Home: President's Letter

President's letter

January 31, 2012

Hi, parents and staff:

"Summer lovin', had me a blast; summer lovin', happened so fast; I met a girl crazy for me; met a boy, cute as can be ..." OK, I will stop singing, as my children remind me that it could be painful to some. However, listening to our high school students prepare for "Grease," our upcoming spring musical, is music to all our ears. Inside student sources tell me that "this may be one of our best musicals to date." You can see "Grease" in our comfy, cozy auditorium this Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday Feb. 4, at 1:30 or 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students* (*Saturday afternoon performance - special deal for MS students - $5 tickets) and are available for purchase half an hour before curtain. Ticket sellers advise me that Friday night is selling out fast but tickets are still available for ALL shows. To purchase tickets, please call Diane Karcanes at 201-444-2825.

Since "we go together like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong," note that our middle schoolers are also preparing to go to "Never Neverland" with their upcoming production of "Peter Pan," which will be held March 1-3. I am quite sure that it will be as wonderful as "Grease." Watch for more information as we get closer to the date.

So as now the music has definitely brought me to thinking of summer, I can't quite believe that we are halfway there as the second marking period ends on the first, and by the time you read this we will all be done with midterms. Whew! As we enter the third quarter, our juniors will be gearing up for SAT testing. You can help your child prepare as Catalyst Prep offers SAT Bootcamp on March 3 and 4 here in Glen Rock. This is an HSA fundraiser; as you help your child, you help us, too! Win-win! Click here for more info. The Glen Rock Community School is also offering FREE PRACTICE ACT and SAT tests at the high school on Feb. 11 and 25 respectively. Please note that the free tests are not a class but practice exams and that the bootcamp is a strategic planning session weekend to improve scores. Both are worthwhile events!

As our current Grad Ball 2012 parents are well under way preparing for this year's event, it is time to begin thinking about Grad Ball 2013. The kick-off meeting for junior class parents is on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at the high school.

Location of our upcoming graduation for the Class of 2012 has been a recent hot-button issue at the high school. At the time of this writing, there are still question marks with regard to the field issues at hand. That being said, what we do know is that the athletic fields are scheduled to be closed as of April 1, the reasoning being that the administration needs adequate time to make plans for the scheduling of future athletic schedules. I am so proud of all our students who came out to speak at this past week's Board of Education meeting in favor of graduation remaining on the field. They spoke eloquently, knowledgably and respectfully. I will ask this though: "Hold on to your caps and gowns" as no ultimate location decision has been made, but I have confidence in our administrators to make the best necessary decision to handle the situation.

Additional administrative issues have also arisen in the past couple of weeks as Governor Christie gave his "John Hancock" to new legislation that allows school boards or the town to eliminate the school budget portion of the school election in April, as long as the proposed budget remains at the statutory 2 percent cap or below, and move the election of trustees to November at the time of the General Election. This decision has been made and we will NOT have a budget vote in April as we have had in the past, and we will vote for trustees in November. That being said, there will still be a public hearing with regard to the budget in order to keep the public informed. The Federated Council of HSAs is in the process of forming our Budget Publicity Committee, which will be represented by Karin Colquitt and John Boscoe. (Thank you to you both!) If you are interested in becoming involved, please e-mail Karin at kberntc@aol.com.

You spoke, they listened ... Many parents districtwide were concerned with the proposed calendar for the 2012-2013 school year. The 2012-2013 calendar was approved at the last Board of Education meeting. The highlighted changes were as follows: There were four snow/weather-related days scheduled, which now is reduced to three; the previously scheduled staff workshop (no classes for students on or about Oct. 8, 2012) now is changed to an early dismissal day. These two changes allowed for a long weekend for Presidents Day, where there will be no school on Friday, Feb. 15, through Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. There will be no school on Good Friday, March 29, 2013, returning to school on Easter Monday, April 1, 2013, for the entire week and a break commencing the following week on Monday, April 8, 2013, where students will return to school on Monday, April 15, 2013. Thank you to all involved!

