TRENTON, NJ -The Sparta Middle School robotics teams performed well in the VEX IQ State Championships on March 10 at NJIT. All three qualified for the finals with the 153D “The Chosen Ones” finishing second for the tournament. The D team also earned a ticket to the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas, Texas in May.
“Competing at states was awesome. I think it’s an experience that the team and I will always remember,” Team 153D’s Captain and Driver Srishanth Jakka said. “We had to work through many issues with our robot, but in the end we did well and received an award that qualified us for worlds. I think what we learned as a team is to never lose hope and work together to the best of our abilities regardless of the obstacles that we come across.”
“I think that going to Worlds for robotics will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. This was only able to happen because of all our team participation and hard work,” 153D Lead Programmer Eli Amiel said.
“All three teams proudly represented Sparta Middle School and strongly competed against the best teams in New Jersey, remaining focused on their goals as their positions changed among the top ranks throughout the day,” coach David Gorecki said.
Team 153C “Robotic Monkeys” finished in third place and 153E “Cyber Monkeys” took fifth out of 32 teams from around New Jersey.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions," Team 153C’s Engineer and Technical Writer Abhinav Mederametla said.
Team 153D won the Design Award at the NJIT competition, earning their slot at Worlds. According to VEX this award “recognizes a team's ability to document and explain their Engineering Design Process via an Engineering Notebook and Team Interview."
This is the second time in as many years Sparta Middle School robotics will be represented in Dallas, according to Gorecki.
“Our robotics students are so impressive. They each bring something uniquely valuable to their groups. We are very proud of them, and quite simply, we’re happy for them. They deserve this success, and we are grateful to have this fine group represent us in Dallas this May,” Gorecki said.
The Sparta Middle School team has a GoFundMe page "Support Sparta Middle School Robotics" to help offset the families' costs of competing at worlds, Gorecki said.
The 2024 Sparta Middle School Robotics Teams:
153C Robotic Monkeys
153D The Chosen Ones
153E Cyber Monkeys
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The Sparta High School DECA club had 74 students competing in the state competition at Harrah’s Resort from Sunday, March 2, to Wednesday, March 6. Sparta High School had an eventful DECA states trip with 11 earning a trip to the national competition.
Anderson said, "This DECA trip has been an extraordinary experience for all of the students involved and the chaperons as well."
"I am very proud of how well our students have done, how prepared they are, and how seriously they take it. Overall, it was a very successful trip," Chiappini said.
DECA is a club that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. The club is centered around preparing students for finance, marketing, business management, and hospitality careers. This year, there are 129 members in Sparta’s DECA club.
There are many categories of competition available in DECA. High school students can compete in the stock market game, a virtual business challenge, make-ahead business presentations, role-play scenarios and 10- or 20-page papers. Students can also compete in their events individually or as a team.
A DECA participant said, "DECA is a great experience and I have learned so much."
This club has significantly impacted those who participate, even the chaperons involved, according to those who were at the competition in Atlantic City.
Sparta High School DECA looks forward to competing in the national competition, to be held in Anaheim, California, this April.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – At the board of education meeting Sparta Education Association President Angela DeLuccia shared good news about the staff and school district.
It has only been a few weeks since my last report but there is certainly no shortage of good news to share with the Board and the community.
Last week we celebrated the love of reading week in our schools. Many educators and school community members participated in the festivities, including guest and mystery readers. Both Alpine and Mohawk Avenue librarians - Taran Doremus and Heather Freda organized author visits.
At Alpine, Amy Dolan was recognized by 106.3 “The Bear” as the Teacher of the Month. She was interviewed on the radio- and we are all so excited and proud of her.
Helen Morgan School really gave back this month!
Students in Mrs Miller and Mrs Posterino’s classes were so inspired by the SEL Kindness lesson that they organized a fundraiser at the 80s dance and raised 100$ for the “Soothing Paws” organization.
During our Read Across America celebrations, the HMS community collected books for a good cause. A Livingston 5th grader recently created a free lending library at the Newark Airport Terminal A. Her goal is to provide books for children and get them off of their devices while at the airport. HMS students and their families generously donated over 300 books to her cause.
