their younger peers to teach Cyber safety tips. Selected fifth grade students in each elementary school teamed up and wrote a cyber safety lesson using www.netsmartzkids.org resources and their own experiences and presented it to second grade classes in their buildings. Cyber Safety lessons are part of the health curriculum for second grade students. Interested presenters submitted letters of interest, explaining why they wanted to present a Cyber safety lesson to their younger classmates. From there, students were chosen and grouped into teams of three - two presenters and a "techie." During the Cyber safety video fifth graders used an interactive script provided by NetSmartz. They also created handouts and the follow-up questionnaire/survey that the second graders completed. In addition, presenters wrote a letter that was sent home to parents the day of the lesson, outlining some of the things that the children learned. This particular lesson at Greenbrook School had presenters Seth, Jessica and Justin working with Julie Johnson's class. They watched an interactive video clip of "Clicky," an animated robot who explained to his young audience that they can have fun on the Internet doing things like playing games, checking out statistics on their favorite sports teams and checking E-mail, but they need to make sure they do it safely. He talked about telling adults if something happens while children are on the Internet that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. Clicky also reminded the children to ask permission from an adult before sharing personal information on the Internet. "The Internet is a lot like our real world. Always use the Internet with an adult you trust. There can be some mean and nasty characters out there," said Clicky. Clicky went through basic instructions on what a child should do if they encounter someone that makes them feel uncomfortable or does something inappropriate on the Web. Following the presentation, the presenters then spent time talking about what Clicky had to say, playing a game on NetSmartzkids.org and visiting the site to see what else it had to offer. I South Brunswick School District is proud to partner with Mastergraphx to provide the community with a newsletter printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By using products with the FSC label you are supporting the growth of responsible forest management worldwide. 25% Cert no. SGS-COC-003570 South Brunswick Township Board of Education P O B O X 1 81 I M O N M O U T H J U N C T I O N , N J 0 8 8 5 2 PHONE: (732) 297-7800 I FAX: (732) 297-8456 Board meetings are typically held the second and third Monday of each month. Meetings take place at 8 p.m. in the auditorium of Crossroads North Middle School, 635 Georges Road, Monmouth Junction. Meetings are open to the public and are televised live on VTN and rebroadcast regularly on Comcast Cable Channel 28/ Verizon FiOS Channel 36. Please visit our website: www.sbschools.org PRE-SORT STD PAID Permit No. 4 Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 Board Members Mr. Martin Abschutz, Vice President 18 Pullman Loop Dayton, NJ 08810 (732)631-5644 Martin.Abschutz@sbschools.org Miss Elizabeth Chang 18 Drinking Water Road Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 (732)355-1461 Elizabeth.Chang@sbschools.org Mr. Harry J. Delgado 36 Wetherhill Way Dayton, NJ 08810 (732)329-3453 Harry.Delgado@sbschools.org Mr. Barry Nathanson 40 Dunston Lane Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 (732)329-2618 Barry.Nathanson@sbschools.org Dr. Stephen F. Parker 18 Junction Pond Lane Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 (732)329-8709 Stephen.Parker@sbschools.org Dr. Matthew Speesler, President 7 Kathy Street Kendall Park, NJ 08824 (732)422-4167 Matthew.Speesler@sbschools.org Mr. Arthur L. Robinson 37 Russet Road Kendall Park, NJ 08824 (732)422-8556 Arthur.Robinson@sbschools.org Mrs. Deborah Taylor 4 Country Woods Drive Kendall Park, NJ 08824 (732)821-9284 Deborah.Taylor@sbschools.org Mrs. Anna Tupé 40 Anderson Way Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 (732)355-1219 Anna.Tupe@sbschools.org Postal Patron Central Office Dr. Gary P. McCartney, Superintendent of Schools Gary.McCartney@sbschools.org Ms. Joanne Kerekes, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Joanne.Kerekes@sbschools.org Mr. Anthony N. Tonzini, Jr. , CPA, Business Administrator/Board Secretary Anthony.Tonzini@sbschools.org Mrs. Rebecca Leonard, Information/Communication Coordinator Rebecca.Leonard@sbschools.org 8