WEST ESSEX BOARD OF EDUCATION West Essex News   Upcoming Events: Feb. 24: SEPAC Wkshp on PARCC  Feb. 25: MS Jump Rope for Heart  Feb. 26: PARCC Presentation  Feb. 26-28: WE Masaquers’ “Legally Blonde”  March 1: Tricky Tray  March 2: BOE Mtg  March 2-6: PARCC Testing  March 3-5: HSPA  March 5: Early Dismissal Students/ Staff Development West Essex Recognized by NJSIAA S E S E P T . F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 7 , 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 5 West Essex Athletic Director Damion Macioci has announced that West Essex Regional High School received the NJSIAA Sportsmanship Award for 2013-2014! Representatives from the Super Essex Conference (SEC) made this recommendation to the NJSIAA based on feedback from the member schools of the SEC, he said. “This award is a direct reflection of our coaches, always instilling principles of good sportsmanship in our players," Macioci said. "Their leadership and willingness to set a positive example as coaches, contributed to this great accomplishment." The new banner will be proudly displayed in the main gymnasium. Coach Cosse Inducted into Hall of Fame West Essex Athletic Director Damion Macioci has announced that Lacrosse Coach Jill Cosse has been inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse 2014 Hall of Fame. Coach Cosse was inducted at the 18th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 7. Cosse has worked as the West Essex Head Lacrosse and Field Hockey coach since 1997 and has a combined record of 617-71-14. MS Seventh Graders Honor Heroes West Essex Middle School seventh graders recognized their heroes at the annual Middle School Hero Day Assembly on February 12. Health and Physical Education teacher Michele Riker organized the annual Hero Day as part of the seventh grade health unit where students learn about character education and how certain character traits can play a major role in the decisions we make. These character traits are: respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, kindness, trust, tolerance and citizenship, she said. "The goal is for students to ultimately learn to apply these traits into their daily lives to prepare for their future as model citizens." Ms. Riker said she invited her Parsippany kindergarten teacher Veronica Lacz to speak to the students because she wanted them to understand "about how one person can change the lives of many others....about how one person's selfless actions can make a world of difference." After Mrs. Lacz’s son was killed, she donated his organs to others.(Pictured above. Mr. Macioci with Coach Cosse, middle, Chief Deuer and son Ryan, and right, Ms. Riker, Mrs. Lucz and Ms. Sciacchitano.) FEBRUARY PAGE WEST The ESSEX NEWS HS photo club members learned how to take headshots when WEHS Teacher Vincent Carchietta, who is also a photographer, came for a visit recently. The visit was arranged by club advisor Amanda Procaccino. (Mr. Carchietta instructs club members above.) WEMS Principal Vee Popat and Assistant Principal Lisa Tamburri have announced the four students of the month for February, 2015. The seventh grade students of the month, pictured right with Mr. Popat, are Samuel Friedman and Amanda Sierra. The eighth grade students of the month, pictured below right with Mr. Popat, are Peter Petronczak and Marisa Lotito. Every Month, the Middle School selects four students to be recognized as Students of the Month. Two students are recognized from each grade from alternating academic teams. Students are selected based on a review of the “whole” student, not just the student with the best grades. Character traits such as honesty, perseverance, responsibility, integrity and leadership as well as a student’s academic qualities will be considered in selecting the students to be honored. Students will also receive certificates, gift cards to the student store and magnets. News Briefs Parents are invited to the following upcoming presentations on PARCC testing: a Special Education Workshop on PARCC Testing presented by Tania Symmons, Director of Special Services: February 24 at 7 p.m. in the HS Library; "Preparing for the Demands of PARCC" by Ryan Gupta, Director of Curriculum & Instruction: February 26 at 9 a.m. in MS Room 110. (This is an updated presentation from January 14.) Information on PARCC including many helpful resources can be found on our website. Spring Sports registration is now open . Please click on this link to register. Please remember that athletic registration is a twopart process. Please click on the link and also submit the appropriate medical forms. For information, please contact our athletic office at (973) 228-1200 ext. 262. Information on the Freshman Semi-Formal is available on the HS website. WEST ESSEX 2015 MS Students of the Month 2 The West Essex HS Girls’ Basketball Team hosted