At SMS, we have the highly competitive Student/ Faculty basketball game coming up on March 21st.
In partnership with St Elizabeth’s, Mrs Hoffman (through her work on the Culture and Climate team) and two of her students were an integral part of a major SEL project entitled, Engaging and Empowering the Voices of ALL Students . The product of their work is not only being shared with the SMS community, but now will be a part of a presentation that will be shared across the United States.
At the High School, we have two birth announcements- Congratulations to Tom DiNunzio as he and his family welcomed baby Lily and to Haley Anderson and her family with the arrival of baby Lucy!
Dr. Gianuzzi just presented at both the NJ Music Educators Conference and at Messiah College. The entire music department is currently in Orlando, Florida and their teachers have arranged for students to play and record in the Disney studios.
Mr. Fetherman and the Academic Bowl team earned champion status when they reigned victorious in their county competition - beating Pope John in the final round.
Mrs. Chiappini, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Merrill and their DECA students once again have successfully competed at the state level and many have advanced to the national level of competition that will take place next month.
Finally, the Wizard of Oz was a great success- with a full house on Friday and sold out shows on Saturday and Sunday. - The team of directors, Paige Lucas, Lisa Tafuri, Steven VIegas, Emily Scott, Laura Lopez, Andy Lopez, Mike Franek, and Dennis Romano worked incredibly hard- and the amazing students performed at a professional level- and we could not be more proud! A special thank you to our community volunteers, the Maintenance staff and the SHS custodians for their tremendous support.
Spring Sports have begun and many new and amazing things are happening in our buildings- and I look forward to sharing more great news next month.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – A Sparta woman is facing drunk driving after causing a crash. No one was injured on February 21 around 1:30 p.m. when Ptl. Alyse Brown and Ptl. Christopher Botta responded the scene of the two car accident on Father John’s Lane near Route 15. Graciela Kozakiewicz, 46 had tried to turn left onto Father John’s Lane from Route 15 south, police said.
She “failed to yield to oncoming traffic,” according to police. Her white Suburban collided with the car driving north on Route 15 and rolled down Father John’s Lane. The other car was disabled on Route 15, police said.
Botta spoke with Kozakiewicz while Brown talked with the other driver. Botta smelled alcohol on Kozakiewicz’s breath and saw other signs of impairment. The officer had Kozakiewicz perform field sobriety tests, according to police.
After the field sobriety tests, Kozakiewicz was taken into custody and brought to the New Jersey State Police Sussex barracks for breath testing. Once there she refused the test, police said.
Kozakiewicz was charged with DWI, refusal to submit to a breath test, reckless driving, failure to yield, unregistered vehicle, careless driving, failure to produce vehicle registration, failure to produce driver’s license.
Kozakiewicz was given a court date and released to a sober adult.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – A Sparta man is facing drunk driving charges after being stopped for driving in the wrong direction on Route 15. On February 15 around 3 a.m. Ptl. Harry Chewning saw Edward Sprich, 59 driving south on the northbound side of the highway, police said.
After the officer got Sprich pulled over he smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath. Chewning had Sprich perform field sobriety tests and took him into custody, police said.
Sprich was brought to the New Jersey State Police barracks for breath testing. Sprich was then charged with DWI, reckless driving, failure to keep right, unregistered vehicle, driving without a license, careless driving, delaying traffic, failure to produce vehicle registration and wrong way on a one-way street.
Sprich was given a court date and released to a sober adult.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – The children of Cub Scout Pack 150 honored Disability Awareness month at a special meeting. The scouts were visited by guest speaker Deb Reidmiller the National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee vice chair of education and training.
Reidmiller spoke with the scouts about disabilities visible and invisible. The scouts were able to experience simulations of various disabilities including mobility, vision, hearing, dexterity, ADHD and dyslexia. The scouts had the opportunity to learn a bit of sign language.
Cubmaster Diane Bose presented a “tranquility base” to the pack, with a discussion about how they can take advantage of its tools if they feel overstimulated and in need of a “safe, tranquil space to reregulate themselves” to be able to return to the scouting activities.
