The entire Durand School family scored a touchdown with a visit from former NFL offensive tackle Barrett Brooks. Mr. Brooks joined students in grades 3-5 for an assembly and then returned for family night. Students, staff, and parents were eager to meet Barrett and hear his story of hard work and perseverance. Those in attendance showed their support for Barrett by wearing attire that represented the teams he played for. Of course, Eagles Green was most prominent, and the night wasn't complete without the Eagles Fight Song.
Within his story were many important life messages. Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. Respect your elders. Be the best version of yourself you can be. Don’t just get good grades…get great grades. Invest in your relationships. Grow into your shoes. Pay it forward. Take care of things that are important.
Special thanks to The Youth Alliance for helping plan this great event!
The Vineland Safety Patrol held its annual Safety Patrol Breakfast on October 28. $7000 was raised to help with the end-of-the-year trips to Dutch Wonderland (5th Grade) and Washington DC (8th Grade). An event of this size is not possible without the coordinated efforts of the Safety Patrol advisors and the Vineland Police Department Juvenile Unit. Officer Bill Burris of the Juvenile Unit, along with support from Officers Julio Dejesus, Dion Colvin, Ashley Arrocho, Captain Lene Bowers, retired Captain Dave Cardana, as well as Sgt. Sterchele worked alongside the advisors to make this annual event a wonderful success. We are also very grateful to the Vineland Police Explorers for all of their hard work during this event and to Sodexo Food Service for their support.
Rossi Owls had the best time with their grandparents at their first annual Grandparents’ Day! Grandparents and grandchildren alike enjoyed lunch together as well as the Scholastic Book Fair. Rossi students spent some quality time with their grandparents making memories that will last a lifetime.
Petway Elementary students in Mrs. Nonnemacher’s first grade class joined Mrs. Diorio’s and Mrs. Kazmierski’s classrooms in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in both spoken English and American Sign Language during Petway’s Patriot Pride Day. Sign Language Interpreter Mrs. Theresa Killingsworth interpreted the Pledge before the students. Mrs. Nonnemacher’s students have practiced signing the pledge every day in class before reciting the Pledge in both languages. In addition to fostering an inclusive classroom, the activity promotes the core values of empathy, communication, and adaptability from Vineland’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Watch a clip of the students reciting the Pledge here: https://bit.ly/3MtVE2j
The Rossi 3rd Graders have partnered with Spirit and Truth Ministries Soup Kitchen for the school year to create a monthly holiday-themed placemat. The students were so lucky to learn all about the soup kitchen and how it helps our community with a presentation from Debbie Eisinger. Mrs. Eisinger is one of the many volunteers who help run the soup kitchen. They were treated to hearing the story "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Pena and a presentation of what it is like to volunteer. We look forward to helping the soup kitchen throughout this school year.
The teachers and students at D'Ippolito Elementary School are holding our seventh annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive to benefit children. We are collecting from our students and families, and we are trying to reach out to the community to get more pajama donations to help kids in need. Anyone who would like to donate may send new pajamas to D'Ippolito. We greatly appreciate any and all donations!
Our drive will run from Monday, November 13th through Friday, December 15th. Only brand new pajamas will be collected in all sizes from newborn through adult. The pajama drive is organized in partnership with Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting a comforting bedtime routine for children affected by instability in order to help them thrive. Once our donations are reported to Scholastic, they will pair each set of pajamas collected with a new book, and through The Pajama Program, will be donated to a local organization. Last year, 172 sets of pajamas went to The Bridgeton Family Success Center.
D'Ippolito students who donate a new pair of pajamas will be able to wear their own pjs to school on Friday, December 22nd as a reward for their generous gifts.
In Mrs. Jessica Castro's science class at Veterans Memorial Middle School, students were able to simulate weathering by tumbling “rocks” and observing how they break down over distance and time. Students placed pieces of chalk ("rocks") into a tube and shook the tube back and forth for 4 minutes and 8 minutes, making observations of how the chalk changed over time. Students were able to explain the process (cause) that breaks apart rock (effect). Rock is broken into smaller pieces by colliding with other objects. Students were able to identify the process they just observed as weathering.
School will resume on Monday, November 13. Have a great week!
Vineland Public Schools and Sodexo Food Service will be distributing food for those in need before the Thanksgiving holiday. Please see the flyer for more information.
