Princeton - 1223.pdf

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1/16

www.theprincetonsun.com DEC. 23–29, 2015 FREE

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Police Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

INSIDE THIS ISSUEHelping others

Princeton teen honoredfor non-profit. PAGE 2

ERICA CHAYES WIDA/The Sun

Susan Gange of Stony Brook Orchids chats with Tunde Hagymasy, a local craftswoman, at the WinterFarmers’ Market at Princeton Public Library last week. For the full schedule of Princeton WinterFarmers’ Markets and a word from the farmers about how indoor markets are helpful in the off-sea-son, visit www.theprincetonsun.com.

BOE approvestransgender policy

By ERICA CHAYES WIDAThe Sun

“Tonight, we will vote on apolicy that acknowledges thesincerely held views of ourtransgender students and codi-fies the protections and prac-tices we have already put inplace for them,” SuperintendentSteve Cochrane said at theBoard of Education’s Dec. 15meeting.

Policy 5756, Transgender andGender Nonconforming Stu-dents, was approved and stipu-lates any student from pre-kindergarten through highschool reserves the right to uselocker rooms, bathrooms andengage in any athletic activity

that corresponds with their gen-der identity.

According to Board of Educa-tion President Andrea Spalla,the policy is modeled after onecrafted by Garden State Equali-ty and does not differ in sub-stance.

“The policy we adopted wasshortened and streamlined fromGSE’s model to reflect our dis-

trict’s operational and pragmat-ic needs, input we received fromstaff and to provide as muchguidance to the staff as possiblewhile recognizing the need for aflexible, case-by-case approach,”Spalla said.

“Princeton Public Schoolsreached out to us looking to seethe policy we had been circulat-ing throughout New Jersey

schools,” GSE Director of Pro-grams Aaron Potenza said. “Wewere really happy to see Prince-ton pass this policy, and theywere able to do so rather easily.Some schools experience morearguments.”

Section J of the policy saystransgender students are per-

please see SCHOOL, page 12

The Princeton Board of EducationPolicy 5756 supports rights for transgender

and gender nonconforming students

Winter Farmers’ Market kicks off

MORE INSIDE

When the policy passed lastTuesday, students and districtpersonnel reacted with greatemotion. See the full story onpage 11.


2/16

2 THE PRINCETON SUN — DEC. 23–29, 2015


Ruchita Zaparde was 12 thefirst time she wandered a dis-parate village in rural India. Al-though she had visited her grand-parents in India every year, thisparticular journey led to some-thing big, something that haschanged the lives of 312 widowedwomen and their children.

It was the summer before

eighth grade that Ruchita metAsha, a mother whose livelihoodwas stripped when her husbanddied. Ruchita and her family, ontheir way to see the village whereRuchita’s father Rashmi wasborn, stopped the car to stretchtheir legs.

“I saw a remote village I hadnever before been exposed to. Iwalked around seeing strangesights, smelling the smells. Every-thing was so different from myhome. That’s when I met Asha,”Ruchita said.

Asha was 27 years old and hadtwo daughters. They were kickedout of her in-laws’ not even amonth after her husband passed.Asha began farm-ing in the day,sewing at night,and her children, forced to leaveschool, picked up small jobs tohelp.

“I thought to myself, ‘This isn’tright, this shouldn’t be happen-

ing.’ I couldn’t imagine leaving

school. I love learning, being inthe classroom. I was in such agreat environment and I wantedthat for somebody else. I had to do

something,” saidRuchita, a studentat Princeton Day

School.Upon returning to New Jersey,

Ruchita began fundraising. Withthis money, she bought Asha herown sewing machine, and within

a year, Asha’s children were back

in school and she had a steady in-come.

By age 13, Ruchita founded SewA Future, an organization devot-ed to helping the countless wid-owed women in Central Indiasimilar to Asha.

Sew A Future has a “two-fold”mission: “To uplift and empowerwidows with young children byproviding them with a steadysource of income: a sewing ma-

chine.” The women who receive

the sewing machines also con-tribute to their own communitiesby teaching other widows in near-by villages how to sew.

The second part of the missionis “to inspire and motivate fellowstudents across the U.S. to recog-nize the many hardships widowsface in developing countries.”

Thus far, Ruchita has involved1,400 students from 57 schools in30 states to participate in her

cause.

“I tell other kids my story onSkype. That way, they can ask mequestions. I think it’s far morepowerful than reading a blurb onthe Internet. We’re talking;they’re engaged,” Rucita said. “Ithink it inspires the desire to helpsomeone else, and that is the mostimportant aspect of this cause.”

Last August, Ruchita, now 18,received a phone call from Nick-elodeon asking if it could comediscuss Sew A Future for a show

about kids doing service work intheir communities. Ruchita glad-ly accepted.

