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NEW CLEARY CLUBS HIT GROUND RUNNING: After-school options lure students 9/17/04 BUENA -- A herd of J.P. Cleary Middle School students charged through
the athletic fields, trampling over grass and dirt and leaving clouds of dust in the wake of their stampede. Gradually, as their moving feet grew heavy Thursday, some fell behind. In time, what began as a single horde had become a stretched-out queue led by the quick-footed, with stragglers bringing up the rear. With each long stride, the 35 huffing-and-puffing students were reaching miles and milestones. They made Cleary history on Thursday as they participated in the first practice of the school's first-ever cross country team. The sport is among a series of new activities introduced this year for Cleary students. The after-school programs aim to keep kids occupied from 3 to 5 p.m., which studies have shown to be a critical time when students are more apt to get into trouble if left unsupervised, School Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said. Further, they provide another outlet for students to demonstrate their strengths outside academia. "Not every student is great in academics, so having success in something of this nature makes them happy and gives them confidence," said Traci Sellers, a seventh-grade math teacher who will head the school's new origami club. The origami club, which kicks off Oct. 6, will eventually include a Japanese calligraphy component, said Sellers, who is also half-Japanese. Principal Kenneth Nelson said the after-school activities will reinforce what students learn in the classroom. As students are taught civil rights, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in history class, Nelson said, they can then apply concepts they've learned in the newly forming mock trial and debate clubs. Both of those clubs will be led by Richard Lawrence, a history teacher at Cleary. Likewise, DeGiacomo said, cross country correlates with the school's physical education curriculum. Overall, Nelson said, Cleary's objective in introducing such activities is "to motivate, to inspire, to give students the opportunities to pursue their interest outside of the classroom. To give a broader understanding of the opportunities provided in life." Even as emphasis on extracurricular activities grows, academic excellence has become more important than ever at Cleary as the school debuts an incentive program where students are rewarded for good grades, attendance, behavior and timeliness. Overall, the school district's objective is "to provide activities that stimulate creativity and love for learning, and the desire to be physically fit for the remainder of their lives," DeGiacomo said. Of all the newly instituted activities, cross country is the only one that comes at a cost to the school district. It was selected because it requires minimal equipment. The district budgeted $2,812 for a stipend to be shared between two coaches. Another $600 was spent to purchase 40 uniforms consisting of shirts and shorts; two stopwatches; and a gallon of paint to mark the course. Teachers volunteered to lead the other clubs. The cross country team will practice three days a week after school and compete with schools from such places as Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic City and Ocean City, coach Danielle Tursi said. Their first competitive meet is Sept. 28 against Egg Harbor Township.
Buena Regional cuts off busing for 2 students 9/16/04 BUENA -- As municipal officials search for ways to declare Wheat Road a pedestrian hazard, the Buena Regional School District on Wednesday sent letters announcing it will discontinue bus service for two students living on the road. The school district realized it mistakenly issued bus passes to the two Cleary Middle School students after a parent complained that her child had to walk along the road, prompting officials to re-examine bus routes. Now those two students will need to walk to school or make other arrangements. By law, the school district must provide transportation for all K-8 students who live more than two miles from their school, Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said. But the district has adopted a "courtesy busing" policy that provides transportation for children more than a mile from school, she said. The district receives state aid only for those students who satisfy the two-mile rule. Busing is not required for any student who lives less than a mile from the school, which is why the district is banning the two Cleary students from riding the bus. But the school district may have to rethink its policy where Wheat Road is concerned, some officials say. "Wheat Road does not offer a shoulder, sidewalk, bikeway, nothing for pedestrian traffic," said Police Chief Doug Adams, who also is a school board member. The 45 mph road, a main link between Vineland and Buena and a key thoroughfare to Hammonton, is one of the town's busiest, Adams said. Traffic is especially heavy in the morning. The road also sees all types of traffic, from delivery trucks to tractor-trailers, and it warrants a "hazardous road" designation, he chief said. Adams and Mayor Joseph Baruffi are investigating how to obtain the designation, which could force the district to provide transportation to students living along the road. But the move also raises new questions, which the district's solicitor is researching. "If they call it a hazardous route, then the board has to look at its policy," DeGiacomo said. "Well, then, how does the school board respond? Are we then going to transport those kids -- and if we do, do we charge?" DeGiacomo asked. The board currently is allowed to charge for transporting any student who falls below the state's two-mile distance but opts not to do so. DeGiacomo also worries that making exceptions for students on an individual basis could lead to a domino effect.
