Watchung Hills to Present the 'Roar of the Greasepaint'

Spring musical opens March 13.

Schools Looking Closely at Possible Sequestration Impacts

Districts across New Jersey await state aid figures this week with uncertainty.

The Warren school district faces the deadline to submit the 2013-2014 budget to the county next week with uncertainty as to whether $85 billion in federal "sequestration" spending cuts will be stopped by Congress before Friday.  And while districts will learn their state aid figures this week after Gov. Chris Christie delivers his fiscal year 2014 budget address Tuesday afternoon, local officials have already considered how to address the federal budget situation in their budgets. Watchung Hills Regional Business Administrator Tim Stys said at the Feb. 18 board of education meeting that the district is currently budgeting $100,000 less in federal aid than in previous years. "We have in the budget a decrease of $100,000 or so," he said. "We…

• Photos (1)

Morning Commencement Considered at High School

Administrators eye several graduation options in hopes of avoiding complications.

After scouring the area for available venues with enough space to host a Watchung Hills Regional commencement exercises, school officials ultimately acknowledged the best possible location is right in the school's backyard. But too many times in recent years, Tozier Stadium has been abandoned in favor of indoor graduation, either because of unbearably high temperatures (think Class of 2012) or expected thunderstorms (think Class of 2011). At Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, Principal George Alexis and vice principals Patricia Toubin and Terry MacConnell presented a possible solution to both problems: morning commencement.  "We've sat here, year after year, and as the day progresses, in come the clouds," Toubin said, referring to the …

•  18 Comments
• Photos (1)

Watchung Hills' Superintendent to Retire

Frances Stromsland says she'll 'miss the people' more than the long days.

The Watchung Hills Board of Education accepted a letter of resignation from Superintendent Frances Stromsland Tuesday night, voting after she read an emotional letter expressing her love of the school. Dr. Stromsland will retire at the end of the school year.  "It has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve as leader of this distirct and now look forward to my next chapter," she said.  Dr. Stromsland said she came to Watchung Hills Regional in 2001, and "recognized very quickly that it is a very special place." Her tenure as superintendent began in the midst of major growth for Watchung Hills, as enrollment doubled and the staff grew substantially. "I often worried about the impact and challenges of not having proper space or enough  …

•  1 Comment
• Videos (1)

Watchung Hills Wins Radio Christmas Choir Contest

NJ1015 contest included high school, middle school and elementary winners.

Watchung Hills Regional's Music Department's vocal ensemble will receive a $1,000 boost after the school's entry in NJ101.5 FM radio's Christmas Choir contest won the high school category. The third annual contest's winners were announced Friday, and the station said more than 100,000 votes were cast in the contest. "I'm thrilled at this opportunity to showcase the talent of my students to such a large audience," Angela DiIorio, director of vocal music at Watchung Hills, was quoted in a blog post by Carl Bird. "I'm happy the rest of the state is now able to recognize and hear the work we've been doing at The Hills." The school's vocal music department includes chorus and advanced chorus classes and the vocal ensemble, which is a co-…

•  1 Comment
• Videos (1)

Police Patrols Up at Warren Schools After CT Shooting

Officials seek to balance security with response to fears of parents and students.

In the wake of the school shooting Friday in Newtown, Conn., local officials are taking several precautions to help allay concerns about safety while also keeping students' possible anxiety in mind. The Sandy Hook school implemented many of the same security steps as Warren schools, including having all doors locked after classes begin and performing regular lockdown drills. Both actions were implemented in schools across the country following the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999. But in an email sent to parents Monday, Warren Superintendent of Schools Tami Crader said this week's planned lockdown drill has been canceled. "Although we had planned for a lockdown drill to be held this week in all schools, the drill has been …

•  9 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

AXXEL KNUTSON

2:50 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012

If you want gun control, you will have to go to an educated country.   more ›

Honor Society Inducts 87 at Watchung Hills

Rachel Hobble named chapter president at last week's ceremony.

Eighty-seven members of Watchung Hills Regional High School’s Class of 2013 were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) last Thursday. The society inducts young people on a four-fold basis: scholarship, character, community service and leadership. The Watchung Hills chapter, one of some 13,500 such in the United States, was established in 1979. The organization is the oldest academic society for high school youth. It was established to “create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership and to encourage the development of character in the nation’s secondary school youth.” Inducted into the society were Class of 2013 members, whose names were announced by fellow inductees Clare …

• Photos (2)

Sandy Repairs Cost Watchung Hills More Than $450K

High school also received first of many insurance payments expected this week.

The costs of emergency repairs and work at Watchung Hills Regional after Hurricane Sandy ripped off a gym roof and caused other damage paid now stand at $454,366, according to Business Aministrator Tim Stys. The total includes about $54,000 in overtime for school employees who stayed at the building for several days during and after the storm, as well as the following contracted work performed: Stys said all items have been submitted to the school's insurance company for reimbursement, and added the first insurance payment—for $230,000—was received Monday. "That's just one of many to come, I hope," Stys said. He said he has been in frequent contact with the insurance, sending notice of any additional claims coming.  The school's insurance …

• Photos (1)

High School Audit Proves District's 'Highest Standards'

Completed audit includes no recommendations.

The annual audit of Watchung Hills Regional's accounts and procedures came up empty-handed, finding no areas to recommend changes in procedures. According to auditor Ralph Piccone, of Lerch, Vinci and Higgins, of Fair Lawn, this marked the second consecutive year in which the auditors did not have any recommendations for the board. "We audit close to 80 districts each year and very few do not have recommendations," Piccone said. Watchung Hills Regional Board President Robert Horowitz praised Business Administrator Tim Stys and his staff, and added, "These kinds of results don't just happen."   "The four towns that send money each year should feel good that this high school operates in the highest standards," Horowitz said. Board member …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Sandy Rips Roof from High School’s Old Gym

The damage was a 'fairly isolated event' at the school, superintendent says.

If there is a silver lining in the damage Hurricane Sandy caused at Watchung Hills Regional High School, it’s that the damage is isolated and primarily on the school’s old gymnasium. “That’s '57 vintage,” Superintendent of Schools Francis Stromsland said. “The good news is that it’s a fairly isolated event.” Dr. Stromsland said no classrooms suffered major damage, though some water damage did occur in rooms and ceilings to the west of the gym. Goldcon, Inc., of Millington, began cleanup efforts yesterday and has removed much of the debris. Stromsland said after the cleanup, the area will be secured to prevent further damage—then the longer project of repair will begin. The school repaired a section of the roof over the older school …

• Photos (5)