The tranquility base includes “sensory friendly” items such as noise canceling headphones, play dough, fidget toys and drawing supplies.
Bose said, “Disability awareness and the tranquility base are just two ways Pack 150 welcome and supports scouts of all abilities.” For additional information about Cub Scout Pack 150 email Bose or visit their Facebook page
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SPARTA, NJ – The Sussex Tech boys basketball team finished with a record-breaking season. The 2023–2024 Mustangs had an experienced roster with eight seniors and two juniors, putting together a 16-9 season.
"I am so grateful and proud to have coached this group," Coach Andrew Carbone said. "They accomplished things that had never been done here at Tech. We fell just short of hanging a banner, but they left their mark at Tech. The difference with these guys is that they all had to learn to play together; they haven’t been playing together since they were younger. It’s a unique dynamic and they deserve all the credit for going full force ahead and competing the way they did. I can’t be more proud of this group."
Tech finished on top at the Belvidere Holiday Tournament. While the championship proved elusive they had an 8-2 record in their division and boasted a six-game winning streak.
Another significant milestone for the Mustangs was earning a playoff spot, for only the second time in the program’s history. According to Coach Andrew Carbone, the last time the team saw the playoffs was in 2010.
Their season ended with a loss to three-time sectional champs Ramsey.
The team had five individual stand out players, earning post-season All-Conference accolades; two were named to the first team, two to the second team and an honorable mention.
Justyn Hetman led the team with 315 points with several double doubles throughout the season. Will White put up 280 points, also with multiple double-double games and claimed six 3’s in one game. Four-year starter Eliot Griner contributed to the Mustang's success with 174 points.
Anthony Schenider had a standout game, dropping in five from 3-point territory, finishing the season with 163 points. Right behind that, Dane Walker put up 162 points during the record year.
Rounding out the Mustangs' ’24 roster:
SPARTA, NJ – When two Starbucks’ employees found their cars damaged in the store’s parking lot Sparta Police Cpl Arlene Lippencott and Det. Steven Guido investigated and ended up arresting a Franklin man, according to police.
On January 24 Lippencott took a complaint from the two employees who had their side view mirrors broken. The vandalism came with a price tag of more than $600, according to police.
On February 5 Guido reviewed the surveillance video from North Village and saw a red Volkswagon Jetta circling the parking lot twice before parking near the employees, getting out of his car, unfolding the mirrors and “striking them with his hand” breaking them. Guido was able to identify the man with a beard wearing a tan jacket and blue pants as 36-year-old Craig Rothacker, police said.
After vandalizing the cars, Rothacker got back in his car and left North Village via White Lake Road, police said.
Rothacker was arrested and charged with criminal mischief. He was released pending a court date.
]]>WASHINGTON, NJ – Sparta’s Helen Morgan School had two teams competing in the New Jersey State 3D championship tournament held at Warren Hills High School. The Blue team successfully defended their state title with a score of 1390 putting a 34 point buffer between them and the second place team.
The White team shot 1265, a score that allowed both teams to qualify for the 3D Eastern National competition, Coach AJ Agnor said.
"It has been exciting to witness the growth of this program and its continued success," Helen Morgan Principal Doug Layman said. "The coaches and athletes put in a lot of time, often before and after school, and effort in preparation for this tournament and the results demonstrate that the hard work has paid off."
The girls took all three podium positions in the Elementary girls division:
Colin Sanchez earned first place in the Elementary boys division. Bade Duru finished as the top fourth grade archer in the tournament with a score of 218.
Agnor said D’Aleo shot the most bullseyes for the Helen Morgan teams with nine.
The 3D team score comes from the top six archers. For Helen Morgan’s teams the top six scores were:
The NASP Eastern National IBO 3D Challenge is held in Louisville, Kentucky in May.
The team is led by coaches Angor, Kyle. Markovic,Lillian Farrell and Jennifer Cannon. In their second season the team has team jerseys and sponsors.
The 2024 Helen Morgan archers:
SPARTA, NJ – The high school girls lacrosse team is starting their season with a new coach. Jack Bushey is looking to build on the teams 2023 record of 12-8, with a majority of returning players on the roster.
