In case you hadn’t heard or weren’t there, the Fair Haven School District’s annual Harvest Fest was held, despite the threatening weather forecast, last weekend, but in a slightly different venue — the all-purpose room at Knollwood School.
Students in the Fair Haven School District achieved several distinctions in the 2014-15 school year; and, they were recognized for all by the Board of Education.
The accomplishments were all outlined in an early June ceremony by Superintendent Nelson Ribon and Knollwood School Principal Kevin Davis with a little pizza party on the side.
Continue reading Looking Back at Fair Haven Students’ Honors for 2014-15
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
Make Your Mark was the theme of the Fair Haven School District Art Show, featuring more than 1,000 pieces of original art.
“The art show is a great way to celebrate student talents and diverse ideas,” Knollwood School Art Teacher Kelly Fogas said. “The displayed works and items created throughout the year show the growth of artistic ability, conceptualization, and eagerness in our students.”
Students in Kindergarten through third grade at Viola L. Sickles School and in fourth through eighth grade at Knollwood School each contributed at least one project for display at the show on April 14.
This year’s show represented the district’s implementation of new standards in the Visual Arts program.
Those standards focus on essential questions to help develop both critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Fair Haven Visual Arts students are encouraged to create, present, respond, and connect their artwork to ideas that have personal meaning. This was reflected in the context of each of the displayed pieces.
Featured at the Art Show this year was a ceramics wheel and the Knollwood students’ creations from its use. The wheel was acquired as the result of a grant requested by and awarded to the Knollwood School Art Teachers by the Fair Haven Parent Teacher Association.
Also on display at the show was a variety of drawings and paintings as well as paper, wood and ceramic sculptures.
Fair Haven School District Art Teachers are: RoseAnn LaBrocca K-3, Viola L. Sickles School; Kelly Fogas grades 4 to 8, Knollwood School; and Chris Dudick, 5th and 8th grades, Knollwood School.
Art Show coordinators were Stephanie Bates and Marisa Coar.
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
“Nothing in the creative process comes out absolutely beautiful the first time around,” children’s books author Lester Laminack recently told a group of Fair Haven parents. “If you focus on what your child did well – rather than what went wrong — then he or she will be encouraged to add more good things to the piece.”
Continue reading Author Offers Writer’s Insight to Fair Haven Students, Parents
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
This year’s Lunch with a VIP was a success at Fair Haven’s Viola L. Sickles school in Fair Haven.
Sponsored by the Fair Haven Parent Teacher Association, the lunch event, this year held from March 11 to 13, offers first-, second- and third-grade students the opportunity to enjoy lunch, treats, and fun activities with their own special VIP adult guests at a festive celebration.
“It provides them with a unique opportunity to connect with their loved ones during the school day, and to create a lasting memory,” said Jen Halcrow, who served as event co-chair with Suzanne Duffy.
This year’s event featured coffee for the adults, donated by Booskerdoo in Fair Haven, and cupcakes by Cupcake Magician on Monmouth Street in Red Bank (a hit with everyone).
A photo booth, a BINGO game and a Just Dance activity, led by Sickles School Principal Cheryl Cuddihy, added to the fun.
“It was such a pleasure to watch the different generations share stories, collaborate on Just Dance moves, and strategize for Bingo!” said Cuddihy. “We love having guests visit our school, and we were delighted to spend time with our VIPs.”
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
Even a cranky Grinch would have been smiling at the Fair Haven School District’s birthday celebration for beloved author Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.
The extravaganza at Sickles School kicked off on March 2 – Suess’ birthday and Read Across America Day — with what was dubbed a Birthday Celebration assembly.
Continue reading Looking Back at Fair Haven Schools’ Celebration of Dr. Seuss
By Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven School District’s sixth grade Spanish teacher Basil Henning is officially off administrative leave and headed back to the classroom.
Without mentioning his name or discussing why Henning was placed on leave from his job at Knollwood School, effective Feb. 15, Superintendent Nelson Ribon addressed the capacity crowd at the onset of Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting with the news.
“While the situation continues to be investigated, we are satisfied up to this point that a resolution is on tonight’s agenda to end this administrative leave,” Ribon said at the beginning of his superintendent’s report.
Concerning the decision to place this “staff member” on leave, Ribon said that “based on the information obtained up to that point in reference to the rights of that employee and the health and safety of the children, appropriate action was taken on one of our staff members, which was to place that person on administrative leave.”
Ribon thanked parents for their numerous correspondences as well as “patience and understanding to allow the process to run its course” in the 10 days Henning was on leave.
