9/5/2008:

New entry to the directory today, as well as an Open House event on September 27th.

WeeCare Occupational Therapy provides innovative, child-centered and individualized occupational therapy (OT) services designed to achieve functional outcomes for our pediatric clients.

WeeCare expands service offerings

New groups include social skills, writing camp, therapeutic yoga and much more and will be celebrated at an open house on September 27 from Noon-3:00 PM ET

What/When: WeeCare Occupational Therapy to host an open house on September 27 from Noon-3:00 PM at 720 Monroe Street, Suite C408, Hoboken NJ 07030. WeeCare will also be hosting an inservice on Handwriting Without Tears on October 1st at 7:00 PM.

Why: WeeCare Occupational Therapy will be celebrating the expansion of its space to 2500 square feet in the Monroe Center. Occupational therapists will be on hand to discuss new service offerings including: The Wee Club (social skills group), Pre-School Group (sensory motor based play group), The Write Camp (Pre-writing to cursive), Much Bunch (feeding group) and Peaceful Bodies… Peaceful Minds (therapeutic yoga inclusion program).

About: WeeCare Occupational Therapy provides child-centered and individualized comprehensive therapy services combining both basic techniques with the latest advances in therapy. Just as every child is unique, every therapy program at WeeCare is tailored to the individual needs of the child and designed to achieve the most optimal functional outcomes. We welcome children between birth and 18 years of age in our newly expanded sensory gym.

For more information or to make an appointment call 201-656-8800.

WeeCare Occupational Therapy provides innovative, child-centered and individualized occupational therapy (OT) services designed to achieve functional outcomes for our pediatric clients.

Description: Occupational therapy for children.
Services: Sensory integration, Oral motor therapy, Handwriting training, Miller Method principals, TAMO, Solutions to compensate for visual perceptual deficits, Therapeutic listening, Parent/educational consultations
Address: 720 Monroe Street, Suite C408, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: 201-656-8800 Fax: 201-656-8801
Web: http://www.weecareot.com
email: mduarte@comcast.net

9/1/2008:

This Wednesday, September 3rd is the official (dreaded) end of summer for kids attending Hoboken public schools, where they return to (gasp!) learn new things.

No more middle schools and other changes

The Board of Education restructured the school district, by eliminating the middle schools and rolling them into the primary schools. Calabro, Connors and Wallace schools are now kindergarten through eighth grades.

Brandt School has been converted to an early childhood facility, and Demarest School has an alternative high school vocational program as well at the Hoboken Charter School.

Additionally, many positive curriculum changes have been made. You can catch up with them by subscribing to the Hoboken Curriculum Project blog published by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Anthony Petrosino.

8/23/2008:

Dr. Anthony Petrosino, who runs the Hoboken Curriculum Project blog, reports that the Hoboken High School has recently made great strides:

HHS Among Top Five Improved NJ Schools

“New Jersey Monthly recently posted an article on the most improved high schools in the state. Hoboken High School had the second largest increase, moving up 121 places in this year’s rankings. Proper caution and perspective must be taken with any such rankings as it is often very dependent on the methodology employed. We are confident that Hoboken High School, and all our other campuses, are part of a good district striving for excellence. The recognition is certainly welcomed and reflects the collective efforts of many people over a period of multiple years.”

HOBOKEN HIGH SCHOOL
2008 rank: 139
2006 rank: 260
Change in rank: 121

Continue reading the rest here.

8/20/2008 Update:

One last picture to show you what Elysian Park is supposed to look like at night. A few more lamps need attention, and the lighting job will be complete.

The dog run is next on the list, WE HOPE.

SEE PREVIOUS UPDATES AS TECHNICIANS TACKLED THE JOB AFTER THE JUMP…

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

8/19/2008:

Too busy to prepare your own food? Want healthy and tasty ready-made meals that are both fun and nutritious? Want to please your man and/or children while not killing them with unhealthy fast food?

Then get ready, because the answer to your “what should we eat?” dilemmas will soon be over!

Look who’s sneaking around Whole Foods Market!

Whole Foods Market Teams Up With The Sneaky Chef®

Back-to-school means back to homework, team practices, lessons, and carpools galore. There just isn’t much time for cooking. More and more, moms and dads rely on the quality they trust from the Whole Foods Market prepared foods case when they want to serve nutritious meals to their families. Starting in September 2008, it will be a whole lot easier to pick up super nutritious, family-friendly meals at Whole Foods Markets in three greater New York locations, as they introduce the Sneaky Chef recipes in their prepared food case.

The Sneaky Chef, AKA Missy Chase Lapine, is the author of two Sneaky Chef cookbooks, including the New York Times bestseller THE SNEAKY CHEF: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals (Running Press, 2007). The recipes sneak healthy, superfood ingredients into original recipes, and they are completely undetectable. Leigh DeNardo, Marketing Team Leader, White Plains, NY says Whole Foods Market is “very excited to be featuring The Sneaky Chef’s recipes in our chef’s case. Families are a huge customer base for us- parents feel great about giving their kids all-natural food. Missy’s recipes are a perfect fit for us: healthy and delicious!”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SNEAKY CHEF AFTER THE JUMP!

