Christopher Herte, the recently-appointed 9-12 mathematics supervisor for the WW-P school district, presented “The Relationship between Teacher Assessments and NCLB Mathematics Testing,” a research paper at the Oxford Round Table, in Oxford, England. His research discussed the statistical increases in student achievement following changes in curriculum and instruction.
The Oxford Round Table, a forum of 40 educational leaders, superintendents, principals, and headmasters from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, provides opportunity for a learned dialogue among experts of important public policy issues.
His degrees include a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Upsala College, a master’s degree in computer science from New York Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in education administration from Dowling College. Herte taught mathematics in Glen Cove, Long Island, for 19 years, and served as the mathematics department chair for the Carle Place School District in New York. During the last four years he was the mathematics supervisor (K-12) for the East Brunswick School District.
In 2001 Herte received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. At the time Herte said he “enjoys making math a fun activity for students through events such as family math nights and Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14, the date corresponding with the first three digits of pi.”
Herte lives in West Windsor with his wife, Diane, and two children, Chris, a senior at High School South, and Mariane, an eighth grade student at Grover Middle School.
Michael Zapicchi, principal of High School North, has been appointed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Review Group with more than 1,”200 members serving student athletes. Zapicchi was appointed by the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet and the NCAA Division II Academic Requirements Committee.
History Studies
John McNamara, supervisor of social studies for grades 9 to 12, directed three week-long seminars for educators across the country at Yale, Columbia, and Princeton universities. The programs, sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, included topics of “The Colonial Era,” “America Between the Wars,” and “Freedom and Slavery in the Atlantic World.”
Amy Bruschi, a teacher at High School North, and High School South teachers Walter Conner and Brian Welsh attended the “Freedom and Slavery” seminar at Princeton University. The seminar featured current historical scholarship and utilized learning modules with primary source documents.
Eileen Beam, fifth grade teacher at Village School, was featured in HomeFront’s summer newsletter. Students from both her class and Joanne Glover’s class, collected items to assemble 75 gift bags for the moms as a Valentine’s gift. Beam has taught in West Windsor for 14 years.
Beam and her students created Thanksgiving baskets for homeless families for three years. The next project began when she realized that Valentine’s Day may be difficult for single moms.
“Our kids understood and they were glad to be able to help,” Beam told HomeFront.” It’s good to make our children aware that there are children who don’t live at the same standards as we do.”
