WAYNE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2016! NEWS FROM AROUND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ! ! A MESSAGE FROM THE CLASS OF! 2016 SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS….………2 A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESIDENT……………….….….3 Special Section MEET OUR 2015-2016 EDUCATORS OF ! THE YEAR…………………………………….….……4 Fast Facts………………………7 LEARN ABOUT DISTRICT PLANS FOR ! THE KINDERGARTEN WRAP Popular Colleges………………8 PROGRAM…………………………………………… 6 ! MEET NEWLY HIRED SCHUYLER- Val/Sal Profiles…………………9 COLFAX MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ! KIMBERLY WETTSTEIN…..…………….……..6 College Acceptances………..23 A YEAR OF GROWTH AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL……..……………….….19 IMPORTANT DATES FOR 16/17……………20 WAYNE TOWNSHIP LEARNING CENTER UPDATE………..………………………………….…21 A LOOK AHEAD AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL…………………………………………………22 A LOOK UNDERNEATH THE CAP MEET OUR NEW BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR……………………………….28 Faculty Tributes……………….14 !1 SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER Dear Parents, Students, and Residents: At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, the administration decided to produce our first ever end-of-the-year newsletter. We thought a newsletter that celebrates the graduating class and provides parents with a preview of the upcoming school year would be well-received. What we didn’t anticipate was just how well our newsletter would be received. I know that all residents of Wayne will enjoy reading about our graduating class and the many great things happening in the Wayne Township Public Schools. We are very proud of our students and staff and we are pleased to share their accomplishments with the community. I’m sure you will enjoy reading profiles about our valedictorians and salutatorians. This year, we are sharing profiles of four seniors from each of the high schools as selected by the faculty for their exceptional accomplishments and contributions to the school system. Readers will also be happy to see an impressive list of college acceptances for all of our graduating students. I am also happy to share other statistical information about the Class of 2016, reflecting a proud Wayne tradition of academic accomplishment. I wish all of our graduates great success as they move ahead to write new chapters in their life stories. While there is no question that all of our graduates have been shaped by the Wayne Township Public Schools, it is also true that the Wayne Township Public Schools have been shaped by our graduates. I would like to express my thanks to the graduates and their families for contributing to our schools in such a meaningful way. The operation of any school district is in many ways, a community endeavor. School systems can flourish or falter based on support from the community. In Wayne, we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers who support our school system. We thank the community for the many different ways that you enrich the lives of our students and help to improve the schools. Best wishes for a happy and safe summer! ! ! Mark Toback !2 PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVES ! Congratulations to the Class of 2016! You are a most accomplished group of young men and women and we as a community are so proud of you and all you have done to leave your mark on Wayne Township and our schools. You have truly made a difference in so many different ways and we look forward to all your future will bring. Work hard, be open to new experiences, and enjoy the ride the next four years will be for each of you. Congratulations to your parents, families, teachers and friends who !have aided you every step of the way. What an admirable job you all have done! Recently, I was struck by a quote I saw and thought it was so appropriate to share here today. “There are only 940 Saturdays between a child’s birth and them leaving for college” Dr. Harley Rotbart. As all three of my children (young adults now) are at the college stage or beyond, it struck me to reflect on how well I had used those 940 Saturdays with my own family. With the start of the summer season upon us, I hope each of us will make an effort to use each and every one of those Saturdays to enjoy time with our families. Take a trip. Plan fun activities. Laugh a lot. Do silly things. Spend time at the beach, lake, campsite, or travel destination of your choice. Visit family. Spend time together and build those simple childhood memories that children never forget and cherish as they move on to college or other more independent pursuits. Summer time is upon us and will be gone in the blink of an eye. Make the !most of it…..and enjoy each and every moment along the way. Congratulations to our graduates and their families and happy summer time to all our students, staff members, and parents. We wish you all beautiful, sunny days, warm !breezes, and love and laughter with your families and friends. See you in September! ! Yours truly, ! ! ! ! Eileen