Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 28, 2012 Ho-Ho-Kus Students reach out to storm-damaged Moonachie by Jennifer Crusco When Jill Mortimer left the Quad Districts last year to accept the superintendent/principal post in the Moonachie schools, she could not have foreseen Hurricane Sandy, which left that district’s only building flooded and temporarily unusable. However, Mortimer’s association with the schools in Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River, and Northern Highlands Regional High School is now benefitting those in her new district. At last week’s Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education meeting, Student Council Representatives Kate Federer and Charlotte Hagan reported that Ho-Ho-Kus students are now selling “care” bracelets and donating the proceeds to benefit their counterparts in Moonachie. The girls also reported that the school’s Giving Tree project will soon be under way. The tree features ornaments that include the age and gender of someone in need of a gift, and students are encouraged to fulfill those needs. This year, donations will be going to Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children and to the Moonachie schools. The Moonachie school system serves approximately 277 students in pre-K through eighth grade at the Robert L. Craig School, which was severely damaged by the Oct. 29 superstorm. Ho-Ho-Kus school officials noted that Moonachie students have since been moved into schools in the Wood-Ridge district. At press time, Moonachie was reportedly planning to have temporary, modular school space installed on the Craig School’s fields. That space could open in early December. Mortimer is a Wyckoff resident. Before she accepted the superintendent/principal post in Moonachie, she had served as the regional director of curriculum for the schools in Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River, and Northern Highlands. Mortimer began her 20-year career in education as a high school teacher in Elizabeth. When she accepted the superintendent’s post, Mortimer told Villadom TIMES she would be taking measures to try to boost test scores and academic performance in her new district. She said she would work to implement a school safety team and meet all the requirements in the revised harassment, intimidation, and bullying policy and have the School Discipline Committee review the discipline matrices for students and make recommendations for improvement, implement the effective use of small group instruction based on students’ individual needs, and infuse the 21st century and technology core curriculum content standards into the curricula. She planned to make sustainable, systematic changes that would support increased student achievement. Mortimer also wanted to develop a plan to maximize the efficiency of the master schedule and staffing assignments, and improve student, staff, and community access to technology. Ho-Ho-Kus’ annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season as a community will continue on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. All are invited to assemble at the 9-11 Memorial Tree in front of borough hall, 333 Warren Avenue in HoHo-Kus. All residents are encouraged to join together to usher in the holiday season and help neighbors in need. In the true spirit of giving this holiday season, residents are asked to bring a new pair of pajamas and a book for a child (infant through young adult) and/or cleaning supplies (bleach, mops, brooms, cleaners, paper towels, rubber gloves) to be donated to a shore community affected by Hurricane Sandy. The Washington Elm VFW Post 192 will distribute the collected items to New Jersey neighbors in need. Everyone is invited to see the decorated downtown area, listen to holiday music performed by students of Ho-Ho- Event to highlight spirit of giving Kus Public School’s Choraliers and Wind Ensemble and caroling by the Girl Scouts. Those who attend may also enjoy an assortment of delicious cookies and hot cocoa, create a note of appreciation/ New Year’s note to a soldier serving our country overseas, join in the community countdown to the lighting of the tree and dreidel, and end the evening with a visit from Santa. All activities are being funded and run by borough organizations working in cooperation, including the HoHo-Kus Ambulance Corps, CERT, Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce, the Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Department and Ladies Fire Auxiliary, Ho-Ho-Kus Public School faculty and students, Ho-Ho-Kus Girl Scouts, the Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor and Council, the Ho-Ho-Kus Recreation Department, the HoHo-Kus Police Department, and Washington Elm VFW Post 192.