National Library Card Sign-up Month

The following message is from Ms. Sharron Knauss, Wooodbury City Schools District Library Media Specialist:

September is National-Library Card Sign-up Month, and local libraries across the country are relaying to parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

Celebrated throughout the month of September, National Library Card Sign-up Month encourages people to check out what is new at their library by signing up for a library card. Libraries today offer more than just books-- they have videos, CDs, computers, Internet access and more. Libraries also are dynamic community centers with librarians on hand to help.

Library cards are free of charge-- simply go to the Woodbury City Public Library on Delaware Street and fill out an application.

Have a great school year!

$395,372

The district was informed this week that we will be receiving an infusion of $395,372 as part of the federal government's "Education Jobs" stabilization legislation. This is good news. The Board of Education will discuss how this money will be spent. The guidelines provide that school districts can spread out the expenditure over the course of this school year and next school year.

Areas of greatest need will be the focus. This determination will be made by examining student performance measures at the individual schools/grades and the recent history of achieving the federal government's annual measure of "Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)."

Again -- good news. We will be able to support students better as we work to have them meet with success on all fronts.

[More information regarding the program and how it will be administered in New Jersey]

Girls Tennis

The Girls Tennis team came in first place at the GCT Girls Tennis Tournament. The team finished in first place and was led by both first singles player, Maddie Graziani, and second singles player, Isabella Schoning. The two met in the finals; Maddie won this tournament for the second straight year!

For the full story, see the GCT article on the team's victory. Congratulations, girls!

Board of Education Meeting this Wednesday -- 7:00 p.m.

The regular, monthly meeting of the Woodbury Board of Education will be held this Wednesday, September 22, at 7:00 p.m.

This board meeting is scheduled to be held in the Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium. Entrance to the building can be made through the lobby doors by the auditorium, across from the Cap Paine gymnasium. Most board meetings are held in this location, though there will be three different months this school year when the board meets at one of the three elementary schools. A listing of the board meeting dates and locations is on our district website.

The agendas for the board meetings are also posted on the district website. (agenda)

The special presentation for this month's meeting is the introduction of our new faculty members for the 2010-11 school year.

Spotlight on Ms. McLeod

Samantha McLeod


Teacher of Music


Elementary Schools K-5

• Name: Samantha McLeod

• College(s) and degrees(s): 2010 Graduate of Rowan University with a BM in Music and a BA in Education.

• Work experience: Working in the Woodbury City Public Schools is my first job as a music teacher!

• Favorite books

o fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird, but there are so many more.
o nonfiction: Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

• Favorite television show: Lost and Grey’s Anatomy

• Last movie I loved: The Cove

• Music CD that I have almost worn out from repeated playing: Well… since I’m a music teacher, this is a tough one, but I’ll go with Michael Buble’s self titled album.

• Person (living or not) that I’d like to have lunch with and why: Aaron Copland, the composer, because his music is so passionate and intricate.

• Visiting this place makes me peaceful: Ucles, Spain, where I spent a summer teaching English to Spanish summer campers. I lived in a monastery surrounded by rolling hills and sunflowers.

• One item on my “to do” list that I can’t seem to get to: Putting wheels on my laundry basket

• Favorite animal (domestic or wild): Flamingos

• Favorite sports team: Philadelphia Phillies

• Destination of my fantasy vacation trip: Easter Island

• Details about the teacher I will never forget who inspired me to enter the profession: My elementary band director, Mike Marano, was the most wonderful role model for teaching. I remember being so excited for my flute lessons, and I would practice every day because I wanted to learn more and more. I hope that I can inspire students to achieve great things like he did for me.

Periodic Update of the Strategic Plan

A thirty-person committee met back in 2007 to begin the work of developing a new five-year Strategic Plan for Woodbury City Public Schools. That team consisted of a diverse group that included students, parents, community members, teachers, support staff, board members, and school administrators. Their work ultimately resulted in the crafting of district beliefs, a district mission and overall objectives thought to be in the best interest of all our students. From the discussions, five specific strategies and associated action plans were outlined to ensure we achieve our district’s goals.

This year, the district will spend time reviewing and updating our Strategic Plan. This plan guides many of the larger projects that impact the schools in the district. The thirty-person planning committee has already been reconstituted and is scheduled to meet later this month for a two-day session. Then, it is expected that there will be more work to be done by others in the school community to follow-up on any new ideas that are recommended for inclusion into the existing plan.

