November 27, 2013

Dear Families,

In reflecting on the first three months of school, there is certainly a lot to be thankful for. It is not out of the norm for me to share accolades for our students and praise for their accomplishments, as they are a fine and deserving group of children and teenagers. Thanking you for your dedication to our schools and the support you provide is also something that is easy to be thankful for in this community. I also would be remiss if I did not find the time in this note to thank the Board of Education for the countless hours they commit to the welfare of our students and education system in whole.

However, for this note of thanks, I am going to focus on the Millstone Staff. Giving thanks and recognition to our faculty is also a very easy thing to do. They are dedicated professionals who spend their days educating our youth, communicating with our families and often going far above the norm in caring for children in so many areas and ways.

I know our staff does not show it to the public and especially not to the students, but in the State of New Jersey there have been many changes to how we operate and many new mandates that have impacted the way in which our staff operate. When the state itself calls this year, “The Perfect Storm” that certainly says a lot. That storm consists of three giant undertakings, each with their own set of mandates and significant changes from what we teach, how students will be measured as well as how teacher effectiveness will be measured. All huge changes and all happening at the same time alas, “The Perfect Storm.” Like in any field, such significant change takes a toll on the people within the organization. Millstone is no exception to this and this year has already had its share of challenges. Yet, you probably do not know that and I am sure your children do not. Why? Because our folks are pros! They may be balancing 7 balls at a time and not sure when and where the next ball will be coming from, but they balance them and often do it without being told how impressive their juggling has become.

So, I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to them for thriving in a time when many may sink. The balls have remained in the air and they each do it with a smile, enthusiasm and a love for what they do each day. That love has been getting challenged in our state, but I give credit and thanks to our staff for stepping up each morning and making this a special place for our students.

My last statement is more of a request. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I ask that you join me in expressing thanks to the adults who work with your children. Consider this a reminder of how it feels when your employer thanks you, and then identify that specific thing that a staff member has done to make this year special for your son or daughter. In public schools, you the parents, have the ability to impact a teacher just as much as an employer. Take this opportunity and let the staff know how they have made a difference for your child. Educators are a special breed of people; caring, loving, giving and empathetic to a child’s needs. They chose to be educators; they chose to serve the youth of the future. They have earned my respect and they have certainly earned my appreciation. I hope they have earned yours as well!

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy a peaceful and relaxing time with family and friends,

Scott
Millstone Township School District
5 Dawson Court,
Millstone Township, NJ 08535

See the important message below from Superintendent Dr Fitzpatrick

Dear Teachers, Students, and Parents,

There will be no school in both the UFRSD and Millstone today Tuesday, Dec. 10. We have been advised by our Weather Works Advisory Service that the snow storm predictions for the Allentown area indicate that it will begin to snow between 7:00 am and 9:00am resulting in at least 3 to 6 inches of heavy snow. The snow will continue during the day making arrival and dismissal dangerous for buses, car travel and walkers. Have a good day!

Dick Fitzpatrick

REVISED SNOW FALL AMOUNTS – 10-14 inches!

Upper Freehold Regional School District (UFRSD):

Dear Parents and Teachers,

The Meteorologists at Weatherworks tell us that we can expect light flurries through the morning.

They expect the snow to have a more regular flow beginning after 2:00PM. We will have an Early Dismissal for all students PreK-12 tomorrow, Jan. 21. The AHS students will be dismissed at 11:35 / the SBMS will be dismissed at 12:32 and the NES K Comp – Gr. 4 will dismiss at 1:20. Half day AM K will dismiss at 10:45 and PM K will be in session from 11:30 until 1:20.

Thank you for your cooperation. Dr. Fitzpatrick

Millstone Township School District:

Dear Millstone Families,

Another winter day and another potential storm coming our way.  Multiple weather reports are all telling the same story; a significant weather event that is scheduled to hit our area around noon and increasingly intensify throughout the remainder of the day and into the early morning.

