WATCH: MTPS Jazz Band Performs Middletown Blues
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On March 29, an audience of family, peers, staff, administration and MTPS Board of Education members were treated to a special performance by a collection of instrumentalists from across the Middletown Township Public School District. The group ranged in age from elementary to high school students, and displayed their collective skill set in recognition of National Music in our Schools Month.
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The National Association for Music Education designated March as Music in our Schools Month, which provides an opportunity to for music education to take center stage in school communities throughout the nation.
In recognition of Music in our Schools Month, this group of musicians performed under the direction of Bayshore Middle School Band Director, Ms. Monica Alexandre, but did so with a twist: When the students took the stage together to deliver the showcase piece - Middletown Blues, a take on the Steve Hommel tune Westside Blues - it was the first time the group had played as a full ensemble.
As explained by Ms. Alexandre, the students received their parts in an email, and practiced vigorously, but in a solo environment. By training in this fashion, the group performance would simulate the improvisational atmosphere of a "jam session" often experienced in a Jazz venue.
Congratulations to the students and staff members who participated in this wonderful performance, which can be viewed in the video window above on the district YouTube Channel. |
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Ocean Ave. Students Accept the Great Kindness Challenge |
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Earlier this year, Ocean Avenue Elementary School participated in The Great Kindness Challenge, a positive, proactive kindness initiative that impacts the lives of millions of students and families each year.
"With all the uncertainty around us with the pandemic, being kind is something that we are in control of," said Ocean Avenue Elementary School Counselor Kristie Tapolow. She touted the challenge as a powerful and positive bullying prevention campaign that helps create a more kind, unified, and respectful environment for all members of the community.
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Though The Great Kindess Challenge occurred in February, Tapolow said the initiative is about creating a culture of kindness and tolerance that extends beyond a four-week period.
"Our fifth grade students are leading this effort as our Kindness Ambassadors, and are promoting and encouraging the younger students and staff to pay the kindness forward," added Tapolow.
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To create a consistent, positive message throughout their school and greater Middletown community, Ocean Avenue students and staff are performing as many acts of kindness as possible. Students have accepted a challenge to complete a checklist of 50 acts of kindness to prove bullying is weak and kindness is strength. The initiative also includes kindness bulletin boards and pay it forward kindness cards. The goal is for the cards to get passed along throughout the school and community and placed in as many hands as possible.
Students have performed acts as simple as providing their peers and teachers with a pleasant morning greeting, and sharing books and supplies with classmates. There have also been much larger acts, such asing the formation of a partnership between Ocean Avenue and the non-profit organization Kick Cancer Overboard, which supplied a family combatting a cancer diagnosis with an all-expenses paid cruise to Bermuda.
“Kindness matters here at Ocean Avenue," said Tapolow. "So far the students are really enjoying this challenge and showing some really awesome acts of kindness. In addition to random acts of kindness, students and staff are actively seeking out purposeful acts of kindness. We hope their efforts have an enduring effect because all kids deserve to learn and live in a safe, supportive and caring environment.”
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MTPS Resource Center:
School & Community Mental Health
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This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources
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Social Media can add a lot to our lives, but it can also have some negative effects on our mental health. Helping our children learn more about the impact of social media and how to find a balance can be a challenging parental task to navigate.
Some tips about being smart with technology include:
- Helping children and teens to always be kind online
- Helping them think critically about what they see and hear
- Helping them take frequent technology breaks
School counselors can assist students and their families in developing plans to be realistic about social media use and how to set appropriate limitations.
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WATCH: South Sounds, A Music Web-Series Offering a Platform to Emerging Artists |
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High School South film and television production students who were inspired by music television shows like the long-running BBC series, Later With Jools Holland, have launched the web series South Sounds, which aims to provided emerging artists with a platform to showcase their skill sets. Watch episode 1, featuring Gaby Forte, in the video window or on the High School South YouTube Channel.
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Tape Murals Inspire Bayshore Middle School Visual Artists |
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Drawing inspiration from the New York City-based street artist Aakash Nihalani, Bayshore Middle School art students in Ms. Maggie Messina's class took to the hallways to create eye-catching, three-dimensional tape murals.
Known for the bright, bold lines at the forefront of his work, Nihalani specializes in creating three-dimensional figures on two-dimensional surfaces, most notably repetitive designs with isometric squares and rectangles that convey complexities of movement and space simply through the placement of a line.
With Nihalani as their muse, Bayshore's visual artists delivered similar works on the walls and floors of their campus, even injecting themselves into the work like Nihalani often does.
Keep up the great work!
