Glen Ridge Public
Schools
Mission Statement
In partnership with a close knit community, the Glen Ridge Public
Schools will maximize the potential of each individual student through a
motivational and highly challenging academic program.
This will be accomplished in an atmosphere respectful of
individual and cultural differences so that students can advance their
post-secondary education, contribute socially, and compete productively in an
ever changing, increasingly technological global society.
Affirmative Action Statement
The Glen Ridge Board of Education does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, mental or
physical handicap, socioeconomic status, marital status, age, or gender in any
of its policies or regulations related to employment, educational service,
programs, or activities.
If you have a problem in this regard, make an appointment to see a
guidance counselor or a teacher with whom you feel most comfortable. Further
consultation can be made to the Principal, Assistant Principal, Affirmative
Action Officer, or Title 504 Officer as appropriate. Further appeals may be
made to the Superintendent, Board of Education, and the New Jersey Commissioner
of Education. The Title 504 and Affirmative Action Officer is Mr. Alan
Rosenthal, Director of Student Services (429-8305).
Glen Ridge Middle School Program Curriculum
Philosophy
Early adolescents need intelligent, committed, honest, and sincere
adult guides to examine, understand, and accept the new role and changing
relationships that accompany this period of life.
The Glen Ridge Middle School Program curriculum is designed to
help students develop their intellectual, creative, and physical abilities.
Each course not only emphasizes mastery of basic skills but also challenges
students to think deeply, solve problems, and learn to work effectively with
others. Students are scheduled for required courses in English, Mathematics,
Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, World Languages, Activity Period,
and Cycle.
In carrying out our program of instruction, staff members seek to
have all students experience success at an appropriate level of instruction. We
will provide students with a wide variety of learning, guidance, and
co-curricular experiences designed to motivate, challenge, and support each
child. The students will also be encouraged to develop interpersonal vision and
skills, personal and social responsibility, a sense of self-worth, respect for
other people and for learning, and pride in their efforts and accomplishments.
Glen Ridge Middle
School Program
The aim of the Glen Ridge Middle School Program is to prepare each
student to be a knowledgeable, responsible, and contributing member of the
school, local and world communities. Our goal is to have our students function
with self-esteem, integrity and compassion. To accomplish this, the staff,
Board of Education, and community will create an environment that encourages
Glen Ridge Middle School students to:
·
Develop respect for self, for others and for our
environment;
·
Develop critical and creative thinking, problem
solving and communication skills;
·
Develop a heightened awareness of and
proficiency in using technology as a tool to extend human capacity;
·
Develop the ability to apply what has been
learned and the desire to continue learning; and
·
Develop a sense of inquiry.
In order to accomplish this we must continue to invest in our
students and build a community of excellence.
GLEN RIDGE HIGH
SCHOOL
200
Ridgewood Avenue
Glen
Ridge, New Jersey 07028
(973)
429-8303
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Principal
WELCOME TO THE GLEN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
On behalf of the
entire faculty, staff, and student body, I would like to welcome all the
seventh and eighth grade students and parents to the Glen Ridge Middle School
Program located in the High School.
We are excited about
the opportunity to include your child’s class as part of our school and we look
forward to meeting and working with you during the 2000-2001 school year.
This booklet is
designed to answer basic questions about the seventh and eighth grade program
and includes a copy of the schedule and a map of the building. Additionally, we have provided responses to
the recommendations of the parent / faculty reconfiguration committees and to
the many questions and concerns that were collected as a result of parental,
teacher, and administrative input. We
want to assure you that we will make every effort to assist you in making a
smooth and successful transition to the Glen Ridge Middle School Program.
Please feel free to
call me (429-8303, ext. 2241), e-mail me (Dfishbein@glenridge.org), or visit my
office if you have any questions about the seventh and eighth grade program.
Sincerely yours,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Principal
DF/egh
GUIDANCE SERVICES
The
middle school guidance office is located across the hall from the cafeteria and
next to the main office. Mrs. De Pierro is fully qualified to assist students
with educational and personal problems. In addition to Mrs. De Pierro, the
district provides the services of Mrs. Kobylinski, Student Assistance
Counselor. In working with students, they seek to assist each student to make
the most of his or her capabilities and to make realistic and constructive
decisions. Some reasons why students seek out the guidance counselor are:
·
To establish a
suitable academic program;
·
To analyze and
improve academic achievement;
·
To establish
personal, academic, and vocational goals;
·
To explore ways to
achieve goals;
·
To get help with peer
relationships;
·
To identify
worthwhile activities for personal growth and development;
·
To develop strategies
for adjusting to classes and the middle school program;
·
To inquire about
careers and vocations;
·
To conceptualize and
explore strategies for solving problems;
·
To seek solace in
time of crisis.
