PARSIPPANY — In August 2020, Moravian College welcomed more than 500 new students, including Nicole Zinckgraf to their Bethlehem, PA campus for a semester that is unlike anything the college has seen before. Zinckgraf is a 2020 graduate of Parsippany Hills High School.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moravian welcomed students to a mix of in-person and online classes.
Moravian College is the nation’s sixth-oldest college, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that blend liberal arts with professional programs.
For more than 275 years, the Moravian College degree has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian College is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U), a national consortium of selective, small to mid-size independent colleges and universities dedicated to the purposeful integration of liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement. Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how Moravian College focuses on education for all prepares its students for life-long success.
PARSIPPANY — A Message from Kevin Dehmer Interim Commissioner of Education
As the new school year commences, remote instruction will play a large role in districts and homes across the state. To help parents, students and teachers effectively adjust to online instruction, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is pleased to announce the launch of the Virtual Learning Toolkit, a comprehensive set of resources for school communities.
The toolkit contains links to information and supports for families and school districts, as well as pre-recorded professional learning modules to help educators virtually engage, instruct, and assess students. The resources provided focus on six key areas:
1. Devices and Hardware – Help with computers and tablets;
2. Connectivity and Broadband – Information about internet service and wi-fi connectivity;
3. Software and Learning Platforms – Help with videoconferencing and popular learning platforms;
4. Training and Professional Learning – Resources for engaging students through hybrid and remote instruction;
5. Tech Support and Digital Literacy – Help and supports for using technology and troubleshooting information; and
6. Funds and Financial Support – Possible funding resources for districts.
Resources will be added to the toolkit as new information becomes available.
Contact information
Please direct inquiries to Christopher Cox, director of the NJDOE’s Office of STEM, at Christopher.Cox@doe.nj.gov
PARSIPPANY — A Message from Dr. Barbara Sargent, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Parsippany-Troy Hills Families,
I hope this letter finds you all well and anticipating a great school year and athletic season. We are fortunate to be in a position to run a Fall Sports Season. This is entirely the result of a healthy Summer Conditioning Program, coaches who maintained strict safety standards, and students who followed our district protocols faithfully. Thank you for your assistance with this.
We are excited to begin practices again on Monday and for our first scrimmages/games to start on Friday, September 25. I would like to direct you to our current game schedule at the “Athletics” page of the district website. Please understand that schedules are fluid, and your daughter/son’s coach will provide specific information as the season progresses.
Our Fall Sports procedures require all parents of student-athletes at the high school level to continue to use the same forms and links used for summer session practices. These are different from the daily screening forms used for Cohort A/B attendance.
It is expected that student-athletes will wear a mask when checking into practice/game and at the end of practice/game, provide their own water/hydration drink, bring hand sanitizer for themselves, and maintain social distancing prior to and after the practice/game.
For Practices and Games (Not Football), tickets will not be required for these events. Spectators must adhere to social distancing and wear masks if they are in close proximity to others.
For Home Football Games/Scrimmages, the district will provide each Senior player with two tickets and other athletes, Band members, and the Cheer team with one ticket each. Your school will provide a link for ticket ordering. This link for ticket purchase is critical so that we may trace contacts should an infection occur. This is the procedure we will follow for the week of September 21 and September 28. We will monitor this and make necessary adjustments for the following weeks’ games. We understand that this means few students may be attending the games for now. It is imperative that we maintain a safe environment and adhere to social distancing. Games will be Live Streamed to a YouTube link for viewing in the comfort of your home.
There will not be Concession Stands at any of the games; no outside food or drink is permitted. Large bags and backpacks are also not allowed.
Spectators must sit in the bleachers in designated sections. There will be no leaning on fences or gathering near the field or other areas. The bleachers will be marked off to appropriately space spectators out; please adhere to the markings and sit in the designated spots.
