SOMSD students experience NYU music program

NEW YORK CITY — On Sunday, Oct. 2, students from the South Orange-Maplewood School District participated in a series of masterclasses, lectures and performances at New York University’s Steinhardt. Students from Maplewood Middle School, South Orange Middle School and Columbia High School attended the NYU woodwind department’s “A Day in the Life,” an event which […]

DeLuca to narrate portion of concert at MMS

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Society of Musical Arts will present a free orchestral concert, “To Liberty and Justice,” at Maplewood Middle School, 7 Burnet St., on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 4 p.m. Stephen Culbertson of West Orange will conduct and Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca will serve as guest narrator. The concert will feature the music […]

MMS to host Dance-A-Thon fundraiser

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood Middle School will hold its first Dance-A-Thon fundraiser, hosted by the student council, Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports committee and Home School Association, to raise money for the school store and other schoolwide events. The dance will be Friday, Oct. 28, from 4 to 11 p.m. at the Maplewood Middle School […]

SOMSD appoints 2 new administrators

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — At a special meeting on Sept. 29, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education approved two new administrators: Melissa Butler as the interim K-12 supervisor of English language arts and Dion Patterson as assistant principal at Maplewood Middle School. Butler has been an ELA teacher at South Orange Middle School since September 2005. […]

MMS greets new principal, a CHS alumna

MMS greets  new principal, a CHS alumna

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Dara Gronau, who years ago outran the competition on the Columbia High School track, is coming full circle to lead the administration of Maplewood Middle School as its newest principal; her appointment was approved during an Aug. 22 Board of Education meeting. Gronau earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from […]

Dancing through life, thanks to SOMA

Maplewood native Karen Eriksson-Lee sets the stage for the future generation of ballet dancers

Dancing through life, thanks to SOMA

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — To many, dancing is as essential as breathing. This is certainly true for Karen Eriksson-Lee, the Columbia High School graduate who recently opened a dance school in New York City, just a PATH ride away. Eriksson-Lee and friend Leslie Seeger recently opened NYC Classical Training in the West Village. Prior to this, […]

SOMA Board of Education approves appointment of four new administrators

SOMA Board of Education approves appointment of four new administrators

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — At its Aug. 22 meeting, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education approved the appointment of four new administrators to the South Orange-Maplewood School District: Dara Gronau, Maplewood Middle School principal Gronau received her master’s degree in administration and supervision from Montclair State University and her bachelor of arts degree […]

Cougar Prep graduates 23 students from high school readiness program

Cougar Prep graduates 23 students from high school readiness program

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Twenty-three teenagers and their parents gathered Thursday, July 28, at Columbia High School to graduate from Cougar Prep, a four-week high school readiness program for incoming freshmen. Cougar Prep is a collaboration between the South Orange-Maplewood School District and The Loft, managed by FAMILYConnections, preparing rising eighth-graders for the transition from middle […]

Gold resigns as Maplewood Middle assistant principal

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange-Maplewood School District administrators seem to be traveling through a revolving door. The latest SOMSD administrator to announce his resignation is Maplewood Middle School Assistant Principal Marc Gold. In the fall, Gold will be assistant principal at Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, where former South Orange Middle School Principal Joseph Uglialoro […]