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The National Jr. Honor Society of Academy 1 Middle School “Shares the Warmth" »In the true spirit of serving the Jersey City community, members of Academy 1 Middle School’s national Junior Honor Society spearheaded a project for January, which involved a blanket drive called “Share the Warmth.” Students were given permission by their principal, Mrs. Grace Moriarty, to collect blankets for the homeless population located at Journal Square. In conjunction with their moderator, Mrs. D. Spitaletta and custodian Mr. Perry McPhatter, blankets, quilts, and warm clothing were collected and delivered during the week of January 16, 2012, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his message of brotherhood. A second collection will be delivered in February. Each month, this group of enthusiastic eighth graders from the Acceleration and Enrichment Program at Academy 1 organize a project that helps to enrich the lives of others. Their belief is that it is in giving that we ourselves are enriched. They have raised money for the Toys for Tots Program, run by the USMC, created and sent cards to our Wounded Warriors in Washington, D.C., tutored the younger students at the school each Tuesday afternoon, work diligently on the anti-bullying campaign directed by Mr. John Hughes, and they will conduct a “Have a Heart” campaign for the American Heart Association in February, with chocolate hearts being supplied by a local business, Lee Sims. In addition, they will work with our Special Education students in order to create Valentines for our Veterans at Walter Reed Hospital. A true sense of community is developed and fostered as part of the school’s mission statement. They practice what they preach. Wednesday, 25 January 2012 09:08

JCPS Recognizes Students With Perfect Scores on the NJASK and HSPA »The Jersey City Public Schools has a new club that only certain students can join. It’s called the “300 Club”, because only those students who have scored perfectly on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) or the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) in Language Arts, Mathematics, or Science can be members. A total of 295 students throughout the District were recognized for this achievement – 171 elementary students, 122 middle school students and 2 high school students. The names of the students with the perfect scores were sent to the principals of each respective schoo,l and each student was given a certificate in recognition of their accomplishment. Some buildings held special celebrations, and all schools forwarded pictures of their students to the Department of Assessment and Testing where a presentation was developed and is available on the JCBOE (index.php?option=com_rokdownloads&view=file&Itemid=963) website and JCETV. We encourage all of our students to set their sights on achieving the score that will allow them to become members of the “300 Club." Tuesday, 24 January 2012 13:14

Frank R. Conwell School - PS 3 Responds to Michele Obama's "Let's Move" Initiative »Frank R. Conwell School - PS 3 has turned the winter blues into winter fun! Instead of staying in during these cold winter days and wasting good “recess time”, students now have an opportunity to engage in hands-on activities and games during their lunch recess. From board games to basketball—they have it all! The program was initiated at PS ”3 in response to First Lady Michele Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which is dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. The games and equipment were paid for by PS 3’s PTA to help support this initiative. Thursday, 19 January 2012 11:02

PS 28 Among Finalists in Verizon/Partnership for a Drug-Free NJ Competition »PS 28's fourth graders are very excited to find out if they will be the final winners in the annual Verizon/Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey 2011-2012 Fourth Grade Folder Competition this coming April. The title of the competition was “Fun Things to Do Instead of Drugs” which enables students to channel their thoughts into positive peer-to-peer messages. Over 35,600 4th graders in the state of New Jersey participated with over 8,000 art pieces received by PDFNJ. PS 28 has 3 finalists out of 30 who will be competing for the top prize. Those students are: Caroline Ramirez, Malk Asis, and Luz Maria Lucy Gonzalez. The finalists' artwork will be featured in an exhibit in April, and at that time two Grand Prize co-winners will be announced. Their artwork will be featured on the 2012 folder that will be distributed next fall to 4th graders around the state. Friday, 13 January 2012 13:41

PS 28 Wins $2500 PSE&G Environmental Education Grant »PS 28 teachers Jennifer Mulewski and Robert O’Donnell are extremely proud of their seventh graders. They were recently notified that their students are the winners of a $2,500 PSE&G Environmental Education Grant, and the money is being used to pay for materials needed to complete the project. Their grant application title is “Project Reservoir” and some of their project objectives are to: increase community awareness of Reservoir #3 located in the Heights area of Jersey City, assist in the preservation and transformation of the reservoir site into a community accessible nature preserve and learning lab, and to create the materials necessary to enable all local school children and community groups to use the reservoir as a field trip destination. The 50 students will be actively engaged in this portion of the project during their seventh and eighth grade years. They will then train and mentor younger students to continue the project beyond their graduation in June of 2013. Representatives from PSE&G will be presenting the check to the school within the next few weeks. Friday, 13 January 2012 13:38

