Thank you
Piscataway!
2011 Report to the community
gratitude
As we express our
,
we must never forget that the highest
Greetings
Thank you… gracias… danke… merci… Thank you…
No matter how you say it, “thank you” goes
a long way in the Piscataway School District
Community. Thank you to our taxpayers, parents
and teachers.
From the moment a child enters a classroom,
wide-eyed with wonder and a touch of fear, to
the ultimate prize of receiving a diploma from
Piscataway High School, every student reaps the
benefits of community support and alumni who
have walked the halls and paved the way for
those who follow.
This Annual Report is an opportunity to highlight the success of our alumni who give back to
Piscataway students through mentorships, financial aid, and guest lecturing. The graduates and
current students featured in this Annual Report
epitomize the ideals of our school district and
the three goals of our Strategic Plan – academic
achievement, high quality customer service, and
a community united strong in favor of public education.
INSIDE THIS REPORT
DISTRICT SNAPSHOT........................................ 3
Alumni highlights........................................ 4
A Community that cares.......................... 13
SUCCESS STORIES........................................... 14
HOW ARE WE MEETING YOUR NEEDS?........ 18
Our community makes a significant difference in
public education every time residents volunteer
in a classroom or on a Board of Education committee, when they attend student performances
and athletic events, and when civic organizations
lend their talents to our students.
The community’s aspiration for student achievement drives every decision made by the Board
of Education, administrators and staff. As you will
see in the following pages, Piscataway graduates
have gone on to excel in science, the arts, technology and sports. See how tomorrow’s graduates are following in the footsteps of those who
came before them.
Finally, we are committed to providing high-quality customer service, i.e., delivering non-instructional services such as transportation and food
service with efficiency and courtesy. In a sense,
our students, our parents, and the public at large,
are the “customers” we all pledge to serve.
This Annual Report recognizes the support of all
Piscataway residents and blends the best of the
past with the hope for the future… Thanks to you,
the Piscataway community, for helping along the
journey.
Paula A. Y. Maas,
President, Board of Education
Robert L. Copeland,
Superintendent of Schools
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appreciation is not to utter words, but
to live by
them.
—John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
The mission of the Piscataway
Public Schools is to prepare
2011-2012 School Year District Snapshot
Enrollment.......................................... 7,343
Pre-K - 8th Grade................................. 5,064
Piscataway High School...................... 2,239
Out of District Special Education............ 40
Decrease of 42% in the past 3 years
Teachers................................................. 592
Includes all classroom teachers, special
education, art, music, English as a Second
Language, technology, speech, librarians/
media specialists, nurses and counselors.
Graduates – Class of 2011..................... 521
Future Plans
Colleges & Universities......................... 89%
Technical Schools................................... 2%
Employment........................................... 3%
Undecided.............................................. 5%
Military................................................... 1%
Percentage Continuing Education....... 91%
National Merit Scholarship
Program Recognition
Class of 2011........................................... 17
Enrollment in Advanced
Placement Courses
312 students were enrolled in at least one
AP course with a total enrollment of 473
students in 19 courses.
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students to become confident,
productive members of a global
society by developing each child’s
unique abilities in a learning
environment that also includes
the New Jersey Core Curriculum
Content Standards.
A Strong Foundation Across the Generations
Education in Piscataway has come full circle for
Chanelle Scott McCullum. A graduate of Piscataway High School and longtime resident, she
holds a doctorate in Pharmacy from Shenandoah
University, and currently serves in a managerial
position at Merck, a global healthcare company
with offices in Piscataway, where she develops
budgets for clinical trials.
Chanelle’s children, Alexis and Larry, are also
thriving as students at Piscataway High School
and Conackamack Middle School.
“You can’t build a house on a foundation that’s
weak… Piscataway provides you with a strong
foundation, and, if you have that, it allows you to
stand a whole lot longer,” says Chanelle.
Growing up, Chanelle appreciated the caring environment of Piscataway schools, and, when she
continued her undergraduate education at Howard University, she realized how her hard work
prepared her for college and beyond. In addition to a strong academic high school schedule,
she participated in basketball and track, activities
which gave her a competitive advantage in today’s environment.
“Piscataway provided tools, such as the discipline
to study every day, to achieve your potential…
It allowed you to excel and gave you what you
needed to be successful,” remarks Chanelle.
She notes that, these days, school counselors
have increased their efforts to involve parents
and families early in their children’s education
and to prepare everyone for the college experience. Chanelle sees students, teachers and the
home in a “triangle of support.”
She sees her own children benefitting from early
exposure to Spanish language instruction, increased accessibility to technology, and college
preparation programs such as Freshman Foundations and Sophomore Experience, both products
of the High School Redesign project. Summer
math programs reinforce knowledge gained during the school year, and school-based overseas
travel opportunities offer a global view of world
cultures.
According to Chanelle, one of the most important messages that Alexis and Larry have learned
is to study every day to ensure that the knowledge gained in school is retained.
Chanelle Scott McCullum, Piscataway High School Class of 1985 with her children Larry, grade 6 at Conackamack
Middle School and Alexis, grade 11 at Piscataway High School.
Chanelle notes that, “the Piscataway School
District listens and adapts with the times.”
Gratitude
creates a vision
makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today and
for tomorrow.