When the network arrived, Ru-chita heard a loud whirringsound. Suddenly, a drone camefrom the sky and dropped a pack-age at her feet. Inside was an iPadwith a video on the screen. Ruchi-ta pressed play, still in shock fromwitnessing her first drone, andwatched Nick Cannon explainingshe had been chosen as a 2015Nickelodeon HALO Honoree.HALO, which stands for Helpingand Leading Others, spotlights“ordinary kids doing extraordi-nary work,” and hosted itsawards ceremony Nov. 29 in NewYork.

“It was a crazy start to an evencrazier and more awesome adven-ture,” Ruchita said. “For me, theawards were about introducingSew A Future on a huge platform.I’ve never been involved in any-

The following report was pro-vided by the Princeton Police De-partment.

A Mountain Avenue residentreported that sometime betweenDec. 1 and 15, unknown actor(s)spray painted graffiti on two

large boulders and two trees in-side Witherspoon Woods Munici-pal Park on Cherry Hill Road. Thecost of the damage is unknown.

On Dec. 8, a 32-year-old Delran

male was arrested for hinderingapprehension after providingfalse information to a police offi-cer during a car stop on StateRoad. He was alsowanted on a EveshamTownship MunicipalCourt warrant for

$164. The accused wasprocessed at policeheadquarters and released withsummonses after posting bail.

On Dec. 9, a 30-year-old Prince-

ton individual was arrested forpossession of under 50 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia during a car

stop on Wiggins Street.He was processed atpolice headquartersand later released with

summonses.

On Dec. 9, a 26-year-oldPennsauken male was arrested forhindering apprehension after pro-viding false information to a law

enforcement officer during a carstop on Stockton Street. He wasalso wanted on a Cherry Hill Mu-nicipal Court warrant for $600 anda Merchantville Municipal Courtwarrant for $325. The accused wasprocessed at police headquartersand later released with summons-

es on his own recognizance.

On Dec. 10, a 68-year-oldLawrenceville male was arrestedon a Lawrence Township Munici-pal Court warrant for $89 during

a car stop on Olden Lane. Hisson, 36, was also arrested on aPrinceton Municipal Court war-rant for $106. Both wereprocessed at police headquartersand released after posting bail.

On Dec. 10, a 22-year-old Prince-

ton male was arrested on aPrinceton Municipal Court war-rant for $114 during a car stop onLawrenceville Road. He wasprocessed at police headquartersand released after posting bail.

Changing lives, one sewing machine at a time

Mountain Avenue resident reports graffiti on park boulders, trees

At age 13, Ruchita Zaparde founded Sew A Future to benefit widows living in Central India

police

report

Special to The Sun

Ruchita Zaparde with Sharda, one of the beneficiaries from Sew A Future, and her daughter are picturedon a trip to Central India to distribute sewing machines to widowed women.

please see RUCHITA, page 8

THE SUN SPOTLIGHT


3/16


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By VITA DUVAThe Sun

The Princeton School Districthas been working to close the“digital divide,” as news of thelaunch of its groundbreaking Mo-bile Access Program breaks.

The program, a lending initia-tive, works to grant eligible stu-dents free Internet access and lap-top computers.

In the project’s initial stage, 20

students received laptops and aWifi hotspot hosted by the Sprintnetwork, which included three gi-gabytes of Internet data eachmonth at no cost.

A supplemental in-depth train-ing session was held at John With-erspoon Middle School for the firstgroup of participating families.More sessions are to be scheduledas the program expands.

Funding for MAP is being pro-vided by the Princeton EducationFoundation, and the programhopes to ultimately extend tonearly 200 eligible students span-ning the district.

“This program is an extraordi-nary step forward in ensuringboth equity and excellence in thePrinceton Public Schools,” Super-intendent Stephen Cochrane said.“By providing electronic accessfor all, we are not only closing the

achievement gap, but accelerat-ing our ability to move forward inthe use of educational technologyfor every student.”

The driving goal of MAP is toensure every student – regardlessof economic means – has accessto the online education he or sheneeds.

In today's technology-mindedworld, these resources will help to

build on PPS students' academicskills, strengthen their communi-cation between home and schooland broaden their knowledgeabout the surrounding communi-ty and the ever-developing world,officials said.

As MAP works to expand stu-dents' learning atmosphere wellbeyond the classroom, studentswill also complete computer-based assignments and conductacademic research at home when

necessary.Eligibility is ultimately deter-

mined by a student’s enrollmentin the federal free and reducedmeals program or by the family’sdemonstration of other financialneeds.

MAP is further designed so sib-lings in the same family may indi-vidually receive a laptop, Internetaccess and data.

Princeton School Districtlaunches Mobile Access Program


5/16

DEC. 23–29, 2015 – THE PRINCETON SUN 5


At a special meeting Monday,Dec. 14, Christopher Eisgruberemphasized how Princeton Uni-versity students enjoy “crossingthe boundary of the orange bub-ble” to the Entrepreneurial Hubon Chambers Street.

“It is important for our stu-

dents that the hub was in townnext to the ice cream shops thatfoster entrepreneurialism,” saidEisgruber, the university’s 20thpresident. “The hub is an impor-tant site and an important con-nection to the town.”

