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P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
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TRENTON, October 16, 2009 — Educational programs in six New Jersey school districts have been selected for recognition in the New Jersey School Boards Association’s 24th annual School Leader Awards. “The School Leader Awards recognize public school programs that provide innovative and creative ways to educate our children,” explained Harry J. Delgado, NJSBA president. The judges based their evaluations on the level of innovation, how well the program addresses specific needs, the relationship to the state’s Core Curriculum Content Standards, and the results of the program. NJSBA will honor the school districts on Oct. 30 during the closing General Session of Workshop 2009, a training conference for New Jersey’s local school officials held in Atlantic City. The 2009 School Leader Awards drew 14 entries, of which six were judged to be recognized programs. In addition to the six winning programs, two entries received honorable mention citations. The judges for the 2009 School Leader Awards were Peter Calvo, NJSBA’s vice president for county activities and former chairman of the Association’s Standards and Assessment Committee; Anne H. Gallagher, communications director for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; and Laura Bishop, vice president of Thomas/Boyd Communications. (Judges did not evaluate entries from districts with which they are associated.) 2009 School Leader Award Winners Camden City Schools – Building Environmental Science Solutions (BEES) – Each year, this innovative program provides approximately 250 students with the opportunity to research and investigate their local environment through a detailed study of the Cooper River Watershed, located near the school. Student teams research the environmental history of the area and prepare presentations on their findings, which builds their technological and speaking skills. Franklin Lakes School District – Beads ‘n’ Me – This program creates an integrated and real-world learning experience for middle school students, ages 11-15, who have learning and multiple disabilities. Beads ‘n’ Me is a self-sustaining “business” where students manufacture and sell more than 30 different styles of custom-made lanyards, necklaces and eyeglass chains – while obtaining hands-on learning opportunities in patterning, sales, and developing spreadsheets and databases. Along the way, they build teamwork and self-esteem. Glassboro Public Schools – Real Men Read – National statistics report that elementary school-age boys lag in literacy and reading skills. To address this, the Glassboro Public Schools’ Real Men Read program provides students with positive role models. A variety of men – including local political figures, police officers, teachers and administrators, board of education members, high school sports coaches and a college football player – attend a breakfast to discuss the books they are reading. The men are also photographed with books of their choice, and the laminated photos are displayed in the halls of the school. Neptune Township Schools – Neptune High School Deaf Education Program – Historically, deaf and hearing-impaired students have been educated in special settings, outside their local public schools. This program, which began in 1990, has successfully integrated some 56 deaf students in general-instruction classrooms. The students may participate in classes independently, with an educational interpreter or with a teacher of the deaf for in-class support. The students have thrived academically and have been active in sports, clubs and other activities. Piscataway Township School District – Kids Vote – This K-12 program teaches children the importance of voting by providing them with an opportunity to cast their ballots on issues of interest. With the cooperation of the Middlesex County Board of Elections, students vote on the day of the Annual School Election in April at the same polling places as their parents, although in a separate area. Point Pleasant Borough Schools – Life Skills for the Multiple Disabled – This program provides learning opportunities for high school students with multiple disabilities through individualized academic and life skills instruction. It teaches students personal independence, and involves community interaction through social and vocational activities. Through the 12-month program, students attend class in the summer to reinforce retention of the concepts taught during the school year. Before this program began, students with multiple disabilities attended specialized schools out of district; now they have the opportunity to interact with their non-disabled peers in their hometown.
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The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education. ###
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