Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:14:27 -0700WeeblyMon, 14 May 2018 17:38:10 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/pta-newslettermarch-april-2018SPRING CARNIVAL
Our spring carnival is quickly approaching and will be held April 21, 2018.  In order to make this event a success, we need volunteers to run games and food concessions.  Volunteering for games is a great way for older siblings to earn community service hours for Scouts, National Honors Society or Confirmations.  Also, it’s not limited to PTA members, if you have a friend or family member willing to lend a hand for two or three hours, please have them contact us!  We will be posting a volunteer sign up over Spring Break.

The Tricky Tray Raffle, traditionally held as part of the Carnival is the largest fundraiser the PTA holds each year.  Please consider making a donation of a new or unused item to add to our raffle.

Do you own a business or a direct sales business? This is the perfect way to get your name out there, so everyone can see your products.

We have over $4,000 in prizes so far this year!  We have received some great donations including an American Girl Doll, theater tickets, restaurant gift certificates and many other awesome prizes.  We will also be running a 50/50!  This event is open to the public, so please help us spread the word!

We will also be holding an offsite raffle for (4) Disney World Park Hopper Passes (a $600 value) which will go on sale the day of the Carnival. The grand prize drawing will be held after the Spring Concert on May 15, 2018.  We encourage you to spread the word and help us sell tickets to friends and family! The tickets will be sold for $5 each.

STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
This year Staff Appreciation is being celebrated
 May 7-11th.
We are going to do a Superhero Theme this year as teachers and the staff are our SUPERHEROS!
The schedule for this year:
Sun. May 6th               Door Decorating
Mon. May 7th                         Breakfast (Pre K - 2nd )
Tue. May 8th               Superhero Supplies
Wed. May 9th                         Sweet Snacks (3rd-6th)
Thu. May 10th                         Words of Inspiration
Fri. May 11 th                Staff lunch
 
 
 TRENTON THUNDER NIGHT OUT
Join students and family for a great night of fun and baseball on June 5th.  Kids eat FREE.
 
Our 6th grade graduates will be recognized on the field before the game!  All 6th graders will receive a free ticket to the game compliments of the PTA.  Take advantage of our pre-sale cost of $10.00 per ticket until April 30th.  All tickets purchased after April 30th will be full price at $12.00.
 
Need more details email: Katie Jawidzik @ calliesmom09@gmail.com.
 
A Special Thank You to Kate Murphy! As some of you may know Kate has stepped down as our amazing Pizza Ninja, and she will be greatly missed. But a HUGE thank you goes to Kate for being our pizza ninja over the past 2 years. Pizza day won’t be the same without you

UPCOMING PIZZA DAYS
April 11 & 25
May 9 & 23
 
 
NEXT PTA MEETINGS
April 11 @ 7pm
Carnival meeting
 
May 8 @7pm
Last Meeting of this School Year
 
 
 

Congratulations to 1st & 2nd Grades for winning the Snowball Fight Contest!
Thank you for everyone for participating, you have helped earn more than $280 for our school this year!
 
For more information, and the latest on PTA events follow us on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rpspta/
 
Meeting Minutes
 
Treasurer Report: April gave the treasurers report, with a full accounting of all deposits and expenditures.*
Schoolhouse Hooky was well received by all who attended, it was our largest expenditure to date and cost more than $500 for vendors, supplies and food for the day. 
Fundraising report: At February’s meeting it was discussed that we have several upcoming expenses, including 6th grade graduation, agendas and folders, and without knowing exactly how much money the carnival brings it, we may want to table planning the dance until after Carnival Proceeds have been determined.  We may have to find a low-cost or free DJ for the evening, it is tentatively planned for June 2nd.
Carnival planning is in full swing with separate planning meetings taking place, a full budget has been created for food and games.  We also received our gambling permit from the NJLGCCC and our raffle licenses have been submitted to the Borough (approved as of 3/27). 
New business: We have approval to run a 50/50 the night of the Spring Concert.
We ordered SMENCILS to sell at Parent Teacher Conferences for $1 each. 
We discussed several ideas for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day fundraisers which we will implement next year.
We ask that all class parties ensure there is a healthy snack option available for the students. The BOGO Book Fair has been scheduled for May 16-18th.
 