It seems the hub, however, isnot the only reason the universityis tiptoeing from its “bubble.”Through a Q&A, town counciland Eisgruber found themselvesin tune on an array of issues:from sustainability to public safe-

ty, underage drinking, campusplanning and achieving diversityto creating progressive policies toaccommodate the lesbian, gay,transgender and bisexual com-munity throughout all of Prince-ton. Regardless of their differ-ences, both entities that fall underthe “Princeton” name seem to begrowing closer.

Princetonian Anton Lahnstonworked on consolidation formany years and stated how the

university and town were hardlyamicable.“The relationship was frac-

tured. Now from both sides, a con-siderable amount of effort hasbeen put forth,” Lahnston said.

Addressing Mayor Liz Lempertand Eisgruber, both of whom satat the center of the rectangularpanel, Lahnston continued: “Willyou tell us from your unique per-spectives, one, how you feel the re-lationship is going and, two, whatyou would like to see in the future

as helpful and better moving for-ward?”

“We need to work together,”Eisgruber responded. “I have em-phasized this in the past and willemphasize it again. There are

shared priorities for the town andthe university. There are mo-ments when our priorities maydiverge. But the most importantshared judgments and works willcome out of shared projects.”

The university is working onits strategic plan, which Eisgru-ber noted is becoming more “ma-ture.” Parts of this plan will ex-tend into the community as PU

finds ways to make a differenceboth “globally and locally.”

“I want to highlight the com-mitment to service. I know ourstudents will be asking ‘Where isit that I can have a service experi-ence to make a difference?’ Forthat, we’ll be looking for partnersin the region,” Eisgruber said.

Eisgruber also voiced the uni-versity’s incentive to work withthe town’s new bike master plan.

“I would love to see us findways to cooperate in making bik-

ing a more attractive alternative.It’s a win, win – good for the town,good for the region and good forthe university. We should contin-ue talking about that,” Eisgrubersaid.

Lempert asked Eisgruber,“What is the role of the communi-ty to make all students feel wel-come when they come to Prince-ton and make it their home?”

“I think it is important – thekinds of cues we send to students

about identity,” Eisgruber said.“Embracing diverse identities inartwork, iconography, the exam-ples evoked in public language.We are blessed as a communitywith the iconography of the past,but it is [crucial] to convey thatthe America of the past is differ-ent now. Who we are today mat-ters just as much.”

Council and members of thepublic applauded Eisgruber forcoming once again across theboundary of the orange bubble.

“I thank you again for com-ing,” Councilman Lance Liver-man said. “I wish we could havethis discussion at a fireplace withsome marshmallows and all real-ly kick back.”

‘Crossing the boundaryof the orange bubble’

Princeton and Princeton University cross boundary into harmonious relationship at special meeting


6/16


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“The good news is the sky didn’t fall,”Bonnie Lehet, assistant superintendent forPPS curriculum and instruction, an-nounced last Monday at the Board of Edu-cation meeting. Referring to the long-antic-

ipated results of the Partnership for As-sessment of Readiness for College and Ca-reers, Lehet continued, “It was quite a yearand we made it through.”

The exam, in its first year, created a stirwhen it replaced the old math and lan-

guage arts sections of the New Jersey As-sessment of Skills and Knowledge exam.With parents resisting the exam and deem-ing it disadvantageous, some studentsacross the state opted out of the test. Lehetreminded the board and those in atten-dance to consider “non-participation” con-textually when scrutinizing the “test-run”

of results.“There have been rumors that PARCC is

going away,” Lehet said before proceedingwith the scores. “But it is not.”

Board President Andrea Spalla dis-cussed Princeton’s experience with PARCC

testing and noted there are many more fac-tors to gauge a student’s success in school,and later as a citizen of the world, than onetest.

“PARCC is a new test, much of it experi-mental in nature. It is significantly differ-ent in format than other tests we havetaken and was administered online rather

than on paper,” Spalla said. “It is unreason-able to compare these test results to a stu-dent’s performance on any other standard-ized test. What will we do with these re-

Princeton School District releases PARCC resultsDr. Bonnie Lehet outlines results at meeting; students can expect scores before holiday

please see BOE, page 13

Since September, Evesham Town-

ship has been helping to save

lives – quite literally, in its

words. That month, the township

launched a pilot program funded en-

tirely through private donations from

businesses, groups and even citizens

that provided residents of the town

with a free ride home from a township-

based bar or restaurant if they had too

much to drink.

The program, called Evesham Sav-

ing Lives, partnered with popular DD

services such as Uber and BeMyDD to

keep potential drunk drivers off the

streets.

The program worked well in the ini-

tial pilot stage, and so, it was expanded

another month. And then another. And

another. In the program’s first 100

days, officials said 800 residents used

the service. Only two of the Evesham

residents arrested for DWI during that

time came from any of the 19 locations

in town where the program is avail-

able. Before the program started, near-

ly 60 percent of those arrested for DWI

in Evesham were residents of the

town. During the program, that num-

ber dropped all the way to 5 percent.

