From Livingston Public Schools

Dear Livingston,

We had a wonderful school year at LPS!  All students, staff and families should be very proud of the hard work and countless hours that were put into the success of this school year.  Thank you to all!

As you know, eight of our nine schools (LHS being the exception) are undergoing construction over the next year.  The construction started in some schools a few months ago, however now that the students have been released for the summer, the heavy construction has really begun.  In order to adhere to our schedule, the construction crews need to maximize this time in the summer when the schools are mostly vacant. 

 We kindly ask that students and families stay away from the schools whenever possible this summer.  All phone extensions will be working, so you can always call with any questions or concerns; however please call before trying to visit any of the schools.  If there is ever a time when you need immediate assistance,  please call the Central Office at 973-535-8000 x0.

Thank you for your patience as we strive to improve the quality of our schools.

 In this edition:

• Livingston Board of Education
• Important Dates
• District News
• Community Opportunities
• Livingston Education Foundation

Livingston Board of Education

The Livingston Board of Education will hold a voting meeting on July 18^th at 4:15 p.m. in the Board of Education Administrative Office, 11 Foxcroft Drive.

Important Dates

• June 24 – Final reports cards for Heritage Middle School and Mt. Pleasant Middle School will be available on STARS.
• June 27 – Final reports cards for Livingston High School will be available on STARS.

District News

• The Livingston Board of Education has revised its school calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. The last day of school has been changed to a partial day on June 20, 2012 and the Livingston Education Week visitation dates have been added for your information. Click here for the revised 2011-2012 LPS School Calendar.

• Three new administrators will take office July 1, 2011. LHS Assistant Principal Mark Stern will become LHS Principal July 1 replacing Pam Clause McGroarty who retires June 30 after 40 years. Bronawyn O’Leary, a health and physical education in Keansberg,  will replace Stern as Assistant Principal July 1. Debra Ostrowski, the District’s Supervisor of Business Education, will become Principal at Mount Pleasant Middle School July 1, replacing Pamela Slevin. Cara Szeles, Principal of Mendham Township Elementary School, will become Hillside Elementary School Principal September 1, replacing retiring Principal Bernadette Pilchman.

• In its latest nationwide rankings. Newsweek magazine has ranked Livingston High School No. 106 in the country. More importantly, of the 35 high schools that self-reported in New Jersey, LHS is the highest ranked public school. There are two New Jersey high schools ahead of Livingston, but they are magnet schools that only accept the best students.  Livingston Superintendent of Schools Brad Draeger issued this statement about the new rankings. “Is this good news?  Yes because it casts a very favorable light compared to some of the other rankings.  But all rankings are at best subjective and depend upon the methodology and weightings to determine the ranking.  The long term prestige of any school should be measured by the success of the graduates and their success in the workplace.  In those aspects, LHS by any measure has graduates of prestige with a wide range of actors, governors, Nobel peace prize winners and esteemed members of the US military. We are pleased with the rankings, but I would hope that all parents realize the subjectivity of the rankings and no single ranking should ever be used to make educational decisions or educational comparisons.” 

• Livingston Public Schools has added a new Press Release section to its website at  www.Livingston.org. Make sure you visit the site regularly and check out the new section for up-to-date news and information.

• Livingston Public Schools has opened the Subscription Busing Lottery for the 2011-2012 school year. If you are a resident whose child will be attending Livingston Public Schools in the fall and are interested in subscription busing, please go to the website at www.Livingston.org and click on the link for the busing lottery. Please note that if your child currently has subscription busing, you must reapply for the new school year. Students in grades K-8 who live more than 2 miles from their respective school and students in grades 9-12 who live more than two-and-a-half miles from the high school qualify for mandated busing. Students who live in lesser distances from their schools may participate in the busing lottery.

