The Parsippany-Troy Hills school district is pulling out the stops to promote a major focus of the 2011-12 school year: Implementation of the state's new law, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights.  The law exists to draw a line in the sand against what's being called HIB for short: harassment, intimidation and bullying. This summer, local educators scrambled to get all the pieces in place to comply with the statute, which went into effect with the new school year's first opening bell. Superintendent LeRoy Seitz said he was confident that his teachers, staff members and students would be able to …

My 3-year-old always asks if she can “play with kids” and really enjoys socializing. I am involved in a number of activities with her, but we are restricted to what we can do, since I also have a 9-month-old. Since potty training has been a bust, I was unable to place my toddler in Parsippany's public preschool program.After asking around, I was referred by many mom friends to Hearts and Hands Preschool, which is run by the Parsippany Presbyterian Church. I was impressed when I took a tour and found it had a nice art studio, a weekly visit with a music teacher and a well-balanced curriculum.…

For many, the mere mention of Sept. 11 conjures up strong sentiments of fear, pain and confusion. But Parsippany contributors to the recently completed New Jersey 9/11 curriculum pointed out that the majority of school-aged children today were in diapers at the time, if they were born at all.Karen Levine, middle school committee coordinator for the project, titled “Learning from the Challenges of Our Times: Global Security, Terrorism and 9/11 in the Classroom,” and a retired teacher of 39 years, said finding a balance between the historical and the emotional was difficult while working on the…

Dr. LeRoy Seitz is a controversial figure in Parsippany.  To some, Superintendent Seitz is the strong, experienced leader of a successful public school district, one who has kept test scores and educational quality high; has maintained aging buildings and most academic, sports and co-curriclar programs even in a down economy; and has introduced 21st century technology and communications systems into the schools.  But others have a different view, much of it colored by the ongoing dispute over what Seitz should be paid. In late 2010, Gov. Chris Christie capped salaries for superintendents of …

A new school year begins Thursday in Parsippany and, as you can imagine, there are many things still on the to-do list before the big day. Patch peeked behind the curtain to see what was going on at Parsippany Hills High School and Brooklawn Middle School. The feeling we got: it's going to be a great 2011-12.

The past school year gave rise to a good bit of acrimony within the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education. From the continuing controversy over Superintendent LeRoy Seitz's contract and employment status to disagreements over spending to apparent rivalries sprouting up between groups of members, getting things done efficiently is made more difficult. That's something Board President Frank Calabria wants to change for the 2011-12 school year.Since his election as president, Calabria says he's worked to build unity within the body. He put aside bylaws to appoint two vice presidents, veteran …

Preparing for the new school year means more than shopping for new clothes, shoes, pencils, notebooks and binders.   To achieve academic success, families should prepare themselves mentally, emotionally and physically, according to educators from the Parsippany school district.   For all students, getting back to a regular time schedule is paramount for a good start to the school year.   Kate Washington, who teachers kindergarten at Mount Tabor Elementary School, suggests the sooner families get back to the “early to bed, early to rise” routine, the better.   “Families should start preparing …