Clinton Township Newsletter

1 3 M a y 2 0 1 4 S I N O U R S C H O O L S : 2014 CTMS Teacher of the Year: Brent Ruge! Brent Ruge is an accomplished profes- sional who is dedicated to the craft of teaching. His ener- getic active style of instruction is infectious and his passion for his content is palpable. Brent teaches health to middle school students. He engages students at their level of understanding and answers their questions with candor and honesty. He has developed a safe supportive environment where all are accepted and encouraged to share their thoughts. Brent has a way of reaching through the walls of defense put up by many adolescent learners who are disinterested in school. He makes connections with students and they seek him out for conversation. Brent is an active participant in developing and strengthening our school community. He has taken a leadership role as a Curriculum Chair, as a member of our School Emergency and Crisis Team, and our School Climate and Culture Team. Brent has established strong relationships with parents. He is a collaborative and a team player who is eager to learn new ideas, and willing to share ideas and best practices with colleagues in order to strengthen our school community. Brent Ruge embodies what is best in teaching and we are proud to have him as our CTMS Teacher of the Year. C L i n t o n t o W n s h i P m i d d L e s C h o o L Teacher of the Year: April showers bring May flowers, as well as the excitement of recognizing one of the many talented fac- ulty members in our school as Teacher of the Year. Ms. Danielle Nugent, Spruce Run School's 2014 Teacher of the Year, is an outstanding educator whose enthusiasm and positive nature truly make her shine! Ms. Nugent is a caring, professional, creative special education teacher who consistently puts the needs of individual students first and always seems to have a handle on what those needs are for each student, and how to meet them. Through her daily interac - tions with students, parents and staff, it is evident that she truly loves what she does. Her vivacious personality, positive nature and enthusiasm enable children to feel comfortable and secure when under her guidance, thus enabling them to be successful. She welcomes parents into her classroom and en - courages and promotes participation in all aspects of her students' education. She teaches not only students, but also staff, as she shares her knowledge of autism with the entire school. Ms. Nugent takes the time to find something positive in each and every person with whom she interacts. She is able to capitalize upon the positive, and use it to shape other behaviors. She is a caring, dedicated, talented educator whose willingness to go the extra mile to ensure each student's success is noted and appre - ciated. Ms. Nugent is a warm and patient teacher who truly is a shining star! We are so fortunate to have Ms. Danielle Nugent as part of our staff at Spruce Run School, and we are proud to recognize her as our Teacher of the Year. s P r u C e r u n s C h o o L P a t r i C k m C g a h e r a n s C h o o L Patrick McGaheran's Teacher of the Year! We are pleased to announce that this year's Teacher of the Year is Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Carole Frey! Carole Frey is an exceptional school counselor. Mrs. Frey is professional, warm, caring and the type of person who encompasses the saying, "Live in such a way that if someone should talk badly about you, no one would believe them." Mrs. Frey starts her days at Patrick McGaheran School standing in the entryway greeting all 300 of our students by name. Students smile and hug her as they return the greeting. Throughout the day she meets with students, in counseling sessions, teaching whole class lessons, and meeting with friendship groups for lunch or recess. The children adore Mrs. Frey for her kind and caring personality. They know that she will make the time for them no matter how full her schedule. Mrs. Frey works closely with the school nurse to help students learn relaxation strategies. She goes into classrooms and teaches breathing and other calming techniques. I n a d d i t i o n t o w o r k i n g w i t h students, Mrs. Frey has established an excellent rapport with parents, who often times come to her for guidance. She handles matters in a confidential and professional manner while demonstrating empathy and compassion for all concerned. It is because of this that she is also regularly sought out by her colleagues. Mrs. Frey is truly outstanding and we are honored to have her as part of the PMG Family of educators! PMG Arts Fest 2014: This year Patrick McGaheran's Arts Fest was held on Wednesday, April 30 from 6:00 -8:00 pm. Student artwork was proudly displayed throughout the school, but concentrated in the All- Purpose Room. This year, each child created a professionally displayed framed masterpiece. Families had the opportunity to purchase the framed artwork, with proceeds benefiting the Clinton Township Foundation for Educational Excellence. Additionally, other exciting student performances such as a recorder ensemble and a poetry slam were showcased. The third grade Animal Research books were also on display in the library. This was a fun night for all! Share a Smile! Three 5th grade Round Valley students wanted to bring smiles to those who are in hospitals and nursing homes. The girls came up with the idea of making greeting cards. They researched what they would need to do, wrote letters to hospitals and nursing homes for approval and started making cards. They wanted to expand this and have included all the students of RVS to really help "Share the Smile!" Round Valley Reading Olympics! What a night Round Valley students had at the April 9, Reading Olympics! 312 students (26 teams) from 12 area schools participated in the annual event. Round Valley students had the top three scores of the evening. Our sixth grade team achieved the top recorded score ever for Reading Olym - pics! Congratulations! With names like Page Perfect Penguins, Diction- ary Dinosaurs, Universal Unicorns, Brainy Bookworms, Los Lectores Grandes, Jelly Bean Geniuses, and Literature Llamas, how could they not succeed? Again, congratulations to our students and their commitment to reading! Round Valley School's Teacher of the Year ~ Mrs. Joyce Kliszus! Mrs. Kliszus is ending her educa- tional career on a high note! She has been teaching for 31 years 24 of which were here in the Clinton Town- ship School District. We at Round Valley are happy for accomplishments. She has dedicated herself to music and is passionate about conveying her love of music to children. She started the 'Golden Eagle Singers sixteen years ago and they have won numerous competitions. Mrs. Kliszus has been highly involved in the New Jersey Honor Choir, a choir where students must audition for a position. This year Clinton Township has 25 stu - dents attending the NJ Honor Choir. This is quite an accomplishment! As Mrs. Kliszus stated, "I believe that music education should be a part of children's lives for the musical skills it imparts, the knowledge of culture it conveys and most importantly, the joy it brings. As Aristotle wrote, music, 'makes the hearts of men glad: so that on this ground alone we many assume the young out to be trained in it.' " Round Valley Talent Show! What a spectacular night of entertainment. There were 40 acts at this year's Talent Show. The music, singing, dancing, gymnastics, and camaraderie were delightful! There were smiles every- where as we enjoyed the talents of our students. (Teachers too :)) r o u n d v a L L e y s C h o o L

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