At Petway Elementary School the fourth grade students recently embarked on an exciting cross-curricular journey, blending Language Arts and Science in an unforgettable way!
In Language Arts, students read and explored Greek myths, discovering the legendary tales of heroes, gods, and mythical creatures. They then connected these stories to their Science lessons by studying constellations—learning how ancient cultures linked the night sky to their myths.
To bring their learning to life, students stepped inside StarLab, an immersive, portable planetarium. As they traveled through the galaxy, they identified constellations tied to the Greek myths they had studied, seeing firsthand how storytelling and science intertwine.
This hands-on experience deepened their understanding of both literature and astronomy, sparking curiosity and wonder about the stars above. What an incredible way to learn!
Miss Giordano's first-grade class at Petway had a fantastic time participating in Book Madness, an exciting event where students voted on their favorite books they read throughout March using the Bookworms Curriculum. The students read a variety of engaging stories, and each book sparked great discussions and creativity. The entire class learned a lot about the process of voting and how it helps everyone have a voice. After much anticipation and excitement, the votes were tallied, and the winner was “My Brother, Charlie”! "My Brother Charlie," written by Holly Robinson Peete and co-authored with her daughter, Ryan Elizabeth Peete, is a heartfelt and inspiring children's book. It tells the story of a young girl who shares her experiences growing up with her twin brother, Charlie, who has autism. Through the eyes of the sister, readers gain insight into Charlie's unique qualities and challenges. The book emphasizes themes of love, understanding, and acceptance, highlighting how siblings can support each other through life's ups and downs.
Students in Mr. Cresci's 8th grade Accelerated Social Studies classes at Veterans Memorial School worked collaboratively in small groups to create posters to showcase Women's History Month. The students visited the school media center and worked with Media Specialist Mrs. Bermudez to research, format, and create the project. The posters focused on various themes connected to the topic, including "Women Who Changed History" – Highlighting influential women in government, activism, and leadership, "Breaking Barriers" – Focusing on women who were pioneers in politics, law, and civil rights, "Votes for Women" – Celebrating the women’s suffrage movement and key figures and "Women in Government Today" – Featuring current female leaders in the U.S. and worldwide.
On Tuesday, March 25, students in the S.H.A.P.E. Club attended a field trip to Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. The day began with the students clearing out the resident animals' enclosure area. When they finished, students watched a presentation with two education ambassador animals, "Fabio," the black vulture, and "Phoebe Muffay," the striped skunk. They learned a little about each animal and the circumstances that caused their residency at the refuge. Afterwards, the students participated in a guided tour around the resident enclosure area, learning about each of the animals and wildlife rehabilitation. (Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is a non-profit wildlife refuge, wildlife rehabilitation hospital and nature center located in Medford, NJ. www.cedarrun.org)
Our Mennies Inclusion Club has been hard at work reviewing the first two weeks of Cole’s Bakery and making improvements to make the shop even more successful! They carefully checked their inventory and decided to stock up on the most popular items—and the doughnuts went fast today!
The staff LOVES this Thursday tradition and the opportunity to support the Inclusion Club. Thank you to everyone who stops by to make this such a special part of our week!
Dallago Preschool would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the New Jersey State Police for joining us at Dallago West for our first-ever Car Seat Check & Giveaway Day!
On Thursday morning, NJ State Police officers arrived with free toys, car seats, and informational packets for families. They generously provided seven car seats to families in need—all of which were given away within the first five minutes!
Families who already had car seats installed were able to have officers inspect them to ensure they were the correct size and properly secured.
It was an incredible and positive event, and we look forward to hosting more in the future!
For families still in need of a car seat, we will be sending out information soon with locations you can visit once a month to receive a car seat or have your current one checked for proper installation.
For more information on car seat safety, please visit njsp.gov.
Fourth-grade students from Sabater Elementary School recently took part in an educational expedition to explore the wetlands and forests of southern Cumberland County. This trip was presented by CU Maurice River, in which the students received environmental education lessons at the Bivalve Center in Port Norris and met a hawk and a screech owl. They also went on a guided walk on a nearby nature trail. Students loved learning about local animals, including seeing an otter's den, the bones of a deer skull, an osprey's nest, and a discarded turtle shell. It was a great day to get outside and enjoy the scenic views!
The Veterans Memorial & Pilla Middle Schools' National Junior Honor Societies will be hosting a car wash on April 5 in front of Veterans Memorial School. Please come out and support!
Tonight is opening night for VAMP's production of Frozen Jr. You don't want to miss this amazing show with all the timeless music and characters you love!! This show has family fun for all ages!! Performances are March 27th at 7 pm, March 28th at 7 pm, and March 29th at 2 and 7 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and are available for purchase at the door! We hope to see you there!
Come out and support the Vineland High School National Honor Society on April 3!
The Vineland High School Jobs for Americas Graduates (JAG) students participated in New Jersey JAG Legislative Day at the NJ State House in Trenton on March 24. The students participated in a tour of the State House and met with NJ politicians to discuss the JAG program.
