Beth Shorten took time out to enjoy the red-tailed hawk at HBW…

I may no longer be in school, but this past winter break was probably the best one ever. (If anything has topped it, my aging brain has forgotten it.) There are several reasons why it was so fantastic, but what made it stand out the most was that it was truly a time where I and my family focused on us. We did things together without school or work looming large.

The Verona school system closed at 12:30 on December 23, 2015 and my office closed several hours later. From then until Sunday, January 3, 2016 we did not think or worry about anything school- or business-related. When my son read, it was for pleasure, not for logging minutes. When I went online, I was checking personal email and social media, not worrying about business projects. (What a blessing it was to have a “forced” vacation with my company realizing how slow things would be during the holidays and shutting down completely until the morning of January 4.)

So what did we do that was so great? We relaxed. We didn’t worry. We didn’t stress. We enjoyed each other’s company. We did things together … and apart. We did go away for a few days and were pampered and that added to our vacation experience, but it was not solely what made those 10 days so special. (I’m not including Sunday in the mix, since that was our “gearing back up for reality” day, which included instrument practice, study review, and logged reading for my son and clearing up most of the holiday trappings and general cleaning for my husband and I.)

…gliding (eventually) on old ice skates…

Here’s a list of just a few of the things that made this winter break so special for my family:

• Listening to my son sing (not just in the children’s choir, but as he stood beside me in the church pew and sang carols) and watching him be one of three kings at the family Christmas Eve service.
• Having all of my immediate family attend the traditional Christmas Eve service at 9 p.m.
• Watching my son and his friends play outside (in their pajamas) on Christmas morning since it was so warm.
• Going for a walk on Christmas morning; Santa hat on and holiday tunes playing on the iPod. As I did a brief, modified walk before I put the holiday meal together, everyone I saw greeted me with a “Merry Christmas.” (Some people even shouted out the car window to me on Pompton Avenue!)
• Having a mid-day Christmas meal with my extended family. Gave us enough time to enjoy the morning and there was no rush at the end of the day.
• Catching the “final” showing of the A Christmas Story marathon with my son. (Maybe he was more focused on building with the multitude of Legos that he received by the glow of the Christmas tree lights, but we were laughing together.)
• Enjoying time and a meal out at Frank Anthony’s with my in-laws the day after Christmas.
• Making more holiday cookies (because we ate too many and gave away even more) with my son. (Maybe I did incorporate some fractional math there since I doubled the recipe.)
• Going to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sadly there aren’t as many local theaters around as when I was a kid. (I saw Star Wars many times at the long gone Cinema 23.) However, you can still get a bargain at the Caldwell Cinema on Tuesdays. We went in the morning and enjoyed the show with a huge bucket for popcorn for under $25. I’ll admit it, I cried during the opening text crawl. What can I say, I’m a sap.
• Hiking with my son, not once, but twice during our trip to the Poconos. (I’ll ignore the fact that he complained half way through our second hike.) We also did a lake walk in the fog.
• Watching my husband and son get dressed up for 3 dinners.
• Ice skating on the last day of 2015 and first day of 2016. The skates had been hiding in my parents’ attic for at least 40 years, but I dug them out and managed to squeeze my feet into them. (It wasn’t easy!) I was much better the second day despite falling once. (I had to drag myself over to the rail to get back up! Completely embarrassing when a very sweet teen asked me if I was hurt.)
• Dancing with my son AND my father on New Year’s Eve. Watching fireworks as the year ended. The five of us being together when the balloons dropped at midnight. (And we all stayed awake!)
• Emptying out our gratitude/memories jar and reading/remembering all the great things that happened in 2015.
• Seeing a red-tailed hawk on the fence at H.B. Whitehorne on my final “vacation walk” late Sunday afternoon when it was still warm enough. And being lucky enough to get a (so-so) photo. It was the perfect way to wrap up a wonderfully relaxing winter break.

Were there some less than perfect moments during my winter vacation? Of course there were (and there always will be no matter how hard everyone tries to make a vacation “ideal”). But those moments will fade; the memories that we had together will last a lifetime. It will be those memories that carry me through as I rush out the door to get my son to school early in the morning and when I get stuck in traffic during the evening drive home.

Beth Shorten is a life-long resident of Verona. You can read more of her writing on her personal site, Bfth’s Boring Blog.

…and just savoring smiles.

The post The Best Winter Break Ever appeared first on MyVeronaNJ.

The elementary school SCAs will be sponsoring pre-kindergarten workshops for children who will enter kindergarten in September 2016.

These workshops will be open to children who will be 5 years old before October 1, 2016. The purpose of these workshops is to give children the opportunity to meet their future classmates and to become familiar with the school environment. Parents are invited to stay for refreshments.

Workshops will be held at the four elementary schools from 10 to 11 a.m. on the following Saturdays: February 6, March 5, April 16, and May 7.