In addition to
individual counseling, Mrs. De Pierro
·
meets with small
groups of students to provide information and assistance;
·
helps orient new
students;
·
coordinates the standardized
testing program;
·
oversees the
administration of the 7th Grade CAT-5 and the New Jersey Grade Eight
Proficiency Assessment (GEPA);
·
promotes productive
study skills;
·
provides mediation if
needed; and
·
works with parents
and guardians, teachers, and students to develop cooperative plans for solving
student problems.
·
teaches the Middle
School Developmental Guidance/Study Skills Program
·
coordinates
standardized testing for the Middle School; and
·
coordinates the Kids
Kare Middle School community service program with the assistance of parents.
An appointment can be
made with Mrs. De Pierro directly or by leaving a message with the Guidance
Office Secretary, Mrs. Parisi. The Guidance office phone number is 429-8309 and
Mrs. De Pierro’s extension is 289. Mrs.
De Pierro welcomes drop-in visits and will meet with students as their schedule
permits.
The Glen Ridge High
School Information Center provides students and staff with a
flexible-scheduling format that encourages them to visit the Information Center
to meet a wide variety of needs. Teachers and the Media Specialist work
cooperatively to ensure that classes schedule time in the Information Center in
order to complete projects, to learn research skills, and to select exciting
literature both for class assignments and leisure reading.
Information Center
hours: Monday–Thursday 7:45 am–5:00
pm; Friday 7:45 am–3:30 pm
Students classified
as eligible for special education programs by the Child Study Team may complete
course work through the in-class support setting, the resource center, or in a
regular education classroom. Both the in-class support and the resource center
classrooms are staffed by certified special education teachers, with the
in-class support program having a mainstream teacher as well. The in-class
support program enables students to receive special education support while
maintaining enrollment in a regular class setting. The resource center serves
students who require assistance in an academic subject in a more individualized
atmosphere. Depending upon the students in a given year, program offerings may
vary and may include special sections of other courses as determined by their
individualized educational plans (IEPs).
Other student
services are available to all Middle School students. These include health
services, evaluations by the Child Study Team, speech or language therapy, basic
skills improvement program, special education instruction, meetings with the
student assistance counselor, and home instruction.
SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE TEAMS
The seventh and
eighth grade programs are led by a core team of teachers who direct the
academic experience for both the seventh and eighth grades. The seventh grade team includes Mrs. Anne
Avigdor, Mrs. Claire Yackel, Ms. Cheryl Dario, Mrs. Cecilia Lynch, Mrs. Mary
Wiley, and Ms. Anne Curcio. The eighth
grade team includes Mrs. Barbara Hellstern, Mr. William Hull, Mrs. Caroline
Johnson, Mrs. Cecilia Lynch, Mrs. Mary Wiley, and Mr. Art Kuepper. Our counseling team is represented by Mrs.
Mary Lynn De Pierro, Guidance; Mr. Edward Bobinski, Psychologist; Mrs. Kathy
Roskam, Nurse; and Mrs. Heather Kobylinski, Student Assistance Counselor. All teachers work in conjunction with the
Administration and other subject-area teachers.
In planning the
initial design for the seventh and eighth grade move to the High School, the
team identified the following beliefs related to the seventh and eighth grade
program:
The curriculum for the Middle
School Program ought to be meaningful to students as well as based on
professional experience and applicable research. This approach to curriculum development should be systematic and
involve the seventh and eighth grade teams from inception to implementation.
Opportunities should exist for
students to expand, explore, and develop interests beyond the purview of the
traditional school setting. In
addition, the student should develop self-esteem, a sense of responsibility, an
appreciation for and commitment to learning while becoming actively involved. Students should exhibit respect for each
other, their parents, teachers, and learning.
The teachers should direct
educational issues and be allotted the time to thoroughly analyze, evaluate,
and reflect upon them. Time should be
provided to share, communicate, articulate, and “celebrate” success.
