"Blending Tradition and

Innovation to Drive

Educational Excellence”

As we enter the month of April, I

am confident that most of us are

comfortable with leaving winter

behind with the opportunity to

hopefully spring forward into

warmer weather. As residents of

New Jersey, one of the few states

that truly has all four seasons, we

come to expect the harsh reali-

ties of winter, however, the last

two winters have been intense. It

will be a true reward to spend

some time outside watching our

baseball, softball and track teams

compete during the Spring sports

season. Educationally speaking, I

am very proud of our students

and staff for their efforts in pre-

paring and completing the

PARCC (PBA) assessment. Our

students and staff responded ad-

mirably to the new assessment

system. Over 600 students were

assessed in the month in of

March. The PARCC test will be

completed in late April to mid

“SPRING FORWARD”

by Scott T. McCue, Superintendent of Schools

April, 2015

Volume I, Issue 2

Board of Education

Bob English, President

Carl Lawson, Vice-President

John Bennett

Ed Fitterer

Joe Fukushima

Deborah Martinock

Shellie Miller

Sharyn Palenzuela

Peter Siino

Ins ide th i s issue:

Woodmere Hal lway 2

Decorat ing Contest

Specia l Vis i t at 2

Meadowbrook

Vetter Part ic ipates 3

In NAEP

Ful l o f Talent 4

Memoria l School 4

Experiences His tory

A View of PARCC 5

News from the ELL 6

Department

Winter Sports 7

Teams

Student Honored 8

Teachers o f the 8

Year

B last Of f for Math 8

May with the administration of

the End of Year Assessment.

Moving forward, the district is

beginning preparations for new

science standards called Next

Generation Science Standards.

Although full implementation of

these new science standards is

not expected for close to two

more years, Eatontown Public

Schools is preparing for the im-

plementation of these standards

in the near future. In addition,

the Department of Education has

adopted new technology stand-

ards as well. The district technol-

ogy curriculum will be revisited

and revised this summer in order

to align to the new technology

standards for next school year.

During the final third of the

school year, there are many ex-

citing programs and opportunities

ahead. Please stop by the Memo-

rial School Fields and watch our

student athletes compete. Our

students and coaches appreci-

ate the support.

In addition, please attend our

Spring Concerts hosted at each

school in the district. Please

consider attending our various

school fun nights hosted by our

PTOs/PTA. Your child would

love to see you come to school

events, and it is a great oppor-

tunity to learn more about the

Eatontown School Community.

Last, but certainly not least,

please remember that there

still is over one full marking

period remaining this school

year. Even though the weather

is improving and the days are

longer, students still need to

attend school routinely and

prepare for school each day.

Looking forward to seeing you

in the months ahead. Thank

you for your support!

Eatontown Public Schools

Newsletter

Important Dates to Remember

April 3rd to April 10th- Schools Closed June 4th- 7th Grade Philadelphia Trip

April 13th- Schools Reopen June 12th- 8th Grade Dance

April 17th- End of the Third Marking Period June 22nd- Last Day of School

April 24th- Report Cards Issued

May 13th- 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip

May 21st- 6th Grade Tri-school Dance

Leadership Team

Scott T. McCue

Superintendent of

Schools

Jay Medlin

Principal of Memorial

School

Valerie Cioffi

Principal of

Meadowbrook School

Kristoffer Brogna

Principal of

Woodmere School

Kevin Iozzi

Principal of Vetter

School

Debbie Nappi

Supervisor of Special

Services

Tara Micciulla

Director of Elementary

& Secondary Education

Lori Youngclaus

Business Administrator/

Board Secretary

Student Council

Officers

President

Brian Waltsak

Vice-President

Jamaal Hall

Secretary

Rachel Miller

Treasurer

Doreen Munck

Woodmere Hallway Decorating Contest

In November it was decided that Woodmere School would participate in a school-wide Hallway

Decorating Contest. The staff at Woodmere is very competitive and enjoy a friendly competition

now and again. The goal for each of the four hallways was to decorate their hallway and make it the

most creative and decorative in the school. A winter theme was chosen and each hallway given a

specific aspect of winter to focus on. The themes included Winter Sports, Winter Flea Market Bi-

zarre, Winter Wonderland, and Penguins in Winter.

