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MONROE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Falcon Flyer Email Newsletter
November 2016
Your Monthly News & Updates
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A Message From The Superintendent's Office...
Dear Falcon Community,
Fall has arrived with a tremendous showcase of orange and red. The weather has been especially nice, which is a benefit to all of our student athletes, band and color guard members. Congratulations to our Fall sports teams for a great season, and to our Marching Band for their outstanding performances in their competitions.
Halloween was marked with creative costumes by students and staff, and our Future Business Leaders of America once again created a spooky atmosphere with their 3rd annual Haunted High School. Our students and staff should also be commended for their generosity and community awareness in collecting donations for various organizations to benefit those in need.
Corporate and College Partnerships
During the summer, I invited parents and community members to contact me regarding partnering with colleges and universities. Several parents responded and provided valuable links and/or contacts at colleges and/or corporations. Since that time, I have been collaborating with a community member, Dr. Dick Ash, and a team of educators in the school district to develop a plan of action to present to corporations and colleges. Our hope is to provide opportunities, such as apprenticeships or internships, to some of our high school students. If you would like to join our parent team, and have a corporate or university connection who can provide opportunities for our students, please contact me at
michael.kozak@monroe.k12.nj.us
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Student Enrollment Update
We are still awaiting the results from an environmental study regarding the suitability of land that Mayor Tamburro and Town Council offered to the school district. There are several aspects to the study that must be performed to determine if all,or some, of the land is available to use for a new school or schools. The primary consideration is to determine if an area of land is considered wetlands, and, therefore, protected land that cannot be used for a school. Other considerations are the impact a school could have on protected species, water and sewer connections, proximity of the school to students' homes, road conditions and accessibility, the available land for athletic fields/playground area and parking for staff and parents.
Currently, our plan is to build a new elementary school and middle school on the donated property, and an addition onto the high school to accommodate the 1,500+ students expected in the next 5 - 10 years. If we can only build one school on the donated land, we are studying the effect of building a new school behind Applegarth School and adding onto some of our elementary schools, in addition to building an addition onto the high school. We are also exploring other available land in the township that is suitable for a new school.
In this edition, you will find important information regarding school, district and community events. You can also find valuable information on our MTSD Facebook page, @MTSDFalcons Twitter feed, MTSD website and MTSD app.
Respectfully yours,
Michael Kozak
Dr. Michael Kozak
Superintendent
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IMPORTANT DATES:
November 8
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All Schools Closed-Election Day-Don't Forget to VOTE!
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November 10-11
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All Schools Closed NJEA Teacher's Convention/Veteran's Day |
November 21
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MTMS 7th & 8th Grade Parent/Teacher Conferences
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November 22
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MTMS 6th Grade Parent/Teacher Conferences
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November 23
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All Schools-4 Hour Session
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November 24-25
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All Schools Closed-Thanksgiving
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November 29
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MTHS Parent Teacher Conferences (5:30pm-8pm)
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November 30
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MTHS-4 Hour Sessions/Grades 9-12
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Click here to view the 2016-2017 district calendar
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ELECTION DAY - NOVEMBER 8, 2016
ALL SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR STUDENTS
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DID YOU REGISTER TO VOTE?
On October 14
th students participating in the MTMS Presidential Election Simulation enjoyed a trip to Constitution Center. Over 100 students were selected after a competitive application process to take part in the traditional MTMS simulated election. As part of our efforts to enable students to learn about and experience the electoral process, MTMS has scheduled speeches in the PAC by students chosen to represent the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties. They will present speeches to the student body on Friday, October 28
th, followed by an election on Tuesday, November 1
st. Results will be announced in a school-wide assembly designed to simulate the electoral college. Other students will play the roles of Secret Service agents, Election volunteers (coordinating voter registration and election booths) and media managers. The activity is being coordinated by 8th grade social studies teachers Nicole DiLorenzo and Christine Viszoki. Results will be available on November 7
th, stay tuned!
