The Falcon Flyer!       

 Monroe Township School District
A Message From The Superintendent's Office
 
Dear Falcon Community,
  
It ' s March madness, which is that time every year that sports pundits and enthusiasts across the country follow the maddening series of men and women college sports programs, most notably basketball,  during their quest to a national championship. Well, it ' s March Madness in Falcon Country, too.
  
Our boys ' and girls ' sports programs continue to experience success via their athletic abilities and their sportsmanship under the direction of excellent coaches and supervisors. Our Girls ' Basketball Team, under Coach Vogtman, has advanced into the playoffs.
  
Our Music Program benefited from Dr. Joseph Higgins, the new Director of Bands at Rowan University, who conducted rehearsals with our high school bands in preparation for their performances at the CJMEA Concert Band Festival to be held at the MTHS PAC on March 16, 2016.
  
Many community members, including our own Mayor Tamburro and Board of Education President Steve Riback, read books to our elementary children to honor Dr. Suess and celebrate Read Across America Week. Our children were excited to have guest readers and our adult readers commented on the excellent questions and comments from our students. Of course, Read Across America Activities, as well as many other student programs, are the results of our excellent Parent Teacher Organizations.
  
Our Student Growth Advisory Committee continues to collaborate to find creative, and cost effective, ways to address our growing student enrollment. Videos of our meetings are available via Channel 28 and our MTSD website. You will find also video footage of Congresswoman Watson-Coleman ' s visit to Oak Tree School, Board of Education meetings, and more.
  
Collaboration and sharing of services continues to increase between Mayor Tamburro, Town Council and the MTSD Administration and Board of Education. Recent examples include the donation of land by our Municipal Government to MTSD, the restoration project of the district tennis courts and our joint efforts to address state funding. On March 3rd, Mayor Tamburro, Senator Greenstein, Mr. Gorski - MTSD Business Administrator, and I met with New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney in his offices at the Statehouse in Trenton to discuss the inequity in our state funding to account for the growth of students in the district. Senator Sweeney was cognizant of our underfunding and very aware of the plight of the Monroe taxpayers. We will continue to foster these type of conversations until Monroe receives its fair share of state funding.
  
March 16th is our annual MTSD Budget Meeting. I encourage you to attend this Board meeting, as we are prepared to present an extremely favorable budget for 2016-17. Through the judicious  use of district funds by Mr. Gorski, and the efforts of our Leadership Team and the entire district staff under the direction of our Board of Education, our proposed 2016-17 budget is fiscally responsible and under cap, which is quite a feat considering the addition of 300+ students this past year and many more students expected in the coming school year. 
  
Inside this edition of the Falcon Flyer you will information about the many exciting events occurring in our schools and community. I encourage you to check our website and sign up for our Facebook and Twitter accounts to receive ongoing information about our schools and community.
  

Respectfully yours in education,
Dr. Michael Kozak
Superintendent 

 

 

 


Monroe Educator Insider
Welcome to the winter edition of our professional development/best practices newsletter! There is so much happening that I find it hard to narrow my focus of this article. This next summer, we will be offering a STEM Summer Camp Academy to our elementary students. STEM is happening all around the district, but what does it really mean and what does it include? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Read more: Information


Applegarth
Applegarth Elementary School
littleBits: Invention Starts Here
Students in Miss Russolese, Mrs. Pignataro and Mrs. D'Agostino's class, are using littleBits to turn their imagination into creations. littleBits are electronic building blocks used to create instant circuits, through Computer Science S.T.E.A.M. education. This technology will empower students to understand and reinvent their world spun with their creativity. In this activity students used littleBits to create a hand that will auto greet and represent the CUBES (circle the numbers, underline the question, box the key words, evaluate and draw, solve and check) problem solving math strategy. Stay tuned for more littleBits creations at Applegarth Elementary School!

                                  

"Drop Everything and Dance"
On Friday, February 19, 2016, Applegarth Elementary students and staff participated in the first "Drop Everything and Dance" event for reaching our school wide goal of 500 FISH! tickets. The entire school danced to 2 songs that were played over the loud speaker to celebrate our success! Staff members and students award other students with a FISH! ticket when they show an act of kindness and respect in school. Mrs. Shanholtzer, School Counselor, teaches the students a comprehensive counseling program titled "FISH! For Schools" that promotes social, emotional and academic growth. The FISH! program is a proactive school wide endeavor that builds character education and deters bullying. As part of the program, there is a school-wide goal for the total amount of FISH! tickets collected. The goal for Marking Period 3 is 1,000 FISH! tickets. If the students reach this goal, they will be awarded with another school-wide reward. 




Applegarth has Heart
by: Stacy Fleisher
Physical Education Teacher
 
Applegarth Elem School recently had its 4th annual Jump Rope for Heart event.   This year, the school raised $6358.06.  Over the past 4 years, Applegarth has raised $25,640.06.  During the event, the students participated in many heart healthy jump activities which included individual jump rope, long rope, Chinese jump rope, hoppity hop races, pogo sticks and more. 
 