This information has caused us to consider the safety of having a regular dismissal tomorrow.  We have also considered the huge challenge it would be for our parents if we had to close schools early in an emergency situation tomorrow morning. With these considerations and after consulting with The Office of Emergency Management, both The Allentown High School and the Millstone Township Schools want to give our families every opportunity to prepare, which is why we are informing you now that we will have an early closing tomorrow, January 21st. Please note that this day will count and will not need to be made up at a later date.

The dismissal times for tomorrow will be as follows:

The Middle School will dismiss at 12:27
The Elementary School will dismiss at 1:09
The Primary School will dismiss at 1:19

AM Kindergarten will dismiss at 11:11
AM Preschool will dismiss at 10:56

Both PM Kindergarten and PM Preschool are cancelled

ALL AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELLED

ALL EVENING FACILITIES PROGRAMS ARE CANCELLED

We did not make this decision lightly and apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes our families.  However, safety must remain at the forefront of our decisions and 25 buses carrying 1,500 children through the streets in a potential blizzard while having staff driving long distances to get home, is not something we wish to see. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Scott Feder
Superintendent of Schools

PLUMSTED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Check the each school district’s webpage for further information:

Millstone Township School District:   www.millstone.k12.nj.us

Roosevelt School District:     www.rps1.org

New Egypt Plumsted School District:    plumsted.schoolwires.net/

Upper Freehold Regional School District:    www.ufrsd.net

Message from Superintendent Scott Feder regarding the Millstone Township School Calendar:

January 23, 2014

Dear Millstone Families,

Please be advised that since a third snow day was used Wednesday, January 22, 2014, school will now be in session on Friday, June 20, 2014. (The third of our three built-in snow days.)

Sincerely,

Scott Feder

Superintendent of Schools

Upper Freehold Regional School District:

Dear Teachers, Parents and Students,

Weatherworks, our weather service informed me at 10:00 PM this evening that we can expect freezing rain turning into snow around 5:00 AM tomorrow. This will change to a wet and heavy snow throughout the day with 4-9 inches ending around 4:00 PM. I am canceling school and all activities for all schools and programs. Have a good day tomorrow and we look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday.

Dr. Fitzpatrick

_______________________

Plumsted Schools:

For Monday, February 3rd, 2014 all Plumsted Schools are CLOSED. As a result, Tuesday February 4th will be the rescheduled early dismissal day.

_______________________

Millstone Township Schools:

Dear Millstone Families,

Dear Families,

I wanted to give you a quick update on today’s events related to the schools.  At approximately 8:00 AM sporadic power outages at both the ES and PS were occurring.  The schools never lost full power, but at times enough that prompted us to consider options for the day.  After careful consideration, it was decided that all schools could open.  At approximately 10:00 AM all power returned to the schools and things looked to be normal.  At approximately 10:10 a power surge of some sort reduced power at both buildings up until around 2:45, when powered was again fully restored.

I share this with you, as for a good part of the day we did not have full power in the ES and PS.  The MS was fine for the entire school day.  The power loss at the ES and PS did cause some lighting to be down, but all classes were always in well lit rooms and in almost all cases, their normal spaces were used.  Only a rare occasion was a room needed to be relocated due to lighting or heat.  The good news is that heat, light, water and all other needs were fine throughout the day and the staff at both buildings maintained a positive learning experience for the kids.

Kudos to our staff for ensuring that positive education happened today in Millstone.  From our drivers to our custodians, to our instructional staff and administration, thank you to everyone who made this a safe and successful day of school!

Sincerely,

Scott Feder

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Teachers and Parents,

No matter where I go or who I talk to, everyone is talking about the weather and snow days. The question on everyone’s mind is “what are we going to do about making up days if we have more snow?” As of today we have used all four days we had available for school closings due to weather, and it is only the first week of February. The days off have made the continuity of instruction very difficult. My goal is to stabilize instruction, get our kids back into a groove, and add at least one an extra “snow day” to the calendar for an additional snow day that we may need.

