CGSD Newsletter
January 2020
Dear CGSD Community,
The brrrrr is back (it's January, afterall), but the CGSD is heating up! In spite of the cold temperatures, students and staff are firing on all cylinders, embroiled in dynamic teaching and learning experiences that are sure to get us through the cold winter months! Please enjoy some of the highlights found here in this month's CGSD Newsletter.
For starters, mark your calendars for March 4th - we're bringing back the CGHS College Fair! It's been several years since we've had post-secondary recruitment personnel in our district, so we thought it was time to revisit this initiative. Mr. Mangili and his team will be pushing out additional information, but for now, hold the date. Check out the list of schools who have already committed to participate:
Bloomsburg University, Caldwell University, County College of Morris, East Stroudsburg University, Georgian Court University, Johnson and Wales University, Lincoln Tech, Monmouth University, Montclair State University, NJIT, Pennsylvania State University, Rider University, Stockton University, SUNY Oswego, University of Alabama, University of Arizona and Verto Education.
In other news, our PreK-12 district staff observed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by taking part in our annual EdCamp. Topics for investigation included 3D printing, Canva, Screencastify, Snap and Read, Instagram, Pear Deck and more! Check out the complete list of topics here: https://tinyurl.com/tvvkhug.
#WeAreCedarGrove
Sincerely,
Michael J. Fetherman
Superintendent
Work towards the completion of our security project continues. The new digital infrastructure is in place to support recent upgrades and newly installed devices, including surveillance cameras, alarm systems, electronic door locks, backup power generator, and phone systems.
That said, the delays we are experiencing have more to do with "getting it right" and "getting what we agreed to" as opposed to simply "getting it done." Just as soon as all the necessary submittals are reviewed and approved by our architect, work will commence on the remaining aspects of the project.
In the meantime, our staff will continue to make safety and security a top priority through ongoing emphasis on vigilance, communication, and participation in routine and frequent security drills alongside our partners within the CGPD, whose members frequent our buildings and campuses.
Please check back with us here for the most recent construction updates. Thanks!
SE students experienced science coming alive in their classrooms thanks to the SE FSA Cultural Arts Program. Students were engaged in hands-on interactive activities that enhanced grade level curricula.
SE preschoolers used hands-on experiences while learning letters of the alphabet. They practiced making the letter C by driving toy cars in paint!
As a culmination to the Kindergarten unit on Weather, SE students were taught the science behind what causes a storm, lightning, thunder, tornados and avalanches! They were able to simulate these experiences in a controlled environment while making observations and predictions.
SE 2nd graders are practicing two-digit subtraction with regrouping. They have been practicing problems on whiteboards with partners and using dice to create their own problems. Students are continuously practicing and building upon this important skill.
SE 4th graders are currently working on division in math. When starting the unit, students are shown concrete examples of division with manipulatives and real life situations. Throughout this unit students learn to estimate quotients, divide, and solve word problems.
SE 3rd grade music students earned their Orange Belt in the Recorder Karate Curriculum! Playing together trains students’ ears to listen to each other and play at the same tempo. Ms. Stroh reinforces good posture and a clear tone with all students. Check out this quality performce of Mary Had a Little Lamb:
NE and SE art students in kindergarten enjoyed using a variety of medium to create bright, artistic snowmmen! They utilized tissue paper, paint, mod podge, pastel chalk and glitter to welcome in the new year!
This is a photo of vintage styled snowmen, designed by grade three students at NE and SE using repurposed cardboard, charcoal and sepia chalks to gain that cool effect.
Fourth grade students learned important lessons in value while designing a snowman composition. Using only white, black and one color, students were expected to design a pleasing snow landscape. Charcoal blending was then used to form shadows. The results were exciting, especially to the students!
5th grade social studies students researched and designed tombs for their Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. Students were required to research their pharaoh, ancient Egyptian history, as well as symbols and hieroglyphics to include in their tombs.
Students in 6th grade STEM are using the Design Process to explore how biomimicry can be used to create effective prototypes. They are going through each step of the process and applying critical thinking skills to create unique designs to solve problems. Although each student is responsible for designing his or her own prototype, students are working collaboratively as they share ideas and help one another make functional modifications to increase efficiency.
MMS 6th graders in Language Arts composed sentences about the holidays/winter using alliteration and illustrations. Their work was displayed in the hallway creating a wonderful winter wonderland!
MMS 7th graders presented a scene description of Lois Lowry's novel The Giver by creating an illustration of a dystopian scene contained within the novel and writing a MLA formatted paragraph to show their findings during cooperative group presentations.
Mr. Potts and Mr. Candia are piloting the E-Sports Club at MMS this year. They have worked to build the computers that will be used by the students during club activities. They are excited to teach our 7th and 8th grade students the fundamentals of gaming competitively!
Both Mrs. Jarvis’ and Mrs. Bulmer’s 8th grade students completed short research papers by presenting findings to their classes. Research papers included MLA format and Works Cited page, while the presentations engaged the audience with a hook, appropriate pacing and volume.
In this photo, students changed the temperature of the water to observe the impact on the rate of diffusion (warm water on the left; room temperature on the right).
Students in this group changed the concentration of IKI in the beaker by reducing the amount of water. They observed some great result, too! Can you tell which beaker contained a greater concentration of IKI? Hint: this beaker would have a faster rate of diffusion.
SAT prep courses at CGHS began on January 14th. Juniors were invited to participate in either a morning or afternoon session that meets twice a week. The SAT Prep program has seen increased enrollment and we've also seen a steady increase in our SAT scores. Just a coincidence? You decide.
CGHS art teacher, Mrs. Bentley, showcases work by Studio Art 1 and Studio Art Honors classes. The upper shelf displays work inspired by the still life artist, Susan Abbot. The lower shelf showcases watercolor pieces and slab houses from her Pottery class. Students collaborated to establish a winter theme for these projects and learned how to visually represent nearby city and other landscapes.
Congratulations to Owen Posnett for his selection as the CGHS Student-of-the-Month by the Music Department! Owen displays leadership through music at CGHS. He is a member of the AP Music Theory class, a senior leader in band, an accompanist for Select Choir and the spring musical pit leader. He is a high achiever and always listens and looks for ways to improve and/or solve musical issues in class. He is a tremendous asset to the entire school and a major player in our music department. We are all proud to have him as a student and friend!
Music Matters is a family-school organization supporting the music program at Cedar Grove High School. We work with the students and teachers to partner with and support community events and organizations in our wonderful town.
Please visit CGHS Music Matters online at: https://www.cgschools.org/cghs-music-matters/
On Facebook: CGHS Music Matters
On Instagram: cghsmusic
On Twitter: @cghs_Music
The mission of the Cedar Grove Education (CGEF) is to enrich and enhance the educational experiences of Cedar Grove students above and beyond the scope of the curriculum and to provide lifelong learning opportunities for the entire community.
See details below for the CGEF Fundraiser - Bingo at CGHS, Dec. 8 at 1PM. Hope to see you there!
Follow us on Facebook: Cedar Grove Education Foundation
CGSD Social Media: GET CONNECTED!
Email: fetherman.michael@cgschools.org
Website: www.cgschools.org
Location: 520 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ, USA
Phone: (973) 239-1550
Facebook: facebook.com/CedarGroveSuperintendent
Twitter: @Cgssuper