NEW AFTER-SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

DISTRICT PROMOTES STAFFERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The school district offered up a list of district staffers who have gained recognition for different accomplishments during the last school year.Among them new Columbia High School principal Elizabeth Aaron for work she did last year as an assistant principal:

Elizabeth Aaron

Assistant Principal

Columbia High School

Asked to present the New Jersey Council for the Humanities' Teacher of the Year Award at their annual dinner on October 30, 2013.

Article featured in the National Park Service Case Study published in the fall

Presented a paper on the subject of her dissertation research, education in Early 20th Century Newark in the public schools, at the annual conference of the graduate program in history at Rutgers-Newark on March 27

Read about others HERE.

HARVESTFEST PLANS ANNOUNCED

From Springfield Avenue Partnership:

October 1, 2014

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The Springfield Avenue Partnership proudly presents the 4^th annual HarvestFest on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hilton Library Branch area & Gazebo grounds, at 1688 Springfield Ave.

HarvestFest is a family event that will include many activities for kids such as pumpkin painting, bounce house, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, crafts and more.  For adults, there will be retail vendors selling a wonderful variety of merchandise, plus live music by popular local bands and special performances by Springfield Avenue performing arts and health and wellness merchants. And as always, there will be an array of delicious food to enjoy.

The day’s live music is sponsored by BCB Community Bank and will include performances by Roll On Two, an awesome teen band that will surely get your feet tapping, the ever fun Mood Ring, and rounding out the day, The Baby Please with Nat Grauman. There will be dance performances and demos put on by Springfield Avenue merchants Inspirational Dance and Viva Z Club! 

Live music/performance times are:

11:00 – 11:45 – Roll on Two – teen band

12:00 – 12:45 – Mood Ring

1:00 – 1:45- Special performances by Inspirational Dance and Viva Z Club

2:00 – 3:00 – The Baby Please

This celebration of the season brings together Maplewood residents as well as friends from nearby towns and beyond.  

“This will be a great way to celebrate all things Fall with your family and friends,” said Julie Doran of the Springfield Avenue Partnership.  “There's something for everyone at HarvestFest.”

This event is sponsored by: CKO Kickboxing of Maplewood, Vanessa Pollock of Keller Williams Midtown Direct Realty, BCB Community Bank, Overlook Medical Center | Atlantic Health, Waste Management, Express Yourself Studios, Time to Clean, Lorraine Labonne-Storch of Coldwell Banker Residential Realty and County to County Landscaping.

More information is available at: www.SpringfieldAvenue.com.

NEW MMS PRINCIPAL'S "PRIMARY GOAL" IS GREAT EDUCATION FOR EVERY STUDENT

Recently installed Maplewood Middle School principal Jerrill Adams released this letter to parents Tuesday:

September 30, 2014

Greetings Parents and Families of Maplewood Middle School (MMS):

My name is Jerrill Adams and I’m extremely happy to join the staff of MMS as the new Principal. I’m very passionate about education and I look forward topartnering with you to provide our students with a rigorous, engaging, and

high-quality middle school experience. As the parent of two boys ages 4 and 7, I

recognize the importance of a strong home-school connection. Parents are every

child's first teacher and I believe that by working together, we can make sure

your child's social, emotional, and academic needs are met.

Before joining MMS, I served in a variety of teaching and educational leadership

roles over the past 12 years, primarily with the NYC Department of Education.

Some of the roles I have held include classroom teacher, literacy coach/staff

developer, K-8 assistant principal, school improvement administrator, and senior

network team manager for the NYCDOE central office. My academic background

includes a Master of Arts in Speech Communication, a Master of Science in

Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Science in Television-Radio, and a

Certificate of Advance Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership and

Administration.

I believe that great schools are the results of great teachers, so my primary

objective will be to ensure that every student is receiving high-quality

instruction from every teacher at MMS. In order to do this, I will be providing

teachers with feedback on their instruction, access to professional development,

and reaching out to parents for support with academic and behavioral concerns to

ensure our students are prepared for college and 21st century careers.

I will be working closely with our Assistant Principals, Mr. Brown and Mr. Gold,

to guarantee that all of our scholars are intellectually challenged and have

access to the social and emotional support critical to students during the

middle school needs. Please get involved with the Home and School Association

(HSA) to ensure that your voices are heard or send me an email directly at

jadams@somsd.k12.nj.us.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve your families in this role! Please do not

hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas you

would like to share.

Sincerely,

Jerrill M. Adams

HILTON LIBRARY BABY LIT TODAY

Baby Lit (ages birth - 2 ½)

No registration required - All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Valid Maplewood library card required 11am