New Grading System Proposed for Cedar Grove

The Cedar Grove Board of Education heard a presentation from the township’s High School Committee regarding a change to the grading system the school will move to in September pending board approval later this month.

The committee recommended moving to a 4.0 grade-point average scale, instead of the 100-point scale recently used in many New York schools.

"That's the plan I liked from the beginning," board President Frank Mandala Jr. said. "I think people would be converting it to the GPA anyway."

The board will revisit the issue at the June 26 meeting. If approved, the new grading system will start with incoming freshman for the class of 2016.

A minimum passing grade of 65, though, will take effect for all students starting in September.

The board also was shown a Power Point presentation by the high school music director covering the recent Eastern European trip high school seniors had undertaken.

"I thought it was an awesome experience for the kids," Mandala said. "Mrs. Jessen did a wonderful job organizing the trip. I think it is definitely something to continue."

The music department traveled throughout Europe during Spring Break from April 6 to 15 and performed in churches, a school, a community center and a synagogue in Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Baden and Budapest.

The trip was entirely funded by students and parents with Music Matters, the parent-teacher organization that helps sponsor the music department.

Besides visiting Mozart’s home, students visited the Dachau concentration camp, the Mondsee "Wedding Church," where "The Sound of Music" was filmed, the Hallein Salt Mines and Neuschwanstein Castle.

Music Matters has been organizing fundraisers during the last year to help defray costs of the trip including a or standing outside .

Next year, the music group will most limit the trip to this country — heading to the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Last year, the group visited Nashville.

In other news, the board approved:
• Coaches for football, boys and girls soccer, cross country girls volleyball, boys and girls tennis, cheerleading, boys and girls basketbal, wrestling, indoor track, boys and girls track, softball, baseball and three weight room supervisors.
• Updated curriculums for American Government and Politics, AP Physics, Art Grades K-4, Contemporary U.S. History, English Grade 5, English I, Global Studies, Global Studies Honors, Health Grades K-2, Personal Finance, Physical Education K-2, Physical Science CP, U.S. History I, U.S. History I Honors, U.S. History II and U.S. History II Honors.
• Employees for the District Evaluation Advisory Committee for the 2012-2013 school year.
• The rehiring and setting of salaries of 13 school employees.