The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

Concepts &Thought

PRODUCTION PROCEEDS… The producers of Washington Elementary School’s Show recently presented a check in the amount of $25,000, representing the net proceeds from the annual musical, “On With The Show,” to the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Production is underway for the February 2001 show, “It’s a Wonderful Place.” Pictured, left to right, are: Washington School PTA CoPresidents Cynthia Weinberg and Jocelyn Shaffer, producers Patti Swadosh, Michelle Heffernan and Maryann Gingrich.

County VoTech Schools Hold Annual Awards Night

SCOTCH PLAINS – Students were honored for outstanding performances during the annual Awards Night held at Union County VocationalTechnical

Schools in Scotch Plains. Business and Industry Awards were presented to Karen Brown of Westfield (The Parker Greenhouses Horticultural Achievement Award) and Joseph Lubrano of Scotch Plains (Cooperative Industrial Education Award.)

For Allied Health, Shanita A. Adkins of Scotch Plains earned the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ National VocationalTechnical Honor Society. Also, Khalia A. Taylor of Scotch Plains earned the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ Mathematics Award.

In Child Development, Heather K. Sills of Scotch Plains received the Outstanding Achievement Program Award.

For Cosmetology, Scotch Plains’ Celeste A. Huggins received the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ Mathematics Award.

In Electronic Technology, Michael J. Bays of Westfield earned the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ Science Award, while Charles S. Bender of Westfield earned the Outstanding Achievement Program Award.

For Horticulture, Karen D. Brown of Westfield received the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ Science Award/ National VocationalTechnical Honor Society.

For Maintenance/ Mechanics, Daniel M. Tammaro of Westfield received the Outstanding Achievement Program Award/ Mathematics Award/ National VocationalTechnical Honor Society.

The following students received mathematics and science awards: Alexandra I. Bush of Scotch Plains (Mathematics), Nicole D. Crowley of Westfield (Mathematics), Scotch Plains’ Tanysha Renee Taylor, Laurensa Theodore and Jonathan D. Trezoglou, all Mathematics, Lenore Silver (Science).

The following students are inducted into the National VocationalTechnical Honor Society: Paul Andriopoulos, Elisha Candia, Neal Clark, Jennifer Cocuzza, Marissa Eagles, Jenny Gilles, Paul Isolda, Anna Kukula, Lanissa Luciano, Robert Morehead, Laurensha Theodore, Lenore Siver and Nanci Shepeluk.

Elizabeth Ann Giameo Earns Bachelor’s Degree; Christine Giameo Achieves

Dean’s List Standing

WESTFIELD — Elizabeth Ann Giameo of Westfield was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Villanova University. Beth graduated with a major in Finance and a minor in Spanish.

Christine Giameo of Westfield earned Dean’s List standing at Cornell University for the Spring 2000 semester. Christine, a 1998 graduate of Westfield High School, is majoring in engineering.

Justine A. Mosko Earns Consulate Award

FANWOOD — Justine A. Mosko of Fanwood, a member of Fairfield University’s Class of 2002, received the German Consulate Award at the university’s recent Arts & Sciences Awards Ceremony.

This award comes from the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany and is given each year to an outstanding student of German. Justine, who is majoring in International Business, has done outstanding work in her German courses. In addition, she plays varsity soccer and is active in InterResidence Hall Government.

After graduation, Justine plans to pursue graduate work in International Marketing/ Management.

Sarah Jane Gordon Graduates Wake Forest

WESTFIELD – Sarah Jane Gordon of Westfield earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry/ French at Wake Forest University, WinstonSalem, N. C..

Julia C. Santos Earns Bachelor’s Degree

WESTFIELD — Julia C. Santos of Westfield participated in Bloomfield College’ Commencement Exercises recently and received her bachelor’s degree.

Kristen Zadourian To Participate In Term Abroad

WESTFIELD — Kristen Zadourian, a Union College Class of 2001 history major, will be participating in the college’s fall term abroad program in Osaka, Japan.

Kristen, a resident of Westfield, is a 1997 graduate of Westfield High School.

Local Pupils Named To Dean’s List At Univ. of Hartford

TheUniversityofHartfordhasannounced that Modiegi Notoane of Fanwood, Jack Hoopingarner of Mountainside, Samantha Tenenbaum of Scotch Plains, and Matthew Schwab of Westfield have all been named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2000 semester.

Ryan Kerian Receives Dean’s List Standing

SCOTCH PLAINS — Muhlenberg College has announced that Ryan Kerian of Scotch Plains has been named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester of 2000. Ryan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kerian. He is a psychology major.

Gregory May Graduates From Syracuse University

WESTFIELD — Gregory K. May, a member of the Class of 1996 from Westfield High School, graduated from the College of Information Studies at Syracuse University. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Information Management and Technology and a minor in Business Management.

Gregory is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity at Syracuse University. For four years he participated in the Syracuse University marching band and the basketball pep band. Following graduation, he began a sixweek European tour.

He was recruited and accepted a position by Cigna Health Care in Bloomfield, Conn. He will begin working as an ECommerce Business Analyst in July of this year.

AWARD WINNING TEACHER… Paula Gray, mathematics teacher at Scotch PlainsFanwood High School, has been named as a New Jersey statelevel finalist for this year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. Ms. Gray, who won in the category of Secondary Mathematics, will receive a grant from the National Science Foundation, will be honored at a meeting of the State Board of Education, and her named and credentials will be forwarded to the nationallevel selection committee for consideration. The teachers selected as nationallevel Presidential Awardees will be notified officially by the White House during the 20002001 school year. Language Arts Supervisor

Discusses DeLeveling At SP Middle Schools By SUSAN M. DYCKMAN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

SCOTCH PLAINS — Disparity between the English/ Language Arts curriculum at Park and Terrill Middle Schools sparked a debate about the merits and faults of leveling (also known as grouping students by academic ability) that came to a head one year ago.

