Oxford Central School

Thoughts on the new Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights

2012-02-09T07:21:00.002-05:00

As some may be aware, the new anti-bullying bill of rights and all the baggage that it brings to the doors of the school was ruled to be an unfunded mandate by a state board that is asked to analyze laws set down by the state to see if they are unfunded and if they are found to be unfunded, the panel decides what the state should do about the law. In this case, the state found the new HIB law to be unfunded and therefore it will need revisions.

This law has merits. I fully applaud the idea of protecting students and designing rules that allow us to further protect our students from bullying However, what the law has done is provide that every look or word can be turned into a case of bullying. The law teaches our children and parents that any thing that might cause them discomfort, such as hard work or honest disagreements or conflicts over space, lockers, pencils, new friendships, etc... is a horrible bullying incident that must be stopped. The law overburdens teachers and administrators, costs hundreds of man hours and abrogates the responsibility of learning how to deal with others each day to the schools. A function that most educators, doctors and parents feel has been and always should be, the responsibility of the parents.

I have also seen an ugly thread within the fabric of this law... parents bullying staff and administrators. Parents yell and scream at us, curse us out, dictate to us who their children can sit next to, play with or eat with. Every difficulty that a child experiences is not bullying! Bullying is much more! Young children tend to be bullies if they have been bullied. However, just try telling a parent that their child has been a bully and it leads to accusations of ineffectiveness and even threats about our jobs!

Bullying is an issue. It is a problem that many students say they see, but none say they are or have been bullies. We have investigated more than 20 claims of bullying this year and of that number only two fall into the category of bullying. Most are code of conduct violations that are outlined in our student handbook. However, the times when staff are being bullied are far too numerous, are unacceptable and just plain uncivil!

The HIB legislation has merits. It does protect children. But in some cases it protects them from handling difficulties, conflicts or frustrations and may be turning them into a "chicken little generation."

Till next time....

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying -- HIB

2012-01-25T06:55:00.003-05:00

Well it has finally occurred enough to warrant my venting about it... The new HIB laws and Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights allows students to continue to identify incidents they feel are bullying. Most are not. Most end up being code of conduct violations or conflicts between two students. However, the offshoot of the new law, that many educators saw coming, is that when we tell parents that we are looking into an allegation, we are automatically branded as unreasonable, over-reacting and in some cases-- liars.

This has happened because in previous instances here at OCS, prior to the Bill of Rights, we could look into the conflicts, talk to the students and the teachers and let the parents know what we found out. Now with a different path of investigation that might take a few days to resolve, we are seen as stalling, fabricating or lying. That is the shame of this. When the previous laws allowed for us to resolve conflict, now we are investigating HIB. When told we are looking into a case that is alleged to be HIB, we are told we are blowing it out of proportion or wrong, since no one's child is capable of bullying, even though the students tell us they still see it occasionally happening.

Just a rant of disappointment from a school leader who has seen the winds of change on this issue change many, many times...

Some pretty neat things

2012-01-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

happen here at OCS everyday.... In one day, today, OCS students did the following:

Some travelled to the College of NJ to attend the State Student Council workshop!

8th Grade students worked with second grade students on a science activity!

Kids played outside for recess!

First grade students took part in the Read Outloud Creates Knowledge (ROCK) program!

Students learned about the important messages from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

Students used netbooks to create essays and score them electronically!

Students learned about properties and mixtures!

Students learned about division and multiplication!

Pretty cool stuff!

Till next time...

A new day

2012-01-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

Friday was a busy day here at OCS. Unfortunately I had to spend many hours away from school attending meetings. Friday was also the final day here at Oxford for Ms. Martucci our School Business Administrator and School Board Secretary. I hesitate to add the second title because most people do not think of this position in the complex light that the job entails. The board secretary is the official business branch of the school board and is a very difficult position, in fact one that is included in school law as a vital and necessary position.

Ms. Martucci leaves us after fighting for Oxford students for the past six years. She was instrumental in refinancing, rebidding and restructuring our Business Office -- SAVING the district millions of dollars!! She will be missed.

She will be replaced by Ms. Christina Moskal who come to us from the Florence Township School District. Ms. Moskal will begin on January 17th. Welcome to Oxford.

Till next time...

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T09:56:00.002-05:00

No matter what holiday you celebrate -- have a safe and happy celebration!

Big news.... school will reopen on JANUARY 3, 2012! THIS IS A DEPARTURE FROM YEAR'S PAST. That is the Tuesday after the New Year's day.

Till next time...

Thank You!

2011-12-12T07:40:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to thanks some people for all that they have done recently to assist the daily operations of the school and assist in the community service component of our school-wide character education program...

Thanks to Mrs. Schaffer and to Clearview Cinemas for supporting our character education initiative by providing popcorn parties for our homerooms when they reach the first milestone in the process, 400 blue tickets!

Thanks to Jean Alvarado and to Maschio's Food Service for their assistance in providing items for a few events we have had recently her at school. Maschio's was kind enough to provide salad and water for the PTA Scrapbooking event last month and they also provided water to the PTA Kids for Kids program. The extra water was shipped off to the first aid squad and fire department here in Oxford to help them when they are on calls.

Thank you to the PTA and to the White family, Mr. and Mrs. White, Sydney, Jacob, and Noah for once again hosting the Kids For Kids Christmas Party. This is the fourth year they have initiated this charity event and I am glad we could be a small part of their holiday plan. All toys collected were donated to the Oxford First Aid squad and their holiday program and will benefit kids here in Oxford.

Finally, not really a holiday or charity, but thanks to Ms. Patricia Martucci who will be leaving our school district in January to move to a K-12 school district. The financial state of this school district was not something we could be proud of six years ago and now we can say that our fiscal house in order and that the finances are on the right path. Thanks again, you will be missed.

Till next time...

Autism Awareness

2011-11-29T08:34:00.003-05:00

Today we are hosting a Staff Dress Down Day to support Autism NJ and their programs. This is one of many events we are holding this year to lead up to our second Autism Awareness 5K and Walk. The 5K and Walk will once again be held at Meadow Breeze Park on Saturday, April 21, 2012... a long way off, but mark your calendars now. Come out and support the day's events, walk, run, whatever.... If you would like to volunteer your time, please contact Ms. Milissa Dachisen here at the school.

Till next time....

Power

2011-11-08T14:22:00.002-05:00

Like many of you I was without power. I was without power for two days and like many of you, was wondering how I could possibly get a semblance of my normal life back if the power did not come back on! I drew upon a new disdain when I heard that homes 200 yards away had power and we did not. On the same street! Them, not us! Couldn't use a generator, because we don't have one. The money that would be set aside went to have trees taken down so they did not fall on someone or fall on my neighbor's house. Then our power came back on! I suddenly remembered what it felt like when I was 7 years old and it was Christmas morning! Jumping around the house loving every minute of the Power. Realizing how many electronics we had on when the power left us...it suddenly become very clear that we used too much power.
I felt badly when I heard how rough it was in Oxford and this part of New Jersey. I felt badly when I said I had power, it seemed the wrong thing to say to those who did not. Twice as long without power and families to feed and keep warm. Families to get ready for work and school. That could not have been easy, but I heard from many people who helped each other through this difficult time. Generators shared, washers and dryers for laundry, crock pots cooking for dinner... in another town... people worked together to assist each other.

We got through this very difficult time and we helped each other. I just don't want to lose that feeling I had when the power came back on, ever!

Till next time.....

Anti-Drug message

2011-10-27T11:08:00.002-04:00

We had a special presentation last night here at OCS so that parents could get together to hear about the latest trends in drug and alcohol abuse by young people today and to be able to discuss ideas they have with other parents. While it was very disheartening to see how few parents came out to take advantage of this opportunity, it was good to share ideas with others. As the parent of children who are older, I remember the conversations and the lessons we shared with our children. I also was thankful that the message we were talking to our children about was being reinforced in their schools.
Here at OCS we spend time each year discussing the dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol so that we can act in partnership with our community. The world is a difficult place for kids to grow up --and the dangers and pressures of alcohol and drug use are issues they will face. Hopefully we have all helped them to make the right choices. Hope may be all we have in this fight!

till next time...