 
* documents submitted available to members in good standing upon request
 
 
 
 

 
   ]]>Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:18:04 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/march-19th-2018​Two Scholarships Available
 
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is now accepting applications for its 2018 Scholarship Program. Two scholarships are available to college students who reside in New Jersey and are pursuing a degree in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, horticulture, park administration, or a related field. The application deadline ends April 1, 2018.
Applications can be downloaded here: www.tlc-nj.org or can be obtained by calling (973) 541-1010 x14.
 
Potential candidates must be enrolled in a college or university, be in good standing, have at least 15 credits completed, and have an academic average equivalent to a 3.0 or higher.
 
“This year we are pleased to be able to provide $7,500 to each of our two scholarship recipients,” announced Rick Simon, Trustee and Member of the Scholarship Committee for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey.
 
“The Land Conservancy has made a long-term commitment to help future environmental leaders in New Jersey,” said The Land Conservancy President, David Epstein. “We are excited to meet a new group of passionate students and hope that our scholarships can assist with developing their skills so that they can help New Jersey meet its future environmental challenges.”
 
The Russell W. Myers Scholarship was established in 1983 to honor Mr. Myers, founder of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. An outstanding leader in the field of conservation, Mr. Myers was the first Director of the Morris County Park Commission and served for more than a quarter century. His dynamic leadership established the Morris County Park System, which remains the largest county park system in the State of New Jersey and one of the finest in the nation.
 
The Rogers Family Scholarship was established in 2005 by Gray and Mollie Rogers, dedicated conservationists who wanted to expand The Land Conservancy’s educational support for outstanding environmentally-oriented students. Gray Rogers is a Trustee Emeritus of the non-profit land trust.
 
Past recipients have hailed from nearly 40 different New Jersey towns and have used their scholarships to obtain bachelor, master’s, and doctorate degrees at an array of institutions including New Jersey’s own Rutgers University and Richard Stockton College. Their fields of study have included environmental law, policy, chemistry, and planning; as well as wildlife ecology, geography, landscape architecture, and forestry management.
]]>Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:33:08 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/november-2017-boeRoosevelt Board of Education
 
Stay Connected
The Roosevelt Board of Education is creating an email distribution list for meeting agendas and information.  If you would like to be added to this list, which will be used in a BCC format, please email:  RPSBOE@gmail.com.
 
Welcome a New BOE Member
At its October meeting, the Board of Education appointed Nikki Weise to fulfill the term of resigned Board member Jessica Hanley through December 2018.   We appreciate the time that Jessica gave and are thankful that Nikki is starting with us. Here is Nikki’s introduction:
 
Hi, my name is Nikki Wiese and I am the newest member of the Board of Education. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, with concentrations also in Biology and Criminal Justice.  I currently work full time for one of the leading medical device companies in NJ as a Quality Trainer IV and Project Coordinator under the Project Management Organization.  I also hold certifications in Biotechnology and Medical Assisting.
 
I grew up in Bergen County, NJ and married my high school sweetheart, Scott.  We moved to Roosevelt two years ago and have three children together Brandon 4, Nico 2, and Gianna 1.  I look forward to a successful year ahead on the Board of Education.
 
Voting
The Board will  have three positions on the ballot for November 7th.  Ken LeCompte and John Ord are incumbents running for re-election.  That leaves one open ballot space.  We understand that RPS parent Naylon Larane is interested in being a write-in candidate.
 
Strategic Plan
Copies of the Strategic Plan Executive Summary were delivered to the BOE on September 28, 2017. We’d like to thank all the community members that helped write the new Mission Statement, State of the School Report, and State of the Community Report.  In addition, district goals for the next five years were determined based on the Strategic Plan.  The BOE will be reviewing and voting on each piece in the next month.
 
2017-2018 Board of Education Goals
 
Through the BOE self-evaluation process the following were developed:
 
Goal 1: Review, adopt and implement the Strategic Plan through board oversight.
 
