Dear Glen Meadow Families:
As the first day of school is arriving, here are a few reminders…Students assigned to the Blue Team will report to school on Tuesday, September 8th, while the Gold Team will receive virtual instruction via Schoology from their respective teachers. On Wednesday, September 9th, the Gold Team will attend school, and the Blue Team will receive virtual instruction. Full-time Exclusively Virtual students should look at their Schoology pages for each class to receive instructions from each teacher beginning on Tuesday, September 8th.
Here is the district Blue and Gold schedule for reference
Dr. Kosek and I would like to provide you with some important information about our Virtual Back to School Night program and our drop-off and pick-up procedures.
Before you read on, please take a few minutes to listen to and view the Glen Meadow 2020-2021 introduction.
Virtual Back to School Night
Virtual Back-to-School Night will begin at 5:00 pm on Friday, September 4, 2020. Many parents have asked if this is an in-person event… Please note, this program is a fully online program. To participate in our Virtual Back-to-School Night, you will go into the Schoology page for each of your child’s teachers where you and your child will find that subject’s Back-to-School presentation found in the Updates folder. You will learn about your child’s teachers and the class expectations for each course. You will learn how each class will be organized whether your child is a Hybrid Learner or is Exclusively Virtual. Please remember, presentations will always be there for reference if you need to go back and review anything from the class.
AM Student Drop-off Procedures
If you are driving your child to school, please be aware that students will not be permitted to enter the school building, nor should they be dropped off before 8:08 AM.
Please wait for a faculty and/or staff member in the lower parking lot to take your child’s temperature before he/she exits your vehicle.
This may result in a line of cars waiting for student entry that could extend through the parking lot and onto Sammis Road.
Traffic patterns into Glen Meadow will be the same as previous years and faculty will be in the parking lot to help facilitate traffic flow.
Your patience is appreciated as we allow all students to enter the building in the safest way possible.
PM Pick-up Procedures
If you are picking up your child from school, please be aware that the school day concludes at 12:30 PM.
Parking for PM pick-up will be in 3 locations:
1- The front parking lot (please note, spots will be very limited)
2- Right side of Glen Meadow’s main entrance
3- Along Sammis Road
Please form a line near the front entrance, with proper ID in order to sign your child out.
Traffic patterns into Glen Meadow will be the same as previous years and faculty will be in the parking lot to help facilitate traffic flow.
Your patience is appreciated as we allow all students to exit the building in the safest way possible.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation with our drop-off and pick-up procedures.
For our Exclusively Virtual Learners…
Your child’s teacher will let students know on his or her Schoology page if there are class materials you need to pick up at Glen Meadow for that class. Materials can be picked up in the main foyer area where students are signed in and out every day. Pick up of materials will begin on Friday, September 4th, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. During the week of September 8th, pick up will be from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Introducing our new teachers
Meet Miss Kristen Petrucci:
Miss Petrucci will be the new General Music/Chorus teacher at Glen Meadow Middle School this year. Miss Petrucci graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York in May 2020, with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a concentration in Voice. Miss Petrucci is so excited to able to teach and impact the lives of students like my teachers did for me when I was in school. As a new teacher, Miss Petrucci is most looking forward to helping students create and discover music in new and innovative ways. Her advice to the students at Glen Meadow is to bring the best version of yourself into the classroom each day. Along with her love for music and passion for education, Miss Petrucci has a Dachshund named Lilo and a Yellow Lab named Jolene. Miss Petrucci is very passionate about creating a safe and comfortable environment where students can learn and also have fun.
Miss Petrucci
Meet Mr. Michael Castellano:
Mr. Castellano attended SUNY Fredonia, where he received a music education degree in May 2020. During his time at Fredonia, Mr. Castellano was the principal trumpet player in the college symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, and jazz ensembles. Mr. Castellano also performed with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio for three years, winning the Drum Corps International World Championship in 2016, and placing within the top five in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Mr. Castellano spent his summer teaching with the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps from Camden County New Jersey. Mr. Castellano is very excited to be joining the Vernon Township School District as an instrumental band instructor, and is looking forward to an excellent academic year.
