Falcon Flyer

On October 9th, friends, family, colleagues and former students gathered for the dedication of the newly renamed Cheryl Miskimon Memorial Auditorium at Jefferson Township High School. Cheryl was honored as an ardent supporter of the arts who was a champion for her students every day. Mrs. Miskimon suddenly passed away on October 23, 2020 leaving behind a legacy of being a passionate educator.

JTHS was proud to host Mrs. Maud Dahme who presented and shared her experiences as a Holocaust survivor. The visit was coordinated by Mr. Jon Boyle who teaches an elective Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights in the Social Studies department. "Maud" as she is affectionately called, recounted her story of resilience and survival, which greatly impacted our students and teachers in attendance.

Her story can also be seen in the film The Hidden Child and her book Chocolate, The Taste of Freedom, as she shares what it was like to live through World War II in The Netherlands. After her presentation, a group of students stayed back to ask questions and discuss more of her life with her.

Thank you, Mrs. Dahme, for visiting us, and thank you to Mr. Boyle for setting up this memorable learning experience for our students.

First aid classes were trained in moving and carrying techniques for injured victims. Our security officer, Mr. Arentowicz, who is 6’ 4”, volunteered to allow students to attempt to lift him. Our student volunteers did a great job using the blanket drag, two-person seat carry, and pack-strap carry methods.

Students were able to learn how to help a victim move out of a dangerous situation using these life-saving carrying techniques. They also realized how they are able to lift a person double their size in a safe manner. These life-saving techniques can be used to help save a life.

This year, the faculty at the High School created the Falcon Pride Student Recognition Award to recognize positive student contributions to the school community. At the opening faculty meeting in September, teachers and administration worked together to create a description of the award based on the characteristics they wanted to see in our Falcons.

We are proud to announce our first two recipients of the Falcon Pride Student Recognition Award for September, Alejandro Bazan and Josh Reed. Alejandro and Josh were both nominated for their contributions to the school community over the first month of school.

Nominated by Ms. Gray and Mrs. Vislosky, Alejandro is the definition of a kind citizen to his classmates and peers. He consistently goes above and beyond to support his peers in need, including helping to guide new students around the building.

Nominated by Mr. Lonie, Josh has been instrumental in advocating for a more inclusive school community. He has re-energized the Equality Committee at the High School, and is a kind, dedicated advocate for a welcoming school community.

Josh and Alejandro will receive custom t-shirts, and a $10 gift certificate courtesy of the Betsy Ross Diner. All those who were nominated will also receive a free breakfast sandwich at WaWa.

JTHS students are officially future voters after they completed and mailed in their New Jersey Voter Registration Forms.

Sixth graders have made a wonderful adjustment to the Middle School. In Language Arts, students are reading the novel Al Capone Does My Shirts and learning to write annotations using the Fiction Signposts. They will also be reading and analyzing nonfiction texts by the end of the month. Students are also working on improving their vocabulary acquisition via Membean.

Seventh grade LLD Social Studies students created posters about civic rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens.

Eighth grade science students continue to explore chemical and physical properties and use their knowledge to design, make, and test bio-polymers to address the global plastic problems our world faces.

JTMS started off the school year “Kicking it off with Kindness”. The students had activities to participate in everyday to show kindness and designed their own “kicks” with a message of kindness that is displayed by the Main Office bulletin board.

The theme at Jefferson Township Middle School this year is Your Story Matters. Every individual has a unique story to tell filled with experiences, emotions, and lessons learned. These stories shape who we are and have the power to inspire others.

JTMS 7th grade students were honored to have Mr. Joseph Macaluso, former Port Authority Police Officer, speak to them about his experience on 9/11/2001. Thank you, Mr. Macaluso, for giving your time and sharing your story.

Your Story Matters, because it is a testament to your resilience, strength, and growth. Each individual’s story enriches our school community. “Each of us needs all of us and all of us needs each of us.”

Parents visited their child’s teacher, specialists, PTA, Community Police Officer, school principal, and many others during our annual Back-to-School Night. Topics discussed included information about the curricula, new programs, homework policies, classroom procedures, and assessment measures.

In recognition of Respect Week, guidance counselors Miss Eskow and Miss Yermal coordinated various spirit days and activities for the students to show their personal commitment to demonstrating good citizenship. Each teacher chose one student from their class that demonstrated respect during the month of September and were honored on the main lobby bulletin board.

Superheros of all kinds came to learn at Cozy Lake School during Week of Respect.

Mrs. Bolka’s Pre K 3 class was busy having fun associating numbers and quantities during Roll and Dot. After rolling the die, students identified the number they rolled, then stamped the number of dots to match.

Preschoolers in Ms. Grunther's class embrace the spirit of fall, all while developing social and cognitive skills.

Fire Company #2 presented fire safety tips to the entire school. Students were instructed in what to do to keep themselves and their families safe in the event they experience a fire.

The Stanlick community is reading School Days According to Humphrey and participating in many activities. Mrs. Keyser has created a schedule for Stanlick staff and families to stay on the same chapter over the next few weeks and has planned a culminating activity for the conclusion of the program.

Miss Santini and Miss Yermal led the school community focusing on the character trait of kindness to start the school year. During the last week of September they celebrated Kick it off with Kindness week. Staff used the activities from PurposeFull People to foster a spirit of kindness inside the classroom and beyond.

Fire Company #2 made a visit for Fire Safety Month. The fire fighters went to all the preschool classrooms to discuss fire safety and held an assembly for the kindergarten students. All of the students were able to see the fire truck as well.

Ms. Brennan's class has been rocking the JCPTA Fun Run fundraiser. They were the first class to earn a fancy lunch and popcorn party.

Mrs. La Paz’s class has been focusing on taking turns and the importance and meaning of taking turns. While using a Mighty Minute from the curriculum, students engaged in a “Take a Turn” song as they passed around a very popular toy in the classroom. When the song indicated “pass to the left,” the students were able to successfully pass to the left without assistance.

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
• Special Education Aide
• School Bus Aide
• School Bus Driver