Parents who are interested should register in the school district they reside in. If you are not certain which district you belong in, call the Board Office at 973-571-2029. Registration begins on January 11, 2016.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact the committee chairperson at your elementary school:

Brookdale: Beth McDermott, bethmcderrick@gmail.com or 973-239-0266

F.N. Brown: Linda Byrne, linda.staikos@novartis.com or 973-223-6191

Forest Avenue: Amanda Weil, forest.ave.sca@gmail.com or 973-906-3575

Laning Avenue: Kristin Venezia, kristinj74@aol.com 973-568-1760

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The Verona Planning Board will hold a special meeting for the VHS upper and lower field project on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at the Verona Community Center, 880 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, New Jersey. This project will include remediation of the upper field with synthetic turf and lights, and synthetic turf for the lower fields. The Verona Public Schools can submit the fields and tennis courts projects to bid and define the construction schedule once approval is obtained from the Verona Planning Board. We would like to thank the Field Committee, comprised of our community stakeholders, for all of their input throughout the entire field design process.

The Verona High School music room addition has experienced a slight delay. During site excavation, the engineers determined that the consistency of the soil was not suitable for the construction of the new foundation. Therefore, it was necessary to remove the existing soil and replace it with suitable fill. The soil that was stockpiled on the Sampson Drive side of the music room has been removed off site to an approved disposal location. Additional soil may need to be removed in the future as a new drainage system is constructed. The music room foundation will be built in the Spring once warmer weather is more conducive to foundation construction. The completion of the music room is anticipated for Summer 2016.

The remaining referendum projects will improve our heating and ventilation infrastructure at VHS, renovate the VHS cafeteria kitchen, and complete necessary masonry repairs. These projects are on schedule for Summer 2016. We will continue to provide updates at our public Board of Education meetings and notices like this one in the coming months.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 1963

When it comes to federal holidays, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday seems (to me) to be the one where most businesses stay open. Throughout my career, I don’t recall ever having the day off, with Presidents Day being a close second when it comes to federal holidays that are “ignored” by employers. We have yet to have “MLK Day” sales (at least as far as I’ve seen; please correct me if I’m wrong) so perhaps the holiday has yet to become corrupted. Which I think it would be an excellent educational opportunity.

I do realize that I am being idealistic here and that my vision will never happen, but imagine, just for a moment what could be accomplished if on that one day schools focused not on Common Core subjects, but on who Dr. King was and what his dream means to our history. It could be a chance to review our racial history from the time of our founding fathers (where the issue of slavery nearly sidelined the adoption of the country’s independence) to our current status. It should be a day of service (as designated by Congress in 1994 when the holiday was declared to be a day to honor the memory of Dr. King through service) where students could work together to help others. There could be so many teachable moments. It would be a time of learning that would not be graded by test scores, but would help our children to grow as individuals.

Why couldn’t this be done at home you ask? It obviously could, but how many working parents have the day off? Certainly learning as a group in a classroom setting has the potential to be much more effective. It would be an opportunity to learn for learning’s sake and not for a grade. (Which is probably the biggest reason why it will never happen.) It could be a chance to inspire students and not affect their GPA.

While school will not be open and I will be working, I’m going to make an effort to not let this just be another day off for my son. Sure, maybe he’ll sleep in later than usual and have a day of play, but when I do get home I’m going to try to take some time to discuss the importance of the holiday and how serving others can change other lives, and often our own. How it’s not (and never should be) about retail sales, but about a man who dreamt of equality for all races.

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After Verona voters overwhelmingly approved the referendum funding the renovation of Verona High Schools’ athletic fields in March 2014, a group calling itself the Be A Good Neighbor Homeowners Association forced the project into a full site plan review in front of the Verona Planning Board.

To move the project along, the Board of Education has met repeatedly with the BGNHA and its attorney, as well as with Town Engineer Jim Helb and both the former and interim town managers. It has had to retain an attorney, site engineer and architect, spending more than $200,000 in the process. It took two Planning Board meetings to get the tennis court renovation approved and, after a first meeting drawn out by questions from the BGBHA’s lawyer, the field plan must also extend to a second meeting.

Here’s what the spending went to:

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Andrew L. French, vice president of French & Parrello Associates, presents the plan for turfing the upper and lower fields at Verona High School.

Anyone who went to the special Planning Board meeting on Tuesday night hoping for a speedy hearing of the plan to turf the two fields at Verona High School that voters overwhelmingly approved nearly two years ago came away disappointed.

It a meeting that lasted four hours, Jonathan Drill, the lawyer representing the Board of Education, was able to present just two of the BOE’s four witnesses, the site engineer and a lighting expert. While their testimony was lengthy, the two were also peppered by questions from a lawyer representing the project’s opponents that often seemed more designed to challenge the very existence of the fields. And the whole thing is costing the BOE–and Verona’s taxpayers–a great deal of money: More than $200,000.

