Cape May Tech
The Cape May County Technical School District offers an Adult Evening High School program to New Jersey residents, 17 years of age or older, providing the opportunity to complete high school requirements on a part-time, evening, competency-based program schedule. There is a $25.00 registration fee but no charge for tuition or books to attend the Adult High School.
Adult High School classes are in session on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Students can be scheduled for one or two nights per week as per individual credit requirements. Individuals that are 17 years of age must have a “Consent to Participate” form signed by a parent or legal guardian.
Prior to admission into the Adult High School program and as part of the enrollment process, previous high school transcripts are evaluated for transfer credits and applicants are pre-tested for program placement purposes. Individuals who have previously met required NJ State graduation testing requirements may be waived from taking the pre-test at the discretion of the admissions officer.
The open enrollment period begins on January 4, 2016 and enrollments will be accepted until February 23, 2016. For further information about registration, please contact the Adult High School Office at 609-380-0243.
Ocean City
Talk about ending the year on the right note! On their last full day of school before winter break, the students of Ocean City Primary School (OCPS) partied the day away with new friends and role models from the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD), at an event sponsored by the Ocean City Police Benevolent Association (OCPBA) on December 22.
The students arrived at school in their pajamas and spent the entire day participating in numerous activities with the OCPD – such as playing holiday-themed physical education games such as “snowball fight.” The children also were served pizza, caramel popcorn, cookies, and milk by the OCPD while watching The Polar Express, and the OCPD punched the children’s golden tickets to the North Pole! Of course, the children’s day wasn’t complete without a visit from Santa himself!
“I asked Santa for my two front teeth because I don’t want to look toothless! I also asked him for a baseball glove,” said Mackenzie Blizzard, a first-grader at OCPS. “I’m really looking forward to the pizza and playing games with the police.”
This is the second consecutive year that the OC PBA has hosted a daylong party for the students; for many years prior to 2014, the organization delivered gifts to every child, but now prefers this event as the students get to spend time with the policemen and women.
“They’re making memories and role models,” said OCPS Principal Cathy Smith. “They see our police as friends, heroes, and most important, partners. The OCPD helps us throughout the year on a daily basis to keep us safe, assist us, and educate our students on being safe. They are second to none.”
For their part, OCPD Sergeant Steve Sullivan said the OCPD looks forward to this day for months.
“It’s a priority of ours to be in the schools throughout the year, and this is one of my unit’s favorite days of the year,” said Sullivan, who helped organize the event with Detective Bob Koob and Principal Smith. “This is a nice day and a positive experience.”
And the kids left with more than just full bellies and memories, the OC PBA also gave every OCPS student and staff member a red T-shirt that has “OCPS” and the school mascot on the front, with the saying “Partners in Safety” and the OCPD police badge on the back. The shirts will be worn on Fridays to promote school unity, and on field trips so that staff members can easily keep track of their students.
Wildwood
A cutting-edge program that school officials hope will help ease child hunger throughout the Wildwood Public School District will greet students in the city’s three schools upon their return from winter break.
Nationwide, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) now includes a new universal meal program, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) that allows qualifying high-poverty schools to offer food to all students at no cost to the student without requiring families to fill out an annual household application. Successfully implemented in approximately 14,000 schools nationwide during the 2014-2015 school year CEP has impacted more than 6 million students.
“This is a very exiting time for the students of the Wildwood School District,” said Jim Linnington, director of dining services. “This program allows for all students to enjoy a nutritious meal that will fuel their minds and bodies for studies and activities.” He added the Wildwood school district is the only one in Cape May County to offer the community eligibility program to its students.
Effective Jan. 1, every student in the Wildwood school district, regardless of household income or financial resources, will be able to enjoy a free nutritious breakfast and lunch that will help keep them on their toes as they go through the academic rigor of their day.
According to Linnington, the primary benefit of participating in the lunch program is the nutritional gain. “Students who are participating in breakfast are more alert during their morning classes and test better in their exams. Students who participate in lunch maintain an energy level that gets them through the rest of their day.”
Gone, too, is the social stigma of receiving a free or reduced lunch. Many students fall through the cracks and go through their day hungry by no fault of their own. Students may not qualify for free or reduced cost lunch but are unable to purchase food because the family dollars are stretched to keep a roof over their heads or pay bills. Oftentimes parents do not return paperwork back to school that would qualify their child for a free or low cost lunch. Under CEP, every student, regardless of the family ability, or inability, to pay, will be offered food.
In addition to offering free breakfast and lunch, students participating in many after school activities will also enjoy after school snacks. Students who participate in the district’s after school care program will receive dinner and students identified as “in need” will receive backpacks preloaded with nutritious food to help them stave off hunger during the weekend.
In order to be deemed free, the federally funded program requires students to opt from components to make a complete, nutritious meal. Students’ meals must include at least three selections from a list that includes protein, vegetable, fruit, milk and carbohydrate with a mandatory selection of a fruit or vegetable. Items that are selected a la carte are not part of the free program.
Linnington said one of his hopes for the new year is that more students will avail themselves to the free program. He said by creating a healthy and universally accessible environment, “we imagine even more students will participate.”
Wildwood Crest
Crest Memorial School’s elementary students participated in “Christmas Around the World” recently as a way to learn about diverse holiday celebrations.
On Monday, students in kindergarten through fifth grades grades visited China, Australia, Sweden, Mexico, Israel, and France, learned about each country’s traditions, and participated in activities that their counterparts in those countries perform. For example, while “visiting” Mexico, students enjoyed Pinata treats; in China, they made lanterns, and in Sweden they made St. Lucia wreaths. For Israel, they played Dreidel, while in Australia they learned about the legend of the Six White Boomers, and in France, they left their shoes by the fire and found treats in the shoes when they left.
On Tuesday, students explored holiday celebrations celebrated in Italy, Germany, South Africa, Poland, England, and the United States (Kwanzaa). They learned that the English started the tradition of hanging stockings by the fire, and in their lesson on Kwanzaa they colored and Bandera, which holds candles to represent the seven principles of the celebration.
Each student was given a makeshift suitcase, upon which stickers bearing the names of all the countries visited were affixed.
The event was coordinated by second-grade aide Veronica Abel.
