roselle public schools district newsletter -...
TRANSCRIPT
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Winter IssueWinter IssueWinter Issue
A ROCKY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
M rs. Joanne Carbotti’s fifth Grade
T&G students had the middle school
“Science Experience” with seventh grade
science teacher Mrs. Eileen Carroll.
T he students enjoyed their experience
by visiting and participating in a lab
activity with Mrs. Carroll. The elementary
students really enjoyed being in a middle
school science classroom with lab tables
and equipment. It also gave them an
opportunity to experience the science
curriculum at the middle school. The
students experimented with stream tables
and used the scientific method to
observe and experiment with different
variables to see how erosion takes place
over time based on such variables as
water run-off, the amount of water and
use of a slope. Students also examined
rocks and identified them based on their
weight, color, and other variables. It was
an insightful lesson on stream tables and
rocks and also gave the students a glance
into life as a middle schooler. See photo
below.
T & G TEACHER RECEIVES GREEN GRANT
M rs. Joanne Carbotti, T & G teacher for grades five through eight
received a Green Enforcer grant from Office Depot in the amount
of $500.00. She has used the grant money to purchase supplies for
Creative Kids Day in June. Every June, her eighth grade T & G students
are leaders for an afternoon of fun filled learning activities and always
with a specific theme in mind. This school year Mrs. Carbotti’s students
will be working on the “Green” theme teaching younger T & G students
in grades two through seven about ways to conserve energy, recycle and
renew natural resources. This activity brings Mrs. Arlene Terpenning’s
and Mrs. Carbotti’s students together to share an engaging afternoon
with hands-on activities and a culminating craft that brings the theme
home. Thanks to Office Depot this year’s activities will be plentiful.
Pictured above: Mrs. Eileen Carroll, Vanna Menodozza, Camille Coelho, Cara
McDonough, and Maddie Ramonoff. Students are from EJF-Aldene and Robert
Gordon Schools.
February 2012February 2012February 2012
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RPHS ADVANCES STEM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
RRR PHS is making great strides in technology education with new
grants, curriculum and programs.
SSS TEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) teachers
Danielle Romero, Raymond Bangs, and Dennis Dagounis won the
PSE&G Environmental Education grant. The teachers collaborated to
create an innovative, interdisciplinary project geared to foster student
involvement and interest in the STEM disciplines.
TTT he project is entitled STEMming Across the Disciplines and will
allow students in various science and technology/engineering
classes to design, plan, and construct a Learning Lean-To outdoor envi-
ronmental education center in the courtyard of the high school to be
used by STEM classes across the school district.
AAA dditionally, technology teachers Danielle Romero and Jameson
Chin were accepted into the Engineering by Design New Jersey
Initiative’s Pilot Cohort. The goal of the program is to enhance the
quality of STEM education in New Jersey. Roselle Park is one of 14 elite
districts to be chosen to receive integrative STEM (iSTEM) curricula
and assessments that will raise the bar for technology and engineering
education.
T echnology Foundations will be a new class added to the high school
as a result of the Engineering by Design curriculum. This class will
be one of many advanced offerings in the high school’s new honors pro-
gram - Science and Technology Preparatory Institute. Select gifted
freshman will be accepted into this rigorous program, which focuses on
STEM education. Students will be emerged in innovative classes,
preparing them for college and careers in these competitive fields. With
small class sizes, project based learning, and their own personal
computers to keep, students will be prepared to take classes for credit
at local universities by their senior year.
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HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGSHIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGSHIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
SPANISH HONOR SOCIETYSPANISH HONOR SOCIETYSPANISH HONOR SOCIETY
Kelly Bulger
Melissa Carle*
Jessica Chowdhury
Juan Camilo Escobar
Sergio Escobar
Jason Garcia
Kevin George*
Samantha Graham
Ericka Gutierrez*
Jennifer Gutierrez
Bianca Ignacio*
Arianna Kalkandis
Natalie Macari*
Joseph Magaletta
Bridgette Maiorelli*
Alissa Moritz
Nicole Peres*
Richard Perez*
Deanna Picciano*
Melissa Pichardo
Danielle Pickett
Joshua Rodriguez*
Ashley Rubertone
Ludmia Savaille
Millie Savaille
Samantha Tunnell*
Kayla White
FRENCH HONOR SOCIETYFRENCH HONOR SOCIETYFRENCH HONOR SOCIETY
Danielle Antonucci*
Katherine Canas
Raquel Caso
Santiago Clavijo*
Mirna Giron
Halisa Gjokaj
Lisa Marie Palacio
Heer Patel*
Karn Patel*
Parth Patel
Roma Patel
Fabiana Perugorria
Joyce Pesantes*
Matthew Prado*
Keon Quittley*
Jandelle Serapio
Michelle Tocora
INDUCTION INTO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETIES
T he World Language Department of RPHS held their 14th annual Induction Ceremony in the high
school auditorium on November 7, 2011. Seventeen students were inducted into the French
National Honor Society and twenty-eight students were inducted into the Spanish National Honor
Society. The ceremony included candle lighting while students received their certificates and pins
and recited their oaths. Guest speaker was Joanna Ollinick, former Spanish Honor Society Inductee
and current teacher at RP Middle School. Family and friends attended and were invited to a
reception after the inductions.
