GOODNEWSThe Ewing Public SchoolsJune 2005

Due to budget restraintsNO Summer School Programs

will be offered by the Ewing Public Schools

during the Summer of 2005.

Safety TownJune 30 - July 11

Contact: Jean Conrad609-538-9800 x1302

for application

On April 18, 2005 Ms. Chiavuzzo, Mrs. Walker and 30 Ewing High School freshmen joined several Mercer County high school and college students, and politicians to hear a presentation given by Mikhail Gorbachev at the Sovereign Bank Arena. Gorbachev was the last communist leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. During his term he instituted various policies including his political policy of Glasnost and economic policy

Ewing High Students Attend Gorbachev PresentationWhitney Lewis, EHS Freshman

Have a Happy Summer!!GoodNews will resume

with the September issue of the Observer

The recipients of the 2005 Teacher of the Year Awards were honored at a luncheon on April 29th. Jan Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacher of the Year, was a guest speaker. 1st row (L to R): Joan Zuckerman, Principal Antheil; Sharon Solomon, Lore; Jan Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacher of the Year; Inetta Emery, Principal Parkway; Danielle Miller, EHS; Superintendent Ray Broach. 2nd row: Darrell Jackson, Principal FMS; Donna Andreas, Antheil; Don Barnett, FMS; Betsy Turgeon, Parkway; Rodney Logan, Principal EHS.

Nearly sixty years since Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps, the now elderly survivors of the Holocaust are turning to a new generation to preserve their testimony about their wartime experiences for future generations. Holocaust survivors are steadily dwindling in number. Many have made it their mission to educate the world that anti-Semitism and racism easily lead to murder, and to speak about the horrors they and their families suffered. With the passing of time, it has become urgent to find a new generation to continue the survivors’ mission and tell their stories after the survivors can no longer do so. On April 12, the Adopt-a-Survivor (AAS) program was introduced to the Trenton area at Ewing High School. Six Holocaust survivors were adopted by twelve Ewing High sophomores. The adopted survivors—Moshe Gimlan, Vera Goodkin, Marion Lewin, Ruth Lubitz, Charles Rojer and Jack Zaifman—were originally from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Belgium. The AAS program pairs a survivor with one or more students. The students embark on a joint journey with the survivor through discussions about life before, during and after the Holocaust. Participating students will be able to represent the survivor and tell the survivor’s story with accuracy and feeling in the years to come. In addition, each student makes a commitment to tell the survivor’s story in a public venue in the year 2045, a hundred years after the liberation of Auschwitz. The twelve student adopters are Dave Angebranndt, Tyler Barnes, Annie Cook, Liz Dunham, Emily Everett, Curtis Fornarotto, Vildana Hajric, Devon Jones, Jen Meade, Billy O’Callaghan, Nikyta Sharma and Melysa Wilson.

Adopt-a-Survivor Program Begins at Ewing High School

Teacher of the Year Recipients are Honored

of Perestroika. His policies reopened churches, released political prisoners, and lifted bans on previously censored books. The 20th anniversary of Perestroika was one of the essential themes of Gorbachev’s presentation. The policy’s main goal was to make the Soviet economic system more efficient. Perestroika involved the transfer of control from the government to the business owners. This policy

continued on page A2continued on page A2

The Ewing Public SchoolsMarch 2016

EHS Teacher of the Year Claudia Gonzalez began teaching in Ewing High School in October 1988 when she was asked to teach a newly-formed Spanish I class four weeks into the school year. A stellar example of calm

composure and firm classroom management, Mrs. Gonzalez started full-time teaching in September 2000. Over the years, she has taught every level of Spanish the school offers and, some years, taught at both EHS and FMS. Throughout her time at EHS, Mrs. Gonzalez has been a home instructor, inter-preter, a member of the Student Assistance Team and Faculty-Administration Liaison Committee, as well as an advisor for the Spanish Club. Mrs. Gonzalez is a strong supporter of technology in the classroom and a solid team member who strives for the best. We are proud to recognize her as Ewing High School Teacher of the Year.

Educational Professional of the Year Ellen Davila came to EHS in September 2006 as the Media Special-ist. A former English teacher with nine years of experi-ence, Ms. Davila reinvented the Media Center into a focal point for technology usage.