In between

2011-10-14T13:56:00.002-04:00

Here we are in the middle of October, one week removed from the Week of Respect and a week away from Red Ribbon Week....I wonder what do we do in between? Life is like that... in between. In between decisions, activities, family events, we always seem to be in between. After the Week of Respect we are reminded that we need to keep the momentum going in between as we move to the next event. We need to keep respect in our minds and in our deeds. Respect is not soemthig that we should let go of in our interactions with each other. Respect is not an idea that we shuld pick and choose to use. It should not be something in between that we get to once in a while in our busy lives. Show each other respect. That is what we add to our lessons here at OCS. You don't always have to agree with people, but you should respect their right to have ideas different than yours. In between classes, show respect. It is a powerful way to act and it can help change the world... but we can't show respect in between the activities of our lives... it is something that should be done all the time....

Till next time...

Columbus Day...

2011-10-10T15:35:00.001-04:00

has come and gone and we mark the middle of the first marking period. The year has been cooking by! I wanted to let everyone know that I am very thankful that we had nearly 100% of our parents return the student handbook acknowledgement form this year! Amazing what a little encouragement can do for the numbers! thank you.

Till next time...

Leave anyone behind?

2011-10-04T12:43:00.002-04:00

I can always remember my mom and dad as we pulled away from a rest stop or a gas station break looking into the back seat where my sisters and I would be stowed away and ask, "Did we leave anyone behind?" Thankfully the answer for them was always "No! Looks like we have them all!" Of course I was sitting there secretly wishing we had temporarily misplaced one of my sisters!! But I digress...that is a topic for another blog entry....

The newspapers have been full of information lately concerning the No Child Left Behind waivers being applied for by state across the U.S., including NJ. With the legislation renewal still sitting on the stove down in DC, the NJ Department of Education has asked that NJ be released from certain aspects of the law that still feel unattainable and impractical, namely, the looming 2014 deadline for 100% proficiency and the jump in AYP proficiency scores annually. It will be interesting to see how things will unfold here in NJ (and the rest of the country) with these waivers and with any new version of NCLB legislation that districts such as ours may face in the coming months...

Over the past six years that I have been here at OCS we have consistently looked at the progress our kids have been making from year to year. Not only do we look at them as a group but also as sub-groups, for example, boys and girls. We read often that boys are being left behind in Language Arts as they get older and that girls are not showing progress in Math and in Science.

I am happy to say that we have pulled out of the parking lot, checked the back seat and can proclaim that we did not leave anyone behind! Even in the face of our elementary students not making Adequate Yearly Progress in Language Arts (even though we outperformed he state averages) , we have 94% of our 3-8 girls proficient or advanced proficient in Math and 91% of the same girls proficient or above in Science! Our pre-teen and teenage boys have also done well in Language Arts -- where we had 100% of our 6-8 grade boys achieve proficient or higherthis past year! Over the past three years we have seen a steady growth with our male students and the scores they achieve in Language Arts!

Success is something we have been demonstrating each year here at OCS!

Till next time...

The Third Week of School

2011-09-20T11:54:00.002-04:00

Well here we are into the third week of school. Many interesting things have occurred at school since we reopened for business:
--we held anti-bullying meetings in all our classes, pre-school through 8th grade. In pre-school through grade 3, Ms. Dachisen and I went in and read some excellent books concerning bullying, especially "Stop Picking On Me." This book was written by a psychologist who wrote the book to help students in the primary grades understand the concept of bullying and how to stop the problem. Our older students took part in an assembly that Ms. Dachisen and I put together that highlighted the problem, the newest laws in NJ and how we could all work together to help eliminate the problem.

--The PTA has been holding the annual Scholastic Book Fair and it looks like they are on a pace to have one of the most successful book fairs in a long time!

--We held our annual Red, White and Blue Day to help us remember the importance of Patriot's Day and the Constitution day we hold on or around September 16th.

Till next time...

The Start of Another Year!

2011-09-12T12:46:00.002-04:00

Well, we did it! We got through the first few days of school and had a very good opening that culminated in the Red, White and Blue Day we held in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11! The students shared lessons with their teachers concerning this important historical event.

Back to School Nights are on their way:

Tuesday September 13 and Tuesday September 20. The 13th is for grades KG-4 and the 20th is reserved for grades 5-8. the evenings will begin at 6 and conclude at 8.

Till next time....

Back To School

2011-09-02T13:35:00.002-04:00

The building is ready. The custodial staff have worked very hard to ensure that we would be ready to go! New Language Arts textbooks are in place for grades 5-8! New computers are ready to go in the ACE lab.... 19 inch high-def monitors, Intel duo core processors and a new server to handle the new computers (all through grant money)... a new Dell wireless notebook cart with 30 laptops! (more grant money)... new wireless routers and many other upgrades for our technology!
Unfortunately new desks and chairs are being delayed in production by Hurricane Irene so some older students might be inconvenienced for a few weeks, but they will manage.

Back to school nights for parents will be Tuesday September 13 for grades KG -4 and then September 20 for grades 5-8.

Till next time....

AHH, Back at the Desk!!

2011-08-09T14:26:00.003-04:00

Seems like being at work is many times less stressful than being home on vacation. Just finished putting four rooms of new floors down. Of course, that means that old carpeting had to come up first! Big job done....

Had a conversation with a fellow blogger the other day and we were commenting on how difficult it can be to keep the old blog updated on a regular basis (her blog was a wonderful look at food in NYC!). When I am away from work, I forget to sit down and write about the things that are going on here at the school. Then when I am back at work, work gets in the way of adding keen insight and witty dialogue about the blog... Anyway, I am back at the desk and it is time to get back to blogging.

Class lists will be made public on Friday August 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm. The lists will be posted on the front door of the school and will be there for some time. I will make a SchoolReach announcement on Friday to let everyone know... might even post it on the school FB page.

Till next time....

New State Aid figures!

2011-07-13T08:14:00.002-04:00

In case you were not aware of the scenario, the NJ courts recently told Governor Christie and the NJ Department of Education that they had underfunded the schools in NJ. While this primarily meant underfunded the former Abbott district schools, we hoped it would have a trickle down affect on districts such as ours. We were right...

The NJ DOE and the Governor's Office have put millions back into the funding for NJ schools and we will be receiving a portion of that money. The final figures have not been verified yet, even though the Star-Ledger and Express-Times have published numbers.

The money that is listed in the paper is misleading... it does not reflect the debt service aid adjustment that the state continues to ask from us (now in its third year). This adjustment is money that they promised we would get for the renovations done to the building in 2004-2005. The give us money to offset the taxpayer impact each year. Over the last two years, and next year as well, they have asked for money back and they withhold it from our overall state aid! Not fair, but we live with it.

Further information about our final $ will appear on this blog after the board meeting that will be held on July 21st.

Till next time...

School Survey results will be

2011-07-07T12:52:00.002-04:00

up on the website shortly. The survey is another way for the school to look at programs and see where we can make improvements. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey.

2011-2012 classroom supply lists are also available on the website.

Please remember that when you go out to shop for school supplies, you can buy some additional items that will be donated to the Warren County United Way Stuff the Bus Program. All items can be dropped off here at school and we will make sure they get to the United Way.

Hot out there today... good day to sit outside and read a book.

Till next time...

It's Summertime, Summertime, Summertime...

2011-07-05T09:22:00.004-04:00

Things are pretty quiet around here in the summer, except for the extended school year program we offer, the constant sounds of the summer maintenance work and the soon to begin projects on the gym floor, the repair of outside brick work and the replacement of a classroom floor. Strike that, it is never quiet here!

We are busy getting ready for the upcoming school year, and that can get pretty noisy!

Till next time....

One day ends, time for some thank you's...

2011-06-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

The 8th graders have been promoted to ninth grade and they head off to keep building their dreams at the high school level. Their journey here lays the foundation for what lies ahead. I still look back fondly on my elementary teachers and the memories I have of them...

