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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.

For Fire Prevention Month, the JTFD #2 members visited with students and taught them about fire safety. Firefighters visited preschool classrooms and did an assembly for kindergarten students. The students also had the opportunity to tour a fire truck.

Briggs School celebrated a Week of Respect. All classes learned about being Bucket Fillers, listened to the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today, learned the Bucket Filler Pledge, and created different Bucket Filler artwork. The entire Briggs community also participated in Week of Respect themes, which included wearing blue for the World Day of Bullying Prevention, wearing hero gear to respect others, workout gear to show strength in unity, team gear to team up against bullying, and Falcon gear to stand as a family against bullying.

Ms. Kentos’ class became pen pals with Mrs. Bolka's class at Cozy Lake. Students wrote to Mrs. Bolka’s class about Briggs School and their pet snail, Cheese. The class walked to the office to mail the letters and cannot wait to receive the letters from their new friends.

Students in Mrs. Greene’s class worked cooperatively with partners to count cubes and make patterns together.

Mrs. Garay's students continue to make new friends and understand their daily routine. They are enthusiastically perfecting their math and literacy skills by reading books, sorting by color and size, counting, making friendship cards, and enjoying fall craft projects.

Mrs. Herman's class celebrated Johnny Appleseed Day, by making homemade applesauce with red and green apples. Students discovered the red apples tasted sweeter. They also went on a Johnny Appleseed scavenger hunt, made Johnny Appleseed hats, and explored items of the Fall season with their sensory table.

Mrs. Mollitor's students continued to practice being a good friend by sharing and taking turns. They enjoyed working together to complete puzzles and reading The Gingerbread Man during reading time. Students also worked together to find the Gingerbread Man throughout the school, but unfortunately, he was too fast and they just missed him!

To mark the importance of Fire Prevention Month, Milton Fire Company No. 1 met with the Cozy Lake students to teach the great importance of fire safety. The excited children were able to see and visit inside the BIG firetruck and joined together during the student assembly.

First through fifth grade students participated in a valuable fire safety assembly hosted by our Jefferson Township Fire Co. #2. The students learned important lessons on how to be safe and prevent fires.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration beginning on September 15th and lasting through October 15. Students discovered famous Hispanics and their contributions. In addition, students will experience different foods, music, culture, and celebrations. This year's celebration kicked-off with a weekly recognition of a Famous Hispanic via morning announcements and students learning the group dance "la macarena".

Our annual Back-to-School Night was held. Parents visited their child’s teacher, specialists, PTA, Community Police Officer, Principal, Dr. Valenti, and many others. Topics discussed included information about the curricula, new programs, homework policies, classroom procedures, and assessment measures.

In recognition of Week of Respect, School Counselors Mrs. Marinoni and Miss Yermal coordinated various spirit days and activities for the students to show their personal commitment to demonstrating good citizenship. At the end of the week, the White Rock community celebrated Falcon Family Friday. Everyone had fun sporting all their falcon gear!

Second and third graders had a special visit from author Chris Harris. The students laughed the whole time. Several children had the opportunity to read aloud and did an amazing job. Thank you, Reading Specialist Mrs. McGurrin and Sparta Books for organizing this fun and educational assembly.

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

• 6th Grade: Anna Benfante & Isabella DiBenedetto
• 7th Grade: Yasmeen Abdoun & Mack Stanley
• 8th Grade: Emma Rounsaville & Trevor Zorzi

During Forensics, 8th grade students were privileged to have our Armed Security Officer, Mr. Millar, shared his lifetime criminal investigation expertise. Students asked great questions and listened to the process of securing the scene and necessary steps when entering a crime scene. He also shared his experiences addressing the challenges of preserving evidence. Students asked questions and sent the discussion into case law. Thank you, Mr. Millar, for bringing your experience and knowledge to the classroom.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we have shifted our focus to learning about influential Hispanic figures who have made significant contributions to culture, science, and the arts. Each student chose a famous Hispanic individual to research and they created an Instagram post highlighting that figure. This project not only fosters an appreciation for the rich diversity within the Hispanic community, but also encourages students to connect language learning with real-world impacts.

Sixth-grade math students are working on their Million Dollar Project. This incorporates real-world math concepts and highlights the importance of staying within a budget. Students inherit $1,000,000 and must purchase a home, pay for a college education, purchase a car, and plan a vacation; they purchase extras with any remaining money. They showcased their “dream life” in a Google Slides presentation and kept track of their money on their Expense Tracking Sheet.

Amira and Nicholas are recognized by teachers for their positive contributions to JTHS and the community.

Nominated by Mrs. Vislosky, Nicholas has grown to be a leader in the Media Center, helping his peers by showing them how to use equipment in the library and Maker Space. According to Mrs. Vislosky, "He is so helpful to other students. He came in to use the 3D printer on the first day of school and has now recruited three other kids to use the area. He teaches them all how to use the software, save files, etc. without any complaints!"

Nominated by Mrs. Vesia, Amira has shown a dedication to her studies at the start of the school year and has gone above and beyond in helping her classmates around the building. According to Mrs. Vesia, "Amira has dedicated herself to her academic studies. In addition, she has gone above and beyond to include new students to help them feel welcome at JTHS."

Both Amira and Nicholas received custom tee-shirts, certificates, and a gift card to a local business in the community.

Before the Varsity Football Game on October 4th, JTHS proudly celebrated its third annual Salute to Service Night honoring many past and current military personnel. West Point’s Black Knights Jump Team amazed everyone in attendance with their spectacular airshow and final landing on the football field. Thank you, Athletic Director Mr. Koch, for once again organizing such a phenomenal and memorable evening!

The Academy for Environmental Science recently visited Hopatcong State Park to work with the Lake Hopatcong Foundation; they were the first high school group to attend a field trip at the site. Students collected macroinvertebrate samples from the Musconetcong River and conducted water tests on their floating classroom.

During the summer, Mr. DeVries and his students were featured and interviewed in an edition of Lake Hopatcong News. The article focused on Mr. DeVries’ Digital Visual Media 1 Monster Engine assignment, working in conjunction with White Rock and Stanlick Art teachers, Ms. Tamayne Hettema and Ms. Trevenen. This cross-school project begins with the elementary students drawing their own monsters and ends with the High School students creating a 3-D version of them. A highlight of the article was talking to students who were part of the first iteration of this assignment when they were in elementary school and are now in high school, creating the transformative version of the elementary students' monsters. This project has come full circle, with White Rock and High School siblings collaborating on the same project.

Students and staff participated in a Week of Respect. Activities included spirit days, writing appreciation cards to faculty members, and requesting favorite songs that show respect for morning motivation. The students participated in an assembly "Johnny's Ambassadors"; a presentation featuring the life and struggles of teenager Johnny Stack, adolescent brain development, impacts of THC on adolescents, risks of mental illness, psychosis, suicide, and learning refusal skills. Research shows that the more youth learn about the potential risks, coupled with refusal skills, the less likely teens will choose the use of marijuana.

Are you looking for a part-time job with hours to fit perfectly with your child's school schedule?

Jefferson Township Public Schools is now hiring dedicated individuals like you to join our team.

• Substitute School Nurse INCREASED RATE! $250/day!
• Special Education Aide INCREASED RATE! $21/hour!
• School Bus Aide
• School Bus Driver