Falcon Flyer

Please join us in wishing our retirees a heartfelt congratulations and thank you for all of their years of service to the students of Jefferson Township Public Schools. You will be missed!

The students of Ellen T. Briggs and Stanlick Schools chose Miss Beth and Mr. Lou for the Bus Driver of the Year award. Both, presented with balloons and a plaque by the JCPTA, are amazing bus drivers who truly care about the safety of the children they transport.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024's Valedictorian Daniel Mysliwiec who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall and Juliann Mutter, the Class's Salutatorian who will enter Rutgers University (New Brunswick) also this fall.

During the June 17th Board of Education Meeting, the Board honored many of the successes of our graduating Class of 2024 and our rising Class of 2028 eighth-graders.

On June 20th we will be promoting our eighth-graders and welcome them as the rising High School Class of 2028. On June 21st, we will bid a heartfelt farewell and congratulate the Class of 2024 with the fondest of best wishes for a job well done!

Career Day was celebrated and parents shared their careers with our students, including an electrician, a Sheriff’s and Police Officer, a 911 dispatcher, a tax manager, a lineman, and a disabilities support coordinator. The parents did a wonderful job and the students learned a lot from the parents about their chosen careers.

The Pre-K 3 students were treated to a petting zoo. Jack’s Traveling Zoo brought baby goats, a cow, an alpaca, bunnies, and chicks to the school. Students got to feed and hold the animals and loved every minute of their time with their visitors.

Mrs. Arias organized a fun-filled field day for our kindergarten students. Students participated in many different activities and had a great time.

Preschool students participated in water playdays. Families were invited to join the preschoolers and enjoy the different water activities.

The Briggs community celebrated Screen-Free Week by providing students with different activities in place of using screened devices. Daily activities included extra outdoor playtime, a nature scavenger hunt, and parents visiting and assisting the children with making bird feeders and playing board games. Mayor Wilsusen and members of the Police Department also came and participated in these activities with our students.

The Pre-K 4 students took a field trip to Tranquility Farms. Students got to pet and feed the animals, participate in a scavenger hunt, and taste fruits and vegetables grown on the farm.

Kindergarten students presented their annual concert. The students worked very hard to prepare and enjoyed performing for their families.

The kindergartners participated in a day of fun during their Fun Run

The Cozy Lake community honored our Nation's Flag during a school-wide ceremony on June 14th.

The Character Strong word of the month for June is “CREATIVITY" and create, they did!

The Kindergarten’s musical show was held to a packed house. The students did a wonderful job performing.

The Kindergarten children enjoyed The Kindergarten Celebration with their families. There were picture presentations showing the children from September to June, artwork in the hallway, and songs. The parents brought picnic lunches and the PTA provided an ice cream truck. Parents and teachers did shed a few tears when they thought about how far the children had come.

Recently, Ms. Anaya Ali was the Principal for the day at Arthur Stanlick Elementary School. She was given a special assignment from Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. Howe, to provide feedback on how to improve lunch and recess. Ms. Ali put together a committee of students and together they decided on recommendations to provide to Mrs. Howe. Additionally, Ms. Ali took a tour of the school, read a book about the 4th of July to first and second-grade classes, and everyone's favorite, she decided to extend recess by five minutes! Ms. Ali did an excellent job of being the Principal for the day.

Mrs. Senney led her fifth-grade students in carrying on the Trash-a-Mania tradition. The students created different games out of recycled materials. Each grade level played the games using coins to participate. The proceeds raised will go directly to a food pantry in Jefferson Township.

Stanlick is honored to announce six awardees of the NJ Consortium for Gifted & Talented Virtual Workshop of the Arts: Anaya Ali, Everleigh Boucher, Jason Castle, Amani Gerald, Max Sgotto, and Lyla San Buenaventura. Congratulations to these six students.

Mrs. Trevenen collected 800 pieces of student artwork and displayed them throughout the hallways of Stanlick School. Students gave their families a tour of the building as they looked at the fantastic artwork on display.

