VIDEO: SBS Students Make Effort to Walk to School

About 70 students walked to school Monday, despite the rain.

About half the students at Southern Boulevard School (SBS) live outside the designated walking zone, yet Principal Ralph J. Pesapane said about 70 students made an effort to walk to school Monday. The wet weather abated Tuesday, and teacher Mark Stevens said he noticed traffic was "much lighter. ... [Monday] it was normal because of the rain," he said. Final numbers for how many students participate in Walk and Bike to School Week will not be available until after Friday, but SBS employees, including nurse Karen Leister, noticed a big increase after the rain ended. Stevens was working in the schooll parking lot Tuesday to ensure student safety among the cars. He said, "My hope is these kids can walk me out of a job." Employees at SBS set …

• Photos (20)
• Videos (1)

Add Your Photos to Character Education Day

Southern Boulevard School students learn to give back in the second annual festival day.

Southern Boulevard School celebrated their second annual Character Education Day Thursday, with special guests from the Senior Center of the Chathams. Students looked on as their teachers presented Margaret "Micki" Caput with a check for the center, and then retired to their respective classrooms for grade-specific activities. First graders had guest speakers from the Senior Center who taught them what school was like when they were in the first grade. Mrs. Izsa's class hosted Alice Lundt and Connie Delio; Ms. Mulford's class hosted Sid Krueger; Mrs. Depascale's class hosted Alida van Bronkhorst; Mrs. Broedlin's class hosted Doris Wedwaldt; and Mrs. O'Connor's class hosted Jan Boettger and Chaput. Second graders packed 250 lunches for the …

• Photos (24)
• Videos (1)

VIDEO: School Enrollment Up at School Year's Start

Enrollment in Chatham schools increased by approximately 50 students over last year, and is near the numbers predicted by the demographer.

Enrollment in Chatham schools as of Tuesday matches almost exactly numbers predicted by a demographer last year. Student population grew by about 60 students from the start of the 2010-11 academic year, from 3,992 students on Sept. 5, 2010 to 4,055 on Sept. 6, 2011. Interim Superintendent Dennis Fyffe presented the Board of Education with enrollment numbers throughout the district at Tuesday night's meeting. His data also included enrollment since the 2007-08 school year, which showed a growth of 473 students over the last four years. Currently Chatham High School has a student population of 1,146 students, 45 more than last year. Chatham Middle School has 963 students enrolled, Lafayette Avenue School has 637 students and the combined …

• Videos (1)

First Day of School for Chatham Students

Parents and kids went back to school Tuesday.

Chatham students returned to school Tuesday for the start of another year. Chatham High School had a moderator directing traffic. Though cars were backed up along Lafayette Avenue, traffic within the parking lot was limited to faculty and students with parking tags. Parents dropping off their kids were directed to the driveway at the school's entrance, which has two drop-off points at entries to the school. "We're hoping parents get used to the new system and follow the directions," said Principal Darren Groh. The expansion of the high school parking lot is still under construction. Interim Superintendent Dennis Fyffe previously said it should be completed within two weeks. Numerous fourth graders and their parents walked to Lafayette …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (82)

Back to School 2011

New Changes, Familiar Faces at Southern Blvd. School

Principal reveals academic plans, the Halloween theme, and other events for this year.

Parents and students at Southern Boulevard School will find familiar faces and a familiar academic program waiting when school starts Tuesday. “[Last year] we placed tremendous emphasis on the teaching of writing,” said Ralph Pesapane, principal of Southern Boulevard. “And we saw kids write up a storm last year. We were so impressed with what they wrote. At the end of the year they have portfolio days where they share all their writing from the beginning of the year to the end of the year with their parents. … So we will rededicate ourselves to emphasizing writing again,” he said. Social studies is another subject which Pesapane said the school's 490 students enjoy. “We find integrating social studies within the framework for the whole […

• Photos (7)

Board of Education Accepts Nearly $33,000 in Donations

PTOs, the Chatham Education Foundation and individual residents gave money to various purposes at Chatham schools.

The Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams voted in their last two meetings to accept $32,886.64 in donations from various school Parent Teacher Organizations, the Chatham Education Foundation and individual residents. The donations show an emphasis from donors on outdoor programming and equipment at Milton Avenue School, and on technology at Southern Boulevard and Lafayette Avenue Schools. Over $18,000 was donated from the Chatham Education Foundation alone. Broadcasting and Media The Lafayette Avenue School PTO donated $3,973 to the school. The funds are specifically earmarked for equipement for the Lafayette Broadcasting Club and is intended to "enhance the learning experiences for the students and the quality of the …

• Photos (1)

First Grade Teacher Contested in Patch Comments

Readers debate growing enrollment, class sizes and an ever-increasing school budget.

Parents spoke at the past two Board of Education meeting to request an additional first grade teacher at Southern Boulevard School for the 2011-12 academic year. At the July 18 meeting, Heather Turnbull submitted a petition with 71 signatures collected from an online petition favoring another teacher at Chatham Township's elementary school. Since that time six more people have signed the petition, bringing the total to 77 as of Sunday night. Most of the signatures are from New Jersey (the towns are not displayed) but other signators include Jennifer Curtis of Mississippi, Sally Aliano from California, Tami Mendoza of California and Dena Harris of Georgia. International signers include Ijaz Khan of Saudi Arabia, Patrick Whyte of the United …

• Videos (1)

Parents Submit Petition for First Grade Teacher

The petition has signatures from 70 families, according to resident Heather Turnbull.

About a half-dozen Chatham residents appeared at the Monday night Board of Education meeting to ask the board once again to hire an additional first grade teacher at Southern Boulevard School. Heather Turnbull, of Dale Drive in Chatham Township, spoke on behalf of those parents gathered and reiterated evidence that 20 students in a first grade class is "optimal" for early education and development. With 113 first grade students currently registered at Southern Boulevard School for the fall, the number of students per classroom will be 22 or 23. Two weeks ago, the projection was for 23 or 24 students in each classroom. "The numbers remain essentially the same [from the last meeting," Turnbull said, with 113 registered students. "We're just …

•  26 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)