Verona Public Schools Magazine 2019 Edition

The Verona Public Schools Magazine 2019 Edition is the third annual celebration of a focused endeavor to convey the progress of our collective efforts in our district’s strategic plan. The goal of this publication is to showcase where and how the district is moving forward and recognize the efforts of all involved; to reset ourselves to the next level of a standard so we constantly see the logical next steps to pursue; and to keep us grounded in the commitment to our community through our strategic plan. We hope you enjoy reading what makes the Verona Public Schools so very special.

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MAGAZINE NAMES VERONA PUBLIC SCHOOLS TOP 34 'DISTRICTS OF DISTINCTION' IN NATION

TRUMBULL, Conn.—(July 15, 2019)—In its July/August edition, District Administration magazine honors 34 school districts as “Districts of Distinction” across the nation. The Verona Public School district was recognized as an innovative district in DA’s annual awards program. This is the ninth round of honorees for this national recognition program, which began in November 2014.

DR. DIONISIO SELECTED ESSEX COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR

We are proud to announce that our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Rui Dionisio, has been recognized as the 2019-2020 Essex County Superintendent of the Year. This prestigious award is given to a Superintendent who exhibits leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and active participation in community involvement with an understanding of regional, national, and international issues. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Dionisio on this latest accomplishment. Click the link above to read more.

THE VERONA SCHOOL BOARD ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY INFORMATION

The Verona Board of Education will have 2 board seats that are up for reelection in the November 5, 2019 Annual School Election, Cheryl Nardino, School Business Administrator/Board Secretary, announced today. A full term on the school board runs for three years.

VERONA HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS WILL IMPACT OUR SCHOOLS

The Verona Township does not seem to have much of an appetite these days for sharing PILOT funds with our schools. Making decisions without consideration for the impact to our classrooms will have significant implications on teaching and learning. We have spent a considerable amount of time, strategic effort, creativity, and resources that have resulted in the outstanding educational opportunities afforded our children. We have come way too far to allow anything to chip away at the quality of education our students undoubtedly deserve. Read more by clicking the link above.

U.S. News & World Report Recognizes Verona High School Top Ranked School in Nation

Verona High School was recently ranked #33 among all true public high schools in New Jersey and #55 overall in the state by U.S. News & World Report 2019 Best High Schools Rankings. Verona High School is ranked #1,293 in the National Rankings. Schools are ranked on their performance on college readiness, math & reading proficiency and performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rate. Read more about how U.S. News & World Report ranks the Best High Schools.

Verona Correspondent Riley interviews the Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dionisio

Laning Avenue School 4th grade student and Verona Correspondent Riley for Laning Avenue School TV recently sat down on May 1, 2019 to chat with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dionisio.

Verona Board of Education 2019-2020 Budget

The Verona Board of Education Public Budget Hearing 2019-2020 was presented on April 23, 2019. Click the above link for the Slide Presentation.

Superintendent Budget Update to Verona Board of Education

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, Dr. Dionisio presented a budget update to the Verona Board of Education on fiscal projections to be recommended for approval on April 23, 2019. Dr. Dionisio shared his recommendations to increase staffing and programs for the 2019-20 school year. Click the link above for more information.

V~SEA Flyer 2019

Welcome to V~SEA’s 15th year! The purpose of the Verona Summer Enrichment Academy (V~SEA) is to expand students’ knowledge base, build on their interests and encourage creative thinking.We invite your children to participate in this unique experience. The students are taught in an environment which features hands-on, materials-based learning

Verona High School Recognized Top 1.5% In The Nation

Verona High School was recently recognized on the 2018 Jay Mathews Challenge Index in the top 1.5% of all schools in the U.S., #318 in the nation, #7 in N.J., and #2 among all conventional public high schools in N.J., our highest ranking ever. This ranking represents a significant climb from #1512, since 2016. (The Washington Post America’s Most Challenging High Schools 2016). Also worth noting, our student performance on Advanced Placement exams have improved from 5 years ago, as student access and participation in rigorous coursework has increased. Verona High School’s recognition is a testament to how well our students are prepared in grades K-8 prior to entering Verona High School. This, combined with a quality staff, curriculum, and student supports has resulted in increased student achievement. This success is only possible through the constant focus, commitment, and support of the Board of Education, administration, staff, students, and families. Click the link above to read more.

Verona High School Recognized on the College Board’s 9th Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success

Verona High School is one of 373 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 9th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 9th Annual Honor Roll, Verona High School had to, since 2016, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP. Read more by clicking the heading above.

The Verona High School STEM Team Designed The Best Catapult.

On Friday, October 26th, the VHS Engineering Team won the 16th Annual Rowan University Pumpkin Chunkin Competition. The students built a catapult that won first place overall after firing a pumpkin more than 400 feet. Check out the News 12 NJ Video here.

Verona High School Recognized as #2 High School in New Jersey by College Board

We are proud to share that Verona High School was recently recognized by College Board as a top performing high school in New Jersey. VHS is ranked #2 in New Jersey in participation in Advanced Placement exams in grades 9-12. Even more impressive, as our student participation has increased, so have our student performance outcomes. Our school district is among the top performing high schools in the entire nation. This ranking is the second independent recognition, most recently being acknowledged by NJ Monthly as the #24 top high school in New Jersey. We have much to be proud of. Click the above link to read more.