Miss Welden’s ELA classes at Pilla Middle School enjoyed an incentive day filled with board games and team building as a reward for completing their Summer Reading projects before the deadline. Students played classics like Chess, Jenga, and Sorry! In addition to the incentive day, students had their names entered into a drawing to win a pair of air pods.
Students in Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Bonsall’s second-grade class at Rossi Elementary School have been learning about geography and maps. The class split into groups and built their own maps, which included a map key and a compass rose. They discussed the locations of buildings as they designed the maps by using directional words.
On Saturday, November 4th, students from the Wallace Safety Patrol and NJHS volunteered their time at the Funny Farm in Mays Landing. The students spent their day clearing out leaves from various areas of the farm. They worked together for 2 1/2 hours to rake, load, and dump leaves. The students were even able to visit with the animals, sit around the bonfire, and enjoy snacks and drinks that they brought for each other. Their advisor, Jamie Ecret, is very proud of their hard work and how respectful they were while visiting the Funny Farm!
Mrs. Horner's 6th-grade bilingual students at Wallace Middle School are learning about ratios using Fruit Loops! The students had to sort, count, compare, and create ratios using these eatable manipulatives. As part of the activity, the students had to show and explain ratios using models, fractions, words, and symbols. Later, the students compared and discussed their ratios with their peers in small groups.
Students in each classroom at Little Lamb Preschool enjoyed learning some new “Gross-Motor” skills with DRUM2BFIT instructors. Classes took turns going outside. Students drummed their way to health using various movements. This required active listening skills and working together!
Dane Barse School hosted a spectacular Trunk or Treat on October 25th under an almost-full moon with picture-perfect weather. Approximately 250 students visited the amazing trunks decked out in amazing themes, like Circus, Toy Story, Candy Land, and Jurassic Park, among others. Prizes were awarded to the Jacobs/Cicchini Family (1st Place), the Mercado Family (2nd Place), and to the Purnell/Armstrong Family (3rd Place). Guests got to walk through a "Spooky Room" of animatronics and decor, visit a tattoo station, and "Guess How Many Cheeseballs?" which Jeremiah Gonzalez proudly won. Thank you to all of our families for their participation and generous candy donations!
In Michael Mellace's English Language Arts (ELA) class at Vineland High School, students have a tasty reason to promote positive behavior! Mellace has collaborated with Chick-fil-A to create an innovative classroom incentive program. Under this program, students earn points for demonstrating positive behavior and taking commendable actions. Once students accumulate five hundred points, they have the opportunity to exchange them for delicious Chick-fil-A sandwiches.
Mrs. Smith's kindergarten students at Durand Elementary School are the cutest pumpkins in the patch and are "falling" in love with school! The students learned all about pumpkins and then conducted several experiments. Pumpkin Exploration Day was a huge success, especially with the help of some amazing parent volunteers. Students weighed, measured, opened, sorted pulp from seeds, discovered that pumpkins float, and tasted a variety of pumpkin foods. It was a perfect pumpkin day!
In celebration of fire safety month, Durand kindergarten students and their teachers took a short walk to visit their neighbor, Fire Station #3. Once at the station, they were met by career firefighter Scarpa and Captain Strain from Station #6. They learned about all the special tools on the big ladder truck and even got to climb in to check it out! They walked through the firehouse to take a peek at the kitchen and office. They were so excited to learn about firehouse life and wear their very own fire hats!
Students who came to Johnstone's Parent University assisted in creating a rendition of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers as an after-school art activity. Ms. Bussott's 6th and 7th grade Art Class also collaborated and assisted in completing the paper mural for Johnstone Middle School. Catching a glimpse of the flowers while walking through the halls not only brightens up the school but they brighten up your day!
In Lindsey Armanini’s class at Pilla Middle School, students listened to the read-aloud, “A Little Spot of Feelings.” Students were able to recognize their emotions and inner feelings. Students then chose a feeling spot that resonated with them. They created their spot and wrote about it! The lesson was part of this month’s Portrait of a Graduate competency, Communication. Throughout the month, students across all grade levels will participate in lessons that focus on the three main tenets of the communication competency: Articulating thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication in a variety of forms and contexts; listening effectively to decipher meaning including knowledge, values, attitudes, and intentions; and using communication for a range of purposes and audiences.
