Latest news with #middleschool
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Stunning N.J. middle school set to make colorful debut. Here's a sneak peak inside.
Walking around their newly constructed middle school a full three weeks before classes start, Rihanna Amaya and Victoria Rodriguez-Clavel were already picturing their seventh grade school year. Their new school, which opens Sept. 2, is splashed with color. Like many new schools, segments of the building are unified by bright hues. But the newly-constructed South Hunterdon Regional Middle School in Lambertville takes the design element to a new level by adding color to hallway ceilings to create a mood lighting effect. Each grade level is represented by one bold color and in shared spaces, including the cafeteria, all of the colors are visible. 'I like the lockers and with the colored hallways. It's going to be easier to navigate,' Rihanna said. The new school also brings new options for the seventh graders. Victoria said she is going to take choir this year, an option she didn't have last year in the much smaller school building that housed the fifth and sixth grades. 'I noticed there's a softball field,' said Victoria, who also hopes to join the team this fall. The girls were among the first to tour New Jersey's newest middle school earlier this week. Some of the people visiting the building — which will serve 220 fifth through eighth graders this year — fought a difficult battle to pass a $33 million referendum to fund not only the construction of the new school but also a renovation and expansion of South Hunterdon Regional Elementary School. The district, established 11 years ago, combined three small school districts: Lambertville, West Amwell and Stockton in Hunterdon County. In 2021, the referendum for the construction projects won by a two-vote margin. A lawsuit challenging the school board's handling of the referendum was dismissed in 2023. Then, the case was dismissed again in March after the decision was appealed. MORE: N.J. opened one of its most massive high schools ever. Here's a sneak peek inside. The new middle school, located near the district's high school, was designed as a learning hub for tweens and teens. Students in fifth and sixth grade previously went to one school while seventh and eighth graders went to another located in a wing of the district's high school. Carrie Zegarski, an architect and project manager with USA Architects, helped design the school. She said some spaces have sound baffles, like the cafeteria and music rooms, to make it easier for students to hear each other. The firm met with science teachers and nursing staff before the designs for the science labs and nurse's office were complete, she said. Students touring the new school this week expressed plenty of excitement about the new school year. Their enthusiasm for the new space aligns with what public policy experts have found— new school buildings can improve student outcomes. In a 2018 study, researchers Julien Lafortune and David Schonholzer found attending school in a new facility can 'lead to modest, gradual improvements in student test scores, large immediate improvements in student attendance, and significant improvements in student effort.' The state chipped in a little over $6.7 million for South Hunterdon Regional's construction projects, including the new middle school. Local taxpayers are still paying off a $26 million bond issued in 2021. Because of the extra tax cost of the referendum, the school board has tried to keep school tax increases as close to 2% as possible each year, South Hunterdon Regional Superintendent Anthony Suozzo said. Janet Nocar, a former school nurse and local taxpayer who worked at the elementary school before the renovation, came to tour the new middle school to see her tax dollars at work. 'Does a building matter? I don't know,' Nocar said. 'But I like the fact that our kids are having a new building that hopefully is safe environmentally with no mold,' she said. Suozzo, who joined the district as superintendent after the bond referendum had already passed, is a fan of several parts of the new middle school. But the water treatment room, with its giant black water tanks, is a space he's especially excited about. Recently some wells in the surrounding area were found to contain high levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals.' The state is investigating where the contamination may have come from. PFAS can reduce fertility and increase risks of high blood pressure in pregnant women and may cause some cancers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 'We are always monitoring, but a lot of time and effort went into the design of this room — and money,' he said of the school's water treatment space. The two rooms with the building's best views look out onto miles of rolling farmland. They will serve special education and English Language Learner students, Suozzo said. Often rooms used to work with these student groups are in makeshift spaces, like closets or in a building's basement. 'We thought it was really important to send that message of how important those students are for us,' the superintendent said. One classroom in the school also has a kitchen area. Special education students who are in a self-contained class will use the space for hands-on learning, including running a coffee and tea service for teachers. In a similar program in the high school, students learn practical skills, including how to add up orders and what to say when making a delivery. 'Teachers would coach them about how to have conversations,' Suozzo said. After a while, some special education students who struggle with social cues started asking Suozzo if he had any plans for the weekend when they delivered his coffee on Fridays, he said. The school's science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — or STEAM — makers' space is unique in the building because its ceiling was left open. It reveals all the pipes, vents and engineering hidden in the rest of the school's sleek classrooms. Woodworking, hand-building with clay, and art made on computers will all be part of the STEAM curriculum, said Jennifer MacKnight, the new school's principal. She is shifting from leading the high school to being the principal of the new middle school. MacKnight said the school's design will make it possible to do learning support in groups of about 10 before or after lunch — a practice that can help both students who might need more practice with a concept and students who are ready for the next thing. The schedule for this support time, like all of the furniture in the classrooms, will be flexible and based on students' learning needs, she said. Suozzo is also excited about a room called 'The Nook' which includes a variety of comfortable L-shaped, low-to-the-ground spots where students can relax if they need a mental or emotional health break. Last year, students were surveyed to find out what playground equipment they are still interested in playing on as middle school students. The new school will include new playground equipment and a basketball court on a former parking lot. 