Mrs. Ecret's 8th grade ELA classes at Wallace Middle School recently participated in an engaging reading activity led by Library Media Specialist Mrs. Loveland. During this dynamic event, students rotated through a variety of books, spending a few minutes previewing each one before deciding if it was a "match." They had the opportunity to discuss their first impressions with classmates, share recommendations, and explore new genres. By the end of the session, students walked away with a personal list of books they were excited to check out during their next library visit. This fun and interactive approach to book selection not only helped spark curiosity but also encouraged students to discover new titles that align with their interests.
The past two weeks have been busy for our AFJROTC cadets!
We kicked off with a visit from Coast Guard recruiter PO1 Justin Dial, who spoke to our flights about opportunities in the United States Coast Guard. Cadets had the chance to ask questions about everything from boot camp to career paths, and each flight learned about the latest incentives and what life in the military entails.
On February 5th, our Color Guard had the honor of presenting the colors and leading the Pledge of Allegiance during the Senior Night Girls Varsity basketball game.
Meanwhile, cadets worked on a heartfelt community service project, creating Valentine's cards for veterans. They selected uplifting quotes about love and designed colorful, meaningful cards, which were later delivered to the Veterans Home. President of the Resident Council, Gregory Miller, received the cards, and Cadet Staff Sergeant Rios had the opportunity to present them and appreciate the creativity behind each one.
With several upcoming projects and community service initiatives on the horizon, our Air Force JROTC cadets in NJ2009-1 continue to aim high!
Vineland High School senior Michaela Giuliani won the Poetry Out Loud Regional Competition on February 13th, hosted by Stockton University in Galloway, NJ. She will advance to the NJ State Final and compete with 11 other students from across the state.
Vineland High School was well represented at the Region 2 competition, with 35 of Giuliani’s classmates and teachers traveling with her to support and cheer her on.
A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud (POL) encourages high school students to learn about great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition. Students select, memorize, and recite classic and contemporary poems, helping them to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.
Each Regional Finalist must recite a total of three POL Anthology poems by heart, reciting one poem per round. Poems must be from the approved POL Anthology and satisfy the contest criteria. Winners of the state competition represent New Jersey at the National Finals.
Region 2 includes Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Cape May counties; the winner of the regional competition advances to the state competition. Seven schools were represented at the Region 2 competition, including Penns Grove High School, Atlantic City High School, Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Oakcrest High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Absegami High School, along with VHS. VHS has performed well at the Regional Finals in the past several years and advanced to the State competition seven times. The winner of the state competition wins a trip to the National Finals in Washington, DC, where they have a shot at winning $20,000.
"I am very proud of Michaela's performances, and I know that her classmates are proud of her as well," said Vanessa Rasmussen, VHS South English Department Chairperson, Coordinator of the school’s annual Poetry Out Loud competition, and member of the NJ POL Teacher Advisory Board. "The poems Michaela chose were emotionally complex, and she personalized them and performed them for the audience with insight and confidence. I am thrilled that we were able to share the experience of poetry in action with so many of our students, and I am gratified that they truly enjoyed themselves and happily participated in the process," said Rasmussen.
New Jersey Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, in collaboration with Count Basie Center for the Arts. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies of the United States. Additional support for NJPOL is provided by ArtPride NJ Foundation and local partners. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 3 million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 schools in every state, Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
The Vineland Preschool Program has started its Kindergarten transition visits!
These visits include all P4 students visiting a Kindergarten classroom with their preschool teacher and coaches, participating in a short classroom activity, visiting the cafeteria, and more.
This is one step the preschool program takes in preparing for the transition from Preschool to Kindergarten.
Thank you to all of the preschool teachers and coaches for going on this journey with our students, and a huge thank you to the elementary schools and their staff for welcoming Vineland’s youngest learners into your schools and classrooms.
Just a reminder! All Vineland Public Schools will be closed on Monday, February 17, in recognition of Presidents' Day.
Miss Valderrama’s fourth-grade math class at D'Ippolito Elementary School celebrated the grand opening of "Café Mathematics" on Thursday, January 16th. Having just wrapped up their chapter on long division, students put their skills to the test. They worked together to solve real-world math problems, using division as well as multiplication, addition, and subtraction. Students took and placed orders from a menu, all while enjoying café treats and practicing math! One student shared, “It’s like we’re doing math, but we get to eat too!” The students had a blast at Café Mathematics, applying their math skills to real-world situations!
Fourth-grade student Yvenold Simon has a heart for others and loves to give back. Every year for Yvenolds' birthday, he enjoys giving back to his school. This year, along with his mother, Eliza Twegby, Yvenold donated a check to the D’Ippolito School Activity Fund for the amount of $1,280 for their Boosterthon Fundraiser. In addition to the check, he donated a generous amount of supplies for his classrooms. After celebrating with Eagles-themed cupcakes (Go Birds), the students in both of his fourth-grade classrooms received gift bags wrapped up to take home. Yvenold, known as Evie to his classmates, told his teacher, Mrs. Nelson,” I just like to make other people happy”. We are extremely proud to know that our D’Ippolito Dragons continue to demonstrate the BRAVO traits, and we thank Yvenold and his family for their support of our school!