Last week, Voorhees Township, Eve-

sham’s next-door neighbor but across

county lines, partnered with Evesham

to jump on board the program. Now,

residents of either township can get a

free ride home from any establishment

in either town to keep them from mak-

ing the dumb decision of getting be-

hind the wheel while they are im-

paired.

This new partnership is set to run

through Jan. 15, with donations fund-

ing it through that time. Evesham

Mayor Randy Brown, a Republican,

has said he’ll make sure it continues in

his town indefinitely, and Voorhees

Mayor Michael Mignogna, a Democrat,

is happy to offer the program as well.

The Saving Lives program is a won-

derful example of bipartisan politics:

A Republican-controlled town govern-

ment in one county partners with a De-

mocrat-controlled town government in

the next county over to do what gov-

ernment is intended to do – help keep

its constituents safe.

This is a highly commendable pro-

gram – one that works, both in theory

and in practice. The two town govern-

ments should be thanked, but so, too,

should the generous unnamed busi-

nesses, groups and residents who have

provided the donations to run it.

Now, the next step should be expan-

sion again – maybe with the help of

more towns, counties or even the state,

who could provide funding so private

donations weren’t needed.

Let’s make this happen.

in our opinion

DD program should expandTowns, counties, maybe even state should look at Evesham, Voorhees initiative

Your thoughts

What do you think of the “Saving Lives”program? Share your thoughts on this,and other topics, through a letter to theeditor.


7/16


Email us at [email protected]

By VITA DUVAThe Sun

Last month, Princeton Acade-my of the Sacred Heart, a privateCatholic school for boys in junior-kindergarten through eighthgrade, celebrated the installationof Headmaster Alfred F. “Rik”Dugan III.

The mass, which took placedon the school campus’ McPher-

son Athletic and ConvocationCenter, was officiated by AbbotBrian H. Clarke, O.S.B of St.Mary’s Abbey Delbarton Schoolin Morristown.

Approximately 300 members of the greater Princeton communitywere in attendance.

The mass opened with a pro-cession of the school’s board of trustees, faculty and staff.

Instrumental and vocal musi-cal accompaniment was per-formed by music teacher

Jonathan Britt, instrumentalmusic teacher Haiben Wu, stu-dents and alumni.

Clarke then shared special an-ecdotes from Dugan’s time work-ing in the English department atDelbarton, an independent col-lege preparatory school forboys in seventh through 12thgrade.

In addition to teaching Englishat Delbarton, Dugan coached foot-ball and lacrosse, and served as

an admission officer.After serving nine years at Del-barton, Dugan took on the role of director of secondary schoolcounseling and director of upperschool at Far Hills Country DaySchool.

Dugan holds a bachelor’s de-gree from Williams College and amaster’s degree from TeachersCollege, Columbia University.

The Sun caught up withDugan, who first began his dutiesas headmaster in July.

The Sun: What is one memo-rable moment you can recallsince your start at PrincetonAcademy?

Dugan: Every day this year hasprovided a memorable moment

for me … truly.Every assem-bly, everyclassroomvisit, everyevent – everyinteractionhas beenmemorable.Each day is a

joyful andmeaningful

adventure. One moment that doesstand out is my first “morninghandshake” with the boys onopening day. We have a traditionat the academy that enables me tobegin each day on our front stepsgreeting our boys with a hand-shake and a good morning as theyenter school. On day one thisyear, I was joined by our mascot,the Hawk, to welcome our boysback to school. It was a hallmarkmoment that I will always re-member with joy.

The Sun: What has been yourbiggest challenge as headmasterthus far?

Princeton Academyinstalls second headmaster

DUGAN

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart celebrates

installation of Headmaster Alfred F. ‘Rik’ Dugan III

please see DUGAN, page 14

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WE NES Y DEC. 23Dan Black with FingerPyx: Prince-

ton Country Dancers, SuzannePatterson Center, 8-10:30 p.m.

Tickets: $8.“A Christmas Carol”: McCarter

Theatre Center, 3 p.m. For tickets,call (609) 258-2787.

THURS Y DEC. 24“Three Generations of Kuenne

Artists”: D&R Greenway LandTrust, 10-5 p.m. For more infor-mation, call (609) 924-4646.

Santa’s Arrival: Princeton Airport,11 a.m. Bring a wrapped gift withchild’s name in large text andSanta will distribute it when hearrives. Participants are alsoasked to bring an unwrapped giftof clothing, books or toys to bedistributed through Mercer Coun-ty Board of Social Services. Formore information, visitwww.princetonairport.com.

A Service of Lessons and Carols:Witherspoon Street PresbyterianChurch, 7 p.m.

Candlelight Service of Lessons andCarols: Princeton United

Methodist Church, 8 p.m.