Mrs. Parmelee in Kindergarten, who was kind and sparked the joy of learning in me and let us play with the big lego blocks to make ships...
Mrs. Apfel, a tall fire breathing, bee hive sporting woman who I remember teaching us the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance...
Mrs. Pritchard who tried to get me to stop biting my finger nails... it finally worked, although I think I was closer to 40 year old than I was to 8!
Mrs. Cooper my Stanhope Elementary English teacher who was fun and engaging...
Mr. Togno who taught me to make a napkin holder and I even made my own coffee table!
Ms. Silverman, who did not appreciate my classroom antics and who was instrumental in me stopping from calling Leonard Kubik a "schmuck" in in class...
Mr. Bobiak, who is the reason I wanted to be a Social Studies teacher....

Thanks to those wonderful people and many others in grade school and high school who set me on the path of education and are the reasons I became an educator....

Enjoy the Summer....

Till next time...

Sad, Sad News...

2011-06-15T07:32:00.002-04:00

I have just finished looking over teh voter records from the April, 2011 election for the school baord, the school budget and the township referendum on the proposed tax increase, and the results are very sad indeed!

Here at the Oxford Central School we have approximately 518 parents representing 274 students. Only 49% of our parents are registered voters!

In the most recent April, 2011 election, 276 of our parents were registered to vote... only 76 did. 30%..... sad news.

Homerooms will be combined, textbook purchases will be put on hold, concert programs may not be held, staffing will be decreased and certainly new or expanded programs that parents have been asking for, can not be accomplished.

Enough said right now, I am too sad to keep writing...

Til next time

A new blog

2011-06-10T10:02:00.003-04:00

I was able to get a hold of some blog comments posted back in April by Adam Bauser--who was here to film our Archery Team in April as part of the NJN Classroom Close-Up program. Adam was the producer of the segment and apparently wrote about his experience here with Mr. C, our team, school and community! Here is the blog address. Adam tells us that the purchase of NJN by WNET--purchase, buyout, backroom deal, call it what you like-- will not affect the airing of the episode shot in April.
Anyhoo... here is the address:

http://bauser.blogspot.com/2011/04/oxfords-strongest-man.html

Till next time...

Ocean Night Aftermath

2011-06-10T07:22:00.002-04:00

Thank you to the staff who spent the last 6 weeks teaching students about the importance of the marine environments of our planet. Last night was our 13th Ocean Night and I want to thank all the parents, grandparents, assorted relatives and students who came out to share the projects and games that had been created over the past few weeks. From the plankton race, the GATE projects, to Mrs. Fallen's squid to the kelp forests and the rocky tidal pools of first grade, there were many wonderful projects on display that illustrate the students hard work! This program is best summed up by two of our former students who let me know that they loved MARE and how much they learned and remembered from year to year. They seemed to still have a good time last night as they watched their siblings enjoy their Ocean Night!

I received many positive comments about the Ocean Night!

Till next time...

School Surveys

2011-06-03T15:49:00.002-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parents who sent in the school survey that we recently sent home. We received 63 surveys back representing 93 students, or 34% of our student population (not the mandate from the majority we had hoped for). I have been looking over the surveys and finding that some of the comments people made, while at times difficult to swallow, are comments that the school board and administration have been addressing as we head into the 2011-2012 school year.

One of the interesting things I saw initially as I looked them over is the number of new programs and additional programs that parents would like for their children and the school.... most we could accomplish if we had not faced two years of defeated budgets that saw additional money that we set aside to provide extras for the students get CUT through the defeated budget process. If the budget passes, better things can happen.

Besides passing responsible school budgets, coming out to provide additional requests to the school board at one of our two monthly meetings would allow us to better serve our students. Your input is always welcome! Feel free to call me or stop in to share any ideas you might have that would serve to improve the educational offerings we have for our students.

Full survey results will be forthcoming.

Till next time....

May 31st....

2011-05-31T08:56:00.002-04:00

May 31st! As a third grader told me this morning as we were out on the side playground... "I can see the end of school! Well, at least the summer!"

Just a quick reminder to parents to check the Friday Bulletin and the school calendar pages to get the updated dates for the end of the school year.

The 8th Grade Graduation DANCE is this Thursday night at 6:00 pm!

Ocean Night is coming up fast! Our students have been busy learning about the waterways, tributaries, lakes and oceans of our planet as they get ready to show their efforts to the world on June 9th. The evening will begin at 6:00 and will end at 8:00pm! Hope to see you there.

Till next time...

Friday the 13th came and went...

2011-05-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

and there were no disasters lurking around every corner.

The OCS Archery Team came back from their annual rite of Spring--The National Championships in Lou-uh-vull Kentucky! Once again the team did a great job of representing themselves and their community! 24 parents accompanied them to Kentucky and they report a great experience for all. The hard work and the effort the kids pour into this makes the 13 hour bus ride seem a distant memory... until you get back on the bus! Then the memories come flooding back. And now the results....

The OCS Archery Team Finished 18th in the nation! More than 100 teams competed in our division and we smoked most of them! If we could only get Trigg County, KY to forget where Lou-uh-vull is....

Great job by the team, the coaches and all the parents who helped make this a reality for the kids!

Till next time....

Hellooooooooo

2011-05-10T12:38:00.001-04:00

This thng on? Anyone out there? Help I am trapped inside at my desk on the nicest day of the year!

Send sunscreen and a note from my mom that I can go home early!

A few ramblings...

2011-04-28T12:50:00.003-04:00

After a few days off it looks like we all came back to school with our batteries recharged and ready to move into the last few weeks with a renewed commitment to providing the best education for our students.

The last couple of months will be filled with state assessments, a few field trips and the end of the year hoopla! We recently had our Kids Vote election on April 27th! The OCS Student Council and advisors, Mrs. Dowd and Mrs. Kantz, ran a very successful election, allowing students to vote for a school-wide reward for achieving the goals of the positive behavioral support program. The wining choice was a school movie day! Perhaps a showing of one of my favorite movies, "A Bridge too Far!" On second thought, we will ask the students and teachers for help deciding the titles to show.

Wow! I got through that blog without breaking into a rant about the budget.

Till next time...

April 12th...

2011-04-12T13:35:00.002-04:00

Getting ready for the Spring Break and heading into the weeks before the vote on the school budget. I will be answering questions about the budget over at Mr. and Mrs. Nixon's home tomorrow night, Wednesday, 4/13 at 6:30 pm. There is even a Facebook page devoted to the event. Nine people have responded they are attending. I hope to get the word out about a lower tax rate and the impact on taxes again for next year. hopefully, the positive news will spread and anyone who attends tells their friends. I am looking forward to it. Till next time...

Today is the 91st day of 2011

2011-04-01T13:33:00.003-04:00

Of course it is also April Fool's Day and Mother Nature has been playing quite a joke on all of us here in NJ with snow storms, plenty of rain and cold temperatures! For the life of me, I can not remember why I like Spring! Maybe that will change in a few weeks. This coming Monday, April 4th we will begin a charity fundraiser for the Red Cross and their efforts to assist the earthquake and tsunami stricken areas of Japan. The beauty of this project is where it originated! It is an idea that our first grade students came up with and from their zeal for this endeavor how could I not want to approve this wonderful idea?! We will collect change in the lunchroom and on Friday April 15th we will host a Hat Day for students and staff. Anyone who makes a donation to the project (no amount is too small) will be permitted to wear a hat that day of school! Thanks to our first graders for developing this idea! Till next time...

Never a dull moment...

2011-03-29T14:23:00.002-04:00

I went to a meeting today at good 'ole Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope. As a "recent" graduate of LVR it was neat to wander around again. Two student volunteers offered to show me the way to the auditorium and I had to chuckle! We talked briefly and they wanted to know if the building looked any different. My answer was a resounding, "No!" Holy smokes! A true testament to the school staff and to the student body for respecting the building and keeping the building looking wonderful! Made this member of the graduating class of 1979 very happy to see! The meeting was attended by the Superintendents from both Sussex and Warren counties and the guest speaker was NJ Department of Education Commissioner, Chris Cerf. The commissioner spoke very positively about some of the initiatives we have been developing here in Warren and Sussex counties. He lauded the positive educational outcomes we have here in this part of the state and I can say that he truly listened to the comments and questions and his answers were very positive. Comments were made about many different topics, including the recent negative rhetoric about education. Education is not broken in NJ! national scores show that NJ ranks consistently in the top ten percent of all states and in all subject areas! Overall it was a very positive meeting! let's see how things go as time goes by... Till next time...