In celebration of the Spring season, the White Rock School fourth-and fifth-grade band and chorus performed a wonderful concert for the parents and students. Our music teachers Mr. Tiedemann and Mrs. Kirscher worked very hard with our children to prepare for this special performance.

Our annual field day was a huge success. Our Physical Education teachers, Mrs. Arias and Mr. Reid designed fun and athletic activity stations. Everyone played hard and showed good sportsmanship. The students, parents, and teachers had a wonderful day.

In recognition of Youth Art Month, an evening art show was held. Parents and guests were invited to view the almost 1000 pieces on display. The program was a great way to celebrate the arts and recognize the skills students developed throughout the school year. A special thank you to our art teacher, Mrs. Tamayne-Hettema, for her outstanding efforts.

Congratulations on being recognized for your trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship… Keep up the great work!

• 6th Grade: Kloe Capizzi and Gavin Cappello
• 7th Grade: Evander Coleman and Gurnake Singh
• 8th Grade: Payton Cirluso and Joaquinn Vintimilla Esparza

Congratulations on being recognized for your trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship... Keep up the great work!

• 6th Grade: Brayden Barrett and Cameron Walter
• 7th Grade: Reese Malakuskie and Sarah Ruchalski
• 8th Grade: Alexander Morgan and Dhruv Patel

The GATEways program participated in the New Jersey Consortium for the Gifted and Talented Program, "Do You Want To Build a Hero" engineering challenge. GATEways students were invited to build a mascot and create a scene using recycled materials. The displays had to represent one of Aristotle’s virtues. Our students rose to the challenge; out of 28 districts, Jefferson took many awards. Congratulations to Trevor Zori, seventh-grade for his first place award, Arya Malaviya, Nina Maniago, and Veda Igielski, eighth-graders for their second place awards, and 8th-grader McKenna Vasquez for her Honorable Mention award.

The 35th Morris County Annual Debate Competition was held at Saint Elizabeth’s University. JTMS students debated the Varsity topic, “Be it resolved that the process of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) should be banned in the United States.” All of the students did a great job debating. Nidhi Bhavsar and Krish Maheshwari placed second overall for the Varsity Negative Team. Congratulations to everyone on a job well done!

Sixth-graders finished up the school year by reading dystopian novels and identifying the dystopian elements in their assigned novel. In addition, the students learned the differences between persuasive writing and argumentative writing. The end result was The Great Debate, where the 6 Gold team debated against the 6 Blue team. The debates were moderated by Ms. Hoertel and she provided students with a deeper understanding of how to anticipate counter-arguments and craft-relevant rebuttals.

Georgia, Rin, and Nicholas were nominated by teachers for their positive contributions to our school and community.

As a graduating senior, Georgia has been a positive presence around the building throughout her high school years. Daily, she goes above and beyond to include others in class and around the building. According to Ms. Schwimer, "Throughout the year, I assign group projects. The students get to choose their groups. Instead of just gravitating towards her close friends, Georgia makes sure to include others in her group. She always makes sure that everyone has someone to work with, and if they don't, she invites them to work with her. Georgia also practices this kind of inclusivity outside the classroom".

Also a senior, Rin has become a leader in our video production program, and is one of the positive faces that greets us every morning on Good Morning, Jefferson! According to Mr. Kazanfer, "Rin has been outstanding in her dedication and commitment to 'Good Morning, Jefferson!' and has been a role model for the other volunteers. She continually includes everyone and is always willing to help. Rin is one of the main faces for GMJ and her passion shows through her professionalism, creativity, and good-natured and positive personality."

As a junior, Nicholas is a student always striving to do the right thing. He is kind, compassionate, and a dedicated student in the classroom. According to Mr. Lonie, "Nick always manages to bring a smile to the faces of those around him. His positive presence in the building, dedication to his studies, and willingness to always help others are examples of what all students should strive to become".

Georgia, Rin, and Nicholas will each receive a custom t-shirt and certificate and a $10 gift card to AJ's Country Cone.

The High School Band & Choir had a very successful High Notes Music Festival performance. The musicians walked away with Excellent and Superior ratings and they played and sang beautifully for their audience.

