School Days

The Atlantic Human Resources, INC. Head Start and Early Head Start Program is currently recruiting pre-school children for the 2013-2014 program. There is no cost to families who qualify for the program. Children 0 to 3 years and pregnant women are eligible for Early Head Start Program. Children 3 to 4 ½ years are eligible for Head Start Program. Head Start has centers throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties. Call 609-861-2804 for Cape May County.
Cape Christian Academy
Nelson, a local certified therapy dog visited Cape Christian Academy with his owner, John Watson last week. A three year-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Nelson, has received advanced dog obedience training and is a certified therapy dog through The American Kennel Club and The Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. In addition to school visits, he has worked as a therapy dog in various nursing and rehabilitation facilities.
Within the elementary school setting, reading programs have been incorporated into his visits, whereby children learning to read will read to Nelson to improve their skills and confidence. His visits have also proved helpful in stimulating positive interaction with children of special needs. Mr. Watson says Nelson’s training is an ongoing event in order to better prepare him as a therapy dog. One way he does this is by exposing him to various environments, such as a department store setting, to acclimate him to different stimuli.
Crest Memorial
Crest Memorial School students in grades three through eight who have produced exemplary written work during the months of January/February 2013 were recently rewarded with a pizza party and prominent display of their compositions.
Crest Memorial Principal, Ann-Maria Guevara, an educator who strives to improve student-writing skills through encouragement and example, originated the Principal’s Corner.
Not only is the work of the young writers exhibited in the main entrance to the school, but they were also treated to a pizza lunch with Guevara. During the lunch, students discussed their essays with the principal.
Those achieving Principal’s Corner received a certificate commending them for their writing excellence.
3rd grade: Jackson Hesley, Sasha Grivas, Tallula Rogers, Josh Vallese, and Nick Adams
4th grade: Noah Pruszinski, Ethan Burke, and Cameron Compare
5th grade: Michael Marcella, Jaxon Tomlin, Abby Fuscaldo, Alan Rendzak, and Cooper Gehring
6th grade: Andrew Zielinski, Joey O’Keefe, Erick Feria, Alexa Karavan, Yahaira Labaco, Tyler Tomlin
7th grade: Katie Queen, David Lauritzen, Victoria Kolinsky, Maddie Hamlin, and Anthony Bruno
8th grade: Maddie Hunt, Brad Altman, Katie McCullen, Jen Collins
Lower Township
Some Bats hibernate in trees under roofs and even in caves but not “Swoops”, this bat decided to hibernate next to the front door at the Maud Abrams School in Lower Township.
Students noticed the bat had been in the same spot for several weeks, right out in the open on a wall. As word of the bat spread everyone began to be concerned for the bat’s safety.
Teachers took the opportunity to have the students research and learn bats. The students made a large bulletin board dedicated to their findings which included many facts such as their bat is a Silver Haired Bat, one of the most common bats found here in South Jersey.
Maud Abrams Art teacher Ms. Sharon Coslop undertook an art project where students learned how to draw a bat and also submitted their suggestion for a name for the little bat. After all the names were voted on their bat had a name, “Swoops”.
Swoops has now been hibernating in his bat condo that was built around him since late November and students are watching to see when Swoops will come out of hibernation.
While most people are afraid of bats the students have learned so much about bats and how they are not dangerous to humans. Most students are hoping that Swoops will decide to live here at Maud Abrams; they have even put up a mailbox with his name on it.
Middle Township
In other Middle news, on March 4 the Middle School put on “Egypt Night” under the direction of 6th grade Social Studies Mrs. Ryan. Student archeologists were on hand to give tours of King Tut’s tomb, projects were on display and some students were dressed as Egyptian Pharaohs. (6 photos from Egypt Night)
The Middle Township PTA is holding their Second Annual Spring Bazaar on Saturday, April 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bazaar will be held in the grassy yard next to the Elementary #1 Pre-School classrooms and behind the Middle Township School Board office at 216 South Main Street, in Cape May Court House.
This is a fund raising event for the PTA that supports many of the students’ activities including field trips, activity nights, assemblies and teacher and staff appreciation. Last year vendors from all over the area were in attendance featuring items such as hair accessories, jewelry, crafts, art, food, face painting, sports memorabilia, and much more. “This year we are hoping that the new location, being much more visible from passing traffic on Main Street, will bring more people to our event,” said Tracey Thornton, fund raising chairperson. “We also decided to move the bazaar into April in hopes of getting warmer weather.” A rain date is set for Sunday, April 21.
Interested vendors can contact Melissa at (609) 792-1102 or email her at melissamathis218@yahoo.com or Tracey at (609) 231-1322 or tracey_starwave@yahoo.com.