FRI Y DEC. 25Festival of Trees: Morven Museum

& Garden, 10-4 p.m. For moreinformation, visitwww.morven.org.

S TUR Y DEC. 26Winter Family Matinee: “The Mup-

pet Christmas Carol”: PrincetonGarden Theatre, 10:30 a.m. Tick-

ets: $4.

One Hour Trolley Ride throughPrinceton: Princeton Tour Com-pany, 10-4 p.m. In one hour, insidea climate controlled trolley, seethe homes and hangouts ofGrover Cleveland, Woodrow Wil-son, James Madison and more.

Kirtan Meditation, Discussion andIndian Vegetarian Luncheon:Princeton Bhakti Vedanta Insti-tute, 2 p.m. Register at [email protected].

Brazilian/Portuguese Stories:Princeton Public Library, StoryRoom, 3:30 p.m. Children ages 2and older are invited to hear sto-ries in Brazilian and Portuguese.Children under 8 must be accom-panied by an adult.

SUN Y DEC. 27Documentary: “Best of Enemies”:

Princeton Public Library, Commu-nity Room, 3 p.m. In 1968, ideo-logical opposites William F. Buck-ley Jr. and Gore Vidal hold aseries of riveting, nationally tele-vised debates that usher in a newera of public discourse and punditTV. 1 hour, 27 minutes.

“A Christmas Carol”: McCarterTheatre Center, 1 p.m. For tickets,call (609) 258-2787.

Festival of Trees: Morven Museum

& Garden, 10-4 p.m. For moreinformation, visit

www.morven.org.

MON Y DEC. 28Film: Inside Out: Princeton Public

Library, Community Room, 3 p.m.This 2015 computer-animatedfilm from Pixar Animation Stu-dios is set in the mind of an 11-year-old girl where five personi-fied emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear,Anger and Disgust guide herthrough life after a move to a newcity. 1 hour, 42 minutes.

“Three Generations of KuenneArtists”: D&R Greenway LandTrust, 10-5 p.m. For more infor-mation, call (609) 924-4646.

TUES Y DEC. 29

Coloring Night for Grown-ups:Princeton Public Library, Commu-nity Room, 7 p.m. Adults are invit-ed to rediscover the joy of color-ing at this gathering where par-ticipants will choose pages to col-or from a variety of coloringbooks for adults. Colored pencilsand other art supplies will be pro-vided along with light refresh-ments and relaxing music.

Princeton Community Dinner: FirstBaptist Church of Princeton, 5-7p.m. All are welcome to partake

of a free dinner to sit down andeat, or to take with you.

CALENDARPAGE 8 DEC. 23–29, 2015

WANT TO BE LISTED?Send information by mail to: Calendar, The Sun, 145 Witherspoon

Street, Princeton, NJ 08542. Or by email: [email protected]. Or you can submit a calendar listing through our website(www.theprincetonsun.com).

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thing quite like it before.”

Ruchita is eager to continuegrowing Sew A Future. She lovesvisiting Central India where shecan speak the language and con-nect with her beneficiaries per-sonally.

“It’s not just sewing machines,but a chance to truly changelives,” Ruchita said. “The biggestthing I tell not just kids but every-one is that sometimes creatingchange seems like an impossible

task – it seems difficult, but that’snot it. It’s making a difference. Itdoesn’t matter how big or small,but that you yourself are goingout there with the desire to effectchange. Anyone can do it. That’s

how the world will get better.”

The neighbor you don’t know, thathelpful librarian, your little leagueteam or loved politician; your kids,your kids’ friends, your friends’

friends. Learn how the mayor takesher coffee and what extraordinaryhabit the man on Hulfish has. What-ever the story, “The Sun Spotlight”is where Princeton people get toshine.

RUCHITAContinued from page 2

Ruchita: It’s a chance to change lives


9/16


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Bainbridge House renovations bringuniversity arts further into town Another example of community outreach, the historic landmark

on Nassau Street will become a gallery space for Princeton and its visitorsBy ERICA CHAYES WIDA

The Sun

There’s nothing quite like ex-periencing art in a building thatin and of itself is a preservedwork of architecture. Since 1969,the Historical Society of Prince-ton brought its exhibits to life inthe Bainbridge House on NassauStreet. Before that, it was home to

the Princeton Public Library and,before that, a 19th century board-ing house for Princeton Universi-ty students.

For decades, the university hasowned Bainbridge, which, accord-ing to the HSP, was built by JobStockton in 1766 and is one of the“oldest surviving buildings inPrinceton and one of the area’sbest preserved examples of mid-Georgian architecture.” With theHSP moving permanently to itsheadquarters, Updike Farmstead,

the university has decided to re-store Bainbridge House andtransform it for a sole purpose:art.

Galleries, gathering spaces, ashowcase for local artisans and a

ticketing center will flood thetimeless brick building’s groundfloor.