As the competition commenced, it was interesting to see how each hallway transformed into some-

thing out of a story. The students and staff worked together to turn their hallway into a winning

product. Not only was this activity fun, but it promoted team building, creativity, learning interest-

ing facts, and artistic talents. Each hallway turned out great and was worthy of being the winner.

During the judging day, all the students and teachers hard work was put to the test. A panel of four

judges walked the hallways to determine who would be the winner of a PTA sponsored breakfast.

While the judging was close and the decision was extremely difficult, the Penguins of Winter were

the victors. It was a well-deserved victory and fun was had by all. Woodmere cannot wait until next

year’s competition. Woodmere wonders what next year’s theme will be?

“A road traveled with a

good friend is never too

Page 2 EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Volume I , I s sue 2

On February 25, 2015, Mrs. Caroline Casagrande,

Assemblywoman of the 11th Legislative District of

New Jersey visited Meadowbrook School's 4th

grade classes. She spoke with the fourth grade stu-

dents about her position as an Assemblywoman

and the importance of citizenship in our communi-

ties. Assemblywoman Casagrande involved stu-

dents in activities that demonstrated the process of

how a bill becomes a law. Students also brain-

stormed and discussed important issues that they

felt should be addressed in our community. As-

semblywoman Casagrande answered many ques-

tions about traffic laws, smoking bans, and pollu-

tion. All fourth grade students took an oath to do

their very best in school, to respect their com-

munity, and to honor the state that they live in.

Meadowbrook School thanks Assemblywom-

an Casagrande for her time and presentation.

Assemblywoman Casagrande

Visits Meadowbrook School

Fourth Graders

According to the most recent

data, did you know that New

Jersey’s fourth grade students

are ranked number one in

Reading when compared to the

other fifty states in the union?

Did you also know that they are

nationally ranked number four

in Mathematics, and there is

only 6 average points separating

us from being ranked number

one? This information is pro-

vided by the National Assess-

ment of Educational Progress

(NAEP). NAEP is the largest

national representative and con-

tinuing assessment of what stu-

dents know and can do in vari-

ous subject areas. NAEP offi-

cials collect data through a care-

fully constructed test that

measures student achievement

in various subjects. It is admin-

istered by the National Center

for Education Statistics, a

branch of the U.S. Department

of Education, and the Vetter

School fourth graders were

honored to join 100 other NJ

schools in representing de-

mographic groups such as

gender, socioeconomic status,

and race/ethnicity to gather

this year’s NJ data for the

National Report Card.

In the days leading up to the

February 11th test date, Mr.

Iozzi and the fourth grade

teachers, gave the students a

lesson in pride, explaining

how highly regarded the edu-

cation in New Jersey is in

comparison to the rest of the

nation. Mr. Iozzi compared it

to the movie Rocky (which

ironically, after all these years,

our newest generation of

students still recognize). He

told the students how hard it

was for Rocky to reach the

top and how it represented

the hard work and dedication

he had to have to get there.

The fourth grade students

were made to realize that

they too have been working

hard in school, not only this

year, but each year getting to

this moment… and it is being

recognized by the nation.

They were told, like Rocky,

they currently hold the title.

They began to feel honored

that they were chosen to not

only represent Eatontown,

but to be a representative of

NJ. Suddenly, the Vetter

fourth graders began to be-

lieve in their abilities and

could not wait to defend

their title in Reading and

move up to number one in

Math (you can just hear the

theme to Rocky playing in

the background).

Vetter School fourth graders

performed their civic duty as

they participated in the

NAEP test on February 11th.

The representatives that vis-

ited our school that day com-

mented that they travel all

over NJ to administer this

test and that they could not

remember a warmer, more

accommodating, and enthusi-

astic atmosphere for the ad-

ministration of the test. The

district is very proud of not

only our fourth graders but

all of the Vetter students and

staff. At the end of all of

this, we’ll all be able to yell,

“Yo Adrian…I did it!!”