• The members of the SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee) would like to make sure that all parents of students with disabilities know how to contact the student’s home school SEPAC representative. You should contact your representative if you have any questions regarding the navigation of the special education system.  Please refer to the Livingston Public Schools website for a list of representatives click  SEPAC Representatives

Community Opportunities

• Livingston Youth and Community Services (LYCS) program is now accepting registration for LYCS Leaders for the 2011-2012 school year. Registration is ongoing throughout the school year, and classes start in October through May, with end of year parties in June. New for 2012 will be LYCS Young Leaders (grade 2) which will teach age-appropriate social and leadership skills. Classes include Leaders (grades 3-5) after-school program at the Elementary schools, and evening programs (5:30-7 pm) at Monmouth Court Community Center for Grade 5 Leaders, Peer Leaders (grades 6-8), and Peer to Peer (grades 9-12). Registration is through the Township of Livingston: Senior, Youth, and Leisure Services. For more information visit www.livingstonlycs.org or email: lycs@livingston.org.

• The West Essex YMCA will offer a Teen Leader’s Club Fridays from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Y. Activities include sports, fundraising and community volunteer activities. For information, contact John Kane, Youth  and Teen Director, at jkane@metroymcas.org or (973) 992-7500.

• The Livingston Police Department is inviting township children to create a slogan for this year’s National Night Out, Aug. 2. The slogan will appear on T-shirts that will be distributed at the event. The winner will receive a T-shirt autographed by the chief of police and mayor as well as other prizes. The contest is open to children who live in Livingston and are currently in kindergarten through grade 12. For information, visit www.livingstonnj.org/commpolice-dare.html.

• A new “Shining Star” Sports League: A League for Exceptional Children, offered by the new Senior, Youth and Leisure Services League for children with special needs, is accepting registration for its fall soccer program. The program is open to residents and non-residents and will run from Sept. 17 to Nov. 6, 9:30-10:30 a.m. for the junior league for ages 5-9 and 11 a.m. to noon for the senior league for ages 10-16 at the Monmouth Court Community Center. Other programs to be offered include basketball, floor hockey and t-ball/baseball . The cost is $75 per sport. To register, visit http://livingstonsyls.org or enroll at the SYLS office at the Livingston Senior/Community Center on Hillside Avenue, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, including program qualifications, and volunteer signup (training will be provided), contact SYLS Adaptive Recreation Coordinator Mark Silance at (973) 535-7925 or email msilance@livingstonnj.org.

•  Cub Scout Pack 16 is accepting registration for new scouts for the 2011-2012 scouting year. All boys currently in kindergarten through 4th grade are eligible to join. For information, e-mail committeechair@livingstonpak16.org.
• Global Friendships is seeking host families for 15 junior high school and high school students from the northern region of Spain for a cultural exchange program June 30 through July 27. The students have knowledge of the English language and will attend ESL classes week days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the day at Anthony Franco’s Pizzeria. They will also be taking special day trips to New York City, the beach, Six Flags Great Adventure, etc. Host families will be asked to provide a bed, three meals a day and transportation and make the student feel like they are part of the family. For information, call Yvette A. Borondy at (973) 992-5177 or e-mail nyuci@aol.com.

Livingston Education Foundation

• The Livingston Education Foundation, a non-profit umbrella organization providing school-community partnerships and shared resources to enhance educational opportunities for the Livingston Public Schools, has announced the five alumni it will induct into the Livingston High School Hall of Fame during the Second Annual Homecoming Weekend 2011 scheduled for Oct. 14-16. This year’s honorees are: Robert E. Grady, class of 1975; Charles “Chuck” Jaffe, class of 1980; Alan B. Krueger, class of 1979; Alfred Savia, class of 1971; and Joanne Silberner, class of 1973.

• Shop for a graduation party or any other kind of celebration at Party City and give back to our schools! Shoppers get 10 percent off of their entire purchase price and Party City will give 10 percent from the same purchase to the Livingston Education Foundation in support of Livingston Public Schools District-wide initiatives. You can download a coupon from the foundation. http://www.livingston.org/lef/site/default.asp.

E-News will not be sent out weekly during the summer, however there will be a few editions with pertinent information to prepare you for the upcoming school year.

Thank you and have a wonderful summer!

 Take care,

 Allison Freeman

Interim Manager, Communications and Community Outreach