Dear Glen Meadow Parents and Guardians:

Now that we are beyond the middle of Marking Period One; thank you for checking your child’s Genesis and Schoology accounts on a regular basis. Teachers are continually posting & updating information that is instrumental to your child’s academic progress.

Parent Conferences: Parent conferences are open and will run until October 30th. Please sign up for a conference with your child’s teacher via Genesis. Teachers are holding either Zoom conferences or a phone conference. If you are attending a Zoom conference, you will be placed in “the waiting room” while you wait for your conference to begin. Thank you for logging on a few minutes early to be ready to begin your conference. If you need any help with scheduling a conference, please call the main office at (973) 764-8981. If families require more than one conference per teacher, i.e.,  blended families, divorce situations, each family may only sign up for one conference in Genesis; however, we will be happy to accommodate you by requesting that you call the main office at the number above. The Glen Meadow office staff will gladly book conferences for you. Remember, you may always request a parent conference whenever you feel you need to discuss your child’s progress.

 

Picture Re-Takes: Students will be receiving their school pictures beginning on Friday, October 23, and distribution will continue the week of October 26th. Parents of Exclusively Virtual parents will receive a Schoool Messenger alert to pick up their child’s pictures at the main entrance. Picture re-takes are scheduled for Tuesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 12 during the school day. All Exclusively Virtual students are invited to come to have pictures taken from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

 


 

Teacher of the Year Program: You are invited to nominate a teacher for the annual NJ Department of Education Governor’s Teacher of the Year and Governor’s Educational Services Professional of the Year. Please use this form to nominate a teacher at Glen Meadow. Our building selection will be made in early December. There are so many outstanding professionals in Glen Meadow for you to consider! Last year’s recipients were Mrs. Renee Kepfinger, special education math teacher, and Ms. Terri Yost, Librarian

Each candidate should:

  • Inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn;
  • Serves as an exceptionally skilled and dedicated educator in a public or charter school;
  • Expresses themselves in an engaging and articulate way;
  • Plays an active role in the community as well as the school;
  • Demonstrates leadership and innovation in and outside the classroom;
  • Has the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues

 

Book Fair: As we are doing most things, we will be holding the Glen Meadow Book Fair virtually AND in-person. Students who are in the building on the Blue and Gold team will be able to peruse the book selections and make a purchase during Language Arts class. If your child is an Exclusively Virtual student, you have two options. You may bring your child to school from 1:30 to 3:00 pm to make an in-person purchase or the purchase may be made online. Here is a Scholastic Book Trailer that spotlights various high-interest books.  Here is the link to purchase books online.  

 

Virtual Wednesdays: As a reminder, every Wednesday through early November are virtual learning days for all VTSD students. Our virtual Wednesday schedule is below. It is imperative that your child to follow his or her schedule. Some teachers will have an open Zoom meeting for the class or to receive help on work, others will post pre-recorded lessons, and others will post work for the day. As I have recommended to many parents, it is a good idea to have your child follow his or her daily schedule on the days home whether an Exclusively Virtual student or a Hybrid Learner.

 

Wednesday for ALL Students
Period 1: 9:00 – 9:20
Period 2: 9:25 – 9:45
Period 3: 9:50 – 10:10
Period 4: 10:15 – 10:35
Period 5: 10:40 – 11:00
Period 6: 11:05 – 11:25
Period 7: 11:30 – 11:50
Period 8: 11:55 – 12:15
Period 9: 12:20 – 12:40
Office Time: 12:40 – 1:00 

 

The Big Six Reading Strategies: students are using technology to explain each of the “Big Six Reading Strategies” in Mrs. Basso’s and Mrs. Zaremba’s class. The Big Six are the strategies we all use when we read; they are:

Making Connections

Predicting

Questioning

Monitoring

Visualizing

Summarizing

Check out Matt’s video on his Big Six project below!

 

 

Math Counts: The Math Counts Club is open to any 6th, 7th, or 8th-grade student who has an interest in mathematics and problem-solving. Mr. Ferrara, LH math teacher, is the club advisor. This year the competition will be run a bit differently than in the past.  The Math Counts Organization has partnered with the company called the Art of Problem Solving or AoPS.  AoPS has created 3 practice competitions; one in October, one in November, and one in December.  If your child is interested in solving challenging math problems this club is for them!  The link below is a Google Slide that contains an explanation video and club sign up information for both students and the parent permission slip.

 

 

Builder’s Club Virtual Halloween Costume Contest: The Builder’s Club is sponsoring Glen Meadow’s first school-wide Halloween Costume Contest and a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card! The deadline to submit your costume virtually is Friday, October 30th.  