2011-2012 budget--school taxes go down!

2011-03-13T19:42:00.003-04:00

I guess I will have to say this over and over again for the next six weeks until the public vote on April 27... the school portion of your tax bill is going to go down for the second time in four years! In the past four years, the school district has lowered taxes twice, and held the tax rate at zero two other years! I can't stress this enough, if we are forced to cut more based on a no vote on April 27th, this will result in changes... back to half day kindergarten, possible cuts to the music/ art programs... please support the school on April 27th!

Till next time...

Global warming and other thoughts...

2011-03-03T09:14:00.002-05:00

Global warming? It is about 15 degrees out there today. Way below average! Global warming predictions should make it sunny and about 80 degrees today. I am not a happy camper!

Nice job by Mrs. Lurz and Ms. Ficarra this past Tuesday as they presented a Mo Jo meeting on NJASK writing and testing! The presentation was very informative!

Speaking of Mo Jo... we will look to shift a few of the topics to hours in the evening during the upcoming school year. This is based on some parent feedback.

Great job by the Archery Team yesterday as they shot for scores at the state level! 3155 points is incredible! I can't wait until the NJN Classroom Close-up program comes to our school on Tuesday, March 8th to do a full feature on the program.

Reminder to all parents... we are on an early dismissal schedule from Friday March 11th and Monday, March 14th.

Global warming, HA!

till next time...

School Budget

2011-02-25T11:02:00.002-05:00

Well, the new budget numbers have come in and what will be published in the paper and on the NJ DOE website is a tad misleading. Most will read the paper and the website Excel spreadsheet and, like me, initially see that the district is scheduled to receive an additional $58,571! NICE!

However, as an NFL referee has to say... "Upon further review..." The state is once again reassessing the debt service for the remodeling and addition that were complete over 7 years ago. They are giving us $58K and taking back more than $28,000 of that money, leaving us with a net gain of $31,000. Still OK. That money, coupled with responsible savings and belt-tightening across the board at the school has lead us to the place we are now... another year with no tax increase from the school district!

In the last five budgets for the school... taxes have either gone down or remained at a ZERO% increase! The school portion of your local taxes will not go up for 2011-2012! Not many sectors of the financial world can say that!

Till next time...

Holy Smokes!!!

2011-02-18T08:53:00.002-05:00

has it really been 17 days since my last post? I can not believe the many readers of this Pulitzer page have not bruoght this to my attention! Anyway....

I wanted to give everyone an upadte on a few grant opportuniites we are putting together to try to secure some additional money that might be used for updating our technology over the next few years.
I am currently finishing the review of the Intel School of Distinction award which is highlighting our strong science scores in the 6-8 grade over the past few years, our emphasis on a school-wide interdisciplinary science curriculum, MARE, our professional development to improve science instruction school-wide and our 7th grade field trip. We will hear by April.
I am also putting together a grant from the Toshiba Corporation to be used in Math and Science Instruction. This grant is a rolling grant opportunity that will be evaluated and scored as they receive our application.
Finally, a team of teachers is meeting today to put together a story board and video about why we need additional technology here at OCS and how we would use it.

Can't win 'em if we don't enter!

Till next time...

WHAT?! Another snow day?

2011-02-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

Seems like quite a trend... fairly recently we had a year where we had snow only on the weekends. I think this is pay-back! We are now counting snow days on both hands! Hang in there, the Punxsatawney pontificator will be sticking his head put tomorrow.

Till next time...

Random thoughts

2011-01-24T11:56:00.002-05:00

I want to remind my rabid followers -- all three of you -- that if the weather does not cooperate with us on Thursday, Janaury 27th, we will have the spelling bee the very next day. The time and location will stay the same.

Another interesting weather pattern will be heading our way, and to my surprise the weathermen do not know what will happen! I am shocked! We will just have to wait and see what we are handed over the next few days.

Next week we are starting our Mo Jo' meetings on Tuesday February 1. We sent home written notice of the meetings so that parents could look over the schedule and see what meeting(s) they might wish to attend. The meetings will run every Tuesday and be held in our Library from 9:30 am to 10:15 am.

Till next time...

Spelling Bee

2011-01-20T13:46:00.002-05:00

The Spelling Bee Finals are coming up next week! We will be holding our annual event on Thursday, January 27th at 1:15 pm in the gym. I really love the spelling bee! The skill of spelling is such a wonderful skill to have. Being able to spell things correctly is also a skill that provides a leg up on standardized tests, be it the NJASK series, the HSPA, SAT, or even the GRE's and other graduate level tests. As you get older, spelling does not become less of an important ability, it becomes more important! So keep the nose to the grindstone and keep practicing your spelling... it will come in handee!

Till next time...

AAAGGGHH!! Snow days!

2011-01-19T13:42:00.003-05:00

Well, when I was writing my last blog entry, I thought to myself--if you write about the snow days, then the snow will come! Kind of a warped Field of Dreams scenario! It happened. I wrote about it and it came.... and it looks like it might keep on coming. As I write this blurb, the National Weather Service is tracking another storm that may bring a load of snow for Friday morning, or it might not. Gotta love being a weatherman!
Anyway, we are in a winter weather pattern and the only thing that might get us out of that pattern is called Spring!! I am going to hold my breath in protest of the storms. That will make them stop!

Because of our snow day events, we are going to be in school for half days on Friday, February 18 and March 11.

Who knows how many more beyond that.... I am sure the weathermen doesn't!

Till next time....

Snow Days

2011-01-08T14:50:00.002-05:00

Invariably, whenever we have the threat of inclement weather, there are many decisions that need to be made. The variables that go into the decision to delay, close, or send students home early is never an easy one and is a process I take very seriously.

With the threat of bad weather that could affect the opening of school, I get up at 4:45 am and look outside. Then I get on the Weather Channel, Channel 69-WFMZ and the Internet. I start making calls to the Oxford DPW, the Warren Hills Cluster schools, the WTPD and, as in the case of the last storm Friday, the county DPW. I also get phone alerts from the NJ Office of Emergency Management and the NJ State Police that provide further information. I try to come to a decision that will allow for the greatest level of safety for our students and their parents, and of course our staff as well. This is all done with a number of phone calls, and then quite possibly, a sprinkling of luck that the decision was the right one. Had we opened last Friday at 10:30, staff would have been on the roads in the worst of the storm. The website, Weather Underground estimates Warren County got about 2.5 inches from 8:30-10:30 am. I spoke to a number of school leaders in our area and they reported that they only had 30-40% of their students in the building and had to double and triple up on rooms, since staff could not get to work safely.

This time I got it right again!

Till next time...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T09:23:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a great vacation over the past two weeks. Looks like we dodged quite a snowfall back on 12/26.... the snowfall totals were huge in towns at the NJ shore!

This week we are continuing our Child Assault Prevention program with our good friends at Catholic Charities. They have been assisting us in delivering this program for many years and I look forward to another productive round of presentations this January 4, 5, and 6. Once again the program is being offered in grades 1, 3, 5 and 7.

This Friday will also be the deadline for the January Market Day orders. If the PTA can meet their goal, they will be able to donate $250.00 worth of new books to the school library.

Welcome back...

Till next time.

Special Christmas Project...

2010-12-21T09:05:00.002-05:00

Once again the Xerox Corporation is sponsoring the "Lets Say Thank You" project where we can go to a special web address and leave a holiday thank you card for an American soldier stationed around the world. You can't leave one for a specific soldier, however, any thank you that you create will be sent to a soldier. Awesome idea! Xerox has been doing this since 2006 and has sent out millions of cards over the years. Please join the movement and send a card.

The web address is: www.LetsSayThanks.com

If I don't get a chance to type up another blog entry before we break for the next week or so, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! School will be out from December 24th and we will be back on Monday, January 3, 2011!

Till next time...

The Monday before Christmas...

2010-12-19T12:42:00.002-05:00

will be here tomorrow, and I just finished reading some ideas about how to slowly build the excitement in the house as the holiday draws nearer. The number one item on the many lists I looked over was to try to ensure that the kids routine is the same as the days before Christmas go by. The same bed time, cut back on sugars, not too much television and keeping up with the school work will all assist in settling students into a routine in the crazy dash to Christmas. Good luck!

