OBOE-Mail Blast April 13, 2018 Volume 7, Number 28

In This Issue:

Students Prepare for PARCC Assessment April 16 – May 4

Newly Elected Board of Education Members Receive the Oath of Office

Public Hearing on 2018-2019 District Budget

Students at Orange High School Making a French Connection

Yearbook Club Launches a Selfie Admin Competition on LG!

Heywood Avenue School’s Engineering Week Continues to S.T.E.A.M. Along

OACS Hosts Annual Career Awareness Day

Orange Prep Academy Students Visit Drew University

Sonic Explorations Spring Concert

Disney’s The Aristocats Kids at RPCS

Orange High School Student’s Writing Skills Acknowledged

The 7th Annual Dance Festival

FYI

The Orange Page Turners

Heywood Avenue School “My School Color Run”

Contact Information: Orange Board of Education 451 Lincoln Avenue Orange, NJ 07050 Send Us An Email

Thursday, April 12 - Saturday, April 14, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” April 12 at 7 p.m., April 13 at 7 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Orange Prep Auditorium (see flyer below)

Thursday, April 19, “Better Together Dads” workshop, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Orange Board of Education, 451 Lincoln Avenue

Sunday, April 22, 7th Annual Dance Festival, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Lincoln Avenue School

Friday, April 27, Orange Public School District Budget Hearing, 6:00 p.m., Lincoln Avenue School

Saturday, April 28, “My School Color Run,” 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Orange Park

Students Prepare for PARCC Assessment April 16 – May 4

Orange Public Schools will be administering the

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and

Careers or PARCC, beginning Monday, April 16 through

May 4, 2018. PARCC is a state required assessment for

grades 3-11. Families are asked to make sure children

come to school on time, ready to begin the

tests. Additionally, no electronic devices are permitted in the exam rooms, as it is a violation

of state rules. Students should get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast. This is an

opportunity for students to demonstrate their hard work and learning. So let’s go Orange!

Newly Elected Board of Education Members Receive the Oath of

Office

At the April 10 Board of Education Meeting, two newly elected Board of Education members,

Mr. Tyrone Tarver and Mr. Siaka Sharif, were administered the Oath of Office by Board

Secretary Adekunle O. James.

Mr. Tarver (pictured

right with his family

and Mr. James) won

the special election on

March 13, making him a

board member for two

years and eight months

and Mr. Sharif (pictured

far right with Mr.

James) won his seat for

an eight-month period.

mailto:purkisjo@orange.k12.nj.us

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The special election expanded the 7-member appointed board to nine members, as

required by state statue. With the election, the Orange Public School District moved from a

Type I District, where the mayor appoints board members, to a Type II District, where the

citizenry elects the board. In conformance with the new designation and board approval,

elections will be held in November. At that time Mr. Sharif’s position will be up for re-

election, as will two other board positions.

Public Hearing on 2018-2019 District Budget

The Orange Board of Education has, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:22-10, 18A:22-

11, and 18A:22-12, scheduled a Public Hearing on the Proposed 2018-2019

District Budget for Friday, April 27, 2018 at 6:00 p.m., at the Lincoln Avenue

School, 216 Lincoln Avenue, Orange, New Jersey 07050.

Students at Orange High School Making a French Connection Submitted by Bernice Budhu, Instructional Technology Coordinator, OHS

On March 19, 2018, Ms. Boakye's French III class participated in a collaborative project with

students at Clover High School in South Carolina. The session began with student

introductions, in French, and detailed some of their favorite subjects, sports, and things to

do.

Part two of the session was set up as a Mystery Skype (conducted in English), where both

sets of students provided clues to each other describing their location, and eventually

guessing the location. It was funny to narrow down one place to a fruit (Orange High School)

and the other to a leaf (Clover High School).

Students then proceeded to describe foods and famous people in French for the other

students to guess. Students were elated to make this connection and Ms. Boakye enjoyed

preparing and meeting the teacher in the process. Student and teacher reflections were

captured via Padlet. Below are some pictures from the session.

Pictured: OHS students “Skype” with Clover High School students in South Carolina.

