West Point’s Coach Alberici “Toughens Up” Watchung Elementary to Kick off NJ Week of Respect

Oct 7, Montclair, NJ —  All across NJ, schools recognize the first week of October as the Week of Respect, designated by the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act. During this week, schools and districts engage in activities and learning opportunities that highlight the importance of having a safe and respectful learning environment.

And, what better way to kick off this week at Watchung Elementary than an assembly with West Point’s Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach, Coach Joe Alberici.

Coach Alberici spoke with the 2^nd-5^th grade students and started by asking them: “What is toughness?” And then, delved into many reasons about what toughness isn’t.

“Toughness isn’t about lifting weights, or about who is the strongest. Toughness is about giving 100% effort 100% of the time.”

He then discussed with the students the three levels of toughness they need to have to be a better person and feel good about themselves.

1. Being Tough in Extra Curriculars

Whether its athletics, music, or theater – giving the best effort in everything you do all of the time. That’s toughness.

2. Being Tough in School

Showing up everyday and working hard in class. Participating, sitting in the front of the class and raising your hand, showing the same amount of effort in your least favorite subject that you do in your favorite subject. Making homework the first thing you do when you get home. That’s toughness.

3. Being Tough in Life

Including people is what tough people do. They bring people in even if they don’t look like you, don’t talk like you, don’t have all of the same stuff as you. Tough people see someone sitting by themselves and ask them if they want to join. That’s toughness.

“What’s not tough is separating yourself and sticking only to your group of friends. That’s easy, that’s not tough. Be inclusive.”

 Coach Alberici concluded with an emphasis on the highest level of toughness – Sticking up for people who are being excluded for whatever reason. Sticking up for the underdog. “What is a bully? A bully is a coward. A bully is someone that doesn’t feel good about themselves, so they try to pull others down with them.”

Toughness is doing the right thing when no one is watching.

WATCH A FEW CLIPS FROM THE ASSEMBLY

What Toughness Isn’t

Being Tough In Life

About Coach Joe Alberici

Joe Alberci currently serves as the Head Lacrosse Coach at the West Point Military Academy. He has become a trending topic on social media for his hard-hitting team talks about respect and sportsmanship.

We thank Coach Alberci for coming to Watchung to share his inspiring words of wisdom with our students!

Join the Montclair Fire Department at Nishuane Park! Food, drinks, live demos, giveaways, and get to meet your local firefighters.

WHEN: October 5 |11am-2pm

WHERE: Harrison Ave, by Nishuane Park

Hi everyone! Jessica Farkas and Leore Faber are the Wait Until 8th Ambassadors at Watchung. They began the pledge for last year’s 2nd grade (class of 2027) and a number of parents signed on.

This year, they’re are asking for volunteers from each grade to act as the point person on this issue and to start the pledge for each grade.

Ultimately, the goal is to roll out the pledge more broadly at Watchung and to spread the word. The class representatives will be asked to join a meeting to learn more about how to start the pledge and about the Wait Until 8th initiatives happening at the district level. This isn’t expected to be a large ongoing commitment, but the hope is that parents who feel passionately about this issue will volunteer and feel inspired to be involved as much as they want to/can.

Please see the Sign Up Genius link here if you are interested in volunteering for the current K, 1st, 2nd, 4th or 5th grades: Sign Up Genius. And please reach out to us directly with any questions (jessfarkas@gmail.com and leorejfaber@gmail.com).

Great news! The Watchung PTA Calendar can found HERE  on the PTA website and can be syncd directly as a shared calendar from your personal Google calendar. (Assuming you have a Google account.)

To view calendar in Google click to subscribe HERE

*If you currently view your personal Google calendar from your iPhone Calendar and would like to also see the calendars you have subscribed to via Google, once you have subscribed, click the link below and be sure the Watchung PTA Calendar shared calendar is selected.

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect

If you’re interested in being your child’s class parent, please email Usha Naidu at unaidu@cisco.com with your name and the name of your child’s teacher.

*This year for Class Parents, we’re hoping to have one seasoned veteran class parent paired with a first time class parent. Usha will reply to confirm.

Class Parents play an important role in communicating to Watchung families throughout the school year and we appreciate those caregivers who are interested in volunteering for this. Thank you!

Bike Bus is back!

October 3, 2023 – Source: nj.com

In Montclair, there’s a new, old way for kids way for kids to get to school, one that organizers say is more fun and eco-friendlier that that big yellow school bus.

All aboard the Montclair Bike Bus, which rolls through town every Friday. With adults in reflective vests leading the way, the bike bus picks up kids and drops them off at any one of the township’s elementary schools. Organizers say the effort is part of a global movement toward “active transportation” – using clean, human energy instead of carbon-belching motors to get around.

Congratulations to Watchung’s Weston Award winners: Ms. Thorp and Ms. Piller!

Weston Awards Celebrate Creative and Inspiring Teachers

(Repost from Montclair Local)

The 2023 Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching honored Montclair teachers Thursday, June 1, celebrating those who stand out as creative, talented, supportive, inspired and inspiring.

Josh and Judy Weston established the Judy and Josh Weston Awards for Excellence in Teaching in 1991, and they ran until 2016. The awards, now administered by the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, honor Judy Weston’s memory. She died in 2020.

Parents, guardians and students nominated teachers through written, video and audio submissions, and the selection committee met throughout May to review the more than 300 nominations. The nominees were evaluated in three core areas – teaching that facilitates impactful learning experiences, teaching that supports all students and teaching that creates a caring classroom culture. Read Full Story