Goal 2: Continue to refine the Committee of the Whole governance structure.
 
Goal 3: Investigate how to improve governance of the Board.
This Action Plan for this will include investigating the following:

• Succession planning
• Adding a  non-voting member on the board to include an Interdistrict Choice parent. 

]]>Sun, 10 Sep 2017 19:31:49 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/a-tour-of-rpsBy John Ord
Roosevelt Board of Education

It has been 30 Years since I have had an involvement in the school, but I find I now have some time and inclination to be engaged in the town since I retired a few years ago. I volunteered to be on a committee to evaluate the school and consider its future; little did I know what I was getting into. The next step was to stumble into an open seat on the Board of Education.

What a pleasant surprise to meet new families who were engaged in the school, well new to me anyway. I then realized how disconnected I had become with the town since my work and family had taken me in a different direction. If it were not for my youngest daughter’s two young boys, I would have missed movie nights, school plays and visits to the pre-school.

I now find myself waiting outside with the other parents and grandparents waiting for the preschoolers-along with parents who grew up with my other grandkids-an interesting experience. As I continued this new adventure, I began to remember how much I appreciated the school when my children and other grandchildren kept me busy with their adventures, so I decided to check out the school to see what has changed in the last 30 years. I am pleased to report that not much has changed.

I found the school in great shape. The building was well maintained and showed a great atmosphere where the people care about the kids and the school. It was mid-summer during my walk thru and a lot of work was going on. However, the rooms looked like teachers had been there the same day setting up for the new year and the place was ready for kids. I had to ask which classes were in each room, as things had changed and been repurposed as the school evolved. I could see that the former Boards of Education and Administration and staff had done a great job in maintaining the school as a solid piece of the heart of the town. I find the school now in good hands of the current Board of Education and Administration as they prepare for another new school year.

I recalled the addition 30 years ago and the changes we had made in the facility and realized many of those changes worked and were being put to good use. As I got engaged with the Board of Ed, I learned that the school struggled with its size and limitations and yet it was getting awards and recognition for doing a good job with our kids meeting the demands of the new state requirements for standardized testing. I learned about the changes in the schools operation and the shared services with the Millstone School district while still part of the East Windsor District in a sending-receiving relationship. I learned that our high school students have access to Vocational-Technical schools in Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer counties. These were not available 30 years ago.
​
I have two daughters and four grandkids that attended the school during the course of the 40 years I've lived in town and I can say they were all well served. Now I see the new families with small children moving into town and I can only encourage them to get more involved in the school and the town. The school is a good place to start discovering the town. The PTA and the Board of Education need the young families to start participating in the enjoyment the small town life in Roosevelt has to offer. I look forward to another year of picking up a pre-schooler and watching happy children play around the school. I wish everyone a happy new school year and encourage the staff and parents to keep up the good work.
]]>Tue, 23 May 2017 16:34:36 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/boe-may-2017ROOSEVELT PUBLIC SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT:
 
The mission of the Roosevelt Public School district is to educate and inspire all students to excel academically,* to become independent and creative thinkers, skillful communicators and lifelong learners. Roosevelt Public School nurtures and challenges the unique potential of each student, so that our children will develop individual, social and civic responsibility as well as respect for themselves, each other, and the environment.
*“to achieve or exceed the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards at all grade levels.”

10 Year Milestone
Assenka Oksiloff has served for10 continuous years as a Board member.  She was recognized at the April 6 Monmouth County School Boards Association Spring Meeting.
The full BOE was also recognized with a plaque for Recertification – completing 10 additional professional development hours.  The original Certification required 18 professional development hours.  Thanks to all the current and former BOE members for their dedication in additional training.