Vetter’s Fourth Grade Students Do Their First Civic Duty

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2

Page 3

“Learning never exhausts the

mind.” -Leonardo Da Vinci

2015 Spelling Bee

Winners

Vetter School-

Kelly Huang

Woodmere School-

Gemma Lascano

Meadowbrook School-

Prabhnoor Singh

Memorial School-

Kylie Tang

The Business Office has been working our way through the process of compiling the

2015-2016 school year budget. The tentative budget was adopted by the Board of Edu-

cation at the March 9, 2015 BOE Meeting and then will be submitted to the State De-

partment of Education County Office for approval. Once approved, the formal public

hearing is scheduled to take place at the Board Meeting of April 27th.

The proposed budget maintains all educational programs, continues our preschool pro-

grams, supports our technology initiatives and allows for additional opportunities for pro-

fessional development that will allow our staff to continue to use new and innovative

ways to deliver instruction. There also are maintenance and capital projects being dis-

cussed at the committee level as of this date. The goal continues to be to provide a

quality, first-rate education to the students of Eatontown in a fiscally responsible manner.

BUSINESS OFFICE NOTES by Mrs. Lori Youngclaus, Business Administrator

2015 Geography Winners

Vetter School-

Evan Rea

Woodmere School-

Ava Yeagle

Meadowbrook School-

Alexa Dornemann

Memorial School-

Charles d’Emery-Edwards

Primary Business Address

Phone: 732-542-1310

Fax: 732-578-0017

Website: www.eatontown.org

Spring Concert Schedule

Woodmere Spring Concert & Art

Show— April 30th at 7:00 pm

Vetter Spring Concert & Art

Show— May 20th at 7:00 pm

Memorial Spring Concert & Art

Show— June 2nd at 7:00 pm

Meadowbrook Spring Concert &

Art Show— June 4th at 6:00 pm

All the way back in September, the buzz around school was all about this so called Tal-

ent Show. People would talk and many times the conversation would broach the topic of

this wonderful show that featured some of Woodmere’s best and brightest students. They

would say, this is a show you can not miss or just wait until you see that show. Well on

Friday, March 6th, that show took place. The annual PTA Woodmere Talent Show which

featured the theme of circus life was held. Sixteen acts took the stage for a night full of

memories and laughs. Students put their talents on display and captivated the audience

with their performances. Acts like singing, dancing, magic, and spoofs entertained the

crowd and brought joy to the school. The students worked so hard and showcased their

creative talents. They stood proud, as did all in the audience, to know that they gave it

their best. It was a night to remember and one that we hope comes back year after year.

Everyone left with a smile on their face and the feeling that they got treated to something

special. Woodmere is looking forward to next year’s show!!

Eatontown Public Schools

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Volume I , I ssue 2

Spring is finally here according to the

calendar, and here are a few remind-

ers from the Health Offices:

Kindergarten registration was con-

ducted in early March and parents are

reminded that their children will need

to have a documented physical exami-

nation and required immunizations

before entering school. Parents of

students that will also be entering

sixth grade in the fall are reminded

that their students are required to have both the Tdap Vaccine (given no

earlier than the 10th birthday) and the

Meningococcal Vaccine (given after

the 11th birthday). Documentation of

these vaccines must be submitted

prior to the first day of school in

September. Finally, it is not too

early to begin preparing for the 2015-

16 school year. If your child is inter-

ested in participating in school sports

in the fall, a current physical must be

on file at the school. The only form

that can be accepted is available on

the website or at the school office.

The physical must be approved by the

school physician prior to the first day

of tryouts. Please schedule a physical

over the summer and turn in all nec-

essary form by the first day of school

so that an opportunity to participate

will not be missed.

The 8th grade was privileged to have Mrs.

Tova Friedman come to school on January

27th to tell the story of her life experience.

Mrs. Friedman survived Auschwitz con-

centration camp as a six year old child. She

and her family were captured by the Nazis

and taken to Auschwitz where she was

able to stay with her mother and survive

until the Russian army liberated them. Jan-

uary 27th was an important day for Mrs.

Friedman as it was the anniversary of her

liberation. The 8th grade students were

given the opportunity to ask Mrs. Fried-

man questions after her presentation. The

students have studied the Holocaust at

length in their Language Arts classes and

were very appreciative to be able to hear

about history first hand.

FULL OF TALENT— WOODMERE SCHOOL!

MEMORIAL SCHOOL HONORED TO HOST

MRS. FRIEDMAN, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR

Page 4

During the month of March, students in Grades 3-8 have taken the Performance

Based Assessment component of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for

College and Careers (PARCC) assessments in Language Arts and Mathematics.