Developing an atmosphere that welcomed teachers and classes to the Media Center, she offered direct support to all classes and created a Homework Help Center after school hours. She has been a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, Technology Com-mittee and Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and is the recipient of several EPEF grants. Ms. Davila’s support of classroom teachers and staff is unparal-leled. Ewing High School is proud to recognize her as Educational Services Professional of the Year.

FMS Teacher of the Year Leslie Thompson was hired 22 years ago as a special ed-ucation teacher at, what was then, Fisher Jr. High School. From the very beginning, she has treated every child with respect and love. She has made sure they have

what they need to be successful. She breaks down every concept, to the most basic level if needed, thus ensuring the students truly understand. In addition

Teachers and Educational Professionals of the Yearto using best practices and research-based special education pedagogy, she finds and utilizes inno-vative ways to teach her students. Leslie believes firmly in hands-on, student centered learning for her students. There are lively discussions, testing of ideas, questioning and a spirit of true learning upon entering her classroom.

Ms. Thompson is a leader serving on many com-mittees throughout in the district. She is a dynamo of vision, energy, effort, responsibility, goals and kindness and we are proud to have her represent Fisher Middle School as Teacher of the Year.

Antheil Teacher of the Year John Trader is the Music Director for Antheil Elementary School. He graduated from The Col-lege of New Jersey with a Bachelors in Music Edu-cation and attained a Mas-ters in Music Education at

Rutgers University. Mr. Trader values continuing education and recently received his Administrative/Supervisor’s Certificate from Rutgers.

Mr. Trader has 13 years of experience as an In-strumental Music Director, with five of those years at Antheil Elementary. He began teaching at An-theil in 2011 and he has been a valuable asset to the music program. Every year, he has taken Antheil’s instrumental and orchestra program to unbelievable new heights. He has high expectations for all of his students and these expectations are directly reflect-ed in the program that he has been able to build and grow with his students at Antheil. Because of his commitment to providing students with what they need to learn, as well as with the foundation needed to grow, many of his students excel at the middle school level.

Mr. Trader enjoys collaborating with the teach-ing staff at Antheil and he works to create positive parent/teacher relationships. He is committed to challenging his students musically, teaching them to work cooperatively, and to have high expecta-tions for themselves as well as for their perfor-mance. An Antheil student shared, “Mr. Trader is fair and works hard to prepare us for our concerts. He believes that we can do it, so we believe that we can do it!” Antheil is truly honored to name Mr. Trader Teacher of the Year.

Lore Teacher of the Year Lorrie Lombardi is a phenomenal master teacher who inspires her students and colleagues. Mrs. Lom-bardi has high expectations for all of the students in her inclusion classroom. She presents challenges in a way

that motivates our students to work to their maximum level of achievement. Mrs. Lombardi embraces each child’s unique strengths and attributes and uses them to help children perform to the best of their abilities - academically and socially. Our students trust her and want to exceed her challenges. Mrs. Lombardi facili-tates an atmosphere where it is encouraged to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them.

In addition to fostering an atmosphere that in-spires success, Mrs. Lombardi also looks for ways to make learning fun. She is especially committed in the area of writing and she has turned even reluc-tant writers into blooming authors. She uses tech-niques, such as creating her own writing journals, to further help children feel like they are part of a family and create a love for writing.

Mrs. Lombardi not only impacts the students at Lore, but the staff as well, dedicating much time to the planning and preparation of curriculum, re-porting and analyzing data, and meeting the diverse needs of our students. It is an honor to celebrate Mrs. Lorrie Lombardi as Teacher of the Year.

Parkway Teacher of the Year Elandra Johnson is currently a 5th grade special education teacher at Park-way Elementary School. Mrs. Johnson works very hard with her students to help them improve their fun-damental literacy and math

skills and use these skills as building blocks for more rigorous curriculum areas.

Mrs. Johnson received her Bachelors of Arts de-gree from St. Joseph University, and is currently studying for her Masters in Special Education. She has been a volunteer girls’ basketball coach at Fisher Middle School and a Ewing Rec Basketball League and Instructional Basketball Program Di-rector in Ewing Township.

Mrs. Johnson is a very resourceful and hardworking teacher who consistently works to increase her own subject knowledge and share that information with her colleagues. We are very proud of her efforts and to have her represent Parkway as Teacher of the Year.

