Closing With Character
DISCOVER
Livingston Public Schools
Empowering all to learn, create, contribute and grow.
Featured Photo: "Pillars of Character" at Hillside Elementary
(The picture perfect pillars were painted by Hillside Head Custodian Joe Pepe!)
New This Week
Don't stop scrolling!
Find information on the following news, and more, in this week's DISCOVER.
  • Board of Education Meeting Tonight
  • Student Achievements
  • Self-Defense Program at LHS
  • Greenbinz School Supply Collection
  • STEM Accomplishments
  • Authors Visit LHS
  • Crossing Guards Needed
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Board Matters
Students Matter
Lancers of the Month are students, faculty, and staff who model for the entire Livingston High School community the qualities and values that define LHS – the same qualities and values that help empower the school community to “learn, create, contribute, and grow.” 
Wrap Up:
Lancers of the Month
September: Matthew Feresten, Jenna Foley, Hunter Halpern, Chloe Heller, Desiree Joseph
October: Ryan Antwi, Jacob Kling, Kyle Macavinta, Aaron Samuel
November: Elaine Chang, Adam Cohen, Hannah Feinberg, Karyssa Cendana, Rachel Kogut, Danielle Ralston
December: Karin Berger, Dina Fine, Thomas Werner, Zachary Zawila
January: Madellin Lopez Patino, Cassandra Lamiano, Dhruva Aggrawal, Jason Kim, Ms. Erin Field (Student Assistance Coordinator), Ms. Christie Giacobbe (Student Assistance Coordinator) 
February: Rachel Su, Daniel Horn, Bobby Breschard, Parmeda Abdollahnejad, Joe Cullen 
March: Jack Swenson, Kevin Risch, Gabby Petrullo, Ms.Jessica Rettagliata (Science Department)
April: Eugene Hong, Mr. Mike Pizzone (History Department), Ms. Christina Mamangakis-Evans (English)
May: Simona Falkovsky, Shea Farestad, Anika Patel, Anuka Patel, Sami Vieira, Angela Wei
Honors Student-Athletes
As part of its annual tradition, Livingston UNICO, the Italian American Service Organization, presented awards to Livingston student athletes. LHS students Anthony Petrillo and Lucia Preziosi each won the Brian Piccolo Award. Heritage Middle School students Arush Raj, Anjali Fernandez, Owen Abeles, and Jordyn Harrison were recipients of UNICO Student Athlete Awards. The LHS baseball team was named UNICO Team of the Year.
Three Compete
At Grand Nationals
Three members of the Livingston High School Forensics Team recently competed in the 67th Annual NCFL Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament in Washington, DC.  
Empowering Our Seniors
Livingston police officers Joy Klapal and Kevin Mullaney, along with LPD intern Kaitlyn Barmore, visited LHS to teach basic self-defense moves to seniors during gym class. Both officers are black belts in Tae Kwon Do. They provided tips on how to avoid being a victim and demonstrated how to break free from a variety of holds in attack situations. While the lesson was a serious one, the seniors managed to have a little fun while practicing their newly acquired skills! Thanks to the LPD for helping to empower our students and keep them safe! 
Writing Matters
Liao Named Poet Laureate
Livingston High School sophomore Jeffrey Liao is one of three students chosen to be this year’s New Jersey Youth Poet Laureates. They will represent their regions of the state over the next year. 
A Poet and A Novelist
The LHS English Department wrapped up the school year with visits by two illustrious alumnae – Amy Meng and Lucy Tan. A published poet and novelist, respectively, the writers read from their works and answered questions posed by students.
STEM Matters
24 Game Competition
The district level 24 Game Tournament was recently held in the media center at Riker Hill Elementary. During this annual competition, students at each elementary school competed in the math game, and two winners move on to the district competition. The object of the game is to find a way to manipulate four numbers so that the end result is 24. These sharp thinkers were engaged and determined as they quickly calculated answers in three rounds of this unique mathematics contest.

The winners were Ritika Chandiwala (first place), Simon Ferreira (second place), and Arjun Bansal (third place).