PARCC is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that

measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers.

These computer-based tests give parents, teachers, and schools detailed information

about how the students are progressing in their learning, and the data to help teach-

ers customize learning to meet the students’ needs.

Eatontown has been preparing for the PARCC testing over the last few years. Stu-

dents in grades 4-8 have a one-to-one ratio of tablets to students provided to them.

Teachers have received training on the Common Core State Standards and the

PARCC tests. Students have been practicing the testing functionalities in their class-

rooms. Schools have practiced readiness with Infrastructure Trials during the

month of February. Even parents have received some information. On Wednesday,

February 11, 2015, 75 parents attended the PARCC Parent Information Night held

at Memorial Middle School. Mr. Scott McCue, Superintendent of Schools, and Mrs.

Tara Micciulla, Director of Elementary and Secondary Education, presented a Pow-

erPoint on the Common Core State Standards and the make-up of the PARCC as-

sessment. Representatives from Senator’s Beck’s Office and the NJ School Boards

attended the event. After the presentation, District Math and Literacy coaches ex-

plained the test to parents by grade level and allowed the parents to see sample

problems. Beginning April 27th, students will take the End of the Year (EOY) com-

ponent of the PARCC. The Language Arts EOY will focus on reading comprehen-

sion. The Mathematics EOY will have students demonstrate further conceptual un-

derstanding of the standards and demonstrate mathematical fluency when applicable

to the grade level. Students can reinforce important academic skills at home by

reading every night and using StudyIsland in English Language Arts and Math.

Page 5

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2

Reminders

Spring Recess

All schools are closed

from April 3rd through

April 10th. Schools reo-

pen on Monday, April

13th.

“Books are portable

magic.” -Anonymous

Eatontown Public

Schools Parent Portal

If you would like to re-

ceive school notices elec-

tronically, please request

a form through your

school’s Main Office.

This form to register for

this service will be pro-

vided to you. Thank you

for your cooperation.

If you have already regis-

tered for this service, you

do not need to do it

again.

A VIEW OF THE PARCC by Mrs. Tara Micciulla

Director of Elementary & Secondary Education

Page 6

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2

The ELL Program, based at Vetter School and Memorial School, has had an eventful year. Ms. Lancton and Mrs. Mindnich work with 51 ELL students

on a daily basis, both pushing into mainstream classes with our advanced students and pulling out students of lower language proficiency in a small

group setting. The Eatontown School District receives Title III funds for our ELL program. A component of the funding is to incorporate the entire

family into the Title III program and enrich the learning with special programs.

In doing so, from October through December evening classes were held for parents covering current news topics. Elizabeth Claire’s Easy English

News, which is a monthly newspaper specifically written for English language learners, was used in the classes. Students were welcomed to come with

their parents and were supervised by Bushra Saeed, a Board approved volunteer who also is the mother of one of our 2nd grade students. She read

with them and worked with technology. A variety of cultures/languages were represented at the classes. Later, in January, a four week After School

Multi-Cultural Storytelling Hour was offered for 25 K-2 students. Julie Pasquale, from Storytelling Arts, Inc. did an amazing job engaging all of the stu-

dents with her unique storytelling abilities and the students gained both listening and “visualizing” skills.

Currently, the ELL department is offering an evening Family Literacy Program entitled “Success in School for Families.” On Wednesday evenings from

6:30—7:30 p.m., families come to Vetter School and participate in activities which focus on foundational literacy skills and vocabulary development.

This is a great opportunity for the parents not only to work with their children, but to learn educational games and other techniques to help their

child achieve academic success. Parents can ask for help with notices or questions they may have about their child’s homework. This evening pro-

gram has been a very positive experience for all involved and continues to grow on a weekly basis.

As ELL Teachers, Ms. Lancton and Mrs. Mindnich are involved in the PARCC (3-8) and Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State

to State (ACCESS) testing. All K-8 students are tested with the ACCESS test, during a specific window of time, in order to establish their English

proficiency levels from year to year. The test evaluates each student in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. With the results of this Assessment

they are able to determine the student’s specific areas of strength, possible areas of weakness, and whether or not they can be exited from the ELL

Program.