Till next time...

What an Extravaganza!

2010-12-16T16:34:00.002-05:00

In my last entry I wrote about the hard work and effort that the students had been putting into their concert preparations. I guess I was not kidding! Wow, that was a great show and I am so thankful that almost 600 people saw the show! Thank you for coming out and supporting the arts!

Till next time...

The Big Holiday Extravaganza

2010-12-14T06:55:00.002-05:00

is on tap for tomorrow evening! The students have been working very hard to make this the best show ever! Many of our older students are participating this year by playing the guitars and serving as readers and in the important role of stage crew! Another role the older students fill is by helping out with the "troop movements" during the show. Many students are needed to assist the younger students with getting up on stage and off stage quickly and quietly, operating the curtain, running back and forth from staging areas, etc... Thanks to thise volunteers!

Remember the show will start at 6:00 pm. I sent home a note to all parents hoping to drum up some more donations of non-perishable food items that the K-Kids could donate to the Oxford Rescue Squad's annual food drive. Please think about bring an item or two, or three, to the concert tomorrow night.

As we head into next week's activities, I want to remind everyone that we have an early dismissal next Thursday, December 23. Student will be dismissed at 12:30. Please be sure you have made arrangements for their arrival.

Till next time...

Holiday Charity

2010-12-03T10:03:00.002-05:00

I know that this year we are all faced with especially tight budgets and that the economy is not making it any easier, however, I want to urge everyone to look around to see if they might be able to donate to help out others who are in more dire straits this year. Next Friday we will hosting a great opportunity for our students and community to come together to assist in helping others...

The Kids for Kids Holiday party!

This event was started by two of our students Noah and Jacob White (and their parents) when the boys wanted to turn a birthday party into a way to help others by collecting toys for the holidays. With the help of the PTA and the school we were able to provide space to expand this program even further. Children can come for the evening, participate in crafts, have fun in the gym and take part in this worthy event! All that is asked of those who come for the evening is that children bring an unwrapped toy that will be donated to a child in need here in our community.

What a great idea that Jacob and Noah came up with and I am proud to make donations to assist with their brainchild project.

The event starts at 7:00pm and ends at 9:00 next Friday, December 10th, here at OCS!

Till next time...

Back to the Swing...

2010-12-01T07:16:00.003-05:00

of things!

An early Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate the annual Festival of Lights! I believe I am correct in saying that the holiday starts this afternoon at sundown.

There are many activities going on here at OCS over the next few weeks that will keep the building busy after school hours and even on the weekend.

The Student Council here at the school is sponsoring a dance for students in grades 6-8 this Friday, December 3. The students are going to charge a little more for admission so they can donate money to the charity they chose, Darfur Education. A worthy cause that helps students get an education in this war-ravaged part of Sudan. They talked me into letting them have an extra hour for the dance... I guess I am getting to be an old softy!

Sunday, December 5th, we are happy to host the annual OYA holiday festivities for our students and they community. The extravaganza starts at 12:00 pm and will be held in the school cafeteria until 3:00! Hope to see you there!

Next Tuesday, December 7th, is going to be the next Spirit Day. In honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day we are all going to be wearing Red, White and Blue.

Next Friday, December 10th, will be the THIRD Kids for Kids Party here at OCS. This wonderful event is the brainchild of some of our students, Noah and Jacob White, and we are proud to offer the school for the second year in order to help continue to build this great event. All of the toys that are donated will benefit families here in our community!

That will keep us busy for a while!

Don't forget the Holiday Concert is December 15th!

Till next time...

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

To All... and to all a good night!

Till next time...

bracelets

2010-11-17T07:17:00.002-05:00

I wore one for a long time... Livestrong, after my father passed away from cancer ten years ago. I still have it. Now I wear his watch as a testament to his always wanting to be on time. The newest bracelets come in all colors and all causes. They are generally a great way to get a message across, raise some awareness and a few dollars to promote a cause. We are sponsoring an Autism Awareness event in April over at Meadow Breeze Park, might be a good idea to promote that cause with bracelets....

In this bracelet scenario, I just have a hard time thinking that the words on the bracelet represent the cause in the eyes of middle school and elementary students; to some it may. However, at this level of educational development, emotional maturity and social development, the words used in this instance, I feel, are not appropriate. They might cause a disruption to the school day and if so, should be dealt with appropriately. I enjoyed the Easton Express-Times editorial this morning that focused on the school's duty to promote order and to enforce policy and rules. Sometimes it is difficult on those who violate the policy, but the lesson is learned.

In this case involving the ACLU, the message is clear. If life becomes difficult because you have to follow a rule or a policy.... sue those in power! Take away valuable $ that could go to instructional support and throw it away to defend your right to violate school policy. Life is full of rules and many of us have faced the frustration of having to follow them. In this case the remedy is go to legal proceedings so that we can say "it is ok! you won't have to deal with frustration. We will make it go away" Not a good message for our students to learn.

Waste of taxpayer dollars!

2010-11-16T06:52:00.002-05:00

Time to throw my two cents into the crazy decision by the ACLU to fight a ban of the "I (heart) Boobies" bracelets worn by students in the Easton, Pa. school district. What a waste of the taxpayers' dollars! If they lose the fight, the ACLU should be made to reimburse the school district for their legal fees and time lost!

I have friends who have weathered the storm and ravages of breast cancer. I have supported numerous fund-raising activities here at school to promote the awareness in our young students about this important fight. My feeling on bringing in NORWESCAP speakers to talk to our young people about the importance of early detection and self-examination in both boys and girls is based on the possibility that we may save a life down the road and that we need to promote good health practices. But the bracelet message gets me a little riled. The term "boobies" in our setting, primary grades and middle school, is one we have come across over the past four years as an incorrect term used by students in a derogatory fashion. I feel this message demeans the message AT THIS LEVEL of education and can pose a disruption to the educational process.
To sue a district because they ask a student to remove a bracelet deemed as an inappropriate message for middle school (or younger) students is a huge waste of taxpayer's money.

This issue has the potential to be a minefield of opinion... Right now here at OCS, we do not have a problem. Students or staff have not reported feeling insulted or uncomfortable concerning this message (as of this post). If that changes so will my actions in promoting a proper response to any complaints I might receive...

Till next time.

November is here?

2010-11-01T10:57:00.002-04:00

Holy smokes... November got here quick. It seemed like I just blinked a few times and it was November already! Although as the leaves keep cluttering up my lawn at home, I think I would have noticed soon!

Conferences will start today and of course we have dismissal at 12:30 this week and school will be closed on Thursday and Friday--11/4 and 11/5.

Don't forget to gather up all the old and unused prescriptions that you have. You can drop them off here at the school on Saturday, November 13th from 10 am - 2pm. This is the best and safest method of disposal. The Washington Twp. Police are overseeing the entire project.

Keep an eye and and ear out for upcoming announcements about the Wall of Fame committee and a future presentation that Ms. Dachisen and I planning to give concerning our policies and thoughts about bullying.

Mark your spring calendar... APRIL 9th --- Autism Awareness 5k and fun walk!!

Till next time....

Bullying

2010-10-26T14:05:00.002-04:00

In the Express-Times today (October 26, 2010) there are two references to the problem of bullying. One is an editorial by Joseph Owens, who is the editor of the paper. His message is clear... as parents we all need to take inventory of our children and ask them about school and about bullying. This conversation might be very enlightening! The other item from the newspaper is the story about NJ Assembly Bill A3466 and the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. The bill is designed to provide state-wide improvements to school districts ability to handle cases of bullying.
Over the past five years, our Character Education Committee has been a major force in our county in promoting positive character with the goal of decreasing incidents of bullying behavior. Their efforts have been so successful, they have won a county Human Relations Commission Award and been recognized nationally as a Character Education School To Watch!

WE WILL NOT stop promoting and working to build this program. Our latest layer of support for positive student interaction, the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support initiative, is being met here at school with positive results and words form staff and students.

Good things continue to happen here at OCS, and they will continue for many, many years!

Till next time...