—Melody Beattie, author
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Reach for the stars…
Cathy Bahm, an aerospace engineer for NASA
and member of Piscataway High School Class
of 1991, recalls how fortunate she was to have
so many strong Piscataway female teachers who
were “really good” in the areas of math and science and “pushed us to excel.”
Today, Cathy coordinates a variety of high-level
NASA projects, including the Orion Abort and
Pad Abort Projects, which test launch escape
systems for NASA’s next generation of vehicles
taking humans into space.
Last spring, Cathy returned to Piscataway to
speak with students at Arbor and King Intermediate Schools, and Piscataway High School, sharing insights and photos of her projects at NASA.
She stressed the importance of setting goals and
working hard to take advantage of the opportunities offered in Piscataway.
As a second grade student at Piscataway’s New
Market School, which closed in 1981, Cathy and
her classmates were asked, “What do you want
to be when you grow up?” Cathy replied, “I want
to be the first female astronaut!” and was not put
off when a boy in her class said that girls couldn’t
be astronauts. Her teacher at the time, Francine
Goldberg, told her that she could be whatever
she wanted to be.
Cathy participated in the Academically Talented
Program in elementary school, a perfect educational opportunity for engineers in the making.
She programmed Radio Shack computers, learned
problem solving, and planned missions participating in the Olympics of the Mind program.
During an Algebra class at Piscataway High
School, Cathy mentioned her love of fighter jets,
Cathy Bahm, Piscataway High School Class of 1991 at Arbor School with Anna Stalenyj
and Masai Mouzon, Piscataway High School Class of 2019.
like those in the recently released film “Top Gun,”
to her teacher, Carole Molchan. Cathy then connected with Mrs. Molchan’s sister, an electrical
engineer working on F-14s, who suggested that
she consider aerospace engineering as a career
option, and the path was paved for Cathy to follow her dream of working at NASA.
Piscataway High School prepared Cathy for college at Texas A & M University, where she enrolled in every math class she could possibly take
as well as physics.
Today, Cathy looks back and says, “I believe when
you go through school, you not only learn how to
solve problems, you learn how to learn and how
to work hard. I learned those things from all of
my teachers in Piscataway and it still serves me
well today.”
One Small Step for Man, One
Giant Leap for Women
“Going to space must be AMAZING! Those astronauts must be so excited!” exclaims Jennifer Amory.
Inspired by Cathy Bahm’s (left) visit to King Intermediate School last spring, Jennifer sat by her
television last July, eagerly awaiting the launch of
spacecraft Atlantis, the final space shuttle to be
sent into orbit. She knew that she was watching
history in the making.
Now a student at Quibbletown Middle School, Jennifer was interested in astronomy before Cathy came
to visit Piscataway. Yet Cathy’s presentation inspired
a keen awareness for the importance of safety in the
space program. Who knew that there were whole
departments at NASA focused on saving astronauts
should something go wrong at liftoff?
Jennifer admires the achievements that Cathy shared
with the students at King, and has a newfound appreciation for other strong women leaders.
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Jennifer Amory, Piscataway High School Class of 2018,
reads about the solar system at the Quibbletown
Middle School Library.
“Cathy started in Piscataway and here she is now,
working at NASA!” says Jennifer, adding “I also
like strong women leaders like Eleanor Roosevelt
because they changed history,” opening doors
for future generations of women like Cathy and
herself.
Jennifer looks forward to the possibility of people
inhabiting the moon and taking “space tours” in
the next ten to twenty years. She reflects on the
science of communication, noting how easy it is
to exchange ideas with people around the world
through constantly changing technological advances.
Encouraged by her own teachers, Jennifer enjoys
reading books that take her to a “fantasy world.”
She is a prolific writer – her stories always include
a character with “a little bit of myself” - and hopes
to someday become a children’s author.
The
essence of
art,
is gratitude.
all beautiful
of great art,
—Friedrich Nietzsche,
19th Century German Philosopher
Setting the Stage for Success
Troy Ogilvie has a commanding presence on
stage. The Piscataway High School Class of 2003
graduate’s dance style exudes energy, crisp dynamic movements and profound interpretation
of classic and contemporary music. These characteristics define her work as a successful, professional New York City dancer, according to dance
reviews and various choreographers, including
Benoit-Swan Pouffer, director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Last year, at the age of 25, Troy
was named by Dance Magazine as one of “25 to
Watch.”
Balancing “en pointe” was not just about ballet
shoes for Troy. Throughout her years of dance
training, she was supported by her teachers in
Piscataway, as they encouraged her desire to become a professional dancer, and helped her to
develop organizational skills that still serve her
well today.
She studied philosophy and AP Physics as part
of her high school course work, and notes that
“dance is a manifestation of physics. The mind/
body connection is invaluable in any part of life.”
Troy began dance lessons when she was a mere
three years old, taking ballet, tap and jazz. At the
age of nine, she joined the New Jersey Dance
Theatre Ensemble, which provided diverse opportunities in modern and contemporary dance
styles, and opened doors for Troy to study with
masters of modern dance.
Troy continued part-time ballet studies at the
Princeton Ballet School, and, while in Piscataway
High School, attended two summer workshops at
the Juilliard School, a prestigious conservatory in
New York City. It was at Juilliard that Troy discovered a passion for contemporary dance, and she
ultimately enrolled at the esteemed performing
arts school.
