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We are pleased to announce our District Reconfiguration webpage is live. The webpage will be updated with information as it becomes available.

Students participated in the Great Kindness Challenge, listening to stories about kindness and making hearts to hang on their kindness tree, promising to be kind. They traced and decorated their feet to show how kind feet walk the halls at Briggs. Everyone enjoyed all the dress-up theme days and joined other classes to create kindness pictures for our Township's senior citizens.

Students created Valentine's cards for first responders. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s office organized this event and the Briggs community was excited to participate.

Mr. Marks, the parent of a child in Mrs. Calandrillo’s preschool class, visited and shared a wealth of information on automobile maintenance, tires, and driving safety.

Mrs. Calandrillo’s preschool class is embarking on a scaled-down study of famous artists. They tried their hand at a concentric shape and color study by abstract theorist Wassily Kandinsky, and the results were very impressive. Other artists on their list are Pointillist Georges Seurat and Impressionist Henri Mattise.

The Briggs community participated in the WizFit Challenge organized by the Harlem Wizards. Along with Stanlick School, students raised $8,782 for the Jefferson Consolidated PTA to support programs and activities in our schools. As a reward for the student’s hard work, they watched an inflatable car race between the Township Police and teaching staff. Mrs. De Brito also got pied in the face by some of the top fundraising students. The top-earning students will enjoy a ride to school in a police car. Classes that met various threshold goals earned fancy lunches, dance parties, or pajama days.

Miss Hartnett's class brought the Super Bowl celebration to Cozy Lake. The students used balancing scales to vote for who they thought would win. The Philadelphia Eagles won the class vote, just like they did in the actual game. The students also created team jerseys and helmets. They tried their best to throw the football through the goalpost to finish the event.

Mrs. Brusberg and Miss Garno’s classes held a kindness activity together for the Great Kindness Challenge. The two classes discussed being kind to others and did a handprint activity. They worked together as a tremendous preschool-kindergarten team, creating happy, helping hands.

Mrs. Mollitor’s students are having fun hitting the road. They have been using road strips to create different types of roads, windy, straight, and curvy, while driving their toy cars along them. In the block area, they used road signs and blocks to build a town around the roads, expanding their play and creativity.

In addition, the class has also been enjoying playing counting games together during choice time. To celebrate 100 days of school, the children added 100 shapes to a banner: “100 Days of Pre-K is Shaping Up To Be Amazing.” They also practiced fine motor skills by crumpling paper squares and decorating the number 100.

It’s been a busy time for Mrs. Povinelli’s Pre-K 4 class. As part of the Wheels Unit, students explored the shapes and sizes of wheels by painting pictures with them. They have also been exploring mathematical concepts through new games and center activities and working diligently to participate cooperatively and constructively in group situations.

Miss Matienzo's class finished the Wheel Unit by creating fun activities such as going on a wheel hunt. The class walked around the school and tallied how many wheels they found, which totaled over 100. The Road Unit started by assembling train tracks to create different roads around the classroom, forming various paths and routes. While building these tracks, the class created "trains" using tracks and cubes, focusing on forming and recognizing patterns. The students also celebrated the Lunar New Year by creating tambourines with paper plates and uncooked pasta.

Mrs. Gesek’s 5th-grade class embraced the act of giving by participating in a global movement called Blankets of Hope. Blankets of Hope is an educational 501(c)3 nonprofit that helps students practice empathy and kindness by donating blankets and handwritten letters to people experiencing homelessness. The students participated in a kindness workshop, which was followed by writing inspiring letters. The blankets were delivered to the Market Street Mission and distributed to those needing love and warmth. Mrs. Gesek’s students are spreading kindness one blanket at a time.

Mrs. Duda's students published a book, When I Grow Up, I Want To Be. The book describes the goals they have set for their lives and the hopes they have for their future. In the book, many wrote about becoming a teacher, a police officer, a builder, and many more exciting careers. They did an outstanding job of capturing their hopes and dreams. This was such an inspiring project.

Students were treated to a show by Science Heroes. They watched in awe as the presenter turned science into an adventure. The students also enjoyed volunteering and conducting experiments with the presenters.

For Great Kindness Week, Ms. Johnson’s class read to Mrs. Carline's class, and then they read their books to Ms. Johnson’s class.

The White Rock community celebrated National School Counseling Week. A huge thank you to Mrs. Marinoni and Ms. Yermal for all they do for the students, staff, and families of White Rock.