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Staff Spotlight.....COMING SOON!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from WOODLAND
Grade 4
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WOODLAND STAFF LEADS BY EXAMPLE
On Friday, September 30
th, Woodland Staff helped join the MCFOODS campaign to raise awareness and spread the word on social media
#SPOONTEMBER #WLCARES
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from WOODLAND
Grade 5
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MTHS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL WINS DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
On October 15, 2016, MTHS Girls Volleyball won the White Division Championship, against New Brunswick High School.
This is the first Division Championship in program history!
The Lady Falcons currently have an overall record of 15-4. Go Falcons!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from MTMS
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Monroe Township Middle School- MTMS PTO
October marked the beginning of fundraising for our MTMS PTO! The Discount Card, Kastle Snacks, Cookie Dough, Spirit Wear and the Halloween T-shirt Sale were just a few.
The PTO provides funds to support various activities throughout the school and helps to promote the welfare of the children in school, home and community. A few of the events and fundraisers are listed below.
PTO MEETING:
The next PTO meeting will be at 7:30 pm in the MTMS Lecture Hall.
COMMUNITY DISCOUNT CARDS:
The Middle School PTO is selling a Discount Card that can be used at over 300 locations in and around Monroe. These make great holiday gifts for teachers, friends and family! Please consider supporting the Middle School and purchasing one! Cost is $20 and the card doesn't expire until December 2017! For more information and how to purchase a card, please check our website at www.mtmspto.org.
MTMS CLOTHING DRIVE:
Start cleaning out your closets! Our Clothing Drive will be on Saturday, November 5th from 9am-12pm in the MTMS Parking Lot! Help us spread the word! Tell your friends and family! It's an easy way to clean up and donate at the same time! More information regarding items that can be donated can be found on our website www.mtmspto.org.
PARENT PAINT NIGHT/BASKET RAFFLE NIGHT:
Our 1st time EVER! Paint Night at Forsgate Country Club on Friday, November 18 at 7pm!
Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be provided with your paid entry. Raffles and a 50/50 will be held as well! Ticket forms are available on the MTMS PTO website or through the MTMS school website.
Please check our website at www.mtmspto.org for more information. Gather your friends and join the fun!
BOOK FAIR:
The MTMS Book Fair will be held between November 29, 2016 - December 2, 2016, for students. We are excited to announce that an evening shopping event on November 30, 2016 from 4pm to 7pm, has been added for those parents who would like to browse with their MTMS student. Come see the outstanding selection of books and materials offered!
Thank you for your support!
MTMS PTO
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On Friday, October 28
th students in Mrs. Patel's 4
th grade class at Applegarth Elementary School dressed up for the celebration/Festival of lights;
Diwali.
The festival marks the victory of good over evil. Diwali is a 5-day celebration, which is celebrated by millions around the world.
The students watched a wonderful video on BrainPop which summarized the festival in a brief and easy to understand way. They then followed up with comparing and contrasting Diwali with other holidays that are celebrated around the world.
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BROOKSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Brook
side E
lementary School is #2 on the Middlesex County "T
op 10" list from the 2015-2016 Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart fundr
aiser with the American Heart Association. We collected $13,665 for the American Heart Association.
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The Autumn Dominos are Starting to "FALL" over here......
HAPPY HALLOWEEN from BROOKSIDE!
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THANK YOU!
What an amazing night! A BIG THANK YOU to the members of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), MTHS
clubs, advisors, staff, security, facilities, main office, Gasko's Family Farm, Stop & Shop Supermarket, who went above and beyond at the
3rd Annual MTHS/FBLA Haunted High School on Wednesday, October 26, 2016! The time, planning, preparation, participation, donations, and support was unparalleled! The amount of leadership and team effort that was displayed throughout this fundraiser was beyond impressive!