Supporting kids' health for more than 30 years, the American Heart Association encourages kids to get active while they collect pledges for heart disease and stroke research. Jump Rope for Heart also educates students about the benefits of healthy eating, daily physical activity and giving back to their community.


Plus, as part of the American Heart Association school give-back program, our school also earned valuable Heart Smart
TM
Points redeemable for physical education equipment. 


Barclay Brook


 
The Barclay Brook students and staff were very excited to have the Cat in the Hat visit to help kick off our annual Read Across America celebration!  Read Across America Week will be held during the first week of March in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.  During the week, we will have thematic school spirit days aligned with some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books.  Students will also participate in a variety of fun reading activities, including "Speed Booking" and a school wide DEAR (drop everything and read) time.  "Speed Booking" is an opportunity for students to provide very brief review of their favorite book to students in another class at their grade level.  This is a way for students to learn about their peer's favorite books and create a list of new titles they would like to read.  The Cat in the Hat reminded students to "read, read, read!" and that's what they will do!
BrookSide School


In February, our PTA hosted a Cultural Fair in which parents and teachers volunteered to present on 16 different countries about their culture to students. It was a great event that served to celebrate the diversity of our learning community.

Mill Lake School
On Wednesday February 3rd, Mill Lake School hosted their evening event: Kicks for a Cause for Barclay Brook student Taylor Barta. The staff competed against the parents with the parents winning the event. More importantly $2840.15 was raised for Taylor's family; it was a fun event but the best part was being able to support a fellow Falcon Family.   
The Middle School 
  • The sixth grade students of Team Vista, Evolution and Mosaic have worked to create a beautiful Ancient Egyptian Museum Display in the halls of Monroe Township Middle School! This will be displayed until Feb 26
    th. Over the course of several weeks, the students researched an Egyptian achievement of choice, and crafted an artifact to represent their knowledge. In keeping with the museum format, research plaques were created to be put on display with each model. Kudos to the 6th graders for a job well done!
  • MTMS student artwork is currently being displayed at the Monroe Township Public Library during the month of February.  This exhibit features a small selection of works created by students in Ms. Duffy's 6th grade art cycles, Mrs. Williams' 7th and 8th grade visual arts, and Mrs. Hawxhurst's 7th and 8th grade graphic design classes. 
  • Team Mosaic students participated in the Mini Metric Olympics on February 11, 2016.  They made estimations for 5 different events.  At our closing ceremony, some students were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals for having the closest estimations.  It was a day filled with Science, Math, and lots of team spirit!


  • Thanks to the generosity of the MTMS faculty and staff, the school nurses have collected $400 in donations for the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign.
  • The MTMS Wrestling team finished their regular season at a perfect 14-0. This is Monroe Township Middle School's first undefeated season in wrestling, and only the second undefeated season in all MTMS sports history. The coaches and wrestlers of the wrestling team would like to thank all of the members of the staff and administration for their support throughout this great team season. The coaches and wrestlers worked extremely hard throughout the season accomplishing this great achievement.  Job well done!!  Congratulations!!!


In This Issue
Quick Links
High School


 


 

  Click here to v iew this       year's 2015-2016  :
      Calendar

Click here to view 2016-2017: Calendar
        Students     Documents

Click here: Information


      

    Sports Center  


For information on all of our athletic schedules, forms, etc.

Click here:Sports

 

     
"Along with warmer weather, our Spring Community Education Classes are starting soon!  For 32 years, the Monroe Township Community Education program has offered classes, lectures, experiences, and opportunities as unique as the communities we serve.  In addition to our popular long-time favorites, we have 26 NEW course additions to choose from that promise to be winners!  Registration is now underway...don't delay!"
 
Wendy Cerbie
Monroe Township Board of Education
Use of Buildings Coordinator/Adult Education Secretary
732-521-1500 ext. 5248



            Click here for more                            Information:
             March Newsletter

        




             
Photography & Poetry Contest

Children K_8
The Theme is "Nature"
Deadline 4/22/16



Children 3-8
The theme is "Nature".
Deadline 4/22/16



For more information call the Library at
732-521-5000 ext.116. Have Fun!
 

  
March 25-April 1,2016
School reopens April 4th  

 
   March 13th

Wednesday March 16, 2016
7:00PM
Barclay Brook School
Contact Gazala Bohra
646-678-9725


Monroe Township
Ice hockey
Program

Come Join Us For a
Slice of Summer Fundraiser
AT
Eagle's Landing Day Camp

 

 
.

 
CONGRESSWOMAN VISITS OAK TREE SCHOOL
 
Oak Tree was selected as one of three schools to be visited by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman on February 9th.
  Congresswoman Coleman toured the building and also stopped in Ms. Pugliese's third grade classroom where students were busily creating Valentines for Veterans. The cards were then collected and delivered by staff from Congresswoman Coleman's office to local veterans. The media was on hand to report this exciting event and we even were on News 12 that evening. It was a very exciting day at Oak Tree!

