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Matthew Jago School #28
A Governor’s School of Excellence
A New Jersey Star School
New Jersey Principal of the Year
Rewarding
Visionary Leadership Award
A New Jersey Best Practice School
Glen Cove Avenue, Sewaren, New Jersey 07077 732-602-8428
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School
Snapshot
Matthew Jago School
The Faculty and Staff of Matthew Jago School believes that our mission is to engage the entire community in our effort to provide a learning environment that fosters inter-dependence, embraces change and values diversity. It is our goal to develop life-long learners who will become responsible citizens who are prepared to take their places as productive members of our global society. We recognize that our school population is comprised of diverse cultures, backgrounds and abilities. We are committed to providing all of our students with programs of educational excellence that are conducted in an environment free of any barriers that hinder learning while promoting a solid educational process.
Matthew Jago School is a neighborhood school that houses approximately 450 students. The school building is located in the Sewaren section of Woodbridge Township. It is one of the sixteen K-5 elementary schools operated by the Woodbridge Township School District. Matthew Jago School is a single story, handicapped accessible building. The school was opened in the fall of 1969. Within the last several years the physical plant that comprises our school has been upgraded and renovated. A new heating system, new exterior doors and windows and two completely remodeled student restrooms are some of the improvements that have been completed. In addition, all of the classroom spaces have been air-conditioned to meet the health related needs of our students and a new roof and solar panels have been installed that will contribute to an environmentally friendly operation of the building.
Matthew Jago School is a recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s School of Excellence Award. The school has also been designated as a New Jersey Star School and, in addition, the Principal of Matthew Jago School has received the New Jersey Principal of the Year / Rewarding Visionary Leadership Award. Matthew Jago School has also been named as a New Jersey Best Practice School and A Community of Caring School. These awards are reflective of the innovative programs, parent involvement and the consistent proficiency shown in student test scores as indicated by the N.J. ASK testing program in grades three, four and five. They also demonstrate the staff’s strong commitment to the engagement of our students in programs and activities that promote educational achievements while instilling within them the attributes of personal character.
The school’s instructional program is one shared by all of the Woodbridge Township School District’s elementary schools. Instruction in every one of our classrooms is carried out in student centered environments that focuses all instructional time into uninterrupted blocks. During these instructional periods the teachers have the flexibility to provide instruction using techniques such as guided groups, learning centers and independently driven activities.
Primary classroom instructional areas include reading and writing workshop. These areas of the curriculum utilize award winning children's literature, leveled books, portfolio assessment, and a variety of opportunities for the students to develop essential reading strategies while they pursue writing as an important life-long communication skill. The curriculum also contains a Mathematics component that builds upon our students’ skills as it provides a variety of opportunities for practice and application. Instruction in Social Studies, Science, Health and Physical Education, World Languages, Music, Art and information literacy encourages other fundamental educational experiences as it is integrated across the curriculum. Our students’ needs are best met at this level by addressing individual learning styles. Aside from the state testing, we also assess the progress of our primary students by individually recording their progress in the Mathematics and the Language Arts areas of our curriculum throughout the school year.
Our third through fifth grade students continue to experience the Language Arts Program with a greater emphasis in the instruction of the reading “process”. Book clubs and writing workshop are used to provide purposeful application and skill development on those levels. In these grade levels, instruction is also based on making “connections” with past experiences and linking them to new concepts. The sharing of ideas through discussion and solving problems that relate to everyday situations is a goal that also enhances instruction. In both Language Arts and Mathematics, an array of assessment opportunities are conducted in order to diagnose the academic levels and the needs of our students.
To meet the special needs of our pupils, Academic Support Instruction is offered in the areas of Reading and Math. Speech therapy, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Gifted and Talented activities and instrumental Music instruction are also conducted as options for our students. An Intervention and Referral Services Committee is also in place to assist teachers as they plan strategies and techniques to target the concepts that are of difficulty to some of our students.
Matthew Jago School is one of the school district’s magnets for its special education program. The building houses fourteen self-contained special education classes for classified students beginning at age three. Some of these students are mainstreamed into regular education classes when appropriate. We also offer our classified students a program that is in keeping within the guidelines of providing education in a least restrictive environment. Full Day Resource classes are offered in regular education grades one through five. Two teachers, (one special education and one regular elementary) work in each of these classrooms to teach, evaluate and reinforce the needs of all of our classified students.
Matthew Jago School has the unique distinction of operating as a Professional Development School in affiliation with Kean University. As a result of this thirteen year partnership, the staff from the University works in collaboration with the staff of Matthew Jago School to ensure that future teachers are trained effectively using the most recent research and educational theories regarding child development and learning. The placement of University students in our classrooms enables us to provide additional assistance to our pupils in the form of tutoring, re-teaching and the implementation of activities that extend the learning. The University also provides workshops and seminars for our teaching staff. These activities enable our staff to keep abreast of current issues and trends in the field of educational research. Professional Development is also provided on site for all of our Paraprofessionals. These programs target the issues that need to be addressed by our staff as they work with our special education population. Programs for our parents are offered in the evening. These initiatives assist us as we work to develop the continuity of instruction between students’ homes and their classroom experiences. The programs also assist us as we work more effectively to build the bonds between the home and school.
Matthew Jago School also operates as the home of the district’s Extended School Year Program. This program is available to all of the classified students in the district if indicated in the individual education plan. P.A.C.E. (Program for the Advancement of Children’s Education), which is the name of the program, operates for a six-week period during the months of July and August. The program focuses upon the retention and maintenance of the academic, self-help and social skills that are outlined in each child’s educational plan.
To enrich our students’ school experience we have developed additional programs that promote leadership, address individual needs and expand our instructional programs while providing the motivation and incentive to put “learned skills” to a productive use. We are proud of our Band, Chorus, our lunchtime tutors, our Reading Buddies and of our track team. We conduct a monthly incentive program for all of our students and we continue to provide school assemblies during the school day that extend and reinforce the learning that takes place within the classroom walls. We are especially honored to be the recipients of several Service-learning grants that involve our students with the community. Grants with the Woodbridge Garden Club, the Perth Amboy Seniors’ Center, and a local Head Start Program have given our students an opportunity to develop the concept of their place in the community while using the skills that they have learned in school in a “purposeful” manner as they assist others. Woodbridge Township has also provided our school with an extensive barrier free park and recreation area that can be used by all of our students without limitations.
Matthew Jago School has two very active parent organizations. The Matthew Jago School PTO and the P.A.C.E. Parents’ Group often collaborate to enrich our school community. Through their hard work and generosity these groups provide our students with the many activities that enhance the academic and social programs that we deliver. These parents spend many hours preparing for fundraising events that have led to many worthwhile purchases for our use in the school setting. The P.A.C.E. Parents’ Group also conducts monthly parent support meetings for the parents of all of the district’s classified students. A Fathers’ support group has been put into place by the group in order to open up a dialog among the fathers of special education children.
Our students and staff have worked diligently to achieve excellence in the areas designated as pupil performance and school related goals, meeting and surpassing our expectations in each of these areas. We continue to analyze our standardized testing scores and our state assessments in an effort to provide our students with the type of instruction that is necessary to develop their test taking skills while moving them toward greater academic proficiency.
All who work at Matthew Jago School, from our custodians to our lunch aides, secretary, paraprofessionals, and our certified staff are here to assist each one of our students as they experience this portion of their educational journey. It is important for all to remember that our doors are always open and that we welcome community involvement. At Mathew Jago School we are committed to seeing that our students work to their potential and that they receive an education that will prepare them for a productive adulthood. It is our firm belief that “together we can” achieve great things for our students and for our community.
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