I welcome any interest that you may have in becoming involved in this "second phase" of development during this periodic update of the plan. If you have a desire to get involved in this process, please contact my secretary, Mrs. Hoffman, at 856-853-0123 (ext. 214) or at shoffman@woodburysch.com. We are beginning to compile of list of those interested and will reach out a bit later this fall to begin this phase of the work.

For more information on the Strategic Plan: http://woodburysch.com/district/stgplan/stgplan.php

Fall Sports Are In Action

This post is a reminder that, on the district website, there is an easy link to the website "highschoolsports.net." You simply go to the "ATHLETICS" tab on the bar across the top of the home page and select "SCHEDULES."

On the "highschoolsports.net" site, you will see a five-day snapshot of what is happening in the world of Woodbury athletics. You can also request a full schedule for specific teams.

Finally, you can use the system to transfer data directly into your computer's calendar -- that way, for example, you can have the entire soccer season downloaded.

Below is an example of the five-day look (The screen for the blog cuts off a good bit of this table; the full table is displayed when you go to the actual site.).

Good luck to Tennis and Field Hockey today in their respective competitions!

Wednesday 9/15 Activity Fair @ Lunch 3:45PM G V Tennis vs. Paulsboro High School 3:45PM G V Field Hockey vs. Collingswood High School

Thursday 9/16 3:45PM B V Soccer vs. Collingswood High School 3:45PM G V Soccer @ Collingswood High School 3:45PM B JV Soccer vs. Collingswood High School 3:45PM G JV Soccer @ Collingswood High School 3:45PM G V Tennis @ Gateway Regional High School

Friday 9/17 3:45PM G V Field Hockey vs. Paulsboro High School Postponed to TBA 7:00PM B V Football @ Lindenwold High School

Sat 9/18 - Sun 9/19 Sat 9/18 Soccer Car Wash Sat 9/18 TBA BG V Cross Country @ SJ Shootout Sat 9/18 TBA G V Tennis @ Gloucester County Tournament Sun 9/19 TBA G V Tennis @ Gloucester County Tournament

Monday 9/20 Student Council Campaign and Speeches 3:45PM B JV Football @ Lindenwold High School 3:45PM B V Soccer vs. Paulsboro High School 3:45PM G V Soccer @ Paulsboro High School 3:45PM B JV Soccer vs. Paulsboro High School 3:45PM G JV Soccer @ Paulsboro High School

Jr.-Sr. High School -- Update on a Concern

Last week, were were presented with a difficult matter in the form of a Philadelphia news station's choice to run a story on bulllying. The focus was the Woodbury Jr.-Sr. High School and the information seemingly came from a single source. It is very difficult for the school to comment on individual matters, but we want to assure our school community that we take these matters very seriously. Our faculty and administration work hard to establish strong relationships with students and to provide a safe, structured environment for all students. There are definite expectations for all students that are outlined in our student conduct code, and this code is upheld.

Below is a copy of a letter that Mrs. Dunham, the high school principal, sent by mail to each family in the Jr.-Sr. High School in an effort to provide some limited explanation from the school's perspective. This should be arriving in homes today or tomorrow; this electronic version is an advanced copy for blog readers. As she indicates, our doors are always open. If you would like a tour of our building during any school hour, simply stop by the main office and we will arrange it for you.

Letter from Mrs. Dunham, Jr.-Sr. High School Principal:

Dear Community Members,

On Thursday evening of last week -- just before midnight – WCAU-TV 10 News in Philadelphia ran a story about a student of Woodbury with claims that she was bullied and afraid to attend our school. It is unfortunate that this news agency chose to run a story received from a single source with apparently no fact checking on their part. There were a number of false statements included in the story leaving an overall impression that does not correspond with the true facts.

Though I cannot be more specific with respect to the details of this incident, let me assure you that we have a building that develops strong character in our students in a positive setting. The New Jersey Department of Education will visit our school to investigate the allegations. We do not expect the investigation to disrupt the academic routine; we do expect those investigating to find students who are content, focused, safe, and engaged in learning – learning that will ensure they will be prepared for college.

We welcome anyone into our building at any time during the school day and after school to witness our daily routine that ends, for many children, long after the last bell rings. Simply stop by the main office and ask for me; I will be glad to arrange for a tour.

