Wednesday, February 27, 2013
At Monday's BOE meeting, the administration announced awards and honors.
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Wednesday, February 27
Monday's Board of Education meeting kicked off with a rousing performance by the Columbia High School acapella group The Unaccompanied Minors. (Check out a video of the group performing earlier this year at CHS; attached to this article.) BOE member Lynne Crawford announced the following board recognitions of students and teachers: Columbia High School Student, Michael Ferranti, a freshman member of the CHS honors wind ensemble, was selected as a member of the 2012-2013 North Jersey Junior Region Band for his audition on the trumpet. Three members of the CHS Honors Wind Ensemble were selected as members of the 2012-2013 North Jersey Area Symphonic Band. Junior Ryan Morey will be joining the Area Symphonic Band for the second year in a row …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
South Orange - Maplewood District is open on Feb. 14.
Because of a calendar change made to compensate for a day lost to Superstorm Sandy, South Orange - Maplewood schools are in session on Thursday, Feb. 14. The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education voted on the change in late November, to ensure that the district would meet the state-mandated requirement for 180 days of school. Schools are closed on Friday, Feb. 15 and Monday, Feb. 18 for Winter Recess and the President's Day holiday. Any further school days lost this year will be taken from April recess.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Schools will have a four-hour day
The SOMSD today announced: Due to forecasts of blizzard conditions, there will be early dismissal today, February 8. All schools will follow the four hour day schedule today. Breakfast will be available as usual; however, lunch will not be served.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The South Orange - Maplewood School District will stay alert to weather issues
Updated Friday 10:30 a.m. Annie Get Your Gun at MMS will not happen on Friday night. Information about how to exchange tickets will be issued later on Friday. Check back. From the South Orange - Maplewood School Distict, 8:30 p.m. All after school activities are cancelled for tomorrow, February 8, due to forecasts of inclement weather. A full day of school is planned for tomorrow. Weather forecasts and conditions will be monitored throughout the night. Should updated forecasts require an adjustment to the school day, there will be an additional notification that schools will be on the four hour day schedule. This includes SACC, or after-school care, as per Director Irene Gallagher: Dear Families, We have just received the …
Monday, February 4, 2013
CHS and SOMS Students placed in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
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Monday, February 4
Columbia High School and South Orange Middle Schoolstudents join the ranks of writers Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, and Joyce Carol Oates in earning kudos in the 2012-2013 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Regional winners of the competition have been announced; those students who have earned a "Gold Key" will see their work advance in the competition. Abigail Baker won a Silver Key for short story "D Prime" and a Gold Key for a poetry collection. Chloe Lawrence won a honorable mention for a science fiction/fantasy, "The Land of Falan." Anna Ferguson won honorable mention for personal essay/memoir, "Scattered." Student submissions are judged by luminaries in the literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Notable past jurors …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
All are welcome to participate in Supt. Osborne's Book Club on Jan. 24
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Wednesday, January 16
The following information is from the South Orange - Maplewood School District: Join Superintendent Brian Osborne for a panel discussion with author Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. Dweck will partcipate live via Skype from her office at Stanford University in California. The panel will also include SOMSD educators. The community is invited to participate in the following ways: Please arrive by 6:45pm Please RSVP if possible, if you plan to attend, so we can have enough seating available. Email: communications@somsd.k12.nj.us Channel 35 in Maplewood Channel 19 in South Orange Channel 22 on Verizon FiOS Mindset is a simple idea developed by world-renowned Stanford …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Gains seen in narrowing the achievement gap, though large disparities still exist. Also, growing enrollment is likely to increase class sizes.
Calling the South Orange - Maplewood School District (SOMSD) a "model to the nation," Superintendent Brian Osborne presented a mostly glowing report of the district's progress in his sixth State of the District speech Wednesday night. "We have a tremendous amount to celebrate," said Osborne, speaking to an audience of roughly 50 Board of Education members, parents, principals and staff. He summarized where the district stands and the challenges that lie ahead. He began by noting the many accomplishments and awards students have received. He also touted the rise of Columbia High School in New Jersey Monthly's annual high school rankings and the expanded music program, which has doubled in participation levels in the middle schools. The …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Meeting on Wednesday is open to public.
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Tuesday, January 8
Superintendent Brian Osborne will give his annual State of the District Report on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Columbia High School Library (17 Parker Avenue). According to an email from the district: This is a great opportunity to hear from the superintendent about the achievements and accomplishments of the past year, the challenges we face, and our plans and vision for the future. There will also be time for questions. We hope you will join us for the report. The report will not be broadcast live but will be available on the website on Friday.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Resolution will make Board of Education the ultimate taxing authority, and will also extend terms of sitting board members.
The South Orange - Maplewood School Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution to move the Board of Education (BOE) elections from April to November at its monthly meeting on Monday. The resolution moves the elections from the third Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, the date of the general election. The resolution passed 7-1, with Bill Gaudelli voting against. (See the entire resolution attached to this article as a PDF). Previously, the Maplewood Township Committee (TC) had voted in favor of the move; while the South Orange Board of Trustees declined to take any action and the Board of Education voted against. "I believe that we would have a better discussion in the community with a special …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Three days after tragic events in CT, SOMSD plans for the coming week
Brian Osborne, Superintendent, released on Sunday a letter to the South Orange - Maplewood School District and families: South Orange Maplewood School Community, The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, has shaken all of us. We continue to grieve, along with the rest of the nation, for the families impacted by this senseless violence. Whether you have discussed the event with your children or not, they are likely to hear about it from other students on the bus, walk to school, or playground. We therefore suggest that you consider sharing information about the tragedy with your children, in a way that feels comfortable for you, before they return to school. Some possible talking points are included below. We have prepared developmentally …
Beverly Meaux
4:28 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013
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