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Yearbook Club Launches a Selfie Admin Competition on LG! Submitted by Bernice Budhu, Instructional Technology Coordinator, OHS

Every year, the yearbook club thinks of new and innovative

ways to engage the Administrative Team in making the

yearbook memorable for the graduating senior class. On

March 26, the yearbook club launched the competition: Admin

and Senior Selfies! The Administrator with the most selfies

posted to the Home_of_the_Tornadoes Instagram page, from

March 27 to March 29, won a 2-page spread in the 2018

yearbook.

The winner of the “Admin and Senior Selfie 2018 Competition”

is Assistant Principal Ms. Carrie Halstead.

Pictured: Assistant

Principal Carrie Halstead

with OHS senior.

Pictured (left to right): Principal Jason Belton; Assistant Principal Anne Richardson and Assistant

Principal Mohammed Abdelaziz with OHS senior.

Heywood Avenue School’s Engineering Week Continues to

S.T.E.A.M. Along

A team of educators at Heywood Avenue School recruited a variety of professionals from the

fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M) to continue the

tradition of Engineering Week, during the week of February 26. The objective of the

celebration was to foster interest in the number of ways that engineering helps shape the

world we live in. An array of presenters visited the school, to join the celebration that

included individuals working in a variety of engineering fields, as well as engineering

professors. The presenters allowed the students to learn how the skills they are developing

at Heywood Avenue School prepare them to pursue engineering as a major in college.

Pictured: Heywood students enjoy planned activities during Engineering Week.

https://www.instagram.com/home_of_the_tornadoes/?hl=en

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From the roads we drive on to our entertainment

options and from the wonders of the world to the

lure of the unknown, engineering touches our lives

daily and holds the promise of discoveries yet to

come. During the school year Heywood Avenue

School students have been immersing themselves

in S.T.E.A.M. related investigations via such

activities as the Project Lead the Way (PLTW)

introduction to engineering curriculum,

perspective drawing, coding classes, and the

Robotics Club. The student investigations

prepared them to participate in discussions with presenters that represented a variety of

fields inclusive of game design and production, civil, mechanical, and electrical

engineering. Throughout the week, the Heywood Avenue School students were able to

participate in discussions with, and presentations by individuals working in S.T.E.A.M.

Professions that served to illuminate how the skills they have been developing in school are

applied to solving “real-world” problems.

Heywood Avenue School would like to extend a special thanks to the presenters that

volunteered their time to enlighten our scholars including:

Dr. Ryan Bown - University of Utah - Entertainment Arts Engineering

Ms. Caroline Tragni - Plexus Corp. Medical Devices - Quality Engineer

Ms. Christianne Agpko - Electrical Engineering

Dr. Adrienne Decker - Rochester Institute of Technology - Game Design

Drs. DeRosa and Fontaine - Stevens Institute of Technology - Mechanical Engineering

HAK Electronics

Special thanks to the Heywood School Engineering Week Planning Team including Mr. Eric

Clementelli, Mr. Kevin Rutz, and Mr. Anthony St. Jean.

Oakwood Avenue Community School Hosts Annual Career

Awareness Day Pamela Venable, School Counselor, Oakwood Avenue Community School

The Principal of Oakwood Avenue Community School (OACS), Ms. Denise White and

OACS’s ambassadors greeted over 40 invited guest speakers for this year’s Career

Awareness Day on March 2. Included in the guests were citizens of Orange Township, as

well as former students of the Orange Public Schools, Councilwoman Donna Williams and

alumni of Oakwood Avenue School, Kyleesha Hill-Wingfield, a Member of the Orange Board

of Education.

As the guests walked through the building, they admired displays created by the students

related to college and career readiness. Some of the work included mock college

applications and research project door displays, which was reflective of students learning

about a variety of vocations, becoming more aware of the higher levels of education that

may be needed to enter various sectors of the job market.

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Pictured: Scenes from the OACS Career Day.

The staff and students of OACS thank all the participants who continue to support the

Oakwood community by donating their time and sharing information about careers.

Oakwood also appreciates Mr. Ronald C. Lee, Interim Superintendent of the Orange Public

Schools, for attending, reading to the primary students and engaging in conversation during

brunch with the guests. There was a great discussion on how to continue to inspire our youth

through a mentoring and schedule.

