Wayne Township Public Schools
DISTRICT WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER
Volume 319 | March 1, 2024
Wayne Township Public Schools Referendum Podcast Series: Episode #3
In this episode, Dr. Mark Toback, Superintendent of Wayne Township Public Schools, discusses seven myths that have been circulating about the referendum. This episode will discuss:
- Saving maintenance costs versus bond funding
- The impact of maintenance projects (heating, ventilation, drainage) on education
- The four main athletics-related projects and their impact on the WTPS community
- The decision to create a new school building, as opposed to adding additions
- The separation of the township versus school district budgets and decisions
- The difficulty of holding a new referendum quickly
The Pines Lake School Community Gives Back
The Pines Lake School Community recently participated in two school-wide events to give back to our community and fight childhood cancer. Before the nationally televised Super Bowl aired, Pines Lake had their very own SOUP-er Bowl! Organized by the Student Council, students in every grade were asked to bring in one or more cans of soup to benefit the Wayne Interfaith Food Pantry. Cans came flooding in, earning each grade level points for a total of 218 cans! The fabulous 3rd graders took home the SOUP-er Bowl victory, but the greatest victory for Pines is being able to help the community.
Over the last few weeks, the whole school has been reading, "The Lemonade War". As their "One School One Book" community reading event came to a close, the students at Pines Lake Elementary School ignited a spirited Penny War to support Alex's Lemonade Stand, a beacon of hope in the fight against childhood cancer. With pennies clinking and hearts brimming, students poured their change into a cause that promises sweetness beyond measure. Pines Lake Elementary is very proud to announce that a total of $941.74 was collected!
Ali Stroker, Tony Award-winning Actor and Author, Visits GWMS
Ali Stroker visited George Washington Middle School to share her message of resilience and to “Turn your limitations into opportunities”. Suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident at age 2, Ali has defied the odds to become the first person in a wheelchair to star on Broadway and win a Tony Award. She has also published three books, including two middle-grade fiction novels, "The Chance to Fly" and "Cut Loose". Click here to learn more about Ali: Ali Stroker becomes the first actress who uses wheelchair to win Tony.
Ali, along with her father, life coach Jim Stroker, spoke to GW students about not allowing restrictions to hold them back from chasing their dreams. The highlight of Ali’s visit was her meeting with Mrs. Laura Medley and Mrs. Alyssa Masella’s drama club students to help them prepare for the upcoming Spring musical, Frozen, Jr. to be performed at GWMS on March 22 and 23. Together, Ali and GW’s drama club performed the song “Let it Go” from Frozen.
Wayne Hills High School Leo Club
Over the past two months, the WHHS Leo Club collected, paired up, and bagged 375 pairs of shoes, slippers, sneakers, and other footwear. These items were collected by a truck to be shipped overseas to third-world countries where microentrepreneurs will refurbish the footwear and sell the shoes to support themselves, their employees, and their families. This benefits the planet by keeping the shoes out of landfills and also helps others earn a living. Great job, Leos!
One Author, One Ryerson
On Monday, February 5th, Ryerson School embarked on the 6th year of its One Ryerson journey. The entire school community (every student, teacher, paraprofessional, administrator, nurse, and custodian) will read one of two books written by the same author, Jacqueline Davies. Students were given a few clues leading up to the books reveal, which was ultimately shown to the students on the big day. Lemonade Crime, the sequel to The Lemonade Wars which was read by the majority of students in grade 3 -5 previously, will be read by all upper grade students and Sydney & Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World, an easier to read chapter book will be read by the younger students.
Christine Halstater, school Media Specialist and Kathy Grillo, school Reading Specialist presented each student with a book on the day of the kickoff, along with a calendar of discussion questions and a bookmark. Families will read one chapter each night through the month of February. As a special treat to add to the festivities a lemonade stand was set up at lunch and each child was given a cup of lemonade to kick off the school’s reading journey. Principal, Debbie Foti adds an extra layer of excitement to the reading journey by introducing weekly trivia questions related to the events in the books. Staff members further contributed to the immersive experience by recording chapters of the books, which were then shared on the school website for all to enjoy.
One Author, One Ryerson promotes the idea of a community of shared readers and helps foster a love of reading for all. Students have expressed their excitement about this year’s book choices and look forward to discussing their nightly readings. As a culminating event, Jacqueline Davies visited the school on February 21st to talk to the students about her books and any questions they have about the selections read. Davies was a big hit with staff and students.The lemonade stand was a big hit at lunch!
Wayne Hills Girls Basketball
Wayne Hills Girls Basketball Team won the Passaic County Tournament for the first time since 1982. (Score: Wayne Hills 50, Eastside 47)
Overall Record: 17-8
League Record: 8-2
8-1 record in the last 9 games
1st place in the League in back to back seasons
Key Numbers from the County Final game:
- Siena Shuster had a double double with 16 points and 16 rebounds
- Jailyn James held Eastside's leading scorer to 0 points in the game
- Arianna Polifonte made 5 three pointers for 15 points
- Charah Sysounthone sealed the game with 2 clutch free throws
- Star Vorabouth hit 2 three pointers en route to an 8 point performance
- Siena Shuster scored her 1000th point vs Passaic
Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K
The Cool Schools Challenge is an inclusive program established to have Unified Champion Schools (UCS) participate in the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K while raising funds and awareness for Special Olympics New Jersey.
To register, click this link: https://support.sonj.org/team/563319
Preschool Placement Requests Now Open at Preakness Early Childhood Center
The Wayne School District is excited to announce that the Preakness Early Childhood Center will begin accepting preschool placement requests starting Friday, February 16th. This opportunity is open exclusively to parents and guardians interested in enrolling their children for the upcoming preschool year.
To submit a placement request, please visit the district website at https://www.wayneschools.com/pecc starting February 16th. Eligibility for preschool kindergarten in September 2024 requires children to be 3 years of age on or before October 15, 2024, per District Policy 5112 - Entrance Age.
Coffee with the Superintendent
Hear about all of the exciting things happening in our school district.
Learn plans for the future of the school system.
Participate in a Q&A session.
Please note that attendance is limited to the capacity of the space being used. Coffee and refreshments will be served.
JFK: March 5th at 9:00 am
GWMS: March 6th at 8:30 am
WVHS: March 11th at 7:45 am
Kindergarten and First Grade Registration is NOW OPEN
Click here to register your child: https://www.wayneschools.com/registration
March 12, 2024 Election Day - Schools Closed
Due to the upcoming Bond Referendum Election on Tuesday, March 12th being a scheduled school day, and with the safety and security of our students and staff in mind, Wayne Township Public Schools will use one of our four emergency days for the 2023-2024 school year to close schools on March 12th.
Important Dates
Thursday, March 7th at 7:30 pm:
BOE PWS Meeting/1st Public Input on Budget, BOE Administration Office, 50 Nellis Drive, Wayne 07470
Wayne Township Public Schools
Email: newsletter@wayneschools.com
Website: www.wayneschools.com
Location: 50 Nellis Drive, Wayne, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-633-3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaynePublicSchools/
Twitter: @WayneSchoolsNJ