Seven Spotswood High School students named Bloustein Scholars
Seven students at Spotswood High School have been named 2008 Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars for their high academic achievement.
To be honored, students must meet the following criteria: (1) class rank of one, two or three in the graduating class and rank within the top 10 percent of the graduating class at the end of the junior year; or (2) rank within the top ten percent of the graduating class at the end of the junior year with combined critical reading and math SAT scores of 1260 or higher. Honored students collect annual scholarships, renewable each year for four years, of $1,000 toward expenses to a New Jersey college or university.
The 2008 Bloustein Scholars are Nicole DeMarco, Emily Dzuro, Thomas Macor, Sean Murray, Keith Price, Christina Santoro and Isabelle Taylor.
The Bloustein Scholars is the most prestigious of the three merit scholarship programs administered by the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. Along with the Urban Scholars and Garden State Scholars programs, Bloustein was introduced in 1989-90 as an incentive to New Jerseyʼs most academically promising high school students to continue their higher education in state.
Six Spotswood Students Earn the Designation of AP Scholar by the College Board
Six students at Spotswood High School have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams.
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the more than 1.4 million high school students in more than 16,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP Scholar.
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3.500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns.
Spotswood Schools Excel in Addressing Annual Objectives
The Spotswood Schools have announced results in addressing annual objectives. The objectives, submitted to the County Office, provide the focus for staff efforts in curriculum and instruction with special emphasis on language arts literacy and mathematics - both central to No Child Left Behind legislation. Click here to see the results.
Spotswood Education Foundation Awards Grants to Spotswood Teachers
The Spotswood Education Foundation (SEF) provides grant money to educational staff and students for the development of programs and activities that are not covered by the school budget. These programs enhance the curriculum and provide the students with a more comprehensive and varied learning experience.
Last year, the SEF provided grant money for the following programs:
- Composer in Residence - Fifth grade band students in Appleby School will participate in a premier performance of a composition by composer Brad
Schoener
- Monumental Brass Rubbings - Students in Memorial School will learn about everyday life, clothing, symbolism, etc. through lecture and direct observation of monumental medieval brasses
- Springboard to Reading - As a result of adding early emergent books to every first grade classroom library, early emergent readers will have an opportunity to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials written at their grade level
- Good Connections for Testing - Students will connect important math skills to well-known children's literature and their lives
- Learning Through Literature Circles - Students will use cooperative learning strategies to achieve the common goal of reading and sharing ideas about a selected novel
- Freshman Mentoring Program - At risk 8th graders identified to help with transition to high school experience
Spotswood Public Schools supports its mission statement through the "Four Pillars"
Spotswood Public Schools has recently released details of all four "pillars" created to support our mission of "Building Strong Minds, Bodies, and Communities." Details can be found in the following documents:
- Master Plan for Effective Schools
- Long Range Plan for School Improvement
- Building Objectives for the 2007/8 School Year
- New Teacher Induction Plan 2006-2011
Spotswood Receives $10,000 Grant for Books for Memorial School Library
The Spotswood Board of Education is thrilled to announce the receipt of another state grant as a result of the hard work of Spotswood Council Thomas W. Barlow, and State Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, Jr., (D-18) and State Assemblyman, Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-18). A $10,000.00 grant has been received by the Spotswood Board of Education to be utilized to purchase books for the Memorial School Library.
Memorial School serves the 6th, 7th and 8th graders of the school district. As a result of a school expansion a beautiful library facility was constructed. However, the Board of Education was without the funds to purchase new books for the library.
The State grant will allow the Board of Education to immediately begin the process of purchasing books to fill the library.
Councilman Barlow who was elected in November of 2005 to fill an unexpired term of office had made strengthening the relationships with the Board of Education and State and County elected officials as one of the priorities of his campaign for his time in office.
Councilman Barlow’s previous efforts working with Assemblyman Diegnan and Assemblyman Barnes had resulted in a $40,000.00 State grant for the Spotswood Board of Education to help build a playground at G. Austin Schoenly School.
Councilman Barlow and Assemblymen Barnes and Diegnan all believe that giving youngsters every possible advantage can only assist in their future development and produce the leaders of tomorrow.