Desire of new middle school hot topic at Cleary 9/8/04 BUENA -- The first day of classes at J.P. Cleary Middle School saw a new
administration grappling with an age-old problem. "We need a new middle school," said the new vice principal, Danielle Sneathen, reacting to the claustrophobic state of affairs Tuesday inside Pat Gorgo's accelerated science class. Thirty-four students were wedged into a classroom where they outnumbered microscopes and lab stations. The students sat three to a table, although the tables were designed for only two bodies. "It's unreal," a flabbergasted Sneathen said. Sneathen, a former Buena Regional High School history teacher, had a lot to learn. But despite the struggles that come with 546 kids crowding an outdated building and larger class sizes caused by a staff shortage, the middle school's first day Tuesday ran rather smoothly, officials said. There were no major incidents during the lunch hour, and the kids and the teachers were cooperating, Sneathen reported. "Because of our staff, we make the best of a difficult situation," said Ken Nelson, the school's new principal, whose self-imposed calls for him to personally greet and send off students, preferably by name. The administration isn't the only thing new about Cleary: · New staff members include a science teacher, guidance counselor and reading specialist. · The "Cleary Academic All-Stars" program makes its debut and rewards high-achieving students. · For the first time, the school will have intramural basketball team; a cross country team; and clubs for debate, mock trial, origami and calligraphy. There also will be a big push for multiculturalism, given the school's diverse population of Ukrainians, Asians and African Americans this year, Nelson said. The first day of school also brought jittery nerves. Not so much for 11-year-old Ryan Torriero as for his mother, Traci. "It's mom that's falling apart; he's just fine," the 36-year-old Buena Vista woman said. With three younger children attending Milanesi Elementary School, which also opened Tuesday, the day was "tiresome," Torriero said. "And the homework didn't even start yet."
YMCA OK'd to seek school program grant 9/1/04 BUENA VISTA -- Buena Regional school board members on Tuesday authorized the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA to continue pursuing a grant that would fund an after-school program for elementary students in the district. But the Board of Education's unanimous decision to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the nonprofit group carried two stipulations that would preclude the district from incurring any financial burdens associated with the proposed program: · At board member Tobin Nilsen's suggestion, the district's approval is contingent upon its successful attainment of a federal grant that would fund a second after-school program, which would be for middle-schoolers. The district is applying for $700,000 to run the middle school program, but the funding also would cover custodial, bus transportation, and some other expenses for the proposed elementary after-school program. · The board's OK is subject to the district solicitor's final approval. Solicitor Barbara Lapham cautioned that the memorandum as written gave a general outline of what the program would entail but it did not give assurances of the YMCA's qualifications. The YMCA is seeking a grant to help fund the after-school program, which envisions academic support, physical exercise, a nutritious snack, community service projects, and artistic and cultural activities. Surveys were mailed Thursday to parents of pupils in prekindergarten through fifth grade to gauge their interest level in an elementary school program. Already, more than 50 parents have responded saying they would be interested in sending their children to program run by the YMCA. Another nonprofit group, Atlantic Rural Development Coalition Inc., originally was a contender to run the proposed elementary after-school program. But it dropped out because it couldn't meet the financial obligations required by the district. | |||||||||||||||||||
Address: Buena Vista Township
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