• If you arrive as our Junior High School day begins (at 7:40 a.m. each morning) you will see 20+ classrooms serving nearly 300 adolescents from every corner of our town bond with morning greeting activities that have the purpose of setting a positive climate for learning each day. We call this Developmental Designs activity “Herd Huddles.”

• Town Hall meetings are held every Friday morning for Junior and Senior High School students where we take time to address students in specific grade levels with important news and celebrate academic and co-curricular achievements.

• Even though the school year has just begun, some students have already identified their own “special places” during the lunch period; they share lunch with teachers and students with whom they have already established positive and productive relationships in small groups in various classrooms around the building.

• Our after-school WORKPLACE program is staffed with four tutors and a Lead Teacher on Mondays through Thursdays. This is a place where students are encouraged to come to study, receive assistance in homework, or hone their testing skills for those high stakes assessments in the spring.

• Targeted professional development occurs annually so that our faculty members are prepared to appropriately address any concerns associated with harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

• Despite severe budget cuts, we offer nearly 20 sports and/or co-curricular activities for Junior High School students and over 40 sports and/or activities at the Senior High School level from which students can choose to contribute their talents and gifts to our school community.

Our faculty and staff are “second to none”; we value every parent; we honor every child who enters our doors each day.

We do investigate all incidents of bullying, intimidation, and/or harassment. We have a student conduct code that we work hard to uphold. Students are held accountable and discipline consequences are administered in accordance to that code. Additionally, we spend considerable time working with students who find themselves in trouble and with their families to help support a positive change so that everyone can find school to be a productive environment. Please do not hesitate to contact me or either of the assistant principals if you ever have a concern.

This school opening was one of the smoothest openings in many years. It was unfortunate that our first days of school were disrupted by an inaccurate and one-sided account of a situation -- tainting the good work that is going on in our school.

We will continue to do what is right by students – every student – and look forward to a very positive 2010-11 school year.

Sincerely,


Denise Dunham,
Principal


Contact Information:
Denise Duham, Jr-Sr High School Principal, 853-0123, ext. 212
Jason Vivadelli, Sr High School Assistant Principal, 853-0123, ext. 209
Thomas Braddock, Jr High School Assistant Principal, 853-0123, ext. 200



For more information, you can view the board’s Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying policy (Policy Number 5512.01) on the district’s website: http://www.woodburysch.com/boed/policy/5000/Policy%205512.01.pdf.

Back-to-School Nights

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: This Thursday, September 16th

JR-SR HIGH SCHOOL: Next Thursday, September 23rd


We hope to see everyone out. These evenings present a good opportunity to establish an early connection with your child's teacher(s). Please mark your calendar.

Spotlight on . . .

On Fridays during the early part of the school year, our new faculty members are "spotlighted" with special blog entries. For the 2010-11 school year, these posts should start within a week or two.

Now that the blog has been up and running for a while, there are a number of these spotlights arvhived for faculty members who began working with the Woodbury City Public Schools over the course of the last few years. You can use the "search" feature at the top of the blog site to find a teacher's entry and discover out a bit more about his/her background.

Stay tuned for this year's spotlight entries.

U R College Bound --> You Are College Bound

Our teachers in all grades were in over the summer planning for the new school year and preparing rooms for students. Often, this involves setting up various bulletin boards around the room to work in functional ways -- homework announcements, etc. -- or as motivational tools.

Here is one bulletin board in high school English teacher Beth Luthke's classroom. Throughout the room she has an "on the road" theme. This particular bulletin board reminds our students that we want them all to be "college bound." The high school program looks to put all students in a position to make a decision as a senior to choose to go to college.

The message: "You Are College Bound" -- but the board shows the original message as "U R College Bound" and corrects the U --> You and R --> Are. Cute.

As part of the high school's Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, many teachers are also displaying images from their own college experiences -- a type of "college shrine." To the right of this bulletin board, Ms. Luthke has items that note her degrees from the University of Delaware and the College of New Jersey.

A Good First Day -- A Good Year

Energy and excitement are always evident the first day. Staying focused and determined throughout the school year is the key to increased academic success.

Please take some time this week and this weekend to discuss with your child what he or she can do to meet with success. Here are four good ideas that come from the www.livestrong.com website:

In addition to brains and books, there is another thing your children need to succeed in school: you, the parent. Parents play a large role in ensuring a child's academic success, according to the U.S. Department of Education. This means helping your child perform at her best, both physically and mentally. By emphasizing healthy choices and good study habits, you can help your child succeed in school.