“I am very optimistic for this upcoming season,” Bushey said. “We have a lot of veteran talent of multiple year starters spread out across the field, that will be mixed in with a lot of young talent.”
Returning for the 2024 season:
Two Spartan players have committed to continue their athletic career at the collegiate level, according to Bushey. Kowalski with 200 goals already for her first two high school years, will play at the University of Notre Dame. Cina will play at Susquehanna University.
New names on the roster for the 2024 season:
Bushey gives an overview for the season.
“We are going to have an offense with a lot of great scoring options. With the multiple scorers we have, we will be a hard team to scout. On the defensive end we have four returning senior starters on defense and a returning starting senior goalie. The maturity and experience should help be a strong part of our team,” he said.
The girls begin their season on Monday, April 1 playing at Rumson Fair Haven. Their home opener is Saturday, April 4 when they will host Kittatinny Regional High School.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – Sparta’s Governor’s Educators of the Year were honored at the board of education meeting last week.
“This is my favorite night of the year,” Superintendent Matthew Beck said.
The process begins with nominations from the community, parents and teachers in the fall. In December, the nominations are tallied.
Sparta Middle School Principal Frank Ciaburri introduced Catherine Jennings and Alexa Griffin, the Governor Educator and Educational Professional of the Year.
Jennings teaches six grade social studies on the Amber Team. While this is her first year at the middle school level, having taught elementary school for several years, she “immediately became very comfortable with the middle school and embraced her new assignment.”
“Mrs. Jennings consistently demonstrates an exceptional understanding of grade appropriate learning, employing a diverse range of teaching strategies that cater to the unique needs of each student,” Ciaburri said. “She has brough a unique touch of an English Language Arts teacher’s background to her classroom. It is clear that Mrs. Jennings has dedicated herself to the middle school, her new subject area and to her students.”
Ciaburri said Jennings’ students said she is “cool, calm and collected and never gets distracted.” When he told the student he had not heard a teacher described that way the student said, “Well, it’s true, she always keeps us on task and makes social studies fun – I mean very fun.”
Ciaburri said Jennings’ colleagues said, “Catherine is an exceptional educator whose adaptability to new challenges, expertise in teaching reading, dedication to professional development and strong connections with students and parents makes her truly deserving of this award.”
Turning to Griffin, Ciaburri said she has been the school nurse at the middle school for two years and a nurse in the district for several years. At the middle school Griffin spearheaded the Project Adam initiative making Sparta Township Public Schools the first certified heart safe school district in New Jersey. She has also been asked to sit on the Project Adam New Jersey advisory committee to bring it to other schools and communities.
“During her time at the middle school Nurse Griffin demonstrated a special kindness and compassion towards our students and staff and has created meaningful relationships with students, parents and families. Nurse Griffin always makes the medical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing of our students the number one priority and has become one of the students’ greatest advocates.”
Griffin also serves the community as an active volunteer Sparta EMT and member of the Board of Trustees. She trains district staff in CPR, First Aid and Safety and more. She even teaches the babysitting course at the Sparta Recreation Department.
“Sparta Middle School and the Sparta School District are honored to have a medical professional such as Nurse Griffin on our team,” Ciaburri said.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – The township council is undertaking the issue of short term rentals a/k/a/ Airbnb or VRBO type businesses. At their meeting last the public was invited to share their thoughts on the matter.
Several came prepared to talk about their positive experiences as short-term rental owners.
Bianca said her house on Lake Mohawk has been successfully renting to vacationers despite the LMCC Bylaw that restricts short-term rentals to not less than three months.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing that people from the outside are coming in and spending the weekend and spending money here,” Bianca said.
Beth Broderick spoke against having short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. She said she was not against having a home rented for a couple of months to hold people over between moves.
“If you’ve got different people moving in and out of the neighborhood every weekend, every week, they’re not respecting the personality of the community, the neighborhood the people that live there full time. They are causing concerns; they are disruptive or they’re not respectful.”
She was also concerned about safety, privacy and traffic and “people who want to do whatever they want.”