Studying violin from 3rd grade through her senior year at PHS, Troy developed her in-depth
understanding of musicality, a valuable asset to
the choreographers she works with and the collaborative nature of dance. She also performed in
musicals at the high school, including The Music
Man, Guys and Dolls, and Bye, Bye Birdie, which,
she says, gave her a “chance to expand my range
of expression.”
Troy Ogilvie, center, Piscataway High School Class of 2003. Photographed by Hilary Johnson from “Wonderland”
with choreography by Andrea Miller.
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A Gem in the Center of Town
The Performing Arts Center in the West Wing of Piscataway High School was dedicated in November
2010, with tours of the newly renovated auditorium, dance studio and dressing rooms. The renovation
project was funded by grants and local support, and features state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, comfortable new seating and air conditioning. Students from each district school participated in
a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the PHS Drama Club presented “Murder Takes the Stage” at the grand
opening.
The Performing Arts Center at Piscataway High School opened in November
2010 following extensive renovations.
The Piscataway High School Dance Team, seen in the new Performing Arts Center Dance Studio, reached
the finals of Cablevision’s MSG Varsity High School Talent Competition last spring.
Keeping a Focus on the Future
The gleam in the eyes of Joe Storch, Class of
2011, comes right through the lens of his video
camera. Joe has set his sights on creating important film projects, and can hardly contain his excitement over the vision of what is yet to come for
the future of videography.
in the Broadcast Media Suite at Piscataway High
School, Joe is able to mentor his peers at the Art
Institute, suggest new viewpoints, and offer creative solutions for ongoing projects.
As a student at the Art Institute of Philadelphia,
Joe is enrolled in an accelerated three-year track
in Videography and Filmmaking. He also has an
independent video production company, and is
currently working with media giant “Voices of
Entertainment,” filming music videos and commercial contest entries.
When Joe entered PHS in 2007, he discovered
the state-of-the-art Broadcast Media Suite and the
wide range of activities for student-produced programming in radio and television there. Facilities
include two TV studios, control rooms equipped
to broadcast live throughout the high school, a
professional-quality editing suite, a media lab
for digital video editing and podcasting, and the
“voice of PHS,” radio station, WVPH 90.3 FM.
As a result of the extensive experience garnered
Joe got involved in the Radio and Video Clubs,
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where he honed his talents with the support of
Broadcast Media instructors Susan Pascullo and
George Fairfield, who “prepared him for a career
at the highest level, not just for college,” according to Joe.
He had opportunities to film interviews for the
MSG Varsity cable television show, and was the
lone cameraman for the school’s Anti-Bullying
“Lip Dub,” which set a record for the most students in a high school “lip dub” by the World
Records Academy.
“There is so much to choose from in Piscataway.
The possibilities are endless…” he says.
Joseph Storch, Piscataway High School Class of 2011,
tapes an interview in the Piscataway High School
Broadcast Media Studio.
Project HealthLinks Creates Opportunities
for Future Generations
Project HealthLinks, an initiative designed to
introduce Piscataway minority middle school
students to careers in the field of medicine, was
created almost 10 years ago, and, since then, has
inspired many of its participants to pursue health
care professions.
The program was selected as a winner of the
25th Annual School Leader Award, sponsored by
the New Jersey School Boards Association. The
award recognizes unique and innovative district
programs, and the Piscataway entry was one of
only two statewide winners.
HealthLinks provides a multitude of activities and
educational excursions providing student access
to professional role models.
During the school year, Project HealthLinks enabled student “interns” to visit Liberty Science
Center to watch a live stream of a neurosurgery
procedure. They were invited to meet and interview a heart transplant recipient, and spoke with
biomedical engineers at New Jersey Institute of
Technology.
Field experiences are organized by the district
in conjunction with a community group known
as Raritan Valley Links. Volunteers from the organization, comprised primarily of retired minority
health care professionals, work hand-in-hand with
Piscataway students to foster an understanding
of educational requirements for careers in a variety of health fields. Raritan Valley Links also offers
scholarship opportunities to HealthLinks participants.
Learn
At the conclusion of the year-long program, students hosted a district-wide youth conference for
parents, schools officials, and adult Links volunteers, offering keynote speeches that highlight
how the internship had a profound influence on
their consideration of future career choices.
Raritan Valley Links volunteers Yvonne Orrange, Joan Davis, Gayle Thigpen-Allen and Claire Davis meet to discuss
HealthLinks events.
everything you can, anytime you
can, from anyone you can —
there will always come a time when
you will be grateful
you did.
—Sarah Caldwell, opera conductor
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Siblings Follow Similar Paths
Programs like HealthLinks are successful due to
partnerships between community groups and the
school district.
“HealthLinks is a beneficial program that will
teach you about things you’ve never heard about
in health fields and can send you in a different
direction in your life. You meet inspiring people
who motivate you to be successful.” Profound
words from Chioma Egekeze, a Piscataway High
School sophomore and one of three sisters to
participate in the HealthLinks program.
Chioma, along with her siblings Oluchi and Ijeoma, are all pursuing health care careers as a result
of involvement in HealthLinks.
Ijeoma, PHS class of 2009, currently attends
Georgetown University and is enrolled in a PreMed track, hoping to enter the field of women’s
and children’s health.
