Manteno Elementary School's new spaces ready for students

Maybe fall-like temperatures and a chance to explore a new building addition will ease the pain somewhat, but Manteno Middle School students got the official notice Wednesday.

Summer vacation is over.

An open house and get-acquainted session with teachers, students and parents was held at the middle school first, and two more events are set for tonight in the growing pre-K through high school district. Teachers will have a full day of preparation Aug. 19, and students return Aug. 20.

"It was great to meet with parents and start to build relationships again," said new district superintendent Lisa Harrod. "The buildings come alive again, when the children return."

Tonight's sessions will be held at the high school and the newly-expanded elementary building. A dedication event was held in June for what is now referred to as the Early Childhood Center, but tonight students bring school supplies and parents visit their classrooms.

View the original article here

CentraState workers teach health, self-esteem to students

HOWELL — The crowd of rowdy yet attentive second- and third-graders gathered in the Middle School South cafeteria Thursday, waiting for their fellow peers to unleash the latest challenge.

?Lights, camera, action!? yelled Erin Parnell, a social worker in the student health awareness center at CentraState Healthcare System.

The students gazed at their classmates, who would then act out specific emotions and would have to guess what they were. The goal: to acknowledge one?s, or their own, feelings and how to approach them.

It was one of several activities Parnell and Annie Newman, also of Centra Healthcare System, had been demonstrating with students enrolled in the township?s recreation summer camps at Middle School South and Middle School North the last few weeks as part of a partnership program called ?Happy, Healthy Me.?

?We try to use what we teach during the school year to different schools, and we try to make it more fun at the local rec camps,? said Parnell Newman, adding this is the first year CentraState has partnered with Howell. ?We like to start them young and having them learn about self-esteem and why it?s important, because we feel if they have a good understanding and foundation (about it) there?s less likely incidents of bullying and other things that kids have to deal with.?

Other Thursday activities included a ?feelings soup? for students to identify their emotions, making a list of traits or talents campers have, and a treasure hunt designed to approach people and use basic social skills. Other lecture topics were nutrition and exercise, peer pressure, self-esteem, and gaining leadership skills.

In the soup activity, children yelled out various emotions, from elated to annoyed, to mix together in their stew of feelings.

Parnell said she has seen the groups, in kindergarten through fifth grade, became more extroverted and participated in more activities the past few weeks.

Marco Aiello of Howell comprehended the importance of a healthy diet.

?It?s also good to brush your teeth all the time,? said Marco, 9, adding he?ll start eating more apples, but definitely not bananas. ?And you can?t really hurt someone else?s feelings, because then it?s like you?re hurting your own.?

View the original article here

Parents in Brick upset about move of special education students

BRICK — A school district plan to move about 60 special education students to the Osbornville Elementary School from their neighborhood schools has drawn the ire of some parents who think it will have a negative impact on their children?s education.

Marjory Towey said she was shocked when she heard her 7-year old daughter, a special education student, would attend the Osbornville Elementary School in September. Her daughter now attends the Emma Havens Young Elementary School.

?These are special education students who need stability in their surroundings and we feel that the Brick school system has unjustly chosen to move this demographic and has not thought of our children?s best interest,?? said Towey, 40. ?This will be the third school that my daughter has attended in three years. How is that stability???

Some concerned parents attended the township Board of Education meeting July 25 seeking answers to why students are being moved. During the meeting, district officials said the move was an educational move but failed to elaborate. Superintendent Walter Uszenski said he would meet with groups of parents to discuss the issue during the next couple of weeks. Calls to Uszenski on Wednesday were not returned.

Towey said parents were kept in the dark until the last minute about the change.

?The only way that I knew something was going on was when I saw my daughter?s teacher getting transferred to the Osbronville School last month,? Towey said. ?We feel like this was done behind our back. It?s like they kept us out of loop. It?s like they did not want anyone to fight it. It?s so late in the summer, what can be done??

Jennifer Hanley?s son will be a special education first-grader in September. She said moving the students is not right.

?The district did not supply any information to the parents, there is a lot of confusion,? said Hanley, 41. ?We feel our kids are being segregated and being taken away from their neighborhood kids.?

Colleen Collichio, a 36-year-old mother of twin 6-year-old boys, one of whom is autistic, said the change could have long-term effects on the children.

?They (the district) really didn?t give us much information. They claim that the smaller condensed classes will give them more one-on-one academically,? Collichio said. ?Most of these kids on the spectrum are so academically smart, it is the social issue that they need help with to prepare them for independence.?

Since the move was announced, Collichio talked district officials into letting her son stay at Lanes Mills Elementary School. Yet Collichio said she still is upset by the situation.

?Most of us parents accept that our kids won?t go to college but if they can get a job and know how to take care of themselves, know how to communicate to the locals to get through life that is all we want,? Collichio said. ?We would rather them have the social skills to get through life so we don?t have to put them in assisted living or nursing homes when we pass away.?

View the original article here

Parents in Brick upset about move of special education students

BRICK — A school district plan to move about 60 special education students to the Osbornville Elementary School from their neighborhood schools has drawn the ire of some parents who think it will have a negative impact on their children?s education.

Marjory Towey said she was shocked when she heard her 7-year old daughter, a special education student, would attend the Osbornville Elementary School in September. Her daughter now attends the Emma Havens Young Elementary School.

?These are special education students who need stability in their surroundings and we feel that the Brick school system has unjustly chosen to move this demographic and has not thought of our children?s best interest,?? said Towey, 40. ?This will be the third school that my daughter has attended in three years. How is that stability???

Some concerned parents attended the township Board of Education meeting July 25 seeking answers to why students are being moved. During the meeting, district officials said the move was an educational move but failed to elaborate. Superintendent Walter Uszenski said he would meet with groups of parents to discuss the issue during the next couple of weeks. Calls to Uszenski on Wednesday were not returned.

Towey said parents were kept in the dark until the last minute about the change.

?The only way that I knew something was going on was when I saw my daughter?s teacher getting transferred to the Osbronville School last month,? Towey said. ?We feel like this was done behind our back. It?s like they kept us out of loop. It?s like they did not want anyone to fight it. It?s so late in the summer, what can be done??

Jennifer Hanley?s son will be a special education first-grader in September. She said moving the students is not right.

?The district did not supply any information to the parents, there is a lot of confusion,? said Hanley, 41. ?We feel our kids are being segregated and being taken away from their neighborhood kids.?

Colleen Collichio, a 36-year-old mother of twin 6-year-old boys, one of whom is autistic, said the change could have long-term effects on the children.

?They (the district) really didn?t give us much information. They claim that the smaller condensed classes will give them more one-on-one academically,? Collichio said. ?Most of these kids on the spectrum are so academically smart, it is the social issue that they need help with to prepare them for independence.?

Since the move was announced, Collichio talked district officials into letting her son stay at Lanes Mills Elementary School. Yet Collichio said she still is upset by the situation.

?Most of us parents accept that our kids won?t go to college but if they can get a job and know how to take care of themselves, know how to communicate to the locals to get through life that is all we want,? Collichio said. ?We would rather them have the social skills to get through life so we don?t have to put them in assisted living or nursing homes when we pass away.?

View the original article here