Vineland Public Schools -

Vineland Public Schools hosted a two-day retreat for peer leaders from our middle schools at the Landis Administrative Offices this week. This initiative is part of the Peer Group Connection grant from the Center for Supportive Schools. The retreat helped peer leaders from the middle schools to develop essential skills, create safe environments, and foster strong relationships among students.
Throughout the school year, these peer leaders will attend a daily class to prepare them for weekly outreaches in sixth-grade classrooms. The program focuses on connectedness, self-awareness, social skills, and educational aspirations, ultimately promoting student success and a supportive learning environment.

The Rowan College-South Jersey-Cumberland Jazz and Wind Symphony has announced its fall and holiday Concert schedule. The bands, directed by Joesph Akinskas, are comprised of students and community members. All concerts are free and open to the public:
Wednesday, October 15-Jazz Band Concert on Campus-7:30 PM
Thursday, October 23- Jazz Band Concert at Cumberland Mall-6:30 PM
Wednesday, December 3- Holiday Concert at Wesley Manor in Ocean City-7:00 PM
Wednesday, December 10-Holiday Concert on Campus-7:30 PM
Wednesday, December 17-Holiday Concert at Cumberland Mall-6:30 PM

Thank you the members of the Mennies Elementary School Safety Patrol for leading the flag salute at the October 1 Board of Education meeting! 🇺🇸

Mrs. Krawczyk’s 6th-grade ELA students recently participated in their first Snowball Conversation, an activity designed to build the foundation for student-led discussions. To prepare, students read an article about famines, viewed a short film on world hunger, and made meaningful connections to their Greek Mythology unit. They explored which Greek god or goddess might have the greatest impact on global issues such as famine and hunger.

What made this activity special was the “snowball” format—students started small, sharing ideas with a partner, then moved into groups of four, and finally joined in large-class discussions. Each step gave them more confidence to share their thoughts and build on each other’s ideas. By the end, students were debating how water, agriculture, warfare, hunting, and weather all play a role in food scarcity—while creatively analyzing it all through the perspective of Greek gods and goddesses.

Mrs. Krawczyk shared, “I was very impressed with the students’ ability to think critically and analyze the many ways food chains can be disrupted and hunger conflicts created. Considering this is just the beginning of their middle school ELA careers, I see very bright futures ahead.”

October is National School Principals Month, and we're sending a big thank you to all the amazing principals in Vineland Public Schools! These dedicated leaders work hard to make our schools the best they can be, supporting students, staff, and the community. Let's take a moment to show our gratitude and celebrate the incredible impact they have on our schools. Thank you, principals, for all that you do!

The YMCA is hosting adaptive swim lessons this fall - a great opportunity for swim lessons for children with special needs! Please see the attached flyer for more information, or contact the YMCA at aquatics@ccaymca.org.

Yesterday, Mrs. White’s, Mrs. Renee’s, and Mrs. Anne’s class at Petway explored science in a fun and hands on way. The students conducted an experiment making fizzy apples using white vinegar and baking soda. This project demonstrated a chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda, which created carbon dioxide gas that produced fizzing and bubbles.

The children had such a wonderful time exploring and discovering how everyday items can create exciting scientific reactions. Projects like this encourage curiosity, hands on learning, and help our students see that science is not only educational but also fun!

Vineland High School’s Studio Production 1 students, taught by Kelley Pritchett, got an inside look Tuesday at the VPS Broadcasting mobile broadcast unit, a state-of-the-art production vehicle similar to those used by professional sports networks. Doug Deola, VPS Audio-Visual Supervisor, led the tour and showed students how the van’s multi-camera setup, instant replay system, audio mixing tools, and live-graphics equipment work together to produce a broadcast on the go.

The experience introduced students to professional-grade technology and highlighted future opportunities to collaborate with VPS Broadcasting. The goal is for the class and the mobile unit to work together throughout the school year so students can combine what they learn in the classroom with real-world production experience.