“The kids love the game and the parents do, too. I think it’s a fun way to promote teamwork and problem solving skills, and it brings the schools together,” said Karen Seiferheld, the school districts PreK-6 supervisor of mathematics who organized the event. 
STEM Scholars
LHS seniors Jenny Zhu and Max Ramer were two of 87 NJ high school/college students selected to participate in the year-long NJ Governor's STEM Scholars class at Kean University. At the graduation conference, 14 teams presented their research projects. Ramer's team's project, "Open Software and Hardware Model for Blood Glucose Analysis" earned first place! His team will present its project at the Edison Patent Awards in November. Zhu's project was entitled, "Correlation and Regression Analysis on Tobacco Consumption in Students.
Numbers Are His Game
Harsh Akunuri, a sixth grade student at Mt. Pleasant Middle School, recently won two math competitions!
Students "Launch"
Integrated STEM Activity
What started as a lunchtime conversation between three Heritage Middle School teachers turned into a true integrative STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activity using rockets!  
Real World Experience
Julie McEldoon is a former Heritage Middle School FemGineer, who is now part of the Engineered Solutions Research & Development Co-op between Stevens Institute of Technology and Johnson & Johnson. She recently provided the FemGineers with a real world engineering experience!
Giving Matters
New Life for School Supplies
When students clean out their desks and lockers this week, they'll be encouraged to recycle gently-used school supplies by donating to a non-profit run by four Livingston teens.

The non-profit is led by LHS students Ankita Sharma and Divya Chiplunkar, and HMS students Srishti Dhurandhar and Ruhi Tawde, Their goal is to give gently used school supplies a new life in order to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills.

Last year, the girls collected for charities more than 2,500-pounds worth of recycled school materials. 

From now through the last day of school, GreenBinz will provide green bins at the schools for donations of binders, notebooks, folders, pencils, and pens. The girls invite everyone to join them in their mission of saving the world one small step at a time. For more information, see the flyer.
Schools Matter
Hillside Elementary
Students lined the hallways of Hillside creating their own decorations based on each one of Hillside’s Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Each trait is represented by a different color. The fun school project followed the official “unveiling” of Hillside’s freshly painted, real-life “Pillars of Character” located at the entrance to the building. Shown, students work on their red Care Bear themed projects in the “Team Caring” hallway. 
Harrison Elementary
Harrison kindergarteners performed in the annual kindergarten play. Shown are “Happy Kindergartners” Ryan Percival, Samara Kronberg, Johanna Saland, and Sydney Matthijs.
Collins Elementary
Third graders Anya Chavali and Ritika Bamzai read the Oath of Allegiance as part of the Immigration Experience at Collins. Students dressed in clothing that they thought immigrants might have worn when going through the process of entering the United States through Ellis Island. They travelled through a series of stations where they participated in activities to earn a stamp on their “passport” and move forward in the process. They finished by taking the Oath and having their photo taken in front of an image of the Statue of Liberty. 
Riker Hill Elementary
Shown here Jonah Jacobson and Goldie Stein show off their art appreciation projects in Judith Frohman's third grade class at Riker Hill. Working on their art in the background are students Lanie Levins, Manny Escalante, and Josh Anajoulu.
Burnet Hill Elementary
Burnet Hill held its annual Writing Celebration where they invited everyone to “sea” what great writers they are. Shown, Pranav Atreya, a student in Erin Espino’s kindergarten class, gets into the spirit of the ocean-themed writing extravaganza!
Mt. Pleasant Elementary
Fourth graders at MPE participated in an assembly and interactive percussive dance with the dance troupe Soul Steps. The nationally recognized group teaches the history of the African-American tradition known as "stepping," which originated from the coal mines of South Africa and gained recognition through African American College campuses. The dancers also discussed the values of leadership, discipline, team support, and communication, which are embodied in the step culture.
Summer Matters
What To Do With Your Device?
Register for Summer Academy:
Deadline Friday, June 22
Thinking about plans for the summer?