Invitation to 80th RPS Graduation Ceremony
The 80th RPS Graduation will be held on Saturday June 10th at 4 pm.  Please join us.  A special descendant of FDR will be in attendance.  If you are an RPS graduate please email us your RPS favorite memory and photos to: RPSBOE@gmail.com or drop them at RPS.  (Special note – pending changes per snow days – the last day of school is currently set for June 19th)
 
National School Board Association (NSBA) Campaign “Stand Up 4 Public Schools”
The new NSBA President, Kevin Ciak, is the former NJSBA President.  Part of NSBA outreach is publizing the website https://www.standup4publicschools.org which provides a video overview of public education.
 From the website: “There is no ordinary day in our public schools. Great things are happening but often go unnoticed. Extraordinary teaching and learning and acts of heroism taking place during every hour, every day, every year.”
The Stand Up campaign provides the public with a more accurate and thorough perspective of public education by capturing the ordinary, yet extraordinary activities and the dauntless and bold actions of educators – teachers, administrators, superintendents, and school board members – that help prepare students for the future. The campaign highlights the creativity that is prevalent in our public schools, which produces unique and amazing activities and outcomes every day. It reveals the true teaching and learning in public schools and it provides a means for people to demonstrate support for their schools.”
​
If you feel compelled to “stand up” for RPS – please consider calling the Acting Commissioner of Education, Kimberly Harrington at 609-292-4450.  Under discussion in NJ is an alternative to school funding of a flat $6000 per student.  This would drastically reduce our Interdistrict Choice state funding.  Please ask her to 1) fund the number of Choice Students we are allowed per our application amount of 42 students (currently funded for 30 students); and 2) do not decrease our Choice per-student funding.
 
]]>Sat, 22 Apr 2017 18:29:35 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/april-2017-boe-news
By Natalie Warner, Roosevelt Board of Education President
 
ROOSEVELT PUBLIC SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of the Roosevelt Public School district is to educate and inspire all students to excel academically,* to become independent and creative thinkers, skillful communicators and lifelong learners. Roosevelt Public School nurtures and challenges the unique potential of each student, so that our children will develop individual, social and civic responsibility as well as respect for themselves, each other, and the environment.
*“to achieve or exceed the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards at all grade levels.”
 
Remembering Cornelia Spoor
It’s very sad news to share of the passing of Roosevelt Board of Education member Rev. Deacon Cornelia Spoor, MSW, LCSW (1952-2017 on February 23, 2017.  Cornelia, who had served as a member of the Roosevelt Board since 2014, was an asset to the BOE and wrote many of the Bulletin articles.
The mother of four, she was a steadfast advocate for children and families. She was a case worker and then director of International Social Service-American Branch (1994-1996) and director of the New Jersey office of World Child, Inc., an adoption agency, until 2008. Previously, as a graduate student, she taught English composition at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.  She was ordained a deacon of the Episcopal Church in 2002.
Cornelia is survived by her spouse, Lee; their children Sarah, Audrey, Theodore and Simon; and many loving family members and friends. Our deepest condolences go out to her family and we will always be grateful for her many contributions to the Roosevelt community as a parent, volunteer, neighbor and friend.
Roosevelt Board 2017-2018 Proposed Budget
The following is the proposed budget that was sent to Monmouth County for approval for our pre-K-12th grade students.  We are proud to announce that we anticipate a tax decrease for 2017-2018 despite the loss of some state funding. One source of revenue has been our state-funded Choice Students, and we were able to add three of these students for the coming year through sibling waivers.  The Board of Education will vote on the budget during the Budget Hearing on Thursday, April 27th at 7:30 p.m.
BE IT RESOLVED that the tentative budget be approved for the 2017-2018 School Year using the 2017-2018 state aid figures and the Secretary to the Board of Education be authorized to submit the following tentative budget to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools for approval in accordance with the statutory deadline:
 
 
General Fund
Special Revenues Fund
Debt Service
Total

2017-2018 Total Expenditures
$2,702,801
$45,400
$53,103
$2,801,304

Less Anticipated Revenues
$1,179,298
$45,400
$  5,591
$1,230,289

Taxes to be Raised
$1,523,503
$     0
$ 47,512
$1,571,015

 
The anticipated tax rate for the average home assessed at $277,531 is $5,100 for 2017-2018 which is a decrease of $18 for the year.
 