Red Ribbon Week

2010-10-25T07:52:00.002-04:00

This week marks another important week's worth of activities here at OCS! Once again our Red Ribbon Committee has put together a schedule of events that will help remind our students about the importance of avoiding drugs and alcohol and making healthy choices as they get older. As we all know there are too many incidents of students who get involved in unhealthy lifestyle choices and we read the stories about how substance abuse ruins the lives of our young people. We hope that this week, coupled with our on-going year-long efforts to educate kids, will result in the development of a healthy community!

Please check out our Red Ribbon letter that went home recently:

http://www.oxfordcentral.org/letters/RRW%20home%20letter.pdf

Till next time...

Oh, I almost forgot...

2010-10-15T10:42:00.002-04:00

We are promoting cancer awareness month here at OCS and the K-Kids and the Student Council sponsored a hat day today, Friday, October 15th! Thanks for all parents and students who supported the students efforts to raise money and awareness! I will post the results of the donations asap.

till next time....

Absent Blogger...

2010-10-15T10:30:00.002-04:00

Why didn't someone tell me it has been two weeks since my last post? Anyhow...

There are many things happening here at OCS and we continue to move along enjoying success in all areas of the school.

Congratulations to staff members, Mrs. DiRenzo, Mrs. Esposito, Ms. Dachisen, Mr. Causton and Mrs. Hart who were all awarded mini-grants from the OCS PTA! These mini-grants are graciously provided by our PTA to as sit teachers with projects and materials they might need to bring new ideas to the school.

Congratulations also to Mrs. Kantz who was awarded a grant from the Eagleton Institute of Political Studies! This grant will allow us to continue to take students to the State house in Trenton! This is the fifth year in a row our school has been awarded this grant!

We enjoyed a successful Walk to School Day back On October 6th. I won't lie and say I was happy with the number of students who joined me in the walk to school... because I was hoping for more students and parents. Maybe next time?!

Red Ribbon Week is coming up during the last week in October. The RR Committee has been working hard all year to develop activities that will promote healthy choices for our students. This is the 25th year that Red Ribbon Week has been promoted in NJ. Consult our website and the letter that will go home about the week's activities.

Well got to run, duty calls.

Till next time...

Senseless Tragedy at Rutgers

2010-10-01T07:02:00.003-04:00

Senseless Death at Rutgers…
Cyber-bullying continues to be a problem- seems like we read a tragic story every week! I wanted to reiterate to everyone why the law is so clear and definitive… when we hear about cyber-bullying, affecting one of our students, (even if it occurs off school grounds) we must report it to the police. A serious subject that must be treated with the same serous response!

In the few incidents that have been reported to school administration over the past four years, we have consistently referred the matter to the police, yet it is always astonishing when parents look to me and wonder why I took this drastic step. "The Police! It's just kids being kids. Making bad choices."

It might be. But that bad choice is bullying! It is wrong and hopefully tragedies like the ones I have read in the papers over the past few weeks can be averted. This issue is serious and we will continue to treat it as such!

Till next time...

Tulips! Tulips! Tulips!

2010-09-30T12:49:00.002-04:00

Many of you probably remember a few years ago our award wining Red Ribbon Committee designed a project that saw students plant more than 300 red tulip bulbs out in the front of the school. You may also remember how beautiful the school looks when those tulips spring to life in late-April or early-May.

What many people might not realize is that the tulips were planted by our students as part of our positive life decisions campaign, "Planting the Promise." Well it has been a few years now and it is time to get a new crop of promises planted into the ground to grow and remind our students about the pledges they make to stay away from the dangers of drug use and to make positive decisions about how they will live their lives.

There is a link on our web page that highlights this years campaign! Please support this worthy endeavor. Besides....

How cool would it be to drive by in the spring and have your son or daughter tell you they planted one or more of those bulbs..... That's what I thought!

Till next time...

How cool is this playgorund?!!!

2010-09-29T16:06:00.002-04:00

Special thanks to Girl Scout Troop #845 for the awesome job they did painting a giant map of the United States on our playground! This project is part of their Silver Award work and it is SWEEEEET! The girls also repainted the "four square" boxes on the playground and they look great also. Every morning and afternoon I see students and their parents out there looking at the map and talking about the states. This project will really be a part of OCS for many years to come! Thank you to their troop leader, Mrs. Beth Miller, for asking me what we might want to have here at school and turning my thoughts into an awesome map of the U.S. Great job Troop 845!

Till next time....

Two BIG Events...

2010-09-23T12:05:00.002-04:00

are being held here at OCS next week--coincidentally both on Monday, September 27th!

1. First we will be holding our annual School Picture Day on Monday. Students will move to have their pictures taken with their homeroom.

2. We will also be holding our 2nd Blood Drive! The Student Council here at OCS is encouraging everyone who is old enough to come the school between the hours of 3:00-8:00 in the school gym. We are hoping we can get more donations that we did last year.

Congratulations to our newest club officers who were recently elected for both the K-Kids and the Student Council. I look forward to working with both groups again his year.

Don't forget, another Friday Bulletin comes out tomorrow.

Till next time...

AAAHH the middle of September!

2010-09-14T12:23:00.002-04:00

The middle of September is upon us. AS you sit there pondering, "Why would Mr. Magnuson feel a sense of relaxation in the middle of September?" Well, ponder no more!

The middle of September brings about a peace in administrators because students are settling in, teachers are settling in and we are all building a solid foundation for a great school year. The start of the year always begins with it some sense of apprehension. Will my child like their teacher? Will they eat lunch? Will the teacher keep me informed? What happens when they leave and go to school? But those fears start to diminish as the days move along and we share experiences with the students that will assist them on the long journey to June.

I like September anyway... the weather is typically great, the kids come back to school and the hard work of the summer has a purpose. I heard someone say the other day, I can't believe October is going to be here so soon.... WHOA! Hold off! I am not done with September yet!

Back To School Nights are coming up. Tonight, Tuesday, September 14--- Pre-School through Grade 4. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

Grades 5-8 Back To School Night will be next week, September 21. Same time.

Till next time...

Day One and off to a good start

2010-09-01T13:22:00.002-04:00

Things got off to a good start today. Kindergarten students are great, all bugged eyed and smiling! Lunch went well and will get better as the students in all three lunch periods adjust to new procedures and the routine.

Good news for our school... we were informed by the NJ Department of Education today that the results of our Spring 2010 NJASK testing in grades 3-8 went very well. So well, that we met all of our NCLB and Adequate yearly progress targets for the fifth year in a row.

Here's to 181 more days!!

Till next time...

Just a few more days

2010-08-25T12:11:00.002-04:00

until the students come back and breath some much needed life into the hallways and classrooms! The building is really taking shape and we are in the last few stages of preparing for the onslaught of kids and getting back to what we do best! Try to squeeze as much as you can from the last few days before we all get started!

Till next time...

September and the rest of August...

2010-08-12T12:18:00.002-04:00

The summer is coming to a close... as if I had to remind parents when summer ends! I wanted to jump into the blog again to remind everyone that we are updating the website on a regular basis and there will be new things added to keep parents informed throughout the year.

The school calendar should be completely updated for the entire school year very soon. The parent resources link will include notice and letters that get sent home to the parents for the school. We will not put all teacher notes here, just letters from the administration for all to see. Individual notes can be arranged by contacting the teacher through the email, phone or their teacher page blog. I will also try to keep summaries of any SchoolReach broadcast call we use available here as well.

There is also a transportation link that will show you bus stops for your children--provided you live at a busing address.

Till next time...

Summer Updates...

2010-07-22T13:55:00.002-04:00

The work continues around here to get the old girl up and running before the return of our students! The kitchen remodel moves along on schedule and the result will be an increased efficiency in the way we serve lunches. We will also see energy savings by utilizing equipment that operates more efficiently and cost-effectively then the 30 year old equipment we were using. Much of the old equipment will be going to some local non-profits for them to use in their kitchens.

We are replacing the floors in four classrooms and that demo work begins on Friday, July 23rd! These classroom floors were cut from the remodel and we had to put off doing them last summer to be sure we had the funds to get the kitchen and roof finished.

The solar project continues to be developed. We are investigating the costs and the systems we could support.

Hope the summer continues to be nice....

