The Mendham Township Middle School and the Mendham Township Recreation Department are pleased to present Dear Edwina Jr., a musical about the joys of growing up. Edwina Spoonapple is an advice-giver extraordinaire who stages “The Dear Edwina Show” every Sunday afternoon from her garage. She gives advice through songs on topics such as [...]
Read More»Yesterday, I received the following eBlast from the Mendham Township Board of Education:
“It is with regret that the Board of Education informs you that Kristopher Harrison has notified us of his intent to end his tenure as superintendent of schools at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 school year. It is his desire to pursue [...]
This afternoon, London and her Mendham Township Middle School classmates are meeting to learn about auditions for this year’s school play, Dear Edwina Jr.
According to Wikipedia, Dear Edwina is a musical by Zina Goldrich (music) and Marcy Heisler (book and lyrics). A children’s one-hour musical, it concerns a young girl who gives her neighborhood friends [...]
Bernards High School will present GODSPELL, one of the most popular musicals of all time, an uplifting, modern day interpretation of the gospel, according to Matthew, on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 7 pm and Sunday, March 13 at 2:30 pm at the SHSD Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Bernards High School, [...]
Read More»Mendham Township School Budget and Board of Education elections are on Tuesday April 20th. Please make sure your vote is counted by voting at either the Ralston or Brookside Firehouses. Middle School students want their voices to be heard on the question of whether gum can be chewed in school so take them with you [...]
Read More»Dear Roxy,
Can you possibly put this in your Bernardsville area blogs?
Come join more than 125 Somerset Hills School District students including a Bernards High School cast of 70, 15 technicians, 20 orchestra members, 5 cast members from Bernardsville Middle School, and a cameo chorus of 30 Bedwell Elementary students and set sail from the SHSD [...]
The Tiger Leaders at Mendham Township Elementary School have organized their fellow students to “Read to Feed” to raise money for Heifer International. Until March 17th, 2010, London will be reading as many pages as they can, and have raised $120 in pledges from our family sponsors… enough to buy a Gift of a Goat [...]
Read More»We’ve started our Thanksgiving weekend, and in addition to the usual reasons we give thanks (family, friends, good health), I would like to say thank you to every Mendham Township Taxpayer, whether or not you voted to pass the 2009-10 school budget, for contributing to the school programs that benefit my children, London and Maddie. [...]
Read More»Come out and set the course record this Saturday, October 3rd, at the first annual Mendham Harvest Hustle 5k Race, dedicated in thankful and loving memory to Sergeant Richard Morales. The sanctioned and certified course winds through historic Mendham Borough. The children’s events include a 1k run and dashes. After the race, “Catch the Wave” [...]
Read More»In a few minutes, London and Maddie’s babysitter will arrive, and Rex and I will head out to Kitchens by the Sea, an amazing day of peeking into our neighbors’ kitchens and enjoying delicious food samples provided by local Jersey Shore restaurants and caterers. This year’s participating restaurants include:
Rock’n’Joe’s
Scone Shoppe
Miletto’s
Bay Head Chocolate Shoppe
Labrador Lounge
Martell’s
Theresa’s South
Shore Fresh [...]
Read More»I just hung up the phone with one of Maddie and London’s favorite people… Andrea Castiglione (aka “Mrs. C”) of Mendham Extended Day Program. We all met Mrs. C. back in February when Rex and I moved our investment banking practice into another firm and began commuting more regularly into New York City. As a mom, [...]
Read More»Every other year, the Bay Head School Foundation puts on Kitchens by the Sea, an amazing day of peeking into our neighbors’ kitchens and enjoying delicious food samples provided by local Jersey Shore restaurants and caterers.
Each of the homes, spread out through Bay Head and Mantoloking, will feature an excellent local restauranteur or caterer serving [...]
Bay Head, New Jersey is having its second annual rubber duck derby to benefit the Bay Head School Foundation. Scheduled for Saturday, July 18th, starting at 11:00am, the Great Bay Head Duck Derby includes a $10 Duck Race, gift auctions and silent auctions. The day’s events will begin at 11:00am, with the races taking place, rain [...]
Read More»Governor M. Jodi Rell has proclaimed May 9 as Connecticut Student Innovators’ Day in recognition of more than 1,600 Connecticut middle and high school students from across the state who have participated in year-long courses and programs that promote STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Students will be presenting team “green” projects in information technology, biotechnology, e-commerce, engineering, science research, health careers and digital media on May 9 at the 2009 Connecticut Innovation Exposition at the Connecticut Convention Center.
Read More»Oh, for Pete’s sake… maybe I’m one of those people who buries my head in the sand, but I truly believed that, despite the media hype, I didn’t really have to worry about swine flu. Now I have a letter from our school district superintendent that tells me there have been at least 5 cases [...]
Read More»It is bedtime here in the Roxiticus Valley, but not before I dash off a quick post saluting two terrific teachers, Mrs. Bizzarro and Mrs. Picerno, who presented an amazing Art & Poetry Night at Mendham Township Elementary School.