The Ewing Public Schools

Register for Kindergarten 2016-17If your child turns 5 years of age by October 1, 2016, please register for Kindergarten

Roundup now. Registration is by appointment only and details are on our website homepage.

Ewing Schools Promote Wellness Initiative

As part of the Ewing School’s continued partici-pation in Sustainable Jersey for Schools and the dis-trict’s embracing of life fitness initiatives, the Board of Education recently approved a new and compre-hensive wellness policy for both students and staff.

In support of the employee wellness segment of this initiative, the district is promoting partici-pation in ShapeUp, an on-line fitness community where employees can have fun participating in a healthy competition, live a healthier life style, be part of a team, develop a social network, set personal goals, track their progress, and engage in team based fitness challenges.

On the ShapeUp web-based platform, Ewing School district staff will be able to:

• Track steps, exercise minutes and track weight loss

• Set goals and view progress towards goals and check on your competitor’s progress to stay one step ahead!

• View other participants engagement in challenges

• Communicate with teammates and other participants

• Participate in weekly challenges that include physical fitness, nutrition and incentive to stay positive.

The program offers a variety of prizes and fi-nancial incentives for participants as encourage-ment and motivation.

“We are excited about his new endeavor and hope that many of our staff members decided to participate,” School Business Administrator and District Green Team member Dennis Nettleton stated. “A healthy employee is a happy employee, and we really are striving to promote the concept of lifelong fitness for our staff.”

Thank You, EPEF! Many thanks to the Ewing Public Educa-

tion Foundation! Parkway School was granted $4,712.28 to fund eight grants during the 2015-16 school year. Here are the projects that benefit-ted from EPEF funding:

2nd Annual MLK, Jr. Day of Service: Through our school-wide partnership with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen we were able to send over 31 complete toiletry bags with extra items, ap-proximately 1000 utensil kits to use with lunches served and 108 bagged lunches .

Transverse Rock Climbing Wall: This panel has increased the width of the rock wall area in the gymnasium. With these panels the physical education teachers are able to teach and improve physical, interpersonal and cognitive skills.

Hokki Stools: These stools have a rounded bot-tom and allow students with sensory issues to be able to have movement, while working, that does not interrupt their work efforts or disturb others.

Study Island: Study Island is a web-based cur-riculum enrichment program. It is completely customizable and allows students to work on mathematics at their own pace. This will be used with the AIM students as a way for them to ex-plore and be assessed on different mathematical areas up to a 12th grade level.

Hear Builder: An online literacy program where students are able to boost their knowledge and skills in following directions, phonological awareness, auditory memory and sequencing. Hear Builder allows students to work indepen-dently on individualized practice of foundational literacy skills using a computer and headphones. This program is used to assist targeted first and second grade students.

Projector and Document Camera: This equip-ment will be used daily in the classroom to en-hance student learning and involvement through the use of visual technology.

Portable Display/Exhibit System: This display system will allow the Art Teacher a venue for an in-formation center or large display of student work.

Three mini-trampolines: With recommen-dations from the Occupational Therapist this equipment will allow students be able to take a quick active break which afterwards will help them stay focused and engaged during lessons.

We greatly appreciate the fundraising efforts of the Ewing Public Education Foundation. The grant funds that were awarded to Parkway School have helped to further enhance the student edu-cational and character education programs.

The Preschool Integrated Pro-grams at An-theil, Lore and Parkway recent-ly celebrated their Music for the Very Young Program. The Trenton Com-

munity Music School has been visiting these class-rooms since September 2015.

The children have been learning to repeat musi-cal patterns and sounds, play musical instruments using different tempos and rhythms, and participate in a variety of dance and movement activities. The children and their families were provided with the current program’s collection of songs on CDs which they were able to share at home allowing families to become more involved with the school curriculum.

Through this musical experience, many of the children are also learning pre-reading skills using the provided songbooks; following words from left to right, making connections between symbols and words, and increasing their vocabulary.

Lore School’s program was generously funded by the Ewing Public Education Foundation. The Lore community is very excited about this program and thanks EPEF for recognizing the importance of music in the preschool program. Antheil and Parkway’s programs were funded by the Director of Special Services, Operations and Grant Manage-ment, Harry Louth.