Good Health and Energy

Caring for your child's physical needs is an important aspect of student success. This means making sure your child gets plenty of rest each night and eats healthy snacks and meals. A healthy lifestyle will give him the energy he needs to perform. Plenty of whole grains, protein, fruits and vegetables will give your child a good start, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Exercise also is vital, so your child will maintain a healthy weight.

Communicate With Teachers

Part of a parent's student-success strategy should include creating open lines of communication between you and your child's teachers. Communicating regularly with teachers has been shown to help children succeed, according to the University of Illinois Extension. This does not mean you have to call your child's teacher every night. However, it does mean you should join parent-teacher organizations and attend any regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences. If you do have a question or want feedback, respect the teacher's personal time at home. Contact the teacher during school hours, and request that she call you back at a convenient time.

Set Up a Study Zone

Studying is accomplished best in a place where there's peace and quiet. This allows your child to focus on her studies, according to the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Find a comfortable place where she can sit and study. Minimize distractions, such as the television or loud music. Check on your child regularly to ensure she does not need assistance. While concentration is important, encourage her to take a short break if her studying exceeds 45 minutes or an hour.

Read with Your Child

You can teach your child to be a good student by fostering a love of reading and making learning fun. If your child is younger, curl up with him in a comfortable chair and read some favorite books together. As your child gets older and reads on his own, ask him about what he is reading and what he likes about the book, suggests the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune. Encourage him to keep reading by making trips to the library a fun and special event.

2010-11: Welcome Back

Hello everyone. We are excited to start the new school year. Our faculty and staff were in for two days last week getting ready. Now, it is time for the students to join us!

The Jones house has three kids waiting for the start of their school year -- all with varying degrees of readiness. But -- I believe that each is ready. Two are in high school and one is finishing his last year in the middle school. Our oldest is off to his freshman year in college and already headed into week three. Time marches on.

The weather looks good -- a bit warm for Tuesday and Wednesday but no rain. No rain is good, especially for a walking district.

The blog will provide some updates on the upcoming school year over the course of the next few days. I hope to do a better job with the posts; last year got away from me a bit. So, this is the first post for the blog as it enters its fifth school year! Tune in and keep up with what is happening around the schools.

Again, welcome back.

Walnut Street School Assembly

Recently, Kixx Mascot, SocceRoo, and starting forward, Anthony Maher, visited our grade 3 through 5 students.

The focus of the assembly was on teamwork, setting goals, practice, and hard work.

National Town Hall -- America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy

(I thought that some in our school community may be interested in this offer that was extended by a University of Pennsylvania professor. Feel free to register if you would like to be involved in the June 26th event. Also, share it with any of our students ages 17 and older -- as noted, that group of particular interest.)

Dear Colleagues,

While it is late in the school year, I could use some help with outreach to student, staff and community members.

As you know, one strand of my work focuses on civic engagement. Currently, I’ve been asked by a national civic engagement organization called AmericaSpeaks to help with a national town hall meeting on the national budget and deficit.

The national town hall, called America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy, will be on Saturday, June 26, 2010 in Philadelphia. We’re hoping to have some 500 people gather in Philadelphia for this meeting.

I am writing to invite you and others from your community, including high school students (17 years of age or older) to participate in this event. We are looking for diverse participants, particularly students ages 17-25, people of all ages who are conservative/Republican in political thinking, low income persons and minorities.

I believe this can be a wake-up call for American democracy. It’s an event that has the potential to cut through the divisive exchanges that seem to characterize today’s political discussion about important issues.

Here’s more information about the national town meeting to set citizen-based priorities for the federal budget:

• What: America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy
• When: Saturday, June 26, 2010, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (lunch and snacks will be provided)
• Where: 3801 Market Street, First District Plaza
• Childcare will be provided
• To register

o on-line: Philadelphia Town Meeting: Our Budget, Our Economy

o mail: complete the registration form attached to this email

Participants will be connected with people from 17 other cities so that we can share concerns and ideas, learn from each other and develop a set of priorities to give to Congress and the President.

I’d greatly appreciate your assistance in getting the word out across your district. It will be a great opportunity for students and teachers to experience another form of democracy in action. And I think other stakeholders will find the day memorable as well!

Why come?

Here’s why it’s important for you to give up a Saturday to join with others around this issue:

Our national deficit is projected to grow at an unsustainable rate over the next 10 years. This threatens our ability to fund what’s most important to us. The country remains deeply divided over what our national priorities are and what we, as a people, are prepared to do to support them. Clearly we need to do something and let our leaders know what we will support. It's time to come together as a country to make the tough choices that will ensure America's future.

