“Bui lding Bright Futures Together”A Publication of the River Edge Schools Fall/Winter 2012

Dear Parents and Members of the River Edge Community,

Hurricane Sandy disrupted the normalcy of many

families in our community, and it is my hope that all have

begun to recover from the losses suffered. The River Edge

community has demonstrated that neighborhood teamwork

and good will is a hallmark of its’ residents. Halloween took

on new meaning for our students through community

service projects such as collecting schools supplies, clothing

and food items for devastated families and neighboring

school districts.

The 2012-2013 agenda outlined in our summer

edition is progressing well. The following are highlights

from the beginning of the year through the present.

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A Message from the Superintendent of Schools

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Our commitment to excellence is stronger than ever. We

continue to advocate for rigor, differentiation, and

data-driven instruction. This year, the State of New Jersey

required that schools transition to the Common Core

State Standards in academic subjects. We are focused on

providing the professional development for teachers so

that they can be successful in giving all students what

they need to progress. Ms. Julia Diminich, our new

Literacy Coach is making great strides toward this goal.

Our students in grades 3-6 have once again outperformed

the schools in our District Factor Group in both Language

Arts and Math during the 2011-2012 school year! I

commend our entire River Edge educational community

for their efforts to accomplish this.

The Tri-District Curriculum Office continues to pursue

greater consistency of teaching and learning by

implementing the same reading series in grades K-5 and

working on transitioning and preparing grades five and six

for the Middle School math dynamics. Mr. Bill Feldman,

the new Tri-district supervisor of Curriculum, has been

instrumental in facilitating equal and consistent

preparation of our students in all subjects in regards to

higher learning and achievement.

The River Edge Board of Education continues to innovate

by implementing the same reading series in grades K-5

and working on transitioning and preparing grades five

and six for the Middle School language arts curriculum.

Consistent with the requirement of the State of New

Jersey, a Tri-district committee of administrators,

teachers, and parents has been active in the research and

selection of an approved teacher evaluation system

which will be implemented in all school districts. The

STRONGE evaluation model will be piloted this year

and fully implemented in September of 2013. It will

provide all districts with similar and consistent

expectations of the educators who serve our students.

The Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Legislature

is in its second year of implementation. Our new HIB

coordinator is Mrs. Beth Rosen the New Bridge Center

administrator, and she is taking proactive measures that

will prevent bullying from occurring in the RE School

District. We plan to implement all lessons learned from

the School Climate surveys for students, teachers and

parents conducted last year. We continue in our quest to

teach the children, through a partnership between home

and school to respect each other and we constantly work

on eliminating prejudice and supporting diversity.

Dr. Tova Ben-Dov takes time out of her busy schedule

to connect with 6th grade students at Cherry Hill

school. Pictured above standing from left to right are

Dylan Shirk, Hanna Park, Dr. Ben-Dov, Jennifer

Kong, and Chris Leuzzi. Sitting from left to right are

Gabriela Lisboano and Al-Fahad Shewan.

NBC Welcomes New Assistant Principal!

Mrs. Beth Rosen joins River Edge Schools as Assistant Principal for

New Bridge Center (NBC). Mrs. Beth Rosen has been in the field of

education for 35 years. Her past work experiences include Jr. Kindergarten

and Special Education teacher in the Saddle River School District as well

as Director of a private Early Childhood Center in Teaneck. A welcome

letter from Mrs. Rosen can be found on the internet on the Assistant

Principal’s page for NBC at www.riveredgeschools.org. Welcome to River

Edge Schools, Mrs. Rosen!

In the photo at the right, Mrs. Rosen reads to Ms. Wendrychowicz’s 1st grade class.

Superintendent’s Message (continued)

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I wish all of us a very successful 2012-2013 school year. As

we embark on a fascinating journey of inquiry, academic

success, and self discovery, I am confident that through our

partnership, our students will continue to thrive and reach new

heights.

Take Care of Yourself ~ Take Care of Each Other ~ Take Care of this Place.

Let Us Build Bright Futures Together.

Dr. Tova Ben-Dov

On November 20, 2012, River Edge Schools held its first

International Day. The various constituencies of River Edge

came together to create an enriching and inspiring event

that featured the many cultures of our school district. The

event was creatively run by our PTO, and through their

indefatigable work students were able to experience other

cultures and interact at each table through momentos and

hands-on experiences. Knowledge is the first step to elimi-

nating prejudice and we have definitely taken that first step!

We plan to build on this success in the future! (See photos at right.)

Consistent with our comprehensive five-year plan in

technology, we began to implement our goals to provide

students with the tools they will need in the Global Society

of the 21st Century. Some highlights have been retrofitting

buildings for better access and connectivity, installing more

Smartboards with the generous assistance of the PTO,

updating computer labs, and adding laptops and ipads. All

of these will support students’ educational and assessment

requirements during the 2012-2013 school year.

Community Partnership with all stakeholders in River Edge

continues to be an important goal in the River Edge School

District. We worked hard on accomplishing this through

on-going direct, open, and transparent communication with

all constituencies. We will invite the community again this

year to meet and dialogue about the progress towards our

goals. We are already in the process of planning a lean and

efficient budget that will support our quality programming

while keeping taxpayers economic plight in mind. We also

continue to look for alternative funding venues and to work

with the River Edge Educational Foundation as they

continue their efforts on behalf of our students.

