Sunday, May 26, 2013
Here were some of the top stories on Wayne Patch this week.
Construction on a new anchor store at the Wayne Town Center should begin soon. The Board of Education is considering renewing the district’s contract with a public relations firm. More students will be plugged into technology next school year due to a new three-year technology plan the Board of Education approved recently. The Police Athletic League will use new health and safety standards for its youth players beginning this season. A new business that helps amputees live fuller, more active lives, opened. — Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
District wants to greatly increase technology to enhance the curriculum and provide students new learning opportunities.
Increasing the amount of wi-fi coverage in the district, using technology to supplement and enhance the curriculum, and adding hundreds of tablet devices into classrooms. Those are some of the goals of the district’s three-year technology plan, which the Board of Education approved through 2016 at a meeting earlier this month. “The plan isn’t inclusive of everything that we’re doing,” said Joe Borchard, the district’s educational technology coordinator. “It’s really a road map of where we want to be year after year.” Borchard wants to bolster the wi-fi network and create a mobile, student-centered learning environment. The integration of technology to enhance classroom learning is becoming more popular in the district. More than 300 …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Trustees will discuss a report the board's communications committee created on the firm's activity.
Education officials are discussing whether or not to renew the district’s $30,000 contract with Success Communications, the public relations firm the district hired last March. The contract was renewed a year ago. It expires in June. Success is paid $2,500 a month for its services, which includes sending out press releases and posting on the school district’s Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts and on the district’s website. Laura Stinziano, second vice president of the Board of Education and chairwoman of the board’s communications committee, said that the committee recently created an annual report on the firm. The board delayed voting on whether to rehire the firm at a recent meeting to allow trustees time to review the report. …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Here is a look at some of the stories you may find on Wayne Patch this week.
Construction on a new anchor store at the Wayne Town Center could begin this week, local officials said. The project, which has dragged on for years, has left one the township's largest shopping centers underdevelped for some time. The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved plans recently for a new "post acute healthcare facility" to be located on Pompton Road. The 93,000 square-foot facility will include 124 and a parking deck. Officials have said expanding the town's ratable base is priority. We'll tell you more about this project and what it means for the local community. The Wayne Education Foundation's (WEF) slate of summer camps start soon. The WEF was founded earlier this year to enhance the education of Wayne students by offering …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Here is a recap of the top Wayne stories this week.
A 35-year-old Chilean man, who was visiting relatives in Little Falls, was struck and killed by a NJ Transit train. A federal judge dismissed part of a lawsuit a former Wayne Hills football player filed against the township and the Board of Education. Nicole Graff, a senior at Wayne Hills High School, was honored with the prestigious Youth of the Year award. A new set of regulations regarding excessive noise was approved this week. Sgt. Chris Gialanella chased down and tackled an armed drug dealer after he was severely injured after a traffic stop in Newark. — Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
School district mulling several options, including adding 'minus' grades, using number grades and more.
Parents spoke out against making any immediate changes to the high school grading format at a special forum Tuesday night. The Board of Education and administrators are considering changing how students receive grades in an attempt to better reflect student accomplishments. However, parents in attendance expressed concern with making any changes and agreed that any change should only affect incoming freshmen, not current students. “Our intent is to ensure that all student achievement is properly represented so that they can maximize their future potential,” Assistant Superintendent Marysol Berrios said. “We want to be able to represent our students in the best, the most efficient, accurate, precise way possible.” For example, the current …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Here is a look at what may be on Wayne Patch this week.
Here is a sample of what may be on Wayne Patch this week: — Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Possible security changes and how they could be funded is being discussed by members of the Board of Education.
Officials are discussing possibly going out for a referendum to fund changes and upgrades to security measures at the district’s 14 schools. At a meeting Thursday night, Board of Education trustee Robert Ceberio said the board’s finance committee has discussed how such changes could be funded. The facilities committee is refining exactly what changes could be implemented. “There are specifics that were looked at each and every building,” said Ceberio, a member of the facilities committee and chairman the finance committee. Ceberio said the amount proposed is currently $5 million, but that amount is being refined as officials continue to discuss the issue. Cebrio did not give possible specific changes that have been discussed. Such changes …
Parents and students are invited to a special meeting May 13 to discuss adjustments to letter grades.
A special meeting for parents and students will be held regarding proposed changes to how students are graded at the high school. District officials will host the meeting on Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at Wayne Valley High School. District officials have discussed the possibility of changing the grading format for a few months. Currently there are no “minus” grades on the scale. The highest grade, for receiving a 90 or more, is an “A.” The next are “B+,” “B,” “C+," etc. Adding “minus” level grades, such as a “B-“ to the grading scale is one possibility. “We want to see what parents and students have to say on the issue,” said trustee Laura Stinziano. “We want to have an open and honest discussion with everyone.” — Have a question or news tip…
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Here is a recap of the top stories from April on Wayne Patch.
Michael Pascrell, a 21-year-old resident, died after being struck by a car while walking on an on-ramp leading to Route 46 when he was struck by a car. He was a junior at Rider University. Students at Wayne Valley High School are selling T-shirts in Pascrell’s memory to help his family. More than a dozen supervisor positions were eliminated and several new assistant principal positions were created when the Board of Education approved an administrative restructuring plan developed by Superintendent Ray Gonzalez. Police released a slideshow online of a man they are trying to identify who was on Finley Lane at the time a home on that street was burglarized. A Wayne physician was charged in connection with allegedly taking bribes to refer …
Edwards
4:44 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Agreed that School Fusion is garbage, but even it would provide value if the teachers would commit to using it. Jack Q is right on, although I think the percentage of teachers that use it is more in the 75% range. They are not required to use anything, which in this day and age with the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, etc. is inexcusable. Perhaps the 30k spent on the PR firm should be used… more ›