Till next time.

I think that I shall never see...

2010-06-24T14:21:00.002-04:00

...my apologies to Joyce Kilmer, but the trees were not as lovely as they once were and they needed to come down. I hate to see the trees go, since they certainly were part of OCS, but they were becoming a threat to safety.

Now that they are gone in front, it is amazing how much brighter the front of the building is! The building is actually visible from the street! You can see the old girl majestically sitting on her hillside, overlooking the township! She looks almost Ike she did in 1923.

I think we have eliminated the "I was driving around and didn't see the school" comments.

Warren County Special Services School District...

2010-06-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

is looking for a resident of Oxford who might be willing to serve as a member of their school district Board of Education. They meet the final Tuesday of each month. If interested, please give me a call here at the school. R. Magnuson

Till next time...

Luau Lunch-- Awesome

2010-06-09T13:01:00.003-04:00

Weather--Not so much! Special thanks to all the volunteers who came out to make the PTA Luau Lunch a huge success. Head Chefs, Mr. Pieero adn Mrs. Cupo; Mrs. Frasca, Mrs. Pierro, Mrs. Kelly,Mrs. Codispoti, Mrs. Dawood, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. McHale, Mrs. Hill, Mr. Neves, and I hope I am not missing anyone.

There was plenty of food and the kids really enjoyed the special lunch!

Thanks to the entire PTA for continuing this great tradition.

Till next time....

Luau Lunch and...

2010-06-08T06:44:00.002-04:00

oh, Yeah! the phones....

Tomorrow, Wednesday June 9th the PTA will once again be hosting the annual Luau Lunch for all students in grades K-8. This special lunch is free to all students! Bring your towel to sit on during lunch outside!

Till next time...

Not another post about the phones....

2010-06-04T10:03:00.000-04:00

TEACHER VOICE EXTENSIONS ARE STILL NOT RUNNING. If you need to speak to a teacher, please call the Main Office, 453-4101, and we will relay the message.

Phone Mess

2010-06-03T08:52:00.002-04:00

Just an update about our phones here at school....

Last Thursday night our phone lines were zapped and we have been without our normal phone capabilities since then. We do currently have one line that works coming into the building and we have a temporary voice message service up and running from XTel. The technicians will be in school today to make the final corrections necessary to get the phones up and running. Unfortunately for us the phones are no longer supported by most companies in our area, so we will look to replacement in the future.

Till next time...

The archery trip is exhausting!

2010-05-28T12:37:00.002-04:00

here is proof...

Field Day is coming....

2010-05-25T08:56:00.003-04:00

and I wanted to take as many opportunities as I could to let all parents and students know that we will no longer be allowing students to ride their bikes, scooters, etc... to the Oxford Furnace Lake. This has been a tradition that has been in jeopardy for the past few years due to the increased liability the district faces by allowing this practice to continue. The insurance risks aside, we have had a number of students get hurt while riding their bikes the last few years, so we will no longer allow this to occur.

Till next time...

Bike Safety

2010-05-17T07:11:00.002-04:00

Today we are hosting Sergeant Kaufman of the Washington Township Police Department and his presentation on bicycle safety. The intent of this program is to remind the students about the key things they can do to keep themselves safe while riding their bikes around town or anywhere they might find themselves. We will also be giving away three bicycle helmets to students who were selected at random from those who created posters promoting bike safety.
This morning I pulled names from the 33 posters we received and the winners of new bike helmets are:
Emily Michniewicz from Mrs. DeMarco's Kindergarten;
Nia Henry from Mrs. Dowd's 4th Grade class; and
Megan Brennan, also from Mrs. Dowd's 4th grade class.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a poster!

Till next time...

Back from Kentucky!

2010-05-10T09:13:00.000-04:00

OCS Archery finished 18th in the nation at the national championships! As a team the students participated in the Middle School division against 106 other teams from across America. Kylie Hibbett finished fourth among 6th grade girls--7th among all elementary girls. Ryan Winter finished 15th--competing against more than 1,000 boys.

Cool Event

2010-04-30T08:53:00.002-04:00

yesterday we were able to host the NASP Team from Harmony Township in the first of what we all hope will become an annual event, Shoot Out Drugs Archery Meet! The students from both schools got to know each other and there was a great deal of camaraderie demonstrated by both teams. Thanks to everyone who attended. There are some good pictures in the local section of the April 30th Express-Times.

Till next time....

How Proud are We?!

2010-04-27T14:31:00.002-04:00

This year has been a great year both in the classroom and out of the classroom for our students! Most recently we found out from the Tri-County Reading Council that five of our students were recognized for their submissions in to the annual competition held across three counties: Warren, Hunterdon and Sussex!

That's right.. you read that correctly... FIVE students!! First grade student Avery Nixon was awarded a Third Place award. Two fourth grade students, Giulia Kean and Bridgit Gallagher were recognized. Giulia was awarded First Place and Bridgit was awarded Third Place. Finally two of our seventh graders, Michelle Cupo and Brooke Ross were also recognized. Michelle won First Place and Brooke won Second Place!

Excelent job. Thanks to the teachers who submitted the work as well!

Election? What election?

2010-04-16T14:33:00.003-04:00

As I talk to people about the upcoming vote for the proposed 2010-2011 school budget, it never ceases to amaze me that people do not know It is coming up!

OK folks.... there is a very important election coming up this Tuesday, April 20th! Voters in Oxford are asked to go to the polls to cast their vote (yea or nay) for next year's school budget AND vote this year for two candidates for school board membership. This year there are two vacant seats and two candidates.. Mr. Al Pierro and Mr. Matt Hibbett.

Every election in this country and this state is important. However, i am going to get personal and say this one is close to my heart. It reflects voting for good people who wish to make a difference in the lives of our young people and for the budget that will dictate what we can provide for their education next year.

The budget we proposed has many cuts and does ask for an additional $77,000 in tax revenue. But it does not cut programs, teachers, textbooks and the items we need to keep running efficiently. It does include salary concessions from administrators, secretaries, custodians, and teachers. It reflects the $337,000 we lost in state funding, but the students won't notice! If the budget does not pass the election process, then it would go to the Township Committee for further review.

Please come out and vote. The U.S. Constitution gives us all that right. Please use it!

Till next time...

School Elections--April 20, 2010

2010-04-15T11:40:00.000-04:00

Student council members will be at the voting booths on Tuesday, April 20th from 4-6pm for students to vote for which pair you want to see perform in the talent show:
Mr. Magnuson and Ms. Dachisen or Mrs. Lurz and Mrs. Fallen

Teacher of the Year

2010-04-13T15:42:00.000-04:00

Let's hear it for Mrs. Debra Esposito!!!

Great Minds and Bodies!!!

2010-03-29T14:06:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to our 5th/ 6th Grade Battle of the Minds teams as they performed well at the recent Warren County Competition. Well? Who am I kidding we were awesome!!!

Our 5th grade team finished 5th in the county and our sixth grade team---wait for it-- ARE THE CHAMPIONS--AGAIN!!

AND....

Well, it is official! The OCS Archery team was officially announced as the National Archery in the Schools NJ State Champions! Four years in a row. Kayla Gallo and Danny Farkas were both number one archers in the state!

Budget Questions! Who has budget questions?!

2010-03-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

We are starting a new email feature to answer questions about the proposed budget for next year. All questions will be posted on the website (anonymously) along with answers as part of a Frequently Asked Questions link.

The email link is:budget@oxfordcentral.org

This week at OCS

2010-03-22T07:19:00.002-04:00

This week we have some important meetings:

Wednesday night (3/24) there is an orientation meeting for parents who are enrolling their child in Kindergarten for the next school year. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.

Thursday Night is out next school board meeting.. always good to see people in the audience! The BOE meeting starts at 6:00 pm.

This Friday Night is another installment of the PTA sponsored Family Fun Night. This week will be open gym time from 7:00 -- 8:30 pm. There will be volleyball, basketball and other games for the kids to play. As always, please do not drop off the kids and leave them unattended.. all students must be accompanied with an adult.

Till next time...

Budget... Again.. and other things

2010-03-22T07:09:00.003-04:00

We are in the process of setting up a separate email here at OCS that everyone could use to send in questions about the proposed 2010-2011 budget. The email address and link to the OCS home page should go up soon.