Engaging our preschoolers in movement activities through this program helps children appreciate the importance of vigorous physical activity, provides strong family-school interactions, and supports our district-wide Green Team initiative. Teaching chil-dren healthy habits is vital to maintaining a healthy weight and building strong muscles.

In October, three classes in the full day pre-school programs at Antheil began the exciting new ‘Art in My World’ program. Once each month, Ms. Andrea Thompson from the James A. Michener Art Museum leads an art class. She works with the staff to provide an art activity that follows the topics learned during that month. This wonderful program was made possible by an EPEF grant and the Michener Museum is matching the funds. All of the art work will be displayed at Antheil’s art show in May.

Music for the Very Young

The Art in My World

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The Ewing Public Schools

What do you like best about Ewing High School? What I like best about EHS is the plethora of wonder-ful teachers that exist in the building. Every teacher I have had has enhanced my experi-ence in one way or an-other, and never let me down.

Who is your favorite teacher or coach and why? I have so many teachers I hold in high es-teem, it’s hard to pick a favorite. I have to pick Mr. Besler though because he was the teacher who made my transition to high school easiest.

In which activities do you participate? I par-ticipated in EHS Robotics for three years but left to join the Peer Leadership program offered my

senior year. Both of these activities were very en-joyable, significant and helpful to me.

What is your favorite memory of high school? My favorite memory of high school actually hap-pened in Robotics Club when it was announced that we were going to the world championships. I was elated!

What do you do outside of school? Outside of school I usually stay at home and attend occa-sional church youth groups as well as help at my mother’s Senior Independent Living facility.

What are your plans after you graduate? My plans after graduation are to attend college, hopefully at Harvard, and to major in astrophys-ics or a similar field.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself just out of college and hopefully looking at an organization like NASA, SETI, SpaceX or some other space organization.

Senior Spotlight: Meet Aaron LynnEHS Athletes Shine at County Championships

There were a number of standout performances by Ewing High School athletes at the annual win-ter Mercer County championship tournaments.

We begin on the wrestling mat, where five Blue Devil grapplers medaled at the county champion-ships held at Robbinsville High School. Patrick Smith took 6th place in the 152 pound weight class, Stephen Ettenger claimed 5th place in the 132 pound weight class, and Mark Rogers fin-ished in 3rd place in the 220 pound weight class,

Two Ewing High School wrestlers made it through tough competition to earn a spot in the tournament finals. Sophomore Lavinsky Collins lost by a point in a thrilling contest in the champi-onship match for the 145 pound weight class title.

The star of the weekend was fellow sopho-more Wayne Staub who took home his first Mer-cer County Championship at 106 pounds.

Staub came into the tournament as the 5th seeded wrestler in his weight class and em-barked on a remarkable run to the championship. He beat the fourth seed by pin, the first seed by major decision and controlled the final bout from start to final horn to beat the second seed by deci-sion to claim the championship.

Staub became the first Blue Devil County Champion in wrestling since 2011.

“The performance on the mats this weekend is a testament to the hard work that our team has put in the wrestling room this entire season,” Head Wrestling Coach Matt Dalessio stated. “They push each every day to become better as individuals and as a team.”

Across the county at a raucous West Windsor-North natatorium, EHS swimmers were making a veritable “splash” in the pool at their own county championships.

Junior Olivia Czelusniak placed 7th overall in the 50 meter freestyle and 4th overall in the 100 meter freestyle events, setting new school records in both strokes. Sophomore Caleb Berg-strom placed 4th overall in the 100 meter but-terfly and the Boys 400 freestyle relay team of Bergstrom, Jack Shoplock, Derick Wyatt, and Cameron Conant placed 8th overall and set a new school record.

Antheil Elementary School held its 16th annual Hands on Science with a Dash of Math Night on, January 21st. Once again, the event drew hun-dreds of Ewing students, parents and staff with a passion for science. The Ewing Public Education Foundation sponsored the night, providing the funds to support the wide range of science, math and technology activities.