“Pediatrics begins with taking care of the mother,” says Ijeoma, who is impacted by the socioeconomic landscape of the Washington, DC
area. Her observations of underprivileged families instilled a desire to follow a career path that
makes a difference in the wellbeing of future generations.
Before her HealthLinks experience, Ijeoma was
not sure of what path to take. Field trips to the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Headquarters, Ortho Biotech, a neighborhood clinic in
Plainfield, and the United Nations helped to solidify Ijeoma’s area of interest.
Oluchi, class of 2011, knew that she wanted to
participate in HealthLinks after sharing Ijeoma’s
experiences vicariously. She, too, was drawn to
the health care field, and initially had intentions
of becoming a surgeon.
Watching a live kidney transplant changed her
mind, and this field experience was an example
of how HealthLinks defined what career would
not be a good fit.
Oluchi combined her interests in the medical
field with her strong engineering skills and is following a course of study in the area of Bio-Medicine at Pennsylvania State University, where she
was offered a full scholarship. She is one of five
freshmen selected for the Bunton-Waller Fellowship for high-achieving minority students in the
engineering program.
Ijeoma and Oluchi were enrolled in Honors and
Advanced Placement courses at Piscataway High
School, and noted that PHS teachers and classes
“get you prepared” for college.
HealthLinks opened doors for Ijeoma, Oluchi and
Chioma to attend other programs, including The
Academy at Rutgers for Girls in Engineering and
Technology.
While Chioma, grade 11, still has several years to
make a definitive career choice, she is following
the advice of Ijeoma and Oluchi, taking honors
courses and planning for the rigors of upcoming
Advanced Placement classes to prepare for college.
Their recommendation to younger HealthLinks
participants is to take plenty of science and
health classes, get experience in the field, volunteer, and discuss options with school counselors.
“HealthLinks prepares you to work harder, and
maintain focus on schoolwork,” says Chioma. “It
teaches important time management skills” as a
result of required activities beyond class work.
Chioma is most interested in the food and nutrition field following a HealthLinks field experience
to Solaris Whole Health Center in Martinsville.
Oluchi hopes to develop innovations in artificial
or mechanical limbs, robotic surgery and other
technological devices to be used in hospitals.
Chioma, Igeoma and Oluchi Egekeze, Piscataway High School Classes of 2014, 2009 and 2011, at a recent family
gathering.
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Motivation is the Right Medicine
There is a connection between the discipline that
is inherent in athletes and their motivation to
succeed. In the case of Parth Patel, PHS Class of
2009, the values that he acquired as a member of
the Piscataway High School Cross Country Team
had a dramatic impact on his choice of academic
pursuits at New York University. With a full schedule of Advanced Placement classes, Parth combined his high school success with encouragement from Cross Country Coach Pete Buccino,
and is now pursuing a career in medicine.
Recently, Parth wrote to Coach Buccino, saying
“I wanted to thank you for the work ethic you instilled in me from the day I started running for
you. The dedication and camaraderie that you
instilled in me has helped me identify what I want
to do in life, and has given me the inspiration to
always strive for the better…”
Today, Parth is a Resident Assistant at NYU, and
has completed field research at Cornell Medical
School in neurobiology and immuno-chemistry
to identify specific markers or areas of the brain
for changes in life cycles. He received a “35” on
his Medical College Admission Test which virtually guarantees him admission into the medical
“Those who have the ability to
be grateful
Born to Run
school of his choice; this score is achieved by only
two percent of students in the United States.
Jolea Crearer, currently in the fourth grade at Arbor Elementary School, spends a lot of time running around. Not just to the playground or the
library… Jolea is a competitive runner, and has
achieved recognition for winning track events
across the country. She displays over 100 medals,
pins and trophies in her room.
Parth credits Coach Buccino with helping set
realistic goals and giving him the confidence to
be the best he can be. Without this, he says, ”I
might not have driven myself to do everything
that I’m doing… I might have settled for less.”
Last year, Jolea competed at the Colgate Games
at Madison Square Garden, where she placed first
in the 200 meter race, and won a $1,000 college
scholarship. She also won the 400 meter race at
the National Junior Olympics in Virginia.
Parth Patel, Piscataway High School Class of 2009,
reviews field research documents.
and other venues, and she looks forward to the
day when she, too, can race in the “big” Olympics, where other young runners will watch her
vie for success on television.
In the coming year, Jolea expects to again compete at the Colgate Games, as well as the National Junior Olympic in Houston, along with her
siblings John, grade 6 at Schor School, and Adeja, grade 11 at Piscataway High School.
Family and teachers consistently support Jolea,
by giving her confidence and cheering her on at
indoor and outdoor meets. Lauren Straube, her
third grade teacher from Grandview School, accompanied her to the Colgate Games event. Ms.
Straube encouraged Jolea to eat healthy, keep
trying and always be a good sport. Following
Jolea’s win at the Colgate Games, Ms. Straube
reiterated the importance of leadership skills and
balancing school and athletics.
Jolea admires professional runners Veronica
Campbell-Brown and Usain Bolt, made famous
for their worldwide appearances in the Olympics
Jolea Crearer, Piscataway High School Class of 2020,
demonstrates top racing form.
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are the ones who have the ability to
achieve greatness.”