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8/15/2008:

No mention of Hoboken in this story published yesterday, because no “post-contract” figures were included in the Salaries Spreadsheet.

Sure looks a lot different than the spreadsheet Hoboken411 published 10 days ago!

You can also see the state’s “User Friendly” Budget for Hoboken here.

More than 30 NJ school admins due six-figure deals

Retirement will be good for many New Jersey school superintendents.

Retirement payments for most other school administrators is well below the caps. The average is slightly over $10,000 on a typical salary of about $108,000.

8/14/2008:

Where is the best place in Hoboken to hold a great 1st birthday party for your child?

Best place for a 1st birthday party?

A Hoboken411 reader asks:

“I’m looking for a place to have my son’s first birthday party.. any ideas on party spaces? I don’t want too “kiddie” a place (like romparoo or creative groove studio) since 1st birthday parties are more for the adults anyway!”

Since I don’t have a kid, I asked one of my friends who had a first birthday party for their son in 2007.

“We went to LUA last year, and rented the room off the side of the bar. While the place was nice, you have to factor in your child’s temperament. He threw a crying fit, and the party was essentially ruined. So make sure you’re close to home. Another thing to consider is food for adults. Finger-sized pieces of pizza, cupcakes and candy doesn’t always cut it.

I also went to a party at the Monroe Center recently which wasn’t bad. Just make sure the adults have food a drink and it should be OK.”

Do you have any other helpful tips or suggestions for a successful 1st birthday party?

8/11/2008:

Didn’t know the Hoboken High School had an Emergency Medical Technician program? Read all about it below!

HHS Emergency Medical Technician Program

The Hoboken High School Emergency Response Team was formed as a result of September 11, 2001, when adults and children watched as 57 of the town’s residents were killed. Prompted by the students’ request to help, the school district applied for and received funding from the Learn and Serve America Grant.

(Pictured: On May 24, 2006 at 11:41 am the Hoboken High School Emergency Response Team ambulance responded to its first call for the city of Hoboken.)

READ MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM AFTER THE JUMP!!

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8/9/2008 Update:

For those that didn’t get a chance to see it yet, here is the list of salaries at the Hoboken Board of Education. This is from last fiscal year, ending June 30, 2008, and likely doesn’t include overtime.

8/7/2008 Update:

Maureen Sullivan has provided her perspective of the Hoboken Board of Education meeting that took place on Tuesday, August 5th. (See links to agenda PDF after the break)

Open Checkbook Night at Board of Education meeting

“According to the teachers’ union contract, coordinators get a $5,300 stipend. That is, of course, unless you happen to be the president of the union, then the pay is double. Hoboken Education Association (HEA) President Gary Enrico got his $10,000 job renewed as coordinator of the 16-week “gifted and talented” Saturday U program. He already has an assistant to handle the paperwork, but the best news is that he will no longer be in charge of deciding what the kids will learn: on Tuesday that job has been handed over to Anthony Petrosino, the district’s new curriculum czar. Fewer duties, less responsibility, same outrageously high pay. Pupie Raia abstained, I suppose because the HEA conveniently located its office in Pupie’s building on 7th Street. Fran Rhodes-Kearns also abstained. I’m not sure why.

Matthew Burakowski stepped up from a $30,000-something computer tech job to the newly created position of “Net-Work System Administrator” at a salary of $53,000. An increase, I am told, of $18,000. He is 28. There’s also a chief information officer, David Bailey, who gets about $91,000.

SEE THE REST OF MAUREEN’S LETTER, AND FULL AGENDA AFTER THE JUMP…

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8/6/2008:

With many more parents and children deciding to stick around longer in Hoboken these days, it makes perfect sense that a KinderCare Learning Center is coming soon (to the Monroe Center).

KinderCare is the nation’s largest private child care and education provider with more than 200,000 children enrolled across 39 states. They offer programs for children from six weeks to 12 years old. (Six weeks?! What are they? Puppies?)

“The KinderCare Difference is our commitment to your child’s future. With our experienced staff and innovative programs unlike any other, we provide your child with an unsurpassed learning experience. Your child will discover that learning is fun, while making new friends and building strong relationships with teachers who partner with you in your child’s education.”

According to the KinderCare website, they list a Hoboken location as “Coming Winter 2008″ in their opening soon section.

Maybe a billion-dollar company such as KinderCare will have better luck than others at the Monroe Center. I learned to take all “news” coming out of that debacle of an operation with a pound of salt. Businesses either take forever to open, or don’t open at all.

Hoboken parents: Are you excited that KinderCare is coming to town? Will you enroll your children in any of their programs?