While Ribon did not mention Henning’s name, nor did audience members, it was included in a *correspondence that was sent out to parents on the Sunday evening of Feb. 15 when the leave decision was made.
The 10 days of correspondences he mentioned coincide with Henning’s leave — starting on Feb. 15 and ending after the resolution passed to end the leave at the Feb. 25 board meeting. More specific information will be shared in the future when and if it can be; but, right now, “because this is a personnel matter, we cannot discuss at this meeting or in public.”
Rumson parent Andrea Clurfeld spoke in the stead of several people there seeking more information about the leave. She asked that the board speak to procedure only and if the passing of the specific resolution on the matter to end the administrative leave meant that this teacher would be back in the classroom immediately.
“Yes,” Ribon and board members answered.
And just to clarify, Ribon said, “This was administrative leave, with salary and benefits (intact) … This was not a suspension. That is entirely different.”
Henning’s salary was listed in the April 18, 2013 Fair Haven Board of Education agenda as $49,787. Hired for the 2011-12 school year, Henning was one of 18 non-tenured staff members offered tenure for the 2013-14 year, the agenda item said.
*The letter sent out to parents on Feb. 15 read as follows:
On Sunday, February 15, 2015, Ribon, Nelson < [email protected]> wrote:
Dear Parents & Guardians,
I am writing to inform you that Mr. Basil Henning, a Knollwood School staff member, has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately. We are taking the proper steps to ensure that appropriate coverage is put into place.
Since this is a personnel matter, information regarding this cannot be discussed or shared with the public by our administration or BOE members, nor will it be a part of the public portion of our upcoming Board of Education meeting. If and when it is legally permissible and appropriate, information would be disseminated.
Thank you for your time.
Nelson Ribon
Can you spell champion?
Knollwood School fifth grader Addie Cope probably can. The 10-year-old Fair Haven resident has just been declared the winner of the school’s second annual spelling bee, according to a Fair Haven School District press release.
Cope won the final round and title on Feb. 2 by spelling the word jocularity correctly, the release said.
The win qualified her to go on to participate in the 31st annual Asbury Park Press/Home News Tribune Spelldown to be held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch on March 16 and 17.
Spelldown will feature 8- through 14-year-olds declared champions at their school levels in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The winner will move on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
“We are so proud of Addie and all of the students who participated in the grade level spelling bees at Knollwood,” Knollwood School Principal Kevin Davis said in the release. “We wish Addie the best of luck at the Spelldown and we hope to see her at the National Spelling Bee.”
Preliminary spelling bees were held in all Knollwood grades (fourth through eighth) to determine grade-level participants prior to the school-wide event.
Competing along with Addie in the Knollwood School Spelling Bee were: fourth grader Annie Kersten, sixth grader Abby Tuorto, seventh grader Aaron Bernstein and eighth grader Bridgette Simpson.
All the school districts in the Rumson-Fair Haven area have announced delayed openings for Tuesday.
Rumson School District:
“The Rumson School District will have a 90 minute delayed opening on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 with the possibility that school may be closed. You will be notified tomorrow morning if school will be closed.
For the delayed opening the AM Preschool will report to school at 10:10 am to 12:00 noon. Students in grades K-8 will report to school at 10:10 am to 3:05 pm.
Please allow the same amount of time to report to your bus stop as you normally would.”
Fair Haven School District:
“As a result of the current forecast for overnight accumulating snow and continued frigid temperatures, along with the need to prepare both campuses for students and staff, FH Schools will operate under a 2 ½ hour Plan B delayed opening schedule for tomorrow, Tuesday February 17th. AM Pre-K and Kindergarten both begin at 10:30; PM Kindergarten begins at 1:00, followed by PM Pre-K at 1:10. No lunches will be served.”
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District:
From the high school’s website …
“Staff sign in is at 9am.
The warning bell is at 9:10am.
Period 1 starts at 9:15am.
Buses will be running this morning on a 90 minute delayed schedule.”
The impending blizzard brings with it closings and cancelled/postponed meetings and events within the next few days.
So far, in Rumson:
• There will be a 1 p.m. dismissal on Monday at Forrestdale and Deane Porter schools, according to the district website.
All activities are cancelled.
• The school district’s PARCC Parent Workshop set for Monday at 7 p.m. will be rescheduled. Check the district website for updates.
So far, in Fair Haven:
• There will be early dismissals on Monday at both Sickles and Knollwood schools, according to the latest post on the Fair Haven Schools website.
Sickles will dismiss at 12:10 p.m. and Knollwood at 12:30.
