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From Columbia High School Fencing:
In a time of great challenge for life and for sports, Columbia High School Fencing has reason to celebrate. Both boys and girls teams safely completed the season without stoppages due to COVID, and the girls went undefeated at 9-0 in one-on-one team matches.
“The girls were undefeated and one of the top teams in the state,” said Head Coach Daryl White, who noted, “The boys’ team had a good year (5-6). We didn’t have our usual record but the boys competed hard and were in every match.”
There were no big state tournaments this year. No Santelli (girls). No Centrulo (boys). No state finals. But CHS Fencing continued on in a responsible fashion, practicing and competing at “home” at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance in Maplewood.
“I think both teams and all of our fencers should be commended because with all the protocols in place because of COVID, we had a very successful season and the program made it through the season without any stoppages,” said White. “This is all because our athletes listened and followed all directions they were given to stay safe. All of our non-varsity fencers showed great dedication to the team. Because of COVID, the two novice tournaments were canceled but our non-varsity team members faithfully came to practice every day and improved greatly. A special thank you to all of our parents for the support they give us.”
Standout individual fencers’ win-loss records include:
CHS Fencing is led by head coaches Daryl White and Arthur “Doc” Paulina, assistant coaches Frank Mustilli and Ariana Wexler, and trainers Alejandra Teran, Sam Varon, and Andrew Doddo.
CHS 2021 Fencing roster:
Girls
Boys
Action photos by Peggy Finlayson and group photos by Nick Moramarco. Article was written by Fencing parent, Mary Mann.
Dear SOMSD Community,
Today, the Court heard the Board’s application for temporary restraints to require all SOMEA staff to report to District facilities for in-person instruction consistent with our Phase 3 reopening plan. While the Court denied the overall request finding that the extraordinary remedy of temporary restraints should not be ordered, the Hon. Jodi Alper entered an Order compelling SOMEA 6th and 9th-grade teachers to report for in-person instruction as early as Thursday, March 18, 2021, to rooms that assigned by the District that were previously identified as having passed SOMEA’s unique standards. It is notable that the District had made this offer to SOMEA several weeks ago, but it had been refused. We are thankful that the Court was willing to Order the return for our 6th and 9th-grade students and families.
The District will prepare for the resumption of in-person learning for our 6th and 9th graders which will begin on Monday, March 22. There will be follow-up correspondence as we make classroom assignments, transportation arrangements, and prepare for in-person learning. Additional communication will be sent to families and students that will be returning.
This is an important and critical step in the right direction as we resume in-person instruction. The legal significance of the Court’s Order is to ensure that our community is not faced with another work district-wide interference with the return of Phase 3 in-person learning. Another court date is scheduled for April 19. We will continue to work toward greater availability of in-person instruction over the coming weeks as we target April 19 for our next phase.
South Orange & Maplewood School District
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March 12, 2021
Dear South Orange & Maplewood School District Families,
Late yesterday evening we were alerted by the PERC mediator that SOMEA has agreed to return to in-person learning for Kgn-2nd grade students only on Monday, March 15.
The Board remains ready and committed to the full return of all Phase 3 students, including 6th and 9th grade students. We will move forward with having Kgn-2nd grade and Cohort C students reenter school on Monday, March 15, but will continue to focus on returning ALL of our students. The District’s primary goal has always been to offer our families the opportunity for in-person instruction safely within the rooms that have already been designated by the District as “ready,” meaning they meet safety standards. We understand the social-emotional toll that this situation has caused for students and families and we look forward to having this next subset of students return to school with more to follow in the coming weeks and months.
With this return, in addition to our Kgn-2nd grade and Cohort C students and teachers...our para-professionals, specialists (art, music, PE etc.), school and central office secretaries, and clerical staff will also be returning to their respective buildings. Please review other important operational and logistical details below:
Schedules: |
● All elementary schools will return to their regular hybrid start times across all grade-levels (K-2, Cohort C as well as 3 - 5)
● For grades 3 - 5 we understand that the schedule change is not ideal, however, we are unable to run competing schedules (i.e., hybrid vs. virtual) due to shared resources across elementary schools. ● K-2 and Cohort C families will receive more detailed information from their building principals regarding start times and other logistics for Monday’s return to hybrid instruction. |
Food Distribution: | ● Beginning on Monday, March 15, grab and go lunches will be provided to students attending hybrid instruction. Meals will be provided during dismissal.
● All other students can pick up meals at CHS or Seth Boyden between 12pm and 2pm. |
YMCA: | ● The Y will continue to offer aftercare at all elementary schools for grades 3 - 5 students
● The Pre-K program will remain at Jefferson Elementary school ● Full-day virtual programming will be held at the Y facility. |
Change Request: | ● Phase 3: Change request (from virtual to hybrid) for Phase 3 will only be honored to families who have submitted their request to their building principal by the February 22 deadline.
● March 25, 2021, is the next change request date for our tentative phased-in re-entry scheduled for April 19 ○ IMPORTANT: Please note, regardless of the grade-levels that re-enter on April 19, this will be the final opportunity for the school year for parents to make a virtual to hybrid change request for their child to their building principal. In addition, a change request will always be subject to space capacity. |
As we shared, the Board’s labor counsel continues to communicate through the mediator advocating for our 6th and 9th grade students return; and we will continue planning for a next phased re-entry on April 19 (two-weeks after Spring Break and at a time when our building’s heating systems are traditionally taken offline).
We apologize for the late update, however, there are many operational and logistical details that had to be resolved (i.e. transportation, food distribution, crossing guards, schedules) to ensure a smooth re-entry for our students. We thank our building principals and central office staff for their work to ensure that we provided our families with the details needed for their child's return to school.
Once again, we thank you for your continued support and patience. Enjoy the beautiful weekend and we look forward to seeing our Kgn-2nd grade and Cohort C students back in school for in-person instruction starting on Monday, March 15.
South Orange & Maplewood School District
Contact:
Anide J. Eustache
Communications Office
South Orange & Maplewood School District
Office: (973)762-5600, ext. 1834 | Cell: (862) 272-1609
Email: aeustach@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Columbia High Announces 108 Students from the Class of 2022 for National Honor Society Induction
March 11, 2021 – Columbia High School is proud to announce the Class of 2022 students who will be inducted into this year’s National Honor Society.
The National Honor Society was founded to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, promote leadership, and develop character in the students of secondary schools around the country.
Below is the list of this year’s inductees. CHS Faculty and Administrators are impressed with their expression of commitment to academic excellence, their demonstrations of school character and citizenship, the ways in which they have accessed and grown in leadership and service, and for their commitment to continued growth as a scholar and citizen of Columbia.
We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments with our current NHS members in a virtual ceremony later in May. Please contact CHS Principal, Frank Sanchez, fsanchez@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us.
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About the South Orange & Maplewood School District
The School District of South Orange and Maplewood serves close to 7,000 students in ten schools, including one early-childhood center, six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The community and its schools are racially and economically diverse with more than 90 percent of Columbia High School graduates planning to attend college each year. The mission of the South Orange Maplewood School District is to empower and inspire each student to explore and imagine, to pursue personal passions, and to collectively create a better future by creating a learner-centered environment through multiple pathways; re-imagined structures, systems and supports; innovative teaching; partnering with families; and maximizing community expertise and resources.