LPS Spotlight
News for the Livingston Public Schools Community
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.
This year's Science Fun Night for students in grades 2-5 will be held on Wednesday, March 19, from 6-7:30 pm in the Mt. Pleasant Middle School cafeteria. This exciting evening of science will be hosted by the sixth grade members of the STEMbassadors Club.
During the event, students in grades 2-5 and adult companion are invited to take part in fun hands on activities. Please note that this is not a drop off event. Students must be accompanied by an adult. No registration needed!
The Student Perspectives exhibit, featuring the work of Livingston High School's Advanced Placement (AP) art students, is currently on display at Livingston Town Hall, located at 357 South Livingston Avenue. The show, sponsored by the Arts Council of Livingston (ACL), is open for public viewing daily from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, now through Monday, April 29th. Students' diverse artworks are showcased in various categories, including AP Photography, AP Digital Imaging, AP Studio Art, Ceramics, and 3D designs.
Livingston High School Theater will present The Drowsy Chaperone from March 13-15 in the LHS Auditorium! Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, this show is a loving parody of 1920s musical comedies featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. When the show premiered, the Toronto Star declared, "The Drowsy Chaperone is so much fun, it's barely legal!" while New York Magazine hailed it as "The perfect Broadway musical." Featuring a cast of 40 and dozens more behind the scenes, this show-within-a-show guarantees an evening of laughter and entertainment. Appropriate for ages 8+. Purchase tickets HERE!
LHS Theater is also thrilled to present an inclusive, judgment-free Dress Rehearsal for this year’s spring musical, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, with dedicated seating for individuals who have special needs. The show will take place in the LHS Auditorium on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 7PM.
Some key points about the show:
The event is FREE to all attendees, but seating is limited
There will be a 15-minute intermission between Act 1 & 2
Snacks are encouraged, so bring your favorite thing to eat
Space outside the Auditorium will be available for anyone needing a break
Livingston’s senior citizens will also be invited to this performance, but there will be dedicated spaces for both groups
Tickets for this event are free, but registration is required as there is limited seating available for this event. CLICK HERE TO RSVP! Please let us know how many seats you need for your group. All students must be accompanied by at least one adult chaperone.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are a senior citizen who wants to attend the show, there is a separate RSVP process here: https://www.livingstonnj.org/1039/Events-and-Socials
Mt. Pleasant Middle School's (MPMS) MathCounts team recently participated in the Mathcounts Chapter Competition. The MPMS team that included Charlie Chen, Sophia Cheng, Arjun Sharma, and Jason Zhang, placed fourth overall as a team out of a field of more than 20 teams. In addition, Chen made it into the top ten as an individual. He went on to competed in a special round of rapid fire math questions and ended up in third place overall. Charlie will go on to compete at the state competition this month!
Sophie Chen, Jayden Wang, Chris Navarro, Samarveer Shishodia, Lucia Hu, Katheryn Liu, Adrit Bhattacharya, Brandon Chang, Sonya Khetan, and Vasant Raghavan are also members of the team.
Heritage Middle School seventh grader Nina Bhatt has solidified her reputation as one of the top public forum debate speakers in the national circuit. Competing against hundreds of elite speakers, she achieved an impressive overall #2 Speaker ranking at the prestigious Harvard University Middle School Varsity Invitational Debate Tournament in Cambridge, MA, held on Presidents' Day, February 17.
This highly competitive annual tournament attracts top-performing teams from across the country, as well as strong international participation. Nina’s team remained undefeated throughout the preliminary rounds, securing the #2 ranking overall and placing them in a commanding position in the tournament. She advanced to the Octa-finals, earning high praise from both tournament organizers and judges for her fair play, strategic expertise, and consistently dominant performance.
This achievement marks a significant milestone in Nina’s debate career, as it completes her winning streak in the prestigious national "triplet" of UCLA, Stanford, and Harvard debate invitationals.
Returning home with two trophies, Bhatt has chosen to donate one to Heritage Middle School, her alma mater, as a tribute to the educators who supported her journey. “This is my way of giving back and showing appreciation for the incredible support I’ve received from School,” Bhatt said. She hopes to continue adding to Livingston’s legacy of excellence in debate and public speaking.
The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter at Heritage Middle School has demonstrated their financial savvy and strategic thinking in the Fall 2024 Stock Market Game, a program of the SIFMA Foundation. This competitive and educational simulation challenged students to manage a virtual investment portfolio, applying real-world economic principles and decision-making skills.
The Stock Market Game provides students with hands-on experience in investing, helping them develop critical thinking skills and an understanding of economic principles that will serve them well in future careers. Mrs. Cooney, FBLA advisor, stated that the students had a strong interest in participating in this program. She hopes to engage students to participate in the future.
The students competed against other middle schools nationally and were able to secure the top three teams with impressive portfolio growth. Shown here are Max Bershad, Aatman Sheth, Syon Luthria, Rishit Kapoor and Matthew Steinmetz. Derrick Chu, William Wang and Jonah Lio are also members of the stock market teams.
Congratulations to these FBLA members for their outstanding performance! Students will be competing at the State Leadership Conference this month!
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.
INTERGENERATIONAL PROM TO BE HELD APRIL 9TH
Livingston’s 34th annual Intergenerational Prom, co-sponsored by the Board of Education, the Township of Livingston, and the Livingston High School (LHS) Key Club, will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 in the LHS cafeteria. A long-standing Livingston tradition, the Intergenerational Prom provides an opportunity for high school students and the township's senior citizens to socialize, have fun, and get to know one another.
The evening includes dinner, entertainment and dancing. Community leaders, including Livingston Public Schools Board of Education members and administrators and members of the Township Council, serve dinner for the guests.
Senior citizens who wish to attend this event must pre-register at the Livingston Recreation & Senior Services Department, 204 Hillside Avenue, so they can obtain a ticket to enter the prom. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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!
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.
