Clinton Township Newsletter

I N O UR Spruce Run School S We are very excited to be bringing our Study Buddy Program back to Spruce Run School for the fourth year! Study Buddies was created by first grade teacher Julie Snee and is a wonderful opportunity for school district staff members to partner with members of the community to help children learn to love to read and write. This program partners a community mentor with a first grade student. The partners will meet once per week for 20-30 minutes to enjoy literacy activities together. During a typical meeting, children will read together with their mentor, discuss the story together, read one or more of his/her classroom reading books and write a story. The mentor records the activities completed and regularly communicates with the classroom teacher. Through the mentor's interest and encouragement, children will gain reading skills, motivation to read and write and personal confidence. Maria Grant and Jennifer Patuto are parent volunteers who are volunteering their time to coordinate the Study Buddy program. The Study Buddy program has been generously funded through a grant from the Clinton Township Foundation of Educational Excellence. We're enthusiastic about continuing this wonderful partnership between our school and our community! SCHOOLS: Round Valley School There has been so much activity going on at Round Valley School. Our Farm to Fitness Trail is ready for visitors. Please come to RVS and experience the trail. Be sure to bring your Smart Phone to access the QR codes that are available at spots throughout the trail. We are always so delighted to share Diversity Night with our students and families. We learn so much about our school, our neighbors and the world. The food is superb, the music and dancing are inspirational, the crafts are just plain fun! Thank you all for helping to carry on and expand this wonderful night of learning and sharing! We have a new Assistant Principal at RVS! Mrs. Joanne Hinkle joined Team Round Valley on October 1! She jumped right in meeting students, faculty, parents and community members! Welcome! A big thank you to Clinton Township PTA! Jordan Sonnenblick, an author of young-adult fiction, recently came to visit our 6th grade students. The sixth graders read at least one of the author's books as part of their summer reading and were able to discuss the writing process and how to use their talents to inspire others.​ HA A SP IPI N G Y TH NK G V P at r i c k M c g a h e r a n School Study Buddies Program: PMG is pleased to continue to host the Study Buddies Reading Program. In its third year at PMG, Study Buddies is a literacy mentoring program designed to build a trusting relationship between an adult and student that uses books to promote reading engagement and motivation.  School community members have graciously volunteered one hour of their time each week to join us and read with their student "buddies". Students in the program are excited to see and read with their mentor each week. During each meeting, students read aloud and are read to, and write and draw about their books. Mentors and teachers are in communication to celebrate and recognize student growth. Word of the Month Friendship Awards: This year, students at PMGS are being recognized for being positive members of the school community. Each month, a Word of the Month is featured. Classroom and school activities are planned to help students develop a greater understanding of the word. Staff members nominate students who demonstrate the traits associated with the monthly word through interactions with other students and adults. Students selected for this recognition are celebrated by having their name announced during morning announcements. They also receive an award certificate and appear in the school's weekly newsletter. Words of the Month for this school year are: September: Friendship, October: Respect, November: Cooperation, December: Generosity, January: Courage, February: Kindness, March: Confidence, April: Responsibility, May: Citizenship and June: Honesty. Cooperation N o v e m b e r Clinton Township Middle School CTMS is a busy place after 2:30 full of co-curricular sports and after school clubs! The Fall season of sports events offers opportunities for students to engage in boys and girls soccer, volleyball and cross country. After school clubs span a variety of areas. In Art Club, students work on a variety of projects both individual and collaborative that include sculpture, painting, printmaking and using the pottery wheel. Students are collaboratively designing a large scale project to install in the school. In Movie/Technology Club, students have an opportunity to be creative and learn more about technology. They will be working on movies, digital photography and graphic design, and solar race cars Some of our other year round offerings are: the CTMS Yearbook Club, Guitar Club and The Garden Club. Seventh graders were visited by the Hunterdon County Freeholders and challenged to a history contest for the 300 year anniversary of Hunterdon County. A group of students created a TV commercial to recruit other students to participate, and groups are now forming. The first meetings for the Debate Team and Law Fair were successful and the groups are busy forming arguments and opinions as they move forward with the process. Students who love to read have an opportunity to join the CTMS Book Club which meets monthly during lunch to discuss a "good read". CTMS analogists are avidly devouring word lists as they learn and apply analogies for Wordmasters. The CTMS Student Council donated blue recycling bins which have been placed throughout the school. Relay for Life student groups are already forming for the 2014 CTMS MiniRelay For Life. Our fourth annual relay will take place on Friday February 21 at CTMS 6:00-9:00 pm. Students are hoping to top last year's fundraising of $30,911. We hope you will be able to join us! Please mark your calendars for upcoming CTMS concerts! All concerts will take place in the auditorium and will start at 7:00 pm. • December 12 - CTMS Choral Concert • January 19 - CTMS Band Concert 2 0 1 3 13

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