River Edge Schools First International Day

Students participated at Cherry Hill and Roosevelt

Schools events as mentioned in Dr. Ben-Dov’s letter.

Above, New Bridge Center students dress up in various cultural

clothing to celebrate the occasion.

Below, Cherry Hill students learn about the culture of Japan.

Above left, Zoe Chan, Abigail Cordts, Kentaro Wada, Julia

Akdemir, and Vincent Doornheim celebrate International Day

with a “bang!” Above right, Miranda and Nicholas Peralta

with their mother Evelyn Peralta bring the Dominican Republic

to life for Roosevelt School.

River Edge Schools Thank Joe Magieri

River Edge Schools’ students got the chance to thank the

Veteran’s and Mr. Joe Magieri this fall. Although they weren’t

able to be present to properly honor the veteran’s at the event

in Memorial Park, 5th and 6th grade students at Cherry Hill

School honored “Joe” by gathering to salute the flag and to

sing “Proud to Be an American” on the front steps of Cherry

Hill School, where Joe has been a fixture as a Crossing Guard

for many years. Pictured above: Joe with the 5th and 6th grade

students and teachers saluting the Flag.Pictured below:Fifth and 6th

Graders pose for a photo with Joe.

River Edge Schools Welcomes New Staff Members!

The River Edge School District is proud to present its

newest members! Pictured from Left to Right:

Laura Ruggiero, 2nd Grade Teacher

Julia Diminich, Literacy Coach

Katie O’Reilly, Kindergarten Teacher

Keri Rehns, 5th Grade Teacher

Karla Idunate, World Language Teacher

Katie O'Brien, Resource Room & CREATE Teacher

Kate Langan, 1st Grade Teacher

Not Pictured:

Sara Tarascavage, Building Bridges Teacher

Christina Jennings, World Language Teacher

Stacy Socha, Learning Consultant

Stephanie Seigel, School Psychologist

River Edge Students Cast their Ballots!

Students at both Roosevelt School and Cherry Hill

School got the opportunity to participate in a mock election

for the Presidential Race in November. The Bergen County

Board of Elections provided actual voting booths, and -

students were able to

enter through the curtain

to cast their vote for

President. Every student

received a sticker that

read, “I Voted!” It was a

new experience for most,

and it sparked discus-

sions once back in the

classrooms. It was truly

a learning experience,

since it only happens

every 4 years.

River Edge Board of EducationLucy Di Maulo, President

Sheli Dansky, Vice President

Mary Kay Buckley,

Colin Busteed, Paris Myers,

Wendy Walker & Gyuchang Sim

AdministrationDr. Tova Ben-Dov

Superintendent of Schools

Denise HeitmanPrincipal, Cherry Hill School

Anthony VouvalidesPrincipal, Roosevelt School

Beth RosenAssistant Principal, New Bridge Center

Rosemary KurucSupervisor of Special Services

Deborah TrainorBoard Secretary/Business Administrator

John LyonsSupervisor of Buildings & Grounds

Chalk Talk EditorsStacy Colucci & June Karpowich

Affirmative Action Statement: The River Edge School District does not discriminate in its programs, activities or

employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, national

origin or social or economic status. For information, contact District Affirmative Action Officer Mrs. Denise Heitman, Cherry

Hill School, (201)261-3405.

River Edge Public Schools

410 Bogert Road

River Edge, NJ 07661

www.riveredgeschools.org

A Note from the Board of Education

Dear River Edge Community,

Our Board of Education’s most recent work has included goal

setting, review of policies, and much discussion about building

and grounds. This is of course in addition to our usual activities

of oversight and governance. The developed goals pertain to the

District, the Superintendent, and to the Board. The goals include

student academic achievement, community outreach, and Board

functions. Specifically, our trustees have committed to additional

training in school finance. The Trustees will also undergo Ethics

training in early 2013. These efforts speak to our ongoing desire to

provide a high level of service to our community.

Currently, the administration and Board are discussing the

2013-2014 budget. We are assessing needs and establishing

priorities. Typically, our meetings in the next several months will

contain a budget presentation at the beginning of the meeting. The

process will culminate in a public budget presentation which is

scheduled for February 2, 2013. We invite you to attend and we

welcome your input! On behalf of all the trustees, I extend

wishes for a Happy New Year!

Lucy Di Maulo

President of the River Edge Board of Education

New Literacy Coach in River Edge Schools

Julia Diminich-Kucharski, new Literacy Coach for the River Edge

Public Schools, comes with eighteen years of professional experience. As

an educator, her roles have included those of Kindergarten teacher,

Library/Media Teacher, Writing Teacher, Staff Developer, Literacy

Coach, and Adjunct Professor of Graduate Studies in Educational

Leadership. Mrs. Diminich holds a permanent teaching certificate, as

well as an administrative license. Her education includes a BS in

Elementary Education, a MA in Elementary Ed, a MS in Educational

Leadership, and a PD in Educational Supervision. Mrs. Diminich is an avid reader and writer and is enthusiastic about

sharing both her love and knowledge of literacy with the teachers and students of River Edge.

Time to Remember

River Edge

School District’s

thoughts are with

the families of

Sandy Hook

Elementary

School.