Eatontown Elks Essay Contest Winners

News from THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER (ELL) PROGRAM

Grade 5

1st Place Sabrina Sciarappa Meadowbrook

2nd Place Christopher Kohler Meadowbrook

3rd Place Melody Membreno Vetter

Grade 6

1st Place Rebecca Heath Woodmere

2nd Place Hope Pino Meadowbrook

3rd Place Riley Kline Meadowbrook

Grade 7

1st Place Eric Pietz Memorial

2nd Place Alyssa Hughes Memorial

3rd Place Levi Bova Memorial

Grade 8

1st Place Destiny Bland Memorial

2nd Place Nicole Lastella Memorial

3rd Place Evan Newcomb Memorial

Students were recognized at the March

23rd Board of Education Meeting.

Page 7

Memorial School Sports Recognition

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2

Memorial School Girls’ Basketball Team 2015

Memorial School Boys’ Basket ball Team 2015

Memorial School Cheerleading Team 2015

The Eatontown Public School community is very proud of our winter season student athletes. Thank you for representing

Eatontown both on and off the court this year. We appreciate your hard work and dedication.

2015 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

The Teachers of the Year were honored at the February

9th Board of Education Meeting. They were Mr. William

Reich, Memorial School, Mrs. Jessica Kuras, Meadow-

brook School, Mrs. Kelly Schleig, Woodmere School, and

Mrs. Jamie Johnson, Vetter School. Eatontown Public

Schools is proud to have these excellent educators in

our district. They will be honored at a luncheon hosted

by the Monmouth County Superintendent’s at Mon-

mouth University on May 15th.

Memorial’s Kyra Barriteau Accepts a $50,000.00 Scholarship

Kyra Barriteau will be completing the NJ SEEDS Scholars Program this May. The program prepares 8th grade students

for 9th grade placement at an academically rigorous institution or boarding school. Kyra was Memorial’s first SEEDS

Scholar. This year Kyra has spent countless hours studying and attending the SEEDS Saturday Academy preparing for her

SSAT entrance exams and the application process while keeping up with her schoolwork and activities at Memorial. This

past week, Kyra was offered a $50,000.00 annual scholarship for the next four years at the prestigious Fryeburg Acade-

my. Fryeburg is one of the oldest private schools in the United States. The school is located in Fryeburg, Maine. Kyra and

her mother, Michelle Barbosa, were delighted at the opportunity and accepted the scholarship for the 2015/2016 school

year. Many thanks go out to Mr. Medlin, Ms. Rosati, and Mrs. Gallucci for all their help over the past two years. The en-

tire Memorial staff and the Eatontown Public School District wish Kyra the best and look forward to hearing about her

experience with future Memorial SEEDS Scholars.

CONGRATULATIONS KYRA FOR A JOB WELL

DONE!

“Blast Off for Math!”

A Title I Family Involvement Night

By Ms. Rosati, School Counselor at Memorial and

Vetter Schools

On Wednesday March 25th over 30 families attended the “Blast

Off for Math” themed Parent Involvement Night which took

place at Vetter School. Eatontown Public School District is re-

quired to reserve part of their Title I allocation for parent in-

volvement programs, including promoting test taking strategies

and parenting skills. Parent/family involvement significantly con-

tributes to improved student outcomes. Qualifying Title I stu-

dents from Vetter School, Woodmere School and Memorial

School participated in a fun filled evening surrounding the math

theme. Students and families in grades Pre-K through eighth

grade began the evening by enjoying pizza. After dinner, families

moved throughout the building to participate in math activities.

Teachers were located in multiple rooms to assist in the planned

activities. Students were able to show their family math related

computer programs and games using the newly implemented

tablets. Students and families also took part in an outer space

themed art project, math board games as well as worked togeth-

er in an activities/worksheet room. After rotating into each

room students and families returned to the All-Purpose Room to

enjoy themed goodie-bags filled with snacks and school supplies.

Students won door prizes as well. Students took home math

worksheets/games and parents were provided with informational

materials including resources regarding the PARCC state assess-

ment. This was another successful Title I event for our school

community. We look forward to future Parent Involvement

events. Please keep an eye out for the next Title I night towards

the end of the school year!

EATONTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER Vo lume I , I ssue 2 Page 8