We’re excited to announce the winners of this month’s “Rowdy’s Golden Class” award at Vineland High School!
Congratulations to Ms. Defeo's 1st-period class from the VHS Asselta Building and Mr. Miller and Mr. Spinnato's 6th-period class from the VHS Tanner Building for embodying the Portrait of a Graduate traits and fostering inclusive, collaborative learning environments.
The "Rowdy's Golden Class" award encourages teachers to nominate their standout classes or classes that exemplify the Portrait of a Graduate traits, including communication, empathy, critical thinking, perseverance, adaptability, and responsibility.
The awards are part of the VHS Rock the Roost program, which helps promote good behavior and create a positive school environment. Congratulations to the winners!
The students in Ms. Giovinazzi, Ms. Hirleman, Mrs. Lank, and Mrs. Smith's classes hosted the first-ever Friendship Day with Williamstown High School's OTP program. The event brought students from both schools together in the Jeffrey A. Clay Memorial Wrestling Room to practice important skills related to meeting new people and building meaningful friendships.
The day was packed with engaging activities, starting with icebreakers where students discovered each other’s likes and dislikes. They participated in a fun cup-stacking competition, guided our guests on a tour of the RISE program, and shared lunch—a perfect opportunity to bond and learn more about one another.
The event wrapped up with exciting plans for the future: a visit to Williamstown High School in February for Vineland students to continue growing these connections and a joint community-based outing later in the school year.
This enriching experience highlighted how much we all have in common despite our school colors—whether Braves bleed blue or our Fighting Clan bleeds red. Friendship knows no boundaries!
The RISE Program hosted an unforgettable Harvest Hoedown for our students on Thursday evening from 5-7 PM. DJ Ortiz kept the energy high with an amazing playlist, as students danced, played games, and enjoyed meaningful social interactions with their friends. Events like this provide a wonderful opportunity for our students to practice their social skills in a fun, natural environment.
The enthusiasm was contagious, and the students truly brought the excitement to the dance floor!
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible teachers, staff, and paraprofessionals who volunteered their time to make this event a success. Special thanks to Texas Roadhouse for providing a delightful end-of-the-night favor for our guests. Congratulations on hosting such a fantastic event!
First-grade students at Petway Elementary have kicked off their Service Learning project for the year by decorating lunch bags for the Vineland Soup Kitchen. The bags, adorned with cheerful fall designs, are part of a broader initiative to help students understand the challenges faced by people in need in their local community. This project aligns with the Empathy competency from Vineland’s Portrait of a Graduate. As part of their studies on communities and community helpers, Petway’s first graders are learning how their efforts can make a positive impact and provide support to families in need within their community.
During the month of November, the students of Mr. Paul Longeran and Mrs. Candice Lank's classes at Vineland High School participated in small learning groups to learn about our branches of the military along with the men and women who served their country. The culmination of their learning was a community-based instructional trip to the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home located in Vineland. During their time with the residents, the students were able to hear first-hand accounts of their time serving our country in various careers. As an added bonus, the students had the ability to participate and assist the residents in daily recreational activities such as bowling, puzzle making, games, and escorting them to their in-house restaurant for lunch. The students and residents had a fun-filled few hours and are eagerly awaiting a return visit in the near future.
In honor of "National Substitute Teacher Day 2024," students in Mrs. Pennington's class at Mennies Elementary School wrote thank you letters to one of our favorite substitute teachers, Mrs. Bennett.
Students wrote their letters by hand, practicing their best penmanship. They also decorated their letters with original artwork. And, of course, they shared ideas with the other students they were grouped with.
On Friday, October 24, 2024, the Rapid Response Team at Rossi School completed their HeartSaver CPR recertification!
This dedicated group plays a crucial role in responding to medical emergencies at school, ensuring compliance with Janet’s Law and the safety of our students and staff.
Congratulations to Nurse Deanna Elliott, Stephanie Burns, Lorissa Fisher, Valerie Correa, Miriam Gonzales, Carmela Herr, Lori Koons, Sue Cileone, and Zoraida Fernandez on this achievement. Thank you for your commitment to this vital team!
The next recertification course is scheduled for December 6.
Petway's Safety Patrol worked with staff and students to prepare 26 baskets to help families celebrate Thanksgiving with a delicious feast! Petway staff assembled the boxes, and the patrol was tasked with decorating the boxes to be festive and fun! Petway families and staff donated all the food during the Turkey Trot on November 13th. Great job, Petway Safety Patrol!