Crazy About Penguins in Grade Two!
 
            The 25 hard-working students in Miss Rispoli's class have been researching, learning, and utilizing technology for the past few months to write their non-fiction "All About Penguin" reports. Students started to learn about research, how to explore through search engines, and utilize graphic organizers to create reports on Emperor Penguins. Students became expert researchers by searching websites, watching videos and reading articles. Students not only learned about the importance of research, but also how to write facts using their own words. They learned research skills that will help them throughout their entire school careers.
            Students enjoyed publishing their penguin reports using Google Docs. Students were introduced to Google Docs during a classroom lesson and were taught the basic essentials to publish their reports. Students even learned how to insert images to make their story come alive! Students were determined to learn how to use Google Docs and publish their stories for a very important parent celebration. Parents were invited to the writing celebration where students read a poem, enjoyed a penguin snack, and shared their published book with their families. Miss Rispoli then surprised the students with an adopted penguin for their classroom! Students are excited to visit Tyson, their class penguin, in May on their field trip! The friends in Miss Rispoli's class will forever remember this exciting, cross-curricular activity!
 



 Woodland School
Congrats!
  
Location:             Woodland School, Grades 4-5
                             Monroe Township
                             Middlesex County, NJ
                             Principal: Adam Layman
                             Vice Principal: Samantha McCloud
                             Student Population: 410
                            
 Event date:          Thursday February 18, 2016
  
         Coordinators:       Ross Schultz, Physical Education Teacher
                            
  
Objective:            Raise donations for the American Heart Association
                             (AHA) to help fight heart disease and heart stroke.
                             Money is used for research and education. Every
                             year, about 950,000 Americans die from
                             cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
  
Donation Collected:      $ 12,000

       Amount to date: $ 250,000
  
Thank you to the following people for making this another successful event: Woodland students (amazing job), Woodland parent volunteers, Woodland-Mill Lake PTO,  Iggie Rasmussen , Cathy Lobo, Robin Freedman, Julie Spak (DJ), Samantha McCloud, Adam Layman, and of course the Woodland Staff!


Coming Soon!
Monroe Township High School
Footlights Club
Presents
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels








                                                                                                               
  

 
  




                              April 28th , 29th , 30th @ 7:00 P.M.
                May 1st @ 3:00  P.M.
                                                               Monroe Township High School
                              Performing Arts Center                    
           200 Schoolhouse Road
                     Monroe Township , NJ 08831

             Tickets: Students $6.00   Seniors $8.00    Adults $10.00
                       








Falconette Couture Dress Showcas
  March 23rd
Read more: Prom Dress
                         

 
  
                                 Rutgers Spring Football Game--FREE Event
  
 
The 2016 Rutgers Spring Football Game will be on April 23 at 7:00 at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway. Admission and parking are FREE for everyone.Many events will be held before and after the game.This is a fun day for the whole family and a chance to see New Jersey's Big Ten lead by new Head Coach Chris Ash.This is a great way for youngsters to get involved with their State University.  To purchase Rutgers merchandise, visit www.rutgersshop.com. For more information , contact  the Rutgers tickets office  at 866-445-4678 or go to www.scarletknights.com. Please share this with other parents,students,principals,teachers,coaches,recreation departments, alumni,and youth organizations.
 
 
  
Monroe Township High School
College and Career Counseling Center
Office Hours Monday -Friday 7:30 - 3:00 pm 
Monroe Township High School's Guidance viewpoint places the individual in the position of central importance and requires that all phases of the school program be aimed at assisting all students to achieve their maximum potential. We believe that in order to accomplish this task, a team approach involving students, counselors, teachers, parents and administrators must be utilized. Only through home and school cooperation can we fully assist in the educational, emotional and social development of our students.
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Read More: click here

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 Athletic Dept.
If you are looking for the latest information on the Monroe Township School District Sports Programs, including score updates and highlights, simply text 40404 and insert follow @monroeathletic in the message box. Or, follow us on Twitter at @monroeathletic.
Click here:Athletic Dept.
          
   Twitter  M.T.S.D.
 
Wow! Look at us...Another Twitter account to follow. This twitter feed will provide general information about our schools and community. Simply text 40404 and insert follow @mtsdfalcons in the message section of the text or Click here::M.T.S.D
 
Check us out on
Facebook

Monroe Township School District would like to formally announce the official opening of our Facebook page.


 

Child Safety

Guidelines for Parents

By taking responsibility for your children's online computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being online. Make it a family rule to:
  • Never give out identifying information- home address, school name, or telephone number- in a public message such as chat or bulletin boards, and be sure you're dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via E-mail. Think carefully before revealing any personal information such as age, marital status, or financial information. Consider using a pseudonym or unlisting your child's name if your service allows it.
  • Read More Child Safety
  • Article From Monroe Township Police Dept.
Monroe Township School District 
   http://www.monroe.k12.nj.us
423 Buckelew Avenue
Monroe Township, NJ 08831