a “Special Day for Special Needs” and raised more than $3000 for the P.G. Chambers School for children with disabilities. The event took place Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Knights game vs. Mt. Olive. Donations were accepted in lieu of admission. (Player Steph Lee with sister Sammi who passed away in 2013. She was a student at the school and had a rare form of epilepsy.) For info, click here. On- 24, NEWS Parental and Community Engagement We believe that parental and community engagement is critical to the success of our students, as our cooperative partnership is what makes this school system strong and successful. Our website is a tremendous resource, but there are more ways for parents to stay in the know. In keeping pace with the social media trends of the 21st century, we are pleased to offer the following addition to our methods of keeping you in the loop: Facebook Twitter: District Twitter: Middle School Twitter: High School Twitter: WEAthletics The WEHS Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Team will host a 5K Charity Fundraiser March 7 to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The event will take place at the Briarcliff School in Mountain Lakes. For info or if you would like to participate and support the Lady Knights, visit www.njlacrosse.org. The West Essex Regional Board of Education will meet on Monday, March 2 at 6 p.m. in the MS Cafeteria/ Classroom. There is still time to join the PTO. Dues are $35 per family. For a form, click here. Staff dues are $5. Click here for a form. The next PTO meeting is scheduled for March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the HS. The West Essex PTO is teaming up with Catalyst to offer a Catalyst SAT Bootcamp Saturday and Sunday March 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at West Essex High School. The cost is $175 per student. For information and enrollment, please visit www.CatalystPrep.com. The deadline to enroll is March 4. AP Exam registration and forms are now available on the high school website. The West Essex Regional Board of Education has approved the 2015-16 School District Calendar. To view the calendar, please click here. Masquers to Perform “Legally Blonde” AT WEHS Feb. 26-28 Tickets for the West Essex High School Masquers’ production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” are now available at $10 general admission; $8 students and seniors. The musical will be performed February 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. and February 28 at 1 p.m. with a special half-price matinee. For tickets, click here. Sophomore Tricky Tray A Samsung Flat Screen LED TV, a Coach purse and a Vineyard Vines basket are just some of wonderful prizes featured at the Class of 2017 PAGE3 Tricky Tray on Sunday, March 1 at WEMS. Doors open at noon with the event beginning at 2 p.m. Come and enjoy fun, food, friends, and lots of great prizes. For info, read this flyer. Author Day Author and Illustrator George O'Conner visited West Essex Middle School on February 9 as part of a special Author Day program. First O'Connor of Brooklyn visited the media center and spoke to individual students about his books including the writing and illustration process. Students were able to ask different questions and many asked about The New York Times best-selling series "The Chromebooks are Coming to WE! MS Students Qualify for History Bowl Five West Essex Middle School eighth grade students have qualified for the New York Regional competition of the National History Bowl. These students took online exams and received very high scores which make them eligible to move to the next round to compete against the other top scorers in the New York Region on April 15. The students will compete to qualify for the National History Bee competition. The students are: Theodore "Teddy" Press, Edward Ding, Brian Blake, Leigha Capra and Dylan Lepre. (They are pictured with social studies teachers Louis Ferarra, Tricia McCarthy and Allison Pinadella.) The WERSD will purchase Chromebooks for every student in grades 7-12 for the 2015-16 school year. The decision to purchase the Chromebooks is part of a “one-to-one initiative” which will help prepare students for college and beyond and was recently approved by the West Essex Regional Board of Education. “This initiative allows teachers and students to focus less on technology and more on teaching, learning, and collaborating,” said Technology Supervisor Charles Young. “It is my goal that this undertaking will create an exciting and dynamic learning environment unlike anything before at West Essex.” After researching, analyzing and testing numerous devices, Chromebooks were selected because they are fast, secure and easy to use and will help the district achieve both its technological and educational goals, Young said.