Sparta wedding venue owner Perry Bonadies said he purchased a home from a resident who was continually harassing his wedding parties with loud noise, often having to get police involved. He renovated the home using local contractors, rents it and contemplates building another one.
“Now since the Airbnb is there, there’s no police, no noise complaints,” Bonadies said. “One neighbor said he thought it would be a problem, but once I put it up there is no problem.”
He said Airbnb has strict rules about parties and they do not allow weddings.
“There is no impact on schools. There’s a need for lodging,” Bonadies said. “I almost think the private communities should vote on it.”
Lake Saginaw property owner Rose said, “Because the tax and maintenance of the property is huge so we thought being able to be an Airbnb would help take the burden a little bit. That’s part of the reason we bought it. We are doing home share.”
Rose said they own three homes including one in Sparta, Jefferson and Hopatcong. She said they asked the town about short term rentals and was told there are no rules about it. She said the guests have been “very good” and the “neighbors are good.”
“Because it’s a nice property [renters] to go very expensive restaurants,” Rose said.
Sparta Police Chief Jeff McCarrick said officers have been called to deal with issues relating to the renters. The calls have been made by neighbors about parking, noise and intoxication.
He said they were aware of “Mansion Parties” where a party was advertised in cities as “come to the country” for the weekend to party, in the past. They were called by neighbors when the “parties were going at 2 – 3 in the morning.”
There was a dangerous incident on Douglass Drive when a renter broke into the neighbor’s home thinking it was his rental. Enraged that someone was in “his house” the mistaken renter threatened the homeowners who barricaded themselves in their bedroom, terrified. Police were called to the scene. Police said the renter was lucky things ended the way they did.
Broderick said, “We’re not LBI. I don’t know that we need Airbnb weekend rentals to break up the community Sparta is,” especially around the many lake communities in Sparta. “It’s going to go from a quiet lake community where you know your neighbors you know what’s normal for your neighborhood.”
Sussex County Chamber of Commerce President Tammy Horsfeld said it was important for tourism in the county to have “beds for heads” so they will spend time in Sussex County and "spend their money here."
Zoning Ordinances
Sparta’s land use ordinances prohibit commercial properties in residential zones.
In 18-4.9 Residential Zone and RR zones the purpose statements state; “This zone is designated for detached single family residential use” or “single family dwelling units.” Agriculture is permitted in Rural Residential-1 and 2 zones. Kennels, schools and churches are “conditional uses,” in RR zones. In some RR zones “institutional uses” are conditional uses. In RR4 Bed and Breakfasts are permitted.
In 18-2.1 a Dwelling Unit is defined as “…one or more rooms, designed, occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters with cooking, sleeping and sanitary facilities provided within the dwelling unit for the exclusive use of a single family maintaining a household.”
Multi-Family zones also require units to be dwelling units and “for sale only.”
Somewhat related 18-4.5 f. “All Residential Zones. No more than two roomers or boarders per family unit shall be permitted.”
The township discussed a similar issue when residents raised concern about sober living homes operating in residential neighborhoods in 2021.
The council members did not share their thoughts on the issue. Mayor Neill Clark said they would continue to discuss short-term rentals. The topic is not on the agenda but the public can comment at the meeting on Tuesday, March 12.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – The Sparta Unified basketball team celebrated their successful season with a pizza party at Villa Capri II sponsored by the Sparta Kiwanis. They finished the season with a record of 19-3-1.
“We are so proud of all of our members,” Coach Jennifer Schock said. “It was really nice to come together to tell stories from the season and sit and enjoy each other's company over a slice of hot pizza and dessert. Thank you to the Sparta Kiwanis for your generosity.”
Sparta High School’s Unified basketball team honored the seniors on February 28 with a home game against Randolph High School. With all players getting a chance to participate, the Spartans recorded their final win of the 2023-2024 season, beating the Rams 42-31.
Schock said, “Thank you to all of our graduating seniors, who put their heart and soul into making our Unified Basketball team what it is today. Our spectacular senior are Dante Buccino, Belle Cardoza, Owen Carey, Quint Flannery, Charlote Krumpfer, Kate McCall, Gian Parker, Sophia Paolercio, Jillian Robertson, Raina Santora, Hunter Takacs, AnnaMarie VanGrouw and Walter Willwerth. Each of them will be dearly missed.”