With thousands of American voices joined together, this has true game-changing potential! It can provide the kind of pressure that can lead our elected officials to start governing rather than positioning and polarizing.

To register: Philadelphia Town Meeting: Our Budget, Our Economy

And when you do register, please indicate that you heard about this event from us at PPCE.

For more information: http://usabudgetdiscussion.org/

I’ve attached an electronic flyer and other information.

Sincerely,

Harris Sokoloff

Harris Sokoloff, Ph.D.

Center for School Study Councils

Graduate School of Education

3440 Market Street, Suite 500

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 19104-3325

Email: harriss@gse.upenn.edu

Internet pages:

Study Councils: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/cssc

Civic Engagement: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce

West End Twenty-Five Book Club

(This entry was sent in by Mr. Myers, Principal of the West End Memorial Elementary School.)

The 25 Book Club is a year long reading incentive where students are encouraged to read 25 books outside of school hours. Throughout the school year, students receive small rewards when they reach the five, ten, fifteen, and twenty book levels. Larger rewards are received when a student reaches 25 book or above. At West End, this effort came to a close on June 1st.

On Friday, June 4th, all students who made the 25 book goal participated in a school-wide ice cream party. All students enjoyed the cold treat on such a hot day.

Those students who extended themselves to read beyond the 25 book goal and who were one of the top eight readers in their grade level will be traveling to Liberty Lake in Columbus, NJ, on June 11th for a fun day of outdoor activities including team building events, swimming, boating, miniature golf and rock climbing.

Congratulations to all of our readers!

Reuse-A-Palooza

(This entry was sent in by Mr. Richardson, 5th grade teacher at Walnut.)

On Thursday, June 3rd, fifth grade students from all three elementary schools in the district met at West End to celebrate the completion of a science unit on Environmental Education. The celebration, Reuse-A-Palooza, allowed these fifth graders to become more aware of ways in which the world can reuse, reduce, and recycle products. The objective was to create and advertise a product, made from recyclable materials, which could be useful in everyday life.

Parents, teachers, and students gathered in the West End auditorium, where projects were displayed, and ballots were cast to select the most creative, functional, and best use of recycled material project. Enrichment students, Ashley Campbell, Elese Bevelheimer, and Nate Recchia presented a Power Point on the importance of recycling. Kelsey Hoffman, Nija Spencer, Even Laneader and Naseemah Alfareh also assisted in the production of the presentation.

The event was a huge success, with over two hundred in attendance. Awards went to West End’s Tirzah McMillan, Annie Hughes, and Jada Love’s “Recyc-A-Bike,” Walnut’s Brianna Cramer and Amanda Tumolo’s “A&B Curtains,” and Evergreen’s Naquan Matthews, Shelby Turner, and Marti Salmon’s “Reuse-A-Palooza Hour Glass.” Honorable mention inventions went to West End’s Anna Schollenberger, Lauren Shamlian, and Lucienne Nowak’s “Gecko Bags,” Walnut’s Ashley Campbell, Kelly Powell, and Rebecca Rossett’s “Amaza Shelf,” and Evergreen’s Ayan Thompson, Tahi’r Roundtree, and Jennica Washington’s “Ecto Toys.” It was clear that all fifth graders learned from this meaningful experience while having fun.

Author: James McBride

James McBride, author of The Color of Water and the movie, The Miracle of Santa Anna, visited Woodbury High School to thank the students for sending him their condolences when his beloved mother passed away.

Woodbury students have read his personal narrative, subtitled A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, as part of their tenth grade English class for the past decade. Some have traveled to see him speak in the past. So when Ruth McBride Jordan passed in January, her obituary was read over the morning announcements.

Students decided to write Mr. McBride condolence notes, on notebook and composition book paper -- paper ripped from spiral notebooks they carried. Each one expressed how sad they were for him -- some offered to do anything they could to help him. All of them told him that they knew how much he loved his mother and how terrific a person she was. The letters were packaged in a handmade embellished envelope, tied with ribbon, and sent to a New York address with not so much as a phone number. But Mr. McBride contacted the school, saying that he was really touched by the students' heartfelt notes and he wanted to thank them personally.