Mr. Castellano
Meet Miss Christina Frazita:
Miss Frazita
Introducing our Transfer Teachers
Meet Ms. Lisa Murphy-Hirkaler:
Ms. Hirkaler is coming to GMMS after 18 years at Vernon Township High School. Lisa is an art educator with a Masters from Columbia University, and an artist with a gallery in NYC, and her work is represented in 2 museums. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (2007 & 2017) and NJ County Teacher of the Year from 2016. Ms. Hirkaler is passionate about bringing global art and culture to her students. She travels around the world visiting art and architectural sites, publishes in School Arts, several other venues, and has hosted webinars with publications through NCTA Columbia University, Asia For Educators, and Nasco. As an AP Art History Reader and teacher, Ms. Hirkaler encourages students to examine art with a deeper sense of understanding of global context. She has been teaching AP Art History students from China online for the past year. Ms. Hirkaler recently has a combined fiber sculpture and painting installation called La Pieta at Studio Montclair Gallery, an interpretation of her need for peace and reflection during these difficult times. Lisa was just awarded a $10,000 HIPP Grant through NJEA to work in collaboration with several teachers in the district to improve the courtyards at the high school (Sensory Garden and Mindful Peace Courtyard). She has recently included GMMS and plans to draw and paint outdoors with her students in appreciation of Vernon’s colorful seasons and beauty.
Ms. Hirkaler
Meet Mr. Robert DeJulia:
Mr. DeJulia is coming to Glen Meadow from Vernon Township High School where he taught Earth Science for 20 years. Mr. DeJulia has two children in college. Mr. DeJulia attended SUNY Cobleskill and Oneonta. Mr. DeJulia enjoys teaching science, loves gardening and Italian food, too. In addition, Mr. DeJulia is a beekeeper.
Mr. DeJulia
Meet Mrs. Allison Pringle:
Mrs. Pringle excited to be working at Glen Meadow Middle School as a School Psychologist/7th grade Case Manager. Mrs. Pringle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Siena College and Masters of Arts in Psychology with a Specialization in School Psychology from Iona College. For the past six school years, I have been a School Psychologist/Case Manager at Rolling Hills Primary School. Mrs. Pringle was honored to be named Educational Support Professional of the Year at Rolling Hills for the 2018-2019 school year.
Mrs. Pringle loves building relationships with students and working with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to help students thrive academically and socially-emotionally. Mrs. Pringle truly lovse working with children and adolescents and looks forward to working with many students and families that she worked with when they were at Rolling Hills.
As a school psychologist/case manager, the four main components of my job are case management, assessment, counseling, and consultation. Mrs. Pringle’s professional interests include brain development, trauma-informed education, de-escalation strategies, and disability awareness. Mrs. Pringle enjoys spending time with her family, reading, learning more about education and school psychology, cooking, baking, and crocheting.
Mrs. Pringle
Meet Mr. Anthony Galante:
Mr. Galante is the father of two awesome daughters. Prior to working in Vernon Mr. Galante worked for a private residential setting, supervising group homes, direct care for children in living units, teaching in that program’s school, and training staff in theory, protocol, and hands-on applications for crisis management. Mr. Galante has taught in Glen Meadow, Vernon High School, and Lounsberry Hollow. Mr. Galante began teaching at Glen Meadow as a support teacher focused on supporting children with diverse strengths and struggles; he continued this work at Vernon High School and Lounsberry Hollow. Throughout his years in the district, Mr. Galante has also had the pleasure of being one of our coaches for GMMS Cross Country and Track teams. Mr. Galante is looking forward to returning to Glen Meadow to work as a co-teacher.
Mr. Galante
Meet Mr. Todd Piontkowski:
Mr. Piontkowski has been in the Vernon Township School District for 22 years. He attended William Paterson University and also spent a year at the University of Hawaii! Mr. Piontkowski is a well-known Physical Education teacher in Vernon, as he has taught in many Vernon Schools, Glen Meadow, Vernon Township High School, Walnut Ridge, and Rolling Hills. Mr. Piontkowski served as the Vernon PAL building manager and has also been a long-time wrestling coach. We welcome Mr. Piontkowski back to Glen Meadow Middle School!
Mr. Piontkowski
We are looking forward to seeing our students next week! As a reminder to our 6th-grade students, there is a 14 part series of orientation videos for you to watch to learn about Glen Meadow Middle School. Please go to VTSD Studios to see all of them. Click “Videos” and you will find all of the videos there.
Rosemary Gebhardt Eric Kosek, Ed. D.
Principal Assistant Principal