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Superintendent’s Newsletter
On behalf of the central administration and the
Woodbridge Township Board of Education it is
a pleasure to welcome everyone back to the
2017-2018 school year.
This year we are looking at some major changes.
First and foremost is our 1:1 eighth grade iPad
initiative. This very important change in how
we do things came about last spring during
preliminary budget discussions. We were
looking at our grade eight math curriculum
budget. The NJ Department of Education
requires that we make periodic curriculum
updates, and this year our math and science
curricula in grade eight was due. Since we have
over 1,000 eighth graders district-wide, the
budget for this curriculum revision was
substantial. John Bader, Assistant
Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
made a comment, only half joking, that for what
we have budgeted for curriculum we could buy
every eighth grader an iPad. After some
consideration, a great deal of research, and
several out-of-district visits, the comment
became an idea, and the idea became a reality.
In addition to the iPads, we are also providing
web-based curriculum for math and science in
eighth grade. We are proud to take our first
steps into the realm of digital curriculum.
Another initiative we are excited about is our
repurposed media centers. Last year we decided
to make our media centers more useful
educational spaces. After gyms, auditoriums,
and cafeterias, our high school and middle
school media centers are the largest rooms in our
schools—and very often the least used. Our
media centers have been converted to research
spaces and collaborative areas for students.
Another big change for us will be full day
kindergarten. Although our community has
been advocating for full day kindergarten for
several years, lack of space and financial
Looking Forward INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Looking Forward 1
Construction Updates 2
BOE Construction Updates 3
Photos 4
New HS Graduation Requirements 13
Class of 2017 Colleges & Universities 16
WTSD Goals 18
New Programs 19
Board of Education 20
constraints have been preventing us from
expanding from half-day to full-day. After some
careful budgeting, the acquisition of a renovated
St. Cecelia’s school, and the influx of over $5
million in state aid, we are now able to complete
this expansion.
Finally our construction projects are now in full
swing. We expect to break ground on our Ross
St. and Woodbridge Middle projects in the spring
of 2018. We anticipate two calendar years of
construction, and both projects being completed
and ready for use in September 2020.
As a school district, we feel that we need to
prepare our students for their futures, not our
futures. To accomplish this, we need to make
sure our students are exposed to the most
progressive curriculum in the most learning-
conducive facilities. We are making great strides
this year to accomplish this.
Finally, I will try to keep everyone informed
more efficiently by using my Twitter account.
Please follow me at: @ZegaRobert.
By Robert Zega
Woodbridge Township School District, 428 School St, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 732.602.8472 October 2017
Page 2 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Construction Updates
As part of our historic joint effort between Mayor McCormac, the Woodbridge Town
Council, and the Woodbridge Township Board of Education, our schools facilities have
undergone major upgrades. These upgrades include:
Woodbridge HS football field resurfacing: IN PLANNING STAGES
Traffic gates between IMS & JFK HS: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CHS baseball field bleachers: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Oak Tree Rd School #29 (formerly St. Cecelia’s): UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Page 3 Superintendent’s Newsletter
There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though
everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
Board of Education Construction Update
In addition to the upgrades funded by the Township, the Board of Education has also financed a substantial amount of projects. The updates include: District-Wide access point upgrades: MS complete, HS & ES under construction CHS locker replacement: under construction JFK HS locker replacement: under construction WHS locker replacement: under construction FMS locker replacement: under construction IMS floor tile replacement: complete Secondary school media center conversions: under construction Ford Ave #14 kindergarten lavatory: complete Menlo Park Terrace #19 library conversion: complete Pennsylvania Ave #27 dividing wall: complete District-wide window air conditioner installation: under construction Avenel St #4&5 school sign: under construction Lynn Crest #22 playground fence: under construction Ford Ave #14 bus lane: completed Ford Ave #14 exterior masonry repair: planning stages Colonia HS concrete path in courtyard: complete Ross St. Elementary School #11 replacement: planning stages Woodbridge MS renovation: planning stages Woodbine Ave. Elementary #23 paving: complete
Page 4 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Renovated Academic Center of Excellence at WHS
Another view of the Academic Center of Excellence at WHS
Page 5 Superintendent’s Newsletter
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is back at our elementary schools.
The Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department is implementing DARE with a
new, improved curriculum. The half-year course will be offered at eight of our
schools in the fall and the remaining eight in the spring. Above, a DARE
officer speaks with students at Menlo Park Terrace Elementary School #19.
As part of our district-wide program to raise awareness and prevent bullying,
each school participates in activities to educate our young people. Students
at Mawbey St. Elementary #1 “Turn Their Backs on Bullying.”
Page 6 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Students at Menlo Park Terrace #19 form a rainbow to support anti-bullying.
Each October approximately 1.6 million HS students nationwide take the PSAT. Only
1% of them score high enough to be honored as National Merit Scholars. The five JFK
HS students pictured above have qualified as Commended Students in the 2018 National
Merit Scholars Program. From left to right are Anthony Hein, Shreya Kadi, Hetal Lad,
Arthraj Vyas, and Jimmy Dillon. (Missing is Savan Patel).
Page 7 Superintendent’s Newsletter
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more
than our abilities.
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Eighth graders from Fords MS proudly displaying their
district-issued iPads as part of the 1:1 iPad deployment.
Page 8 Superintendent’s Newsletter
On Saturday, September 30, our district offered the first of three free SAT
Boot Camps. An SAT Boot Camp is an intensive strategy session designed
to prepare students to take the SAT. Over 200 seniors from all three high
schools turned out on a Saturday morning to participate.
Another new initiative this year is our switch to standards-based report cards
in grade one. On the evening of October 4, parents gathered at WMS to hear
information on the new report cards and to ask questions about the switch.
Page 9 Superintendent’s Newsletter
The Colonia HS Marching Patriots perform at the Colonia Pride Parade on October 1.
Page 10 Superintendent’s Newsletter
The CHS volleyball team is having a great season. They are pictured above after their
2nd place performance at the Bloomfield Invitational Tournament.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more
intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New
York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in
the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed
that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.
Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Page 11 Superintendent’s Newsletter
I have not failed.
I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Thomas A. Edison
Scenes from the WHS pep rally
Page 12 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Congratulations to Mr. Thomas Leusen, new principal at Pennsylvania Ave School #27.
Mr. Leusen was previously the vice principal at AMS. He’s pictured above playing with
students during recess.
Congratulations to Mr. Matthew Connelly, new principal at Lynn Crest School #22.
Mr. Connelly was previously the vice principal at WHSS. He’s pictured above reading
with students in Ms. Monaco’s class.
Page 13 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.
George Bernard Shaw
New HS Graduation Requirements
The NJ Department of Education has updated the high school graduation
requirements for high school graduates for the next four years. Please review the
requirements since they are not the same for every graduating class. The NJ DOE
memo can be found at:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/parents/GradReq.pdf
Congratulations to the Colonia and Woodbridge HS band members who performed
during halftime at the Giants v. Seahawks NFL football game.
Page 14 Superintendent’s Newsletter
CHS has a new path through the courtyard. The CHS science department secured grants
from Lowes and from the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #998. CHS plans to add
flowerbeds for student and staff use. Students have already taken advantage of the warm
weather to dine outside in the lunch area.
Page 15 Superintendent’s Newsletter
When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully,
everyone is blessed.
Maya Angelou
On Friday, October 6, Woodbridge HS culminated homecoming with a football game v.
crosstown rival JFK HS. The student body elected Ambar Coto Homecoming Queen and Patrick
Petro Homecoming King (pictured above). Patrick is a special member of the varsity football
team and one of the most popular students in the school.