Career Awareness Day was a huge success. Some of the guests suggested career awareness

is an event that should take place more than once a year for all grade levels.

Orange Prep Academy Students Visit Drew University Submitted by Stephanie Desanges, Site Coordinator, Orange Prep Academy

On March 21, the Community Room Staff (Ms. Desanges, Community School Coordinator,

Ms. Stainfil and Ms. Romero (School Counselors) visited Drew University in Madison, New

Jersey, with 32 students from Orange Prep Academy. The day started with the students

arriving on campus and receiving a special welcome introduction from current Drew

students and staff.

The students received campus tours in their small break out groups. The tour included visits

to the Student Center, Science Labs, gymnasiums, special classrooms and cafeterias.

Students were informed about the buildings usage and learned fun facts about the campus

and student life.

To end the visit, students arrived to the Crawford Center where a special Panel Discussion

was prepared for them. The panel consisted of an Admissions Counselor, a Financial

Aid Counselor, Student Life representatives, and a current Drew student who is an Orange

High School alumnus. The panelist provided useful advice, financial aid information and

career options. Students learned about the FAFSA and its qualifications, merit money,

federal work-study, and EOS and EOF programs for NJ residents.

Overall, the students enjoyed themselves and had many questions for the representatives.

As always, they were engaged and asked many important related questions.

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This is the second visit from Orange Prep to Drew University. Students enjoyed the trip,

having pizza and drinks, but most of all, they enjoyed the opportunity to tour a College

Campus for the first time.

Pictured: Orange Prep students at Drew University.

Disney’s The Aristocats Kids at Rosa Parks Community School

The March 27 and 29 presentation of

"Disney's The Aristocats Kids" wowed the

audience, from the very talented cast and

crew to the crafty set design that enhanced

the entire production. The students

delivered each scene with confidence,

acting and singing tunes that entertained

family, friends and community members.

The story line, familiar to many Disney

fans, followed Duchess the cat and her

kittens as they are “cat-napped” from their

high-society lifestyle in Paris by a jealous

butler, determined that they don’t inherit

their owner’s fortune. The “Aristocats”

encounter Thomas O'Malley, the alley cat,

and his band of “jazz cats” and other

animals, as they find their way back home.

Pictured: Scenes from Disney’s The

Aristocats Kids.

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Pictured: Scenes from Disney’s The Aristocats Kids.

Congratulations to the stellar cast, stage crew members, along with the production staff:

Mariel Johnson, musical director, Lydie Bemba and Agnieszka Wszolkowska, art directors,

Sonya Tynes and Keva Holman, production managers, Nadiyah Smith-McCoy, director/

choreographer, Vicky Myers, light design director and Scott Clark, sound director. The cast

and staff also thank all the teachers who helped with the production and set, NJPAC and

parents.

Sonic Explorations Spring Concert

The spring concert presented by Sonic Explorations featured the strings students playing a

variety of string instruments and drums. The students were enthusiastic, showing their

talents to the delight of the audience. Sonic Explorations is an after school musical program

held at Oakwood Avenue Community School, for students in Grades 1 – 4. The young

performers work with experienced staff members to hone their musical skills.

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Pictured: Sonic Explorations students in concert.

Orange High School Student’s Writing Skills Acknowledged Contributed by Mr. Tyrone Jon Tarver, Board of Education Member

As previously reported in the March 23 OBOE-Mail Blast, Orange High School (OHS)

senior, Jenny Rodriguez, was the 2018 Orange Public Schools district winner of the

Barnes and Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest. Barnes and Noble recently announced

that Jenny’s essay was selected to enter the regional portion of the competition. From

there, five regional winners will be chosen to move on to nationals.

Jenny will be recognized for her accomplishment at a special ceremony at the Livingston

Mall Barnes and Noble, on Saturday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m., along with the subject of her

essay, Mr. Hooman Behzadpour, mathematics instructor, and Orange High School

Principal Mr. Jason Belton.

Additionally, Jenny has volunteered her time,

working with new Board of Education member

Mr. Tyrone Jon Tarver and sharpening her

editorial and writing skills, as a guest columnist

for the Local Talk weekly newspaper. Mr.