The Board has agreed that we will come to school on Presidents Day Feb. 17th. Millstone will also be in school that day along with several other communities facing the very same issue. We will allow any student with a family commitment for Presidents’ Day weekend an excused absence so that no family has to take a loss on room deposits and travel fees. If we have an extra day after the snow season is over we will give the day back in the spring.

I ask that you mark your calendars noting that classes at all schools in Upper Freehold and Millstone will be in session for a full day on Monday, February 17. Once again, if you have a commitment on that day we will record the day as an excused absence and simply ask you to send in a note into school with this information.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding and please free to call me at 609.259-7292 ext. 3201 with any questions.

Dr. Fitzpatrick

Please see the messages below regarding school closures for Thursday, February 13th.

Upper Freehold Regional School District

Dear Parents,

Weatherworks anticipates a snow storm will arrive late this evening and continue through the day Thursday until the late evening hours. School will be cancelled on Thursday, Feb.13th for all students PreK-12. We hope to be able to open school on the scheduled half day on Friday, Feb. 14th. The AHS Back-to-School Night scheduled for Thursday night has been rescheduled to Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6:00pm. The Middle School performance of “Li’l Abner” scheduled for Thur. evening has also been rescheduled and tickets will be honored at a special Saturday 1:00pm performance. A limited number of seats are available for the Saturday evening performance. Please call the MS on Friday to exchange your ticket for that performance. Have a safe Thursday and we hope to see our kids back in school for the Friday half-day.

Dr. Fitzpatrick

Millstone Township School District

Good Evening Millstone Families,

Due to the weather forecast for tonight and well into tomorrow, the Millstone Township Schools and The Allentown High School will be closed on Thursday, February 13th.  With another storm promising significant snowfall as well as ice and sleet, there really was not too much to consider.

The loss of this day prompts that we now open the schools on Monday, April 21st.  Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Now we will watch for Friday.  Fingers crossed – and something tells me that the kids have their fingers crossed as well, but for different reasons!

Be well and be safe!

This is Scott Feder with another important weather announcement

Plumsted New Egypt Schools

Superintendent Scott Feder announced the revised Millstone Township School District calendar.

MillstoneTownship School District

5 Dawson Court,

Millstone Township, NJ  08535

February 19, 2014

Dear Millstone Families,

Please be advised that since a fifth and sixth snow day were used Thursday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 18, school will now be in session on Monday, April, 21 and Monday, June 23.

Attached please find the revised 2013-2014  School  Calendar   

Listed below are the changes:

Snow Day 5     April 21, 2014    School in-session

Snow Day 6     June 23, 2014    School in-session

Snow Day 7     June 24, 2014    Additional snow day if necessary

June 18 will be a full day.

June 19, 20, and 23 will be ½ days.

Sincerely,

Scott Feder, Superintendent of Schools

This message is from Millstone Township Superintendent Scott Feder:

On  Monday,  February  24,  2014,  The  Millstone  Board  of Education will be holding one of its monthly Board Meetings

This meeting will be held in the Middle School Library and the public portion of the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM.

THE AGENDA WILL SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

a.  Oath of Office will be administered to Mr. Alan Gallagher, newly appointed board member

b.  Presentations

•    Elementary /  School
•    Budget
•    School Performance Reports
•    Board Governance

c.  General Board Business

Members of the community at large are encouraged to attend Board Meetings as a way to learn about the important happenings in the school district.  Members are also invited to speak on behalf of any agenda items or other topics they would like for the Board of Education to hear.

For those unable to attend, the agenda for each meeting is posted on our website and we also videotape each meeting. These items can be found on our website at the following link:

http://www.millstone.k12.nj.us/web/site_flash/Board%20Office/boe_meetings.html

If you ever have any questions and would like a response sooner than waiting for a  Board  of  Education  Meeting,  please  feel  free  to  reach  out  to  me  at

732-786-0950 ext 51010 or email me at sfeder@millstone.k12.nj.us

Thank you,

Scott Feder

Superintendent of Schools

The Millstone Township PTSA and PTO are sponsoring a Scholarship Program 

The Millstone Township PTSA and PTO, two non-profit groups of parents, students, educators and community members who work together to support the schools and offer educational opportunities for our students, will once again be sponsoring a scholarship program.  The PTSA and PTO will be providing a $1,000 scholarship each.  The scholarship award will go to deserving high school senior(s) who reside in Millstone Township and have graduated from Millstone Township Middle School. 

