Bordentown Regional School District The Bordentown Bulletin Volume 5 ~ Issue 4 December 2019 Superintendent’s Office Dr. Edward J. Forsthoffer III Although we are still a few days away from the official start of winter, the fluctuating temperatures and occasional snow squalls have gently reminded us of what is coming our way. With the holiday season approaching, as well as the cold weather, our schools are as busy as ever. Our bands, orchestras, and choirs are all putting on various performances. Our fall athletics have transitioned into the winter season. Of course, with winter often comes snow. When we return from the break, please make sure that you have the most current contact information with your child’s school so that you will receive all emergency notifications. I am hopeful that all of our snowy days occur over a weekend but, if history is any indicator, you are bound to be receiving at least one 5:00 a.m. telephone call. When we return, on January 2, that evening we will have a Reorganization meeting of the Board. Howard Barman and Stephen Heberling will be sworn into an additional term and Erika Worthy will be joining us as a new Board of Education member. I want to offer a special thank you to retiring Board member, Sylvia Scozzari, for all of her work, insight and contributions during her term with us. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed and I am sure you will join me in wishing her well in all future endeavors. A new Board member will not be the only change at our reorganization meeting. Our Business Administrator, Eloi Richardson, is retiring at the end of this month. Eloi has been with the district for over eight years and he has helped to navigate us through all of our financial hurdles and he leaves this district in a much better place than when he started. Chifonda Henry will be taking over the reins beginning in January and she has been working with Mr. Richardson for the past two months. Over the winter recess, I hope you will be able to enjoy some time with family and friends and you are able to recharge for 2020! On behalf of the school district and the Board of Education, I extend best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Visit us on the web at www.bordentown.k12.nj.us Administration Dr. Edward J. Forsthoffer III Superintendent Mr. Eloi Richardson, CPA Business Administrator Board Secretary Ms. Chifonda Henry Interim Business Administrator Board Secretary Mr. James Lymper Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ms. Vanessa Bekarciak Director of Special Services 2019 Board of Education Ms. Eileen Francisco-Cabus President Mr. Salvatore Schiano Vice President Ms. Jamie Augustyn Mr. Howard Barman Mr. Stephen Heberling Mr. Michael James Ms. Aneka Miller Ms. Janet Nielsen Ms. Sylvia Scozzari
Transcript
Bordentown
Regional
School District
The Bordentown
Bulletin Volume 5 ~ Issue 4
December 2019
Superintendent’s Office Dr. Edward J. Forsthoffer III
Although we are still a few days away from the official start of winter, the fluctuating temperatures and occasional snow squalls have gently reminded us of what is coming our way. With the holiday season approaching, as well as the cold weather, our schools are as busy as ever. Our bands, orchestras, and choirs are all putting on various performances. Our fall athletics have transitioned into the winter season. Of course, with winter often comes snow. When we return from the break, please make sure that you have the most current contact information with your child’s school so that you will receive all emergency notifications. I am hopeful that all of our snowy days occur over a weekend but, if history is any indicator, you are bound to be receiving at least one 5:00 a.m. telephone call. When we return, on January 2, that evening we will have a Reorganization meeting of the Board. Howard Barman and Stephen Heberling will be sworn into an additional term and Erika Worthy will be joining us as a new Board of Education member. I want to offer a special thank you to retiring Board member, Sylvia Scozzari, for all of her work, insight and contributions during her term with us. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed and I am sure you will join me in wishing her well in all future endeavors. A new Board member will not be the only change at our reorganization meeting. Our Business Administrator, Eloi Richardson, is retiring at the end of this month. Eloi has been with the district for over eight years and he has helped to navigate us through all of our financial hurdles and he leaves this district in a much better place than when he started. Chifonda Henry will be taking over the reins beginning in January and she has been working with Mr. Richardson for the past two months. Over the winter recess, I hope you will be able to enjoy some time with family and friends and you are able to recharge for 2020! On behalf of the school district and the Board of Education, I extend best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
Visit us on the web at www.bordentown.k12.nj.us
Administration
Dr. Edward J. Forsthoffer III Superintendent
Mr. Eloi Richardson, CPA Business Administrator
Board Secretary
Ms. Chifonda Henry Interim Business Administrator
Board Secretary
Mr. James Lymper Director of
Curriculum and Instruction
Ms. Vanessa Bekarciak Director of Special Services
2019 Board of Education
Ms. Eileen Francisco-Cabus President
Mr. Salvatore Schiano Vice President
Ms. Jamie Augustyn
Mr. Howard Barman
Mr. Stephen Heberling
Mr. Michael James
Ms. Aneka Miller
Ms. Janet Nielsen
Ms. Sylvia Scozzari
Curriculum and Instruction Mr. James Lymper, Director and Ms. Michele Henry, Assistant Principal of Curriculum Page 2
Teachers hosted grade level sessions where parents and guardians had
an opportunity to experience what their child is learning as a reader in the
classroom and some ways they can support this learning at home. Much
of the night was spent in actual hands-on, mind-on literacy activities.
