School faculty in 'awe' of improved NBTHS
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

Top, the walkway from the new wing of the North Brunswick Township High School to the existing structure overlooks the front courtyard and flag pole, which was coincidentally being raised during a tour of the renovations on Wednesday. Below, high school Principal Sal Mistretta and acting Superintendent Geri Margin present the new auditorium at the school, one part of the $40 million, four-year renovation and expansion project.

If you build it, they will come.With the smell of wet paint and new carpeting, and the sound of hammering in the air, the school district officially welcomed its entire staff of teachers, administrators, support staff and maintenance workers to view the new additions at North Brunswick Township High School on Wednesday.

After four years and $40 million brought forth by two referendums, the 19 classrooms, auditorium, science and computer labs, music rooms, photography lab, art room, ceramics room, broadcast studio, and radio labs will be available to the 1,780 students when they return to school this week.

"This is just absolutely wonderful, especially as we watched it go over the last couple of months and was completed," high school Principal Sal Mistretta said. "I think the students will be just like the faculty - in awe of the whole facility. Having something to be proud of and something to take care of, they'll be proud of it."

PHOTOSBY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff

The auditorium features over 800 seats in the main section with two separate areas with 100 seats each, which can be used as lecture halls or as added seating space during a performance. An orchestra pit is in front of the stage for the musicians to play in, and a catwalk is in the lights in the ceiling. There are seven soundproof rooms for students to practice in individually, as well as new choral music and orchestra rooms.

"I'm ecstatic. I'm glad we have the space and it's done. We need it. I'm glad we have this for the kids; they're the ones we're serving and they're going to benefit from it," music teacher Cooper Ford said.

In addition to the 14 new instructional classrooms, six new science labs upstairs feature a greenhouse room and shared work areas to encourage cooperation between teachers, as well as state-of-the-art security measures including shower stations and eyewashes.

The English Department will find a new home in an upstairs corridor, as well as an assistant principal's office.

There is a photography lab with a dark room and computers to teach both film-based and digital photography. Glass separates the three art rooms, which also include the ceramics and drawing rooms, with a patio built outside to inspire young artists.

The radio and television studios will enable future broadcasting throughout the school, with equipment funded by a tech-prep grant.

"The foundation is here, it's just a matter of time," acting Superintendent Geri Margin said.

In regards to the upgrading of the old structure, Mistretta's previous office was changed into two classrooms, the existing science labs were renovated, six classrooms were added toward the stadium side of the building and a language work station was created. The nurse's office is equipped to handle more ill students, and the Industrial Technology classrooms have been improved. The two old science labs have been converted into business labs, creating a total of four.

The media center was moved to the old auditorium and expanded to include a technology lab, a computer lab and small instruction rooms. The auxiliary gym area includes a new team room, a trainer's facility and an exit to what hopes to be new ballfields some day.

"This project took a year-and-a-half, two years. We did the project when we could, when we ran into environmental issues," Margin said, citing that although the renovation work was scheduled to be completed in the final stages, it was done while delays were incurred due to contamination found on the property in 2003.

Although there are still some finishing touches required, the receipt of the temporary certificate of occupancy makes the building "legal."

"Now we see the light at the end of the tunnel. There may still be tiles that need to be glued down and walls that need to be painted, but we're here," Margin said.

Besides the children, the 750 employees of the district were able to experience the new high school additions at the orientation meeting held Wednesday to begin the school year. For the first time, the entire district was incorporated so as to stress the importance of everyone's influence on the success of a child.

"Each and every one of you has played a role in the community. I think perhaps you are the most important group in this community, whether by keeping the facilities safe and clean for the children, whether it's the office with the myriad of paperwork, whether it's counseling the children when they're in trouble. Each one of you plays an important role in this community, and I thank you for that," Board of Education President Ann Casey said.

The North Brunswick Educational Foundation then recognized the recipients of its 2005-06 grant awards. Parsons Elementary School received $750 for conflict resolution/anti-bullying and $1,500 for a consortium with Fairleigh Dickinson University on a student tutoring program. Livingston Park Elementary received $700 for Home School-Reading Connection. Linwood Middle School received $550 for the Stock Market Game and $1,300 for Mission into Space.

To motivate the personnel in attendance, Livingston Park first-grade teacher Lynne Schwartz then spoke about how a teacher's life is not easy, dealing with nose-picking children, tonsil operations because of getting sick frequently, waking up in the middle of the night to plan lessons, handling children who don't speak any common language and contacting DYFS on occasion. She followed up with the rewards of being involved in education, which include smiles, independent reading for the first time, diverse students working together cooperatively and colleagues enjoying their work.

"We're teachers and we're committed to something big, and we don't take the easy way out," she said.

Overall, everything becomes incorporated into meeting adequate yearly progress as established by President George W. Bush's 2002 No Child Left Behind Act. Although last year only John Adams Elementary School met AYP, this year Linwood and all four elementary schools achieved the goal, with the high school missing on two of the 41 indicators.

"By zeroing in on effective practices, we can continue to raise scores and more importantly, our students' success," Margin said.

Those practices include continued professional dialogue, the development of a District Communication Council, access to all teachers' e-mail addresses, a high school pilot homework Web page, and a frequent district newsletter.

"We have so much to be proud of and celebrate," Margin said. "This organization ... meets the challenges we face and becomes better at what we do. We're a powerful team when we work together ... and we invite all of you to share the successes and all great things for the children of North Brunswick."