He visited the high school from 12:30 - 1:30 pm on May 21. Our students collected money to donate to his mother's favorite charity, the church she helped found in Red Hook, Brooklyn called New Brown Memorial Baptist Church - where all of the funds from her memorials have gone. Mr. McBride encouraged them to study at four year colleges and to spend time reading, much as his mother had advised him. He spoke from the heart about how much he misses her and always will.

Story Contributed By: Donna Cohen/District AVID Director

Photos Contributed By: Lori M. Nichols/Gloucester County Times

Elementary Clubs: Book Club @ Walnut

Here are a few pictures from the end-of-the-year "Book Club" party held at Walnut Street School yesterday.

The picture below is of the 3rd grade girls holding their yarn dolls that were made as part of the club activity. The yarn dolls went along with the pioneer days of the American Girl Kirsten stories.

After the students finished this last club meeting of the school year, they enjoyed the cookie cakes that are pictured and had root beer floats.

The elementary clubs are something that are part of each of the three elementary school experiences. Each elementary school has two different clubs:

• Walnut: Book Club and S.L.A.G. (Student, Leaders, Athletes, and Gentlemen)
• Evergreen: Readers' Theater and Art Club
• West End: W.E.B.S.T.E.R. Club and Fitness Club

State Champs -- Boys Track

Congratulations to the boys track team for winning the NJSIAA State Group I championship this past weekend.

It has been quite a year in sports for Woodbury High School this year: South Jersey Group I Championship in football, South Jersey Group I Championship in boys basketball, and now this track success.

Read some of the details in the stories below:

• Gloucester County Times
• Philadelphia Inquirer

Great job!

May Pole Celebrations

Evergreen Avenue:

The families of Mrs. McLaughlin’s Kindergarten class at Evergreen Avenue School gathered on May 20th for a traditional Maypole Dance.

The students circled the Maypole with their bright pink and blue ribbons while 5th grader, Anthony Hallowell, held the Maypole in place.



Mrs. McLaughlin played the piano while 2nd and 5th grade brothers, Julian and Richard Antonucci, added musical accompaniment on their violins.




West End:
Mrs. Norris' 1st Grade class had a similar celebration. See the video below:

TODAY -- Ice Cream/Dessert Social

On the front lawn of the Jr.-Sr. High School -- or in the high school cafeteria, if we have rain -- there will be a Multi-Cultural Dessert Event. All in the school community are welcome.

The district's Minority Task Force is looking to gather families for some simple dessert and a chance to share the good work that is taking place in the school.

Come hear about our 4th grade and 8th grade college visitation trips. Also, our AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)students will be available to answer questions.

In addition, members of the Minority Task Force will be on hand.

And -- there will be door prizes raffled off during the event. Come for any length of time between the hours of 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (You are encouraged to bring a small dessert to be placed on the table.)

Project Graduation

(The following request is from the parents of the seniors who have been busy organizing the annual Project Graduation event.)


Project Graduation will be held at the YMCA on June 24th from 9pm to 3am. This year, the event is sponsored by the senior parents.

The evening will include a DJ, refreshments, and there will be drawings throughout the night for prizes. Some of the prizes this year include digital cameras, gift certificates, gas cards, and -- at the end of the night -- a flat screen TV.

In order for this night to be a success, the senior parents are asking for your support. We are asking for financial as well as refreshment donations. Also, the senior parents would like to be able to fully enjoy graduation night and are asking for underclassmen parent volunteers to help setup at the YMCA before the event.

If you would like to help please contact Mrs. Gail Parham at 845-4824 or gailparhamteacher@yahoo.com.

A Woodbury Boys and Girls Club Initiative

A group of concerned citizens has mounted a serious effort to start a Boys and Girls Club in Woodbury. The club would become part of the Gloucester County Boys and Girls Club that currently operates in both Glassboro and Paulsboro.

An important fundraiser to kick-off the campaign to raise the necessary funds is a “FOUNDERS DINNER” to be held on June 4, 2010 at Nicolosi’s -- 7:00 p.m. (Dinner, libations, entertainment and silent auctions)

The donation required to participate in the dinner is $250/ticket. Obviously, this is a significant sum of money, but the required amount of money to be raised to start this club is equally significant and the group hopes that this dinner event will jump start the effort.

