Students Visit Jets Training Facility

Several sixth grade students visited the Florham Park facility as part of the NFL Play 60 Program.

On April 24, 20 LCJSMS students visited the Jets Training Facility in Florham Park for fun and fitness. Students were selected after the sixth grade participated in 60 minutes of play per day over a four-week period, in participation with the NFL Play 60 Program.   The Jets and XBox 360 Kinect sponsored the middle school's event and donated $1,000 to LCJSMS's physical education program. The American Heart Association works in unison with the Jets organization to make students aware of the importance of exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

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Hurricane Sandy

Summit School District Receives $21K in FEMA Assistance Following Sandy

On March 15 the district received the first of three claims through FEMA.

  Editor's Note: This information was originally published on the Summit School District's website. The Summit Public School District continues its efforts to reclaim expenses as a result of Superstorm Sandy. In the wake of the third major storm to hit Summit in the past two years, the Business Office worked diligently to compile detailed documentation to reclaim unanticipated emergency management expenses associated with the storm. While the district's immediate priority was to secure property and ensure safety for students, staff and visitors, Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School played a vital role in providing the community with shelter, warmth, and communication tools. At the height of the operation, the shelter provided services …

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Chief Weck: 300 Unannounced Visitors Enter Summit Schools Daily

Summit Police Chief Robert Weck discussed school safety and security at the March 14 Board of Education meeting.

Summit Police Chief Robert Weck said the police department has been working closely with the Board of Education over the years to make sure students, staff and parents are prepared rather than scared when it comes to school security. “I don’t know a lot of other police departments that are allowed to go in and have free range,” he said at the March 14 Board of Ed meeting. Weck pointed out that before he was chief he put together a team of officers designated to school safety, who often train inside the school buildings to understand the layout of the school in case something were to ever happen.  “We hope we never have to use it,” Weck stated. “But we are prepared.” In terms of building safety, Summit spent money on doors that lock from …

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Proposed School Budget Could Mean $31.89 Tax Hike For Residents



Summit school officials attribute the increase to higher enrollment at the high school.

School officials met on March 7 and presented a tentative budget of  $65,913,363 for the 2013-2014 school year, an increase due mainly to enrollment in students at the high school, which saw a rise of an additional 388 students since 2008. What the proposed budget would mean for the average taxpayer is a $2.66 increase per month or $31.89 per year, according to School Business Administrator Louis Pepe. Last year, although there was no increase in the budget, a $14.22 per year increase was absorbed by taxpayers due to the loss of ratables. Pepe said that since he and Superintendent Nathan Parker joined the Summit School District in 2008, they have been able to keep expenditures down and build up a reserve that was basically zero in 2007 …

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BOE To Host Planning Session To Prepare For Meeting On Full Day Kindergarten

The Summit school board will make plans for its upcoming meeting to discuss full-day kindergarten.

In preparation for a town hall meeting set for later this month to discuss a Full Day Kindergarten program in the Summit School District, the Board of Education will conduct a planning session Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The planning session will be held in the Wilson School Board Meeting Room on Jan. 11. While no formal action will be taken, the purpose of the session will be for school officials to discuss the agenda for the Jan. 23 public town hall meeting at the Jefferson Primary Center, 110 Ashwood Ave. The entire duration of the Jan. 23 meeting, which will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m., is reserved to discuss Full Day Kindergarten in Summit. A panel discussion will take place to educate the Summit community on the impact of Full …

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Summit Teacher Named Bilingual Supervisor

An eight-year Summit teacher was promoted to a supervisory position in the district.

At the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 20, Ana Ventoso was approved as the new World Language, ESL, Bilingual Supervisor for the Summit Public Schools, handling all grades, first through 12th. She will began this role on Feb. 1, upon the retirement of Leslie Zimring.  Ventoso has taught in the Summit School district for eight years and has been a world language instructor in grades one through five in four of Summit’s elementary schools. Additionally, she is the cofounder and coordinator of Ole Ole at Washington School, where she organizes the community leadership group of Spanish-speaking bilingual students. In 2012, Ventoso was named Union County Washington Teacher of the Year. “Ms. Ventoso is a master teacher,” said Ken Shulack, …

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Hurricane Sandy

All Summit Schools to Reopen Following Shutdowns After Sandy

Monday Nov. 12, will see all schools in the district returning to full service.

The following appeared on the Summit Schools' website at 8:06a.m. today: Dear Summit Community, I am pleased to report power is restored at Wilson, Franklin, and Lincoln-Hubbard.  All schools and the district office will be open on Monday, November 12, 2012, at their own buildings, at their regular times, for a full-day schedule. I hope that your personal homes have power restored as well. Thank you very much for your understanding and support throughout this crisis.   Sincerely, Nathan Parker, Superintendent of Schools

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Hurricane Sandy

Summit Superintendent Updates School Schedule Information

The following information is for Nov. 8 and 9.

Due to power conditions that persist in Summit, Superintendent of Schools Nathan Parker has issued an updated to parents on schedules. Through Friday, elementary schools will continue with a single session and primary centers will be closed to their students. Students in upper grades will continue to attend middle and high school on a full schedule. However, students are getting a break during these difficult times. "Students are not expected to do homework or to be given assessments that will impact their grades," Parker wrote in his message today. Unless power is restored to Franklin and Lincoln-Hubbard by next week, Parker plans to place those elementary school students into Jefferson and Washington schools. The next update on school …

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Summit BOE Praised for Learning Model

The plan details the district's theme, “Summit Advancing Individual Learners” (SAIL) as well as the focus areas through 2015. Franklin School was recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education and State Board of Education for Professional Learning C

Earn Target Gift Cards For Summit Schools

The new promotion helps give back to local schools in gift cards.

Back to school is just around the corner. In Summit, public school classes start Sept.6. But, before students return to the classroom, you can help their schools earn valuable Target gift cards. From now to Sept. 8, residents can help their schools earn money by visiting the Give With Target website and voting for which local school they want to receive the gift cards. For every 25 votes, Target will send the school a $25 gift card. Brayton Elementary is getting close with 15 votes. Voting is free and is done via registration with Facebook.  Each eligible voter is only permitted to vote once per week and must be 13-years-old or older to vote. A gift card can go a long way in helping a teacher purchase supplies for the classroom–so start …

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