At our previous HSA meeting this past Tuesday, we also recently made some changes and revisions to our current bylaws and constitution. The document was reviewed and amended and can be seen here. Also discussed were upcoming events such as Relay for Life, where we are still in need of an eighth grade parent coordinator. If you are interested in helping out with this amazing event, please e-mail Annmarie Tarleton at atarleton1@verizon.net. Speaking of amazing events, it is time to start thinking of next year's fundraising effort. Remember that at the MS/HS, we generally hold a large event every other year. In order to keep it new, different and exciting, new ideas and chairs are always welcome, and planning is the key to a successful event. Have any ideas???? Please contact me. Fundraising ... did I say fundraising ... (LOL). FREE MONEY, yes free money, I love FREE MONEY! Reminder, shopping on Amazon yields us monthly free money. Whether you are a regular Amazon shopper or an occasional Amazon shopper, the HSA gets dividends of that purchase, but only if you shop from our site. So, when it is time to shop from your laptop, please remember us; you can either click this link, or next time you are about to purchase from Amazon, just go to grchips.com first and click through. Thanks in advance. Free money is also available directly to the high school as Mr. Arlotta recently set up the high school as a Stop & Shop A+ Rewards member. So, if you are a Stop & Shop customer, you can register your card, and the high school receives rewards. Information is available on the high school website.

Finally, we would like to hear from you! We welcome your "bytes" to be included in eChips. eChips is sent to you semimonthly, usually every other Tuesday. In order to keep our well-oiled machine running smoothly, we need you to submit any HSA-RELATED information to our webmaster at webmaster@grchips.com the Friday prior to the mailing. All dates with regard to submission deadlines and eChips mailings are on the calendar located on our webpage: grchips.com. Please give a detailed summation of the information you need posted. We will edit for clarity and size but are unable to write the blurb for you. In order to not overburden our membership with e-mail, information that is submitted to us after the eChips submission deadlines cannot be guaranteed to be posted. Thanks for your help!

Reminder: Be sure to have a taco or two at Blue Moon Café and support the golf team on Feb. 6.

Our next HSA meeting is Tuesday, March 13, at 9 a.m. Please join us! Concerns, questions, fundraising ideas, just want to chat: e-mail me at judyjacobs@verizon.net.

Until then, "Hopelessly devoted to YOU ..."

Judy Jacobs, President

Glen Rock Middle & High School HSA

judyjacobs@verizon.net

201.445.3633

December 20, 2011

Dear parents and staff:

I would like to wish all of you a very happy holiday season and a new year filled with health, happiness, peace and joy. I am looking forward to the much awaited winter break as I'm sure you all are, too.

There has been much excitement in and around the schools since I last wrote to you. Dec. 2 was a fine and proud day as our varsity football team entered the state championship at Met Life stadium. The stadium was awash in red and black as Panther pride roared! Congrats to our players, coaches and athletic department as they all worked so very hard and triumphantly to get there. It was also wonderful for our marching band to be able to represent and support the Panthers on the field. Kudos to all!

Musically speaking, both our middle school and high school students performed in their respective winter concerts. I was fortunate to attend both, and I listened in awe to our talented group of students and faculty! Hat's off to all as the evenings were lovely, and we parents beamed with joy.

More festivities ... This past week, Susan Melz and Cath McDonough organized their group of bakers and served a delicious holiday breakfast for the staff. Thank you, Susan and Cath; the reviews have been "rave"!

A huge thank you goes out to Lily Roy and Karin Colquitt for organizing membership and handbook distribution, which went off without a hitch. If you have not received your handbook, please e-mail Karin at kberntc@aol.com.

As I write this, some of you may be at the mall shopping for those last-minute holiday gifts. We can help with that: Amazon is still shipping for Christmas and Hanukkah delivery, and if you make a purchase using our link, the HSA benefits. Click here to shop with Amazon if you still need an extra gift or two. Looking for a new pair of party shoes? Endless, an Amazon affiliate, will also give money back to the HSA when you make a purchase with them using our link. Click here to see their fabulous finds. We appreciate your support.

Offer your friends and family a sweet treat: The HSA has partnered with Edible Arrangements to sell delicious holiday fruit bouquets. We have extended the order deadline to Tuesday, Dec. 20; four different offerings -- each nicer than the next -- can be purchased through the HSA and picked up at the Edible Arrangements location in Midland Park on Dec. 24 or 31. If those days are not convenient, contact me ASAP; the owner is quite amenable to making other pick-up arrangements. Click here to order online; e-mail me at judyjacobs@verizon.net with questions or to arrange another pick-up date.

Last but not least, please remember that bagels and smoothies will be on sale at the schools on Friday, the early dismissal day before the winter break. Both of these fundraiser sales have been extremely successful, thanks to you, and the kids really enjoy the treats.

