Monday, January 28, 2013
With a 'sick bank' not an option, West Morris Regional faculty try alternate means of help.
Despite the impasse on a sick bank deal between the Board and Association, faculty members at both West Morris Central and Mendham will continue their efforts to help Susan Moor, a nurse at West Morris Central currently battling breast cancer. Moor lost all of her accumulated sick days in the spring of 2012 when her 8-year-old daughter died. Faculty members at both high schools will be wearing professionally-acceptable jeans throughout the final week of January as part of the Dollars for Denim campaign, Teacher’s Association President Joyce Hartmann said. Dollars for Denim is usually held each Friday, where faculty members can wear more casual clothing and donate funds to charities. During this week of the program, faculty members will be …
West Morris Regional Board of Education, Teacher's Association can't come to terms on action to aid ill colleague.
An effort by faculty members to donate unused sick time to ill colleagues in the West Morris Regional High School district won’t come to fruition, after the Teacher’s Association and Board of Education could not agree on terms. The idea of a “sick bank” was brought to the board in September 2012, and the nine-member group discussed the possibility behind closed doors at three different meetings, for more than five hours total, according to Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. A sick bank would allow faculty members to donate unused sick days to a colleague who has run out of them and is no longer being paid for time missed. Of the district’s 240 faculty members in the association, 150 signed a petition asking the board to allow this …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Regional school board unanimously approves student use of their own wireless devices in the classroom.
No need for teens to leave their technology devices at home during the school day anymore, as the West Morris Regional Board of Education unanimously decided to allow district students to bring their own wireless devices to class. The B.Y.O.T.–Bring Your Own Technology–initiative has been batted around since schools superintendent Mackey Pendergrast took his position in March 2012, and became official with a vote at the board’s most recent meeting. Students won’t be able to take advantage of the new initiative just yet, as the board is still creating policies around the move. “What are the parameters?” Pendergrast asked the board. “We still need to analyze and create responsible usage policy and social media policy.” Along with the …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Regional board members split on vote based on budgetary issues.
A total of 10 teachers from the West Morris Regional High School District–five from each building–will become part of a Superintendent’s Council for the remainder of the school year to help top administrator Mackey Pendergrast better communicate with faculty and receive feedback. That piece of business from the Monday reorganization meeting hit the table with a thud as board members were split on approving the council, which comes at a cost of $40.09 per teacher per hour it is in session. The proposed council would be in session for up to six hours for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year. Prior to taking a vote on the new council, some board members showed concern about spending the money before pursuing alternative methods. “Who says…
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Group selects James Johnston, Joe Galayda as president, vice, respectively.
Three re-elected Washington Township members and the first-ever Chester Borough representative were sworn in to their official positions at the annual West Morris Regional Board of Education reorganization meeting Monday night. Don Storms, a write-in candidate who garnered enough votes to secure a three-year term during the November election, took his position on the board along with returning members Tom Richar, Joe Galayda and John Meyer–all of Washington Township. Three of Washington Township’s four representative seats were up for grabs in the election, but none were contested. The fourth seat is currently occupied by Lisa Woodring, who was appointed in 2012. With a reapportionment by the Morris County Executive Superintendent in …
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West Morris Central High School
259 Bartley Rd, Chester, NJ
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Monday, January 7, 2013
Regional BOE expected to take action at annual reorganization meeting Monday.
At its first meeting of the new year, the West Morris Regional Board of Education has a full slate of business to get to as it swears in new and returning members, as well as adopts new policies. The annual reorganization meeting is set for Monday at West Morris Central High School at 7 p.m. Washington Township representatives Joseph Galayda, John Meyer and Tom Richar will all take the oath of office for their new terms after being re-elected in November 2012. In addition to those three, and for the first time, a Chester Borough representative will be sworn into a three-year seat. Donald Storms received enough write-in votes in November to win the seat. The board will now have four Washington Township representatives, two Chester Township …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Cost to promote school budgets not necessary, dropping campaign spending, ELEC says.
For the first time in New Jersey’s history, many municipalities had school board candidates on the General Election ballot this November after Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation in January allowing school boards to move their voting times. The move, it seems, has paid off big time locally, according to an analysis by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). ELEC’s analysis shows spending by candidates was down nearly $1 million from 2011 to 2012 in New Jersey, from $1,532,896 to $597,664. The law gave school districts an incentive to move elections by not having to post their budgets for public vote as long as it fell within the 2-percent annual tax cap. More than 86-percent of the state’s districts moved their …
Washington Township representative David Lobron attended final board meeting Monday night.
David Lobron is going to have to find some new entertainment every other Monday night going forward. The West Morris Regional School Board representative for Washington Township took part in his final meeting Monday night after spending four years on the school's governing body. "I would like to congratule Dave Lobron," said Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. "Tonight is his last board meeting, four years on the board of education and over three decades in the school system. I want to honor that service. He always talks about the student and the student experience; it's so easy to get lost in policy and budget numbers, that's our job, but it's always important to keep that focus and their experience in high school." The board surprised …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Board of Education votes to add two school days added to end of calendar year.
From the day they step foot into high school as freshmen, students’ minds are geared toward graduation some four years away. And for the class of 2013 at West Morris Central and Mendham High Schools, the biggest day of their educational careers is now two school days later than originally scheduled. During a special meeting of the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education Monday night, the group voted to bump both high school’s graduation ceremonies from Friday, June 21 to Tuesday, June 25. The idea wasn’t met with the best reception, either. Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast said since the last board meeting, when the group discussed a variety of options to make up inclement weather days used during the aftermath of …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
'Jersey Mike' Rossi named to U.S. Ski Team's World Cup group.
Just because Washington Township’s power was fully restored and schools were in session this week doesn’t mean Hurricane Sandy-related topics weren’t at the forefront of the community’s minds. It was another news filled week in Long Valley, and we were there to report on it. Click on the headline to read the full story. West Morris Regional School Teacher’s Association President Joyce Hartmann approached the board of education Monday regarding the implementation of a sick bank to help an ailing colleague with sick days and finances. The issue is still being discussed, but the association would like to hear answers sooner than later. After a mid-week board of education meeting, it was decided that the Washington Township School district …
Heidi Prudente
7:02 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
We are hosting a fundraising event to benefit Mrs. Moor and her family at Bob's Long Valley Pizza, Deli & Bagels. Please come in for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner (Dine-In or Take-Out) on Monday, February 11th. 20% of our sales for the entire day will be donated to Mrs. Moor. https://www.facebook.com/LongValleyPizza more ›