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HS South Baseball Participates in Hitting 2 Celebrate Autism |
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On Friday, April 1, the High School South varsity baseball team facilitated an event called Hitting 2 Celebrate Autism. High school students with disabilities participated in baseball activities along with students on the baseball team to kick off Autism Awareness Month. The goal of this collaborative event was to develop a bond to further support our students with disabilities at HSS. The baseball team is also participating in the Autism Awareness Challenge on April 23 at 4 PM when they will play the Jackson Memorial varsity baseball team at the North Brunswick Community Center. |
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Lincroft Students Write Letters of Strength to Ukraine |
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As part of a special Blessing Bag Brigade initiative to support the people of Ukraine, Lincroft Elementary School students added to their blessing bag donations special letters of strength for those who may receive the packages of donated supplies.
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MTPS Students Headed to World Championships with Special Forces Cheer Program |
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The 12-member Special Forces Cheer Program was selected as one of only five groups from around the globe to represent their division at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Walt Disney World on April 23-25. These cheerleaders are students with disabilities who will be the first squad in history to represent Central New Jersey. |
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The team features two student-athletes from the Middletown Township Public School District in Hannah Piasecki (Thompson Middle School) and Alexis Applegate (Thorne Middle School). District educator Brooke Palle coaches the team. Cheer Dream Xplosion launched the Special Forces squad in 2014 with assistance from the Cheer Dream Scoliosis Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Old Bridge. |
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The Special Forces squad provides more opportunities for cheer athletes with disabilities to participate in an environment with high expectations and competition standards. The initial group was composed of two athletes but has since expanded to two cheer abilities teams, including an exhibition squad and this elite competition team.
Be sure to watch the Special Forces Cheer Team routine that clinched the squad's bid to the world championships, and learn more about Special Forces Cheer by visiting the Cheer Dream Xplosion Facebook page.
Congratulations to Hannah, Alexis, Coach Palle and the entire Special Forces Cheer Team. Best of luck at the World Championships!
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HS South Student Recognized
at County Teen Arts Fest
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Congratulations to High School South senior Abigail Heller, who earlier this week was honored during the Monmouth County Teen Arts Festival. Heller's piece titled "Happy Birthday," a colored pencil creation, was selected to appear at the Best in Visual Arts Teen Arts Exhibition on Monday, March 28 at 6 p.m. in the Freehold Raceway Mall. The exhibition will be on display from March 28 through April 4.
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MTPS Therapy Dogs Pass
Good Citizen Test
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Congratulations to Roxy, Finn and Ace, a trio of the district's talented therapy pups, who earlier this week passed their Canine Good Citizen Test.
The American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Test is a certification program that evaluates dogs during simulated, everyday situations conducted in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere. Dogs who pass the test are considered reliable family and community members, as certified by the American Kennel Club.
Earlier this year, the Middletown Township Public School District began deploying therapy dogs across the district to assist students and staff members cope with strong emotions experienced inside and outside of the classroom.
This particular group of canines account for three of eight dogs in the district currently enrolled in the AIR School Therapy Dog Program, a 38-week training course offered by the Princeton, NJ based nonprofit organization Attitudes in Reverse (AIR). The program will prepare these pups to be interventionists during significant situations.
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WATCH: MTPS Nurtured Heart Approach Event (3.23.22) |
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Bayview's Amy Jennings Honored as Citizen of the Year |
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Congratulations to Bayview Elementary School educator Amy Jennings for being recognized as Middletown Township's Distinguished Citizen of the Year.
During a March 14 ceremony with Mayor Tony Perry and Board of Education President Frank Capone, Jennings was recognized with a proclamation and a plaque that celebrated her leadership and vision to found The Heroes Cafe.
The Heroes Cafe is a program in which students develop life and social skills in an interactive setting by preparing and delivering snacks and drinks to their teachers. The deliveries not only serve as a means of thanking the Bayview Elementary staff for all they do, but also as a fundraising effort in support of the No Limits Cafe on Route 35 near the border of Middletown and Red Bank.
Congratulations to Mrs. Jennings on this wonderful recognition. We can't thank you enough for all you do for the betterment of our school community and greater Middletown community.
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HS North Performing Artists Host Sensory-Friendly Performance |
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Earlier this week, the High School North Performing Arts Department presented a special sensory-friendly performance of A Chorus Line for MTPS students.
Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable arts experience for individuals with a sensitivity to sensory input. Modifications of a sensory-friendly performance may include, but are not limited to:
- Reduced sound levels
- Lowered lighting
- A reduction of strobe lighting
- Permission for audience members to talk and leave their seats while the performance is taking place
- Designated quiet areas in or around the theater
- Space throughout the theater reserved for standing and movement
High School North's public performance of A Chorus Line opens on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. with two followup performances scheduled for Saturday, March 19 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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Affordable Internet Options
for Middletown Students
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A number of affordable internet access options are currently available to Middletown Township Public School District students from vendors in or located near our community.
Determining your student's eligibility can be achieved by completing a brief application.
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