—Steve Maraboli, “Life, the Truth, and Being Free”
Lessons Learned On and Off the Field
“Always a champion” is the charge that drives
Kyle Wilson. From his days on the Piscataway
High School Chiefs football team, to his current
position as cornerback for the New York Jets,
Kyle takes his inspiration from his roots in the Piscataway community.
He has heartfelt respect and admiration for PHS
Football Coach Dan Higgins, who “treated us
like men,” provided opportunities to grow, and
always put his players first. He greatly appreciated the community support exhibited during
championship football seasons.
Kyle says “Piscataway was my Super Bowl,” but
it’s not just about the turf on the football field.
Kyle Wilson’s success comes from a strong foundation in academics as well as athletics at Piscataway High School, leading to a sense of personal
achievement. He is driven to succeed, and tells
current PHS students that the hard work definitely
pays off.
Kyle tries to get back to Piscataway when his
schedule allows, and can frequently be seen on
the sidelines during Piscataway Chiefs football
games. During the NFL off-season, Kyle worked
with the Chiefs, motivating them to stay strong
physically and mentally, and always be accountable on and off the field. He has benefitted from
the guidance and experience of other players in
the National Football League, and understands
how important it is to “give back” to those that
follow.
A 2005 graduate of PHS, Kyle went on to stellar success as a cornerback at Boise State, where
he earned a degree in communications. While
college athletes have the advantage of specially
coordinated class scheduling, Kyle relied on time
management skills learned as a Piscataway student and football player to find a balance that
allowed him to complete his requirements on
time.
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Kyle Wilson, Piscataway High School Class of 2005, makes a big play.
man’s culture
we appreciate
The measure of a
is the
measure of his appreciation. We are ourselves what
and no more. —Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
Success, Support and Making a Difference…
James G. Cullen, a Piscataway High School
alumnus, has a message for Piscataway students:
Pursue your dream. Create options for yourself.
Define your own success. Then, give back to your
community.
From humble beginnings growing up in the Possumtown section of Piscataway, Jim graduated
from Rutgers University and has enjoyed a successful business career, having served as President, Chief Operating Officer and a member of
the Board of Directors of Verizon. He now holds a
variety of prestigious positions, including serving
on the boards of Johnson and Johnson, Prudential Financial and Agilent Technologies.
James G. Cullen, Piscataway High School Class of 1960, provides scholarship opportunities to select PHS graduates
admitted to Rutgers University.
While serving as Chair of the 2000 Rutgers Capital Campaign, Jim observed students struggling
to make ends meet, and wanted to make a difference so that others could follow a path similar to his. His memory of opportunities provided
during his Piscataway education, combined with
his successful financial position, led him to create the Cullen Family Scholarship, an endowment
in the amount of $500,000 for select Piscataway
High School graduates to pursue an education
at Rutgers University. Approximately 35 PHS stu-
dents with a “special spark” have thus far benefitted from scholarships in the amount of $10,000
each.
Jim was the recipient of a $500 scholarship when
he graduated from PHS in 1960, and recalls, at
that time, he mulled over possibilities for using
the funds – should he use the money to pay for
his books or perhaps a typewriter? Today, that
amount just might allow a college student to purchase three books. But it would get an iPad.
The impact of receiving a college scholarship is
still as significant as it was 50 years ago, and it’s
not just about the monetary award. Jim takes
time to mentor Cullen Family Scholarship recipients, hosting a luncheon each year, where current
and former students gather to gain insights from
guest speakers, and share information about
their individual educational experiences. Jim follows their progress, and has been instrumental in
providing job opportunities as well.
In Jim’s eyes, some things are constant… enabling and encouraging students to learn and
explore leads to long-term outcomes.
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A Community That Cares
• During the 2010-2011 school year, in a show
of strength and solidarity, a citizen’s group
known as “Fair Funding for Piscataway” organized a bus rally to bring the issue of unequal
state school funding to the attention of local
legislators.
According to New Jersey’s own school funding formula, Piscataway is entitled to $38
million in state aid. That translates to about
$5,400 per student; instead, the State gives
Piscataway about $1,790 per student, about
one third of what should be received.
Hence, 50 members of the Fair Funding organization lobbied for an equitable distribution
of existing state aid dollars. The group continues to work with district administrators and
legislators to further the goal of obtaining fair
funding for Piscataway taxpayers.
• Renowned author, scholar and food advocate, Marion Nestle was the guest speaker at
the annual Peggy Friedman Memorial Lecture
Series on Social Justice in September 2010 at
Piscataway High School. Curricular activities
for students and teachers at PHS were held in
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conjunction with the annual lecture. Dr. Nestle, known for addressing controversial issues
including government regulation, oversight
and inspection, public policy and honesty in
advertising spoke on the topic of “Personal
vs. Social Responsibility for Food Choice and
Justice.”
• Randolphville School earned the distinction
as the top elementary school in the Middlesex County 2011 Spring Food Drive. Students collected 6,750 pounds of food during
the drive, which incorporated math activities
and lessons on community service into a cooperative competition between classes. The
school was recognized with a proclamation at
a meeting of the Middlesex County Board of
Chosen Freeholders.
• Piscataway schools reap the benefits of positive relationships with the business community. Arbor Elementary and Quibbletown
Middle Schools were the recipients of checks
in the amount of $711 each during the Grand
Opening of the new 7-Eleven franchise on
Washington Avenue.