The Chick-fil-A incentive program is in full swing in Michael Mellace’s ELA classes at Vineland High School! Through hard work and determination, all six of his classes have earned this reward, excelling in reading assignments, class projects, and poetry recitations. The program has motivated even the most hesitant students to share their voices and encouraged teamwork in new ways. Looking ahead, there are hopes to partner with more local businesses to continue inspiring student success next year!
Sabater School PTO sponsored a Valentine's Dance for Kindergarten and 1st-grade students on Thursday, February 6, which more than 60 families attended! Families enjoyed dancing, arts & crafts, games, and snacks. The Sabater staff and families had a great time!
All Vineland Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, due to inclement weather. Stay safe!
Just a reminder - this Friday! Come out and support the VHS Marching Band!
Winslow Elementary School's Captain's Crew has successfully collected $861.90 from our AMAZING Winslow school families. All of this money will be going to the American Red Cross to help aid with the wildfire relief. On behalf of the Winslow Elementary Captains Crew, we would like to thank everyone who has participated in our Penny Wars over the past two weeks! Your generosity will help many in need. The grade level with the most coins collected was... 3rd grade, with a total of $230.36! They have won an ice cream party at lunch on Friday 2/8. Thank you again to all who participated.
Congratulations to Chad Sciore, our Winter Scholar-Athlete! Chad is a senior at VHS with an outstanding 4.7 GPA and a dedicated varsity wrestler. He plans to study neuroscience in college. Congratulations Chad! We are proud of you.
On Friday, Mrs. Lee’s third-grade class at Rossi participated in a Super Bowl Challenge! Students had to complete three rounds of reading activities to unlock a clue to earn their “halftime show and concession stand snack.” Activities included football-themed vocabulary, reading comprehension of the history of football, and correcting sentences. Each clue contained a number problem they had to solve, such as addition or multiplication. The number unlocked their next “down,” or round of activities. The halftime show was a football themed party, which included a yummy snack! Of course, the day included listening to the official NFL theme song! Students were so engaged and focused!
On Friday, February 7th, Petway third grader Kendrick Munson was awarded a certificate from the Vineland Soup Kitchen at the monthly Petway Patriot Pep Rally. In January, Kendrick and his classmates were visited by Debbie Eisinger, a volunteer from the soup kitchen. During the presentation, Debbie discussed the daily meals that they prepare, including special meals for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Kendrick asked if they prepare anything for birthdays since that is a special day that should be celebrated. Debbie took Kendrick’s idea back to the soup kitchen, and now they have a birthday celebration at the end of each month. The first birthday celebration was celebrated at the end of January. Kendrick and his classmates also made special birthday cards to be given out at the monthly celebrations. Kendrick showed empathy and compassion for the people in his community with this wonderful idea. Chick-Fil-A also honored Kendrick by visiting his class and brought a special treat.
Mrs. Myerson's First Graders at Mennies have been busy in ELA writing All About Me books! After they spent several weeks learning facts about important historical figures, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, Duke Ellington, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it was their turn to write their own important facts about themselves! Students began by analyzing writing models and highlighting the parts of self-descriptions. Then, they used sentence starters to write their own sentences telling facts about themselves on each page of their book. Colorful illustrations were added to each page and the book cover. Finally, students practiced sharing their writing with a friend and then with the entire class using our classroom microphone! These firsties loved being engaged in the writing process and publishing their pieces. Mrs. Myerson is SO proud of them!
On Thursday, VHS alumnus Jenny Shinn returned to VHS to visit with the marine science classes. Mrs. Shinn is a field researcher at the Haskins Shellfish Research Laboratory in Port Norris. Accompanied by Rutgers graduate student Talia Barry, Mrs. Shinn gave a quick lesson on oyster ecology before passing out clams and oysters for the students to shuck. Once they bivalves were opened, students then tried to identify various anatomical structures.
Dr. William Mennies School held a jeans day fundraiser in order to help with the damage done by the wildfires in California. Donations collected went to the American Red Cross Organization. Thank you for your generosity!
Last Tuesday, David Ferrara, an AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador, visited the VHS S.H.A.P.E. Club to show the students how to check water quality using macro-invertebrates. The presentation began with a slideshow explaining what a watershed is and then went through the various critters they could possibly find in the water sample. Afterward, students sorted the aquatic "bugs," trying to identify them and decide what condition the water was in based on what they found.
It's finally Super Bowl Weekend! While many of us are cheering for the Eagles, we also can't wait to see if Pop will bring home his third Super Bowl ring!
Friendly reminder that our schedule will not be changing on Monday. Please be safe this weekend and we look forward to celebrating next week!