The scholarships are based on personal interviews, community service and an essay on the topic “What challenges I have experienced in my life and how I have overcome them?”

Any high school senior who resides in Millstone, has graduated from Millstone Township Middle School and is enrolling in a two-year or four-year educational program (including community college, nursing, vocational or business program) is eligible to apply.

Applications are available on the Millstone Township School District website at www.millstone.k12.nj.us under the middle school tab, as well as on the PTSA website at www.mtmsptsa.com. Click on the scholarship link to access it there.

Applications should be completed and mailed to Millstone Township PTSA Scholarship, 5 Dawson Court, Millstone Township, New Jersey 08535, by April 1, 2014. Qualifying applicants will be notified of an interview date and time.

Awards will be announced at the Millstone Township Middle School Eighth Grade Graduation ceremonies on June 19, 2014.

Photo Source: http://www.fau.edu/finaid/images/scholarships-sign.jpg

Millstone Township Middle School presented Oliver! a musical with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart.  The script was based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.  The production was directed by resident Lisamarie Cappuzzo, with the help of Assistant Directors Vince D’Aniello and Jackie Tesoriero (both teachers at the Middle School), and Musical Director Michael Gilch. 

Lisamarie Cappuzzo is a local Millstone resident with over 20 years of experience directing students from preschool through high school.  She has been directing productions since graduating from The Catholic University of America, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Education in 1992.  She has formally taught and directed theatre at St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel and Sampson G. Smith Intermediate School in Franklin Twp.  In the last 5 years, she has directed 10 productions for grades 1-8.  This will be her 3^rd production at the Middle School.   (Previous Middle School productions include Guys and Dolls and Bye Bye Birdie.)  Lisamarie is excited to be working with middle school students again, and is so thankful for the encouragement, support and enthusiasm she has received from parents, students, and staff.

Lisamarie was assisted by Vincent D’Aniello.  Vince teaches Spanish at the Middle School, and has assisted with the school’s productions for the last 5 years.  This year Jackie Tesoriero, a part-time Language Arts teacher at the Middle School, joined the directing team.  With the help of two assistants, it was possible to have multiple scenes being rehearsed at one time, and allows the actors to experience more one-on-one coaching.  Rehearsals were very busy – we didn’t waste a second!  We hope that this will ultimately enable our actors to develop their roles to their fullest potential.  But this was not just about one isolated production.  Besides continuing to develop their talent, we were also working to develop their self-confidence, their communication skills, and the way they collaborate with others – all of which are invaluable life skills.

The musical numbers were choreographed by Allentown High School students Rachel Lew (senior) and Rachel Masci (junior).  “We were so fortunate that these young ladies share their time and talent with us!  Choreographing dances for a group this size is a challenge, even for seasoned choreographers.  They handled the task with remarkable professionalism, creativity and patience!” 

The cast was made up of 75 middle school students, including 8^th grader Davis Bush (playing the title role), Victoria Merse (grade 8) as Nancy, Hunter Stahley (grade 8) as Fagin, Mike Ragosa (grade 6) as The Artful Dodger, Obi Chikezie (grade 7) as the evil Bill Sykes, Michael Deitz (grade 8) as Mr. Bumble, and Grace Ragosa (grade 8) as Widow Corney.  Other featured performers include Gianna Pallante (grade 7) as Bet, Zach Elwell (grade 8) as Mr. Sowerbery, Gillian Finnegan (grade 8) as Mrs. Sowerberry, Daniel Shuttner (grade 8) as Noah, and Shannon Donnelly (grade 8) as Charlotte.  I wish I could name all 75 actors!   As far as I am concerned, each and every one of them is an integral part of this production.  Their collective energy, talent, and enthusiasm was key to making this Dickens classic come to life!