Success Stories 2010-2011
• In just its second year of competition, the
Piscataway High School Academic Decathlon
Team made it to the state finals and garnered
two Gold Medals, a Bronze and two Honorable Mention Awards. An official of the US Academic Decathlon commended the students’
strong showing despite being a young team.
Top awards were received by Eeshan Bhatt,
Josephine Paredes and Kurtis Himmler.
• In only its first year competing, Piscataway
High School’s Academic Team placed 2nd
out of 20 teams competing in the 2011 High
School Ethics Bowl, hosted by the Stevens Institute of Technology. Fatima Ahmed, Roma
N. Patel, Kristen Perrello and Sharon Spear
were tasked with formulating ethical solutions
to today’s scientific problems in debate format.
• District music students from elementary
through high school were chosen to perform
in prestigious regional music ensembles.
Eleven students from Arbor School and nine
students from King School performed with
the Central Jersey Music Educators Association Elementary Honors Band. Last year, as a
7th grade student at Conackamack School,
Tiger Li was chosen to perform on violin
with the CJMEA Region II Intermediate Orchestra, while Rebekah Butler, former 8th
grade student at Quibbletown, now at PHS,
was selected to play tuba with the Region II
Intermediate Band. Piscataway High School
percussionist Christian Lopez was selected for
the CJMEA Region II Concert Band. The performers were chosen after auditioning against
students from schools throughout Hunterdon,
Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset and
Union Counties.
• Piscataway High School set a world record for
the largest number of people in a high school
“lip dub” as the school kicked off an AntiBullying initiative in a big way last May. Using
Aretha Franklin’s classic recordings of “Think”
and “Respect” as themes for the project, over
1,900 students and staff members recorded
a “lip dub,” a popular trend in online video
sites, to drive home the anti-bullying message
and heighten school spirit. The video was recorded by the PWAY-TV studio and submitted
to the World Records Academy for certification. The video can be viewed on the PHS
web page under Site Shortcuts.
• Six students at Piscataway High School were
presented with outstanding awards in art
competitions last year. Lindsay Brown and
Andrew Ward, Class of 2011, won $1,000
scholarships from the Art Educators of New
Jersey High School Scholarship Awards/Governor’s Award in Art Education. Andrew also
won a 1st place award in the duCret School
of Art high school art show. Other award recipients of the duCret show were Stephanie
Wademan, Nichole Chesek, and Bryanne
Brock, all graduates, and Scarlet Hernandez,
currently a senior at PHS.
• An essay entitled “Electricity from the Ocean,”
written by Arbor student Amatya Pathak, was
selected as one of the “Best of the Best” by
Celebrate New Jersey, an organization made
up of 25 New Jersey community groups “to
promote the best of New Jersey for generations to come.” Amatya wrote about offshore
wave power technology as a source of renewable energy.
• Susan Saltzman, coordinator of the district’s
SAIL Program (Students Achieving Independent Life Skills) was recognized as New Jersey’s “Transition Educator of the Year” by the
Association for Persons in Supported Employment. The designation comes as a result of
Susan’s successful efforts in helping students
with disabilities prepare for the workplace.
Leslie Russell, fifth grade teacher at King School, pictured with Stephanie Enyiorji and Alison Kuderka, Piscataway
High School Class of 2018 , was named the 2011 NJ State History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute
of American History. The designation, recognizing outstanding teachers of American history across the country,
came with a $1,000 award plus an archive of books and other resources for King School.
Highlights of the SAIL program were included as a Best Practice in Community Based
Instruction by the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Robert
Wood Johnson Medical School, University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dan
Baker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, noted that the SAIL program “is an excellent example of why schools often do better
than contracted services in terms of finding
community placements for their students.”
• Musicians of the King School Concert and
Jazz Bands participated in the Dorney Park
Band Competition in Allentown, PA last
spring, earning “Superior” ratings for their
performances.
• The Schor Jazz Band and Chamber Choir participated in an outdoor concert on the plaza
of Lincoln Center as part of the Young Music
Makers program.
14
Achievements and progress
New Jersey ranks at the top of the charts nationally in high school graduation rates, Advanced Placement scores, and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as “the nation’s report
card.” Piscataway exceeds state achievement scores in these and many other areas:
• Piscataway exceeds New Jersey’s graduation
rate with 95% of our students graduating.
The percentage of students graduating high
school in New Jersey is 82.1%.
• Students at Piscataway High School taking the
High School Proficiency Assessment in spring
of 2011 exceeded state scores in Language
Arts by 3.4%, and Mathematics by 8.8%.
• In 2011, Piscataway students consistently
exceeded state NJASK Advanced Proficient
and Proficient scores for Mathematics and
Language Arts:
GRADE
Mathematics
Grade 3
Exceeded state scores by 8%
Grade 4
Exceeded state scores by 3.7%
Grade 5
Exceeded state scores by 7.7%
• Enrollment in Advanced Placement classes at
Piscataway High School increased 28% from
2009-10 to 2010-11. In the past five years, the
number of students taking Advanced Placement exams rose a total of 55%, and those
with scores of 3 or higher, considered a passing score on exams, increased 48%.
• The combined Writing, Mathematics and
Critical Reading SAT scores for Piscataway
High School students increased 10 points in
the past five years, while the New Jersey average increased 4 points. The national average dropped 11 points during the same time
frame.
