Clinton Township Newsletter

1 4 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com 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 I N O U R S C H O O L S : Su R Scho Child Assault Prevention Program: Our district is once again receiving a grant from the New Jersey Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Program to present workshops for our parents, children, and teachers in kindergarten at Spruce Run School. The CAP Program is a comprehensive primary prevention program. CAP utilizes a three-pronged approach to community prevention education: training of staff, parents, and children. CAP strategies include self-assertion, peer support, effective communication and reporting skills. CAP programs are presented with a view of assault as a violation of the basic human rights to be "Safe, Strong, and Free." During the week of December 4, kindergarten students at Spruce Run School will participate in the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Project. We hope that kindergarten parents will join us on November 29 at 7:00 pm in the SRS Library in learning about and supporting this fine prevention program. More information will follow for kindergarten families. Paick McGah Scho Grade 2: Cultures and Traditions: This fall our second grade students will visit the Red Mill in Clinton. This trip is planned to enhance student learning of cultures and traditions. Through observation and participation, students will learn about community life in the 1800's including schooling and commerce. Students will explore the blacksmith's shop and carriage shed to learn more about transportation. Activities such as shelling corn, carding wool and candle making will also engage the students. We love having such a wonderful learning resource so close by! Grade 3: Lenape Native Americans: Third graders at Patrick McGaheran School will be participating in a field trip to Waterloo Village. Presentations on the Lenape Native Americans will be made by educators from Winakung Village at Waterloo Village. The presentations will include many hands- on experiences to help students make connections with their knowledge about the Lenape. Students will use recreated Lenape tools, such as a mortar and pestle to model grinding corn, and a drill and pump to model starting fires and more. These activities are designed to promote an understanding of how the Lenape used the world around them to survive, as well as to help students understand the ways in which we are similar to the Lenape. Study Buddy Program Returns to PMG: We are excited to announce that our Study Buddies program is returning for its eighth year at PMG! Study Buddies is a literacy mentoring program designed to build a trusting relationship between an adult and student, and promote reading engagement and motivation through the use of books, games and activities. School community members are graciously volunteering one hour of their time each week to join us in our school and read with their student "buddies". We thank Jennifer Patuto, a CTSD parent, for overseeing the planning and implementation of the program. PMG students are excited to see and read with their mentors each week! Rd V Scho "Shoes4Souls" Shoe Drive: Mrs. Major's and Mrs. Kilroy's 5th grade homeroom have teamed up with Mrs. Snyder's and Mr. Kocot's 6th grade homeroom to organize a shoe drive. The students set a goal to collect 2,500 shoes to donate to the company Funds2Orgs. The company will then send the shoes to other countries for those in need. In return, Funds2Orgs will send Round Valley School a check for every shoe that is collected. The students hope to raise $1,000 to be sent to hurricane victims around the country. All students are proud to be working on such a meaningful project as they participate in all aspects -- from emails to hurricane t h e c l I n t o n t o W n s h I p f o u n D at I o n f o r e D u c at I o n a l e x c e l l e n c e Please consider partnering with the Clinton Township Foundation for Educational Excellence by commemorating your child's educational journey with the purchase of a seat! Personalize your inscription in the In Honor of section to make it extra special! To do so, please visit the Foundation's website: www.ctsd.k12.nj.us/foundation-for-educational-excellence and select DONATE NOW. Thank you in advance! If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. *Meister Eckhart A L e t t e r f r o m Pamela C. Fiander, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Dear Clinton Township Community Members: Someone recently reminded me that the time is about to change (i.e., "fall back"), and that Thanksgiving is just weeks away. I am positive she is pulling my leg. How can this be true? Didn't we just open school for the new academic year? Yet, looking back at the past couple of months, no wonder it seems like time has flown – it has been busy! Since that first day of school in September, we hosted six Back-to-School Nights, enjoyed a PTA Ice Cream Social for Spruce Run and Patrick McGaheran School families, shared Pizza Night outside on a perfectly lovely Friday evening at Round Valley School, smiled for the coveted Picture Days, spent a professional development day honing our skills, commemorated through words and deeds our New Jersey Week of Respect, luxuriated in the PTA Book Fairs, giggled together at the SRS and PMG Pumpkin Carving Night, delighted in the PTA Fall Celebrations and prepared for our important parent/teacher conferences. Of course, this list doesn't even include the multitude of lessons that our teachers deliver each and every day! Through all of these activities, the sense of community is inspiring – with so many people coming together on behalf of what is best and right for children. Recently, a keynote speaker told the story of President Lyndon Johnson visiting NASA in the early 1960's. Seeing a young custodian sweeping floors, the President asked (in his Texas accent), "Son, what do you do here?" The custodian simply replied, "I am helping to put a man on the moon." While learning that this story is most likely apocryphal, I love how it portrays a pervasive spirit that resides in our school district – where each and every person who serves the children makes a positive difference. As we enter this season of gratitude, thank you for the important work that you do and for the beneficence of your abiding support of the children of Clinton Township. Happy Thanksgiving! Pamela C. Fiander, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

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