October begins with the Week of Respect, a multi-faceted program which engages students in building awareness about bully type behaviors and helpful methods for increasing tolerance.

Olive's training is progressing!  Our soon to be therapy dog is attending a fall workshop on October 5th where she will be working with a girl scout troop on fun training scenarios. Stay tuned to Olive updates!

September 18th was Back to School night which was attended by most of our parents. Staff training on the use of the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) occurred on September 26th. The SRI will assist teachers in determining and monitoring the reading level of our students and provide assistance to teachers, parents and students regarding the selection of reading materials which are appropriate at the appropriate level for that student.

Sage Day at Rochelle Park is running in full swing. Our students have made their schedule changes, picked their clubs for the semester and elected the members to their Student Council. The winners of the election are:

President - Mr. Nick Hagarty

Vice-President - Mr. Marco Cicchino

Secretary - Ms. Kelly Dowd

Treasurer - Ms. Tiffany Ebanks

We have a packed calendar for October, with many exciting upcoming events.  Lee National Denim Day 2013 kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the event taking place on Friday, October 4th.  For a donation of $1, students may wear a hat all day and for a donation of $5, staff may wear jeans that Friday.  All donations will be sent to the American Cancer Society.

On September 24th, our Juniors and Seniors were treated to a very informative presentation by Centenary College. This innovative, liberal arts college is located in Hackettstown, NJ, and students were eager to ask questions.  Many are talking about planning a campus tour in the upcoming weeks.  We have scheduled a trip to Seton Hall University, in South Orange, NJ, on October 11th for all seniors who are interested in touring the campus. And, on October 17th, a representative from the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, will be coming to our campus to talk about their school.

Our first Senior Parent Night will take place on Tuesday, October 22nd from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Mr. Dan Montesano, our Career & College Transition Advisor, will be hosting this hour to discuss transitioning after Sage Day, as well as getting through the college application process. Our students have made a very positive connection to having Mr. Montesano on board. They have mentioned that they like having a "go-to" person on staff to answer their questions and provide assistance.  Right now, Mr. Montesano is working primarily with our Seniors to ensure that they are on the right track, and he will begin working with the Juniors in December.

Our students are starting to get excited about our annual soccer game, which will take place at Rochelle Park's Carlock Field the afternoon of Friday, October 4th. This year to make it even more interesting, the teams will be comprised of members of the students' Advisory Groups. Teams will include mixed grade levels. For example, a Senior/Freshman team will be playing against a Sophomore/Junior team. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team, as well as the group exhibiting the most team spirit.  

And, what would the month of October be without Sage Day's annual Halloween Party? This fun-filled party is hosted by our very own Student Council and will take place on Thursday, October 31st.