Language Arts
Grade 3
Exceeded state scores by 5.2%
Grade 4
Exceeded state scores by 5.8%
Grade 5
Exceeded state scores by 5.8%
Staff members from Children’s Corner PreSchool celebrated Piscataway Reads, which was attended by more than
500 children and adults last spring.
The hardest arithmetic to master
is that which enables us to
count our blessings.
—Eric Hoffer, “Reflections On The Human Condition”
15
Achieving Success with Support
The Piscataway School District offers several
unique, comprehensive initiatives that contribute
to increased academic achievement and preparation for college and life.
One example is “Summer Academy,” a district
program that offers academic enrichment in literacy and math. As a result of community support
for the budget in April, the program was expanded last summer, and provided academic support
to 785 students over the course of five weeks.
Arbor School student Michael Espino reaped the
benefits of participation in Summer Academy.
He is your typical 4th grader who likes reading
books from the R. L. Stine “Goosebumps” series.
He likes math. He feels good when he helps his
family and friends.
Michael began school in Piscataway, but his
family relocated to Florida while he was in third
grade. While in Florida, the level of instruction
that he received in school was less rigorous than
in Piscataway, and, when Michael’s family moved
back here this past summer, they took advantage
of the opportunity to enroll him in Summer Academy, where he received enrichment instruction to
catch up to fourth grade.
Several other programs contributing to student
success are implemented during the summer
months and the regular school year:
• “Sneak Peek” is a summer preview of September coursework for middle and high school
students. Middle school classes include sessions in reading, writing, math and science,
while high school courses offer instruction in
Honors and Advanced Placement subjects.
• The “Academic Academy” program in math
is an opportunity for students to complete a
year-long Algebra I course in 6 weeks over the
summer. Students who successfully completed the required elements of the class began
high school in one of two accelerated math
courses – Honors Algebra 2 or Geometry
9. Other students attended the “Academic
Geometry Academy,” and took Algebra 2
or Honors Algebra 2 in September. Students
participating in the Academic Academy program in Spanish were able to begin Spanish
3 at the start of the school year, while others
who completed language graduation requirements during the summer could enroll in another language such as Mandarin Chinese, or
other electives.
• “Academic Bridges,” a workshop to assist students in grades 5 – 7 in planning for middle
and high school in the district, was held last
February. Sessions were scheduled for students and parents to meet principals, counselors and subject area staff who provided
guidance for future academic planning.
• The second phase of the Piscataway High
School Redesign was implemented in 201011, with expanded curricular offerings,
academic challenges, increased responsibility and a focus on personal growth. The program, incorporating block scheduling and
academic teams, began with implementation
of “Freshman Foundations” during the 20092010 school year, and centers around the goal
of providing students with creative problem
solving skills, academic support and enrichment, financial literacy, and educational planning. Phase three of the redesign project is
currently being implemented for juniors.
Michael Espino, Piscataway High School Class of 2020, reads a favorite book from the “Goosebumps” series.
The Haven
The Haven combines the strengths of school,
community and family to help students be more
engaged in school, improve their academic performance, and grow personally.
Today’s children and adolescents face many challenges - economic stressors, peer pressure, Internet risks, and exposure to drug and alcohol use.
The Haven, a program designed to help children
navigate these pressures, was developed last
year in a partnership between Piscataway Public
Schools and Rutgers University’s Center for Applied Psychology.
The Haven offers individual and family counseling,
life skills and stress-management groups, and crisis intervention to prevent future difficulties.
16
Global Outreach
• Analese McNight, PHS Class of 2011, spent
two weeks as an ambassador to underprivileged children in South Africa as part of F3B
(Three Female Ballers) – Empowering Women from Continent to Continent. During her
visit, Analese touched the hearts of children
by distributing donations to an orphanage,
providing basketball equipment and teaching
basketball skills. She visited the U. S. Embassy
and also participated in professional development seminars to share information on diverse
cultures, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS, communications and how wireless phones work.
• The phrase “a picture says a thousand
words” has special meaning for Conackamack students Lucy Wei and Sayuni Dias, and
Quibbletown student Klaudine Celario. Last
spring, as students at King School, they made
special memories with orphans in Indonesia
by participating in The Memory Project, a
nationwide initiative in which students create
artwork to be sent to children in orphanages
around the world. All three created portraits
of children from Indonesia, which were sent
overseas. The Indonesian students responded by sending their own photos holding their
King portraits. The young ladies’ goal was to
share the message that “art connects us all.”
• Students at Schor experienced global lessons in economics during a videoconference
lesson last March with students from Lafitte,
LA. Presentations, focusing on poverty and
education, included a discussion on the value
of a dollar in the United States vs. India, and
how the weather impacts the world economy.
Their peers in Lafitte had been impacted by
a recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and
shared the effect of this environmental disaster on their daily lives.
• Former Quibbletown Middle School students
Tiffany Angeles, Nathalie Franco, Roma Binny
Patel and Anthony Vergara attended a High
School Climate Change Teen Summit at Rutgers University last March, where they participated in hands-on activities and worked with
Rutgers scientists to learn about the science
of climate change with a goal of developing
community service projects. The Quibbletown students were the only middle school
students invited to attend the summit.
