Monday, March 18, 2013
Denise Mortensen's latest children's book hit stores recently.
Denise Mortensen has the perfect day job to provide inspiration for her second job. A paraprofessional at Washington Avenue School, Mortensen spends her spare time writing children's books, the latest of which, "Bug Patrol," was published in February by Clarion. Mortensen writes in charming, approachable rhyming couplets that seem effortless, but their roots are anything but. Mortensen was trained as a nonfiction writer, a reporter who majored in journalism at St. Bonaventure University and worked in Manhattan. After her family moved to Chatham she sent out her first manuscript. When no publishing houses were interested, she took a writing class at The Adult School. "One of the assignments we had was to write in poetry, and I thought, '…
Monday, March 4, 2013
The grant will go to purchase the Pearsons Education Developmental Reading Assessment Management System.
The Chatham Education Foundation (CEF) awarded a grant to the School District of the Chathams of $9,600 to go toward the purchase of a Pearsons Education Developmental Reading Assessment Management System. The system will help give assessment-driven reading instruction to students in grades 1 through 5, and will help teachers assess student reading levels. Faculty at Lafayette Avenue School, Milton Avenue School, Southern Boulevard School and Washington Avenue School will be able to use the system. The grant request was submitted by the district's Supervisor of English Language Arts K-5 Helen S. Comba and by the principals of the aforementioned schools. Colleen Markley, the president of CEF, said this system will help teachers "better …
Monday, December 3, 2012
From elementary school students to high schoolers, 'tis the season for Chatham's music students to strut their stuff.
Families within the Chathams will know the holidays are here by the bevy of holiday concerts within the School District of the Chathams, which kick off at 7:30 p.m. Monday with the Chatham High School choral concert at the Chatham High auditorium. The winter concert provide students with the chance to show off their talents and what they have learned thus far this year. The winter concert schedule for the School District of the Chathams is:
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Principal Mary Quigley worked with St. Patrick School and Chatham Borough Police to improve conditions near the school.
Traffic and pedestrian safety at and around Washington Avenue School (WAS) is a big job. So over the summer, Principal Mary Quigley met with representatives from St. Patrick School, the School District of the Chathams' home office, Chatham Borough and the Chatham Borough Police Department to discuss ways to make the area safer for students and motorists. "[Traffic Officer] Robert Sweetin finally got us the sign for Watchung Avenue saying the speed limit is 20 miles-per-hour there now," Quigley said. "It's not even 25." Motorists exiting St. Patrick School onto Oliver Street will soon see a sign directing them to turn left only during school drop-off and pick-up times, according to Sweetin. This should redirect that school's traffic away …
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
All you need for the start of school.
- SCHOOLS
-
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wondering what to buy for your child's first day at Washington Avenue School? The school has a recommended list which can be found below: Kindergarten Supply List The school will assign items such as tissues, hand sanitizers and hand wipes to different families throughout the year. First Grade Supply List Second Grade Supply List Third Grade Supply List
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
New kindergarteners are being directed to Southern Boulevard School, superintendent says.
In his first Board of Education meeting as superintendent, Michael LaSusa told the board kindergarten enrollment at Washington Avenue School (WAS) has reached total capacity. "Any students who come to Washington Avenue School as kindergarteners now are being directed to Southern Boulevard, where we added that fifth section," LaSusa said. Students who register for kindergarten at WAS are now being directed to Southern Boulevard School (SBS), where the district added a fifth section of kindergarten. The district runs kindergarten as a half-day program, in either the mornings or the afternoons. "We do have half-of-a-day's worth of space at Milton Avenue School," LaSusa said, so students near Milton can still attend kindergarten there. LaSusa …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Interim Superintendent says school is "in good hands."
Dennis Fyffe, the interim superintendent for the School District of the Chathams, said parents have been properly notified of a case of whooping cough, or pertussis, at Washington Avenue School (WAS). A letter sent home to parents said there was one confirmed case and one suspected case of whooping cough at WAS. No other cases have been reported in any other district schools, Fyffe said, but there have been other cases in Chatham residents who do not attend public schools and in other towns in Morris County. "Children who have been vaccinated are generally at low risk, but some children who have been vaccinated have still contracted pertussis," Fyffe's letter reads in part. Fyffe said WAS principal Mary Quigley has been collaborating and …
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Local Girl Scouts made their own public service announcement for Walk and Bike to School Week.
- SCHOOLS
-
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Brownie Troop 4391 out of Washington Avenue School made a public service announcement for Walk and Bike to School Week in Chatham. The troop leaders, Carrie Hilgendorff and Christina Hill, said the announcement "is geared mostly for teen drivers in town, but certainly is an eye-opener for all drivers." Editor's note: An earlier version of this article included a misspelling of Hilgendorff's name. Chatham Patch has corrected the error and apologizes to our readers.
40.736046
-74.389802
Washington Avenue Elementary School
102 Washington Ave, Chatham, NJ
/articles/video-brownies-urge-drivers-to-take-5
26385
/locations/6895946
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Three further singers selected for North Jersey Junior Chorus.
- ARTS
-
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Chatham High School junior MinJee Kim has been accepted to the 2012 All-National High School Mixed Chorus, and will perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 24. The Chatham High Music and Theater Departments presented "The Drowsy Chaperone" between March 1 and 3. The Music and Theater Boosters offer their congratulations to Director Lynn Polan for the "outstanding production." Acccording to Polan, the funds raised by the production will go toward Chatham High's productions in the 2012-13 school year. Eighth-grader Sarah Lowe and Chatham High freshmen Anastasia Arvanites and Matthew Farrell will perform with the All-North Jersey Region I Junior Chorus, which is comprised of …
Friday, March 2, 2012
Speed limit going to 20 miles-per-hour.
The Chatham Borough Council passed an ordinance Monday reducing the speed limit on Watchung Avenue near Washington Avenue School during school hours. The ordinance, which passed among the Borough Council unanimously, will reduce the speed limit along Watchung Avenue to 20 miles-per-hour during school hours. Chief of Police Philip J. Crosson, Jr. said the new speed limit was lowered to protect the young children in the area during school hours. “The committees were involved and worked with the county. ... The fact that that intersection there by the school is filled with very small children that are more difficult to manage than high school or middle school aged children was where they came up with (the new speed limit),” said Crosson. “I …
40.736046
-74.389802
Washington Avenue Elementary School
102 Washington Ave, Chatham, NJ
/articles/watchung-ave-speed-limit-to-be-reduced
26385
/locations/6498995
Susan Grimes
3:19 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Congratulations, Denise. Will there be a local book-signing for Bug Patrol? more ›