For the better part of a decade, the High School North softball program has established a culture of support for its local special needs community, participating in fundraising events (both in and out of season) to aid community partners and charitable organizations, and hosting a day's worth of games as part of the annual Strike Out Autism movement. Earlier this week, members of the Lions team lent their skills and instructional abilities to the national non-profit Rally Cap Sports, which hosted a softball clinic for athletes with special needs.

"I'm truly proud of our outstanding student-leaders, and grateful for their positive contributions/influence throughout the community," said High School North Principal Kevin Cullen.

Rally Cap Sports is challenger youth athletics program that was founded in 1990, and has since dedicated itself to providing opportunities for athletes with special needs to participate in recreational sports. The volunteer group has established 19 chapters across eight states through partnerships with youth groups, colleges and universities, and public school athletics programs.

Thank you to Rally Cap Sports for serving as a wonderful community partner, and to the High School North softball program for its continued commitment to our special needs community.

Though the annual recognition of Earth Day will fall on Saturday, April 22, that didn't stop Fairview Elementary School students in Ms. Danielle Devlin's fourth grade class from celebrating in their own special way. During a lesson about the life cycle of plants, students took their science studies outdoors to the campus playground park benches to participate in their planting experiments. Ms. Devlin provided her students with plastic cups, seeds and top soil that they will be able to nurture into a fully grown plant.

Earth Day was established in 1970 as a way to celebrate the modern environmental movement and raise awareness for environmental concerns and sustainability activities. The event was founded by United States Senator Gaylor Nelson (Wisconsin) following a 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Two decades after its inception, Earth Day was elevated to the international stage, motivating more than 200 million citizens across 141 nations to participate in Earth Day events on April 22, 1990.

Earth Day 2023 is expected to have more than a billion global citizens take part in activities that promote environmental consciousness and sustainability efforts, including:

• Trash pickup hikes
• Beach sweeps
• Cleaning out drainage areas
• Tree replenishment
• Wildflower and native plant cultivation efforts

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

In honor of Earth Week, here are a few ideas for children and teens on how to use the Earth to support their mental health and wellness.

Food trucks of all shapes and sizes rolled into the Bayshore Middle School media center earlier this week, as students in Ms. Kimberly Toris' Spanish classes revealed vehicle and menu designs in a celebration of culture and tradition. Participation in a unit on regional Spanish cuisine was brought to life when Toris tasked her students to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by designing themed food truck models and associated food options from a particular Spanish-speaking country. Students not only crafted their trucks and menus, but also treated their peers to a select item from their menu as part of a class feast.

The Bayshore Middle School music program was recently recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for its commitment to music education. The Dolphins band was the recipient of its seventh Support Music Merit Award, which recognizes school communities across the country for the outstanding efforts of students, educators, administration, parents and associated community leaders who strive to make music part of the comprehensive learning journey of every child.

"Research shows that making music changes the brain and that these brain changes have tangible impacts on listening skills, learning, and cognition," said Bayshore Band Director Monica Alexandre. "Additionally, after two years, children who regularly attended and actively participated in our class showed larger improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers."

This NAMM awards program was established in 1999. This year, Bayshore is one of 78 schools across the United States to have maintained a standard worthy of this recognition. Congratulations to the Bayshore Middle School community for this wonderful recognition.

As a culminating activity for their studies on the origin, life cycles and extinction of the dinosaurs, Thorne Middle School students in Mrs. Kristyn Corace's class ventured to the Huber Woods Park Environmental Center and Reptile House in Middletown to participate in a hands-on, prehistoric learning experience.

Students worked with Monmouth County Park System counselors to play educational games, dig for fossils, read stories, and imagine the different type of megafauna that roamed our greater Middletown community during the days of the dinosaurs.

The New Jersey fossil record map indicates that the Garden State was a hotbed for prehistoric activity. Paleontologists have discovered shark teeth in our stream and river beds (like Poricy Park), sponges in the Navesink River, fossilized skeletal remains of a fully formed Hadrosaurus in Haddonfield, and more than 40 mastodon fossil sites across the state that date back 11,000 years.

Thank you to the Monmouth County Parks System for continuing to be an outstanding community partner and resource for our students.

2023 Middle School Promotion Dates

• Bayshore - Wednesday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m. - High School South
• Thompson - Wednesday, June 14 at 4 p.m. - High School South
• Thorne - Wednesday, June 14 at 6 p.m. - High School North Field

Note: If there is inclement weather on June 14, the middle school promotion ceremonies will be held indoors in the HS South gymnasium on June 14.

2023 High School Graduation Dates

• High School South - Thursday, June 15 at 1:30 p.m. - High School South
• High School North - Thursday, June 15 at 4 p.m. - High School North

Note: The high school graduation rain date is Friday, June 16.