Registration is now open for the school district’s Summer Academy, which includes science, enrichment, remedial, and bridge courses. Find a list of courses being offered and dates, as well as registration information by clicking below.
Please make note of these important summer dates so you and your student are prepared for the 2018/2019 school year!

  • July 9 – July 24: Parent Portal will be down for annual maintenance; parents will not have access to view report cards. Access to gradebooks for previous years will be accessible once the portal reopens on July 25.
  • July 25 – August 22: Parent Portal will be open to all families to complete the mandatory annual forms and update contact information. In order to view your student(s) schedule or elementary assignment, you must complete the forms during this time frame.  
  • August 23, 6:00 p.m.: Parent Portal will be open for grades 6-12 schedules for those who have completed all necessary forms.  
  • August 24, 6:00 p.m.: Parent Portal will be open for grades K-5 assignments for those who have completed all necessary forms.  
SUMMER HOURS: District and school offices will be open Monday-Thursday, July 6-Aug. 24
District Matters
Exploring 1:1 at MPMS
Do you have a child going to Mt. Pleasant Middle School (MPMS) in the fall?

As part of the school district's 1:1 initiative, Livingston Public Schools currently provides a district-owned computing device to students in grades 7-12. The district is exploring the possibility of extending the initiative to the sixth grade level at MPMS. Learn more by watching the video of a recent Parent Forum, and reviewing FAQs. Additional questions? Click HERE.
Support the LEF Today!
Support the Livingston Education Foundation (LEF) by purchasing a personalized brick paver at Livingston High School. The LEF is a non-profit organization providing school-community partnerships and shared resources to enhance educational opportunities for Livingston Public Schools. Buy a brick to highlight your commitment to education in Livingston! Click HERE for order form, or email ggelman@livingston.org for more information.
Parent Matters
Don't Miss That Call/Text:
In the case of an emergency, or weather-related school closing, or school bus transportation issues, our alert system allows us to quickly communicate with parents and staff by text, email and phone.Please make sure that your contact information is up to date. Log on to Genesis and click the "Contacts" tab at the top of the page to review the information that is currently on file. Don't forget to save all changes.
What's On Your Mind?
We're interested in hearing what's on your mind. Share a story. Ask a question. Let us know about your concerns, anything from school safety and security to budget matters. Give a shout out to a special teacher. Talk with the Superintendent or Board of Education. Email your message c/o the Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator.
Community Matters
Crossing Guards Needed
The Township of Livingston continues to look for crossing guards for its many posts throughout town. Crossing guards provide an important service to our students, helping them navigate the streets around our schools safely each day.

For more information about the position, including requirements, hours, and salary, click below.
Township Recycling Day!
An Electronics Recycling and Paper Shredding Day on Sunday, June 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the rear parking lot of the Livingston Senior/Community Center, 204 Hillside Avenue. This event is sponsored by the Livingston Township Council and the Recycling & Reclamation Committee. The service is free to all Livingston residents.
Considering Candidacy?
Deadline is July 30
Local school board membership is a challenging and rewarding way to serve your community and its schoolchildren. Now is the time to consider school board candidacy for the Livingston Board of Education. In November, voters will elect two candidates to serve for three years.

A candidate must file a nominating petition with the county clerk for his or her name to appear on the ballot during the annual school election. The deadline to submit the petition is 4 p.m. on Monday, July 30, 2018. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

For more information, download candidate information from the New Jersey School Boards Association’s website at NJSBA School Board Candidate Kit.
YMCA Promotes Water Safety
The West Essex YMCA is holding its free Safety Around Water week from June 25 to 29. Click HERE for registration form.
Summer Reading Programs

The Livingston Public Library offers a fun Summer Reading program for children, teens and families offered by the Livingston Public Library. For more information, click HERE.
Special Needs Programs

The LACD has great programs for children with special needs. All programs are free of charge. Its mission is to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families. View the Facebook page for more information.Click HERE for the LACD's webpage.
DISCOVER is the e-newsletter from Livingston Public Schools with stories about students, teachers, and programs, and news about recent accomplishments and awards.