At that time, the Scotch PlainsFanwood Board of Education voted to delevel the English/ Language Arts program in sixth grade in September 1999 and in seventh grade in September 2000 at Terrill to bring it on a par with Park’s program.

The vote followed a passionate public outcry at board meetings and in written correspondence from people on both sides of the leveling issue.

The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch PlainsFanwood recently spoke to Dr. Nancy Lubarski, Language Arts Supervisor (Grades 68), for her thoughts on how the program change was enacted at Terrill.

Dr. Lubarski said she sees the new program offering more opportunities and less restrictions than its predecessor to both teachers and students.

“It actually gives teachers and students a lot of freedom to do the best they possibly can,” she explained. It allows students to take advantage of all the linked materials that are available to them. “There’s no limit to how far the student can take it.”

But, what about the average or belowaverage student? Does the scheduled elimination of Guided Study Time (identified last May by then Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. John R. Crews as a “safety net” for lowerachieving students), put such children at risk for not being able to keep up with their classmates?

“Mixed ability grouping allows students to capitalize on their strengths and allows for improvement elsewhere,” explained Dr. Lubarski.

Heterogeneous grouping seems to place heavy emphasis on cooperative learning, a format wherein all students supposedly reap the “benefits of discussion.” Cooperative projects seem to be designed for a mix of ability that permit individual children to demonstrate their strengths.

Furthermore, said Dr. Lubarski, handson projects enable students to work closely with their peers so students learn from each other as well as their teacher. She explained, “It gives teachers the flexibility to work with students in class” to provide extra support where necessary.

She indicated that, because support is built into the program, students who may need extra help are not viewed as different or separate. Dr. Lubarski sees the collaborative aspect of the work as beneficial to all students.

For those students where learning extension activities might be appropriate, Dr. Lubarski said, “Higher achievers will ask to take it further. The (program) material links itself to more challenging activities.”

For example, she said, students will read more books by the same author they are studying in class.

A more concrete assessment of the program’s success are students’ grades.

“We are looking at grade distribution,” said Dr. Lubarski. “Is there are a lag among lowerend students?” To date, she has not seen any falloff in grades that would indicate students are not able to keep up.

Another barometer of the program’s being off to a good start is the fact that Dr. Lubarski has not heard any complaints from parents. In a district where “parents are involved,” she would expect to hear from those who have problems with the heterogeneous grouping approach if it was not working out for their children.

She believes comments would come from both ends: those parents who feel their children are not being challenged enough, as well as those who feel their youngsters are being left behind.

She added that teachers are pleased with the new approach. “What helps is the opportunity to choose different materials. There’s a certain amount of autonomy (for teachers) and that keeps things exciting,” explained Dr. Lubarski, who noted teachers can select specifically for their students.

As an example, she pointed to the reading component of the sixthgrade curriculum, which has all students reading two to three novels per marking period. Higher achievers may choose more challenging works, while average students may pick books that match their grade level. Lower achievers may choose books from their grade level or below.

“There’s room for variety,” she added. Dr. Lubarski confirmed what Dr. Crews had promised last spring: teachers from both Park and Terrill worked closely through last summer and the present school year to coordinate the English/ Language Arts curriculum between the schools.

It is very much “a work in progress,” which the teachers have the flexibility to fine tune as necessary. “They like that,” said Dr. Lubarski.

Comcast@ Home Donates Computer to Westfield High

WESTFIELD – Westfield High School was awarded a new Pentium Multimedia Computer with a color monitor as part of the Scholastic Points Program sponsored by Comcast@ Home.

Susan E. Petrino Named To Dean’s List for Spring

WESTFIELD – Susan Elizabeth Petrino of Westfield was recently named to the Dean’s List at the College of William & Mary for the spring 19992000 semester.

Adele deLeeuw Scholarships Distributed at Awards Event

SCOTCH PLAINS — Five college students were named Adele deLeeuw Senior Scholars and 25 additional students received scholarships at an at an awards dinner June 13 at Scotch Hills Country Club. Fifty thousand dollars in all will be distributed by the Adele deLeeuw Scholarship Fund, a fund of the Plainfield Foundation. which is financed from a bequest by Ms. deLeeuw, longtime Plainfield resident, author of 80 books, journalist and arts activist.

From Scotch PlainsFanwood High School, Jason Meehan, Elise Daniledes and Eun Yub Lee were each awarded $1,000.

Winners from the graduating class of 2000 included Kelli Church ($ 3,000) and Kristen Meehan ($ 2,000), both of Scotch PlainsFanwood High School.

Applications for year 2001 Adele deLeeuw scholarships will be available in January from local high school guidance offices. For more information, please call Sally Young, Scholarship Administrator, at (732) 3816269. The Internet provider has also donated

one cableInternet connection to each of the nine Westfield Public Schools.

For more information about the Scholastic Points Program, please call (908) 6544100.

Please send all Education news to: michelle@ goleader. com

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Lessons for the Learning Disabled

Kindermusik classes for ages 2 to 7

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(973) 4674688

SUMMER PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

AWARDED WRITERS… Two students from Evergreen Elementary School in Scotch Plains were recognized in this year’s writing contest sponsored by the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English. In the K3 poetry division, first grader Christopher Guns, right, received an honorable mention and in the K3 prose division, third grader Antonio Albano, left, received third place. The students are seen at a recent awards celebration at BridgewaterRaritan Middle School with teachers, left to right, Paula Frank, Patricia McFall and Evergreen School Principal Dr. Beverlee Kaminetzky.