We raised over $3,700 for the Mama Mare Breast Cancer Foundation! Yes, you read that right -- $3,700!!!! An increase of $1,300 from last year! We had approximately 600 children and we believe anywhere between 600-800 adults; approximately 1,400 people in total! We had a big crowd! It is so wonderful to see our community come together for such a great cause!
In addition, It was so wonderful to see so many of our MONROE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF in attendance with their children, in support of this event and worthy cause.
Thank you on behalf of FBLA & Mama Mare Breast Cancer Foundation and....We'll see you next year!
Ms. Deanna M. Dale
MTHS Business Education Teacher
FBLA/Photography Club Advisor
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APPLEGARTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Bone Bridge STEM Construction in Mrs. Voza's Class
In room 6 at Applegarth School, Mrs. Voza's and Ms. Santo's students were engaged in creating a Bone Bridge. As they participated in the Halloween STEM Bone Bridge Challenge, students had the opportunity using only Q-tips, large popsicle sticks, and pipe cleaners to design a sturdy bridge. The bridge needed to withstand 4-5 pounds within specific parameters. The distance in space between given materials couldn't be more than a penny's diameter and the bridge had to be at least 1 inch off the ground.
Students tested the strength of their bridge with blocks. The overwhelming enthusiasm created great success. Students had to optimize their design solution by redesigning their original plan halfway through the challenge. Time constraints made it even more perplexing. Certain patterns were shared by the most successful groups so that other students could learn from it in future designs.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from APPLEGARTH
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APPLEGARTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The Runaway Pumpkin
During the last week in October, Mrs. Lizzio and Mrs. Burgess' classes will parti
cipate in a S.T.E.M. project titled "The Runaway Pumpkin." In
this activity, students will build a ramp using their everyday school materials. Students are challenged to discover how the incline of their ramp will affect how far their pumpkins will roll. Students will make math
connection
s as they measure the distances of their three sample rolls. Students will then
make modifications to their ramps in order to build the best overall ramp. Both classes look forward to this fall themed activity!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from APPLEGARTH
Grade 4
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MTMS - NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY
The MTMS National Junior Honor Society inducted seventy-four 8th grade students into its chapter on Thursday, September 29
th, in a ceremony held at the middle school Performing Arts Center. A crowd of proud parents joined the students, Mrs. Chanley, Mr. Sidler and representatives of the MTHS National Honor Society. Advisers Nicole DiLorenzo and Christine Viszoki presented students with membership pins. Students were selected earlier this year by a committee of teachers on their proven academics, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. We congratulate our newly inducted students!
National Junior Honor Society Members 2016-2017
Daniel Allex, Ishani Anklesaria, Muniraj Balaji, Mia Baldassano, Connor Bassi, Vishwa Bhatt, Nikolette Bova, Celia Braswell, Taylor Brown, Evan Carmody, Aditya Chandaliya, Audrey Chen, Christian Cipolletta, Victoria Dalton, Yuvrajsinh Delada, Rohan Diwan, Kylie Fallon, Kara Fasbach, Grace Ferguson, Sean Fitzgerald, Harshini Ganesh, Matthew Garelick, Sydney Gawason, Shilpa Gidugu, Amanda Gill, Joanna Giustino, Shriya Golugula, Caroline Guerin, Arihant Gupta, Emma Heiser, Kevin Hoppe, Rohun Kapoor, Tarun Krishnan, Eashna Kumar, Sachi Kurian, Hailey Kwitkoski, Grace Lee, Audrey Lynch, Durga Mannam, Ipsa Mishra, Aishwarya Muppoor, Krishna Nair, Ayush Patel, Jaimini Patel, Pooja Patel, Pooja Patel, Pramit Patel, Ria Patel, Vinisha Patel, Gerard Piccini, Erizel Platon, Mihir Rastogi, Dhruv Reddy, Eeheet Sarkar, Selvadharsan Selvakumar, Navya Sharma, Samarth Sharma, Raiva Shroff, Shelly Singhvi, Kamryn Sokoloski, Alex Spinelli, Sruthi Suresh, Keerthana Talla, Frances Tan, Megan Tan, Keertana Terala, Rachel Thomas, Ashley Thoonkuzhy, Samantha Tong, Isabel Umali, Saketh Vegunta, Karalyn Viszoki, Josh Yip, Matthew Young, Zarmina Yousafzai
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from MILL LAKE
"Under the Sea"
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LOOK WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON AT MTMS!
