Vineland Public Schools -

The Vineland High School Select Choir and Marching Band traveled to New York City on May 3 for their annual Spring Competition. Students enjoyed a day in the city visiting and taking backstage tours of Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Station, the NY Public Library, and the Broadway production of Wicked. The musicians then competed nationally with Music in the Parks, ending the day with an awards ceremony in Great Adventure. The Vineland High School Select Choir received a superior rating, scoring 94 out of 100 points, taking first place and winning the overall rating in the best-mixed choir division. The Vineland High School Marching Band received a superior rating, scoring 94.25 out of 100 points, also taking first place and winning the overall rating in the concert band division. Directors Lori Cummines and Justin Feliciano would like to thank the K-12 performing arts teachers, the families, and the community for their continued support of the performing arts programs at Vineland Public Schools. The Select Choir and Marching Band look forward to an exciting fall season for the 2024-25 school year.

The last Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22, from 6 to 8 in the Sabater Cafetorium. The meeting will focus on ways for parents to further their children's learning over the summer using household items or dollar store items. All parents/family members of ESL/Bilingual students are welcome to attend! See the attached flyers for more information.

Nearly 700 Vineland Public Schools elementary students attended the Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s Education Concert on Friday and had an amazing time! This year’s concert, “How Music Talks: Danza Extravaganza,” celebrated captivating dance based upon folk music. Performances included: * Glinka’s fun-loving Wedding Song, Kamarinskaya, a classic, thrilling Russian dance that gets faster as it builds. * Mendelssohn’s dramatic finale to his Italian Symphony, which exudes vigor and bite as the jumpy Saltarello alternates with the scorpion-stung Tarantella. * Mendelssohn’s minuet provides elegance as a breather between exciting performances * Finally, violin superstar Luosha Fang wraps up the performance with a fierce witch’s dance in the finale of Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2. Jed Gaylin, Music Director of the Symphony, discussed “how music talks” with the audience of enraptured students. Students also participated in pre- and post-concert lessons in the classroom to allow them to gain more appreciation and exposure to classical music and its rich history.

Mrs. Meneghetti and Mr. Martini’s class at Petway Elementary School celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Friday! They learned about the meaning behind the holiday and embraced the Mexican culture by indulging in a story called Chicks and Salsa. Students learned some Spanish words as well as some common Spanish foods. After, they were to write a prediction about whether or not they would like chips and salsa as a snack. At the end of the day, they were surprised with chips, salsa, and queso at snack time to try! Mrs. Mongelluzzo and Paulie came to celebrate with the class too!

VHS Colorguard is looking for new members for the 2024-2025 band season! What is Colorguard? Colorguard is a visual representation of the band's music. Colorguard competes with the band in competitions at various locations during the band season, marches with the band during parades, and attends special events. VHS Colorguard is open to all VHS students and CCTEC students. If you haven't found your place yet, the Colorguard may be just what you are looking for. It takes commitment and hard work, but it's also a great place to make friends and an opportunity to learn something fun and new. Check www.vhsmb.com for more information. Sign-up information for the 2024-2025 Colorguard will be posted in the weeks ahead, so keep watching for updates!

The Wallace Safety Patrol and NJHS were invited to help with Family Game Night at Dane Barse School. The students served as guides to take each group of families to various stations where they played different games. Some students helped serve food to families as well. The students had a great time, and we are very appreciative of our continued partnership with Dane Barse and being invited to help with their many community outreach events.

Come see these Advanced Seniors and their friends in the Spring Dance Concert this Thursday, May 9th at 6:30pm in the South Auditorium!

Students in the RISE Program and Mrs. Giovinazzi's class joined together on Friday to get some work-based learning (WBL) experience at Twice Loved Treasures. They started with a brief tour of the thrift shop and then got right to work cleaning and restocking shelves. This ongoing WBL site will help the students understand the importance of listening and following directions on the job and the need for excellent customer service.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all the fantastic teachers in our school district and beyond! This week, we celebrate your unwavering dedication, passion, and tireless efforts in molding the lives of our students. Your commitment to education is truly inspiring, and we are deeply grateful for all you do. Thank you for being the guiding lights in our classrooms and making a difference every single day!

