U.S. Department of Education
2011 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
A Public School
School Type (Public Schools):
(Check all that apply, if any) /
Charter /
Title 1 /
Magnet /
Choice

Name of Principal: Mr. Peter Turnamian

Official School Name: Watchung School

School Mailing Address: / 4 Garden Street
Montclair, NJ 07042-4198
County: Essex / State School Code Number: 170
Telephone: (973) 509-4259 / E-mail:
Fax: (973) 509-1344 / Web URL: www.montclair.k12.nj.us

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.

______Date ______
(Principal’s Signature)

Name of Superintendent*: Dr. Frank Alvarez Ed.D. Superintendent e-mail:

District Name: Montclair School District District Phone: (974) 509-4000

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.

______Date ______
(Superintendent’s Signature)

Name of School Board President/Chairperson: Mrs. Shelly Lombard

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.

______Date ______
(School Board President’s/Chairperson’s Signature)

*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write N/A in the space.
The original signed cover sheet only should be converted to a PDF file and emailed to Aba Kumi, Blue Ribbon Schools Project Manager () or mailed by expedited mail or a courier mail service (such as Express Mail, FedEx or UPS) to Aba Kumi, Director, Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 5E103, Washington, DC 20202-8173.

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PART I - ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION / 11NJ3

The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each of the statements below concerning the school’s eligibility and compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes one or more of grades K-12. (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)

2.  The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past two years and has not been identified by the state as "persistently dangerous" within the last two years.

3.  To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement in the 2010-2011 school year. AYP must be certified by the state and all appeals resolved at least two weeks before the awards ceremony for the school to receive the award.

4.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, the school must have foreign language as a part of its curriculum and a significant number of students in grades 7 and higher must take the course.

5.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2005.

6.  The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010.

7.  The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district-wide compliance review.

8.  OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to remedy the violation.

9.  The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the nominated school or the school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution’s equal protection clause.

10.  There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

PART II - DEMOGRAPHIC DATA / 11NJ3

All data are the most recent year available.

DISTRICT

1. / Number of schools in the district: / 7 / Elementary schools
(per district designation) / 3 / Middle/Junior high schools
1 / High schools
0 / K-12 schools
11 / Total schools in district
2. / District per-pupil expenditure: / 16321

SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)

3. / Category that best describes the area where the school is located: / Suburban
4. / Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school: / 1
5. / Number of students as of October 1, 2010 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total
PreK / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0
K / 35 / 41 / 76 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0
1 / 46 / 32 / 78 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0
2 / 39 / 38 / 77 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 37 / 40 / 77 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 47 / 29 / 76 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 41 / 29 / 70 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total in Applying School: / 454

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6. / Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 1 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
9 / % Asian
24 / % Black or African American
8 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
58 / % White
0 / % Two or more races
100 / % Total

Only the seven standard categories should be used in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of your school. The final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic data to the U.S. Department of Education published in the October 19, 2007 Federal Register provides definitions for each of the seven categories.

7. / Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the 2009-2010 school year: / 2%
This rate is calculated using the grid below. The answer to (6) is the mobility rate.
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 3
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 4
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 7
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1, 2009 / 454
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.02
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 2
8. / Percent limited English proficient students in the school: / 0%
Total number of limited English proficient students in the school: / 0
Number of languages represented, not including English: / 0
Specify languages:

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9. / Percent of students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: / 9%
Total number of students who qualify: / 41
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from low-income families, or the school does not participate in the free and reduced-priced school meals program, supply an accurate estimate and explain how the school calculated this estimate.
10. / Percent of students receiving special education services: / 14%
Total number of students served: / 65
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
5 / Autism / 0 / Orthopedic Impairment
0 / Deafness / 19 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 18 / Specific Learning Disability
1 / Emotional Disturbance / 19 / Speech or Language Impairment
2 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 0 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
1 / Multiple Disabilities / 0 / Developmentally Delayed
11. / Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 1 / 0
Classroom teachers / 19 / 0
Special resource teachers/specialists / 13 / 2
Paraprofessionals / 14 / 5
Support staff / 6 / 0
Total number / 53 / 7
12. / Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of students in the school divided by the Full Time Equivalent of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1: / 24:1

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13. / Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only high schools need to supply graduation rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any student or teacher attendance rates under 95% and teacher turnover rates over 12% and fluctuations in graduation rates.
2009-2010 / 2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006
Daily student attendance / 96% / 95% / 95% / 96% / 96%
Daily teacher attendance / 98% / 98% / 98% / 98% / 98%
Teacher turnover rate / 1% / 1% / 1% / 1% / 1%
High school graduation rate / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
If these data are not available, explain and provide reasonable estimates.
The teacher turnover rate is a approximate estimate of 3 teachers per year.
14. / For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools): Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2010 are doing as of Fall 2010.
Graduating class size:
Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / %
Enrolled in a community college / %
Enrolled in vocational training / %
Found employment / %
Military service / %
Other / %
Total / 0 / %
PART III - SUMMARY / 11NJ3

The landscape of public school reform has shifted dramatically in recent years with stakes for its success higher than ever before. During these challenging times, Watchung School, the Montclair Public Schools’ Science and Technology elementary magnet, represents a model of excellence worthy of distinction, study and replication. This is evidenced by two distinct sets of data: five years of standardized assessments and research based surveys indicating high levels (greater than one standard deviation above the mean) of Academic Optimism (AO) among the staff.
Watchung School serves 460 Kindergarten through fifth grade students. Watchung offers an academically rigorous curriculum, integrating problem-based learning, to ensure our graduates are prepared for success in upper levels of schooling. Our curriculum is tightly aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS). Our school has a long tradition of excellence serving a highly diverse population of students. Over the past decade Watchung School has consistently led New Jersey elementary schools with high scores in all areas of the NJASK.
Over this same time period, Watchung School has expanded on its magnet theme of Science and Technology, facilitated by the construction of a state of the art media center and science lab. Our science curriculum offers hands-on activities including weekly lessons in a science lab and a greenhouse. Our technology lab is equipped with both personal computers and Macintosh desktop computers. Each day, students participate in producing and starring in a morning broadcast.
Our related arts program includes weekly offerings in music instruction incorporating Yamaha keyboards, Orff percussion, recorders, and a vocal recording studio. Students also enroll in a weekly art class which includes art history, appreciation and experiences that reference a wide range of mediums and expressions. The Health and Physical Education program includes use of gymnasium space for the delivery of instruction, and emphasizes nutrition and a healthy life-style.
The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is strong and parents are considered active partners in establishing and maintaining the overall educational environment. The PTA sponsors a variety of events during the school year and works closely with the Principal to ensure they align with curricular goals.
Annual events include: school-wide week long Science Fair, a Science Bee, 3 day environmental education camping trip, winter and spring concerts, field day, after school enrichment programs, science orientated field trips, and PTA sponsored family activities.
Vision Statement:
Watchung School students will graduate equipped with skills to be independent life-long learners. Students will demonstrate compassion for others and their environment through an understanding about the interdependence of all living things. Students will be critical thinkers, problem solvers and curious about how things work.
Our educational program is based upon our three Core Values:
1. Be a Problem Solver: We are curious. We are critical thinkers. We are risk takers.
2. Be Respectful: We are compassionate. We are listeners. We are accountable.
3. Be Independent: We are passionate about our interests/talents. We are developing the skills needed to obtain our goals. We strive to be lifelong learners.
These Core Values provide common vocabulary intended to empower all of our community stakeholders to be teachers who consistently expect greatness from all of our students.