RACHEL'S CHALLENGE:
The middle school presents "Rachel's Challenge" on November 15
th in the PAC to students during the day, but invites them back with their parents, for an evening presentation starting at 6 pm. "Rachel's Challenge programs provide a sustainable, evidence-based framework for a positive climate and culture in our schools.
Fully implemented, schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with reductions in bullying, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use." Take time to review information on their website and you will be impressed!
SPIRIT DAY:
Our students will enjoy MTMS Spirit Wear/Pajama Day on November 23, 2016. Show off your favorite outfit while contributing to a wonderful cause.
"OPERATION GOODY BAG"
Team Quest has set a goal of Raising $1,000 by December for "Operation Goody Bag," a 501c charity that provides goody bags and post cards to first responders, police and active-duty military personnel. Students are hosting a pajama day, snack sales and a "Pie" contest where a teacher or teachers would take a whipped cream pie in the face served by our principal, Mrs. Chanley, for the cause. In addition to raising funds, each student on QUEST will decorate a goody bag and write a post card to these heroic people.
LEAD PROGRAM
The middle school LEAD program is in full swing with Detectives Breuer and Silvestri visiting our 6
th graders during scattered subject classes to remind them to make good choices and to avoid drugs and alcohol. It is a great program that has motivated our youngest students through their three years here at MTMS and beyond. The LEAD Program has been at MTMS for the last six years, earlier it was the D.A.R.E. program. Thank you detectives, Mrs. Taryn Yoelson and Mr. Scott Sidler for your support.
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MTMS presented Bystander - October 21, 2016
A Portrait in Apathy program to the 8thgrade class.
Our bullying specialists have found that this program, which has MTMS students perform, creates a closer connection for the students and more effectively reaches the middle school population. This program required a week long commitment from the middle school.
Last week for two hours a day after school, Jillian Palmieri, program cooordinator, met with the pre-selected
group of students. In those two hours a day, the students rehearsed a twenty-five minute performance aimed at the bystander population. In addition to rehearsing during these sessions, the students discussed bullying in depth, both in their school and in the world around them. They facilitated small group debriefing sessions that followed their Friday performance. This group of performers are well-versed in bullying causes and effects and are now prepared to hold question and answer sessions following their performance.
We would like to thank Mrs. Schwartz and Ms. Oberheim along with the participants that made the performance another great success.
Partcipants:
Samira Adam, Amina Bell, Madison Damore, Emma Deroia, Alex Faber, Kara Fasbach, Nicholas Fellin, Dani Goldstein, Maya Herbstman, Michaela Kuebler
Jake Labaska, Zachary Lacerte, Alveena Manzoor, Aidan Mc Laughlin, Shantae Mc Leod, Anthony Melnick, Ipsa Mishra, Giuseppe Namio, Christopher Pucciarelli, Zachary Seppi, Anton Updale, Angelina Zeppieri
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from CENTRAL OFFICE
"Grease is the Word!"
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The
MTMS Digital Phtography students have captured images using their DSLR cameras, edited and designed posters entirely in Adobe Photoshop.
They have come up with compelling photos as well as inspirational quotes to go along with the images they captured. These posters will be hung in the MTMS Library for all to see! Thank you Mrs. Hawxhurst and Mrs. Coonelly for your guidance and support of the students in making our area of learning such a beautiful and creative one!