MHS Architecture recently opened its doors to the next generation, welcoming some two dozen students to its Hoboken office for an in-depth look at the profession and the role of design in real estate development. Our aspiring architects were on hand for last month’s visit alongside architecture teacher Mr. Jason Nicholas, a former MHS intern. Firm principals Dean Marchetto and Bruce Stieve led the discussion, detailing the inner workings of the practice, and providing a tour of their workspaces and of completed development projects in the immediate vicinity. “This opportunity for our students to engage directly with professionals at MHS Architecture is invaluable,” said Mr. Nicholas, who teaches Architecture and CAD classes. “It not only complements their curriculum but also inspires them by experiencing the practical applications of what they learn in class.”

Last month the High School Unified Track team hosted a 12-school Unified Track Invitational. There were over 240 participants, coaches, and volunteers. Our team walked away with first and second place in the long jump and third in the 4x100m relay. All athletes and buddies did a wonderful job representing JTHS and most importantly, everyone had a blast. This event could not have taken place without the support of our school community.

Recently, The Academy for Environmental Science Juniors and Seniors traveled to Cape May and Stone Harbor, NJ as a culmination of their time in the academy. Students went dolphin and whale watching, toured some Wetlands areas, and combed the beach for living and nonliving items to learn more about ocean ecology and barrier ecology.

The High School’s parking lot was recently transformed into a stage for a powerful and poignant event: the Mock Accident. Junior and Senior students Andrew Parisi, Sam Orlando, Jack Orlando, Brooke Kuba, Timothy Connolly, Georgia Oberman, Stephanie Ragrag, and Olivia Metro, along with the JTPD, EMS, First Aid/Rescue Squads, the JTFD, and Atlantic Health came together to deliver a stark warning about the dangers of pre- and post-prom activities. Through dramatic performances and realistic simulations, including the use of Atlantic Health’s helicopter, they vividly depicted the potential consequences of reckless behavior, leaving a lasting impact on all who watched. This collaborative effort showcased the maturity and responsibility of our students, highlighting their commitment to keeping each other safe. We applaud their bravery and dedication in delivering such an important message, and we're immensely proud of all who participated in this impactful event. Coordinating the event included the collaboration between Mrs. Vesia and Township Personnel Mr. Corsaro. Additionally, without the help of Mr. Kazanfer, Mr. Flynn, student Kalli Grlica, as well as the video and audio crew of students, this production could not have been possible. Thank you everyone.

The Memory Garden has two new beautiful Adirondack chairs honoring former teacher Joyce Hulbert. Her motto, "Never Give Up", is one of determination and grit.

The Memory Garden is tendered with love and devotion each year as we remember those who have walked in the halls, raised a family in the town, and transcended to our Memory Garden leaving footprints on our hearts. The Hulbert Family will be forever grateful.

Special thanks to staff members Mrs. Kircher and Mr. Morris for their generous help with this project. On behalf of Mr. Morris, thank you to the students who made this project a reality. Special thanks go out to students Jacob Dudik, Shane Florit, Justin Kostecki, and Nicholas Lombardo.

Mrs. Silverstein's Child Development Class in collaboration with Visions Federal Credit Union participated in a workshop "Life is a Reality." During the activities students selected a salary and built a monthly budget. They were able to learn about the importance of managing their finances including the expenses of housing, groceries, student loans, and car payments, to name a few. Students were able to choose which option best fitted their budget. While the activity was engaging and fun it was eye opening for the students and teachers to see the importance of preparing themselves for the future and real life events.

Mr. Devries' Digital Visual Media 2 class faced a challenge in November from Supervisor Mrs. Dunbar: to design the facade to the Visions Federal Credit Union Financial Wellness Center located in the High School. Students submitted creative, thematic designs which were judged by teachers, administration, and the Board of Education. The selected design, by Alex Foth, was announced at the February Board of Education meeting. Installation was recently completed by ImageTek Signs. The Visions Wellness center will operate throughout the school year as students begin their internships in September 2024.

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