The Annual Pasta Dinner is coming up one week from tomorrow, March 30th! Please stop over to eat or pickup some pasta to take home... If you do your kids will nominate you for Parent of the Year! How's that for an unexpected dividend.

I should know what the calendar is going to look like for the end of this school year pretty soon. Just have to make sure the snow is a distant memory. Speaking of calendars.. we might have to look to make an adjustment to the 2010-2011 calendar because of some changes that have recently been mandated by the NJ Department of Education.

Till next time...

budget news and education...

2010-03-18T11:39:00.002-04:00

I have been in education here in NJ for 25 years and I can not remember a time when I was more discouraged than I was last night concerning the state of educational funding. The fiscal news the nation faces, and certainly New Jersey as well, is not good. I know we will do our best to make this work without hurting or impacting the students. As we look over the numbers and plug away at calculators we will always keep in mind, as our number one concern, that students are not impacted! They should know that the adults who are entrusted to do what is right for them and what is best for them will never lose sight of the fact that they do come first.

I am not going to kid you. This situation places us in dire straits. But over the next few days, as we once again dissect the financial situation of our school district, we will figure it out! We will do so with the students of Oxford township in mind, always.

Till next time....

Budget Questions?

2010-03-11T08:51:00.002-05:00

Who doesn't have them, right? I mean we are looking to spend millions of dollars again next year to effectively educate the students of Oxford, Pre-K through 12th grade and efficiently operate the school and that should generate questions.

We will be presenting the new proposed budget on Thursday April 1, 2010, however now is the time to ask questions...

If you have any questions, please give me a call. 908-453-4101, x2101. Of course you can email me here at the school as well, bmagnuson@oxfordcentral.org.

Come on, send me a question!!!
Till next time...

OYA Basketball...

2010-03-10T09:50:00.002-05:00

has enjoyed a great season! The boys and girls teams were very successful with our younger teams learning the game and the rules and managing to win a game or two along the way! Our older boys had a successful season, building some positive life skills and team work! Our older girls--7th and 8th grade-- played each other for the league championship. The 7th graders fought hard the entire game but they fell a little short in their attempts to knock off the powerful 8th grade team.
Tonight the 5th/ 6th Grade girls are playing against Franklin for their championship! Go Oxford!

Till next time...

The School Calendar...

2010-03-01T08:55:00.002-05:00

for the 2010-2011 school year has been approved for NEXT year. It will be up on the website soon. Next year, if we are in school for a built-in snow day, that day will be a half day for students and a full professional development day for staff.....

The snow days certainly have piled up and we will be addressing the calendar issues as soon as I am sure we are out of the snow cycle. As soon as we can figure that out we will let everyone know. We will have school on Monday March 15th and Thursday April 1st!!

Till next time...

AH! February!

2010-02-23T09:13:00.002-05:00

Man, if I wasn't born in this month, I would hate it!! Snow one day, then 40 degrees the next right before the next snow storm... What a month. It has been quite a month here at OCS. Fortunately we put the new roof on and that is not leaking, although we do have some minor issues where the addition roof meets the new roof, but we are taking care of that. Now it could just stop raining and snowing... I would be fine with that! I guess I am done ranting...

Till next time...

Cool stuff going on...

2010-02-18T18:43:00.002-05:00

The fifth grade traveled this past Tuesday to Rutgers University where they took part in the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observatory Lab (RU COOL). This is the second year we have been invited to attend this wonderful project. Thanks to Mr. C for helping organize and to the chaperons--Mrs. Payne, Mrs. Kimball, and Mrs. Ficarra. The students tell me they had a great time.

The fifth grade also presented their colonial America projects, which were awesome. This old history teacher had a tear in his eye! Nice job to Mrs. Payne for helping to bring the colonial period to life for our students and for the classes who came to hear and see the projects.

Till next time...

Spring Sports at Warren Hills Middle School

2010-02-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

are available for our 7/8 grade students... for further information please call Mrs Joan Duryea in the Warren Hills Athletic Office. Her number is 908-689-3050, ext. 3047.

Enjoy the snow!

Till next time....

Day 100!!!

2010-02-05T10:41:00.001-05:00

is on its way... Monday February 8th will be the 100th day of school. The kindergarten and first grade are keeping me up to date!

Till next time...

delayed openings...

2010-02-03T15:17:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI to our bus students and their parents...

In case you did not notice the pattern, when we have a delayed opening our buses arrive here at OCS later. The reason is that Warren Hills keeps the students ten minutes longer, therefore the buses do not get here at their usual time.
Obviously that places them home a few minutes later than they usually get home.

Till next time...

Operation Smile

2010-02-02T09:58:00.002-05:00

is a wonderful worldwide program that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for deserving children all over the world. As part of our character education program last month we asked parents and children to bring in used books that they had at home for a book sale. I am proud to say the total amount raised.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

$600.00!!!!!

We also had more than 50 books donated to our school library and to other charities as well.

What a wonderful project for our OCS community to be a part of and what an excellent result!!

Till next time...

Made in China...

2010-01-26T16:37:00.002-05:00

Not always a good thing. I have recently read a few articles and seen some news stories about product recalls again from products that are made in China! They may contain lead, cadmium and who knows what else. Some are toys, jewelry, books and many, many other products. I thought I could list the most recent recalls, but NO WAY!! Too many of them....

www.cspc.gov

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This site lists them all. You can even enter complaints!!

Till next time...

Spelling Bee...

2010-01-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

This past Friday we had our annual spelling bee and it was exciting!! We started off with 15 5th-8th grade finalists who were up on stage and took turns spelling words that go increasingly more difficult. After more than 40 minutes we we down to two students, Rachel Opdyke and returning OCS Bee champion, Ryan Witner. Both students battled well and finally the word supplement proved to be Rachel's undoing. Ryan will represent our school at the regional spelling bee in March.
Thanks to our Queen Bee, Mrs. Lurz, for putting everything together!

Till next time...

Great Success

2010-01-20T17:44:00.002-05:00

sometimes comes in small steps...

We had a very successful fundraiser today to benefit the American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. We were able to raise more than $300 for this worthy charity! Kudos to the students and the Student Council for this awesome endeavor!

Till next time...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and HAT DAY!!

2010-01-18T19:11:00.004-05:00

What do these two ideas have in common? The holiday to celebrate the great deeds of Martin Luther King. Jr. has come and gone and as part of our schools character education, a legacy that we got from great men and women like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are celebrating empathy as our "theme" for the month of January. This Wednesday, the Student Council and the K-Kids are sponsoring a student activity to raise money that will go directly to emergency relief in Haiti. The money will be directly donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts! Any student who donates $1.00, or even .50$ will be allowed to wear a hat for the entire school day.

Wednesday--January 20, 2010--Haiti Relief Fund-Raiser--HAT DAY!!!

School Board meeting CANCELLED

2010-01-13T08:29:00.003-05:00

Due to the passing of Mr. Alfred Martucci, there will be NO school board meeting tomorrow night, Thursday January 14th.

Mr. Martucci is the father of our Business Administrator, Ms. Patricia Decibus.

Cold enough for you?

2010-01-12T08:55:00.002-05:00

It has certainly been cold enough for me!
But in the cold of winter I like to look for things that will warm me up inside and make these days go by as quickly as possible...
Reading a good book always helps. I am in the midst of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol-- it is a lot of fun.
Playing outside in the snow... I have to do more of that.
Picking up my Market Day products this Thursday night!
Attending an OCS School Board meeting on Thursday at 6:00 pm in the library!!
Coming to watch the OYA-sponsored Night at the Museum 2 in the OCS Cafeteria this Friday night!!
Watching an OYA Basketball game!

OK, so the last four are shameless plugs for things going on in school...

Come on over and enjoy the fun...

Till next time...

How many times...

2010-01-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

can you see Night at the Museum 2?? NOT ENOUGH!! Very enjoyable movie and I highly recommend it for everyone. You might ask, "Why do I mention this film?" I mention this film because it will be shown on the big screen here at OCS on Friday January 15th. This event is a free admission event sponsored once again by Oxford youth Association.

Till next time....