Please attend any meeting or you can email to RPSBOE@gmail.com for more information.  Additional committee meetings and special meetings will be held as necessary and advertised in advance if a quorum is required or anticipated.
 
Welcome New Board Member
John Ord was appointed to the Board on March 16th.  He will serve the rest of 2017 in Cornelia’s chair.  John was previously a Board member in the 1980s and is a former school principal.  We thank him for stepping in on short notice to serve on the board.
 
10 Year Milestone
Natalie Warner has served for ten continuous years as a Board member.  She will be recognized at the April 6 Monmouth County School Boards Association Spring Meeting.
Invitation to 80th RPS Graduation Ceremony
The 80th RPS Graduation will be held on Saturday June 10 at 4 pm.  Please join us.  If you are an RPS graduate please email us your RPS favorite memory and photos to RPSBOE@gmail.com or drop them at RPS.  (Special note: Pending changes per snow days, the last day of school is currently set for June 19.)

]]>Wed, 22 Mar 2017 15:24:49 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/roosevelt-boe-march-2017ROOSEVELT PUBLIC SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT:
 
The mission of the Roosevelt Public School district is to educate and inspire all students to excel academically,* to become independent and creative thinkers, skillful communicators and lifelong learners. Roosevelt Public School nurtures and challenges the unique potential of each student, so that our children will develop individual, social and civic responsibility as well as respect for themselves, each other, and the environment.
*“to achieve or exceed the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards at all grade levels.”
 
RPS has moved to electronic report cards at FridayParentPortal.com/Roosevelt.  Grades throughout the semester are shown at that site also.  Logging into that system also puts you on our closed or delayed day robocall system.  Did you forget when school starts on a Delayed Opening? 

That and other important parent related information can be found in the Student Handbook on the school website at RPS1.org in the General Information pull down menu.

The General Information tab is also where aftercare information forms are found.  Please read the School Choice Info as it provides an excellent background about the school and how to attend if you live outside of town.
School policies and Board of Education information can be found under the Board of Ed. Link near the middle.  The schedule of meetings is there also.  We always love to talk to people who are considering running for BOE so please also feel free to email us at: RPSBOE@gmail.com.

The current extracurricular activities include: Homework club, Garden Club, and Studio Art.  These free activities are included in the school budget. Town Recreation also hosts gym night on Sunday nights. 
 
]]>Thu, 09 Feb 2017 17:32:10 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/rps-is-1​RPS Ranks with Top Schools on PARCC Test

Roosevelt Public School ranked among the top elementary schools in New Jersey on the most recent administration of tests from the Partnership for Assessment of Reading and Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC tests in Math and Language Arts are given annually to students in grades 3 through 11, most recently in 2016. 
​
RPS’s PARCC scores are generally not published by RPS or the State since the small number of students makes it difficult to maintain student privacy.  But of the 556 elementary schools that were ranked for grades 3 through 5, RPS tied for first.   See the full article here: http://patch.com/new-jersey/littlesilver/s/fymix/parcc-elementary-scho...ed-best-to-worst

Roosevelt Borough Board of Education Welcomes New Members
The Board of Education held the annual reorganization special meeting January 5 that included oath of office of the newly elected members and election of the 2017 President, Vice President and Delegate to the NJ School Boards. Below are highlights in addition to the agenda items of that meeting.   Committee Chairs will be determined at the next BOE meeting in January (see below for schedule).
Our new BOE members are Jessica Hanley and Daniel Leibowitz both sworn in for three-year terms.  Judith Goetzman was also re-elected to a three-year term.  Assenka Oksiloff was re-elected for a one-year term.  Remaining BOE members include:
Natalie Warner, President
Kenneth LeCompte, Vice President
Leo Gordon, Delegate
John Petrillo
Cornelia Spoor
 
Roosevelt Borough Board of Education Meeting Dates
The regularly scheduled BOE meetings for 2017, which will are open to the public and held at RPS at 730 pm on the following dates (subject to change):
 
January 26, 2017
July 27, 2017

February 23, 2017
August 24, 2017

March 23, 2017
September 28, 2017

April 27, 2017
October 26, 2017

May 25, 2017
November 30, 2017

June 22, 2017
December 21, 2017

July 27, 2017
January 4, 2018 BOE Reorganization

 
Please attend any meeting, or you can email to RPSBOE@gmail.com for more information.  Additional committee meetings and special meetings will be held as necessary and advertised in advance if a quorum is required or anticipated.
 