To qualify for induction into the honor societies, a student must be enrolled in a level, 3, 4, or AP
language class, have completed two years of high school level language with a grade of A for two
consecutive years, and demonstrate an appreciation for other cultures. Listed below are the names of
the inductees. The asterisk denotes that the student is a second year member.
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TALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCETALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCETALENTED & GIFTED EXPERIENCE
BEYOND THE CURRICULUM
I n January, students in second
through fourth grades participated
in the Union County Gifted & Talented
Association Convocations at Union
County College. T&G students from
Roselle Park, Linden, Springfield,
Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood,
Cranford, Mountainside, Kenilworth,
Roselle and Westfield joined together
for fun filled days of brainstorming
and problem solving. Teams of
students experienced hands-on
activities, participated in group
decision making, and exercised
leadership skills as they attempt-
ed to solve a problem given to
them at each convocation.
T he second grade students
participated in "Things Aren't Always What They Seem", a convocation that focused on visual perception, persistence of
vision, spatial intelligence, and attention to details. Many of the activities used geometric shapes, various textures and obscure designs
to help the students develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
T hird grade students entered the challenging world of a
think tank. In the Think Tank convocation, the students worked
with others that are "the tops" in their field. They were to create a company, develop a product, and produce a commercial.
T he fourth grade students traveled the many regions of the United
States in Travel America, a convocation where students had the challenge of finding solutions to geography questions. As they
answered the questions correctly, they traveled and learned about the many national parks and points of interest in the country. Pictured in the photos above, the RP students pose with their T&G teacher, Arlene Terpenning and Sherman School nurse Barbara Goss. (top left)
MIKI VISITS T & G CLASS
T ricia Baker and her three year old
Pomeranian canine companion,
Miki, visited Mrs. Joanne Carbotti’s
seventh grade T & G class as part of
a training and informative program.
The training helps the seventh
graders prepare for lessons that
they will share with the second
graders from Robert Gordon School
later in the school year. Miki has
received a prestigious award from
American Kennel Club called the
“Award of Canine Excellence
Award” for his work as a therapy
dog and was recently viewed on the
ABC network. Miki works in high
schools in the area to help get
students to talk about their state of
mind and how mental health affects
all other aspects of the body.
Miki also works in South Brunswick
Library’s Tail Waggin’ Tutor program
which gets children to read; especially
those who have disabilities that
would make this task very difficult.
Miki also visits nursing homes,
boosting the spirits of many pa-
tients who get either little or no
visitors. Tricia, Miki’s owner, is a dog
trainer who works with dogs for
both obedience and training. She
has four other dogs in her home. The
students enjoyed this informative
presentation on canine care and canine
occupations, and were entertained by
the many tricks Miki showed off,
like waving, bowing, and even talk-
ing. See the photo below.
A LESSON IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
A s part of the T & G program, Mrs. Joanne Carbotti’s sixth graders
enjoyed the benefits of a convocation on
“Forensic Science” at Union County College, along with other T & G students from districts in Union County. The theme of the sixth grade convocation was a
forensic lab called “The Mystery of Felix”.
S tudents first observed a crime scene and recorded evidence in their CSI
handbooks. With notes in hand, and the
background information provided in their packets along with the information provided by the guest speaker they proceed to a series of ten stations in
classrooms at UCC where they put their observations through testing to find out what happened to Felix. The guest speaker,
Ms. Kristen Vogel is the eighth grade science teacher at RPMS, and holds a degree in Forensic Science and previously worked in a forensic lab.
S tudents are amazed at what they learn from small details left behind at
a crime scene. The culminating activity was provided for students to discuss
their findings and then either identify the guilty party or call for further testing to clearly define who is the guilty party.
A ll of the T & G students in attendance
learned a valuable lesson in Forensic Science, and in general how to make observations that lead to experimentation to find fact filled conclusions that can be
used in a court of law to find a person guilty of a crime. Could there be a future Forensic Scientist among the RP students who attended? See the photo at right.
PREPREPRE---SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!SCHOOL HOUSES ARE GINGERLICIOUS!
Pictured at left: Third graders in EJF-Aldene School wrote acrostic poems to honor our veterans. Shown from l to r are A.J. Landi, Brian Farooqi, Danielle Crown, Zania Avendano, Lizzie Almeida, and Giselle Villota.
Pictured below: Led by Instrumental Music Teacher Jeff Manno, the EJF-Aldene fifth grade students perform during the annual Senior Citizen’s Shopping Spree.
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ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!ALDENE’S AWESOME ACTIVITIES!