The scenery was designed, built and painted by Jamie Allaire of Jackson Twp and Art Teacher Frank Iglesias, with the assistance of the Middle School Art Club.  The design team worked to create a set that is versatile, allowing creative staging, and visually established the action within the context of the streets of London in the mid-1800’s.

We were also fortunate to have such a wonderful group of parents who volunteered their help in various ways, from props and costumes to concessions, ticket sales and even organizing the cast party!  We couldn’t have achieved such a professional quality without all of their time and talent.

This play was selected primarily because of its music, which often juxtaposes dark, sinister lyrics with upbeat, bouncy melodies.  The score includes many Broadway favorites, including “I’d Do Anything,” “Food, Glorious Food,”  “Where Is Love,” and “Consider Yourself.”  These are the kinds of songs the audience will definitely leave the theater humming!

Oliver! Is a story of loyalty vs. betrayal, villainy vs. friendship, despair vs. hope.  It is set in London around 1850, a time of extreme poverty, and follows the journey of Oliver Twist, an orphan in a dreary workhouse.  Things go from bad to worse for Oliver, when he is sold to a funeral director for the purpose of being a coffin follower for children. He manages to run away and is taken in by the quirky and somewhat self-promoting Fagin and his gang of pickpockets.  Oliver feels at home amongst this motley crew of thieves, and they waste no time teaching him the ropes.  However, on his first outing, Oliver is arrested for picking the pocket of the wealthy Mr. Brownlow.  The “twist” in the tale is that the kind-hearted Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver in and cares for him.  Of course, the story doesn’t end there!  The murderous Bill Sykes vows to bring Oliver back before he reveals information that could not only implicate Fagin and the boys, but Sykes as well.  And not even the loyal and doting Nancy can get in his way.  Does Oliver’s tale have a happy ending?  We invite you to come see our production to find out!

Oliver! was performed on Friday and Saturday, March 7 & 8.

Oliver! was produced with permission by Tams Witmark Music Library, Inc.  560 Lexington Ave, New York, NY  10022.

MillstoneTownship School District

5 Dawson Court,

Millstone Township, NJ  08535

April 10, 2014

Dear Families,

It’s been a long cold lonely winter…it feels like years since it’s been clear.…BUT…. here comes the sun (and it better be here to stay!)

As we approach spring break, we look forward to the sun shining, the warm weather and everyone getting outside to play and enjoying time with their families. To that end, we are giving everyone a jump start on their Memorial Day Holiday celebrations.

On Friday, May 23rd, we had originally been scheduled for a full day of school.  But after a winter like this and the challenges it has brought, we wanted to give our staff and families the ability to get started just a little bit quicker by making  Friday, May 23rd a shortened day.  Our staff and students have worked through the year’s challenges including fragmented weeks due to the days off, as well as the ever changing face of education.  What better way to say thank you to our staff and to all of you for enduring this “crazy winter” than providing you with a few extra hours to enjoy your time with family and friends and maybe beat the Friday night traffic to wherever you may be travelling.

So please enjoy your spring break next week and enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend a few hours sooner in May.

Sincerely, Scott

As an annual celebration of Arbor Day, representatives of Millstone Township visit the schools and provide seedlings to students in the Primary, Elementary and Middle Schools.

Mayor Kinsey and Social Worker Jason Suleski speak to the students about the seedlings

Mayor Bob Kinsey, Committeeman Fiore Masci, Township Administrator Maria Dellasala and Township employee Irv Siet attended the event and assisted in distributing over 700 seedlings to all of the students.

All of the seedlings were provided by the New Jersey State Forestry located in Jackson.

Committeeman Masci said, “This year each student was given a blue spruce seedling to plant.  Many of the students shared stories of how previous seedlings have grown in to trees three feet tall in just a few seasons.  All of the students and teachers were engaging in discussion about the care and planting instruction that was given with each seedling.”