Christopher Gagnon represented Vineland High School in the prestigious American Legion Boys’ State leadership program. The annual conference provides high school students with an opportunity to learn about being a government figure and play a role during the conference. A session of Jersey Boys' State has been held annually since the first session in 1946.
Boys' State educates our youth in the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. Boys' State endeavors to provide a foundation for understanding self-government, a rational approach toward the solution of public questions, and a live faith in the ideals and processes of democracy.
Christopher was a Councilman elected to the Taylor City Council at the event. Christopher is a student in our Applied Math & Science Academy, earning credits towards his Associate's Degree from Rowan College of South Jersey, and will graduate with the Class of 2026.

Last Friday, Mrs. Benedetto and Ms. Ladner's classes at Mennies Elementary School had two guest speakers for Hispanic Heritage Month. One guest speaker spoke about Puerto Rico and read a book to the students. She also gave out stickers representing Puerto Rico. The other guest speakers did a PowerPoint on Tortillas! A taste of Mexico. The students learned all about how important corn is to Mexicans and how tortillas are made. They even brought in the Meza flour and hot griddle and let the students make their own. It was such an informative, fun afternoon for all the students.

Rossi Elementary School held its annual South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter community service project for the month of September. Many students and staff donated beds, blankets, toys, and food for the shelter's animals. The staff was overjoyed and thankful for the donations!

Mrs. Meneghetti and Mr. Martini's Kindergarten class at Petway celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a day full of activities! After reading the story "Pepe and the Parade," the class made their own flags of some Spanish-speaking countries. Students also did some taco-counting with ten frames during math centers and learned about some significant Spanish icons while playing Hispanic Heritage bingo. The class ended the day with a mini-parade and were able to show off their country's flag proudly!

Our Marvels in Mrs. Leone's class at Mennies had an apple-solutley amazing lesson to celebrate apples and autumn! 🍏 From Apple Tree Yoga to apple taste testing, and even a fun science experiment — “Will our Apple Boats Sink or Float?” — students explored learning in creative, hands-on ways.

On Friday, September 26, Ms. Long’s third-graders at Petway Elementary put their engineering skills to the test! Using only construction paper, they built bridges in different designs and then stacked toy cars (and even pennies) on top to see which bridge held the most weight before collapsing.

Students at Wallace started the year off in style! Designers created their own unique look using unconventional materials. All looks were runway-ready and took flight!

For Hispanic Heritage Month, Mrs. Bertonazzi's class at Mennies School was fortunate to welcome special guests— our second grader’s mom and sister—into our classroom. They shared with us the tradition of the piñata and guided us through a fun, hands-on activity of making our own. Students learned about the cultural importance of the piñata in Mexican celebrations while enjoying a creative and meaningful experience together.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, Miss Miller and Ms. Tarsatana’s 1st grade class had a special guest, Mrs. Alyssa, come in to read about the Puerto Rican Coqui frog. The students loved hearing about the beautiful country and coloring their own coqui frogs. Even better, our friend Ezekiel, had a double surprise of seeing his mom read to the class on his birthday!

Preschoolers at All Kids First got a special treat last week when ‘Bring the Farm to School’ stopped by! 🐰🐥 The students loved meeting and learning about the animals up close.

Winslow School welcomed its 2025-2026 Captains Crew members! Our crew is ready to serve in the community and in the school. These children are great leaders and ready to help. Our fifth grade students are Jayda Ashley, James Pierce, Gabriella Spenielli, Ava Killian, Sherry Summers, and Julia Ceron. Our fourth grade students are Kayla Sheftall, Drish Patel, Julianna Perna, Carter Lindsey, Kolin Drake, Scarlett Reale, and Christian Cortez Arden Minko. Club advisors are Danielle Scarpa and Stacey Camerieri.

The VHS varsity football team takes on the Clearview Regional Pioneers this evening at 7 pm at Clearview Regional High School! 🏈🐔 Let's get a win on our first road game of the season!

We will be streaming the game live on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtwaIBvre4Q