Kindergarten families learned about their reading superpowers while first
grade families became word detectives. Second grade families learned how
to spot a “just right” book and fluency and comprehension strategies while
and our third through fifth grade families looked closely at how characters
evolved across stories. Many students left with some new books to add to
their home library and ALL of our families left with tools they could use immediately to support their readers at home!
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered
as a gift.” ~Kate DeCamillo
On Monday, December 9th, 2019, over twenty elementary families joined us at the Clara
Barton Elementary School for our “Give the Gift of Reading” night as part of our Family
Learning Series events held throughout the school year. This particular event was inspired by
“Giving Tuesday” which kicks off the charitable season when many people focus on their
holiday and end-of-year giving. While Giving Tuesday is a global event, we felt that we could
“give back” locally to our own school community by providing families with some tips to support
their readers at home.
We would like to thank the teachers who assisted in
planning and facilitating the Family Reading Night: Mrs.
organization won Best Small School Delegation at the
Rutgers University Model United Nations four-day
conference. There were hundreds of students at this
event from around the country. The students learn
techniques of public speaking, methods for persuading
their peers, and strategies for debate. At the same time,
they role-played in situations for conflict resolution,
negotiation, and compromise.
NJSLA Testing
Fall Block testing
Jan 8th and 9th
Please see letter from BRHS for
details.
Bordentown Regional Middle School Mr. Joseph Sprague, Principal Page 4
Bordentown
Regional Middle
School
News & Notes
November 2019
VIETNAM VETERAN SPEAKS AT BRMS
Lenny Yancher, a Vietnam War veteran and Bordentown resident, came to speak to our 6th grade
students. The 6th grade is reading the book Stand Tall by Joan Bauer. The main character is helped through
difficult times by his grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran. Mr. Yancher spoke about his war and post-war
experiences and answered the students' questions. This assembly creates a bond and deepens
the students' understanding of the grandfather in the novel. This is the third year that Mr. Yancher has visited our school. The students are extremely respectful and many shook Mr. Yancher's hand and thanked him for
his service.
Women's Shelter: WomanSpace is a leading not-for-profit agency providing a comprehensive array of services to individuals impacted by domestic and sexual violence and dedicated to improving the quality of life for women and their families. Our school has adopted WomanSpace for several years and we continue to support those in need. Operation U.S. Military K-9: Care needs our help! War dogs deployed to the Middle East come back home with similar medical and psychological concerns. Operation Military K-9 assists our four legged soldiers with rehabilitation and placement with veterans and other service families. Pajama Day for CHOP: Yay to Pajama Day!!!! We continue our tradition supporting CHOP and their families. Our students know that their contributions help the organization For Tomorrow's Breakthroughs, an ambitious fundraiser for the discovery of healing many of the toughest diseases that strike children. Together, we will fight childhood diseases and make tomorrow bright.
BRMS STUDENT COUNCIL
MacFarland Intermediate School Mr. Daniel Riether, Principal Page 5
MacFarland Health and Physical Education update 2019
So far this year, we've covered various units of our curriculum. For Physical Education, we tackled spatial awareness by playing a
variety of tag games such as unicorn and octopus tag. We've been focusing on cooperative games and sportsmanship through
activities such as water polo and battleship. Finally, we touched base on highly active fitness units such as tabata.
Over the summer we updated our curriculum and are excited to announce that we've included yoga and mindfulness as one of
our units to cover this year. We are looking forward to bringing these lessons into our gym in the near future!
For Health, we have discussed our units of personal growth and development where students learn the importance of practicing
good hygiene and regular exercise. Currently, we are doing a wide variety of lessons and activities on the topic of nutrition.
Our MIS PE Instagram page! Please follow @misphysed to stay updated on what's going on in our gym! We recognize our
MVPs, post fun videos and informational health tips to inspire not only our students but also their parents and our community.
