Dear Vernon School Community:

As we enjoy the holiday season in our six schools through the eyes of your children, we would like to wish our Vernon School community a wonderful holiday season! We hope your family has a safe and enjoyable winter break, a time to spend time with family and re-energize as we prepare for the second half of our school year.

 

We have much to celebrate in our district as we continue our efforts in each classroom to meet the needs of our students. Congratulations again to our teachers across the district who have been chosen to represent their school as Teacher of the Year and Educational Services Professional of the Year as well as other award recipients.  We will be celebrating all of our teachers in a ceremony at the April Public Board of Education meeting, where we will honor the many district-wide professionals who represent the best of the best in our schools. Congratulations again to:

 

Teacher of the Year…

Walnut Ridge School: Miss Allison Weber, Preschool Teacher

Cedar Mountain Primary School: Ms. Mary Ollert, Special Education Teacher

Rolling Hills Primary School: Mrs. Christina Weiss, Third Grade Teacher

Lounsberry Hollow School: Mrs. Cheryl Reed, Fourth Grade Teacher

Glen Meadow Middle School: Dr. Christopher Jensen, Eighth Grade Science Teacher

Vernon Township High School: Ms. Marianne Longchamp, English Teacher

 

Educational Services Professionals of the Year…

Walnut Ridge School: Mr. Nik Lasso, Technology Coach

Cedar Mountain Primary School: Mrs. Sherry Polhemus, CST Social Worker

Rolling Hills Primary School: Mrs. Jennifer Gallant, School Nurse

Lounsberry Hollow School: Mrs. Debbie Lisa, School Nurse

Glen Meadow Middle School: Mrs. Carol Gonzalez, School Nurse

Vernon Township High School: Mr. Ray Loughren, School Counselor

 

NJ Department of Education Exemplary Elementary Educators…

Mrs. Lois Battista, Math Interventionist, and Mrs. Maureen Sweeney, kindergarten teacher, both Cedar Mountain Primary School teachers

 

NJEA Frederick L Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education…

Mrs. Lisa Hirkaler, Glen Meadow Middle School art teacher

 

District Educational Support Professional of the Year…

Mrs. Diane Alfonso, the Administrative Assistant to the Principal at Rolling Hills Primary School

 

 

Our district saw much joy lifting holiday spirits this month as our band, choir, and orchestra music teachers put many, many hours of work into teaching their students pieces of literature and staging our winter concerts. Please give our music teachers a special round of applause for creating these special holiday memories for our students and their families. Winter performances are one of the ways we engage families, and it’s heartwarming to see our families in our schools once again.

 

Some health reminders…

 

We care deeply about everyone in our community and want to keep each other safe and healthy.

As a reminder, HERE is the letter sent to our families regarding Covid/Flu Practices and Protocols.

If your family needs free Covid test kits HERE is the link to order them.

 

Your Up-to-Date Contact Information:

Our schools must have up-to-date contact information for all students. We need to be able to contact you in case of an emergency and to make sure you are aware of when we have snow days and scheduled closings. If you have not been receiving messages from the district or your school, you can check with your school building office to make sure we have the correct information in Genesis for your family.

 

 

A few reminders…

  • School will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
  • There will be a Board of Education Reorganization Meeting on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 7:00 pm, at Lounsberry Hollow School. The snow date will be on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 7:00 pm. At this meeting, we will be honoring our fall retirees.
  • School will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2023, in observance of Martin Luther King Day
  • Vernon Township High School will have mid-term exams during the week of January 30, 2023; the high school ONLY will have Early Dismissal Days, all other schools will have regular school days
  • We will have upcoming Early Dismissal Days on Wellness Wednesdays throughout the winter as follows
    • January 25, 2023
    • February 15, 2023
    • March 29, 2023
  • School will be closed on Monday, February 20, 2023, in observance of Presidents’ Day

 

We wish you a restful and enjoyable holiday with your family. Thank you for sharing your children with us! We wish you good health and the hope that 2023 is an amazing year for all that are part of the Vernon Township School District. As always, we appreciate our partnership with you!

 

Sincerely,

Russell Rogers                       Rosemary Gebhardt

Acting Superintendent     Acting Assistant Superintendent