2019 West Milford High School Commencement
Recorded: June 19th, 2019 - 6:45pm
Construction of the MacCormick Field bleachers and press box are documented in this time-lapse video created by Joe Jordan of West Milford High School.
Imagine kindergartners donning chef hats and aprons to cook and serve food in their own restaurant. Students at the Westbrook School in West Milford learn everything from math to reading with this program. This program was funded through an NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Foundation grant.
Students at Westbrook Elementary School in West Milford are learning about tolerance and acceptance by getting involved in The Cleft Buddy Project. As part of a school-wide fundraiser for the Smile Train, an organization that provides surgeries to correct facial deformities, the children collected money and other items to donate to this and other worthy projects. This all took place on the 100th day of school – combining community service work with lessons about math.
Kindergartners at Westbrook Elementary in West Milford collected antiques and souvenirs to learn more about American heritage. Grandparents and local senior citizens were invited to share their memories of childhood. This program was funded through an NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Foundation grant.
Students from West Milford Township High School team up with students from Maple Road Elementary School on a watershed project in their community. The high school students capture fish and conduct tests as part of a unit on molecular biology while the elementary students work with the high school students to dissect fish and write their findings on the project blog. The project is funded in part through a Frederick L. Hipp grant.
Write Type of Mentor - Even professional writers know the value of finding the right writing mentor. 2012-2013 Passaic County Teacher of the Year Mary Duffy and her colleague at West Milford's Marshall Hill Elementary School help their second grade students find the "write" type of writing mentor from among the fifth-grade students. For their efforts they won grant money to implement their program which is designed to empower their students as authors.
Boxes for Birds - Skills for the 21st century include the ability to make connections and work collaboratively to solve problems. Five classes in four different subject areas at West Milford Township High School are working on Boxes for Birds. The environmental science students from Advanced Placement and special education classes research birds that are likely to live in the area around the school. The students will research and compile a list of habitat requirements for the species, including food choices and nesting locations. Geometry classes will design houses for the birds, and the CAD (Computer Aided Design) classes create blueprints. The woodshop students build the bird houses. And the students install the boxes on campus.
Uncovering Art in Earth - . The goal of Uncovering Art in eARTh is to collect visual data, make observations and create art. West Milford Township High School teachers Coleen Weiss-Magasic and Catherine Mellino-Muphy guide their students through a project that focuses on conservation, the environment and art. The students use microscope cameras to collect data and experience nature journaling to document the process. This project is made possible thanks to a Frederick L. Hipp grant.
International Festival - The Maple Road Elementary School in West Milford prepares for months for an International Festival. The multi-disciplinary project starts with research and ends with a memorable evening that includes a fashion show, art projects, and musical and dance performances and concludes with a tribute to America.
Pillars of Character - A team of teachers develops and monitors the character education program at Macopin Middle School in West Milford. Principal Mary Reinhold encourages the concepts: Be Here, Be Safe, Let Go & Move On, Be Respectful, Set Goals and Be Honest. A wall display and signs around the school encourage positive messages. Character education is incorporated in all aspects of the school, from the hallways, classrooms, gym and even the cafeteria.
Jellybean Tax – Apshawa Elementary teacher Jaclyn Becker uses jellybeans to teach fourth graders a lesson about the fairness of taxation. This creative and engaging project is just one reason by she was named the 2015 NJ History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Boxes for Birds II - Collaboration is key to the success of the West Milford Township High School Boxes for Birds, Bat and Bees project. For the past two years, eight classes in four subject areas work on the STEM-based project. The classes include college prep biology and special education environmental science, Computer Aided Design (CAD), geometry and woodworking. Based on a survey, the classes will adapt plans to make the boxes more successful at attracting birds, bats and bees.