Monday, March 15, 2010
A group of parents have drafted a petition asking school district leadership to consider alternatives to rezoning.
A number of Tuscan Elementary School parents, alarmed at the prospect that their children will no longer be zoned for the school come September, have drafted a petition asking school district leadership to consider other options. The parents also plan to show up in force at the next Board of Education meeting on March 22. Superintendent of schools Brian Osborne announced in February that, due to overcrowding at Tuscan Elementary and South Mountain Elementary, the district would be rezoning elementary schools to assure even class sizes throughout the district, specifically in the lower grades which are absorbing a baby boomlet. Implicit in the rezoning is the idea that Tuscan and South Mountain families would be shifted to other school …
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The spring 2009 edition of Guildscript has been recognized beyond the district's borders.
SCHOOLS|16 hours ago
The Columbia High School art and literary magazine Guildscript received two national recognitions, a first-place award in the competitive American Scholastic Press Association competition and the rank of "Excellent" in the 2009 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines. The award-winning edition was published in the spring of 2009 under the direction of Literary Editors-in-Chief Emily Hahlbeck and Hillary Knecht; Art Selection Committee Leaders Katie Haas and Emily Hahlbeck; and Design Editor Molly Hoffman, all 2009 graduates. Faculty advisors are Mary Brancaccio, CHS English teacher, and Cindy Malhotra, CHS graphic arts teacher. The American Scholastic Press Association …
CHS girls basketball has a good core returning next season and should be strong again.
When a program with as much tradition, history and success as Columbia has, sees its season ended abruptly in its own home gym, it may be hard to look at it as a good year. But when you've been coaching as long as head coach Johanna Wright, you don't look to championships and wins and losses to define your success. "I do look at the season as a success," the 26-year head coach said. "A successful season to me is kids being good students and doing well and moving onto college. Basketball is a means to an end." The Cougar girls saw their streak of conference and state sectional championships come to an end this season. In the semifinals of the North II Group 4 state sectional championships, Columbia ran into a North Hunterdon team with a …
Friday, March 12, 2010
The signature piano scene from "Big" is accomplished thanks to technology and a few MIDI files.
It's a big theater weekend in Maplewood and South Orange, with the Columbia High School production of "Big" premiering at 7:30 p.m., and The Strollers' production of "Indian Blood," taking to the boards over at The Burgdorff Center for Performing Arts at 8 p.m. Who says there's no culture in the 'burbs?! It's the signature scene, the "Big" moment, if you will, when main character Josh dances on a lighted piano to the tune of "Heart and Soul" and "Chopsticks." And in the Columbia High School production of "Big," the scene is a collaboration of music, dance, lights and a MIDI file or two. Charlie Hooven, who works for Synergy, the company that cares for the district's technology, including smartboards and cameras, has long been a go-to guy …
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The South Orange Maplewood School District was not defrauded of payroll taxes in the scam run by Ameripay.
Earlier today, the Star-Ledger reported that 14 school districts, a dozen municipalities and one county were caught in an alleged payroll tax scam by Ameripay, a now defunct payroll firm. South Orange Maplewood School District was listed among those 14 school districts. However, in a statement issued this afternoon, school district officials stated, "The school district employed Ameripay only to process payroll and to print checks. The disbursement of funds has always been handled in-district. The district does not use a third party for this purpose as was done by the municipalities and school districts who were cited as being defrauded. The district's funds were never at risk. At the time of the allegations against Ameripay, the district…
Friday, March 5, 2010
Columbia girls basketball team dominates Westfield in quarterfinals
The Cougars jumped out to an 11-0 start on Thursday night at South Orange Middle School against the Westfield girls and never looked back. They cruised to a 57-35 win over the Blue Devil girls, eliminating them in the quarterfinals of the North II Group 4 state sectional championships. "I thought they played really well tonight," said Columbia head coach Johanna Wright. "I was just impressed with overall game. This time of year, you ought to be playing like this." Westfield turned the ball over in each of its first five positions and were out of the game before the end of the first quarter. Up 21-10 headed into the second period, the Cougars allowed just three points in the quarter and scored 15 to take a commanding 36-13 lead into the …
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Columbia boys fencing tops in the state once more.
In the biggest moment of the year, with a perfect season and a state championship on the line, the Columbia boys fencing team turned to its biggest stars—and they delivered. On Tuesday night at Morris Hills High School, the top seeded Cougar fencing squad edged the second seeded Bernards boys 15-12, en route to claiming its fourth state championship and first since 2007. Holding a 13-12 lead, just one point away from the win, senior co-captain epee fencer Mathew Gibson stepped up and claimed a 5-1 victory over David Howes, ending a late comeback attempt by the Mountaineers. "If anything I was energized," Gibson said, responding to whether he was nervous or not. "I thought it would come down to epee and I just ran with it. It feels awesome…
The South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race focused on "Mind the Gap!" and discussed the role of leveling in the middle and high schools.
"Almost there" signs lined the hallway of South Orange Middle School, directing members of the community to the library for a discussion of the Academic Achievement Gap as highlighted in the National Public Radio program "Mind the Gap!" Hosted on Tuesday night by the Schools Committee of the Community Coalition on Race and the Seth Boyden PTA, the meeting began with introductions by Carol Barry-Austin and Sue Willis, co-chairs of the Schools Committee, and from Rhonda Wilson-Duncan, president of the Seth Boyden PTA. Wilson-Duncan explained the format of the evening: a panel discussion led by Nancy Solomon, followed by table discussions, a return to a large group discussion and closing remarks from Community Coalition on Race Executive …
The South Orange Maplewood superintendent of schools identified $1.5 million in non-personnel cuts, but positions will be lost to close a budget gap.
Superintendent Brian Osborne presented a draft budget of $112 million for the 2010-2011 school year at Monday night's South Orange Maplewood Board of Education Budget Workshop meeting. In order to deal with health care and other increased costs as well as reductions in State aid, the budget would cut 29 positions in the district, while adding 6 elementary school teachers, for a total loss of 23 positions. The six elementary school teachers are being added to handle increased enrollment at the elementary school level. Osborne stressed that this is a draft budget and could change as numbers related to State aid become more specific. Before looking to eliminate jobs, Osborne and district staff looked closely at reducing literally hundreds of …
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Columbia girls trounced the Hillsborough team by a score of 76-27.
SPORTS|Tuesday, March 2
Tonight, the Lady Cougars basketball team showed why they are 22-3 (losing only to the top-ranked Shabazz) and ranked #2 in the state sectional playoffs, as they demolished the Hillsborough girls team by a score of 76-27 in their playoff game. CHS player #24 Jade Johnson-Walker took her number to heart and scored an astounding 24 points—almost as much as the entire Hillsborough team. Johnson-Walker was followed in point totals by teammates Brianna Thomas (12 points), Charity Scipio (8 points), Shaina Earle (7 points), Marcelyn Williams (7 points), Kyrsten Van Natta (6 points), Chi-Chi Ozuzu (6 points), Gabby Jackson (4) and Stacey Green (2). The CHS team was rounded out by India Crawley, Melissa Carelli, Whitney Jackson and Simone Rucker…
The SOMS cast of "Cinderella" had a preview yesterday. They walked over to CHS for the final dress rehearsal of "Big." Two thumbs up was the verdict! more ›