Bernards Schools Plan For New Math Supervisor and Annin Math Program

Ridge High School teacher is appointed as new math supervisor for all Bernards schools.

The Bernards Township Board of Education on Monday night heard plans about changes to the middle school school math program to bring it in line with new state "common core" standards, as presented by Marian Palumbo, the supervisor of mathematics for all township schools. The board also officially accepted the retirement of Palumbo at the end of this school year. Palumbo said she has been a math educator for 38 years. Kristen Wolff, now a math teacher at Ridge High School, was appointed to become the next districtwide Supervisor of Mathematics.  While required common core math changes already have been implemented in math programs at the elementary school and high school, the changes at the William Annin Middle School will be incorporated …

• Photos (1)

WAMS Lunch and Laugh Attracts 250

Annual Bernards Township middle school luncheon also raises $24,000 for WAMS Parent-Teacher Organization.

This year's annual our fundraising Lunch and Laugh Ladies Luncheon to benefit William Annin Middle School was held at Dolce in early April, and attracted more than 250 women and also raised more than $24,000. This year's luncheon had more vendors, silent auction items and the luncheon's  Signature Lollipop prizes then ever before, according to the luncheon committee. The committee of 20 women raised over $24,000, with a tremendous outpouring of support from the community, including businesses and attendees. Thanks to the generous donations and bidding, the WAMS Parent-Teacher Organization can fulfill its wish list for the middle school programs, according to co-chair Allyson Hughes. Shopping, bidding and comic entertainment made up the day…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (8)

Solar Panels Await Final Inspections at Bernards Schools

UPDATED: Rooftop panels at Ridge High School and William Annin Middle School will be online soon.

A project in which the Board of Education allowed Somerset County to install solar panels on the roofs of the William Annin Middle School and Ridge High School is complete, and awaiting final inspections before going online, school officials said this week. "Everything is done," School Board Member William Koch said at Monday's meeting. Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian reported later that the inspections could be done and the panels online by the end of February. The project, started late last summer, could eventually save the school district about $695,000 over the life of the panels, estimated at 15 years, according to figures from the Board of Education office. The greatest savings — based on estimated energy costs that can …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Linda Sadlouskos

9:35 am on Friday, February 1, 2013

See updated answer on question of who is responsible for the panels.   more ›

Back to School Nights Continue Into October

More coming up at Annin, Ridge High School and in Somerset Hills School District.

The next few weeks is a time for parents to mark their calendars for an evening that's important for parents with children in school — Back to School Night. The William Annin Middle School hosted its annual Back to School night for the 6th grade at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20. October 11 has been scheduled for the night when parents of 7th and 8th graders can meet their childrens' teachers and learn about their activities while at school. Ridge High School has scheduled its Back for School nights for Sept. 27 for 9th and 12th graders, and on Oct. 4 for 10th and 11th grade students. Bad weather canceled original date for Pre-K and kindergarten night at Bedwell Over in the Somerset Hills School District, inclement weather and a power outage…

• Photos (3)

Moms Talk Q&A

Moms Talk: Do You Like Your Summer Reading List? [Poll]

Update: How is your student doing with their school's summer reading list? Do they like their choices? Or are you hearing complaints?

Editor's Note: The reprise of this column was, among other things, inspired by the extreme complaints I have been receiving from my son regarding "Marvel 1602" as a selection for summer reading before British literature. Being a British literature junkie, I can think of many better choices. (Two of the four choices, and one must select two, seem definitely geared towards girls' taste. I read "Rebecca," and loved it, but he's not me.) Hey, what about Macbeth? Or even the scary, thought-provoking "A Christmas Carol?" What do you think? Or are your students pleased with their selection? By now, many of our intrepid Bernards Township students will have acquired, borrowed or in some cases, inherited their school's summer reading books, and …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)
• Videos (1)

View Finder

Summer Storm Ignites Light Show Above William Annin

Resident Nick Falduto takes photos of strange summer light show at end of 4th of July, that flares up around midnight.

Apparently a light show — free and naturally occurring — took place in the heart of Basking Ridge right at the end of Wednesday's July 4 holiday, between about 11:30 p.m. until about 2 a.m. on Thursday, and resident Nick Falduto snapped some shots. His viewpoint was from a spot overlooking the trees near the William Annin Middle School on Quincy Road, he said. "It was around midnight where there were huge flashes! It was like a nuclear explosion or missiles exploding in the air. Some got so bright it looked like a second sun," Falduto noted. Other lightening/thunder events are likely to continue with the National Weather Service predicting steamy days with highs of 90 degrees or more to last through Sunday.

•  1 Comment
• Photos (8)

RHS Graduation: Outdoors, Rain or Shine; in Gym if T-Storms

Ridge High School's graduates-to-be practice on Thursday afternoon to follow procedure, discuss back up plans.

A little rain never killed anyone. But if it thunderstorms, complete with flashes of lightening, for Friday's planned graduation for this year's crop of Ridge High School seniors, the action will be moved indoors to the school's new gym, according to school officials. The ceremony is due to start at 7 p.m. Heavy heat that has settled over the area since Wednesday afternoon is due to finally break on Friday, but showers and thunderstorms are predicted to bring about the lower temperatures. The heat prompted a change of Thursday evening's plans for the graduation of eighth graders from William Annin Middle School from the usual location in the middle school auditorium to the cooler Performing Arts Center at Ridge. The high school's ceremony …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Moms Talk Q&A

Moms Talk: What Would (Will) You Advise New Grads?

Is this a time to pass on pearls of wisdom — or keep your mouth shut and let your kid just take center stage?

Graduation is tomorrow, Thursday night, for this year's eighth graders at the William Annin Middle School, and on Friday night for seniors leaving Ridge High School following a high school career that undoubtedly will leave its mark, hopefully mostly for the best. As I write this, neighboring high school students in the Somerset Hills School District, who graduated from Bernards High Wednesday night, probably already are in possession of their newly minted high school diplomas. And then there's the college degrees that some of our children may have just received... I've been through all three of those graduation ceremonies at least once, sitting twice through very steamy graduations at William Annin, (BTW guys, great idea to move the …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (4)

Linda Sadlouskos

9:54 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012

Andi -- They'll amazingly learn when they have to. But not before, at least not without a struggle. Maybe we need an AP course in life survival skills!   more ›

First WAMS Expo an 'Amazing Success'

Students display their talents in so many areas and show off works and projects at schoolwide Expo.

The following information was provided courtesy of the Viking Voice at the William Annin Middle School. The first ever William Annin Expo, held late last month at the middle school, was an amazing success. Faculty, parents, grandparent, friends and students enjoyed walking through the hallways decorated with outstanding art and photography displays done by 6th, 7th and 8th graders, as well as various pottery projects and paper mache “creatures” in the media center. The activities, arts and presentations were made public when the school invited the community in on the night of May 23. The school's 8th and 7th grade literary arts students displayed “Found” poems that used words from newspapers and magazines and authentic World War II …

• Photos (7)
• Videos (1)