Contacts:
Thomas W. Barlow, Councilman-Borough of Spotswood (732) 986-6103
Peter J. Barnes, Jr., Assemblyman-18th District (732) 548-1406
Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., Assemblyman-18th District (908) 757-1677
Alan Bartlett, Spotswood Board of Education (732) 251-7915
Dr. John Krewer, Superintendent-Spotswood Public Schools (732) 723-2236
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New Scholarship Fund Recognizes Dr. Anthony Vaz
In recognition of Dr. Anthony Vaz's retirement from the Spotswood School District, the Spotswood Board of Education is pleased to announce the creation of the Tony Vaz Commitment to Education Excellence Scholarship Fund.
The scholarship(s) will be awarded annually beginning in 2006, by Tony personally, to the Spotswood High School Senior(s) who have met the following criteria: (1) 3.5 Grade Point Average (GPA), (2) Involvement in Student Government and/or Community Service, and (3) A declared intention to pursue an education major in a 4-year college or university.
The scholarship is being funded solely through personal donations and no tax dollars will be used. If you would like further information about the Vaz fund, please contact Kathy Losinski at (732) 723-2202.
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Spotswood Receives $40,000 Grant for Schoenly School Playground
The Spotswood Board of Education is pleased to announce that through the hard work of Spotswood Councilman Thomas W. Barlow, and State Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., (D-18), and Peter J. Barnes, Jr., (D-18), a $40,000.00 grant has been received by the Spotswood Board of Education for the Schoenly School Playground.
Schoenly School is a Blue Ribbon School which has been without a playground since a school expansion in 2003. Schoenly School encompasses Developmental Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade. The grant will allow the Board of Education to break ground in early April.
The Schoenly School parents' group Kids Play and the Board of Education have already raised over $10,000 for the playground project through donations, fundraisers, and user fees. With the $40,000 State Grant that has been obtained, the Board of Education has indicated that they expect to break ground in early April. Furthermore, the Parents' Group has scheduled three additional fundraisers over the next three months.
Councilman Barlow, who was elected in November 2005 to fulfill an unexpired term of office, has made obtaining funding for the playground a primary focus of his campaign. Councilman Barlow reached out to Assemblyman Diegnan and Assemblyman Barnes whose assistance and guidance was essential to obtaining the Grant. Both of the Assemblymen believed the young children of the community needed the playground.
Contacts:
Alan Bartlett, Spotswood Board of Education (732) 251-7915
Donna Faulkenberry, Chairperson-Schoenly Playground Committee (732) 251-5470
Thomas W. Barlow, Councilman-Borough of Spotswood (732) 986-6103
Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., Assemblyman-18th District (908) 757-1677
Dr. John Krewer, Superintendent-Spotswood Public Schools (732) 723-2236
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Spotswood School District Announces E-mail Blast
Dear Parents:
We are very intersted in our continuing progress towards communication with you. We have established an "e-mail blast" for informational purposes, not only during emergencies, but for highlighting different events that take place in our school district.
If you wish to be contacted through e-mail, please send a message to emailblast@spotswood.k12.nj.us and indicate the following information:
- Your name
- Your child's name
- The school your child attends
- Your e-mail address
Spotswood Public Schools launches redesigned website
On Wednesday, September 6, Spotswood Public Schools unveiled its new district website. The site provides parents, students, and faculty with a number of resources in a centralized location. Soon, each school in the district will have a redesigned site that will allow teachers to create on-line classrooms, allow parents and students to view and manage on-line calendars, and allow faculty to access forms and other resources.
We invite you to explore our new site, and please feel free to contact the webmaster with questions or concerns.
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Over one-hundred staff members involved in summer workshop series
Many of Spotswood's teachers and administrators have spent the summer taking classes, participating in workshops on curriculum, instruction and staff development, and planning lessons. Many of these efforts are a part of our Long Range Plan.
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Spotswood Public Schools develop Long Range Plan
In the Spring of 2006, members of the community, the Spotswood Board of Education, and members of our staff were involved in developing a Long Range Plan for school improvement. Members of the development team have worked to define system strength and needs. The results of these labors are included in the document and are summarized in a series of priorities, goals, and objectives/activities. The Long Range Plan will serve as a road map for a systematic, coordinated effort between all parties involved.
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Spotswood expands its AP course offerings
With the start of the new school year, Spotswood will begin offering three new AP course offerings: AP Statistics, AP Studio Art, and AP Chemistry. This brings the total number of AP offerings to six. Spotswood also has four more AP courses currently in development. These are AP Psychology, AP Music Theory, AP Art History, and AP U.S. History.
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