For Away Football Games, there will be a certain number of tickets available for purchase in advance. For the week of September 21 and September 28, only the athletes will travel to the game. Band and Cheer Team members will not attend away games. We will review this and consider adjustments once we understand how health protocols are followed.
Thank you for all the support you provide our community and programs. Students benefit from athletic and extracurricular activities and this Fall season will be a great opportunity for our school community to cheer our students. We also have students who may be scouted for college scholarships, making it extra important to keep our school district healthy. Please remember the importance of maintaining social distancing – both at school events and in the community – and of restricting your child’s exposure to large groups. As I’ve said before, all our school guidelines will be for nothing if students let down their guard on weekends and after school.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s coach, Athletic Coordinator, principal, or me should you wish to address any aspect of this information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Barbara Sargent
Superintendent of Schools
MORRIS COUNTY — Due Labor Day weekend, the Italian American Police Society of New Jersey partnered with (BLESC) Blacks in Law Enforcement Serving the Community & Hispanic Law Enforcement Association of Union County to collect another truckload of needed school supplies at area ShopRites.
These three law enforcement organizations are working hard together to build bridges with the community while making sure inner-city children have the supplies they need for the Fall in school.
MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of Freeholders has applauded the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement for achieving national reaccreditation, a demanding process that measures compliance with the most advanced standards on policy, procedures, operations, training, administration, and support services.
The prestigious, advanced reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) is the first accomplished by the administration of Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, who was sworn in as the 77th Sheriff in January 2017.
The agency first was awarded CALEA accreditation on March 21, 1998, and has now been reaccredited seven consecutive times.
Sheriff James M. Gannon with CALEA Assessors Thomas Clark and Charles Groover
“I and the entire Freeholder board commend Sheriff Gannon and his officers for maintaining these nationally recognized standards of excellence and for being accountable, fair-minded, and community-oriented in how they deal with the citizens of Morris County. This is a very important achievement, particularly in this volatile era when some citizens and law enforcement are clashing in other parts of this nation,” said Morris County Freeholder Director Deborah Smith.
Sheriff Gannon and Sheriff’s Office Detective Captain Denise Thornton were among Sheriff’s Office sworn Officers who were joined at a virtual Freeholder Board work session on Wednesday by CALEA Executive Director Craig Hartley and CALEA Regional Program Director Paul MacMillan, who provides on-going accreditation guidance to the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
Executive Director Hartley gave the Freeholders a glowing appraisal of the accreditation efforts of the Bureau of Law Enforcement, which met 361 rigorous reaccreditation standards.
“These efforts take strong leadership of course, as well as technical support, but they also require every member of the organization, both sworn and non-sworn, to embrace the concepts of accreditation and consider the implications of their actions in regard to our standards,” Executive Director Hartley said.
“Although I don’t think there has been a difference in this in the course of history, now more than ever, it’s critical for law enforcement agencies to commit to doing the right thing, the right way, and having accountability as a part of their organizational make-up. Again, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office embraces this concept through accreditation and allows CALEA as an independent body to examine its most sensitive and complex operations to confirm its commitment to this important business philosophy,” Executive Director Hartley said.
Sheriff Gannon also commended the agency for maintaining the highest quality standards.
“Achieving reaccreditation is a rigorous process but necessary, I believe, to show the community that the Morris County Sheriff’s Office strives for excellence and transparency. I asked the assessors to kick the tires and look into everything because we welcome the scrutiny. It’s a true credit to everyone in the Bureau of Law Enforcement that its quality has again been affirmed,” Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon said.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office is one of just two Sheriff’s Offices in New Jersey to be nationally accredited. Statewide, 17 law enforcement agencies have achieved national accreditation, including the New Jersey State Police.
A voluntary process for law enforcement agencies, CALEA accreditation demonstrates that an agency has a proven management system of written directives, clearly defined lines of authority, sound training, robust service delivery, excellence in leadership, and compliance with best practices related to life, health and safety procedures.