'Believe it or not, kids still love swing sets,' Suozzo said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting with a subscription. Liz Rosenberg may be reached at lrosenberg@ Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Anne Arundel County schools superintendent prepares for new year with improved staffing, reforms
As Anne Arundel County students prepare to head back to school, district leaders are celebrating progress made inside and outside of the classroom. Superintendent Dr. Mark Bidell said the district is heading into the new year with serious momentum and with improved staffing levels, expanded sports and new reforms. From middle school soccer teams to streamlined grading policies, Dr. Bidell said last year was all about growth, and this year is about building on it. "Academics have been great. The launch of middle school sports has been great," he said. The district introduced middle school sports with soccer in the spring. This fall, they are adding basketball, track and unified Bocce to the schedule. "All middle schools did it," Dr. Bidell said. "The involvement of parents, the interest of students, was off the charts. "It's exciting times right now in terms of what we're doing to develop our students socially and emotionally," he added. A new grading policy introduced last year penalized late work, limited re-dos and streamlined how grades are calculated. The policy aimed to help students and teachers get on the same page when it comes to expectations for the school year. "Our goal is, we want to try to have alignment, we want to calibrate to the best of our ability so that one 'A' looks like another 'A' in another class," Dr. Bidell said. Students should also know what to expect when it comes to cellphones when school starts. Last year, the district began requiring elementary and middle school students to keep their phones off or silenced and out of sight throughout the day. High school students could only use their phones during lunch. Bidell said he is reviewing teacher surveys to see if additional measures need to be taken. "I can tell you we're going to take a look at this feedback and I'll have to make a tough decision at some point," he said. While suspensions and referrals are down slightly, and attendance is up, behavioral challenges are still a focus, according to Bidell. "We're going to really focus on that with one of our earlier senior team meetings — making meaning out of all of these referrals," Bidell said. "Why are kids being referred? Why are the out-of-school suspension numbers where they are?" The district's biggest strength going into the new year is staffing. "When I got here, we had over 300 teacher vacancies," Bidell said. "We're right now, as a school district, sitting at 69 vacancies, and we still have three weeks to go." This means the district will likely have fewer than 50 teacher vacancies by the first day of school on August 26 — something that is unprecedented for a district of this size. Not to mention, all bus driver positions are filled, and employees across the district have received an 18% pay raise over the past couple of years. "We've done a really good job of building a culture and climate here that is increasing our retention numbers, but also increasing our recruitment numbers," Bidell said.
CBS News
07-08-2025
- General
- CBS News
Controlling the back-to-school chaos: How parents can get own the morning as school approaches
The clock is ticking down to back-to-school time. While we know that parents are the biggest helpers, cheerleaders, supporters, and everything else in between, being prepared for the chaos that comes with returning to school is key. That struggle is real for parents when the school doors open, and for one mom who owns the morning, she's got the advice that parents will need. Ashley Rusnic knows what it's like with two school-aged children at home. Come the fall, he son and daughter will go into 6th and 4th grades, respectively. "There is no tired like back-to-school tired," she said. Not only does she have two school-aged children, but she also teaches middle school health and physical education, which means she knows that every minute in the morning counts. "I wish that minutes on the treadmill went as fast as minutes in the morning," Rusnic joked. She has mastered the morning routine, and it all begins the Sunday evening before. They meal prep the lunches going into the week, smoothies make for a fast, nutritious meal the kids will like, and then it's time to get dressed. Marked bins hold the clothes the kids chose to wear for the week, making the process go a little smoother. "I have told a couple of parents, just set all of those clocks like 15 minutes earlier," she said. The Notes app on her phone helps her create a to-do list that she can burn through. "In 10 minutes, you can get a lot done," Rusnic said. "I can go through those checklists and just order things online." Staying with technology, the family shares a calendar through the Cozi app. "It's been a lifesaver for us," she said. "I have the app on my phone, my husband has it, the kids have it on their iPads, and it actually syncs with a digital calendar we have." All that said, don't be deceived. She said there are mornings when hair is, figuratively, on fire, and things are forgotten. For Rusnic, it takes a village, and she reminds parents that they are not alone. "Don't be afraid to ask people for help, and to offer it," she said. One more note on getting prepared for school: Cleveland Clinic sleep specialists suggest getting kids adjusted to their back-to-school sleep schedule 2-4 weeks before school starts. That will allow kids to gradually transition their bodies for earlier bedtimes and wake-up times.
