The Hammonton Gazette 02/11/15 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, February 11, 2015 • The Hammonton Gazette The Hammonton Gazette “The Paper of Record” gabriel J. donio, Publisher gina rullo, Editor-in-Chief dan russoman, Sports Editor Benny mendez, Staff Artist marysusan hoffman, paul J. macrie iv, michael hozik, donna Brown, Joseph Bruno, Brittany mauro, lauren Bucci, lauren crescenzo Staff The Hammonton Gazette is located at 233 Bellevue ave. To reach a staff member, call 704-1940 or fax at 704-1938. The mailing address is p.o. Box 1228, hammonton, nJ 08037. ediTorials The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 sJ gas and its plans Please read Paul J. Macrie IV’s article regarding the plans South Jersey Gas has for remediating — cleaning up — a large plume of chemical contaminants under the area that includes Hammonton Municipal Water Wells 1 and 3. Wells 1 and 3 have been undergoing a separate, unrelated remediation effort to filter the contaminants ethylene dibromide (EDB) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in the municipal well water. That effort is being undertaken by the town, and includes the recent modifications to the water plant building on 12th Street. South Jersey Gas, which previously gave the town $2.5 million in a settlement in 2007 regarding the plume that included the gas company assuming the responsibility for the remediation of the plume, will begin that separate remediation at the corner of 12th and Lincoln Streets in January of 2016, according to South Jersey Gas Project Manager of Environmental Affairs Ken Sheppard. According to officials of the town, South Jersey Gas and GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., when the project begins in 2016, the physical landscape of the area will change, both temporarily and permanently, with road closures on Lincoln Street and the permanent removal of several garages associated with the town’s water well property. The Gazette attended the public meeting regarding the South Jersey Gas-funded Lincoln Street Remediation Project, held on February 5 at Civil Solutions, a division of Adams, Rehmann and Heggan. Gazette readers will be apprised of every facet of this project in the coming months. We will provide the most in-depth, comprehensive coverage so citizens are informed about what South Jersey Gas is doing, when they are doing it, why they are doing it and the impact of both the contamination and the remediation project. sons of italy turns 80 On February 4, The Sons of Italy Giuseppe Garibaldi Lodge #1658 on Third Street celebrated its 80th birthday with a gathering of its members at the lodge’s headquarters. A picture of some of the senior members and officers of The Sons of Italy is on the front page of this week’s Gazette. The eight decades of the organization are a testament to the founders of the organization and successive generations. The club was founded with the intention of preserving the traditions of Italy in the United States, a mission that continues to be honored by the members of today. The all-male Sons of Italy does open its doors to the public at special times during the year, including two nights during the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that draw a big crowd. Scholarships are also a part of the club’s mission, and several high school students receive those scholarships each year. The Gazette congratulates The Sons of Italy on their 80th anniversary. There are not many institutions founded in 1935 that are still in existence today, let alone in the same location for so many decades in Hammonton’s Little Italy. Their organization and its headquarters are one of the main reasons the area is considered a “Little Italy” — and it shows their mission of helping to preserve Italian heritage in America continues to thrive. Here’s to the next 80 years! perspecTive/science in The schools Elementary schools typically focus on reading and writing – with good reason. Reading is essential to all subject areas. Students need to be effective readers to be successful in math, science, and social studies. In fact, I did a study several years ago that strongly indicated that 70 percent of math success was due to reading ability. As a result, elementary teachers work very hard at teaching language arts effectively. If language arts are so important, why teach hands-on science in the elementary schools? First of all, it is exciting and fun for the students. Recently I saw a third grade science lesson on static electricity and the students were so enthusiastic that they were literally jumping around as they completed the experiment. Reading good literature and writing is fun, but you can imagine how excited elementary students get when they do a hands-on science experiment. This year the Hammonton School District is in the first year of a pilot project to teach hands-on science in all grade levels. For years our lab sciences in grades six to 12 have been excellent. Now we are moving lab science into grades K to five. This year we are trying several lessons and we will increase the number of lessons for the 2015-2016 school year. This year our science investigations are: K-Weather, Plant (peas or beans) 1-Opaque/transparent/translucent, Reflection/ refraction 2-Magnet experiment, Plant experiment 3-Static Electricity experiment, Oil Spill Cleanup 4-Ecosystem Bottles, Rocks and Minerals (Making crystals) 5-Gravity experiment, Catapult Design Challenge, Inclined Plane, Sound Lab Our science supervisor, Mrs. Leonard worked with the teachers to develop the units. She states, “Our system of using teacher-led teams to develop curriculum is highly ef fective. Teachers believe in what they are doing. The grade level teams work on lesson plans that all the teachers use. Each teacher has less preparation. The team approach to lesson development ensures that everyone has the best plans – and the plans keep getting better.” The results show in the classroom. Students are going home and telling the parents how much science they learned. We even have first grade students doing lab reports. Some other science topics are: K-Life Cycle of Apple Tree, Pumpkin Life Cycle, and Ice Cube Experiment 1-Clouds, Weather, Living and Non-living things 2-Energy, Matter, and Magnetism 3-Light, Electricity, and Natural Disasters 4-Plants/Animals, Ecosystems and Weight/Volume 5-Energy, Sound Waves, and Speed / Velocity Hands-on science helps the students develop an appreciation for science. With this appreciation, the students are more fully literate and can understand the issues that impact our lives such as climate change, pollution, and health care. All of our lessons are aligned to the N.J. State Board of Education Next Generation Science Standards. These standards not only describe the science concepts students should know, but also the science and engineering practices students should be able to perform successfully. These practices include planning and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and problem solving. In order to meet these expectations, students must gain experience doing science, not just reading about it. The Hammonton Schools are developing children who have the ability to describe and explain natural phenomena. Our students can ask and find answers to their questions. Quote of the Week: “The dr. c. dan Blachford superintendent hammonton afTernoon knows whaT The morning never suspecTed.” — Robert Frost The Hammonton Gazette welcomes letters to the editor that are no more than 800 words long. All letters must include the name of the author and an address and telephone number for verification. Letters should be mailed to The Hammonton Gazette, Editorial Page, P.O. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. Letters also will be accepted via fax. The fax number is 704—1938.  Or by email to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 2 p.m. Monday. The Hammonton Gazette reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions expressed in letters, perspectives or in guest columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Hammonton Gazette.  The Gazette is not responsible for factual errors in letters, perspectives or in guest columns. The Gazette retains the right to refuse any submission or advertisement.