Pictured above: EJF-Aldene fifth & second grade buddies worked together to create thank you cards to honor our service men and women. Shown from l to r are: Angela Gonzalve and her buddy Hannah Lance, Devarshi Soni with Priyanka Dhingra, Sherif Elashri with Jonathan Gonzalve, Renee Garcia with Leanna DaSilva, Dylan Chhatwal with Alex Morales, and Neel Shah with Vallari Shah.
Above from l to r: Gabriel Freire, Suhani Patel, and
Steven Gassama. Below from l to r: Kylie McCall,
Isaiah Permison, Mariah Ortega, and Jaden Gray.
A s part of their Gingerbread theme, Ms. Megan’s pre-school class helped to make gingerbread houses. Each group is pictured above with the house they made.
Above from l to r: Joseph Longo, Gianna Qiu, and Christopher Tango. Below from l to r: Ryan Wintermute and Aidan Ponzio
THE GORDON GAZETTETHE GORDON GAZETTETHE GORDON GAZETTE
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KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS DAY
F riday, January 6, was Robert Gordon's Kindness is Contagious Day, which is part of their anti-bullying
program for the 2012 calendar year. Robert Gordon believes it
is important not only to react to instances of Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying, but also to develop, foster, and maintain a positive school climate in hopes of preventing future HIB incidents. During Kindness is Contagious Day,
students participated in an assembly where they performed songs, dances, and skits with a positive message. Robert Gordon is committed to making every school day positive and full of kindness. See the six photos.
SHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTSSHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTSSHERMAN’S SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTS
Above: Sherman fifth grade student council members display the holiday cards they helped grades three to five create . The cards were sent to the military in support of the ‘Season of Service’ state-wide project.
Above: Sherman students in second grade class 2-C made “sock snowmen” as a holiday project. Cards accompanied these gifts for family members.
Above: Sherman first graders share a skit of “The Little Red Hen” for their principal.
Above: Sherman students working on a creative holiday activity.
Above: HO, HO, HO - a recycling we will go! Good job, Sherman Fifth Graders!
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SHERMAN GLOBE TROTTERS: As can be seen in the three photos above, students from different grade levels partnered up to share and learn about the winter holiday customs and traditions of the various countries being studied in their homerooms.
Above: Sherman Band members warm up prior to the holiday concert held at the high school.
Above: The holiday sing-a-long was enjoyed by all at Sherman School. Students looked
festive in their holiday hats.
A b o v e : K i n d e r g a r t e n students at Sherman School p roud ly d i sp lay the ornaments created at their class parties.
VAN GOGH’S CORNERVAN GOGH’S CORNERVAN GOGH’S CORNER
Pictured above: First graders at EJF-Aldene and Sherman Schools recently learned about abstract art and the artwork of Wassily Kandinsky. They explored Kandinsky’s art, which consists of the basic elements: line, color and shape. After viewing his artwork, the first graders created their own abstract art inspired by Mr. Kandinsky.
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Pictured above: Students in Mrs. Carrie Russoniello’s art class at EJF-Aldene School recently created these awesome paper sculptures.
Fifth graders first designed a paper using only Sharpies and black and white designs. Once the designs were created, copies were made and 40 paper tubes were assembled. These paper tubes were then used to create unique 3-D sculptures. Problem
solving was important as students contemplated on how to make these sculptures stand on their own!
HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: SENIORSENIORSENIOR---SENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTY
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HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: HOLIDAY FLASLHBACK: SENIORSENIORSENIOR---SENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTYSENIOR PARTY
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“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”“WHERE CHILDREN COME FIRST”
A Publication of the
ROSELLE PARK BOARD OF EDUCATIONROSELLE PARK BOARD OF EDUCATION
510 Chestnut Street
Roselle Park, NJ 07204
www.rpsd.org
Board of EducationBoard of Education
Roseann Rinaldi - President
Loren Harms - Vice President
Alexander J. Balaban
Troy Gerten
Barney Leinberger
Christopher Miller
Scott Nelson
Dr. Jeffrey Parrell
Barbara Sokol
Patrick M. Spagnoletti
Superintendent of SchoolsSuperintendent of Schools
Susan Guercio
Business Adm./Board SecretaryBusiness Adm./Board Secretary
NONDISCRIMINATIONNONDISCRIMINATIONNONDISCRIMINATION: : : The Roselle
Park School District does not
discriminate against handicapped
persons with regard to admission,
access to or treatment of
employment in its programs, activ-
ities, and vocational opportunities.
For more information, contact
District Public 504 Compliance
Coordinator, Mrs. Susan Carlstrom
at (908) 241-4550.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONAFFIRMATIVE ACTIONAFFIRMATIVE ACTION: : The Roselle
Park School District guarantees
each student equal educational
opportunities regardless of race,
color, creed, religion, sex,
ancestry, national origin, or
racial or economic status.
For more information contact
District Affirmative Action Officer,
Mr. James Shriner at (908) 245-1634.