On Friday, March 21st, Nurse Kelli Donnelly at Veterans Memorial Middle School sponsored the recognition of Word Water Day at the school. This event was held to bring awareness to students and staff of the lack of and need for fresh drinking water in the United States and worldwide. On World Water Day, we recognize the critical role clean water plays in the health and safety of children worldwide. The staff and parents were requested to donate a case of water, and each student received a bottle of water the day of the event. Information concerning healthy water access was provided to all in the morning announcements. Most importantly, awareness of this concern at an early age may spark youth to seek careers in foreign or domestic aid work in this area or to become environmental engineers.
Four students from Vineland Public Schools participated in the Cumberland County School Boards Association's annual 8th-grade Dialogue on March 26 at the Landis Administrative Offices
The 8th Grade Dialogue program recognizes students whose character, determination, school spirit, leadership, and community service have inspired their classmates, teachers, and their community.
One eighth-grade student from each middle school in the county was invited to attend. The students were asked to share their aspirations for the future, what they enjoy most about their hometown, what skills they need to help transition to high school, and to make recommendations on how to improve their respective schools.
Students from Vineland Public Schools selected for the event included Harinanda Santhosh from Pilla Middle School, Isaac Torres from Johnstone Middle School, Jaelah Moore from Wallace Middle School, and Julissa Quiles from Veterans Memorial Middle School.
After reading “How To Grow A Seed” in language arts, Winslow kindergartners in Miss Perry’s class got their hands dirty exploring soil and seeds and learning about the life cycle of a plant. The activity included a rich vocabulary review as students followed multi-step directions for planting and caring for their seeds. Students are eager to watch their beans grow.
It’s that time of year—Color Guard Camp is back!
Color Guard is a dynamic part of the Vineland High School Marching Band, and we’re welcoming new members for the upcoming season.
Who can join:
Students entering 9th grade in Fall 2025
Students currently in grades 10–12
Open to all Vineland and CCTEC students
First night of camp:
Date: Wednesday, May 22nd
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Vineland High School – South Building
No experience necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and be ready to have fun. We hope to see you there!
Questions?
Contact our director, Justin Feliciano, or visit www.vhsmb.com
Mennies 5th graders in Mrs. Gaetano’s class teamed up with Mr. Lera to dive into this month’s Portrait of a Graduate (POG) competency: Perseverance!
Together, they designed an obstacle course that students tackled during gym today. This hands-on activity encouraged them to push through challenges, give their best effort, and never give up—even when the skills get tough!
Kudos to the incredible teachers and guidance counselor at Sabater Elementary School for their amazing Portrait of a Graduate lessons on perseverance last week. It was truly inspiring to witness the high level of student engagement and participation!
🌟 Ms. Zyckowski’s Class: Students did a phenomenal job with a hands-on activity, persevering through several challenges while building a sturdy tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows. Not only did they embrace the trait of perseverance, but they also demonstrated critical thinking and communication—essential POG skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
📖 Ms. Rodriguez’s Class & Mrs. Johnson (Guidance Counselor) in Mrs. Navarro's Class: Students explored the meaning of perseverance through literacy, engaging in a thoughtful discussion about how the character in their story overcame his fears to achieve his goal of jumping off the diving board. They also made text-to-self connections, reflecting on their own experiences with perseverance and how it made them feel.
It was such a joy to see students actively engaged, thinking deeply, and making meaningful connections. Bravo to Ms. Zyckowski, Ms. Rodriguez, and Mrs. Johnson for fostering such rich learning experiences! 🎉
American Legion Contest winners from Mennies Elementary School were announced this week! These students were given medals and awards from the Veterans. We are very proud of them and their effort in this contest!
1st place - Emelin Maldonado Torres - Venditti's class
2nd place - Jesus Hernandez - Gancarz's class
3rd place - Ana Ramos Lucas - Pennington's class
Veterans Memorial 8th-grade S.O.A.R. students conducted an exciting experiment to answer an age-old question: Which type of paper makes the best paper airplane—printer paper or construction paper?
Students first made their predictions of which material would fly farther. Next, the students researched different ways of folding the airplanes using both types of paper. After multiple test flights, students recorded the results of which plane flew farther. The students' findings showed that the construction paper airplanes flew farther than the planes made from printer paper. Students discussed how the weight of the paper and the design of the plane led to this outcome.
This hands-on experiment demonstrated the principles of aerodynamics in action and showed how material choice and design impacts flight. Great job to our young scientists for taking learning to new heights!
Veterans Memorial Middle School 8th Grade Social Studies teachers Mr. Cresci, Mr. Traina, and Ms. Scolari, along with their classes, recently participated in a program that included Judge Arbittier’s staff from the Superior Court in Bridgeton, which allowed for the opportunity to meet with students and their teachers to discuss the Separation of Powers.
Kee Min, Judge Arbittier’s law clerk, prepared a discussion
with the students and a fun quiz for them at the end. Judge Arbittier
spoke about her job and how our judicial system works. We were
honored to have our partnered attorney, Meghan Hoerner, from Cumberland Mutual
Insurance Company joined us and talked with the students about the opportunities she
has had in her career as an attorney. We appreciate the opportunity to allow students to be exposed to members of the judicial system and a career in the legal system.
