TOMS RIVER – Students are going to get a chance to show off their academics and their creativity at the first ever Excellence Expo.
This is a free event, which will be held from 5-8 p.m. on April 6 at the RWJBarnabas Health Arena, on the campus of High School North.
While clubs and theater groups (for example) have had the chance to show what they are doing for the parents of the kids involved in those activities, this will be a night for everyone to introduce their passions to the community at large.
There will be a Green Fair, a robotics showcase, performances from choruses, drama clubs, dancers, and bands. Students will present their STEAM capstone and Genius Hour projects. The educational troupe Lead U will host hands-on music, yoga, and kids theater. There will also be tables with local vendors, PTOs and booster clubs. Educational topics such as transitioning to an adult, bridging the gap to ASL, and multi-sensory phonics will coexist with information about schools’ Hispanic Heritage Clubs, Career Academy courses, and Genius Hour activities.
Some residents might remember the Jersey Shore Makerfest, which was held from 2016-9. This day-long event celebrated the merging of creativity and technology. The pandemic put the kibosh on large gatherings but now COVID regulations have relaxed. Educators led by Curriculum Directors Rachel Cicala and Adrienne Gold are feeling the need to have another open house.
“Makerfest was so successful, and drew in thousands of attendees each year, so enhancing that model was a challenge,” said Gold. “But we thought that introducing new elements of creativity, including music and performing arts, and ceding much of the creative input to our students and teachers would help engage even more people. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re beyond excited to show off what we do here.”
“This is a true hands-on event,” said Assistant Superintendent Cara DiMeo. “Parents simply looking to see their children perform can come and watch up close and in person. Young kids can get engaged with arts enrichment, learn how to operate a robot, or take a yoga lesson. Any student, from preschool to kindergarten, will find something of interest. Overall, it will be a family event and a true source of pride for our district as we give our students an opportunity to showcase all of the amazing things that are happening.”
Planning this event stretched across the district’s schools. K-5 Curriculum Director Rachel Cicala helped guide the event’s planning and organizing, with help from DiMeo and Gold, as well as Assistant Superintendent Rich Fastnacht, Supervisor of Educational Technology Tiffany Lucey, and a host of principals, supervisors, and teachers.
Gold said that the programs being highlighted aren’t just special projects but enriching activities that happen on a daily basis.
“Those extraordinary projects and significant accomplishments tend to get covered, on our website, through local media outlets and more, which is great, of course,” said Gold. “But part of the mission of the Expo is to showcase everyday projects and activities, the ones which our students are excelling at, engaging in, and which have this almost subtle but long-lasting impact on them as learners.”
