A second year's showing of the movie "Race to Nowhere," which is part of a districtwide discussion of whether township students are under too much stress in school, is scheduled to be shown at 7 p.m. this Thursday at Ridge High School.The Ridge PTO is presenting the re-screening of the movie, shown last winter, in the high school's performing arts center.Tickets will cost $10 in advance, $15 at the door; details on pre-purchase are forthcoming. Ridge students will be admitted free with a Ridge ID. Annin students accompanied by a paying parent will also be allowed in free, although parents …

As expected, parents and teachers last Friday received an online survey asking their opinion about the quantity and type of homework their students receive. The survey is part of a study that the Board of Education is undergoing regarding "student stressors," in particular at the middle school and high school level, or grades 6 to 12. The online survey, sent home to parents of students in the William Annin Middle School and Ridge High School in last week's "Friday Folder," delivered through emails, is due for completion by next Friday, Oct. 28, by 3:30 p.m., according to the message …

This is just the first year of a schoolwide changes in math teaching that over the next few years will change the way math is taught in grades K-12, district math supervisor Marian Palumbo said in a report to the Board of Education. The new program, being launched this school year in kindergarten through grade 2, will be expanded each year, as required by the state, Palumbo said. It will be introduced in stages at different grade levels, she said. The changes in the way that math will be taught are mandated by the state, as part of a nationwide initiative — one that actually looks to …

A "Peace Pole" that was the result of a yearlong project undertaken by Girl Scout troop 61152 from The Hills was unwrapped on Friday at the Mount Prospect Elementary School, with students gathered outdoors in the bright sunshine to see the result. The cedar pole has "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written in four languages on narrow plaques attached to each on each side. The languages are English, Hindi, Chinese and Spanish, and troop leaders said the ten fifth graders involved in the project last year researched the most commonly spoken languages in the K-grade 5 elementary school. "This is the…

Doors officially opened on Thursday on a bright and updated media center at Cedar Hill Elementary School, thanks to the efforts of volunteers with the elementary school’s PTO. The Cedar Hill Parent-Teacher Organization raised $120,000 to transform the 2,100-square-foot library through significant renovations to both décor and equipment. In addition, volunteers contributed numerous hours to help make the transition happen in a project on which planning started last year. Much of the work was completed over this past summer, with a lot of elbow grease contributed by the parent volunteers. Karen…

Bernards Township students had only been back in school for two full days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday, and so had little time to address the subject. On Monday, Ridge High School — where some of the students lost parents or other relatives in the terror attack a decade earlier — will observe a moment of silence to honor those victims and recall 9/11, said Kristin Fox, K-12 social studies supervisor for the Bernards Township school system. The observation will take place at about 8:20 a.m., before the start of second period, Fox said. Curricular topics related to 9/11 are …

Here are some more Back to School photos on a day in which the weather wreaked a little havoc with bus schedules and staying dry, especially for students on the early morning bus schedule. Many Ridge High School students in The Hills stood waiting for buses that reportedly arrived late, as roads flooded around the county. But somehow, everyone who was heading to school eventually made it. Over at the Oak Street Elementary School in Basking Ridge center, mother Caren Frost Olmsted couldn't help wiping a tear away as she left the school after dropping off her third grade son, Ben. Next year, …

Lidia Sale's third grade son was new to the Oak Street School on Thursday, but he already was happy to be going to his class and see his new friends on the first day of school, she said after dropping him off at the school's crowded Henry Street entrance."He is happy, I am happy too," Sale said after leaving a throng of moms and dads who were chatting and catching up with news of their summer's activities. She said her son had already attended the school's meet-your-new-teacher and classmates' day, held on Tuesday at Oak Street. School started today, Thursday, for 5,661 students officially …

Are local students ready to start school this fall, which begins Thursday in the Bernards Township school district? You might get a slightly different answer if you ask the students—or a parent. The Basking Ridge Patch caught up with students in multiple levels of their education, from preschool through college freshman, as we walked around on Monday talking to people during the Olde Mill Inn Tour of Basking Ridge bike races. The races are one local signal that summer is over—a fact that some of our commenters may be a little reluctant to face.

Learning about the United States' westward expansion, dividing decimals and fractions, and writing poetry are a large part of the Bernards Township fifth grade curriculum and the familiar routine of elementary school. However, fifth-grade classes in Bernards elementary schools are supposed to do more than just teach students reading, writing, and arithmetic. The curriculum must start to guide students as they transition from elementary to middle school—a daunting jump for these young students. Barbara House-Quigley, Liberty Corner Elementary School’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, said works hard …

Editor's Note: This is a profile of one of the 2011 "Teachers of the Year" Patch was able to speak with before their return to the classroom or to a school office with school's start in September. Each of those educators brings both experience and insight to key roles in the Bernards Township School District. Additional teachers who received the honor will be profiled as the school year begins. An undergraduate degree in child psychology can lead to a wide choice of different career paths, from clinical work to social work. But for Cedar Hill Elementary School’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, …

Editor's Note: This is a profile of one of the 2011 "Teachers of the Year" Patch was able to speak with before their return to the classroom or to a school office with school's start in September. Each of those educators brings both experience and insight to key roles in the Bernards Township School District.  To different students, the classroom subject of social studies calls up a variety of different topics that come to mind. For a preschooler, it could be the Native Americans and Pilgrims coming together for the first Thanksgiving meal. For an elementary school student, it could be the …

Students in the Bernards Township Schools system get a chance to enjoy an extended Labor Day weekend — a really long weekend — before starting the 2011-12 school year. Students at all six township schools are set to report for their first day of class on Thursday, Sept. 8. Teachers are due to report for their first official day on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Bus passes for all schools have been mailed out and should have been received no later than Wednesday, Aug. 31. Parents of students who expected a pass, and did not receive one, should call the school transportation office at call 908-541-9574 …

Ridge High School band director Dan Zugale compared the physical and musical workouts of the Ridge High School marching band to the those of the more intense athletic teams. "We are doing full double sessions going from 8:15 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., five days a week," said Zugale.  Dan Zugale is in his third year as the band director.  "I really have to say it has been an easy transition. The parents have been great and help so much with the competitions and in every one of our events.  They are almost part of the band and their efforts directly effect the kids," said Zugale.  "This is really a …

School buildings throughout the district are again open on Tuesday, with power in all schools and district offices, according to the school superintendent's office. Downed trees reportedly also were a problem that resulted in the township's four elementary schools, the William Annin Middle School, Ridge High School and the district offices being closed on Monday. Monday night's scheduled Board of Education meeting also was canceled, the Bernards Township school website announced on Monday afternoon. The website, www.bernardsboe.com, as of Tuesday morning lists the next scheduled board meeting…

After months of visiting colleges, studying for exams, writing essay after essay, and submitting applications, the hard part is over. The decisions have been made, deposits are received, and the typical recent high school graduate is free to spend the summer days celebrating and spending some last few moments with friends and family.  The laborious application process helps prove a student is prepared for the academic challenges ahead. However, the buzzing excitement of the impending move-in day elicits fear in many incoming college freshmen. The application did not evaluate how well one can …

Incoming freshmen and other students who will be new to Ridge High School this fall are invited to attend an orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the school at 268 S. Finley Ave. Students will have an opportunity to meet with their guidance counselors, tour the building and hear from the school principal, Frank Howlett, according to the Bernards Township school website. New students also will have a chance to find out about the school during a question and answer session scheduled to be held with upperclassmen. The orientation is divided into two sessions.  Students with last names beginning…