“For the safety and well-being of our students and staff, FH schools we will have an early dismissal today,” Superintendent Nelson Ribon post on the district website. “Overnight forecast models show a potential for extremely windy conditions (blizzard warnings) during the early afternoon along with snow.”night:
So far, for Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School:
• There will be an early dismissal at 11:45 a.m. on Monday.
All after-school activities have been cancelled.
Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect will update this article as information becomes available. Please check back for updates.
The following is an edited press release from the Fair Haven School District:
The Fair Haven School District gave parents an opportunity to get some hands-on experience with Google Apps for the Classroom.
Parents gathered at the Media Center of Knollwood School on Dec. 2 for the fourth event in a series of several planned by the district’s new Fair Haven Family Institute. The Institute was created to relay information to parents on initiatives undertaken throughout each year in the district.
As part of the Go Google! event, parents received hands-on experience with the capabilities of Google Apps for the Classroom. The program was hosted by Ellen Spears, district director of Curriculum, as well as Sickles School Principal Cheryl Cuddihy, Knollwood School Principal Kevin Davis, and district supervisor of Instructional Programs and Support Kathy Elgrim.
Continue reading Parents Get ‘Google Apps for the Classroom’ Education
The following is an edited press release provided by the Fair Haven School District:
Parents of Fair Haven students received a wealth of information about upcoming Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) at a Nov. 12 PARCC Parent Presentation.
PARCC assessments will be administered to Fair Haven students in third through eighth grade in March (Performance-Based Assessments) and May (End-of-Year Assessments) of 2015.
Hosted by the district’s supervisor of Instructional Programs and Support, Kathy Elgrim, and held in the Knollwood School Media Center, the district-sponsored PARCC Parent Presentation focused on:
• what PARCC assessments are, and what they are designed to accomplish;
• steps being taken at both Viola L. Sickles and Knollwood Schools to prepare all students; and
• how the assessments, taken on individual laptops using Google technology, will appear to students.
PARCC assessments are based on the core belief that assessment should work as a tool for enhancing teaching and learning. They are designed to gauge how students are progressing in school and whether they are on track for postsecondary success.
The assessments, which cover the areas of mathematics and English language arts, will also provide teachers with the ability to identify students who may be falling behind and need extra help.
PARCC assessments focus on the newer, more rigorous Common Core Standards which have been adopted by 47 U.S. states thus far. The New Jersey State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards on July 12, 2010. The three-year implementation phase was completed during the 2013-14 school year.
Students from 15 states, including New Jersey, will be participating in PARCC assessments during the 2014-15 school year.
“The Fair Haven schools have been teaching according to standards for years, and the district’s report cards were redesigned during the 2003-04 school year to better reflect the standards,” said Elgrim. “As a school district, we are already aligned with these key standards —the taking of the assessments is another step in the process.”
In addition to aligning the curriculum — including math and literacy programs — to Common Core standards, the Fair Haven School District is preparing students for the PARCC exams by:
• teaching PARCC technology skills to students in grades three through eight;
• teaching keyboarding skills to students in first through fifth grades
Providing small computer-based assessments to first and second graders; and
• addressing Common Core Standards in Kindergarten classes, and providing Kindergarten students with access to Ipads and Google Chromebooks.
Elgrim noted that seventh graders at Knollwood School were selected to take the PARCC Math Assessment as part of a “field test” during the 2013-14 school year, and are therefore somewhat familiar with the process.
But she stressed that all students in all grades are being thoroughly prepared for the assessments and will be receiving hands-on exposure through the use of laptops with Google technology.
Elgim outlined some of the benefits PARCC assessments offer when compared with the more recently utilized NJ ASK, including a larger number of shorter testing sessions (less taxing on students), extended testing time for all students who require it (50 percent for all students, 75 percent for special needs/classified students), and the potential for school districts and parents to receive data more quickly (once standards for comparison are established).
The data received will allow for comparisons among students and sections, and also between grades and among schools.
NJ ASK will continue to be used for student assessments in the subject of science, and will be administered to students in fourth and eighth grades in May, 2015.
Those in attendance expressed gratitude for the information presented, as well for as the opportunity to ask questions and get a hands-on “feel” for the PARCC assessments using individual Google chromebooks.
“I felt that this was very beneficial,” said Olivia Ross, parent of a second grader at Viola L. Sickles School. “I feel much more informed.”
Additional information on PARCC assessments, including details provided at the PARCC Parent Presentation, can be found on the Fair Haven School District web site (fairhaven.edu) under PARCC.
“PARCC Parent Presentation” was the second in a series of events planned during the school year by the Fair Haven Family Institute. Upcoming presentations include “Google for Education” which will take place on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at Knollwood School.
For additional information on the Fair Haven Family Institute, please visit www.FairHaven.edu.
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