The Verona Board of Education Candidates Forum

The Verona Conference of SCAs presents the Verona BOE Candidates Forum. Click the link above to watch the candidate positions on Board goals and governance.

Spring 2018 PARCC Results

On October 9, 2018, Mr. Miller, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, presented the spring 2018 PARCC results in ELA from grades 3 to 11 and in mathematics from grades 3 through Algebra II.

AP Highlights & Scholar Awards

On September 25, 2018, we celebrated the accomplishments of our dedicated and hard working AP students.  Mr. Miller, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, and Mr. Cogdill, VHS Principal, presented AP Highlights and Scholar Awards for the 2017-18 school year to a packed audience.  Congratulations to all of our AP Scholars!

2018 V~SEA (Verona Summer Enrichment Academy)

THE VERONA SCHOOL BOARD ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY INFORMATION

June, 2017 – The Verona School District has announced it has information available for citizens interested in running for a vacant seat on the Board of Education.

Board of Education 2017-2018 Budget Presentation - April 25, 2017

The Board of Education 2017-2018 Budget presentation that was presented on April 25, 2017 Public Hearing, may be reviewed by clicking the above heading.

Brookdale Technology Donation Press Release

The Verona Board of Education has accepted an anonymous donation of $14,400 that will go toward technology in the media center and technology lab at Brookdale Avenue School at the general meeting on February 28, 2017. With this generous donation, Brookdale Avenue School will be able to upgrade their media center technology...

Verona Junior Woman's Congratulate Spelling Bee Winners

On Saturday, January 11, 2017, over thirty 4th and 5th graders participated in the annual Junior Woman’s Club of Verona Spelling Bee Competition held at F.N. Brown Elementary School. A special thank you to our judges, Mrs. Cheryl Ashley, Director of the Verona Public Library; Mrs. Corisa Walker, Library Media Specialist at F.N. Brown and Brookdale Avenue School; and Mr. Charles Miller, Director of Curriculum who kindly volunteered their time for the morning. Thank you to Diana Weeks and Joanna Rybak from the Verona Juniors who organized the event. Finally, thank you to Verona Juniors President, Erika Grothues, who announced the words.

Chromebooks in the Classroom

Verona Foundation for Educational Excellence (VFEE) is proud to announce a Special Grant awarded to the Verona Public Schools in support of the District Wide Google Initiative. In 2015, VFEE granted $75,000 over the course of three years to support Chromebooks in our Classrooms. $25,000 was awarded at the Verona Board of Education meeting on September 8, 2015. VFEE will provide $25,000 per year for the next two years making the Google Initiative Grant the largest award by VFEE since its inception in 2007.

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Update

The Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment department consisting of Director of Curriculum, Mr. Miller, Supervisor of Humanities, Dr. Bangia, and Supervisor of STEM, Mr. Stevenson, updated the Board of Education and the public with the latest information regarding Verona's curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Asking All the Right Questions

Opening up dialogue with your child is critical to their outlook on life and supporting them in achieving their individual potential by asking the following questions: “What was the best part of your day and why?”, “What are you thankful for?” and “What was the most challenging part of your day and how did you handle that problem?”

Inquiry in Action

The Verona Public Schools district is dedicated to cultivating learning environments that nurture the curiosity that exists naturally in children. It was clear from teacher feedback that last year’s inquiry-based science pilot program fostered a high level of student engagement. The new science program, developed with support from the Smithsonian Institute and National Academies of Science, is being implemented this year in our elementary and middle schools with the goal of increasing student engagement and improving student knowledge of scientific processes.

Field Turf

December 8, 2016 The Star Ledger recently published an investigative article on Field Turf regarding a product called Duraspine used to construct athletic turf field fibers. Field Turf has advised the Verona Public Schools that the new athletic fields being installed in our community are not made with this material. Attached are two letters from Field Turf providing detail on the matter and confirming that the Verona Public Schools is not impacted by this situation. Please click the Field Turf tab above this text to view the correspondence.

Leaving a Legacy-In Memory of Arthur Acquaviva

Mr. Arthur Acquaviva, known as “Mr. A” to staff­ and students, was a valued and trusted member of the VHS family. Art was named Library Media Specialist in 2000. During his tenure, he was responsible for leading the effort to transform our library into a 21st Century learning facility. Earlier this year, we received news that Mr. Acquaviva made a significant donation to Verona High School in the amount of $266,042. In accepting this generous contribution, the District will be renaming our library the Arthur Acquaviva Learning Commons. The donation provides funds to continue Art’s desire to enhance VHS with a 21st Century space, infusing the learning space with new and flexible furnishings to meet our student and faculty needs. Additional funds provided by Mr. Acquaviva will be allocated for a scholarship fund for Verona High School graduates.

Joint BOE-Township Meeting 10-24-16

The Verona Board of Education and the Verona Township Council conducted a joint meeting on October 24, 2016 at the Verona Community Center to discuss important highlights specific to each organization. The Board of Education discussed the District Strategic Plan, Academic Progress, Commitment of our Staff, and Building and Facility Improvements. The Township Council provided information on Recreation Updates, Shared Services, and PILOT agreement discussion.

VHS Fitness Center Fundraiser Press Release 2016

Beginning October 2016, Verona High School instituted a new and unique fundraising effort that will raise funds to upgrade the VHS ­fitness center facility with new equipment while also enhancing the paver dedication walkway on the Thomas J. Sellitto Athletic Field. Please see the attached press release for more information.