Page 16 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Congratulations to the Class of 2017! Below is a list of colleges & universities
our most recent graduates are enrolled in:
Academy of Art University Johns Hopkins University Santa Barbara
Albright College John Jay College of Criminal Justice Savannah College of Art & Design
Allegheny College Johnson & Wales University Seton Hall University
Alvernia University Joseph D’Aries Carpenter Training Ctr. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
American Musical And Dramatic Academy Kean University Southern Adventist University
American University Keene State College Southern Connecticut State University
American University in London Keiser University - *Flagship Campus, FL St. John's University - Queens Campus
Arcadia University Keystone College St. John's University - Staten Island Campus
Barry University, Florida Kings College Stevenson University
Bentley University La Salle University Stockton University
Bergen Community College Lackawanna College Stonehill College
Berkeley College Lancaster Bible College Stony Brook University
Bloomfield College LaSalle College Suffolk University
Bloomsburg University Lebanon Valley College SUNY College at Cortland
Boston University Lehigh Valley Carbon Community College Susquehanna University
Bow State, Indiana Liberty University Syracuse University
Brandeis University Lincoln Tech Temple University
Brookdale Community College Long Island University, Brooklyn The College of New Jersey
Brown University Loyola University Maryland The George Washington University
Cabrini University Lycoming College The Ohio State University
Caldwell University MakeUp Forever - Trade The University of Arizona
Capri Institute Manhattan College The University of Scranton
Carnegie-Mellon University Mansfield University of Pennsylvania The University of Tampa
Cedar Crest College Marines Tidewater Community College
Centenary University Marist College Towson University
Chamberlain University Mass Pharmacy & Health Services Union County College
Champlain College McDaniel College Univ. Of California, Los Angeles
Chestnut Hill College Mercer County College Universal Technical Institute
Clark Atlanta University Mercy College University at Buffalo
Clarkson University Mercyhurst University University of Arizona
Coastal Carolina University Michigan State University University of California-Santa Barbara
College of Saint Elizabeth Middlesex County College University of Central Florida
College of Staten Island Monmouth University University of Chicago
Colorado State University Montclair State University University of Connecticut
Coppin State University Moravian College University of Delaware
Dean College Morgan State University University of Florida
Delaware State University Mount Saint Mary College University of Georgia
Desales University Mount St. Mary's University University of Hartford
Page 17 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Drew University MSA - Modern Sciences & Arts (Egypt) University of Hawaii at Manoa
Drexel University New Jersey City University University of Kentucky
East Carolina University New Jersey City University University of Louisville
East Stroudsburg University New Jersey Institute of Technology University of Maine
Eastern International College New York Institute of Technology University of Maryland, College Park
Elmira College New York University University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Emerson College Nichols College University of Massachusetts, Boston
Emory University NJIT University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Essex County College Northeastern University University of Michigan
Evangel University Norwich University University of New England
Fairleigh Dickinson University NYU University of New Hampshire at Durham
FDU - Florham Campus Oakwood University University of New Haven
FDU - Metropolitan Campus Ocean Community College University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Fashion Institute Ohio University University of Pennsylvania
Fashion Institute of Technology Old Dominion University University of Pittsburgh
Felician University Pace University University of Rhode Island
Five Towns College Penn State University University of South Carolina
Florida Gulf Coast University Pennsylvania College of Technology University of South Florida, St. Pete
Florida International University Pennsylvania State University University of South Florida, Tampa
Florida State University Philadelphia University University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Fordham University Princeton University University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Framingham State University Purdue University University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Franklin Pierce University Quinnipiac University Ursinus College
George Mason University Radford University UTI
George Washington University Ramapo College Valencia College
Georgian Court University Ramapo College of New Jersey Villanova University
Hampton University Raritan Valley Community College Virginia Commonwealth University
Harvard University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Virginia State University
Hawaii Pacific University Rider University Wagner College
High Point University Rochester Institute of Technology Wagner College Theater Performance School
Hofstra University Rowan University Washington College
Howard University Rutgers University Washington State University
Humber College Rutgers University - Camden Wesley College
Hunter College of the CUNY Rutgers University-New Brunswick West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Rutgers University-Newark West Virginia University
Ithaca College Sacred Heart University Wilkes University
James Madison University Saint Anselm College William Paterson University of New Jersey Unites States Military Academy at West Point Saint Peters University Wingate University
San Diego City College York College of Pennsylvania
Page 18 Superintendent’s Newsletter
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Woodbridge Township School District Goals 2017-2018
1) Increase participation and performance on HS tests:
a. Increase the number of HS students who score a “3” or higher on AP tests.
b. Increase the number of HS students who score a 1000 or higher on the SAT.
c. Increase the number of HS students who score a 21 or higher on the ACT.
