Falcon Flyer

We are pleased to announce our District Reconfiguration webpage is live. The webpage will be updated with information as it becomes available.

Preschool and kindergarten students at Briggs participated in the voting process on Election Day. Students voted on the books, The Legend of Spookley and Room on a Broom. And… The winner was The Legend of Spookley!

Briggs students are now assisting with broadcasting the morning announcements. Two students report daily to the Main Office and work with Ms. Moya on the announcements, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Bucket Filler Pledge.

Author Alan Katz visited and shared his books and love of writing with the students. He read excerpts from many of his books, including his newest one, Zooloween.

Last month The Jefferson Consolidated PTA sponsored a highly successful Fun Run. All of the students had a blast running laps, collecting marks, and calculating how much they raised. Together, they raised more than $25,000. Classes earned prizes along the way including pajama days, fancy lunches, pop-in parties, and individual prizes. The top two classes between Briggs and Stanlick that raised the most funds will have pizza parties with our Township Police and the top five individual fundraisers will get a ride to school on a fire truck. Superintendent Mrs. Howe was slimed TWICE, to the delight of the on-watchers at Briggs and Stanlick. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers for making this event possible for our students to have a great time.

Preschool classes participated in the “Find Your Matching Letter” activity. Each student wore a crown with a letter on top and they had to find another student with their matching letter. The students all worked together, helping each other to find their letter match. It was a wonderful learning experience for all.

The Cozy Lake Pumpkin Patch was a great success again this year. Students picked out their pumpkins from our patch and then painted them. The pumpkins were displayed at our Halloween parade.

Mrs. Garay’s class had a blast in October. The students loved learning and discovering from the Box Unit of Study. Activities included building with boxes, painting boxes, and wrapping boxes. This month while continuing the unit on boxes, they are also learning about Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Before the Thanksgiving holiday, the class will share what they are thankful for and create Thanksgiving holiday artwork.

The Cozy Lake community celebrated Veterans Day, highlighting their theme, “Thank You for Your Service”. Thank you, Mrs. Connolly, for organizing this important historical holiday.

Thank you Mrs. Keyser for leading the Stanlick community through the Read For the Record initiative. Our school joined millions around the world in reading, Piper Chen Sings.

Our first-grade teachers hosted a night event, which was very well-attended. Students had a wonderful opportunity to share how much they have grown as readers with their families.

White Rock had a special visit from Mayor Wilsusen and Business Administrator, Mrs. Millikin, who spoke with the students about local government. The students brainstormed thoughtful questions and voted on their favorite ones to ask. The two top questions from each class were asked directly by the students who wrote them. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

The third graders assembled nine Thanksgiving baskets to donate to the New Hope Food Pantry. Each basket included everything needed for a Thanksgiving dinner, except the turkey, complete with themed plates, napkins, and decorations. Our goal was to support families in need and spread some holiday cheer.

Fourth-and fifth-grade students participating in Public Speaking Plus classes are learning how to speak in public and are having fun at the same time. They debate silly subjects, “Which is faster, a table or a chair?” and read poetry learning to emphasize different words to change the meaning, varying their speed for clarity, using facial and body expressions, and adding accents to make their presentations more fun.

The White Rock community had the honor of honoring our Veterans! Thank you to all of our Veterans.

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

• 6th Grade: Aiden Kelly & Lucas Ruiz
• 7th Grade: Charlotte Ciaburri & Colton Okken
• 8th Grade: Calin Clayton & Viktorja Kovacevic

Congratulations to all of the students who recently performed in the Sussex County Junior Honors Band and Chorus Concert. All of your hard work and dedication paid off. You put on an amazing performance. Every year at the concert, out of 120 choir students, one student is chosen to receive the Steve Felson Memorial Scholarship. The top students in each voice part are able to re-audition, and the student with the top score receives a scholarship and a plaque that is to be displayed in their school. This year's recipient was our own JTMS 8th Grade student Stella Maffei. Congratulations, Stella!

JTMS students and staff were invited to attend the Rutgers Women's Basketball game to honor our very own Mrs. Alyssa Guagenti as Morris County Teacher of the Year; four hundred and fifty staff and students attended. What a great event to celebrate Mrs. Guagenti and our Falcon Spirit.