Dickinson HS Students Participate in Remembrance Journeys' Trip in Washington D.C »On January 17, 2012, 45 DHS students along with Vice Principal Trusso-Sabbers and teachers Mr. Gordon, Ms. Dorch-Davis, and Mr. Wright will be participating in a Remembrance Journeys field trip, which are supervised one-day bus trips to Washington, D.C. for high school or middle school students to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Lincoln Memorial. Accompanying the students on the Journey are Holocaust survivors and a member of the Holocaust Council of Metro West Foundation who will pay all costs related to the Journey. On their trip to Washington, the students will meet Morris Rubell – who died in 1995 – through a video in which he describes his experiences as a child survivor of the Krosno (Poland) ghetto and several concentration camps, including Plaszow, Mathausen, Melk, and Ebensee. He talks about his siblings, all of whom miraculously survived World War II. Rubell’s sisters, Lucy and Frances, were also concentration camp survivors. The group will then hear firsthand accounts from the Holocaust survivors accompanying them on the bus. These students will be the last generation who will be able to meet survivors and this will be an opportunity for them to interact and to ask any questions they may have. Vice Principal Trusso-Sabbers has worked with the foundation to align the summer readings, which dealt with the Holocaust, with authentic experiences for the students of DHS during the district’s Nine for 9 Jumpstart Program. Friday, 13 January 2012 13:33

Dr. Michael Conti School - PS 5 »Congratulations go out to PS 5 for the best student attendance during the month of December of 96.2%. Friday, 06 January 2012 14:45

YoungArts Announces 2012 Best and Brightest Young Artists in the Nation »Alexander Bethea & Ali Jafri are YoungArts Merit Award Winners! (images/images/pdf/events/press%20release%20-%202%20snyder%20students%20win%20nfaa%20awards.pdf) Tuesday, 13 December 2011 08:27

Academy I Wins Music Grant »Mr. Warren Gramm, music teacher at Academy 1, here in Jersey City in conjunction with Mr. David Radulich, music supervisor, has written a winning grant sponsored by Young Audiences of New Jersey, MetLife, and The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The $5,000 grant will further theater arts and environmental sustainability at the school. The monies provided will be earmarked for a professional arts teacher to work alongside Mr. Gramm one day a week for ten weeks and develop a theater production centered around recycling which will be shown to a younger audience in the district sometime in April 2012. Approximately 100 Academy 1 students in grades 6,7,and 8 will participate in the program and will be introduced to songwriting, playwriting, and other arts. The grant also provides for members of the George St. Playhouse to give an assembly on anti-bullying titled “Cyberbullying in Real Life.” Friday, 09 December 2011 09:56

MS 40 Implements IM Phenomenal With the G.R.E.A.T. Program »The Ezra L. Nolan Middle School – MS 40 has a “phenomenal” after-school program for girls thanks to Jersey City Police Officer Letia Nalls of the G.R.E.A.T. Program, titled IM Phenomenal. The G.R.E.A.T. Program, which stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training, is a gang and violence prevention program built around school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula. It is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership for children in the years immediately before the prime ages for introduction into gangs and delinquent behavior. At MS 40, that is exactly what Officer Nalls has accomplished. The program meets after school every Monday and Friday for approximately 2 hrs each day. Although attendance is voluntary, 15-20 girls between the ages of 11 and 16 attend regularly. Officer Nalls and other female role models work with these young women to inspire, support, and educate them to excel academically, socially, physically, and mentally. They are also given additional instruction in self-esteem, character building, etiquette, and community service which has included assisting at soup kitchens. These young ladies are encouraged to achieve their highest potential. They ARE phenomenal. Wednesday, 07 December 2011 10:16

NJDA Food Show Highlights New Nutritious, Interesting Prepared Foods for School Meals »School Food Service Reps Shop for Healthy Products for 2012-2013 School Year State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture (http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/press/2011/approved/press111118.html) Tuesday, 29 November 2011 10:42

Twenty-five Students Win Prizes in NJ Agricultural Society’s Poster and Essay Contest » This fall, the students from Nicolaus Copernicus School – PS 25 participated in the NJ Agricultural Society’s Learning through Gardening Annual Poster and Essay Contest. This year’s theme was “Autumn and Agriculture.” On Friday, November 18, 2011, seven winning students and their parents traveled to the NJ State Museum in Trenton for the presentation ceremony. The program included greetings and words of encouragement from the leaders of the Agricultural Society and a reading by the authors of the grand prize winning essays written by 4th and 5th graders. The poster contest winners from PS 25 were: Giancarlo Saitta - Kdgn., Sugal Patel – grade 1, Harsh Patel - grade 2, Jai Jhaveri and Sean Duffie – grade 3. Sean Duffie was the grand prize winner for grade 3 chosen from all of the state school entries. The essay contest winners from PS 25 were: Riya Mehta – grade 4 and Isabella Diaz – grade 5. With twelve counties across the state represented, there were 37 winning posters from Kdgn. through grade 3 and twelve winning essays from grades 4-5 displayed on stage. PS 25 was the only school with a winner in each grade level in the contest with the grand prize winner in grade 3. PS 25 has received a grant from the NJ Agricultural Society. They have purchased materials to install and maintain a school garden, which includes an irrigation system. The school’s vegetable production was very successful this year and students were able to sample some of the produce grown. In addition, materials have been provided for students to learn about the benefits of gardening with tools for hands-on gardening. The school will receive a monetary award to continue this work for the next three years from the NJ Agricultural Society. The entire faculty and especially Mary DiGenova, Pete Tsapellas, and Jim Benedetto have been supportive of this initiative which continues to raise students’ awareness of agriculture and healthy eating. Principal Diane Pistilli has been the driving force behind this educational and nutritious program. Tuesday, 29 November 2011 10:36