Since Rex was flying home from Washington, DC tonight, he missed out on all the fun. There [...]
Presentation of 2009-2010 School Budget: Wednesday, April 15th
On Wednesday, April 15th there will be two opportunities to hear Superintendent Kristopher Harrison discuss the 2009-2010 budget before voting day on April 21st.
Date: Wednesday April 15th, 2009
Time: 9.30am Meeting
Location: Elementary School Staff Development Room
Superintendent Kristopher Harrison and Business Administrator Pam Ranco will present the 2009-2010 School Budget
Date: [...]
London and Maddie brought home the following letter in their backpack mail on February 10th, 2009:
Dear Mendham Township Elementary School Parents and Guardians,
I wanted to give you a brief update on the status of the Outdoor Learning Center. Through the generosity of Mendham Township families within and outside of the school system, the Mendham Township [...]
Dear MTES Families,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and share my excitement about my appointment as the new principal at Mendham Township Elementary School. MTES has a reputation of excellence and I feel fortunate to be joining a school culture focused on student learning, a commitment to high expectations, innovation and [...]
London and Maddie brought home the following Mendham Township Elementary School Principal Update in their backpack mail today, January 21, 2009:
“Dear Parents and Guardians,
In an effort to identify the very best leader for Mendham Township Elementary School, an extremely thorough process was conducted, which included interviews with administration and with a committee that was representative [...]
Instead of jumping on the media bad news bandwagon, my blogosphere buddy Rambler has a regular “good news” post on her Lofty Matters site about the good things happening around the world each week. Starting today, I’m going to share some local good news and hope that we’ll have enough good news in Morris and [...]
Read More»As my loyal Roxy’s Best Of… readers know, our family summers at the beach in Bay Head, New Jersey, but our full time home (where London and Maddie go to school) is up north in Mendham Township. If you do live down at the beach all year round, however, please consider a tax deductible donation before [...]
Read More»I know the discussions to shake up various school districts, including West Morris Regional and Mendham Township, have been going on for quite some time, but I’ve been unable to bring myself to either attend the meetings or write about the various combinations under consideration. The headline in this week’s Observer-Tribune reads: “District Shakeup Gains [...]
Read More»London and Maddie brought home the following good news in their backpack mail from Mendham Township Superintendent of Schools Kristopher Harrison:
RE: Mendham Township Elementary School Principal Update
Dear MTES Community,
The search is currently underway to identify the next leader of Mendham Township Elementary School. The community of Mendham Township is very fortunate to have had a large number [...]
At the Mendham Township Home and School Association (HSA) meeting following Elementary School Principal Michael Craver’s resignation, School Board President Mark Ford urged interested parents, “If you want to know what’s going on with the School Board, what issues we’re addressing, go to the School Board meetings. They’re open to the public.” Before tonight, I [...]
Read More»As part of the Columbia University Writer’s Workshop being implemented by our daughters’ teachers at Mendham Township Elementary School, Maddie’s first grade class has been gearing up for a Publishing Party in December by beginning to write their autobiographies. Maddie did an amazing job of gathering interesting facts about our family life, listing and illustrating ideas for [...]
Read More»As part of the Columbia University Writer’s Workshop being implemented by our daughters’ teachers at Mendham Township Elementary School, Maddie’s first grade class has been gearing up for a Publishing Party in December by beginning to write their autobiographies. Maddie did an amazing job of gathering interesting facts about our family life, listing and illustrating [...]
Read More»As Mendham Township School Board President Mark Ford discussed at last week’s HSA meeting, the recruitment ad for our new principal was posted in the Star-Ledger and on NJ.com. The job description is pretty basic, but it doesn’t really get to the heart of what we are really hoping for in a new principal for our children’s elementary [...]
Read More»The Mendham Township Police Department and Mendham Township Middle School Principal Dr. Patrick J. Ciccone will be hosting a Drug & Alcohol Parent Education Night on Tuesday, November 18th, at 7pm at Mendham Township Middle School. Topics will include:
General and local drug/alcohol usage statistic;
Identification of the most popular locally used drugs;
Signs to look for in [...]
Yesterday, London and Maddie’s backpack mail brought the good news that, through the generosity of the Mendham Township Home and School Association (HSA), the students at Mendham Township Elementary School will have the pleasure of a visit from celebrated author Dan Gutman next Friday, November 21, 2008. According to the flier, Dan Gutman has “devised [...]
Read More»Since we received the news on Halloween that our Mendham Township Elementary School Principal Michael Craver had resigned suddenly, there’s been a great deal of concern and discussion among local parents, both about the reasons behind his departure, and the transition process. The leaders of our Home & School Association reacted quickly to our concerns, [...]