A plaque will be placed at the Woodbury Boys and Girls Club to recognize the generosity of donors:

Founders Circle: $25,000
Patrons Circle: $10,000
Benefactors Circle: $5,000
Visionary Circle: $2,500
Humanitarian Circle: $1,000
Samaritan Circle: $500
Community Circle: $250
Good Neighbor Circle: $100
Friends Circle: $25

Hopefully you can contribute at the Community Circle level or above and join the group for the Friday, June 4, celebration at the Founders Dinner. If not, please consider joining in as a Good Neighbor or Friend.


You can simply mail in your donation to the following address:
Founders’ Committee
Boys and Girls Club
PO Box 545
Woodbury, NJ 08096

[Make checks payable to:
Boys and Girls Clubs of Gloucester County – Woodbury Unit
Tax ID# 54-2075655]

Please include the following information --
Number of tickets:
Additional Donation:
Total Donation:
Inscription on plaque to read:
Within the ____________________ Circle.
Your name (or company’s name):
Phone:
Email Address:

THANK YOU!

Assessment of Skill and Knowledge Testing (ASK Testing)

This year, Junior High School mathematics teacher, Robyn Sole, has had her students creating videos that they have posted on Youtube to provide some added spark and interest in the school work. Recently, in an effort to drive home the importance of of the state ASK testing, Ms. Sole's students produced the following videos; enjoy:


Video #1


Video #2


Video #3


Video #4

Woodbury City Council Approves Budget Reduction Resolution

The Woodbury City Council approved a resolution to recommend a reduction to the proposed 2010-11 school budget.

The city, by this resolution, recommended a reduction of $56,571. This will bring the total school tax levy for the general fund budget to 10,944,106 for the 2010-11 school year. This makes the total General Fund budget approximately $1 million dollars ($932,985) LESS THAN the current 2009-10 school year amount.

We were pleased that the City Council's Finance Committee and the City Council as a whole recognized the many difficult decisions that already went into crafting the current budget proposal. The Board of Education now needs to adopt this reduction and then the budget will be set for the new school year.

Board of Education Meeting

There will be a special, additional meeting of the Board of Education this month. The Board meets this Wednesday evening, May 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium.

This meeting will address budget reductions recommended by the Woodbury City Council for the 2010-11 budget, personnel hiring for 2010-11, and action on the tentative agreement between the Board of Education and the Woodbury Education Association. A copy of the agenda for the meeting can be found on the district website.

The regularly scheduled meeting of the board for May will still take place on May 28, 2010.

Special Education Week

Painting a Better Tomorrow
Special Education Week

in New Jersey
May 9 – 15, 2010



Thanks to all our special education teachers and support staff. Our students benefit from your caring approach and the good work that you do each day!

2010 Prom Information

The 2010 Prom will be held on May 14, 2010. This year's theme is "Arabian Allure". The prom will be held at Riverwinds from 7:00pm until 11:00pm.

The promenade will be held at the Woodbury Jr.-Sr. High School Auditorium from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Tickets for promenade are $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. Please come and enjoy our students in their finest attire!

Contributed by: Tracey Parker, Promenade Chairperson

The Beautification of Evergreen

A former Evergreen student, Nicholas Schoning, restored the garden area outside of the 1st grade and Kindergarten classrooms as a part of his Eagle Scout Project. He added flowers (including perennials that will bloom each spring), cleaned the garden area, trimmed hedges, and added new topsoil and mulch to the flower beds. He also re-established the cinderblocks surrounding the flower beds, repainted the wishing well and garden arbor, and put in three sturdy new benches for all to enjoy.

Nicholas created this beautiful haven as a way to give back to Evergreen. He was involved in the original garden that was created when he was a student at Evergreen and saw this as a great opportunity to do something meaningful and useful. He also wanted to provide a place for teachers to have outdoor classrooms on nice weather days.

Nicholas is presently a junior at the Senior High School. The district thanks him for a job well done!

Woodbury Lunch Munch -- Friday (and Woodfest Friday Night!)

African Troupe Assembly Visits Walnut and Evergreen

The 3rd through 5th graders at Walnut and Evergreen Elementary Schools experienced an entertaining and acrobatic performance by a group of African entertainers. It was the perfect way to end the week on a high note as students prepared to begin state Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) testing beginning on Monday, May 6.

Evergreen Performs at Barnes and Noble!

The Evergreen Avenue School sponsored a fundraising event at the Deptford

Barnes & Noble on April 28th. The Reader’s Theatre club performed a skit

for parents, and a drawing was held for Barnes & Noble gift cards.

Parents and students browsed and shopped, and

the P.T.O. received a percentage of the sales.