The team won the 2024 Tri-County Pass it Along Unified Basketball tournament held at Hackettstown High School on February 27. Sparta was represented by two teams- Light Blue and Dark Blue.
Theo Peirce, the Light Blue team’s “rebound specialist” led with 36 points. Big Nick Cuciniello also had a strong outing with 32 points.
“Both men crashed the boards all night long, leading their team to an undefeated record of 4-0,” Coach Schock said.
Dark Blue’s “Big Man” Grady Gaines “was absolutely unstoppable” according to Schock, with an impressive 62 points. Jake Sabo drained another 32 points for the Dark Blue.
Dark Blue finished the tourney with a record of 3-1; their only loss was to Light Blue. The two Spartan teams joined to play for the championship against High Point High School winning 35-22.
The Unified Track team gears up for the spring season beginning on March 19.
]]>WEST MILFORD, NJ – Two Sparta youth wrestles won their weight classes at the Queen Bee wrestling tournament.
“They both wrestled well and they are extremely coachable,” Coach Michael Roselle.
According to Roselle, Clemens had “really tough matches and was able to fight through and win them.”
He said, Jordyn Roselle won with two pins and a technical fall.
“One of the pins was a come from behind win,” coach said.
Clemens will be competing in the girls state tournament, according to Coach Roselle.
“They both have bright futures,” he said.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – The Sparta Middle School girls basketball team has earned back to back titles having won the Hardyston Township Middle School tournament for the second year.
Sparta’s Izzy Van Winkle earned the All County Team Player trophy. Natalija Novkovic earned the Most Valuable Player award.
The team, led by Coach Amy Tripold has put together a two year record of 28-1
“I would like to share that this group of young athletes are extremely talented and skilled basketball players and I'm very proud to be their coach,” Coach Tripold said. “They had such a successful season because they had a strong work ethic, supported each other, and above all else they had so much fun playing the sport of basketball.”
The girls competed against teams from Andover, Byram, Frankford, Franklin, Green Hills, Hardyston, Kittatinny, Lafayette, Newton, Northwest Christian Academy, Ogdensburg, Stanhope, Sussex Charter, Sussex Christian, Sussex, and Vernon.
This year’s team includes players from sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
8th grade:
7th Grade:
6th Grade:
SPARTA, NJ – Diamond Chip Realty's warehouse water quality management plan will have a hearing at the Sussex County Water Quality Management Policy Advisory Committee or WQM PAC Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 7.
Under Old Business on their agenda the WQM PAC has scheduled a public comment period and hearing on the matter. The agenda also shows they will vote on a Consent Resolution.
At their February 14, 2024 meeting the Sparta Township Council voted not to give consent to Diamond Chip Realty’s WQM Plan; “9-9 Resolution Advising that the Sparta Township Council is Unable to Make a Determination as to Whether the Township Consents to the Proposed Sussex Water Quality Management (WQM) Plan Amendment Entitled ‘Designation of the Sparta Warehouse Sewer Service Area.’”
Councilwoman Christine Quinn, Councilman Josh Hertzberg and Councilman Dan Chiariello voted to support the resolution. Mayor Neill Clark and Deputy Mayor Dean Blumetti abstained from the vote.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced a public hearing on the water quality management plan will be held via Microsoft Teams on May 21 at 10 a.m. Details on how to access the hearing will be made available one day before the public hearing.
History of Diamond Chip Realty’s Warehouse WQM Plan
Sparta township approved the first WQMP for the warehouse at their October 26, 2021 meeting. Resolution 9-14 “Consenting to the Proposed Water Quality Management (WQM) Plan Amendment Entitled: Designation of the Sparta Warehouse Sewer Service Area” was the first time the mega warehouse was disclosed.
Over the course of two meetings, January and February 2022, the Sussex County WQM PAC discussed and approved the original WQM plan.