PS 29 Wins Arts Education Scholarship »PS 29 won a $7,000 Arts Education Scholarship from Young Audiences New Jersey and Target. Through the grant, the school will work with Young Audiences to deliver a variety of arts education programs for the students, teachers and families. PS 29 was one of 81 schools throughout New Jersey to apply for the grant, and one of only 7 winning schools to be selected. The grant was written by the school’s music therapist Joanne Schlachter. “We are thrilled to receive this generous grant,” said Susan Harbace, principal of PS 29. Providing quality arts programming to our students has always been a goal at PS 29, but not always possible in these difficult economic times. With the help of Young Audiences and Target, we can now continue to offer our students inspiring, arts-rich experiences.” The grant will provide funding for a variety of initiatives, including: Professional arts performances at the school In-depth, hands-on workshops with professional artists Professional development to help teachers use the arts in their classrooms Assistance in creating a community event celebrating students’ work According to Larry Capo, Executive Director Young Audiences New Jersey has been bringing creativity and inspiration to children and educators through innovative, curriculum-based arts education programming since 1973. Each year, YANJ artist perform for and work with nearly 50,000 kids across New Jersey – from pre-kindergarten through high school – serving all 21 counties with dynamic assembly presentations and artist- in-residence workshops. Jersey Journal (http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/11/jersey_city_school_29_receives.html) Wednesday, 23 November 2011 10:31

School District Launches Project UNIFY Initiative to Energize Youth »The Jersey City Public Schools is pleased to announce its third year of partnership with Project UNIFY. Project UNIFY is a U.S. national project funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education with the goal to engage youth around the country to utilize the tools and programs of Special Olympics to foster school climates of inclusion, acceptance, respect, and human dignity for all students with and without intellectual disabilities. Project UNIFY is funded through a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education. This grant is the result of the collaborative efforts of Andrea Cahn – Project UNIFY Director, Melanie Ferlito – Project UNIFY: Director of Youth Education and Unified Sports, Marc Edenzon – President of Special Olympics New Jersey, and Lillian Narvaez, Vice President of Sports Special Olympics New Jersey. Project UNIFY goals include promoting the Special Olympics “R-Word” campaign, through the implementation of the U.S. Special Olympics grant process for local Special Olympics Programs and eligible youth projects, and the conduction and participation in national forums and conferences on youth, intellectual disabilities, and education. Project UNIFY will provide the Jersey City Public Schools an additional source to further support the district’s all-inclusive model, fostering a supportive, caring, inclusive, learning environment, where every student feels safe and protected. A culminating event is a rally scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City from 10a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and will be hosted by Jersey City Public School’s own Joe Belasco. Thursday, 13 October 2011 11:25

NJCU, February 26, 2012

Community Meetings & Status

Anti-Bullying Director Thomas Macagnano

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Important Dates

Tuesday, 1/3, Schools Reopen
Tuesday, 1/10, Special Ed. Advisory Parents Council - CO - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 1/11, 4-Hour Session for Schools (Collaborative Professional Learning)
Wednesday, 1/11, Citywide Parent Advisory Meeting - CO - 6 - 8 p.m.
Wednesday, 1/11, Town Hall Meeting - Snyder H.S. - 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, 1/12, Special Meeting - Rm. 1R - 6 p.m.
Friday, 1/13, Athletics - Snyder H.S. Library - 4 p.m.
Monday, 1/16, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance - District Closed
Tuesday, 1/17, Special Ed. - Rm. 1R - 12 Noon
Tuesday, 1/17, Governance - Rm. 1R - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 1/18, Budget Planning Meeting - Rm. 810 - 12 Noon
Thursday, 1/19, Facilities - Rm. 810 - 5 p.m.
Friday, 1/20, Town Hall Meeting - PS 11 - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, 1/21, HSPA Institute - 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Monday, 1/23, Budget Planning Meeting - Rm. 810 - 6 p.m.
Tuesday, 1/24, Ed. Programs - Rm. 810 - 4 p.m.
Tuesday, 1/24, Affirmative Action/Personnel/Finance - Rm. 1R - 5 p.m.
Thursday, 1/26, Elementary & Middle School 2nd M.P. Quarterly Assessments - Extends to 1/31
Thursday, 1/26, High School Midterm (10-credit) & Final (5-credit) Exams - Extends to 1/30
Thursday, 1/26, Board of Education Monthly Meeting - PS 11 - 6 p.m.
Saturday, 1/28, HSPA Institute - 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, 1/31, End of First Semester/Second Marking Period (46 days)

	2012-2013 Pre-K Enrollment		AHSA Test Schedules
	Student Leadership Forum		HSPA Institute Schedules
	Cordero Fundraiser		Internet Essentials
	Teens For Jeans		Leola Dixon Clinic
	AEP Applications		2nd Cup of Coffee

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EE4NJ Project Director Magda Savino
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Jersey City Public Schools
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Jersey City NJ, 07305
201-915-6000

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201-915-6074