West Long Branch School District
Our vision for the West Long Branch School District is to produce socially responsible students who are life-long learners equipped with the necessary skills to succeed at the next level of secondary education.
Mission
Our mission for the West Long Branch School District is to put Students First! In collaboration with all stakeholders, we will provide a safe and secure learning environment free from bias, increased academic rigor, cutting edge technology, and state-of-the-art facilities.
Email: tfarrell@wlbschools.com
Website: wlbschools.com
Location: 135 Locust Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ, USA
Phone: (732)222-5900
Facebook: facebook.com/frank-antonides-school-384256768388218/
Twitter: @WLBSchools
Superintendent's Letter
September, 2019
This past summer was very busy with curricula writing, scheduling, hiring personnel, etc. The administrative team has done a fantastic job organizing their time and completing summer projects. School openings went smoothly. Our principals did an outstanding job in ensuring a safe and efficient building opening for the new school year. It’s nice to see the buildings occupied with kids again. I am very excited about the 2019-2020 school year!
It’s important that we (parents, teachers, administrators, etc.) all emphasize the importance of starting the school year on solid ground with a foundation of establishing good habits. We can all resolve that this is a fresh, brand new school year – so forget the past and start anew with a positive perspective. Encourage students to get involved. Join a club or activity, learn an instrument and join the band, try a sport. All studies show a positive correlation with good grades and involvement in co-curriculars.
Establish sound study habits early on. Everyone studies differently and learns in their own way. Figure out where and how your child best focuses and help them create that environment. If you find they have a hard time focusing when studying alone at home, see if they can find a study partner, or even better, a study group (three or four people who will agree to study together). You'd be surprised at how much their studying improves when they have someone else to answer to - and how much less nervous they become about tests that they have prepared for with a peer.
Most importantly, as we start the new school year, let us all encourage each other to be kind, and treat everyone with respect and dignity – the way we would want someone to treat us. “Sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right”. The “social” aspect of school is important also and is another form of learning. Encourage your child to be open to new friends and experiences. Part of what they will learn is how to get along with different personalities, and that's really what life requires you to do.
Mr. Thomas G. Farrell
“Students First!”
Curriculum Corner
We are so excited about the implementation of our new social studies program in grades kindergarten through eight. The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Social Studies program encourages our students to think and act like historians, as they develop the active analytical skills they’ll need to succeed in college, career, and civic life.
Our primary students are learning about their local and global community, as well as the pathway to becoming a good citizen. Our upper elementary and middle school students are experiencing history through Google Expeditions, interactive Supreme Court cases, and project-based learning.
All in all, whether our students are interviewing a historical figure, exploring the pyramids of Ancient Egypt through a virtual field trip, or reading about current events through the Keeping it Current Newsletter, they are immersing themselves in a way that allows them to explore history beyond the walls of the classroom.
Office of Curriculum and Instruction
"Students First"
Student Spotlight
Peter McGrade is an 8th-grade student at Frank Antonides School. Peter has been a student in the West Long Branch School system since Pre-K. In addition to being an honor roll student, Peter is a member of the cross-country team, Boy’s Basketball team, and is a former member of our Maker Club. He has also been a member of the Junior National Honors Society since 6th grade. Peter’s favorite subject in school is math. He says that he “likes doing equations” and “it feels good to get to the right answer.” Peter also enjoys learning new things about the world in history class. Outside of the classroom, some of Peter’s favorite memories from his time here at FAS include Student Council 3 on 3 basketball tournaments, dodgeball tournaments, and school pep rallies. He is unsure of what he wants to do for a career but is thinking about something in the field of law. Peter has been an outstanding member of the FAS community since 5th grade and we are excited to see what his future holds.
Teacher Spotlight
BME Now
Principal’s Message
Welcome back to school! At BME, we recognize the importance of being a community of learning. As such, we encourage you to take an active role in your child’s education to enhance the home-school connection.
My door is always open! We are partners in your child’s education. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in the Betty McElmon Elementary School main office.
Sincerely,
James J. Erhardt
“It takes a village to raise a child.” ~African Proverb
Helpful TIPs for parents:
* Talk about school with your child. Discuss their experiences that took place during the day.
* Meet with your child each day to check their homework assignments.
* If your child is having difficulty with homework, contact the teacher.
* Read to your child every day!
Website of the month:
The Scholastic website featured below provides a plethora of articles to help your child with homework.
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-success-guides/homework-help.html
FAS Today
Dear Parents / Guardians and Students,
As the principal of Frank Antonides School it is my pleasure to welcome you to the start of another great school year here at FAS. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure all of our children can achieve to their highest potential. We recognize that in order to be successful in school, our children need support from both the home and school. Our dedicated, caring, and experienced staff is eager to work with you to help your child grow academically and socially throughout this year. The FAS staff and I will continue to work hard to maintain our community's great traditions while striving to improve as a school. As we move into the new school year there are a few things I would like to share with you:
Computer Science for All- In addition to maintaining our Coding electives in grades 7 and 8, we will be offering Coding to all of our 6th-grade students this year. Computers are and will continue to be ubiquitous in society. A better understanding of computer science will be a job asset for any student regardless of career. Coding 6 will replace students Technology 6 course on the students’ schedules.
Updated School and District Website - We have updated and streamlined our website to make it more user-friendly and hopefully make it much easier for parents to have quick access to information.
Parent Email - Please make sure your email is up to date in Realtime so that you will receive our weekly parent emails.
Virtual Backpack - Copies of every important notice we send home are housed in our Virtual Backpack (linked on the websites)
Parent Handbook - The handbook is located under the Parent Information tab on the FAS website. Please review it with your child and return the attached sign-off sheet. Also included in the handbook is the Photograph/video consent form. Please make sure to return both of these forms to your child’s homeroom teacher.
If you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year please do not hesitate to contact me. Once again, on behalf of the FAS community, welcome back. I am excited and hopeful for the start of the new year and I look forward to seeing everyone in September.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Fiorillo
Principal