We are excited to share that we are studying Cuba in preparation for reading our first novel, El Escape Cubano. This journey will allow us to explore the rich culture, history, and traditions of the island as we get ready to dive into the thrilling narrative of our young protagonists. We hope this experience enriches our students' learning and sparks their curiosity.

Seventh-graders are creating faceless self-portraits. Instead of drawing or photographing their faces, students express themselves through their interests, hobbies, and personal symbols. This project encourages self-reflection and self-discovery, allowing students to consider what makes them unique. It also promotes the idea that we are more than just our appearances, focusing on the traits and activities that define us. By creating faceless self-portraits, the students learn to appreciate experiences that make each of them special.

During Genius Hour, eighth-grade students explore topics they are passionate about and dive into self-chosen projects. This project encourages creativity, critical thinking, and independent learning, allowing students to set goals and work towards presenting their final project.

The JTMS community collected over 780 pairs of socks for Hope One which provides critical support for persons struggling with addiction and mental health as well as provides access to services and treatment facilities. They also provide outreach services and care packages for the homeless; socks are the most requested items.

All three of these students have demonstrated strong character and leadership in our school and community over the first few months of the school year, and have been recognized by staff members for their accomplishments.

Nominated by Mrs. Farris, Silvana goes out of her way to help others around her. According to Mrs. Farris, "Silvana is always helpful to everyone around her. Whenever I need someone to help me or another student with something, Silvana is the first to raise her hand and volunteer. She is selfless and would be a perfect choice for the Falcon Pride Award."

Nominated by Mrs. von Essen, Mikayla has grown to become a leader both inside and outside of the classroom. According to Mrs. von Essen, "It has truly been a pleasure watching Mikayla grow into the very active student leader that she is today. She is one of the easiest students to teach. Not because she is perfect, but because she is not. In French, she demonstrates an authentic style of writing, which is refreshing."

Nominated by Mr. Lonie, Justin is a compassionate student who goes out of his way to help others in our community. According to Mr. Lonie, "Justin consistently strives to do the right thing for others each and every day. He goes out of his way to share acts of kindness with others, and his advocacy for substance abuse prevention through the Youth Coalition sets an example for the community".

All three students will receive custom t-shirts, certificates, and a gift card to a local business in the community.

Maud Dahme, a Holocaust survivor, visited Jefferson Township High School to share her story, yet again this year. Her published book, Chocolate, the Taste of Freedom tells her story of survival of the Holocaust and the lengths her family went to save her and her sister. Ms. Dahme gives talks with schools, universities, museums, and local organizations all across the country and we are extremely lucky to be able to fit into her very busy schedule. She delivers a cautionary tale with hope for the future and how students can take action in their schools and community to make positive change.

Last month over thirty High School students collaborated with a group of Middle School students at the High School’s first Service Day of the year. Students made over 85 snack and water bags to benefit the less fortunate in Morris County. A special thank you to our Cross Country and Cheerleading teams for giving up practice time to attend.

A huge shout-out and congratulations to our Jefferson Debate Team for their recent victory at the Sparta tournament. The team achieved a record of 7-1. Congratulations to all team members and Coach Vandigriff!

JTHS art students participated in the annual Jack-O-Lantern Walk at Crystal Springs on October 25th. After doubling the number of pumpkins entered last year, Emma Sturtevant earned an honorable mention for her carved pumpkin of "Shrunken Head Bob".

Our Transition Education Department hosted a STEP-UP evening session to speak with parents about the new program we are piloting this year with a select group of students. DAWNcil has partnered with our school through a grant from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services to facilitate an employment skills-focused curriculum called STEP-UP (Student Transition Empowerment Project – Unlimited Possibilities). STEP-UP, created by DAWNcil, is designed to comply with and provide pre-employment transition services to meet or exceed the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Upon completion of the classroom-based curriculum, students may be eligible for a six-week paid summer internship. We are excited to bring this program to our students and are looking forward to seeing a successful transition from high school to additional education, training, or competitive integrated employment.