“The focus of the project willbe to provide a location that isboth open and welcoming to thecommunity and visitors to the re-gion, and encourage all to discov-er the rich cultural opportunitiesavailable in Princeton,” statedMedia Relations Specialist Min

Pullan in a university release.Individuals from the PrincetonUniversity Art Museum will staff the public spaces. The new Bain-bridge House will also include ad-ministrative space for theeducation of the PUAM employ-ees.

Furthermore, the centrally-lo-cated building will be set up toprovide its visitors and local com-munity to learn about the pletho-ra of arts and humanities events,including those at PUAM and the

Lewis Center for the Arts."We are delighted to have the

opportunity to use this iconicbuilding on Nassau Street to con-tinue to bring creative programsfrom campus to town,” said

Kristin Appelget, Princeton Uni-versity's director of communityand regional affairs. “As a newgateway to the arts and humani-ties, the building will have spacesin which the public will have op-portunities to participate in fulland varied programs, whether itis a lecture and discussion, a per-formance, an exhibition or a chil-dren’s program.”

The New York-based architec-ture firm Murphy Burnham &Buttrick Architects recentlycame on board to craft the planfor preservation and restoration.According a university press re-lease, the firm is committed tomaintaining the building’s his-toric features as it updates Bain-bridge House and makes it moreaccessible to the public.

The university plans to beginrenovating and restoring in 2016and expects the building to be

ready for occupancy by autumn2017.

Princeton University officialscould not be reached for furthercomment regarding the specificsof the renovation plan.



11/16


When Board of Educationmembers raised their hands onthe night of Dec. 15 in approval of Policy 5756, it was a moment thatsurged an emotional response formany in the room.

Policy 5756, Transgender and

Gender Nonconforming Students,applies to all students throughoutthe district, from pre-kinder-garten to high school seniors. Thepolicy strives to support and in-clude all students, includingtransgender students, and ensureequal educational opportunitiesand access to activities.

The policy includes definitionssuch as “gender” and “gendernonconforming” to help apply thepolicy and create understanding.Policy 5756 covers everything

from privacy, use of locker roomsand restrooms that correspondswith one’s gender identity, dresscodes and prohibition of discrim-ination.

In support of the board, stu-dents and teachers who worked toget this policy approved, many in-dividuals stepped forward.

Nora Aguiar, president of theGender and Sexuality Alliance at

Princeton High School, came tothe podium first. Aguiar had aconfident and optimistic presenceand her words, brought severalindividuals, including BoardPresident Andrea Spalla, nearlyto tears.

“I am here to talk about thetrans policy,” she began. “I’d liketo thank the board for entertain-

ing this policy. These steps are in-tegral to the safety and educationof trans students. I cannot speakfor all trans students, but I canspeak for what I’ve seen and whatI’ve been told by my trans friends.

“Conscious or not, there is stilla great deal of ignorance sur-rounding gender from studentsand teachers alike. I’ve heardtransphobic slurs, discourse frompeople who still don’t know thedifference between gender andsexuality and had people use

their power to try to silence peo-ple who care.

“While each individual circum-stance is dealt case by case, theculture can still persist, and itsaddens me that there are peoplewho can't see the beauty of thegender spectrum and diversity of identity. There’s a whole world of gender that exists and there arethose who can’t see it. There are

so many identities that exist outthere, and it is of the greatest in-

justice and disrespect when thereare those who try to destroythem.”

She continued: “So, I comehere today to thank you. This pol-icy is a step forward, many stepsforward, that we dearly need.There are so few places in the

world and in the country wherepeople have the privileges that wehave here. The road to acceptanceand equality has many obstaclesand it may be long and slow. Butwhat you can do here today willmake a world of difference totrans students. And knowing thatyou’re looking out for trans safe-ty, privacy and rights is one of the


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mitted to play any sport “in amanner consistent with theirgender identity,” which is in ac-cordance with federal and statelaws.

“It is my understanding thatTitle IX and other laws [already]allow girls to play on boys’ sports

teams, e.g., football, anyway,”Spalla said.When asked if there was any

opposition to the new policy, Spal-la said, “I know some board mem-bers heard a few questions or con-cerns raised by community mem-bers. Overall, however, the feed-back we have heard before andsince the policy’s adoption hasbeen overwhelmingly positive.”

Students to whom this policyapplies are not required to pro-vide documentation to “prove”

their gender identity. This beingsaid, the question that arises is,“What happens if a non-transgen-der student claims they are trans-gender to use the other lockerroom?”

“There seems to be a common

fear about a male bodied personbeing in a female space. Peopletend to think of transgender asmale, but just as often it’s a fe-male bodied person who identi-fies as being male,” Potenza said,alluding to the notion that, infact, that is when you have a malein female space. “And nothingthat we say in this policy is sug-gesting that any kind of invasionor assault in a restroom is OK.The reality is that transgender

people are the ones who face vio-lence in a bathroom.”Neither Potenza nor Spalla

have encountered the issue of someone fabricating their genderidentity for the sake of enteringthe opposite locker room or bath-room.

