Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. A private, coeducational day school for students ages 3 through grade 12, GSB provides a rigorous, meaningful, and eye-opening curriculum to all. The bucolic campus is the perfect setting for outdoors and environmental learning opportunities. more
Create cool art this summer at the Arts Council of Princeton, June 21 through September 3. The ACP is offering 11 weeks of camp for ages 5-16, led by talented teaching artists. Students can try their hand at painting, mixed media, fiber arts, clay, and more. Teens and tweens have the opportunity to dive more deeply into various mediums and immerse themselves in weeks of creativity and development. Information on available scholarships is available by emailing education@artscouncilofprinceton.org. more
It was on this day in 1828 that Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language was published. Webster put together the dictionary because he wanted Americans to have a national identity that wasn’t based on the language and ideas of England. And the problem wasn’t just that Americans were looking to England for their language; it was that they could barely communicate with each other because regional dialects were so vastly different. more
Battleship New Jersey has re-opened for self-guided Fire Power tours on Saturdays and Sundays through October 31, 2021. Tours will be available from 11 a.m. with the last tour departing at 3 p.m. more
On Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m., Princeton University Art Museum, in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton, presents “Drawing from the Collections: Rendering Clothing and Drapery.” more
Interview by Taylor Smith | Photo by Bill Cardoni, cardoniphoto.com
The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) at The College of New Jersey promotes an awareness of disability by providing learning, social, emotional, athletic, and residential accommodations for students, faculty, staff, and guests. Since her appointment as director of ARC, Meghan Sellet has continued to break down barriers and change definitions of what it means to be “different.” Rooted in social justice, Sellet’s work is at once uplifting and inclusive. All those who are interested can receive services and accommodations through ARC. In fact, Sellet details how the onset of COVID-19 and remote learning has only increased access to special services in a manner that is completely stigma-free and much less stressful.
Please describe what led you to your current work, including your academic background and your own higher education experience.
I accessed reasonable accommodations throughout my K-12 and college experiences. There were points during high school at which my guidance counselors gave me advice about “the best I could do with my future.” This advice didn’t exactly align with my own goals and vision. If I weren’t resilient, that advice would have unraveled me. Instead, I used others doubts as fuel to keep moving towards success. I went on to college to receive a B.S. in rehabilitation services from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Given the large population of students with disabilities at Wright State, I really was able to explore my identity as a disabled woman. For the first time in my life, I saw people like me on a daily basis. It felt so empowering. I played competitive sports at Wright State and was really involved on campus. Once I figured out how to balance my academic, social, and athletic obligations, I felt ready to take on an on-campus job in the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at Wright State, where I was a test proctor for other students with testing accommodations, such as extended time. It may sound silly to say that this job as a test proctor changed my life, but it truly did. From my sophomore year in undergrad to now, I can’t imagine working in a different field. My time at Wright State provided me with the confidence I needed to move on to my next chapter — grad school. When I think back on it, it is interesting how graduate school just fell into place for me.
During my junior year at Wright State, Teri Jordan, my future wheelchair track coach at Penn State, called my parents’ house in New Jersey looking for me. “She’s in Ohio,” my parents said. So, tenacious Teri tracked me down in Ohio, with the hopes that I would consider transferring to Penn State to participate in Penn State’s Ability Athletics program as a wheelchair track and field athlete. Penn State had just become a Paralympic high-performance training camp, and it was a great time to get in on that initiative at the ground level. As it turns out, I didn’t end up transferring to Penn State, but I did complete my undergraduate practicum with Teri in ability athletics. I got so comfortable at Penn State that I ended up staying there for grad school. It was tough and rewarding, and so snowy, but my time there was just amazingly memorable. more
A talk by the co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter, weekly showcases of cultural empowerment apparel, and a panel on the importance of graffiti are just a sample of The College of New Jersey’s programming for Black History Month 2021.
The celebrations began on Friday, February 5 with the raising of the Pan-African flag in front of Trenton Hall in conjunction with a program featuring remarks from students and administrators, and reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. from TCNJ’s own the Rev. Jamal Johnson. The flag has served as a representation of Black people since early in the 19th century. The flag raising symbolizes the start of February’s unique education and social events. more
The Friends of the Princeton Public Library will host a virtual fundraiser on Saturday, January 30 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. “Restoring Civility and Bringing Social Justice to American Life: A Virtual Brunch and Talk” features four lifelong advocates for social justice as they share their vision for a more just, egalitarian, and united America. more
By Donald Gilpin | Photos courtesy of Princeton University, Office of Communications, Denise Applewhite
The day I interviewed him for this article, September 23, was not a good day for Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of Princeton University’s Department of African American Studies. It was the day that the verdict was delivered on the shooting of Breonna Taylor by three police officers in Louisville, Kentucky. None of the three was charged in Taylor’s death, though one officer was charged with wanton endangerment.
Glaude interrupted the call at one point to listen to the breaking news report on TV. When he returned to the phone, his voice was subdued. “I wasn’t expecting much,” he said, “but it’s still enraging. It never stops. It seems as if something happens every day.”
With numerous publications on religion, philosophy, and African American studies, including his most recent book Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, Glaude is very much a scholar engulfed in the world of academics, but at the same time he is the most public of intellectuals, much in demand as a Time magazine columnist and a regular commentator on radio and television news programs such as Democracy Now!, Morning Joe, and The 11th Hour.
