Vineland Public Schools wrapped up the first phase of the new Strategic Planning process on Tuesday at the final meeting of the planning team. The event drew another fantastic turnout, with nearly 50 participants, including teachers, Board of Education members, parents, students, administrators, and community members.
The purpose of Strategic Planning is to create a district-wide vision that will direct, motivate, and inspire all members of the school community to work together to elevate student achievement.
The event began with a presentation from Michelle Kennedy, a representative from the New Jersey School Boards Association, who recapped the results from meetings one and two. Meeting one focused on the district's present state, while meeting two asked participants to look into the future. During meeting two, the planning team identified four topics that will form the goals of the strategic plan. The goal areas focused on student and staff voices, family and community engagement, social wellness and security, and our multidimensional culture.
At meeting three, participants chose one of the four topic areas and worked in groups to further define the goals. They were asked to list the desired outcomes necessary to reach the goal, focusing on positive, student-centered, and aspirational actions. They then were tasked with creating objectives or means to accomplish these goals. A representative from each goal area then presented their goals and objectives to the entire group.
Members of central administration and the strategic planning team plan to meet with students next month to seek a student perspective on these goals and obtain feedback. The third facet of the planning process, the action plan, will then be created by administration and will define the specific tasks essential to carrying out the objectives. The completed plan will be presented at a future Board of Education meeting.
The YMCA will be hosting a fun and educational Summer Day Camp from June 17-August 23. Check out the attached flyers for more information!
Ms. Greenfield’s 7th-grade accelerated students at Johnstone School completed math menus throughout the week to apply their learning of solving and writing equations. Students were able to choose a minimum of three activities that they wanted to complete. The activities offered were based on student interests and learning styles. This included online games, riddles and puzzles, error analysis tasks, and partner checks. Flexible seating was also allowed while students worked on their chosen tasks. Students were highly engaged because they were given a choice in how they would best learn and apply the topics taught. This also provided opportunities for students to learn from one another through meaningful conversations and interactions.
Vineland High School students competed in the 2024 New Jersey Model Congress on March 14-15 at Rider University. Jorge Flores won selection as the Committee Chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee. Michaela Giuliani passed her bill the House of Representatives to equalize funding for K-12 public schools. Alex Garcia wrote a bill to reduce childhood obesity and Christopher Gagnon tried to reform the democratic process by reducing the power of the Senate.
Model Congress is a student run simulation of the U.S. Congress by a dozen participating schools and approximately 250 students who organize into three political parties that compete to pass the most student legislation while learning
and using the formal parliamentary procedure of Congress. Whether their bills passed or failed, all students experience the democratic process and learn research, writing, and oral debate skills while seeing the value of working together to improve legislation and how the spirit of reasonable compromise enables the nation to face and conquer our problems.
Students in Mrs. Mongeluzzo's class at Sabater Elementary School learned how to classify family members with Ms. Markman!
Attention parents of Vineland High School students!
We're thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity for your high school student through the High School Option Program (HSOP) at Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ).
HSOP offers high school students the chance to take RCSJ courses for FREE. Thanks to a generous dual credit enrollment grant received by the district, students can take courses this summer and fall without any worries about tuition, fees, or textbooks. Completed courses under HSOP can be applied towards an RCSJ associate degree or easily transferred to other institutions of higher education. Plus, students have the flexibility to choose between in-person or online classes.
For more information and to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, please see the attached flyer or visit RCSJ.edu/cc/HSOP. For questions or more assistance, please contact Rebecca Vezza at rvezza@rcsj.edu.
Encourage your high school student to seize this chance to get ahead in their academic journey—it's an opportunity not to be missed!
LAST CALL! Register by March 29th for the 5K to receive a run shirt and finisher medal!
https://shorturl.at/qMSX9
The Mennies book club met every Tuesday and Thursday and has had a great time this school year reading and discussing books and then doing a follow-up project about that book. Students had fun while reading and enjoyed time with their friends during this club. Mrs. Tarsanta hosted a viewing party at the final club meeting.
Mrs. Nees' fourth graders at Mennies Elementary School celebrated iAbsolutely Incredible Kid Day!" Every day, we practice writing in journals. The journal topic is usually based on an event that happens in the corresponding month. Today, students listened to a read-aloud about confidence and tapped into their inner superpower that makes them incredible and were encouraged to write about it. Then they created their own certificate to award themselves for how great they are! They certainly did some self-reflection, showed confidence, and were proud of themselves.
Students at Mennies Elementary School recently wrapped up a lesson on the Declaration of Independence with an Escape Room activity! The students used problem-solving, reading skills, and facts about the historical event to solve puzzles and decipher the code to be the winning team. Great job by all!
On Saturday, March 16th, students from the VHS S.H.A.P.E. (student helping animals, plants, and the environment) Club participated in Cumberland County's Annual Community Trash Hunt. Student volunteers spent their morning cleaning up around the VHS campus and nature trail. The event was sponsored by The Authority of Cumberland County as part of its Clean Communities Program.
On Friday, March 15, the Vineland High School FFA attended the 47th New Jersey FFA Horticultural Exposition at Mercer County College. Vineland FFA submitted 18 floral arrangements made by our members. Multiple FFA chapters from across the state attended, bringing over 600 arrangements to compete in the various categories. While attending the exposition, students attended a lecture on native plants. Vineland FFA is proud to bring home the following ribbons.
1st Place: Sarah St. Jean - Cascading Bridal Bouquet; Faith DeCicco - Spring Fever; Juliana Torres - Mardi Gras!