White Rock participated in The Great Kindness Challenge. Students were challenged to complete a checklist of kind acts and record how many acts of kindness they finished each day. White Rock had a school goal of 10,000 acts by the end of the week, and we are proud to announce that they exceeded their goal with 12,501 acts of kindness. Every small act of kindness adds up.

The following students were recognized for their attributes and contributions to the Middle School community.

• 6th Grade: Logan Bonin & Hugo Miranda Lopez
• 7th Grade: Kristian Rodriguez & Caden Sannazzaro
• 8th Grade: Nicolette Rossi & Karys Skrek

Jefferson Township Middle School welcomed local senior citizens as part of the Great Kindness Challenge! Senior citizens were invited to spend part of the day playing games and socializing with the students. Throughout the day, students joined them in the Media Center for fun activities and engaging conversations. Jefferson Java was open for business to make the day even more enjoyable. Jefferson Java is a school-run coffee shop with two main goals: to educate students about the fundamentals of running a small business and to promote social inclusion and skill development among students with disabilities. Jefferson Java provided refreshments for all attendees, adding to the event's festive atmosphere.

Sponsored by the Jefferson Township Middle School, the Harlem Wizards faced off against the Middle School staff in a basketball sports matchup. With over 800 attendees and Mayor Wilsusen serving as a referee, the event was a memorable night. The community was actively engaged, participating with enthusiasm and energy, making it an exciting and enjoyable experience for everyone. It was a fantastic evening of fun for all.

Over the past month, Kayla and Iron have demonstrated strong character, leadership, and participation in the school community and staff members have recognized them for their accomplishments.

Nominated by Mrs. Vislosky, Iron has dedicated himself to the research process, demonstrating the care and commitment to learning we hope to see in all students. According to Mrs. Vislosky, "Iron is working so hard on his research paper. He has put forth so much dedication to doing well. He accepts challenges with a smile and is not afraid to ask questions to learn how to improve."

Nominated by Mrs. Neral, Kayla works to build connections with students in the classroom and asks questions that show she is focusing on the learning process. According to Mrs. Neral, "Kayla goes above and beyond in the classroom. Not only does she ask meaningful questions to better her understanding, but she is also a classroom role model. She helps her peers grasp the material. Kayla also makes meaningful personal connections to her classmates. She always asks how extracurricular activities are going for students and makes everyone feel included. She always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude."

Both students will receive custom t-shirts, certificates, and a gift card to a local business in the community.

The Robotics Team recently competed in two competitions, in South Brunswick and Cedar Grove. Although the team suffered some setbacks during the competitions, they advanced from the qualifying round to the elimination round. They joined Sparta’s team in the quarter-finals and lost only by three points.

At the beginning of the season, Mrs. Seifried and Mrs. Moore asked the team to develop two goals, one tangible and the other their dream. The team made their coaches and themselves proud by making it to the quarter-finals. Their last regular-season match took place at Milburn High School on February 23rd.

The Falcon Ambassadors is a new club at Jefferson Township High School. Founded and organized by seniors Joshua Reed and Carlton Tukov, it aims to celebrate all Jefferson students and highlight their cultures and backgrounds. Last month, the JTHS Falcon Ambassadors hosted the first annual Lunar New Year celebration. Happy Year of the Snake!

Seven founding members of the Falcon Ambassadors submitted a proposal for the New Jersey No Hate In the Garden State Youth Competition, which was accepted. After attending three virtual sessions and completing their project, should they win, they will join a select number of groups to present at an upcoming student round table discussion celebrating the law against discrimination’s 80th anniversary. This round table discussion will honor the two winning groups of the No Hate in the Garden State Youth Competition. Students will discuss the project they completed in their community, its impact, and the role of youth activism. Congratulations to Delphina Barnor, Elizabeth Procelmora, Aarya Patel, Ava McFarquhar, Joshua Reed, Carlton Tukov, and Jaden Salus.

Northern New Jersey schools recently gathered at Jefferson Township High School for a leadership summit. The event, which included 250 students representing student councils, class councils, and student government organizations, was also attended by forty advisors. Assemblywoman Aura Dunn delivered the keynote address. The students worked in groups to discuss questions related to planning and organization, inclusive decision-making, and program ideas.

JTHS held its Great Kindness Challenge Breakfast for Jefferson Township first responders. In attendance were members from the Jefferson Police Department and both Township rescue and fire companies. Also attending were the students whose homeroom class boasted a 100% donation participation. In addition to breakfast, each first responder squad received a basket full of non-perishable snacks that students and staff donated during the week of The Great Kindness Challenge. Thank you to our first responders for everything you do for our community.