« August 2011 | Main | October 2011 »

10 posts from September 2011

September 28, 2011

Montville Man Lobbies for School Administrators

Township resident and former Montville schools superintendent Dr. Richard G. Bozza was drawn to Montville high school  education by teachers and coaches who had a dramatic impact on his life.

So, despite politics, funding and other issues that often threaten to override students in the education equation, Bozza aspires to keep children at the forefront of every conversation, he said.  Continue reading Patch.

Bullying as True Drama

Cyber bullying The suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, the 14-year-old boy from western New York who killed himself last Sunday after being tormented by his classmates for being gay, is appalling. His story is a classic case of bullying: he was aggressively and repeatedly victimized. Horrific episodes like this have sparked conversations about cyberbullying and created immense pressure on regulators and educators to do something, anything, to make it stop. Yet in the rush to find a solution, adults are failing to recognize how their conversations about bullying are often misaligned with youth narratives. Adults need to start paying attention to the language of youth if they want antibullying interventions to succeed.  Continue reading New York Times

September 26, 2011

Bullying and Teasing: No Laughing Matter

Bullying: Know the facts about bullying, even if you don’tBullies  think bullying affects your child.

Unfortunately, teasing is often part of growing up — almost every child experiences it. But it isn't always as innocuous as it seems. Words can cause pain. Teasing becomes bullying when it is repetitive or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child. It can be verbal bullying (making threats, name-calling), psychological bullying (excluding children, spreading rumors), or physical bullying (hitting, pushing, taking a child's possessions).  Continue reading Scholastic.com.

New Anti-Bullying Policy for Schools

No bully zone Fried says new law has good intent, but is 'very complex' and districts will 'struggle to comply.'

The New Jersey anti-bullying law, passed overwhelmingly by the legislature in January, is seen as the toughest in the country.

The bill gained momentum following the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate allegedly filmed a romantic encounter between Clementi and another man without their knowledge and streamed it on the Internet.  Continue reading Patch.

September 09, 2011

9/11 education: How should terrorism event be taught in schools?

9  11 When Jill McCracken taught her Holmdel High School seniors about the anthrax panic that swept the  nation following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she could sense their confusion.

“They kind of squinted and said, ‘Oh … that’s why I couldn’t go get the mail.’ … It put their whole life in context,” McCracken recalled.

Ten years after the attacks, educators now are faced with a generation of students who were elementary school age or younger when they occurred. The very youngest of those students hadn’t even been born.  Continue reading Daily Record.

September 08, 2011

Teens and Sleep

Alarm Clock Sleep is food for the brain. During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur. Skipping sleep can be harmful — even deadly, particularly if you are behind the wheel. You can look bad, you may feel moody, and you perform poorly. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on school exams, on the court or on the field. Remember: A brain that is hungry for sleep will get it, even when you don’t expect it. For example, drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheel cause more than 100,000 car crashes every year. When you do not get enough sleep, you are more likely to have an accident, injury and/or illness.  Continue Reading National Sleep Foundation.

September 07, 2011

Tips to Help Transition from Summer to Back to School

Back to school After a summer of sleeping in or doing things on your time, the alarm bell announcing that first day of school can be a rude awakening. Whether you're an anxious new freshman or a confident senior, heading back to school signals a time of transition: new classes, new teachers, new schedules, and a new social scene.

Dread it or love it, you gotta go to school. Here are some ways to make the transition from summer to school a little easier.

First-Day Mania

There's no escaping the fact that the first day of school can be crazy. New kids wander around in circles. Lockers won't open. The school nurse needs your medical records. You forgot your gym shorts. Freshmen are running in all directions, looking for their homerooms.  Continue reading KidsHealth.org.

September 06, 2011

TEEN DRUG ABUSE - There is Help Available!

Drugs drag you down Many families have overcome the plague of excessive teen drug abuse in their home. When their children have successfully completed treatment they become focused in their academics again, and often go on to attend college which would have been otherwise impossible the way things were going. Sobriety will bring the passion back into your child's life, and help them to achieve the goals that are important to them. Treatment will also give your child all the tools and support they need to live a life free of drug dependence and addiction.  Continue reading Inspirationsyouth.com.

Schools see benefit of uniforms

Janine Walker Caffrey has seen the benefits of school uniforms first-hand.School uniforms

The superintendent of the Perth Amboy public school system, Caffrey has previously worked at schools in New York City, Florida and Chicago, and she says schools in the Windy City “saw a huge positive impact” after implimenting a uniform policy.

“Particularly in urban settings, it’s clear that a uniform policy decreases discipline referrals and increases the seriousness of education,” said Caffrey, who has been at the Perth Amboy district since July. “What happens when you put uniforms in plalce is that the distractions of clothing are minimized and disciplinary referrals tend to be minimized. That’s what the research tells us about it and that has been my experience as well.”  Continue reading Daily Record.

September 01, 2011

Important Phone Numbers that can "Make a Difference"

Rescue vehicles Montville Township Police Department "Non-Emergency:"  (973) 257-4300

Emergencies Only, Police, Fire & Ambulance: 9-1 -1

Community Services:  2-1-1

Information:  4-1-1

Poison Control: (800) 222-1222

JCP&L - (Electric Non-Emergency):  888-544-4877

NJ Natural Gas (Non-Emergency):  800-GAS-LEAK

"Call Before You Dig:"  8-1-1

Ads