The mix of deep engagement with current events as well as scholarship pervades Glaude’s classroom, as it pervades his life and his work. He described the class, African American Studies and the Philosophy of Race, that he is team teaching, remotely this term, with his colleague Imani Perry.
“Teaching today,” he said, “before I could say anything I had to reference the backdrop of the Breonna Taylor decision about to be rendered. And you could see it on the students’ faces: ‘Here we go again. It just won’t stop.’” more
Purnell School, the only college preparatory boarding and day school for motivated girls in grades 9-12 who learn differently, announced six appointments to its faculty and staff. The additions officially joined Purnell at the start of its in-person fall 2020 semester.
“We are ready and excited for a healthy and safe start to the new school year,” said Anne M. Glass, Ed.M., head of school, Purnell School. “Joining our returning faculty, our newest team of dedicated professional educators will help us take Purnell’s proprietary Learning and Wellness approach to the next level, ensuring each student has access to rigorous academics and support with social emotional wellness.” more
Beginning on Tuesday, October 20 at 8 p.m., Princeton Adult School will be offerings an eight-part lecture series centered around the experiences and opinions of eight noted Princeton scholars on the subject of “Innovation: Making Culture Thrive.” more
Join Princeton University for a free Zoom lecture with Anthony Jack, assistant professor of education at Harvard University and author of The Privileged Poor. Jack will be joined in conversation by Cecilia Rouse, dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Katzman-Ernst Professor in Economics and Education. Their conversation will consider the campus lives of lower-income students, the “unwritten rules” or “hidden curriculum” of elite colleges, and the difference between “access” and “inclusion” at elite institutions. Jack will describe how class divides on campus create barriers to academic success – and share what schools can do to level the playing field. more
Community Options, Inc. has announced the promotion of Ashlee DiPisa to director of recruitment.
Community Options is a national nonprofit that provides housing and employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Community Options employs over 5,000 people across ten states to provide services to over 3,400 people with disabilities. more
Interview by Laurie Pellichero
Tell us about Stuart’s response this past spring to the COVID-19 pandemic. How did it adapt to distance learning?
I want to start out by expressing immense gratitude to my faculty and staff for their nimble and swift response to distance learning. Since our spring break started just as COVID forced area school to close, our teachers used their break to prepare a new method of instruction that would deliver on our Sacred Heart mission and the promise of academic excellence. And with over 10 years of investments in technology, including the use of Google Education tools in the Middle and Upper School, Stuart was able to pivot to virtual learning with impressive ease.
To maintain a sense of structure and normalcy, we ran a regular daily schedule in all three divisions with teachers providing synchronous instruction for the majority of the day. The Lower School used a combination of SeeSaw and Google Classroom with modifications to the length of time each class was held, and our youngest students — ages 2-4 — met with their teachers every day online. As the weeks turned into months, our teachers adapted their schedules and instruction style to meet students’ needs, and we introduced weekly programming to support the wellness goals of the community. The way our teachers were able to support our girls’ learning and convert major in-person events like a musical and a senior class capstone project into virtual experiences truly demonstrated a dedication to their students and the Stuart community.
How has Stuart kept its community of students, parents, and teachers engaged while at home?
Stuart is a tight-knit community, and we wanted to make sure our girls had social interaction after closing down. Over spring break, the Head of Middle School held virtual gatherings with dance-offs, trivia, Pictionary, and more. The Head of Lower School read books to her students and dropped in virtually for nightly prayer. Since March, we have engaged our families in the reopening process with a focus on regular communications through email, video messages, virtual town hall gatherings, and social media. We invited some families to serve on our Reopening Task Force, which includes nine working groups in areas like health and safety, facilities, and technology. Others participated in town hall and virtual presentations regarding our work to safely reopen school. more
It’s a summer like no other and many people are forming pods or extended bubbles with friends and neighbors to help keep their elementary and middle schoolers busy. In connection with this new trend, the Arts Council is now offering Private Pod Classes. more
Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of the coming school year? You’re not alone.
With an elite network of academic mentors and performance coaches, BrainStorm Tutoring helps to equip students to perform at their best when the stakes are high – and to thrive emotionally during the process. more
With deep regret and sadness, I write to update you about our plans for the fall, and, in particular, to explain why Princeton has decided that its undergraduate program must be fully remote in the coming semester. In brief, the pandemic’s impact in New Jersey has led us to conclude that we cannot provide a genuinely meaningful on-campus experience for our undergraduate students this fall in a manner that is respectful of public health concerns and consistent with state regulations and guidance.
The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM), central New Jersey’s first African American Museum, is one of 82 organizations to receive a new COVID-19 Response Grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal CARES Act. more
The Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC), a community nonprofit whose mission is to help older adults thrive, offers programs for enrichment and lifelong learning, no-cost social services, resource referrals, and much more. Its 2020 fall fundraiser on Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. includes VIP Virtual Cocktails, humor, and discussion with Senator Al Franken. more
Purnell School in Pottersville, N.J., the only college and preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12 who learn differently, announced the appointment of Tracy Haswell as dean of academics, a position that serves on the school’s executive leadership team. more