This year, students were greeted by a variety of experiments and activities to feed their science hungry brains. Among the new activities were the Skydome Planetarium, generously funded by An-theil’s Principal Jennifer Whitner and Assistant Principal Michelle Conway. Students engaged in a blowup model of the night sky and learned about the different features of the stars and planets. An-theil parents volunteered with activities involving DNA extractions, muscles and the human body. The T.E.A.C.H. program from Rider University in-troduced students to fun math games. Princeton’s Molecular Biology group intrigued students with their acid-based tie-dye activity.

Science Night welcomed back beloved activi-ties from Antheil faculty members and parents. First-grade teachers Karen Hamblin and Peg

The College of New Jersey local AFT 2364 recently donated $1,500 to Antheil Elementary School. AFT 2364 collaborated with Antheil and the Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) to provide a new laptop and social and anti-bul-lying programs to use with the students.

The Antheil community thanks the TCNJ AFT 2364 and the EPEF for their ongoing support and partnership.

Sciarrotta hosted a critter room, highlighting An-theil’s beloved bearded dragons, and Kindergarten teachers Ingrid Washington and Christina Asaro brought us back to the 70s with their Lava Lamps. Other activities included making ice cream in a bag, volcanoes in a bottle, math games, crafts and an appearance by the Mighty Monkey Wrenches, the EHS Robotics Team.

Over the years, Science Night has become a must-attend experience for all science fans in the Ewing community. Co-chairs Nicole Tassello and Jason Zablow are thrilled with the outcome of the event. Fifth grader Jimmy Chianese said, “The night was fun and exciting! The Floating Candy Experiment was really cool. I’ll be in Fisher next year, but I’m definitely coming back!”

Science Hungry Students Are Stuffed After Science Night

Creating Partnerships for Education

The Ewing Public Schools

March 2016 Schedule in Ewing SchoolsMar 2 Antheil - Picture Day Mar 3 Lore - LPA Meeting @ 7:30pmMar 4 Parkway - Pajama Reading Night @ 6:30pmMar 8 Parkway - PTA Meeting @ 6:30pmMar 9 EHS - TEMPO Meeting @ 7:30pmMar 15 EHS - Musical - Senior Citizen Night @ 6pm Antheil - PTO Meeting @ 6:45pmMar 16 FMS - 5th Grade Parent Orientation @ 6:30pmMar 17 EHS - Musical @ 6:30pmMar 18-19 EHS - Musical @ 7:30pmMar 20 EHS - Musical @ 3pmMar 25- Schools Closed - Spring Break April 1

The Ewing public Schools TweetThe District uses Twitter as a means of sharing ‘what’s happening now’ information. The Twitter page for The Ewing Public Schools can be found at www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools.

?Superintendent’s Office609-538-9800 ext. 1102

Email: cpankiewicz@ewingboe.orgWebsite: www.ewing.k12.nj.us

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The Ewing Public Education Channel (FIOS31/Comcast 19) displays district and school information, concerts and awards presentations.

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Virtual Backpacks, Calendars and Headlines pages on the website are where you will find up-to-the minute information on district-wide events, deadlines, fundraisers and interesting stories about our schools, students and staff. Ewing Recreation and other area events are posted in the VBP under Community Information.

Residency Investigation Hotline 538-9800 x8999 Anonymous Tip Hotline 538-9800 x1199

Policies and Regulations: All current policies and regulations for The Ewing Public Schools are available on our website under the Board of Education/Board Policy/Regulation tab.

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Safety Town of Ewing 2016Safety Town is a program designed for children entering Kindergarten in September, 2016. The program runs June 27-July 1 and the registration deadline is Monday, June 13. There is

a non-refundable fee of $70 per student. We urge you to enroll your child as soon as possible as there is limited seating. Details and registration form are on the website homepage.

EHS PRESENTS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICALHave you ever wanted to be a Disney channel star? Were you counting down the

days to the High School Musical 10 year reunion? The Ewing High School Play-ers are in production rehearsals for High School Musical! Leading roles include...Scott Price as Troy Bolton, Gabriella Soto as Gabriella Montez, Chloe Orr as Sharpay Evans and Israiel Thomas as Ryan Evans. Come “Bop to the Top” at EHS March 17th-20th. Senior Citizen Preview on March 15th at 6PM and tickets for this performance will be available at the Ewing Senior Center. For advanced ticket sales/preferred seating for all other performances, please call 538-9800 x8899 .