LPS Spotlight
News for the Livingston Public Schools Community
LPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2025 for Presidents Day. All schools will be closed on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 for Presidents Day Weekend EXCEPT Heritage Middle School. HMS will have a partial day (12:45 PM dismissal) to make up for the November 11, 2024 closure caused by a power outage.
Congratulations to Heritage Middle School 7th grader Nina Bhatt, who won the prestigious Stanford University PF debate championship on February 10, 2025. Her topic was, "Resolved: The United States should accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court."
Bhatt has been dominating the national debate circuit with multiple victories. In addition to being named the champion at the UCLA Public Forum Debate Invitational, Nina placed first at the USA Forensics Olympiad Classics, won the Marist Ivy Street debates, and reached the Octa Finals at the Georgetown University Public Forum Debates. In December, she won, Tournament of champions - TOC Digital Speech and Debate Series, one of the toughest competitions around. The topic was, " Resolved: The United States should substantially reduce its military support for Taiwan."
Nina has been debating nationally under the National Speech and Debate circuit (NSDA) for a year and is already one of the top speakers on the national circuit!
The students of Heritage Middle School's Jewish American Heritage Club, advised by Ms. Shyella Mayk, recently made yellow paper daffodils symbolic of the yellow star that Jewish people were forced to wear in Nazi Germany during the time of the Holocaust. The flowers are displayed on the Daffodil Holocaust Memorial in Heritage Middle School in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. READ MORE ABOUT THIS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES HERE ...
On October 30, members of the LHS AAPI Youth Alliance, Chinese Honor Society, and Filipino Club watched the matinee performance of Yellow Face on Broadway, starring Daniel Dae Kim. One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to meet cast member, Francis Jue, after the show. Ms. Xin Cai (LHS Chinese Language Teacher), Dr. Dakashna Lang (HMS ELA Teacher), and Dr. Michael Suñga (LHS English Teacher) accompanied the students on this trip, which also included lunch at Jollibee.
On November 14 and January 14, Dr. Michael Suñga, LHS English teacher and Teach Asian American Stories Fellow, presented a district-wide professional development workshop, "Understanding Our Asian American Students through the Lens of AAPI History and Contributions." Participants examined the recent AAPI mandate and the importance of Asian American Studies and discussed immigration, the model minority myth, and microaggressions. Educators from all content areas, disciplines, and grade levels attended and left with resources to reflect on the experiences of Asian American students.
The MPE Chess Club’s fifth grade team recently won second place in fifth grade level at the NJ State Chess Federation Championship!
The team includes Agam Bhardwaj, Anushka Padte and Lily Xing. Congratulations to all!
SUPPORTING TEENS IN REDUCING THEIR STRESS AND OURS
Matt Bellace will be presenting “Supporting Teens In Reducing Their Stress and Ours” virtually on Wednesday, March 12, at 7PM. Dr. Bellace has a PhD in clinical neuropsychology, is the author of the book, “A Better High,” co-author of the National Geographic Kids Series, “This or That,” and was a regular on truTV’s, “World’s Dumbest.”
Recent research suggests that well-adjusted teenagers have stronger non-cognitive skills, such as self-control, grit and resilience. This program will focus on how parents can help foster those skills in a supportive environment without arguing. Specifically, it will present techniques such as mindfulness meditation, effective communication and using natural highs as healthy coping mechanisms against stress, alcohol and other drug use and bullying behavior. The goal is to help improve the quality of life for both parents and their teens. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND MEETING LINK.
Livingston Public Schools is proud to share that our P.R.I.D.E. (Pre-School Readiness Individual Developmental Education) Program is a full-day program with spots available for non-disabled preschool students. In this program, students will be provided with a language-rich, research-based curriculum. They will spend their days with New Jersey certified teachers, and with their disabled and non-disabled peers, to achieve the expectations of the school district’s well-designed curriculum based on New Jersey's Student Learning Standards for preschool. The students gather daily to develop social language, work as partners and in groups, and explore, play, create, share, and learn. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund (CICRF) is a financial assistance program for New Jersey Families whose children have an illness or condition otherwise uncovered by insurance, State or Federal programs, or other sources, such as fundraising. The Fund is intended to assist in preserving a family's ability to cope with the responsibilities which accompany a child's significant health problems.
Livingston Public Schools strives to respond to concerns and/or questions as quickly and effectively as possible. In a school system, as in any organization, the “chain of command” refers to communication levels of authority in the school district. The philosophy behind the chart in the link below is to refer community members to those people in the organization who can best solve any concerns or questions that may arise, and then direct them to the appropriate people if issues are not able to be effectively addressed at the first level.
STAY CONNECTED
LPS is committed to building strong relationships with students, families, and the community, and as such, we strive to provide accurate and timely information to our stakeholders.
988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE
The FCC recently approved a new 3-digit dialing code, 988, for mental health crisis and suicide prevention.
The 988 line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for calls, texts, and chat. Learn more about the new nationwide 3-digit dialing code for crisis and suicide prevention.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
LPS students, staff members, and their families can use Care Solace to quickly find verified mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment options matched to their needs, regardless of circumstances. Care Solace’s team is available 24/7/365 and can support you in any language. This is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL service provided by LPS. Learn more about Care Solace.
Interested and qualified applicants are invited to apply via our online application. Our administrative staff will be reviewing resumes and contacting those individuals who they feel will best meet the needs of the positions we have available at this time. Some screening will be conducted over the phone, and some interviews will be in person and others will take place online using online platforms.
Since we have many positions available, we are not able to return phone calls regarding open positions or status of applications.
LHS SEEKS SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
DEADLINE: February 14, 2025
Livingston High School sponsors an annual scholarship program for graduating seniors. Each spring, LHS hosts an event to present these scholarships and recognize the accomplishments of deserving high school seniors.
LHS is currently seeking local sponsors, including businesses, organizations and families, who wish to offer scholarships this school year.
"For many years, we have formed partnerships with various local organizations and families, who are willing to provide students with monetary awards to assist in the funding of their post-secondary plans. These generous awards are greatly appreciated by students and parents and your generosity will substantially and positively impact the lives of our students," said Sinéad Crews, Director of School Counseling for Livingston Public Schools
Those who are interested in partnering to offer a scholarship through the LHS program, should reach out to Sinéad Crews by early February 14, 2025, at 973-535-8000 ext 8137 or SCrews@livingston.org.
LISTEN TO CHILDREN PROGRAM
LPS partners with Jewish Family Services of MetroWest for the Listen to Children Program. This is a great program where students are able to have additional time connecting and talking with a trusted and caring adult, during the school day, at their school.
Parents are encouraged to contact your child's School Counselor if you are interested in your child participating in the Listen to Children program or to learn more information.
LIVINGSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Livingston Public Library has something for everyone! Learn more about the library HERE.
WATCH LTV... IT'S ALL ABOUT LIVINGSTON!
LTV, Livingston, NJ's community access television channel, can be found on cable television via Comcast (Channel 34) and Verizon (Channels 26 and 28). Additionally, LTV can now be found online at www.LivingstonTV.org, which provides a live stream of the cable channel plus numerous shows available to watch ON-DEMAND! LTV is operated by the Livingston Public Broadcasting Committee, a group of volunteers (adults and high school students) who recognize all the good that Livingston has to offer; have an interest in television programming, production, operations and marketing; and give their time toward promoting local information, entertainment, and education to all members of the Livingston community!