The educational leaders should be
readily available to students and teachers, and in a collaborative manner,
should maintain a level of discipline which is fair, clearly defined, and consistent. In order to insure staff and student
advocacy, decisions should be based on educational concerns rather than
expediency.
Finally, parent partnerships
should be developed between the school and the home to provide a support system
for children, to communicate school policies, to encourage active participation
in school affairs, and to become cooperative partners in the learning
experience.
OPERATIONAL
FRAMEWORK
·
The curriculum
recognizes the developmental stage of the young adolescents related to educational
needs and provides adequate exploratory programs that introduce students to a
variety of topics, skills, and content fields.
This is accomplished through a series of courses and short units that
give the student some sense of control over the kind of learning he or she
undertakes.
·
Beyond consideration
for its content, curriculum organization is given careful attention. It is organized to allow students to connect
the materials and skills learned in one class to those presented in
another. It recognizes the wide divergence in student development at this
level.
·
The teachers adapt
materials for use in the classroom and do not rely only on the textbook as the
organizer for the course of instruction.
·
The teachers utilize
a variety of instructional approaches: lectures to transmit information,
simulations to explain complex systems, discussion to reinforce and clarify concepts,
demonstrations and laboratories to make abstract theories more concrete, and
meaningful practice to encourage the refinement of newly-developed skills.
·
Classroom activities
foster cooperative learning activities rather than individual competitive
tasks. Such cooperation enhances the
amount of time young adolescents remain engaged in the task and improve the
quality of the intellectual activity associated with the task. Group interaction stimulates creative
problem solving and productive thinking.
·
The teams provide
activities that allow students to explore their aptitudes, interests, and
special talents, and to develop an accurate and positive self-concept.
·
A student advisement
program assures each student regular and supportive counsel from a concerned
adult about his/her academic progress and adjustment to school.
·
All students benefit
by exposure to gifted and talented and enrichment activities. The program identifies gifted and talented
students in all areas of learning and provides them with special enrichment and
advanced learning which, while individualized, does not separate them from
their less gifted peers by placing them in homogeneous groups.
·
The district’s
support services are integrated into the seventh and eighth grade programs
including guidance services, library/information services, special education
teachers, and the Child Study Team.
These individuals are accessible and responsive to the needs of our
students.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE
Seventh and eighth
grade students have a new and challenging schedule which includes eight class
periods and lunch, beginning at 8:00 A.M. and ending at 2:46 P.M. There is an extra-help period, everyday from
2:46 P.M. until 3:15 P.M. (See Attachments.)
CURRICULUM
The existing English,
Social Studies, Mathematics, Science and Foreign Language Programs are
continually refined to provide interdisciplinary units and special projects designed
to maximize student potential.
·
Students are graded
using an A-F and numerical scale 100-0.
·
Students in the
Middle School Program take midterms and finals. These assessments can be in
standard test format or an alternative assessment. Each mid-term and each final
counts as a test in the 2nd and 4th marking periods respectively.
·
Students in the
Middle School Program can achieve either honor roll (B’s and A’s, no C’s)
status or high honor roll (All A’s only)
status.
·
Students receive four
report cards (delivered to the students) and four interim reports (mailed
home).
CO-CURRICULAR CLUBS AND
ACTIVITIES
The Middle School
Program is designed to provide opportunities for students to participate in a
variety of activities and programs that promote healthy living and positive interaction
with peers and adults. These opportunities are designed to give students the
chance to exhibit excellence and to gain confidence and personal satisfaction
of accomplishing something. For many students, mastering the core academic
program will provide these opportunities. For others, opportunities to exhibit
excellence may lie outside the core program in the Glen Ridge Athletic Association,
outside youth groups, outside course work, or by “hanging out” with friends.
Students are provided with an opportunity to participate in a number of seventh
and eighth grade activities. Per budget approval, some of the possible activities
include:
·
High School Newspaper
·
Forensics
·
Gifted and Talented
·
Literary Magazine
·
Middle School Play
·
Middle School
Environmental Science Club
·
Word-Masters
·
Middle School Student
Council
·
Middle School Chorus
·
Spanish Club
·
French Club
·
Middle School Concert
Band
·
Middle School Jazz
Band
·
Middle School Mentors
·
Kids Kare Community
Service
·
Weightlifting