Date change: Our next HSA meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the media center. Please join us.

Peace, joy and Panther pride,

Judy

November 22, 2011

Dear parents and staff:

On behalf of our Executive Board, I wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. As the holiday approaches and I write this letter, I reflect upon what I have to be thankful for. There is so much, but the first thought that comes to mind is in regard to the message I sent you two weeks ago about Saddle Brook football player Tyler Vitiello, who sustained a serious neck injury at our recent football game. My thanks are severalfold: first, that Tyler's rehabilitation is progressing and his prognosis is positive; second, that our wonderful community of students, faculty, parents and community members showed an outpouring of support — financially, in physical donations and by attending the Walk for 34 fundraiser; and last, that the Saddle Brook community is welcoming and appreciative of our support, which is ongoing: We are still accepting online donations to help offset Tyler's medical expenses and, in addition, Victor of The Glen Rock Inn is hosting a fundraiser on Monday, Nov. 28, and proceeds from that day's lunch and dinner fare will be donated to Tyler. The restaurant will be decorated in Saddle Brook colors as we welcome families from both Glen Rock and Saddle Brook to dine together. So, treat yourself to a lunch or dinner break, and grab a bite at The Inn!

I have more thanks to add, but these go out to all of you! Our money has been put to ~~good~~ great use. This year we appropriated funds to the enrichment and wish list line items in our budget. It is both exciting and rewarding to grant the "wishes" made by our faculty, and many teachers will soon see new items arriving in their classrooms. Our students will benefit from these as well as from some exciting assemblies, one of which is the Franklin Institute traveling science show that middle school students will see in December. Another assembly is planned for spring, and I'm sure students will enjoy and benefit from the programs. We also were able to help our high school science and arts departments. A list of the gifts to the schools is available on grchips.com.

Speaking of gifts and Thanksgiving, what comes to mind is Black Friday, when many of us don a pair of comfy shoes and head our way to the mall. I offer you the opportunity to stay in your sweats, trade those comfy shoes for slippers, and shop from your computer, all while supporting the HSA and not spending an extra dime. We have some great opportunities to offer to you. We have now added an Amazon.com link to our website (endless.com, too), and through Amazon's Associates Program, you can now shop at both of these sites using our links, and a portion of your purchase will be donated to the HSA. Don't forget about the Box Tops for Education Marketplace; sign up and shop through the many participating retailers there, and we get a portion of those purchases, too. I know I will be drinking my Berres Brothers coffee, wearing my middle school sweats and shopping online. You can purchase your own MS apparel and coffee through these ongoing HSA fundraisers; visit grchips.com for more information. And be sure to check the website often as there may be something new and different coming down the pike ...

Kudos to Eileen Besser and Chris Ayers for spearheading our middle school apparel sales; it's great to see students sporting red and black, showing their panther pride. Hats off to Claudine Ray, for her efforts in organizing parent chaperones for the Middle School Canteens, and Loreen Lesso, for diligently working with our faculty and administration in organizing wish list grants. Bagel Day is tomorrow, and Jean Nuzzolo made the process seem effortless (thank you, Jean!).

Smoothie King will be at school tomorrow serving smoothies, continuing one of our newer early dismissal day traditions. Also, our next HSA meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the media center; please join us.

Gobbling up the panther pride,

Judy

October 25, 2011

Dear parents and staff:

This week is so exciting! Spirit Week has begun, and each high school class is decorating their respective hallway in preparation for Homecoming. GRHS really looks great as the kids do a fabulous job. Homecoming festivities begin Friday afternoon with an in-school pep rally, and the parade is 11 a.m. Saturday, when students roar through town, banners and pom-poms flowing, to cheer on our Panthers in anticipation of another great varsity football win. The Homecoming game will begin at 1 p.m.; come one and all to praise our team. In the evening, the Homecoming tradition continues with the annual dance. Please contact Donna Giantonnnio if you are able to lend a hand. Remember: All students need a permission slip to attend the dance. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are on sale in the Attendance Office through this Thursday, Oct. 27.

October is a busy month. Please join us tonight for our HSA meeting at 7 o'clock in the Media Center. Tonight's presentation will be by Dr. Phil Paterno, director of Special Services, who will discuss how the modifications in the special ed program will positively impact both special ed and regular ed students. Mr. Arlotta and Mr. Thompson will also update us on the goings-on in both schools, and we will highlight upcoming events and discuss some important issues as well. Please join us as it is sure to be an informative meeting. Note that all future evening HSA meetings will commence at 7 o'clock, and all morning meetings will continue to begin at 9.