On February 20, 2024, the Sussex County Planning Board "disapproved" Diamond Chip Realty's application because of safety concerns on County Road 669.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – Sparta’s Governor’s Educators of the Year were honored at the February board of education meeting.
“This is my favorite night of the year,” Superintendent Matthew Beck said.
The process begins with nominations from the community, parents and teachers in the fall. In December, the nominations are tallied.
Helen Morgan Principal Doug Layman introduced the school’s nominees Nicole Petrock and Sonja Benson. He explained the staff has been focused on school culture and climate and “as we reflected as a staff on our strengths we identified two major themes in establishing and maintaining a positive school culture; and they are as applicable to schools as they are to any other field that requires people to work together; Relationships and Expectations.”
Layman said the two nominees “truly exemplify these guiding values.”
Petrock, an instructional aide along with several other duties over the past five years, “works tirelessly, and always with a smile, in the classroom, helping students succeed and become more confident learners.”
“A resident of Sparta, mother of three, and wife of a coach, Nicole frequently volunteers at many community and school events, and for many of our sports teams, including football, wrestling, and softball for which she serves as a board member. Nicole may hold claim for the best baker at HMS, but I assure you that had nothing to do with her being named this year’s recipient of the Educational Services Provider of the Year award. Nicole, thank you for your service to our students and your contributions to our school culture,” Layman said.
The principal next shared remarks about Benson, a Special Education teacher at Helen Morgan School. He said she “most represents the best of who we are.”
Layman said, “I think I speak for our entire staff when I say that Sonja’s dedication to her work, compassion for all students, and effervescent personality has set a standard that all of her colleagues seek to attain. And we are a better school for it.”
Sharing a comment from Benson’s colleague, Layman said she is seen as “an inspiration.”
Layman continued the quote, “’She teaches from a place of love and focuses on building strong relationships with her students, colleagues, and community. She has an innate ability to create a learning environment that is fun, safe and rewarding…with the goal of ensuring that each child will find success and thrive beyond their own expectations….You can’t help but smile when you hear Sonja’s contagious laugh and you know that today will be another good day.’”
Layman congratulated and thanked them for their accomplishments.
“In their different roles they each have made significant and lasting contributions to our positive school culture,” Layman said.
]]>SPARTA, NJ – In a unique way of showing support for the cause, Anand Dash will be joining the New Jersey Highlands Coalition’s “Urban Rappelling” event, going “Over the Edge.”
Dash, local lawyer and Sparta Responsible Development President will be joining 90 people “experiencing the thrill of rappelling 200 feet down the Hilton Meadowlands in East Rutherford,” according to Barbara Gomes of SRD.
“Because our community continues to prove that people protect the places they love, and because the New Jersey Highlands Coalition once again presents us with an opportunity to deepen our partnership and lift up the passion and effort put forth by their member organizations who share the concern for clean water, I am proud to represent our community and rappel for our cause,” Dash said.
Gomes said, “If you don’t know your neighbor Anand, you may not have heard about the application for a ‘Mega Warehouse’ in Sparta on land that sits above the Germany Flats aquifer. His questions about the intensity of the use and the zoning of this application have led to a large-scale community effort to engage and inform our government, oppose the application in court, and present expert testimony at Planning Board hearings.”
The rappelling event is a fundraiser for SRD. They have committed to raising $1000 and are asking local residents to help them reach their goal. According to Gomes each donation to SRD’s campaign to send Dash “Over the Edge,” will go to empowering their “grassroots conservation efforts at the community level.”
Any donation above the $1000 goal will go to the SRD’s continued fundraising to bring expert legal counsel and testimony in their ongoing litigation and to the planning board hearings.
NJHC is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, your donations are tax-deductible. The New Jersey Highlands Coalition (NJHC) is the fiscal sponsor for Sparta Responsible Development.
Gomes said anyone who would prefer to write a check can send it to NJ Highlands Coalition at NJHC 508 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005 with SRD in the memo.
“Sparta Responsible Development’s mission is to join together concerned citizens to encourage responsible development that protects our people, our environmental resources, and our future,” Gomes said. "Help us reach our goal."
Sparta Responsible Development Honored by New Jersey Highlands Coalition
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