Tarver surprised her at school, accompanied

by Principal Jason Belton, with a copy of the

April 12 publication. He wanted to recognize

Jenny’s effort in working with him on a City

Council debate series, stating, “She worked so

hard to write this article and meet the

publishing deadline with only a couple of days

to complete the piece.”

Congratulations to Jenny and good luck to her in the Barnes and Noble competition.

Pictured (left to right): Board Member, Mr.

Tyrone Jon Tarver, OHS senior Jenny

Rodriguez and Principal, Mr. Jason Belton.

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FYI

The 7th Annual Orange Dance Festival

On Sunday, April 22, top-level dance educators will take

part in the Orange Dance Conservatory’s 7th Annual

Orange Dance Festival, offering master classes in Ballet,

Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop, Modern, Contemporary and World

Styles. The featured choreographer this year is Los Angeles

based dancer Phil Wright. Phil is renowned in the hip-hop

arena, as artistic director for many top performers.

Additionally, among the cadre of dance and performing

arts professionals participating in the festival, Maleek

Washington, who recently appeared on the live TV

production of Jesus Christ Superstar, will be present.

With such talents, the Dance Festival is the place to be for

dance enthusiasts, students and adults. The festival,

coordinated by Mrs. Deborah Rembert, Director of the Orange Dance Conservatory and

Park Avenue School dance instructor, will offer live dance program auditions and panel

discussions to give students an understanding of what it is like to work as a professional

dancer or dance educator.

The 7th Annual Dance Festival will be held at Lincoln Avenue School, located at 216 Lincoln

Avenue in Orange, on Sunday, April 22, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for Orange

Public School District students. The festival is open to dancers, ages 7 to adult, from dance

studios, dance schools, youth programs, public and private school dance programs and

members of the community. Refreshments will be available for purchase and dancers should

bring a bag lunch. For more information and for admission fee information for non-Orange

Public School students, email orangedanceconservatory@gmail.com.

The Orange Dance Festival is presented by the Orange Dance Conservatory and sponsored

by the Orange Public School District.

Orange Page Turners Surpasses One Million Pages

The Orange Page Turners Reading Challenge participants have surpassed the million- mark

and logged 1,098,469 pages as of March 15, “But we have a long way to go to get to 2

million,” says Director of English Language Arts Karen Harris. “Don't stop reading.”

Also for android users, logging pages read has become easier with the Orange Page

Turners app, now available at Google Play Store. Download it and start entering pages

today - - we have less than one month to go!

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Click here to register for the Orange Page Turners 2017-2018 Reading Challenge.

Visit www.orange.k12.nj.us for more information.

Heywood Avenue School “My School Color Run”

My School Color Run is an untimed fun

run course. Throughout the course participants

will experience color splash zones where they

will be doused in color. There will also be a final

color toss celebration.

Check in starts at: 9:00am, Race Starts at: 10:00am

Register Early! Registration includes a race bib, color packet, and a t-shirt only if you sign

up before 4/15/18. You can pick up your items at the registration table the day of your event

or prior to the event if needed. Share with your friends! #myschoolcolorrun #

Please contact: barrioma@orange.k12.nj.us or alcantfa@orange.k12.nj.us, with

questions. Also for more information, cut and paste the following web address in to your

browser:

https://events.myschoolcolorrun.com/event/2018---Heywood-Avenue-School---Orange-

NJ.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdp_m6zOpw_Bccxp9ZwrmKJfocnO_RJmfdvBUrDGPgxkoFfqw/viewformhttp://www.orange.k12.nj.us/mailto:barrioma@orange.k12.nj.usmailto:alcantfa@orange.k12.nj.ushttps://events.myschoolcolorrun.com/event/2018---Heywood-Avenue-School---Orange-NJhttps://events.myschoolcolorrun.com/event/2018---Heywood-Avenue-School---Orange-NJ

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SEE IMPORTANT FLYERS BELOW C H E C K T H E D I S T R I C T W E B S I T E C A L E N D A R F O R C O N C E R T S A N D A C T I V I T I E S .

https://www.orange.k12.nj.us/Page/2

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