“The staff who work withtransgender students have nothad any problems so far establish-ing whether the student’s assert-ed gender identity is sincere. Thepolicy doesn’t speak to any disci-

plinary measures that would betaken by staff in response to astudent’s dishonest assertion of adifferent gender for an improperpurpose, but I trust that the prin-cipal and staff at each buildingwould address any such situa-

tion – if it were to happen, whichfrankly seems extremely unlike-ly – with seriousness,” Spallasaid.

“It’s not like this happens in aday,” Potenza affirmed. “It’s anextended process on a case-by-case basis that requires a lot of di-alogue. We’d like to think theschools know their students andwill have a sense that it is a legiti-mate claim.”

Policy 5756 ensures the privacy

of every student be respected.“On a federal level, the policystipulates that this is a need-to-know basis,” Potenza said.

Staff members are encouragedto help students create a plan if they want to transition at school.If a student does not feel he or shecan tell his or her parents, theright to privacy is respected.

Spalla was pleased with thepassing of the policy and waschoked up at last week’s boardmeeting.

“For me,” Spalla said, “hearingour community’s support for therights, safety and well-being of our transgender students hasbeen one of the most gratifyingexperiences I’ve had as a boardmember.”

SCHOOLContinued from page 1

School district staff membersencouraged to help students



13/16


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sults? We will make the best useof them as we can to identifystrengths and gaps in our cur-riculum, instruction and profes-sional development needs and toID potential disproportional is-sues. Ideally, these tests will helpteachers’ and administrators’ un-derstanding of students’strengths and deficiencies. How-ever, we will consider these re-

sults with a healthy degree of ob- jectivity.”Lehet began by saying that, ex-

pectantly, New Jersey maintainedhigher scores than the nationalaverage.

When parents and students re-ceive their test results this week,they will see PARCC is catego-rized into five proficiency levels,as opposed to NJASK’s three.PARCC proficiency levels are:“Did not yet meet expect expecta-tions, partially met expectations,

approached expectations, met ex-pectations, and exceeded expecta-tions.” PARCC scores range from650 to 850, whereas NJASK scorescapped at 300.

“Comparisons cannot be madewith prior results for NJASK andHSPA,” Lehet said.

“I beg all educators and par-ents and most especially our stu-dents, when you see these testscores – please recognize them asa very narrow set of measure-ments for a very narrow set of skills,” Spalla said. “This is not areflection of who our students areor who they are becoming.”

In other news:• The board extended its appre-

ciation to Rebecca Cox andMartha Land for their years of service to the board. Cox is leav-ing the board after nine years andeight months, Land after threeyears and eight months. Both rep-resented the board in multiple ca-pacities on committees and as li-

aisons to outside organizationsand agencies.

• The board approved the fol-lowing retirements: John Anag-bo, supervisor of English and So-cial Studies (9-12), Princeton High

School, after 2.5 years of serviceeffective March 1; John Kavalos,art teacher, Princeton HighSchool, after 20 years of serviceeffective July 1; and RichardKelly, instructional assistant,Johnson Park Elementary, after3.5 years of service effective Dec.

31. The board thanked everyonefor their efforts on behalf of stu-dents, parents, staff and commu-nity members over their years of service in the district.

• Cochrane gave an update onthe five themes of the district’sstrategic plan and initial stepsthat have been taken in each area.On the theme of wellness and bal-ance, he discussed the homeworkfree holidays initiated this year.For every child known, he citedthe board’s passage of the dis-trict’s transgender policy and theDay of Dialogue for high schoolstudents countywide to be held atRider University in January.

With respect to closing theachievement gap, Cochrane re-ferred to a new initiative with thetownship that creates a bilingualparent liaison to work with limit-ed resource and non-Englishspeaking families to enhance stu-dent success and be a resource tofamilies for information on vari-

ous social/emotional well-beingissues. On the theme of innova-tion and experimentation, henoted the Energy Avengers Proj-ect and two grants totaling $15,000the district has received aimed at

evaluating energy use and reduc-ing carbon footprints in the dis-trict.

In speaking to care, connected-ness and communication,Cochrane indicated the districtwill have an external auditor con-duct an independent review of

the school system’s overall com-munication program to identifystrengths, weaknesses and com-munication gaps and have the au-ditor look for input from internaland external parties during focusgroup meetings.

• The board approved the ap-pointment of Strength Based Be-havior Consulting, LLC, Mon-mouth Junction, to provide con-sulting services in the area of wellness through June 30 for a feenot to exceed $30,000, that in-cludes any expenses or travelcosts associated with the visits.Funding for $25,000 will be pro-vided through general funds.Funding for $5,000, which will beutilized for parent workshops,will be provided by Princeton Ed-ucation Foundation.