• Twelve middle school students heard presentations on immigration issues from former
UN Ambassador John Bolton, and Lawrence
Downes, editorial writer for the New York
Times at the annual Human Rights Conference at Kean University last February. The students, from Conackamack, Quibbletown and
Schor Middle Schools, were invited in recognition of outstanding written assignments
responding to famous historical quotes. Participating students were Divya Wagle, Simona
Alomary, Emily Saks, Nehal Patel, Andres
Lorenzo, Congxin Li, Mohammed Attiyeh,
Ginger Abraham, David Osview, Daniel Rosales, Ruchit Patel and Justin Picos.
• Students at Conackamack Middle School created an oversized wall-hanging of all the flags
representing the 68 countries of origin in the
Conackamack community. Under the direction of instructor Kevin Donahue, students
researched flags to compile for this project,
leaving a “blank” area to add with flags of students yet to come.
Every person now must, and can, ask:
Where do I as an individual fit into the
global competition
and opportunities of the day,
and how can I, on my own,
collaborate
with others globally?
—Thomas L. Friedman, “The World is Flat”
17
How Are We Meeting Your Needs?
Top-notch customer service is critical to the success of any business or organization. The same holds true
for the Piscataway School District.
We are committed to meeting your needs and maximizing efficient operations throughout the district.
This includes ensuring effective communication with district families and the community through the
use of the Global Connect phone notification system, providing answers when you have questions,
timely website updates, and the posting of important announcements in Virtual Backpacks on school
websites.
Expanded Parent Conference
Online Registration
The district’s online registration process for meeting with your child’s teachers during Parent Conferences was expanded during the past year.
Initially offered to parents of children in the intermediate schools and high school, the second
phase of automated scheduling was made accessible to parents of middle school students in the
2010-11 school year. By fall of 2011, parents of
students at all grade levels were able to go online, at their convenience, to arrange for conference times.
Learning Beyond the Regular
School Day
We know that Piscataway families lead busy lives.
To assist working parents, the Office of Community Education, located in the district’s Administration Building, offers affordable Before and
After Care Extended Day programs for children
in preschool through grade 8. The program is
staffed by district teachers and aides who help
children with their homework, and provide organized activities after school. These include community service projects, such as sending letters
and care packages to our servicemen and women overseas, Earth Day art creations for display in
local stores, and building gingerbread houses for
township senior citizens, to name a few.
Genesis Parent Module
Ask the Superintendent
Efficient Operations
Curious about your child’s grades? The district’s
Genesis Parent Module online student information system is available to all parents with students in the elementary, intermediate, middle
schools, and high school. This user-friendly system enables you to access your student’s grades,
attendance, and other important information
from any computer with an Internet connection.
Superintendent Robert L. Copeland welcomes
your questions and comments at “Breakfast with
the Superintendent” sessions scheduled periodically on Saturday mornings in the Piscataway
High School Café. It’s an opportunity for parents
to have an informal discussion about school issues and activities that may arise during the year.
In the past year, we have expanded district efficiencies with the installation of new boilers, automated faucets and motion sensor gymnasium
lighting at various school buildings. These efforts
to conserve energy reduced the district’s annual
energy bill by over $224,000.
Appreciation is excellent
a wonderful thing. It makes what is
in others belong to us as well.
—Voltaire, French historian and philosopher
18
At times our own light goes
out and is rekindled by a
spark
deep gratitude
from another person. Each of us
has cause to think with
District Administration
Central Administration
Robert L. Copeland.........................................Superintendent of Schools
of those who have lighted the flame
within us.
—Albert Schwietzer, Philosopher and
Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Brian P. DeLucia...............................................Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Carolyn Keck...................................................Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Teresa M. Rafferty............................................Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Diane Janson.............................................Director of Student Personnel Services/Guidance
Principals
Catherine Sousa..............................................Director of Human Resources
Dr. Michael A. Wanko.....................................Piscataway High School
Donna DeAngelis White.................................Conackamack Middle School
Management Staff
Deidre Ortiz.....................................................Quibbletown Middle School
Jacqueline Evans-Turner.................................Literacy/Humanities
Richard Hueston..............................................Schor Middle School
Harold Gilchrist...............................................Information Systems
Dr. Suzanne Westberg....................................Arbor Intermediate School
William R. Griffith............................................Facilities
Shirley Eyler.....................................................King Intermediate School
Lori Handaly-Kaye...........................................Community Programs
Mylo Wright....................................................Eisenhower Elementary School
Lynda Jackey...................................................Mathematics/Science
William Baskerville..........................................Grandview Elementary School
Tracy-Marie Moody.........................................Secondary Special Education
Marlene Davis.................................................Knollwood Elementary School
Phyllis Regnaud...............................................Elementary Special Education
Perry Stio.........................................................Randolphville Elementary School
Paul Schoeb....................................................Physical Education (9-12)/Athletic Director
Kimberly Georgeian........................................Children’s Corner PreSchool
19
NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
PERMIT NO. 933
1515 Stelton Rd • PO Box 1332
Piscataway, NJ 08855-1332
(732) 572-2289
www.piscatawayschools.org
Board of Education
Paula A.Y. Maas, President
Thomas Mosier, Vice President
Tom Connors
Catherine Sucher Greeley
Margaret King
Alexandra Lopez
Mark R. Okamoto
Jerry Szymonowicz
Publication of this Annual Report is through a grant
from the Office of Community Education; no taxpayer
funds were used.