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN
MTHS GUIDANCE SUPERHEROES
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The
MTMS Builders Club started strong this year, raising $1,800 for the
Make-A-Wish Foundation.The entire middle school community united together to support the cause by signing up for the Walk for Wishes event, supporting the Philly Pretzel and magnet sales, and participating in Jeans Day.
On October 15
th,Team MTMS enjoyed a beautiful day at the
Walk for Wishes supporting the Make-A-Wish foundation. We hope more Monroe Falcons will join us at the walk next year! We are excited about other events scheduled this year by students in the Builders Club and their advisors Danielle Sammut and Daniel Fields!
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THANK YOU! We wish to thank our MTMS staff and students for their participation in the MTMS PINK OUT day. With both the pink wear and the pink sale in the cafeteria, $460 was raised! The donation will go to the Mama Mare Breast Cancer Foundation to help people with breast cancer. This is a non-profit organization that helps many men and women in our area. |
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from BARCLAY BROOK
Peter Pan and the Neverland Crew!
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BARCLAY BROOK-BROOKSIDE PTA
Happy Fall Ya'll! It has been a fantastic start to the school year for the Barclay Brook-Brookside PTA! We have welcomed so many new faces and brought back friendly ones and together we've hit the floor running with a very active October! Thanks to our supportive community, we've had two successful fall Book Fairs, made our first appearance at the annual Green Fair, and hosted our second annual Trunk-or-Treat, just to name a few!
November is a bit quieter for us, but will still have some exciting things going on. On November 8th, we will be hosting our first "Dine to Donate" event at Texas Roadhouse in Parlin. We're encouraging families and friends to enjoy a great meal out between 4pm and 10pm before or after casting their votes. Texas Roadhouse is offering $1.99 kids' meals along with a FREE ice cream sundae bar, face painting, crafts and contests! Please print the attached flyer and come enjoy the fun with us! Click here to view the "DINE TO DONATE" flyer.
We are also excited to support new STEM/STEAM activities for the Barclay Brook students, which are set to kick off this month! The kids are going to love the ideas and plans that have been shared with us, so be sure to ask them all about the fun!
Our next general membership meeting will be held November 22nd at 10am in the Barclay Brook cafeteria.
We encourage all current PTA members and those considering joining to participate in our meetings; they provide a wealth of knowledge about upcoming school and PTA events and they provide a great platform to ask questions and get involved!
Lastly, we're taking advantage of this quieter month to continue plans for our Tricky Tray event, which we are resurrecting this March. We're graciously accepting donations from families, businesses, and community members who would like to contribute. It is already shaping up to be an incredible fundraiser with some unbelievable prizes! For more information, to make a donation, or to purchase tickets, please contact Rachel Fayder at (908) 303-5178 or rachel.bbbspta@gmail.com.
We wish you all a wonderful fall season and hope to see you at one of our exciting events this year!
Warm wishes,
Jessica Balz
Barclay Brook-Brookside PTA President
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN from OAK TREE
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"MONROE"-OPOLY!
GET IN THE GAME!
*Sponsored by MTHS/FBLA Future Business Leaders of America
Make a donation and "RENT" a space to ADVERTISE your business on Monroe's very own MONOPOLY game - MONROE-Opoly!
Game space donation prices vary.
(*Must be a business/group from Monroe/Jamesburg)
ONE (1) Game board is included with your donation!
Click the link below to"GET IN THE GAME" to view
Board Space Location and Donation information!
Once game board property space donations are complete, the game will be produced by a U.S. manufacturer and will be on sale for purchase to all! *Proceeds will support MTHS/FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
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The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is partnering with March of Dimes to raise awareness on behalf of WORLD PREMATURITY DAY.
How YOU Can Help on Thursday, November 17th:
- Donate $5.00 to Wear Your Jeans! (MTSD Staff-ALL SCHOOLS)
- Collection envelopes will be in the main office of each Monroe Township School. *Proceeds will support March of Dimes
- Wear PURPLE and share a photo of you and your group/staff!