2nd Place: Xander White - Asian Inspired; Da’Shyra Jones - Leprechaun Festival; Yureli Turcios-Cordones - Harvest Festival; Tyler Plummer - Easter Basket
3rd Place: Jenna Pollock - State FFA Theme
4th Place: Jezabelle Wilson - Baby Boy; Adam Giocondo - State FFA Theme
5th Place: Jiya Patel - Happy Holidays
In the St. Patrick's Day spirit, the Wallace Safety Patrol and NJHS students wrote messages to select teachers to let them know how lucky they are to have them. The students personally delivered the messages to their teachers. Students were excited to deliver, and teachers were equally excited to receive!
The Courtyard Preschool students were filled with anticipation as they embarked on their visit to the D’Ippolito School in Vineland to learn about Kindergarten. Each child arrived eager to experience the sights, sounds, and activities that awaited them. Their first destination was a Kindergarten classroom bustling with small group activities, computer tasks, and independent work. They were greeted warmly and encouraged to explore.
As they journeyed through the school, they encountered various members of the support staff and toured specialized classrooms such as music, art, Spanish, gym, and the library. In the library, one student was surprised by an older sibling, who was quick to receive a happy hug!
Their exploration continued as they ventured into the cafeteria and then outside to the playground, where laughter and excitement filled the air. It was an unforgettable experience, made possible by the dedicated efforts of their team, led by Ms. Penny, who organized and prepared for the visit. Special thanks to Ms. Maureen and Ms. Kristina for their invaluable assistance throughout the day.
Get ready for the ultimate showdown! Cunningham Academy and Vineland High School are teaming up to bring you the most epic Lip Sync Battle yet! Mark your calendars for April 17th at 6pm, because you won't want to miss this electrifying event at the VHS South Theater.
Tickets are only $5. Let's show our students some love and support as they take the stage and showcase their talents!
Students in Mrs. Freese and Mrs. Tarsatana's 1st-grade class at Mennies had fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day. They began the day by writing compliments to each classmate on rainbows. They enjoyed making Place Value Leprechauns with curly beards. They also listened to the story How to Catch a Leprechaun. Afterwards, they made edible Leprechaun traps! However, the little Leprechaun was too fast and tricky. He did leave a bit of a mess!
Mrs. Eisenger came to Mennies Elementary School and gave a presentation about the Vineland Soup Kitchen to Mrs. Gaetano, Mrs. Ludlam, and Mrs. Uebelacker’s classes. Students learned the important role the Vineland Soup Kitchen plays in the community and how even the smallest act of kindness matters to the guests who rely on the meals served in the Kitchen. Students made placemats that Mrs. Eisenger will bring back and use for the guests as a little Easter treat.
Wallace Middle School 6th Grader Jose Serrano of Mrs. Michele Shapley’s ACC LAL class was chosen as a district winner of AirPods for completing his summer reading. Congratulations Jose!
Vineland High School junior Michaela Giuliani competed at the state level of the Poetry Out Loud competition on March 14 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Giuliani was one of only 12 students in the state to compete. The 19th annual New Jersey Poetry Out Loud competition is the dramatic culmination of the statewide poetry recitation contest that began in the fall. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the 55 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. According to NJ Poetry Out Loud, 10,587 New Jersey students and 364 teachers from 102 schools, grades 9-12, participated in the evocation of great works of classical and contemporary poetry. Students initially compete at the classroom and school level and then in one of six regional contests. This year, 69 schools moved forward with a champion in regional competitions. Twelve students (two from each region) move on to the State Finals.
Vanessa Rasmussen, Giuliani’s teacher, organizer of the VHS Poetry Out Loud
contest, and member of the NJ Poetry Out Loud Teacher Advisory Board, said, “I am very proud of Michaela's performance. She represented Vineland High School extremely well at both the Regional and State levels of competition. Her recitations of ‘One Girl’ by Sappho, ‘The Albatross’ by Kate Bass, and ‘Time Does Not Bring Relief; You All Have Lied’ by Edna St. Vincent Millay were refreshingly candid and thoroughly enjoyable. She embodied the voices of the poets while connecting to the content personally.”
Giuliani’s performance at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals signals a return to state-level competition for Vineland. Previous VHS competitors on the state level include Najvir Dhinju in 2022, Francis Virtucio in 2017, Kathryn Slusarczyk in 2016, Angela Benson in 2015, and Allyson Beres in 2012.
The 2024 State Champion for New Jersey is Lucas Wilson of Red Bank Regional High School, and the Runner-Up is Amya Padilla of The Morris County School of Technology.
New Jersey Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in collaboration with Count Basie Center for the Arts. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies of the United States. Additional support for NJPOL is provided by ArtPride NJ Foundation and local partners. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 4.1 million students and 68,000 teachers from 17,000 schools and organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
Each winner at the state level receives $200. The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for poetry materials. One runner-up in each state receives $100; their school/organization receives $200 for the purchase of poetry materials.
A total of $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be given at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, including a $20,000 award for the National Champion, $10,000 for 2nd place, $5,000 for 3rd place, and $1,000 for 4th-9th places. The representing schools/organizations of each of the top nine finalists receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. There will be one honorable mention in each of the three national semifinals competitions. Those students will not advance to the finals, but will each receive a $1,000 cash award and a $500 school/organizational stipend. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded for Poetry Out Loud.
K-5 students at Barse Elementary participated in a "Design a Bookmark" contest in the Library. Pictured are the winners and their creative designs! (not pictured is our fourth-grade winner, but her design is shown) Students are able to pick up a copy of the bookmarks from the Barse Library (while supplies last). Congratulations to our winners and thanks to all who participated!