I am thrilled to see that our membership drive has been successful and we have passed the 50 percent mark. Happily, I thank both our parent community and our faculty, as faculty membership has increased as well. On behalf of our Executive Board, your support is truly appreciated! Our goal remains at 100 percent participation, and it is not too late for you to join. You can do it right here, right now.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jac Dill and her committee for getting the Middle School Store up and running. Your children can visit the store after school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a quick treat, and the proceeds of such will fund the Eighth Grade Pool Party. Many kudos to Jean Nuzzolo for heading up Bagel Day; sales are pouring in, and bagels are still available for both middle and high school students. Just submit your order online, and we will be sure to have a bagel and drink waiting for your student.

Tickets go on sale next week for the GRHS Theatre Company's fall production, "Caucasian Chalk Circle," being staged Nov. 17-19 in the auditorium. Be sure to get tickets, advertise your business, or purchase a gift card to the Glen Rock Inn to support our in-house Theatre Company.

On a more academic note, the annual College Fair, hosted by our Guidance Department, is 7 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 26, in the cafeteria and middle school gym. I encourage parents of juniors and seniors to attend as there is a wealth of important information offered and great representation by many colleges, universities and other post-secondary institutions.

Feel free to visit students' classes between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Visitation Day, Nov. 9.

That's all folks ... We hope you can join us tonight!

With Panther Pride,

Judy

judyjacobs@verizon.net

September 27, 2011

Dear parents and staff:

My favorite season is now upon us as the days are beginning to feel like autumn. The mornings are cool and glorious; Saturday afternoons are spent watching our students reign victorious in football, soccer and all our team sports (go Panthers!); and the school days have begun to develop a routine. Back to school is now past, and I would like to thank all of you who have made that an easy and enjoyable transition.

Our freshman students enjoyed a wonderful luncheon thanks to Andrea Vachon and her team, and our staff was also treated to a lovely luncheon organized by Angela Vila. Both middle and high school Back-to-School Nights went off without a hitch. They were well attended, and the halls were buzzing with parents trying to get to class within the four-minute passing time. Thanks to the students who helped us all find our way. The presentations by our faculty were informative and exciting, and the school looked beautiful. Our volunteer bakers graciously donated delicious goodies for our enjoyment during our children’s lunch periods; a huge thank you to Patrice Hansen and Lily Roy for organizing this for the middle school and to Ann Feige and Wendy Gleckner for the high school. Jodi Crandell superbly manned the HSA table to collect dues, recruit volunteers and sell some java! We could not have done it without all of you!

Last Friday, our sixth graders enjoyed their first Ice Cream Social; thanks to Jac Dill and her team for “scoopin'” away! More kudos to Angela Vila for organizing our SAT Boot Camp classes that ran this past weekend. Our students are now better prepared for the upcoming SAT, and we made a few bucks in the process!

“Membership has its privileges,” and we are privileged to have Lily Roy captaining our team. If you are receiving this message, either you were on the distribution list last year and your e-mail address has not changed or you have returned your membership dues form. If it’s the latter, thank you! If you have not sent in your form, time is of the essence: The due date is Oct. 21. Sending your dues will secure receipt of your Federated Handbook, ensure that you continue receiving eChips and, most importantly, support our many activities, enrichment programs and Wish List items. Our goal is 100 percent membership; please help us to achieve this! Your support is greatly appreciated!

We had our first HSA meeting on Sept. 19, filled with lots of information from both of our principals, teacher representatives, Dr. Kathy Regan and our various committee chairs. We were thrilled to see many new faces and comforted by our regulars who always support our meetings. Thank you to Cheryl Klein, our new family liaison, for welcoming our new families to the district and our HSA meeting.

One topic that I anticipate talking about on an ongoing basis is the district website, its uses, and how it benefits all of us. The website is a wonderful tool and has a tremendous amount of information that benefits us all. Our technology department is constantly updating, maintaining and working to improve the site so that it offers us all it can. They have informed me that in the near future there will be some type of web tutorial for parents in order for us to utilize the site to its capabilities. That being said, please note that you must have an active account on the parent portal in order to receive information with regard to your students, attendance, grading, scheduling, and the forthcoming parent Fusion page access. If you do not have one, please contact our Guidance Department.