Take Your Parent to PE Week! This was a week dedicated to parents signing up to come participate in a PE class with their
child/children. It was a great way for parents to get an idea of exactly what goes on in our gym on a regular basis. Some of the
activities included spinning the warm-up wheel, giant omni-ball games such as "Indiana Jones," and gaga ball. It seemed to us
like the parents had a pretty good time, so we are excited to plan another round of this again soon!
The WOW Bus! Thanks to RWJBarnabas Health, we were able to have an amazing bus called "Wellness on Wheels" park
outside of our school for the day... free of charge! This bus contains a hydroponic garden and an entire kitchen. The purpose of
the presentation was to inspire children to make healthy food choices and to teach them that eating healthy can actually taste
great. We even had a special guest, Miss New Jersey, sing the students a rap about fruits and veggies! The students left the bus
while tasting a "chickpea chocolate chip cookie" along with several healthy recipe handouts to take home.
Healthy Tip of the Day! Mr. Riether has been generous enough to take a list that we've provided and announce 1 "Healthy Tip of
the Day" along with the morning announcements on a daily basis.
PACK Week! Stands for Pack Assorted Colors for Kids. This is a week of promoting healthy school lunches and snacks to our
students. Each day of the week stands for a different color. Students and staff can show school spirit by wearing each color of the
day assigned for that week. They are also encouraged to eat as many fruits and veggies as they can that match that color of the
day. Our cafeteria staff agreed to team up with us so that all students (even if they purchase breakfast or lunch) are able to have
healthy fruit and veggie options in order to participate!
Our "PE MVP" bulletin board! Each month, 1 student from each grade
level is chosen for this award. The students chosen demonstrate
continuous effort, great sportsmanship, follow directions, and are helpful to
others. The students chosen are great role models for their classmates and
we hope their actions inspire others! MVP winners receive a certificate, get
their picture taken for the board, and are also handed a gift card for a
FREE SHAKE from Properly Fueled!
District Wide Wellness Committee!
This year, we started a wellness committee that consists of a
few staff members from each building. The purpose of this
committee is to brainstorm various ideas of how we can
improve the overall wellness of our students, staff and
community of Bordentown. Topics discussed so far have
been nutrition, mental, physical and environmental health.
Happy Holidays from Clara Barton School! May your Winter Break be restful, and your
days be merry and bright!
Say YAY to Pajama Day!
Students at Clara Barton and MacFarland wore pajamas to school on Friday, December 6. Pajama Day was a
chance for us to spend the day in your most comfortable jammies, surrounded by your favorite pals, all while
supporting kids who rely on Children’s Hospital for care, cures and hope. We know
that giving back and creating a sense of community is important and we also had fun
at our Pajama Day. It was a fund and easy way to support the kids at Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
PE Departments work with Sodexo for PACK Week!
Clara Barton School and MacFarland Intermediate School both participated in PACK WEEK. "PACK WEEK" which
stands for Pack Assorted Colors for Kids. PACK is a simple 5-day educational program aimed at encouraging kids to
eat more fruits and vegetables, as well as a wider color variety, while at home and school. The students and staff
dressed for the color of the day the week of December 9th-13th. The students and staff were encouraged to pack healthy
lunches and snacks that contained fruits and veggies. The cafeteria staff had each color readily available to the
students each day. The students were very excited about this challenge. Additionally, the students learned about
nutrition in health class.
Fruit/Veggie colors of the day for PACK Week:
Monday- Purple/Blue day
Tuesday- White/Tan/Brown day
Wednesday- Red day
Thursday- Yellow/Orange day
Friday- Green day
Clara Barton Elementary School Ms. Louisa Kenny, Principal Page 6
Peter Muschal Elementary School Ms. Megan Geibel, Principal Page 7
Peter Muschal Elementary School News
December Excitement at PMES!! Winter Concert 4th and 5th graders did a fantastic job getting everyone
in the spirit!
Second Grade Heritage Feast! Appreciating each other’s backgrounds and yummy food.
Hour of Code!!
Breakfast with Santa! Thank you to PMES PTA for another wonderful event our families LOVED it!!
PMES Wishes Everyone Happy Holidays!!
This Month
December 11 – Board of Education Meeting
December 23-31 – Winter Break – SCHOOL CLOSED
Next Month
January 1 – New Year’s Day – SCHOOL CLOSED
January 2 – Board of Education Re-Organization Meeting
January 15 – Board of Education Meeting (pending board approval)
January 17 – Staff In-Service – No School all students
January 20 – Martin Luther King Jr. – SCHOOL CLOSED
Thank you for checking in with The Bordentown Bulletin!