• The board applied for $65,000in grant funds for the members of the district’s Achievement Coach-es team to serve as content devel-opers and trainers for a new co-

hort of New Jersey AchievementCoaches during an NJDOE-spon-sored summer coaches traininginstitute. A portion of the grant

BOEContinued from page 6

STUDENT PARCC PARTICIPATION

At last week’s Board of Education meeting, Bonnie Lehet, assistantsuperintendent for curriculum and instruction, outlined the numberof students who participated in the PARCC exam out of the totalnumber of students in each Princeton Public Schools grade level:

*Grade 8 Math is an exception because most John WitherspoonMiddle School students are enrolled in algebra and took that assess-ment.

English Language Arts MathematicsGrade 3: 168 out of 197 Grade 3: 175 out of 197Grade 4: 177 out of 205 Grade 4: 181 out of 205Grade 5: 195 out of 235 Grade 5: 204 out of 235Grade 6: 201 out of 246 Grade 6: 205 out of 246Grade 7: 137 out of 216 Grade 7: 108 out of 216Grade 8: 204 out of 255 Grade 8: 17 *Grade 9: 152 out of 410 Grade 9: 190 out of 423Grade 10: 83 out of 385 Grade 10: 120 out of 345Grade 11: 30 out of 370 Grade 11: 130 out of 339

please see NEXT, page 14

BOE approves retirements


14/16


Dugan: Every challenge is anopportunity. There are so manyamazing things happening at theacademy each and every day – mybiggest challenge is realizing thatI cannot be everywhere all at once… although I want to be. I findgreat joy in spending time inclassrooms, cheering at games,

watching our boys perform,spending time with these remark-able young men and my amazingcolleagues.

The Sun: What is one thing thatyou think should be taught in

school that isn’t already?Dugan: The first things that

come to mind are actually thosethat are taught here at PrincetonAcademy – expressing gratitude,reflecting, making eye contact,creativity, being present, collabo-ration, communicating in person,empathy, being a gentleman, andthe list goes on. I do think acourse titled “how to play outsidelike we used to” would be a greataddition to any school.

The Sun: Coffee or tea? How do

you take it?Dugan: Coffee – milk and sugar.

Where I am from up in New Eng-land – Gloucester, Mass. – we callthis “regular.” If I’m outside inthe woods or on a boat, I prefer

my coffee black.The Sun: What does a perfect

day in Princeton look like toyou?

Dugan: It would be with mywife Joanna and our children,walking around town, gettingsome sandwiches, eating some icecream, saying hello to somefriends and making some newones. We might go out for a hikeon one of Princeton’s amazingtrails, experiencing both historyand nature as a family. We would

have no real deadlines and plentyof time just to enjoy our newhome. One thing is for sure – atleast one us would be wearingsome Princeton Academygear!

DUGANContinued from page 7

Dugan: ‘Every challenge is an opportunity’

funds will also be used for morein-depth professional learning ac-tivities on topics related to thecoaching workshop modules. The

grant program period runs from

March 1 through Nov. 30.• The board approved the ap-

pointment of National SchoolPublic Relations Association,Rockville, Md., to provide a com-munications audit of the district,for a fee not to exceed $15,000, thatincludes any expenses or travel

costs associated with the visits.

• The board welcomed eightnew staff members to the districtfor the 2015-2016 school year.

• The next meeting of theBoard of Education will be Tues-day, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. in the BoardConference Room at ValleyRoad.

NEXTContinued from page 13

Next board of education meeting Jan. 5

greatest gifts you can give.”Princeton High School Princi-

pal Gary Snyder stepped up to thepodium, a little choked up.

“I am proud of our students,our teachers and their advisorswho worked on these issues thatare sensitive, that are difficult,that are complex but that have ex-panded the learning for all of us,”Snyder said. “Someone more elo-quently than me put on the build-ing ‘Live to learn and learn tolive.’ This is one of those mo-ments where we live to learn andlearn to live at Princeton High

School. Our students who worked

on this … they educated me. Theychallenged my use ofpronouns and made us all betterpeople.”

Doug Levandowski, Englishteacher at PHS and advisor of theGender and Sexuality Alliance,also commended the board, stu-dents and faculty for their workto codify many of the practicesthat are in place. Levandowskisaid this policy cements a feelingof safety and comfort for Prince-ton students.

Dr. Elizabeth Casparian, execu-tive director of HiTOPS Adoles-cent Health and Education Cen-ter, was last to approach the podi-um.

“I had a much longer statementto make – and I don’t need to

make it, because this group of

people have just done the rightthing,” Casparian said. “This pol-icy is the right thing for kids. Hav-ing spent the last 30 years of mycareer with adolescents from allwalks of life and needs, often sur-rounding sexuality, I know thatthis policy will make it so thatmany students who would not becomfortable going to school, notbe comfortable using a restroom,not be comfortable joining a cluband not be comfortable in theirown skins to feel more comfort-able in their own skins. That is agift that you just cannot imagine.If all of us are emotional, it’sprobably because doing the rightthing feels really good. Thank youfor modeling the right thing anddoing it really well.”

PRINCIPALContinued from page 11

Principal: This is a live to learn, learn to live moment at high school


15/16


16/16

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