Community gathers to discuss bias and insensitivity in the school system, brainstorm solutions
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Hundreds of South Orange and Maplewood residents made it clear during a March 29 town hall meeting that they want to see changes within the school district to prevent incidents involving race and religion like those seen in recent weeks at the schools, and they want to start by focusing on curriculum. […]
MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District recently released its spring fine arts calendar. Events are as follows: Monday, April 3, from 10 to 11 a.m., Columbia High School choir Canens Vocem will perform at Winchester Gardens, 333 Elmwood Ave. in Maplewood. Wednesday, April 19, from 5 to 10 p.m., Columbia […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District will hold a town hall on equity and inclusion, focusing on recent events within the district and the many responses, on Wednesday, March 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Columbia High School Cafeteria, 17 Parker Ave. in Maplewood. Superintendent of Schools John […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District and the Maplewood Green Team are working together on a multi-year action plan to address overheating issues in the schools. Because the school buildings are almost a century old, this project is a cost-effective way to achieve greater classroom comfort as well as energy savings. “If you […]
Threats to lynch black people, swastikas, slave auction posters appear in SOMSD buildings
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — It has been a rough couple of weeks for the South Orange-Maplewood School District in regard to tolerance and cultural competency. Last week, South Orange Middle School reported two incidents of racist graffiti scrawled in bathrooms. The first incident, using the N-word, said that “Naughty (blacks) Get Lynched”; while […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Middle School student government and Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Horizons Club co-sponsored a Black History Month program that featured local Maplewood resident Walter Fields. Students in all grades attended the two assemblies. A journalist and longtime political consultant, Fields was one of the original political commentators on […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Running March 14 through April 1, the Schools Committee of the South Orange-Maplewood Community Coalition on Race will be hosting three workshops to help parents, teachers and anyone working with children gain an understanding of the stages of racial knowledge, how to talk with children about race, and a […]
By John Tierney, correspondent SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Looking for a family-friendly way to introduce your children to orchestral music? Try the South Orange Symphony’s annual Family Concert on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. at South Orange Middle School, 70 N. Ridgewood Road. Admission is free. The program is studded with familiar favorites and […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Though they are young, South Orange Middle School students know what they stand for, and during President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 19, many SOMS students staged a protest, marching out of the school and through Meadowland Park. Students spoke about how the United States must be focused on tolerance and […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Civic Organization presents its 47th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 3 p.m. at South Orange Middle School. The keynote speaker will be Wilfredo Caraballo, professor emeriti at Seton Hall Law School, former SOMA Board of Education member, former member of the N.J. General […]