- Donate NEW preemie clothing so a family can "shop" at no cost, for their baby
- Collection boxes will be placed at each school (pick up 11/18)
- Join FBLA in the MTHS LEFT Lecture Hall @ 2:15pm where we'll turn the lights PURPLE and hear a March of Dimes representative share their story!
- Join us in Cafeteria A to make cards for families @ 2:45pm
- Do you have your own personal story to share?
*Sponsored by MTHS FBLA-Future Business Leaders of America
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MTHS PTO-CRAFT/VENDOR FAIR
Saturday, November 19, 2016
9:00am - 3:00pm
Free Admission! Refreshments & Raffles!
MTHS Cafeteria
200 Schoolhouse Road, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
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GOT SCHOOL SPIRIT?
Check out
FALCON ZONE
School Store for all of your FALCON merchandise!
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MONROE RECREATION CENTER
Check out What's Happening!
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WOODLAND SCHOOL:
FIRE SAFETY
Monroe Township Fire District #1 visited Woodland mid-October to explain the importance of Fire Safety and to practice their Fire Escape Plan with families.
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WOODLAND SCHOOL-CHARACTER ASSEMBLY
Woodland Staff presented their Kick-Off Character Assembly for the students. The assembly was about resolving conflicts by being kind and respectful. They showed three different scenarios where conflicts/problems often arise: the bus, lunch, and recess. In each one, the characters used "I" messages to resolve the issue and showed how to be a good friend. Some of the issues presented were about teasing and jumping to the wrong conclusion. They highlighted the importance of students talking to each other in a kind way to resolve problems.
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Oak Tree Rising STARS
Oak Tree School's Rising STARS take to the Community by Maggie Fidura
At Oak Tree School, students learn about and practice character education and good citizenship skills through a program called Rising STARS. The program focuses on a specific good character and citizenship trait each month. In class and in Guidance, students learn about the trait and are asked to show it throughout the month. As they do, they earn a STAR ticket and a chance at a monthly drawing for a reward. Over the past two years, the Rising STARS program has shown great success within Oak Tree in promoting good character and allowing students chances at exhibiting it. It has also helped create a positive atmosphere within the school.
This year, the students at Oak Tree are being asked to extend their acts of good character and citizenship into the community. Students are being asked to exhibit the word of the month at home and/or around the community, then write about it and submit it to their teacher. By submitting their written evidence, students are earning additional STAR tickets and are being recognized for their community good deeds. For the month of October, students showed Responsibility at home by completing household chores and helping out with their siblings and parents. Others helped neighbors and friends with various tasks. The students at Oak Tree have taken on the challenge of being good citizens around their community with great enthusiasm. The teachers and staff at Oak Tree are proud of their accomplishments thus far and are excited to see what new community acts the students will complete during the month of November to portray Acceptance!
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DENNY MORE-An Evening of Hypnosteria
Sponsored by MTHS DECA
Open to the Community!
November 30, 2016
Doors Open at 6:45- Show begins at 7pm
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We are excited to present to you the 1st annual
MTHS Athletics Hall of Fame Induction.
We would like to pay tribute to the many individuals from our high school who have been a part of the MTHS athletic programs and part of the Monroe Falcons.
If you would like to nominate or re-nominate anyone who you feel is qualified, and meets the criteria, please click the link below.
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STAY CONNECTED with ATHLETICS
Get the latest information on the
Monroe Township School District Sports Programs
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MTHS ATHLETICS ON "SCHEDULE STAR"
View
"SCHEDULE STAR" to keep current with upcoming athletic events at Monroe Township High School!
Enter Monroe Township HS in the search box for daily, weekly & monthly schedules.
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Student Registration & Documents
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Monroe Township School District | 423 Buckelew Avenue | Monroe Township, NJ 08831
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