2) Ensure that all of our students are performing at grade level.
3) Increase career opportunities for students who do not plan on attending college.
4) Maximize the number of students who gain acceptance to their first choice college.
5) Apply practical technology to engage students and enhance learning.
6) Use the teacher evaluation system to improve classroom instruction.
7) Increase home-school communication and interaction.
8) Increase student participation in local community service events.
9) Increase successful student participation in dual-enrollment courses.
10) Reduce utility costs by conserving energy throughout the district.
11) Reduce the number of confirmed HIB incidents throughout the district.
12) Increase drug and alcohol awareness and prevention among parents and students
Page 19 Superintendent’s Newsletter
New Programs, Courses & Pilot Programs
• Pilots
o American Sign Language at WHS & JFK
o AP US Government & Politics at JFK
o Lincoln Tech Partnership
o AP Capstone Program at CHS
o AP Microeconomics at JFK
o Apprenticeship programs with Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce
o Advanced Honors Math Program for MS
• New Courses:
o Graphic Design 2
o Journalism 1 & 2
o Journalism for MS
o World History for grade 8
o Diglit for grade 7
o Writing for grade 2
o Biztown elective for MS
o AP Computer Science Principles
NEW 2017-2018
Page 20 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Woodbridge Township
Board of Education
Daniel Harris President Term - 2018 Follow
@danielharris08
Jonathan Triebwasser
Vice President
Term - 2019
Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson Curriculum Committee Finance & Insurance Committee Technology Committee Chairperson Transportation Committee
Marie Anderson
Board Member Term - 2017
Athletics & Extracurricular Committee Cafeteria Committee Chairperson Finance & Insurance Committee Negotiations Committee Policy & Planning Committee Chairperson
Page 21 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Frank DellaPietro III
Board Member Term - 2017
Ad Hoc Committee Policy & Planning Committee Security & School Safety Chairperson Special Education Committee
Brian Molnar Board Member Term - 2017
Athletics & Extracurricular Committee Building & Grounds Committee Chairperson Personnel & Grievance Committee Chairperson Security & School Safety Transportation Committee
Akshar "AJ"
Sidana Board Member Term - 2019
Athletics & Extracurricular Committee Chairperson Cafeteria Committee
Curriculum Committee Policy & Planning Committee Technology Committee
Ezio Tamburello Board Member Term - 2018 Follow
@EzioTamburello
Ad Hoc Committee Building & Grounds Committee Finance & Insurance Committee Chairperson Negotiations Committee Chairperson Personnel & Grievance Committee
Page 22 Superintendent’s Newsletter
“Excellence" is not a gift, but a skill that takes practice.
We do not act "rightly" because we are "excellent",
in fact we achieve "excellence" by acting "rightly".
Plato
Joseph Velez Board Member Term - 2019
Building & Grounds Committee Negotiations Committee Special Education Committee Security & School Safety Committee Transportation Committee Chairperson
Eileen Zullo Board Member Term - 2018
Cafeteria Committee Curriculum Committee Chairperson Personnel & Grievance Committee Special Education Committee Chairperson Technology Committee
Page 23 Superintendent’s Newsletter
Visit our “8th Grade 1:1 iPad Initiative” video on our district webpage at:
http://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/
WWooooddbbrriiddggee TToowwnnsshhiipp SScchhooooll DDiissttrriicctt 428 School St
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Central Administration
Robert Zega, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
732-602-8550
John Bader Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
732-602-8487
Brian Wolferman Business Administrator/Board Secretary
732-602-8536
Joanne Shafer Director of Personnel Services
732-602-8470
Julie Bair Director of Special Sevices
732-602-8575
