Clinton Township Newsletter

1 4 f e b r u a r y 2 0 2 3 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P S C H O O L N E W S www.ctsdnj.org Friday February 17 Early Dismissal; Professional Development for Staff (PM) Monday February 20 School Closed IMPORTANT DATES TO KEEP IN MIND THIS MONTH FINDING GOBI In late November, New York Times bestselling author Dion Leonard visited each school in the district to share his story of running a marathon through the Gobi desert and meeting a stray dog who would change his life. The visit, sponsored by the Clinton Township PTA, presented each student audience unique lessons written in his book, Finding Gobi. At Patrick McGaheran (PMG), Mr. Leonard spoke to the students about the importance of friendship, and never giving up. He shared his picture book with PMG students, and Gobi even did some tricks for us! Meeting the actual dog, Gobi, was the highlight of the event for our students! At Round Valley School, students loved hearing about Mr. Leonard's adventures with Gobi. Some third grade students even made posters to celebrate their visit. All of our students adored watching Gobi chase a ball and learned so much about teamwork, dedication and perseverance from the presentation. At the Clinton Township Middle School, the presentation focused on themes of Clockwise from left: Gobi author Dion Leonard with Luke Mason, Acting Principal at CTMS, Dr. Melissa Stager, Superintendent of Schools with Gobi the dog, and Melissa Goad, Principal at PMG with Gobi... and his book! perseverance, friendship and unconditional love. Mr. Leonard told his unique story of how he met his four-legged friend, Gobi, how he ultimately lost him, and how he would stop at nothing until he found him again. Audience members of all ages left the presentation feeling inspired and ready to take on new challenges! Hello Clinton Township School Community, Clinton Township School District and the Clinton T o w n s h i p P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t h a v e c r e a t e d a n agreement to share a School Resource Officer (SRO). The SRO, Detective Mike Akers, works in and around the school district to focus on safety, security, education, and relationship building. Aside from his security role, Detective Akers is also teaching a program in grades 5 and 8 that focuses on making good A MESSAGE FROM DR. STAGER, CTSD SUPERINTENDENT: Detective Mike Akers School Resource Officer choices. In the summer months and on weekends, Detective Akers will continue with regular police operations. Currently, this program is grant- funded, but keeping and expanding the SRO role will be voted on by the public in November. It has been a great partnership that benefits both the student and the Clinton Township community. – Sincerely, Dr. Melissa Stager, Ed.D Superintendent, CTSD What Do We Do? The Clinton Township P T A w o r k s i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h parents, teachers, and the community to enhance the educational experience for all of our children. We're dedicated t o p r o m o t i n g c h i l d r e n ' s h e a l t h , well-being and educational success through strong parent, family and community involvement. The PTA typically sponsors many activities and events for the students and families of Clinton Township School District throughout the school year, including a variety of age- appropriate social events at each of our schools, educational enrichment assemblies, programs, the Scholastic Book Fair and our annual Holiday Secret Shoppe. The PTA also sponsors Staff Appreciation Week annually across all schools. T h e P T A o p e r a t e s a v a r i e t y o f fundraisers throughout the year. If you're a new CTSD family, please take the time to register on our website at: http://www.ctsdnj.org/resources/ p a r e n t _ t e a c h e r _ a s s o c i a t i o n t o support our activities and gain access to exclusive benefits such as our online student directory! The Clinton Township School District, in partnership with the community, achieves excellence for each child by ensuring a meaningful and challenging educational experience in a supportive environment; developing life-long learners who are responsible and productive citizens.

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