Change in School Calendar
Two new half-days have been added to the school calendar for Monday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 15, to accommodate teacher professional development in Math and Language Arts.  School will close at 12:30 pm.
 
On half-days, each period is still held but for a shortened amount of time, and lunch is not provided.  After-school babysitting is available for an additional fee.  Please register in advance.
 
Invitation to Math Parent Night
As a parent have you been frustrated with the way current students learn math compared to how you were taught “in the old days”?  Following the teacher professional development on March 6,  the trainers will stay and explain the newer math systems to parents.  Please join us on the evening of March 6 for Parent Math Training. 
 
Invitation to 80th RPS Graduation Ceremony
The 80th RPS Graduation will be held on Saturday June 10 at 4 pm.  Please join us.  If you are an RPS graduate please email your RPS favorite memory and photos to RPSBOE@gmail.com or drop them at RPS.  (Special note: pending changes for snow days, the last day of school is scheduled for June 20.)]]>Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:36:37 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/boe-candidate-letters-nov-8-electionStatement from Write-in Candidate for Board of Education
​
My name is Dan Leibowitz and I am running as a write-in for the Roosevelt Board of Education. I moved to Roosevelt with my wife, mother and (now two) beautiful little girls three years ago. We moved to Roosevelt to be a part of a strong community with an exceptional school for the girls. Their educational and social growth is of utmost importance to us, and we truly feel that it takes a village to make that happen.
It's important to me to contribute to this community.  The ability to participate in decision making that will move our school forward over the coming years is an awesome responsibility. Besides my desire to see the best for my daughters, I feel I have experience to provide value to the Board.
For the first 11 years of my career I worked for at-risk youth organizations in Bridgewater, Trenton, and Camden. During those years I implemented programs, collaborated with agencies, and made lasting relationships with my youth.  I've participated in boards for positive discipline, coordinated relationships between child study teams, the courts, and families, as well as managed workforce readiness programs. This experience instilled the desire to work towards change and progress.  More recently my career has taken me into the tech industry and Salesforce.com, the industry leader for customer relationship management (CRM). I was instrumental in gathering requirements to implement Salesforce within the Isles YouthBuild Institute in Trenton, and trained youth in Camden to be Salesforce administrators. I am a strong component in technology to drive innovation.
I am excited for the opportunity to work for my girls, our school, and our community.




To the Editor:
My name is Judith Goetzmann, and I am running for a three-year term on the Roosevelt Board of Education. A bit about me: My health is quite good; I have unlimited stamina. My tax returns are completely available for your perusal. I have never been paid for a speech presentation.
After completing one year of an unexpired term for someone who moved from town, I understand what's involved in being a board member and I feel confident I can do the job. I believe RPS is the jewel in the crown and I want to make sure our children continue to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.
I live on the corner of School Lane and Pine Drive. Feel free to stop by any time and read all my emails.
Please vote for me on November 8 for School Board.
Looking forward, Judith Goetzmann
]]>Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:33:56 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/education/nov-2016-update-strategic-planningBy Rick Pressler

The Roosevelt Public School’s first community strategic planning meeting, held on October 6, was attended by over 20 participants, including Roosevelt parents and community members, parents of Choice students, staff members, board members, and facilitators from the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Lead Facilitator, Kathy Winecoff, provided a quick orientation to the strategic planning process and outlined the scheduled meetings that will take place throughout the year. She pointed out that the strategic planning effort represented some of the most important work that a community can engage in: defining a mission and vision for its public school that reflects the values of the school stakeholders and aligns with the NJ public school framework.
​
The next meeting is at 7:00 pm on November 14th; please rsvp to Karen Otten at Kotten@rps1.org. All stakeholders—and all who are interested—are welcome to attend any and all meetings. ]]>