Here are the two requirements to enter:

First, fill out an entry form found outside of the main office or on Schoology. The fee to enter is just $1, payable when dropping off your form to Mrs. Grimaldi in Room 119.

Second, take a photo of yourself in costume (two photos if you would like to show the back of your costume as well), and send it to darius.ziabakhsh@vtsd.com as noted on the Entry Form. Darius will be using the photos to create the Contest Video so our judges can rate your costume to determine the winner.  Students will be judged on creativity, effort, and appearance.

Judging will take place in early November, and the winner will be announced soon after! Once the video is produced, our school will get to see all costumes. Join in the Halloween fun!

 

 

 

 

“Screenagers” The Movie: “Screenagers” is an award-winning film that probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts messy struggles over social media, video games, and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world. There will be a FREE online airing of “Screenagers” sponsored by the Sussex County Youth Services Commission on Monday, November 9, 2020, and running for two weeks. You can watch the 67-minute movie on demand until Monday, November 23, 2020. You must register for the movie at this link. 

 

Here are some upcoming Glen Meadow SCA Fundraisers:

Thursday, November 5th:  Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, in Hamburg, NJ, purchase your dinner at Mamm’a Mia’s and some of the proceeds from your purchase will go to the Glen Meadow SCA that funds programming for our school. Thank you for supporting our program and having a great meal! Here is the informational flyer. 

Papas Garden Supply in McAfee: purchase holiday wreaths, swags, and grave pillows. Thank you for supporting this fundraiser and shopping locally! This fundraiser will run until November 20th. Orders will be available for pick up 11/27/20 – 12/12/20 Any day from 10 am-6 pm at the local garden center, Pappa’s Garden Supply: 56 Route 94, in the McAfee section of Vernon. Here is the informational flyer. 

 

Blood Drive: This year Glen Meadow will be hosting our blood drives off campus. Thank you to St. Frances DeSales Church for opening its doors for our blood drive that will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2020, from 3:00 to 7:30 pm. Please click here for the flyer

 

 

Above the Influence:  The Above the Influence program is a great way for pre-teens and teens together to have fun make a positive difference in our community.  Above the Influence is a place for youth to gather to support making healthy choices. The Vernon Coalition is sponsoring the Above the Influence program and holds meetings after school in-person every other Thursday from 4:00-5:30 pm at Walnut Ridge School Gym. Physical/social distancing is strictly followed. If you would like more information about any of these programs, please contact Lisa DeRitter, Vernon Coalition Youth Coordinator, at lisa@centerforprevention.org. Here is an informational flyer about Above the Influence.

 

 

Civil Air Patrol: The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program promotes aviation and related fields through aerospace/STEM education and helps shape future leaders through CAP’s cadet program. The mission of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program is to transform youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders through character education, fitness, leadership, and aerospace curriculum. This program is an excellent way for pre-teens and teens to get involved in leadership opportunities. Meetings are held every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Email the Squadron Commander, Lt. Robert Oszust, at robert.oszust@njwg.cap.gov for a direct link to the meetings. Here is the informational flyer for this program.

 

 

Mindfulness Training for Middle Schooler: Mr. Brian Thomasberger, certified Yoga Instructor, will be holding a virtual mindfulness training for our pre-teens and teens on Tuesday, October 20th and Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, from 1:30 – 2:15 pm.  The following topics may be shared with your children:

  • Mindful Breathing
  • Brain Science
  • Body Awareness
  • Mindfulness of Thinking
  • Mindful Movement
  • Mindfulness of Emotions
  • Relaxation Techniques
  • Meditation Techniques

Mr. Thomasberger’s goal is to provide students with a comprehensive, fun, educational, and experiential class to release pent up energy, deal with stress, and learn new ways of self-regulation.

Below are the Zoom links for both sessions. All students are encouraged to attend.

Link for October 20th   Meeting ID: 811 5510 5660 Passcode: 664781

Link for Nov. 3rd  Meeting ID: 812 3273 4908 Passcode: 634335   

 

Project Self-Sufficiency Annual Toy Drive:  Click here for information on this year’s Project Self-Sufficiency’s Stuff the Stocking gift fundraiser. Thank you for considering donating a gift for a child in need this holiday season. Here is the link to the flyer.

 

As a reminder, all district schools will not in session for in-person or virtual classes on Thursday and Friday, November 5-6, for the NJ Teachers’ Convention.

Sincerely,

Rosemary Gebhardt           Eric Kosek

Principal                                Assistant Principal