Our Montville

“Two Marys, Five Jacks and One Very Big Shoe” at St. Pius X School

Students in prek-3, prek-4, kindergarten, first and second grades of St. Pius X School were delighted on the morning of January 22, 2010 with the production of “Two Marys, Five Jacks and One Very Big Shoe.”  The program was an entertaining re-telling of Mother Goose rhymes presented by Young Audiences of Princeton, a premier provider of arts-in-education services.  

The St. Pius X students were captivated by the storytelling as they interacted with the performers through well-orchestrated hand movements and finger-plays.  Seventeen Mother Goose rhymes and songs were presented,  demonstrating how simple nursery rhymes can work together to create an entirely new story -- which in turn can be linked to an important lesson in today’s world.  Not only did the fun-filled performance promote mutual respect among children, but it also furthered other learning goals and satisfied several core curriculum content standards for teaching, such as active listening and the use of non-textual information. 

Students testing their math skills while raising funds for hospital

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Valley View School held its eighth annual kick-off school-wide assembly to help raise money for the St. Jude’s Children's Hospital. Over the past eight years, the school has surpassed a combined fundraising total of $60,000, which qualifies Valley View as an "elite" donor school — one of the top 20 elementary schools in the entire United States in terms of Math-A-Thon contributions to St. Jude's.

Today, more than 4,900 children are living at the hospital and surrounding facilities due to the donations and help of schools like Valley View. More than 30 years old and considered America’s largest education-based fundraiser, Math-A-Thon is also a supplemental math education program for grades K-eight that serves as the primary fundraiser for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Nashville, TN.

St. Jude’s has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world. The facility is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance.  Continue Reading NorthJersey.com.

State issues report on schools’ progress

The New Jersey Department of Education recently announced that almost 64 percent of the 2,222 New Jersey schools in which tests were administered in the spring of 2009 met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards mandated under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

State officials said that the decline in the number of New Jersey schools making AYP – 1,554 in 2008 versus 1,420 in 2009 – was essentially due to two factors: first, an increase in the percent of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve proficiency, and second, increases over the last two years in the percentages of students in every subgroup who are required to achieve proficiency on the tests in order for the school to make AYP.

Assistant Commissioner for Student Services Barbara Gantwerk noted that New Jersey students consistently are among the nation’s scoring leaders on the NAEP (National Assessment for Educational Progress) tests, the only assessments for which state-by-state comparisons can be made.

Continue Reading NorthJersey.com.

“Love n Bake” will Help the Animals

Nothing fills a home like the aroma of something yummy baking in the oven.    Since we want only the finest ingredients going into our baked items: PASS (Parsippany Animal Supporters Society), along with Love n Bake, will be sponsoring a fundraiser from January through April.

You will receive 20% off your individual orders and PASS will receive 20% of the total amount sold.  The website is easy to follow and your order will be shipped to your home.
Please visit the website at www.lovenbake.com and see all the wonderful ingredients there are to order, great recipes and a history of the company.

Join PASS in celebrating SPAY DAY USA

ENTER THE SPAY DAY ONLINE PET PHOTO CONTEST!
To support Spay Day, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International host the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest, presented by VISA and Zazzle—a great opportunity to celebrate our pets, raise funds for spaying and neutering, and win great prizes!

Entering the contest is easy and free—simply upload a digital photo of your pet and tell a little about him or her.   Pick Parsippany Animal Supporters Society as your charity of choice.  Ask your friends to vote--you can win prizes by having the most votes OR by having your photo selected as one of the top entries by a team of judges. 
 
We all want to see your pets!  Post yours now.  Enter your pet's photo into the 2010 Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest.

Montville refusing a settlement from PSE&G

Mayor Jim Sandham announced that Montville will not accept the settlement offered by Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) to change their position on the 45-mile, high-voltage powerline proposed by the
company.

Residents Charles Fisher and John Alexander, who had prepared to urge the council not to accept the settlement, instead thanked the committee for a job well done, and urged them to stick to this decision regardless of future offers.

"They're trying to buy your compliance," Alexander said. It is the belief of many that the project will adversely affect both property values and the environment.

Mayor Sandham noted that "this is not necessarily just a monetary issue."

The committee also discussed pending improvements and changes to the intersection at Bloomfield and Chapin Road due to the construction of Lowe's. Further traffic study is needed.

Continue Reading NorthJersey.com.

Be Counted on Census Day!

It is important to be counted!  Census data is used in a number of important ways.  For example, Census information affects the number of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.  It is also used to establish funding criteria for federal grants and many other causes.  Please take a moment to explore the 2010 Census Fact Sheet and the official 2010 Census website. For more information see the attached. Download Census Fact Sheet

Friday: Full Body Scans to Double as Annual Checkups

Solution to Airport Security, Health Care Woes

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) In what some in the White House are calling a "win/win" solution to the nation's airport security and health care reform problems, starting next month U.S. airports will begin conducting full body scans that will double as annual physical checkups.
President Obama announced the breakthrough solution, telling reporters, "With this all-purpose exam, we will be able to find everything from a hidden weapon to a spot on your lung."
After scanning a passenger, Mr. Obama said, "We will either give you a clean bill of health or wrestle you to the ground."

 

Montville about to hire new superintendent of schools

More than half a year after beginning its search for a permanent schools superintendent, the board of education plans to officially appoint a veteran educator from New York on Thursday.  Paul Fried, who currently heads the Mamaroneck School District in Westchester, N.Y., will be the K-12 district's fourth superintendent in the past decade if approved by the nine-member board.  The 59-year-old Fried, who has served as Mamaroneck's schools chief for the past five years, was chosen as the top candidate among seven applicants for the position, said Montville school board President Jon Alin.

He will replace Gary Bowen, who resigned in December after three years in the district.  In a departure from previous schools chief searches, the board turned to one of the largest private superintendent search firms in the state; Leadership Advantage based at Seton Hall University.  The firm, which the district paid $18,500 to from a surplus budgeted for energy, met with parent and teacher groups during the fall to discover the most coveted qualities for a super in Montville.  Fried, who has 38 years experience in education and a positive track record with the Mamaroneck teachers union, fit the bill. Montville officials also noted his history of longevity in the position, which has been tenuous for the district.  Continue Reading Daily Record

Mayor Sandham: Montville stays on fiscal course

Long-term financial planning has kept the township fiscally sound over the last four years, and officials plan to continue reducing debt in 2010, incoming Mayor Jim Sandham said at the organizational meeting of the Township Committee.
Sandham was appointed mayor and Tim Braden deputy mayor by the five-member committee, while new Committeeman Donald Kostka was sworn in to his first term. Kostka ousted the committee's sole Democrat, Jean Bader, shaking up the committee's makeup.

While the governing body in 2010 has only Republicans, the goals remain the same as in the past few years, Sandham said.

The township has reduced its debt by $12 million since 2005 and plans to reduce debt another $18 million over the next six years while still investing more than $15 million in infrastructure and open space, Sandham said.

Continue Reading Daily Record.  See also Sandham facing 'many tough decisions'.