Dear parents & guardians: please remember that Tuesday and Wednesday are both legal attendance (half) days. Please make appropriate arrangements for transportation or, if your child rides a bus, to have someone available to greet them. School hours can be found here: https://5il.co/2rynu
Today is National Substitute Educators Day, and we want to take a moment to thank the incredible substitutes who step in whenever they’re needed. Their flexibility, dedication, and ability to adapt keep our classrooms running and ensure our students keep learning. We’re so grateful for all they do!
Winslow kindergarteners in Mrs. Colon’s class participated in a lesson on empathy, our November Portrait of a Graduate Competency. This experience not only taught them to recognize and validate their own emotions but also to appreciate and respect the feelings of others.
Students in Mrs. Priest’s and Mrs. Shapley’s LAL classes at Wallace School wrote notes to their parents and guardians, inviting them to make conferences with their teachers! The teachers took conferences as a way for students to take ownership of their education and tell their parents about the dates and details. The parents responded positively, and spots filled up quickly! The teachers are eager to welcome the parents on Monday and Tuesday!
The Sabater PTO sponsored the 4th and 5th Graders 2nd Annual Harvest Dance on Friday, November 15. The staff and students had a blast! Sabby Star was the special guest with some cool dance moves. The students had a freeze dance contest and a Harvest Sabby Scavenger hunt. SJ Photo Booth provided the photo booth, and DJ Henry lit up the party. What a night to remember!
Last Thursday was World Diabetes Awareness Day, and room A-15 at Rossi Elementary School was lucky enough to have Mrs. Parsons (Evie's mom) come in to help us better understand diabetes. Students were engaged the whole time and left with a better understanding of diabetes and its two types. Thank you so much for coming in, sharing your story with us, reading us books, the fun coloring pages, the delicious snack bags, and especially sharing Rufus with us! Rufus was a big hit!
Just a reminder about our schedule next week!
Monday and Tuesday, November 25 and 26, are legal attendance (half) days at all schools for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please contact your child's school for the exact conference times.
Wednesday, Nov. 27 is a legal attendance day for all schools.
All schools and district offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29 for Thanksgiving Recess. Come out and cheer on VHS on Nov. 28 as they take on Millville High School in the annual Thanksgiving Day game! 10:30am at Gittone Stadium.
We wish all of our families and staff members a safe and restful break.
Mrs. McManus & Ms. Viso's classes at Durand Elementary School had a very special visitor this week. Therapy dog Enzo and his handler (and Durand alumni), Mrs. Lisa Monteleone-Haught, visited both classrooms on Tuesday afternoon. The students discussed what it meant to be a therapy dog and why Enzo was a good candidate to help those in need. Afterward, students were able to read stories to Enzo and enjoyed giving him lots of pets and belly rubs, which, by the looks of it, is Enzo's favorite part of his job! Enzo is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and is also certified as an AKC Good Citizen. It's always a great day when dogs visit our school!
In honor of education week, our staff and educators at Little Lamb Preschool decided to highlight all of those individuals who help make our preschool run successfully day to day. Students and staff were able to tour and visit the stations of the following staff members: Mrs. DiBiase, food service coordinator; Mr. Piatt and Mr. DiBiase, maintenance supervisors; Family Community Outreach Workers Ms. Schwarz and Mrs. DiNunzio; office manager Mrs. Gualan; Director Ms. Dixon; and owner Mrs. Piatt. Each educator gave a small summary of their job responsibilities and how it relates to them and our school. Happy educational professionals day!
Mennies Elementary School held the 2nd Annual Turkey Tango food drive on Friday, November 15. The Guidance Department, along with many student volunteers, will create food baskets for 12 of our most needy families. Mennies students brought in one item each to add to the collection. We were so excited about the citizenship and generosity of our students and their families.
Students in Miss Welden and Ms. Franco's ELA classes at Pilla Middle School began their unit on Sustainability this week. Students learned the importance of being mindful of resources so future generations will be prosperous and experience ecological balance. As an anticipatory activity, the students worked in small groups to prepare soil, plant chia seeds, and provide water and sunlight so their class dinosaur, Frankie, will produce herbs to be used as renewable resources.
Today, we recognize and celebrate the Educational Support Professionals who help make our schools a safe, welcoming, and productive place for learning. From behind-the-scenes efforts to direct student support, your impact is felt every day. Thank you for everything you do!