The Sheriff’s Office accreditation team spent the years 2016 through 2019 meeting annual, web-based prongs of the accreditation process that prepared the agency for a climactic, four-day visit in October 2019 by CALEA Assessors, former Law Enforcement professionals Charles Groover of Georgia and Thomas Clark of Virginia.
Public input was welcomed, with 13 individuals, business owners, and representatives from state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies calling the assessment team to offer positive opinions about the Morris County Sheriff’s Office. They included a member of the LBGTQ community and a woman whose husband is a client of the Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver program.
During the site-based assessment, Sheriff Gannon and his accreditation team took the assessors on a tour of the Morris County Courthouse, which the Bureau of Law Enforcement is constitutionally mandated to protect, and the team showcased the agency’s specialized services and innovative outreach programs.
The CALEA assessors met Sheriff’s Office Detectives from the Bomb Squad, K-9, Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), Evidence, and Community Outreach and Planning Sections.
The assessors in October 2019 also conducted 112 interviews with sworn and non-sworn members of the Sheriff’s Office, community members, and Superior Court personnel, including Superior Court Assignment Judge Stuart Minkowitz, who works closely with Sheriff Gannon on all aspects of courthouse security.
Before CALEA ultimately awarded the Sheriff’s Office four-year reaccreditation in March 2020, it delivered a Final Assessment Report that expressed admiration for initiatives launched by Sheriff Gannon. Those programs include the Hope One mobile substance use and mental health outreach program, the RSVP-3 school threat assessment program, and the RSVP-3 mobile app that allows individuals, particularly students, to anonymously report threats to school safety and other concerns.
“The agency has a community outreach component (that is) very active with businesses, neighborhood associations, citizen groups, civic organizations, and on and on. The programs Sheriff Gannon and the agency have introduced since his administration took over three years (ago) is amazing,” states the report, authored by the assessors.
Sheriff Gannon and the accreditation team had anticipated traveling to Florida in March for the 2020 CALEA Conference, where they would have answered any final questions by a panel of CALEA commissioners before reaccreditation was granted. Instead, the Sheriff and accreditation team members had a final session with CALEA commissioners over Zoom in March, when the reaccreditation was awarded.
MORRIS COUNTY — As of September 15, 32 individuals have died by suspected suicide, compared to 21 individuals by that date in 2019 in Morris County. With more than 100 days left in this calendar year, overall suicides this year have exceeded by five the 27 deaths attributed to suicide in 2019.
Emphasizing Morris County’s stigma-free philosophy, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon stressed that services are available and ready to minister to individuals who are in despair or feeling disengaged from family, friends, and healthy relationships.
The COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, unexpected deaths, and inability to freely grieve at funerals coupled with job losses, civil unrest, and uncertainty about the future have created a maelstrom that can overwhelm the psyche.
“Major disruptions and stress in people’s lives, as many have felt this year, can seriously damage mental and emotional well-being. Social distancing can lead to a disconnection from others and many people have not been able to mourn deaths with traditional wakes and funerals. There are resources to turn to and people who can help others cope, no matter who they are,” Sheriff Gannon said.
Tracy Klingener, Director of Suicide Prevention Services for the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, said COVID-19 has cut many people off from direct contact with family and friends. Without face-to-face encounters, warning signs that others are depressed or feeling hopeless can go undetected, she said.
“Without face to face interaction, people are not having the conversations they may have previously had with others,” she said.
“At a time like this, people may be in a state of intense tunnel vision about their problems and their lives. It’s important to remind people that ‘You’re not alone. We’re in this together,” Director Klingener said.
Mental health and overcoming addiction is a cornerstone of Sheriff Gannon’s administration, which launched the Hope One mobile addiction and mental health outreach program on April 3, 2017.
Hope One is partnered with the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, which links individuals with treatment services, education, and wellness programs. One or more trained mental health advocates are present on every HOPE ONE trip into the community and since April 2017, have connected at least 151 people to mental health services.
