Superintendent's Report

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT December 16, 2010

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION ADDS UP FOR KNOLLWOOD SCHOOL Knollwood Elementary School PTO was the recipient of a $50,000 prize from Box Tops for Education. Knollwood parent Susan Mierzejwski won the national prize through an online sweepstakes, “The Difference One Makes”, and selected the school to benefit from the prize award. All Knollwood students attended an assembly where a representative from Box Tops for Education presented Mrs. Mierzejwski and Principal Marlene Davis with an oversized check. The school will be forming a committee to develop suggestions on how the funds will be used.

SCHOR SCHOOL TAKES PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH TO BULLYING Staff members at Schor Middle School have forged a multi-tiered effort to increase awareness about bullying and internet safety as a project stemming from School Violence Awareness Week. The school is building a “Wall Against All Bullying”, and every student is provided with a “brick” on which messages are written about the topics. An entire hallway will be used to post the brick notes, along with banners, signs and posters defining bullying and offering strategies to stop it. The Counseling Department has established a “Bully Box” where students can drop in “mail” to report bullying situations that will be addressed with confidential follow-up.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORUSES PERFORM AT PHS Students participating in Middle School Music Opportunity Choir performed in a District Choral Concert earlier this month at the Piscataway High School Performing Arts Center. Newly renovated, the PAC provided a fitting venue for the 75 students to showcase the many hours of dedicated after-school practice sessions necessary for this event. The students performed a variety of traditional and ethnic selections.

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS RECEIVE FREE DICTIONARIES Students at all four district K - 3 schools have received free dictionaries courtesy of the Rotary Club of Piscataway. A total of 574 books were presented to children in Grade 3 at Knollwood, Grandview, Eisenhower and Randolphville Schools.

EISENHOWER SCHOOL HAS GONE TO THE DOGS Students at Eisenhower Elementary School completed a “Coins for Cats and Pennies for Pooches” fundraiser for the third consecutive year. The coin collected garnered $540 in donations which was presented to Cattitude, Inc., a local animal rescue group.

PHS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA VISIT LOCAL CORPORATION The Piscataway High School Chamber Orchestra performed at the Colgate-Palmolive Center for an audience of approximately 100 employees. The ensemble was invited for the second year in a row to appear at the company’s 25 Year Club annual holiday event honoring employees serving for 25 years or more. The program included classical and traditional holiday music. The Chamber Orchestra will also perform at the Lakeview School, a private school in Edison run by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Middlesex County, and will visit Eisenhower and Randolphville Elementary Schools next week.

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ARBOR SCHOOL SUPPORTS THOSE IN NEED Students and staff at Arbor Elementary School conducted two traditional events which support the FISH Hospitality Program, an outreach serving homeless women and families. For over ten years, Charlotte Wright and her class have gathered contributions of new or “gently used” items for their “Country Store”. Students learn merchandising, character education and math while running the sale which, this year, raised $1,112 for FISH. For over five years, Robyn Rosenthal, School Counselor, has also coordinated a gift drive for homeless children. School families and staff selected a paper ornament and “adopted” a child, wrapping and donating over 75 gifts.

7-ELEVEN SUPPORTS AREA SCHOOLS As part of the Grand Opening Ceremony of the new 7-Eleven on Washington Avenue, donations of $711.00 were presented to Arbor and Quibbletown Schools by representatives of the company at the new site. Each school will be able to use the donation at their discretion to benefit the children of the school. The ceremony was attended by Arbor Elementary School Principal Dr. Suzanne Westberg and Quibbletown Middle School Guidance Counselor Alex Gray as well as students and families.

AFTER CARE STUDENTS CREATE AND DONATE GINGERBREAD HOUSES Students participating in the district’s After Care Program at the elementary and middle schools created 55 gingerbread houses which were delivered to many area locations. Houses were received by the St. Peter’s University Hospital Children’s Center, Sterling Village and the Piscataway Library. Students in the program also created holiday cards to be sent to troops overseas. These activities are favorites of the children who participate and serve as a means of supporting the local community.

S.A.I.L. STUDENT FEATURED IN SAFE SCHOOLS E-NEWSLETTER Ahammad Islam, a student in the district’s S.A.I.L. (Students Achieving Independent Life Skills) transition program, was recognized in the Safe Schools E-Newsletter, a publication of the UMDNJ School of Public Health, for a poster that he created emphasizing safety in the workplace. His poster included pictures, drawings, a summary of health hazards, American Red Cross first aid measures, and the importance of using personal protective equipment - all examples of safety and health knowledge used in his current job training site.

CHILDREN’S CORNER PTO ACTIVITIES The Children’s Corner PreSchool PTO held a “Gingerbread House Night” as a holiday activity for children and their families. Each family had their own gingerbread house kit to work with while holiday music played in the background. A Book Fair was also held for children and families to expand their reading collections. The preschool receives credit back from the book fair as a way to increase the materials in the school’s library.

PISCATAWAY CHIEFS FOOTBALL TEAM TAKES STATE CHAMPIONSHIP The Piscataway High School Football Team defeated Hunterdon Central in the New Jersey Group IV, Section II State Championship at Rutgers Stadium on December 4th. The Chiefs celebrated an undefeated season, going 12-0, with numerous accolades and recognition throughout the state. Head Coach Dan Higgins was selected by the New York Giants as the “Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Year” for his continuing commitment towards promoting youth football, developing motivated student athletes and his overall community involvement. He will be acknowledged when the Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles on December 19th.