Andrew L. French, vice president of French & Parrello Associates, walked the Planning Board through the project, which was initially to have involved only the lower field at VHS, Doc Goeltz Field. Thanks to savings from energy efficiency work that was part of the referendum’s internal projects, the BOE will also be able to turf the upper field, known as Sellitto Field. French told the BOE that problem infill used on the upper field in the late 1970s will be excavated, crushed and compacted on site, that storm drains would be installed under both fields, the lower field bleachers would be renovated and that a new sewer line would be installed from the high school to Grove Avenue. The lower field would get a new picnic table seating area on top of the cement bleachers and a tiered retaining wall would be put in by the softball field and F.N. Brown parking lot. The upper field will get four 70-foot light poles (there will be no lights on the lower field) and new fencing would be installed around the fields. The BOE will also be planting many trees along the Franklin and Grove avenue sides of the school property.

French, who was speaking to an audience that included half a dozen VHS baseball players hoping for a field that doesn’t flood, told the Planning Board that the BOE had agreed to meet the conditions set by Hatch Mott MacDonald, the engineering firm retained by Verona’s town government to evaluate the plan. But French also fielded new questions from Verona’s township attorney, Jim Helb, some of which seemed to run counter to Helb’s previous decisions on the work, like the location of manholes.

Robert F. Simon, an attorney with Herold Law of Warren, N.J. who is representing 14 homeowners opposing the plan, didn’t ask many questions about the French & Parrello site plan. Instead, he wanted to know about the seating capacity of the upper field bleachers (home and visitor side), and whether topographic studies and sight lines had been done on abutting properties. He questioned both the height of the scoreboards and what color they’d be on the back. He wanted to know what kind of trees were in the woods between the upper and lower field, their condition and whether VHS had a maintenance plan for them. He wanted the color of the fences, a traffic study, police reports and he wanted the BOE to measure the noise level on the lower field during a home football game.

Simon identified his clients as Daniel and Diane DePalma, John Selby, Elizabeth Smith, John and Diane Bontempo, Mary Wilks, Melissa and Sylvio Ruberto, Diane Braschi, Armondo Molina, Pam Merentino, Ed Gaffney, Janice Christofferson, Marianne Rotella, Michael Menville and Robin Karpinski. Some of these clients were also among the 17 that Simon represented when the Planning Board approved the VHS tennis court renovation). It is not known how many of these individuals are part of the Be A Good Neighbor Homeowners Association, an opposition group created after the approval of the referendum in 2014.

Then Planning Board also heard from Robert G. Zoeller, a lighting expert. He went through the factors that the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America considers when lighting sports fields, both safety and “spillage”, the term for light falling where it is not supposed to, such as on neighboring properties. The upper field lights will be mounted on 70 foot poles and will be 150 feet from the property lines to both the north and south of the field. The lights will have two light levels, and can be controlled from a computer or smartphone. Zoeller said that when the lights are switched off, they go off immediately.

Simon again raise a barrage questions, many of which were hypothetical, and appeared at one point to be challenging Zoeller’s expertise. Greg Mascera, the Planning Board attorney, stopped the questioning and told Simon that he could hire his own lighting expert.

“The BOE’s sense of last night’s meeting was that it was a bit odd to have the sorts of topics and questions presented, after nearly 18 months of ongoing dialogue and accommodation for the parties involved,” BOE President John Quattrocchi said Wednesday by email. “Most, if not all, of the questions/topics have already been answered numerous times and any adjustments agreed to be made in the plan were reviewed with all sides well in advance of last night’s meeting to make sure everyone was in agreement before walking into the Planning Board session. Any new topic should have been raised in the months leading to last night’s meeting.”

The next hearing on the field plans will be Thursday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Verona Community Center.

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Best-selling author James Patterson donated $1.75 million to Scholastic Books to fund school book grants.

For the past several years, Kleinknecht has received multiple grants through VFEE (the Verona Foundation for Educational Excellence). Although VFEE has been incredibly generous, Kleinknecht felt it was time to expand  her resources. As it turned out, Scholastic Books had just the right opportunity: The publisher had received a $1.75 million donation from author James Patterson to supply books–and not just Patterson best-sellers–to school libraries. Any of the 62,000 schools in Scholastic’s K-12 U.S. school network could apply for the book grants, and 27,924 did, by answering the question, “what would your school library do with $1,000 to $10,000?”

But thanks to Kleinknecht, HBW was one of just 467 winners, only 14 of which are in New Jersey. That means that she will get new books for HBW every month for one year. Patterson acknowledged that, “These grants are my humble acknowledgement of some terrific work taking place in libraries. Here’s to communities supporting school libraries. Here’s to a country that makes reading a priority. Here’s to flourishing libraries!”

Anyone who has been in the HBW library or helped with a Scholastic book fair knows that Kleinknecht is passionate not just about reading, but about finding the right books for her students. She stated, “I am on a constant quest to bring the newest and best fiction to the students of HBW. I truly believe that all students can get excited about reading when they are matched to the right books! We have many avid readers in Verona, so I relish the idea of 11 shiny new books being added to our shelves each month for the next 12 months!”

For a library that is rich with content and supplies all the books for the HBW Battle of the Books, one may wonder what types of books would help to strengthen that room. An incredible resource for her students, Kleinknecht says, “I have been spending  a lot of time going through the fiction collection and removing titles that are musty, dusty, or unappealing due to their tattered condition or outdated content. Our library is a beautiful space, and I want to fill it with only the very best books.”

“Winning this grant was almost as exciting as winning the Powerball!”, Kleinknecht said. “If any other teacher in the district would like help finding or writing grants, I would be more than happy to help them.”

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Verona residents whose children turn three or four years of age by September 30, 2016, and are toilet trained are invited to apply for admission to the Verona Preschool Program. Class size is limited. Available spaces will be filled by a lottery, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 11.

The Verona Preschool Program has been in existence for over 30 years. Located in Laning Avenue School, 18 Lanning Road, the program is in operation five days a week and follows the Verona Public Schools calendar. Morning and afternoon classes are available. Morning classes meet from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and afternoon classes meet from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Under the supervision of Laning Avenue School’s principal, Howard Freund, the preschool classes are taught by state-certified teachers. The curriculum is aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards and
the HighScope Preschool Curriculum.

Open houses for parents only will be held on Wednesday, January 20; Friday, January 29; and Friday, February 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please call 973-571-2029, ext. 7520 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Lottery applications are available in each of Verona’s elementary schools and through the Verona Public Schools web site: www.Veronaschools.org. For additional information please contact 973-571-2029, ext. 7520. Completed applications should be returned to the Verona Preschool Program, 18 Lanning Road, Verona, NJ 07044 by 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 10.

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If you made your kids do homework today instead of sledding or building forts, you’re going to hear about it: Verona’s public schools will be closed on Monday.

The email from Superintendent Rui Dionisio said the decision to close schools was made with the Verona Police Department and the Department of Public Works Department. “Due to the excessive snowfall”, Dionisio wrote, “more time is necessary for the Verona Public Works Department to remove snow from the front of schools to ensure the safety of our students during drop off and pick up. Verona Public Works will also work to clear street corners near schools to improve visibility and pedestrian safety in crosswalk areas.”

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The Verona Planning Board will resume its hearing of the plan to rehabilitate the upper and lower fields at Verona High School on Thursday, January 28. The hearing will be held in the ballroom of the Verona Community Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The field work was part of a referendum overwhelmingly approved by voters in March 2014, but it has been stalled since then by a small group of opponents. They have forced the plan into a full site review that has cost the Board of Education more than $200,000. The first Planning Board session on the fields on January 12 lasted four hours. (Mayor Kevin Ryan explained at the January 19 Town Council meeting, in response to resident complaints about the review, that the Planning Board is an independent body and that the Council cannot intervene in its deliberations.)

Verona High School was opened in its current location in 1956, before many of the houses in the neighborhood were built. Its lower field, Doc Goeltz Field, was in use from 1956 until the late 1970s, when the upper field closest to the school was expanded for full football play. But Sellitto Field had to be closed in August 2012 after holes opened in its surface. The field was later found to contain infill that would be deemed inappropriate today.

Most of the public schools that VHS plays have turfed their sports fields in recent years, largely without the controversy that has stalled the renovation of Verona’s fields. Newark schools have six turf fields to play on, and there are turf fields in East Orange, Orange, West Orange, Maplewood, Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley, Montclair, Millburn and Livingston. West Essex Regional has a turf field, as do several private schools Verona competes against. Cedar Grove and Caldwell both approved referendums to fund turf work in December 2014 and their installations are under way.

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The VMPA organizes fundraisers to support the Verona Music Department’s many programs, like the alumni jazz concert last February.

VMPA, which previously was organized as a non-profit corporation, sought the change so that its donors would be able to make tax-deductible donations, as well as seek matching gifts from employers. VMPA, which organizes fundraisers to support the Music Department’s programs and relies heavily on support from member families, noted that the new status was retroactive to November 2010, meaning that anyone who had donated to the program since then could seek a tax deduction.

“In the course of our research, we discovered that most Music Parent Associations whose bands and choruses participate at our level of competition are organized as 501(c)(3)s,” said Laura Berman Fortgang, co-president of VMPA. “While the process took some time, we’re thrilled with our new status and the prospect of making it even easier to support the great programs from Verona High School’s music department.”

The impetus for the change began in late 2014, when a family sought to make a sizable donation to the program that was going to be matched by an employer, but VMPA was unable to accept the donation.

“In time, we hope this change will draw greater participation from local businesses in supporting our fundraising efforts, as well as more support from our members whose employers offer matching grants or donations,” said Jackie Yarmo, co-president of VMPA.

The Verona High School Music Program includes the award-winning Verona High School Marching Maroon and White and Concert Band, as well as Verona Jazz and Beyond, and the Verona Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Contributions can be made to the Verona Music Parents Association via Verona High School, 151 Fairview Ave., Verona, NJ 07044.

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Verona Public Schools Superintendent Rui Dionisio (left) faced lengthy questioning from Robert Simon, a lawyer representing the field project’s opponents.

The four-and-a-half-hour meeting was a follow-up to a four-hour meeting held on January 12. Once again, Jonathan Drill, the lawyer representing the BOE, presented just two witnesses, Superintendent Rui Dionisio and Joseph Burgis, a professional planner. The testimony was needed because in November 2014 the project’s opponents had been forced the BOE to hold a costly full site plan review, rather than the courtesy review normally accorded school projects.

Dionisio offered a concise presentation of the intended usage of the renovated fields, which mirrors what had been going on at VHS until holes opened in the upper field in August 2012. He reiterated that there would be limited night-time use over the school year, for marching band practices in the fall and a handful of games of the five sports that will be able to use the fields, and that no game would start after 7 p.m.

Burgis testified that 11 variances were needed for the project, largely for fencing and signage, including the scoreboards on the fields. The BOE also sought a variance for parking, even though the Planning Board had granted the parking relief as part of its approval of the tennis court renovation on October 23, 2015.

Both BOE witnesses faced lengthy questioning from Robert F. Simon, a lawyer representing 12 families from Dodd Terrace, Grove Avenue and Franklin Street, roads that abut the property that has been the home to VHS and its athletes since 1956. As he had done at the January 12 meeting, Simon once again asked about scheduling minutia and traffic and security at sports events, drawing a rebuke from Planning Board Chairman Tom Freeman. “The witness testified for 13 minutes and you’ve been asking him questions for 39 minutes,” Freeman said as Simon was challenging Dionisio.

In his case, Simon presented testimony from only two of his 12 clients and no expert witnesses. Mary Wilks, a 45-year resident on Franklin, contended that “we’ll have something there [on the upper field] every night until 10 or 11”, even though Superintendent Dionisio had already testified that that would not be the case. Melissa Ruberto said that noise from cheering crowds on the field upset her son, who is autistic. “I feel that our group of neighbors has been villainized by the public,” she added. In Simon’s summation, he sought restrictions on the use of lighting during the week, band practice, the usage of the public address system for sports other than football, its decibel level, and night usage of the fields by groups other than VHS athletes or Verona Recreation Department programs. Simon also asked for parking restrictions during football games and landscaping changes suggested by the Verona Shade Tree Commission that would distribute the planned tree plantings across the south side of the upper field and the corner of Grove Avenue and Sampson Drive.

Several members of the audience urged the Planning Board to approve the plan. “Twelve people and one attorney should not stand in the way of making Verona High School a top facility,” said Frank Ferrari, noting that he had grown up on Franklin listening to 7 a.m. band practices. “Not a single inch of this property is changing,” said Tom Kiernan. “The baseball field is still the baseball field, the football field is still the football field.” But Kathryn Kauhl, a Franklin resident, expressed disappointment with the BOE and the project’s supporters. “A lot of people are impatient with the process,” she said.

In its deliberations, the Planning Board agreed to ask the BOE to petition the Town Council to evaluate parking on Dodd Terrace during football games and required the BOE to use the Shade Tree Commission’s tree planting plan. It also asked for restrictions on night field usage by out of town groups. Chairman Freeman rejected Simon’s attempt to limit the PA system use to football games, saying, “I know this is Verona, but some of the other sports matter too.” The Planning Board vote was 6-0 in favor of the project. Town Engineer Jim Helb, who had sometimes seemed at odds with the project, was among those approving it last night.

Before last night’s vote, VHS was one of only three high schools in Essex County that did not have a turfed field. The BOE intends to immediately seek bids on the field and tennis court work, so that both projects can be completed early in the 2016-2017 school year.

“The Verona Board of Education is pleased with the outcome of last night’s Verona Planning Board meeting regarding the VHS field project,” Superintendent Dionisio said by email. “Our progress is the result of a great deal of input and collaboration from our field committee, community stakeholders and dialogue with Township officials and engineers. The goal of this referendum project will be to improve the integrity and use of our district facilities which will benefit all of our school and community needs. We will now begin coordinating the bid process over the next several weeks and administer the VHS field project construction as quickly as possible with the least possible impact to our current programs.”

The Planning Board vote was 6-0 in favor of the project.

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The first of the pre-kindergarten workshops for children who will enter kindergarten in September 2016 will be held this Saturday, February 6.

These workshops, which are sponsored by the elementary school SCAs, are open to children who will be 5 years old before October 1, 2016. The purpose of these workshops is to give children the opportunity to meet their future classmates and to become familiar with the school environment. The workshop runs from 10 to 11 a.m. and parents are invited to stay for refreshments.

Additional workshops will be held on March 5, April 16, and May 7.

Parents who are interested should register in the school district they reside in. If you are not certain which district you belong in, call the Board Office at 973-571-2029.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact the committee chairperson at your elementary school:

Brookdale: Beth McDermott, bethmcderrick@gmail.com or 973-239-0266

F.N. Brown: Linda Byrne, linda.staikos@novartis.com or 973-223-6191

Forest Avenue: Amanda Weil, forest.ave.sca@gmail.com or 973-906-3575

Laning Avenue: Kristin Venezia, kristinj74@aol.com 973-568-1760

The post First Kindergarten Workshop This Saturday appeared first on MyVeronaNJ.

The Laning Avenue School and Community Association is currently seeking donations for its biennial Tricky Tray, which will take place on March 16 at the Green Brook Country Club.

Local businesses that would like to be a part of this fundraiser are welcome to email laningtrickytray@gmail.com to request donation forms and information about sponsorship opportunities.

Many thanks to our generous community for its support!

Dana DeMars and Sarah Latson
Co-Presidents, Laning Avenue SCA

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VHS Vice Principal Thomas Lancaster and Superintendent Rui Dionisio recognize the November and December students of the month (from left): Anthony Giuliano, Jack Farrell, Dean Ramsthaler, Maggie Maranz, Caitlin Klose, Maeve McGinley, Nicole Volpe, VHS Principal Josh Cogdill and Eric Torres.

For November, the students were Maeve McGinley (grade 9), Dean Ramsthaler (grade 10), Jack Farrell (grade 11) and Anthony Giuliano (grade 12). For December, the students were Nicole Volpe (grade 9), Caitlin Klose (grade 10), Maggie Maranz (grade 11) and Eric Torres (grade 12)

According to VHS Vice Principal Thomas Lancaster, who presented the awards, McGinley currently has an A- or higher in each of her classes. Her nominating teacher, Angela Salisbury said, “Maeve is always focused on class discussions. She works well with her peers and is quite mature, which is very helpful in a class like Financial Literacy, where we explore
topics like money management and financial goals.”

Ramsthaler, the sophomore student for November, is excelling in Spanish III, English II Honors, U.S. History Honors, Chemistry Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, and AP Biology. His Spanish teacher praised his efforts in class, singling out a Veteran’s Day essay he wrote in Spanish as evidence of his willingness to take risks in the language to improve.

Lancaster said that Farrell’s hard work and commitment are “quite apparent” in English III Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, Journalism, Mandarin IV, Physics, and AP U.S. History. Salisbury called Farrell a well rounded student and praised his “tremendous work ethic”.

Giuliano is taking five AP classes also serves as VHS’ Student Council president. “Anthony has been an outstanding student leader,” said VHS math teach Jonathan That. “He helped organize a successful night time pep rally for fall sports, which
capped off a fantastic spirit week. He also helped in coordinating multiple aspects of the Team Zoey fundraiser over Thanksgiving break”.

In introducing the December students, Lancaster said that Volpe is having an outstanding start to high school, earning strong grades in each of her classes. English teacher Alice Kobylarz said, “Nicole is a very conscientious student. She is attentive and hardworking. Throughout the first semester, Nicole has shown growth as a writer and consistently exhibits 100% effort.”

Klose, the sophomore student for December, currently has an A- or higher in English II Honors, U.S. History I Honors, Chemistry Honors, Mandarin III, Algebra II Honors and AP Computer Science, while playing in the band and serving as captain of the VHS Mock Trial defense team and playing volleyball. History teacher Christopher Tamburro said, “Caitlin is an extraordinary student who actively pursues excellence. She makes difficult connections in U.S. History I Honors, and frequently participates in a meaningful way. Caitlin has proven herself to be an excellent problem solver.”

Maranz, the junior student for December, was nominated by multiple teachers. She currently has an A- or higher in AP English, AP U.S. History, AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus, Physics Honors, Spanish IV Honors, and Into to Entrepreneurship Honors. Spanish teacher Jessica Calvo praised Maranz for her daily interest and enthusiasm in the classroom. “She consistently is willing to help others,” Calvo said. “I believe she has the grit that all of our VHS students should have.”

The presentation ended with recognition of senior Torres, who Lancaster called “a young man with a huge heart, a great work ethic–and he has an extremely powerful handshake”. Lancaster noted that, during the holiday season, Torres volunteered to deliver toys to children in need. Dr. Stacey Smith, a VHS English teacher said, “I have known Eric since his sophomore year and in that time I have watched him grow immensely. He was once a little boy who had little control of himself, and he is now a man who takes responsibility for his actions. I had the opportunity to watch Eric
box during the fall. He has thrown himself into this sport. It is a great outlet for him. He is working well in class and makes a serious effort to improve his grades. We recently completed his application for college. He was so proud of himself when he hit the submit button.”

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Verona High School was the only town-specific public high school in New Jersey to have a perfect graduation rate in 2015, according to new data from the New Jersey Department of Education.

While there were 19 schools with 100% graduation rates state-wide last year, 18 were either targeted curriculum magnet schools or regional high schools. VHS topped the graduation rate at both schools in Essex County and among the peer-group “comp” schools that Verona measures itself against in other areas of accomplishment and spending.

“We are pleased with our consistently high graduation rate at Verona High School,” said Superintendent Rui Dionisio. “This outcome is a combination of the continuous efforts of our school and staff in meeting the educational needs of all of our students. Since we are a small high school, it is important to note that even a deviation by 1 or 2 students would skew this statistic into a range similar to other high performing districts. Nonetheless, we are most proud to be a part of such a supportive community we are fortunate to call home.”

Millburn was the town-specific high school in Essex County that finished closest to Verona, at 98.32%, while Cedar Grove was 98.25%, Glen Ridge was 97.76%, James Caldwell High School was 97.04%, Montclair High School was 91.42% and West Orange was 85.94%. The lowest public high school graduation rate in Essex County was Weequahic High School, at 66.18%

Among the schools in the “I” peer group established by the state that includes Verona, Ramapo High School was second with a 99.32% graduation rate, followed by Kinnelon at 98.9% and River Dell Regional at 98.61%. Most of the northern New Jersey “I” group schools were ranked closely together; Columbia High School was lowest at 90.78%.

According to the state DOE, more New Jersey students graduated high school on time last year than in any of the past five years, with 89.7% finishing within four years. You can read its press release on 2015 graduation rates and see other schools here.

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On Sunday, March 6, H.B. Whitehorne Middle School’s Anna Konrad-Parisi and Max Handler were among 150 students in grades seven through nine who performed at the North Jersey School Music Association Region Honors Band Concert. In order to be accepted to the ensemble, students had to learn a myriad of scales, perform selections from a solo and sight-read music they have never seen before. The auditions are incredibly competitive yet Konrad-Parisi and Handler were the top two scorers on baritone saxophone.

The ensemble performed four very challenging pieces of music and had a lot of responsibility. As the director of the band noted, the student’s job was to learn their part at home and then come to rehearsal to learn all of the other parts.

Brian Michalowski, the students’ band teacher at HBW, notes that “some of the hardest working young musicians do not get accepted to this group. Anna and Max should really be proud of their work before the audition in addition to preparing for the concert.”

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The Verona High School Alumni Association will hold its 2016 Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Wednesday, April 20, at The Villa At Mountain Lakes.

Each year, the alumni association recognizes VHS graduates and educators for their accomplishments, community service and athleticism. The inductees are recognized at a dinner and their names are added to the Hall of Fame wall in the lobby at Verona High School.

The 2016 inductees are John “Pat” Sempier and Scott Chesney in the accomplished alumni category, Bob Watson and David Kerr for community service, the late VHS Principal Anthony Iuso and the 1973 Varsity football team.

Tickets to the evening, which begins at 6 p.m., are $85 per person, and include a cocktail hour, dinner and two-hour open bar. Visit vhsalumni.net for ticket information or email VHSHOF@gmail.com.

The post VHS Hall Of Fame Announces 2016 Inductees appeared first on MyVeronaNJ.

As we approach our second year of PARCC testing I am concerned with the misinformation that is being disseminated in our district as well as others throughout the state. PARCC is NOT a graduation requirement for the classes of 2016, 2017, 2018 or 2019 and will never be if enough parents fight back by “refusing” to have their children take part in this experiment. Parents who have educated themselves on this issue and have sent their letters of refusal are receiving calls from Verona High School hoping to dissuade them from refusing.

Verona didn’t fare well during last year’s PARCC testing, especially at the high school level where the passing rate for Algebra 1 was 23.5%, for Algebra II it was 29.3% and for Geometry it was 27.4%. (For all scores please see these results.) And, if the “reformers” on the state level get their way, going forward PARCC will be a graduation requirement and that doesn’t bode well for our students. Parents know these numbers don’t accurately reflect their children’s achievement and many are educating themselves about the destructiveness of these tests and refusing to participate going forward.

Even colleges are realizing the limitations of standardized tests and many are eliminating SAT scores from their admissions criteria.

Parents all over the state and the nation have been expressing their dissatisfaction and distrust over the unvalidated Common Core testing by refusing to allow their children to take part. Last year over 100,000 NJ students refused to take the PARCC. Some local BOEs have joined in solidarity and have noted their displeasure. Washington Township’s school board just approved a resolution that “blasts controversial PARCC testing as an unproven “distraction” that fails students, teachers and school systems.”

The Bloomfield BOE recently recommended New Jersey Education Commissioner David Hespe replace PARCC testing with a different assessment not tied to high school diplomas. Verona’s former superintendent Charles Sampson recently issued a statement expressing his discomfort as well, “I am growing increasingly concerned, however, that specific standardized assessments are becoming the only acceptable barometers. These specific assessments may not be the most appropriate measurements of mastery for all students. The time necessary to prepare for, administer, and monitor these assessments may not represent the best use of time for all classrooms. I am led to the unavoidable question: is there a better way?”

And while parents and professionals all over the state and country are expressing grave concerns over these issues, parents here in Verona are receiving intimidating calls from a building principal hoping to “educate” them on why their children should submit to testing. They’re told students may be risking graduation if they refuse yet there’s a list of other tests (and a portfolio review process in place of tests) that can be used to fulfill the graduation requirements. Loss of funding also gets alluded to, yet our governor signed a bill back in November that prohibits withholding state funding to districts with high refusal rates. On the federal level, no school has ever had funding withheld for missing assessment participation targets.

Verona recently sent out a PARCC information letter that seems purposely designed to mislead Verona residents into thinking they cannot refuse PARCC this year. It states that there is no “opting out” although if one gets to the end of this fairly extensive document they will find there IS a procedure for “refusals”.

“Therefore, the district has established protocols to address the potential request of parents who wish to refuse their child from PARCC testing. Parents should notify their building principal in writing of their request for parent refusal… During PARCC testing, students present in school on testing day who refuse to take the PARCC assessment will work on alternative learning activities.”

Those administrators blindly following state directives to intimidate and misinform parents in an attempt to raise PARCC participation rates should carefully consider the cost of these actions. By not standing up for our students and our schools they become part of the problem. The PARCC assessments have never been validated and yet many administrators openly promote this very high stakes experiment being performed on our children, one that in years to come could cost them graduation. Isn’t it awfully risky to encourage Verona students to just “take it” and thus perpetuate its existence rather than be part of the opt out/refusal movement aimed at taking it down? Isn’t it risky to promote arbitrary gates to graduation and then try to figure out how to undo the mess made of students’ lives later?

I encourage all parents to educate themselves on this issue. Please join us on Facebook at Verona Cares About Schools Here are a few other helpful links: Save Our Schools NJ and FairTest, The National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

Beth O’Donnell-Fischer is one of the founders of on Verona Cares About Schools.

The post Op-Ed: Yes, You Can Still Refuse the PARCC appeared first on MyVeronaNJ.

HBW’s winners at the regional competition for New Jersey History Day, a precursor to the National History Day championship.

A contingent of H.B. Whitehorne Middle School eighth graders and Verona High School ninth graders went to Seton Hall on Saturday, March 12, for a regional History Day competition, and some are moving on to the statewide round in May.

The New Jersey History Day competition was the preliminary round to the nationwide National History Day championship. Working within a yearly theme, the students participating in these competitions select an historical topic and conduct extensive research on it. This year’s theme was Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.

Students can present their projects as an exhibit, performance, documentary, paper, or website. They also must create an annotated bibliography and a process paper. NHD projects teach students to examine history in new and interesting ways and help them develop core research, analysis and literacy skills.

In the regional event, the Verona students competed against peers from Passaic, Morris, Bergen and Sussex counties, as well as elsewhere in Essex County. Four of the 14 entries from HBW advanced to the state round on May 7:

• Individual Website: Alex Newman;
• Group Websites: Kiera Egan, Gabi Montagna, Rebecca Siclari; and Ashley Baumgard, Carolyn Feeley, Leah Pandian; and
• Group Exhibit: Chloe Mathewson, Gigi Petti

The HBW students were accompanied by teachers Kate Castiglione, and Phillip Kratzman. The History Day competition is an eighth grade social studies elective at HBW.

The winning group exhibit on penicillin by HBW students Chloe Mathewson and Gigi Petti.

The winning VHS team consisted of ninth graders Eric Frey, Gillian Lamb, Lily Dastis and Rebecca Marcillo-Gomez. They created a documentary analyzing the impact of Charles Darwin’s discoveries in both future scientific and societal movements.

The next round is the full state competition at William Paterson University on May 7. The nationwide championship will be held in Washington, D.C., this June.

Verona High School ninth graders won a regional competition for New Jersey History Day.

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