RESOURCES:
Morris County Sheriff’s Office Hope One program: (973) 590-0300;
Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris: (973) 334-3496;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255;
With the pandemic, as with every crisis, come deep challenges and opportunities for transformation and the possibility to build back better. From the Parsippany BOE mission statement, a line that stands out for me is “The mission of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, in partnership with families and the greater community, is to challenge and nurture all students academically and to develop confident learners who are compassionate, generous, appreciative, and invested in their diverse world.”
This BOE election we have an opportunity to improve on those challenges. A BOE candidate should have the qualities of objectivity, unbiased views that put forth the students in all decisions and the ability to look at the whole, the teachers, aides, administration, and school infrastructure, to provide them with the support and a positive, nurturing environment. Aisha Mahmood has these qualities.
Aisha Mahmood, a long time Parsippany resident attended Brooklawn Middle School and Parsippany Hills High School. She has a BS in Biology and worked in the Pharmaceutical, Financial, and Telecommunication industries and she is currently a Project Manager.
What does Aisha bring to the table? In an ever-changing world, Board members must able to, first and foremost, meet the technological changes and provide our students what they need to be prepared and successful in the world after high school. As a Board member, with her professionally diverse background, Aisha would help our school system have what it needs to prepare our students to meet our changing world, cutting edge technology.
I met Aisha several years ago during local volunteer and community events including interfaith gatherings to bring people together after shootings in both temples and mosques. Aisha has been a dedicated Sunday school teacher for 23 years. Aisha is also an organizing member for The Citizen Foundation USA – North Jersey Chapter that builds schools to educate kids in third world countries and has traveled to these locations as part of this volunteer work.
Aisha gives back, actively engaging in making the young people’s lives better. She has the technical and versatile background to bring forward ideas and a fresh voice to our district, for both the children and teachers of our community. For this General Election, I urge you to join me in casting a vote for Aisha Mahmood for the Board for Education.
PARSIPPANY — We need to keep our foot on the gas in our fight against COVID-19. As always, you can keep up with the day-to-day numbers on the Morris County coronavirus tracker page by clicking here.
MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp announces that starting September 24 through September 26 participating pharmacies across Morris County will be making naloxone (“NARCAN”), which is an opioid-overdose reversal drug, available for free and without a prescription or appointment, to anyone requesting the same.
Inquiring individuals, who can remain anonymous, will be entitled to one naloxone pack containing two doses, on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is part of a statewide initiative sponsored by the State of New Jersey.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Attorney General S. Gurbir Grewal, the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES), and the New Jersey Department of Human Services are sponsoring this free naloxone program throughout the State of New Jersey. This is the second such distribution, a part of the State’s continued efforts to combat the opioid crisis. In June 2019, residents received 32,000 doses of naloxone.
Those who obtain naloxone will also be given information regarding addiction treatment and recovery through Reach NJ, a 24-hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week addictions hotline where people who have Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or friends and family of people with SUD can get immediate assistance and support from live, New Jersey-based, trained addiction counselors. Live staff members are available by calling the toll-free number, 844-ReachNJ (732-2465).
The participating pharmacies in Focus readership are:
Acme Pharmacy, 550 Myrtle Ave., Boonton
ShopRite Pharmacy of Greater Morristown, 178 East Hanover Avenue, Cedar Knolls
Towne Pharmacy, 103 Ridgedale Avenue, Cedar Knolls
Sav-On Pharmacy, 329 Speedwell Avenue, Morris Plains
For a full list of participating pharmacies click here.
Associate Director Melody Runyon of Prevention is Key (PIK) said “Naloxone is invaluable when it comes to giving those with an opioid use disorder another chance to find a life of recovery. Ready availability is key. As a result of Morris County’s Narcan 2.0 and law enforcement Administration of Naloxone, Prevention is Key/CARES Peer Recovery Specialists have responded to nearly 700 overdoses at county hospitals with 473 individuals accepting recovery support services. Without naloxone, these individuals would never have had this opportunity to change their life.”
Dear Editor:
