2019 Summer Assignments
2019 Summer Assignments are now available. Please click here to learn more.
Districtwide updates on systems, operating status, and new program initiatives. Typically will include letters from the Administration Building that the community can reference from emails home to families.
2019 Summer Assignments are now available. Please click here to learn more.
This was the third consecutive year Columbia High School participated in the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival on May 30th, 2019 at Ocean County College.
South Orange Maplewood Schools was the only district from Essex County participating in the New Jersey Teen Arts Festival for the 3 year in a row. Sixteen CHS Visual Art and Photography students had work on display at the festival from May 29th to May 31st. These students are, Christopher Lopez, Desiree Hume, Elliot Dix, Freya Zaccerelli, Iman Zubieta, Jesser Pilato, Jorden Fastov, Laura Rafolo, Lucia Garritano, Miriam Sorkin, Naomi McMechen, Rowan Slater, Shakeelah Gilkes, Tayor Goodson.
In addition, Iman Zubieta, Josie Lally, Eliot Dix and Rowan Slater were selected to be part of the 2019- 2020 NJ State Teen Arts Touring Exhibition.
District involvement in the annual New Jersey Teen Arts Festival was initiated and led by Fine Arts Supervisor James A. Manno who secured participation by coordinating efforts with festival director and by providing student product entries via a digital adjudication process.
Special thanks to this year’s participating teachers Jon Fisher (Photography), Karen Murphy (Visual Art), Nicole Thomas (Visual Art), Alexandra Cappucci (Visual Art).
By cmoore
The 2019 Columbia High School “Hall of Fame” Induction Ceremony will take place on Wed., 6/5 in the CHS Auditorium in two assembly programs from 9:13-10:13 am and 10:17-11:17 am. This year’s inductees are Bisa Butler and Ibtihaj Muhammad.
As many residents of the South Orange-Maplewood community are aware, Columbia High School is a special place! Many CHS graduates have gone on, and continue to go on to do great things in the world – from doctors, to lawyers, to activists, actors, athletes, artists, musicians, producers, designers, the list goes on!
In the mid-1980’s, the CHS “Hall of Fame” Committee was established as part of Student Council, to recognize the vast accomplishments of its graduates. In 1985, the Hall of Fame inducted its first two alumni – Senior U.S. Circuit Judge, Amalya Kearse, and world renown actor, Roy Schneider. Since then, every year, the committee has inducted anywhere from 1-4 former students who had demonstrated academic excellence during their time at CHS, and have gone on to influence the world around them in positively meaningful ways.
On Wed., 6/5, we will induct two more alumni, whom you may know, who have gone on to do great things in South Orange, Maplewood, and beyond!
This special event is open to all CHS students, faculty, staff, and members of the Board of Education. The 2019 CHS Hall of Fame inductees’ names will be made known to CHS students, faculty, staff, and the public the day before the event on Tue., 6/4.
The SOMSD Board of Education recognized held a special meeting on June 3, 2019. This meeting was held in recognition of retiring staff members and to thank them for their honorable service to the district and the SOMSD community.
Retirement Honorees:
At the June 13th Board of Education regular meeting, the Board of Education is set to discuss and vote to approve a capital plan to renovate school facilities and to build classrooms at seven elementary school building and the high school to alleviate overcrowding. This will be followed by the Board of School Estimate meeting on July 10th to approve the bonding to support this plan.
The district’s $160 million dollar capital plan was developed over a two year period. Architects, engineers and demographers worked with building leaders and central office administrators as they conducted a facilities assessment to address health, safety and building capacity needs.
The plan was initially presented to the community May and June of 2018. Over 1,000 community members attended the feedback sessions. After collecting input from the community, the plan was updated to reflect community feedback. The updated plan was presented back to the community in the fall of 2018 and then in December 2018, the Board of School Estimate and the Board of Education gave their approval to move the capital plan through the New Jersey Department of Education reviewal process.
About $93 million is needed to renovate the district’s facilities to prevent emergency repairs and damage caused by leaking roofs, malfunctioning heating systems, and to address other health and safety needs. This school year the district continued to address repairs to roofs, remediate mold in portable classrooms, repair water damaged classrooms, repair water main breaks, perform numerous elevator repairs and address other facility emergencies out of the maintenance line of the budget.
$47 million is needed to build additional classroom space for our growing enrollment and to ensure that all students can be moved out of portable classrooms. Enrollment increased almost 12% from 6,384 student in 2010 to 7,121 students in 2018. Enrollment projections show enrollment growth trends continuing for the next few years. Architects and building leaders worked together to evaluate the best place for the building additions. Schematics have been prepared to show the basic design and spatial relationships, and are not final.
An additional $18.5 million is needed to address the feedback requests from the community: install air conditioning in the schools, replace the artificial turf at Underhill Field and to add artificial turf at Ritzer Field.
The proposed capital plan addresses priority health, safety and system needs, creates sufficient capacity and flexibility for increased enrollment and renews the high school.
Presentations are posted on the district’s website. https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/district/business-office/lrfp/