Read More»I just received an e-mail from the Mendham Township Home and School Association (H.S.A.) with the following important change to tomorrow’s scheduled meeting:
Mark Ford, School Board President, and Catherine Mozak, Interim Superintendent, will be speaking at the Wednesday, November 5, H.S.A. meeting at 9:15 in the Elementary School staff development room. They will address, among [...]
Rex and I were over at Mendham Township Elementary School this afternoon for our parent-teacher conferences about London and Maddie’s progress….the part of the conference that focused on my girls was excellent. Rex and I feel confident that both London and Maddie have the best teachers MTES has to offer; our girls excel at reading, writing [...]
Read More»It was a perfect Football Saturday in the Roxiticus Valley…sunny in the mid-60s, colorful leaves on the trees in the hills. Rex, London, Maddie and I had lunch with Grammy at the Denville Fish Market in Denville, New Jersey, then headed back to Mendham for the West Morris Mendham High School football game at home [...]
Read More»Dear Parents/Guardians of the MTES Learning Community,
I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign my position as your Principal effective immediately. Although sudden, it is something I have been thinking about and planning for some time. For my pending educational endeavors, my family and myself, I require a position that will allow [...]
I’ve received a copy of the official letter from the Mendham Township Board of Education regarding Michael Craver’s resignation as principal of Mendham Township Elementary School. Other than outlining the transition plan, the letter is not particularly enlightening.
Dear Parents and Staff:
The Board of Education accepted the resignation of Mr. Craver, the Elementary Principal, at their [...]
It started with rumors whispered at the Mendham Township Elementary School Halloween Parade this afternoon, and I confirmed it with Principal Craver himself after the parade. Mendham Township Elementary School Principal Michael Craver has resigned. He intends to pursue a doctoral program that will lead to greater opportunities within education in the future.
I’m disappointed to [...]
After Tuesday’s crazy snow storm, today was a great day for a Halloween Parade in the Roxiticus Valley, and Mendham Township Elementary School did not disappoint us. We were there to cheer on London and Maddie in their store-bought costumes as our two Sharpays from Disney’s High School Musical, and came away impressed with the [...]
Read More»Last week, I had the good fortune to chaperone Maddie’s first grade class trip to Stony Hill Farm in Chester, New Jersey. The first graders, teachers, and a handful of moms and dads boarded the school buses in front of Mendham Township Elementary School at 9:00am on Tuesday, October 21st and made the quick trip [...]
Read More»Since we moved out to the Roxiticus Valley from New York City’s West Village in October 2003, Rex and I have been saying that we need to take the girls to a local high school football game. Our local team, the West Morris Mendham High School Minutemen, has been good in past years but was [...]
Read More»It’s a brisk autumn day in the Somerset Hills, and I am heading in on the train from Bernardsville, New Jersey to our office in New York City. As I waited to board the train this morning, I happened to see a poster at the Bernardsville Train Station for the upcoming Kitchen Tours of Somerset [...]
Read More»For anyone in the Mendham, Chester, and Bernardsville, New Jersey area looking for a terrific pre-school (”early childhood education”), our family (and many of the other Roxiticus Desperate Housewives) wholeheartedly endorses Westmont Montessori School in Mendham, NJ. We’ve been done here since Maddie started Kindergarten at Mendham Township Elementary School last year, but we had [...]
Read More»London and Maddie brought home the new Mendham Township School District Pathways to Learning Program brochure for the Fall/WInter 2008 Session in their “backpack mail” on Friday. There are lots of exciting enrichment classes for children in grades K-8, including:
Aviation Club (Grades K-8): The Hobby Quest. Learn about aviation history, physics, weather, craftsmanship, and the [...]
Read More»Last week, London and Maddie came home with a memo in their “backpack mail” announcing the good news that the Mendham Township Board of Education has hired a new Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Kristopher Harrison will join us on November 16th, directly from the South Orange/Maplewood School District, a district with over 5, 000 students, [...]
Read More»Last night, London and Maddie came home with the following exciting memo from the Mendham Township Board of Education in their “backpack mail”:
In the Spring of 2008, the [Mendham Township] Board of Education embarked on a mission to hire a new superintendent. At that time, we solicited input from the community, faculty and staff to [...]
Yesterday, Rex and I headed in to our NYC office, and my current hardcover page turner, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, was too heavy to lug onto the train. So I picked up Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parent’s Guide by Lucy Calkins with Lydia Bellino, at the recommendation of our elementary school principal, [...]
Read More»Dear Roxy,
I’m also a local mom (in Gladstone) and have read through portions of your blog - lots of fun commentary. I think it would be an ideal place to post information about a new Pre-K to 4th Grade school opening in Bernardsville, New Jersey. You may be familiar with the Cottage School in Peapack-Gladstone. [...]
As we start thinking about going back to school, I’d like to remind everyone that an exciting project is underway at the Mendham Township Elementary School. The Mendham Township Education Foundation is working to construct an Outdoor Learning Center in the Mendham Township Elementary School library courtyard. The project will convert an unused area to [...]
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