On Wednesday, May 1st, top performers and artists from Cape May & Cumberland County Teen Arts were honored at the Levoy Theatre for the Teen Arts Showcase. Students advancing to states were recognized for their impressive talent and dedication to the arts. Students received certificates of commendation and praise from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and New Jersey legislative members. To top it off, Teen Arts invited one state-selected number from each school to perform at the ceremony on Wednesday night. Ms. Gardner was so incredibly proud that our Musical Theatre Duet, with students Abigail Burger and Nora Cleary, was selected to represent Vineland High School! Over 800 students participated in the Teen Arts Festival this year, and 156 students from Cape May County and Cumberland County advanced to states. Vineland High School will be represented by 12 visual arts students, 12 dance students, and 16 theatre students. Congratulations to all, and best of luck at States!

Mennies Elementary recently celebrated the character trait of the month, focusing on the theme of a positive attitude. To mark the occasion, students gathered in the all-purpose room for a special assembly. The event kicked off with the upbeat tunes by Mr. Hannah and Cole. Throughout the assembly, students took the lead, delivering uplifting messages. Students were awarded character badges in recognition of their exemplary attitudes. Towards the end of the assembly, Assistant Principal Mrs. O'Donoghue shared an exciting challenge initiated by Ms. Lovisone. The challenge aimed to boost student engagement, and thanks to the students' exceptional efforts, they surpassed the goal. As a result, Mrs. O'Donoghue graciously agreed to be pied in the face. Even Custodian Mr. Ganci joined in, displaying his own positive attitude by allowing a student to pie him in the face, spreading positivity throughout the school building. It's moments like these that make us truly proud to be part of the Mennies community!

In Mrs. Thomas' fifth-grade math class at Mennies Elementary School, students learned about coordinate graphing. Following the lesson, they divided into small groups to deepen their comprehension. As a concluding activity, students were introduced to the game of coordinate battleship, which they enthusiastically embraced. It was a hands-on experience that they thoroughly enjoyed, engaging with their peers in a fun and educational manner.

We hope to see everyone at the VHS Spring Dance Concert!

Melissa Hannigan-Painter, Principal of the Vineland Preschool Program, was honored at the May 1 Board of Education Meeting as the recipient of the 2023-24 Vineland Administrators and Supervisors Association (VASA) Administrator of the Year. The award was presented by Dr. Kristen Speakman, principal of Winslow Elementary School and president of VASA. VASA represents nearly 40 district principals, assistant principals, and supervisors. Members submit nominees based on qualities they feel make the nominees stand out in their field. For eight years, Painter has been part of the preschool program, tirelessly working with her staff to strengthen the relationships between our staff, families, and community. This was evident by the number of staff members who showed up for the meeting, proudly holding signs in support of their principal. Dr. Speakman also had high praise for Painter, noting, “Her commitment to early childhood education is unparalleled, and she continually seeks out innovative approaches to support the academic and social-emotional development of our youngest learners in Vineland.”

Don't forget - tonight is the annual Vineland High School Spring Concert! The concert will feature performances from the Select Choir, Varsity Singers, Concert Choir, String Ensemble, Stage Band, Concert Ensemble, and Marching Band. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend. Come out and support our talented Performing Arts Department!

We will be streaming the Board of Education Combined Meeting live at 5pm on our YouTube channel. We will be honoring our Administrator and Teachers and Educational Service Professionals of the Year at the start of the meeting! View here: https://www.youtube.com/live/S50KQiId7N8?si=mEjRM6aYrmgA4XRs

Behind every successful school, there stands a remarkable principal. Thank you for your tireless dedication, inspiring leadership, and boundless passion for shaping futures. Happy National School Principal's Day!

Britney Aguilar Osorio and Ileanie Mendez are the April Dancers of the Month! These Dance 1 students have been so excited and interested in learning dance this year. They have worked hard and are so excited for their first dance showcase on May 9th at 6:30 in the VHS South Auditorium.

Johnstone Middle School winners of the 2024 District Art School for the Secondary schools were awarded their certificates and prizes today! Yairaleen Villa Guevara created a beautiful acrylic landscape, winning third place. In second place, Alana Torres won with her interdimensional, space-inspired canvas painting. Our first-place winner, Alianna Negron, won with her beautifully crafted pen and ink animal drawing. Congratulations!

On Wednesday, April 24th, Visual Arts students from Vineland High School attended the County Teen Arts Festival in Millville, NJ. Twelve students were chosen to have their work advance to states! Their work will be displayed at the State Teen Arts Festival at Middlesex College from June 4th-6th Winners include: Kayla Irrizary, Trystin Adkins, Brianna Lovisone, Juleysy Lopez Mass, Megan Harrell, Janessa Marrero, Thaili Nemelc, Isabella St. John, Sulema Olmeda Osario, Maria Gabino Benitez, Brianna Diaz, Angelina Colon Congratulations to all!