Thursday, May 23, 2013
Board of Education adopts calendar for the 2013-14 year.
Township students will be going to school the same day residents will be going to the polls in November. That is the biggest change in the 2013-14 school calendar, adopted by the Board of Education on Monday night. Hillsborough had been the only school district in Somerset County that did not have school for students on Election Day, when buildings are used as polling locations, board member Judith Haas said. Security concerns, traffic and parking problems were cited as the reasons for the closure, although staffers had in-service days on election day. But the Township Committee announced in April that the polling places had been realigned, eliminating elementary schools and the Auten Road Intermediate School as voting locations. However, …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Board tells parents it's OK to send cupcakes to school for birthdays.
The cupcake wars will not be fought in Hillsborough. The Board of Education is working on a way to make sure that parents know that there is not a policy that prohibits them from sending goodies such as cupcakes or brownies to their children’s class for special occasions, such as birthdays. Board member Lorraine Soisson said at Monday’s board meeting that the state’s nutrition policy, which mandates fat and sugar content of food served in school, is not applicable to food offered either as part of the curriculum or for celebrations, such as birthdays. Soisson said many parents misunderstood the state policy and thought that it forbade snacks like cupcakes. She said the state only prohibits “minimally nutritious” foods such as Italian ices…
Monday, May 20, 2013
2014 event may be held at arena to accommodate larger number of grads, relatives.
In 2014, the Hillsborough High School graduation may not be in Hillsborough. Instead, commencement may be 24 miles away in Trenton at the Sun National Bank Arena. That’s the recommendation of the school board’s operations committee which had studied the possibility of alternate sites for graduation for two years, board member Greg Gillette said at Monday’s meeting. In recent years, the school district has been cursed with inclement and extreme weather conditions, Gillette said. But the district could not accommodate moving the ceremony inside because of the size of the graduating class (about 600 students) and the number of relatives and friends, he added. Gillette said the district explored multiple options to try and keep the graduation …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
SUNY-Genesco student recognized for her achievement.
SUNY Geneseo student Laura Blum, from Hillsborough, was recently inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society during an induction ceremony on campus. Juniors or seniors with a grade point average that places them in the top 15 percent of their class are eligible for membership. Golden Key International Honour Society provides academic recognition to top-performing college and university students as well as scholarships and awards, career and internship opportunities, networking, service and leadership development opportunities. The society has more than 400 chapters at colleges and universities around the world.
Watchung Hills led by Abby Cline and MVP Dana Mertz in 3-1 victory.
Saturday's Somerset County softball final came down to the two teams that fought for the crown last year: Watchung Hills and Hillsborough. And just like in 2012, the Watchung Hills Warriors left as champions, with a 3-1 victory. 1 Hillsborough drew first blood, scoring in the second inning on a line drive by Jess Santelli, sending courtesy runner Josette Spenser home. But that would prove to be the only run the Raiders would score. Watchung Hills would get on the board in the fourth inning when McKayla Brady's single slid up the middle, which scored courtesy runner Madison Scuderi. In the sixth inning, Meghan Kovac singled up the middle, and a bunt single by Deanna Gonnella moved her to second. But Hillsborough would get a showstopper …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Companies must bid to advertise on school property, website.
The Hillsborough Board of Education OK'd a new policy on advertising for school property at Monday's meeting — but don't look for ads from Abercrombie and Fitch or the next Avengers movie: neither would likely meet the district's guidelines. The policy will enable the board to approve contracts with advertisers for signs or sponsorships on school property and buses, as well as on the district website or in newsletters. The policy notes the board "will not allow any advertising on school property to become a public forum for dissemination, debate, or discussion of public issues." Also, advertising deemed "false, misleading, deceptive, disrespectful, fraudulent, or libelous" or is obscene, profane, vulgar, offensive, or reasonably determined…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
But teacher says recent messages about snacks in schools don't include policy exemptions.
Woods Road Elementary School teacher Sue Dicenzo asked for a bit of clarification on the school district's policies regarding foods brought in for special occasions—such as cupcakes for birthday celebrations—during Monday's Board of Education meeting. Dicenzo said teachers were recently directed to inform parents that "cupcakes, ice cream, candy, pasta—I could go on—cannot be served during the school day," even though district and state nutrition policies exempt such foods for classroom celebrations and curriculum-related activities. "I don't know if you've ever seen the face of 7-year-olds coming in with cupcakes for their birthday..." she added. In response, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Curriculum Lisa Antunes said the …
140 Hillsborough Elementary School students participate in annual science fair.
Hillsborough Elementary School's annual science fair, held April 26, gave students a chance to have fun with science—while discovering their inner scientists. The event was supported by Pizza Hut, Earth Fruits Yogurts and Staples, all community retailers who donated items toward the event, as well as funds raised by Hillsborough Elementary School’s Home/School Association. The HSA is comprised of a team of school representatives, including Principal Michael Volpe and dedicated teachers and parents, with the goal of providing enrichment programs that complement in-school learning. The annual science fair is an opportunity for the students to have fun outside classroom time while learning through self exploration, which supplements the …
40.504333
-74.643748
Hillsborough Elementary School
435 Us Highway 206, Hillsborough, NJ
/articles/hes-science-fair-releases-students-inner-scientist
1760966
/locations/9387055
Monday, May 13, 2013
School receives donation based on students' average account balances.
TD Bank of Hillsborough has partnered with the Hillsborough Middle School and the HMS Home & School to raise $10,400 for student and faculty programs at the middle school this school year. For the fundraiser, TD Bank donated an average of all the account balances of TD Bank account holders who are students at the middle school. The HSA TD Bank Fundraiser chairwoman Sharon DellaFera led this fundraiser with other HSA volunteers last August and September for the HMS HSA, and the prior school year when $6,400 was raised. These funds have helped pay for the recent purchase and installation of the new bleachers in the HMS gym and teachers' grants for student programs, and will help pay for an upcoming renovation of the HMS library/resource …
40.518347
-74.6436
Hillsborough Middle School
260 Triangle Rd, Hillsborough, NJ
/articles/middle-school-fundraiser-banks-on-students-savings
1761523
/locations/9385169
School's new sign includes electronic reader board.
School officials will have a new way to let everyone in town know what's going on at Hillsbroough High School, as soon as the school's new sign is activated. The sign includes an electronic reader board, which can be used to highlight school events more easily that the previous board. It can also be quickly programmed in the event of an emergency to let residents know about school district or township emergencies.
40.496838
-74.65418
Hillsborough High School
466 Raider Blvd, Hillsborough, NJ
/articles/now-read-this-high-school-gets-new-sign
1761149
/locations/9382917
NKS
11:44 am on Friday, May 24, 2013
I think this is a smart move though it either should have been done before the school calendar was released or waited a year. Unfortunately we, like many others, scheduled vacations during that week in November. I hope the District is understanding of those students who are absent on the days surrounding Election Day this year. more ›