As many of you know, on Sept. 14, the state enacted the new anti-bullying legislation, requiring all school districts to comply. Albeit our administrators have always maintained a “no-tolerance” anti-bullying policy, there are now new regulations with regard to the investigation and reporting of incidents. The new law, called the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” requires school officials to combat incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying. Included are those that occur off school grounds — even online — if they “substantially disrupt or interfere with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students.” In support of the new law, our middle school and ninth grade students will be involved in an interactive program, “The Bystander Bully,” led by “Coach Randy” Nathan of Project NexGen on Wednesday, Oct. 5, sponsored by the HSA. “Coach Randy” has agreed to provide a parent program as well and will be speaking to us at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the auditorium. I greatly encourage your attendance as he will provide us with invaluable information as to how we can help our children!

October is a busy month. Please visit grchips.com to see all that is happening. Thank you to all who have volunteered to chair our committees. We are 99.9999 percent there as the only chair position open is the hardest to fill, that being our Fundraising chair. At the middle and high school level, we only host our large fundraiser every other year. However, our small fundraisers are just as important and are much easier to orchestrate. If you would like to help us organize a few or even have an idea for a new and different fundraiser, please fill out our volunteer form or feel free to contact me directly. We presently are in need of volunteers to help with the Middle School Store as well as the homecoming dance.

Mark your calendar: Our next HSA meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 (note time change), in the media center. Want to know what’s going on districtwide? The Federated Home and School Association, comprising delegates from all schools and administrators, meets five times a year in order to keep the lines of communication open districtwide. Please join us at our first Federated HSA meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Byrd School.

That’s all folks! Questions, concerns, and new and great ideas are always welcome … feel free to e-mail me.

With “Panther Pride,”

Judy

August 30, 2011

Dear parents and staff:

I hope that the summer is winding down nicely for you all as we are gearing up for a new and exciting year at the middle school and high school. I am excited and fortunate to serve you as Middle School/High School HSA president and look forward to working with all of you to support our students and schools.

On behalf of the entire MS/HS HSA, please join me in welcoming Mr. John Arlotta as our new high school principal. I have had the pleasure to meet with Mr. Arlotta on several occasions over the summer, and I am sure that we, as parents, staff and most importantly students, are in good hands. Please see Mr. Arlotta’s introductory letter on the high school website. You will hear more from both Mr. Arlotta and our middle school principal, Mr. Thompson, in the next “e-chips.”

I would like to thank Angela Vila for serving as HSA president for the past two years and am thankful that we are able to seek her wisdom and guidance as she remains on our Executive Board as president emeritus. We also welcome new Executive Board members Grace Cosgriff and Linda Godfrey. Board members are listed on grchips.com along with e-mail addresses. Please contact any of us at any time with questions or suggestions.

Please help us to help all of our students by becoming a member of our HSA and volunteering your time and talents. Thank you to Lily Roy, our membership coordinator, as you will be receiving your membership form in our first-day packages, given to the students on the first day of school. You can also follow this link to print a copy now. There will be boxes in both the middle and high school for drop off, or the form can be mailed to Lily (instructions are on the form).

Thank you to all of you who have volunteered to chair and/or serve on committees. A very special thank you to Kris Larson, our Chips editor and webmaster, who has given her time to make sure that you all receive this information. We always have room for more help “as many hands make light work.” We still do need folks to provide some light refreshments for both Back-to-School Nights, and all committees still have room for volunteers to help. The following committees still need chair people:

• Middle School Store.

• Fundraising.

• Bagel Day.

• Middle School Dances.

• High School Academic Awards.

Please see our volunteer form if you can help. It’s now available as a Word document, easy to fill out and e-mail back.

The schools will open on Sept. 7, preceded by Freshman Orientation on Sept. 6. Please remember that no schedules are being mailed, and you must sign up on the Parent Portal in order to view your child(ren)’s schedule(s). If you have not done so already, please contact Anne Shaw, shawa@glenrocknj.org, or Mary Wolos, wolosm@glenrocknj.org, in our Guidance office if you need help.

To ensure the safety of students walking and to ease the stress of parents driving, please be sure to read the Middle School Drop-off Instructions on the middle school website.

Please join us at our first HSA meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19. The meeting follows the 7 p.m. orientation for new middle school parents.

On behalf of our Executive Board, again, welcome back, and I wish all of our students and staff a successful school year.

Be happy!

Judy Jacobs

judyjacobs@verizon.net