Albanese !3 District Recognizes 2015-2016 Educators of the Year The New Jersey Department of Education recognizes the outstanding contributions of educators in a variety of ways. One program is the Governor’s Educator of the Year (GEOY) Program, which recognizes the hard work of outstanding teachers and educational services professionals. After school level nominations were received, each of the Wayne Township Public Schools convened a committee to select one teacher and one educational services professional under the program guidelines. In the coming months, each of the educators selected locally may move on for recognition at the county, and potentially as candidates for state educator of the year. Understanding that the single most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of his or her teacher. The Wayne Township Public Schools are proud to recognize, celebrate, and share the accomplishments of our teachers and educational services professionals with the community. ! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR! ! !4 WAYNE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR 2015-2016 SCHOOL TEACHER EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE Dorothy Dmuchowski Jennifer Ziesing JAMES FALLON Peggie Biondo Jennifer Hamilton JOHN F. KENNEDY Stefanie Bengel Linda Mandarino LAFAYETTE Lisa Sibilia Elizabeth Tengwall PACKANACK Cathie Przybylinski PINES LAKE Eileen Sweeney Sue Napolitano RANDALL CARTER Felicia Barra Sherrie Wittenberg RYERSON Jamie Morano Connie Venturelli THEUNIS DEY Lauren Pici Josephine Ramirez ANTHONY WAYNE Brian Basile Nancy Carlucci GEORGE WASHINGTON MaryAnne Reno-Puentes Denise Lake SCHUYLER COLFAX Diane Meigh Marcine Cirigliano WAYNE HILLS Andrew Poalillo Nancy Kowalski WAYNE VALLEY Nancy Moses Kim Mapp !5 KINDERGARTEN WRAP AROUND SUMMER UPDATE The new K-Wrap Program is off to an excellent start. The district hired a number of excellent employees, and we are planning for the next school year. The district will be operating eight classes and serving 160 students in our first year of operation. In order to properly prepare for the start of the new school year, the district completed a curriculum writing session on June 20th with another week of curriculum writing in July. Training for K-Wrap employees will be held in August. We are also very happy to offer student and parent orientation sessions. One centralized parent orientation will be held on August 30th starting at 9:30 AM at Randall Carter Elementary School. Each school hosting a section of K-Wrap will also hold an orientation for parents and students in the new K-Wrap classrooms. Parents will be notified about the date and time for each building orientation. Meet the new Schuyler-Colfax Principal At the regular Wayne Township Board of Education meeting held on June 16th, Kim Wettstein was appointed as the new Schuyler-Colfax Middle School Principal. Mrs. Wettstein joins the staff of Schuyler- Colfax with eighteen years of experience working in middle schools. For the past five years, she served as Vice Principal of Copeland Middle School in Rockaway Township. In addition to her building level administrative responsibilities, Mrs. Wettstein holds two major district level responsibilities for PARCC testing and as Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Intervention Coordinator. Prior to her administrative work, she worked in the same middle school as a math teacher for thirteen years. Mrs. Wettstein has a diverse academic background and holds three Master’s Degrees in educational leadership, middle level math education, and reading specialist. Her undergraduate degree comes from East Stroudsburg University where she majored in elementary education. In her free time, Mrs. Wettstein enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling to Disney World whenever possible. !6 FAST FACTS ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2016 Wayne Hills Wayne Valley Number of Graduates 334 335 % Enrolling in a 2 or 4 year College or University 94% 89% Average SAT Score (1600 Scale) 1058 1068 Average ACT 24 25 Composite !7 Wayne Hills Wayne Valley % Scoring 3 or Above on AP Exams 85% 81% % Scoring 4 or 5 on AP Exams 55% 54% Number of Students Recognized through 37 29 AP Scholar Program Ivy League Columbia (2) Brown (1) Harvard (1) UPENN(1) Acceptance Cornell (1) Dartmouth (1) 5 Cornell (1) 3 Class of 2016 Most Popular College Choices !8 WAYNE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Co-Valedictorian Profile KOMAL NERURKAR Major: Computer Science Will be attending: ! Principal Ken Palczewski sees Wayne Valley Co-Valedictorian Komal Nerurkar as that rare student who is as humble as she is incredibly talented. The combination of an outgoing and kind personality, a natural curiosity as is evidenced by her insatiable appetite for reading, and a tremendous drive to achieve, have all contributed to her !success. Guidance Counselor Felicia Miller identified Komal as that special student who has that drive, the spark, the focus, the initiative and the leadership skills that really sets her apart.