West Milford Township Public Schools 

Arts Department 
You Matter. We Matter. The Arts Matter 
February 2018 

“​A broad education in the arts helps children get a better 

understanding of their world… We need students who are 
culturally literate as well as math and science literate​”.  
-Paul Ostergard, VP Citicorp 

1 
 
  

Welcome to our Mid Winter Arts Newsletter! We are “all in” right now in preparation of our annual
support and celebration for ​Music in Our Schools Month​ and​ Youth Art Month​, both of which are
designated for ​March​. Our staff and students are fully engaged in preparation for this exciting month,
and there are many events throughout the month of March which highlight and spotlight our Arts
program here in West Milford. Here is a brief listing:

HS Musical: Little Mermaid

Music in Our Schools Month/Youth Art Month Elementary All-School Assemblies

Empty Bowls

HS Choral Spagettioki

Macopin Musical: Beauty and the Beast

All-District Arts Festival

This edition expands on these events, and gives further details to dates and locations below. We hope
you get the opportunity to attend one or more of these events.

Once again, we are grateful for the support and encouragement of the West Milford School Community.
Something we never take for granted!

John Boronow, K-12 Supervisor of Music, Art & Family & Consumer Sciences in West Milford 

Elementary School: Music in Our 

School Month & Youth Art 
Month Celebration 
During the month of March our elementary schools all celebrate music and 
art in our schools by having a school and district-wide celebration. The 
music and art teachers spend months planning working on a theme, 
deciding on songs per grade level and developing projects based on each of 
them. This year the theme is ‘ the 1980’s’.   

2 
 
  

The different grade levels have been working tirelessly on 

their musical selections! Kindergarteners will be singing 
True Colors​, First Graders will be singing ​Don’t Worry, Be 
Happy​, Second graders will be singing ​Footloose​, Third 
graders will be singing ​The Loco Motion​, Fourth Graders will 
be singing ​The Eye of the Tiger​, Fifth graders will be singing 
That’s What Friends are For​, and Sixth Graders will be 
singing ​We Are the World​.  

Mark the dates in your calendar now!  

Apshawa: Thursday, March 15 

Maple Road: Monday, March 12 

Marshall Hill: Thursday, March 15 

Paradise Knoll: Thursday, March 22 

Upper Greenwood Lake: Monday, March 26 

Westbrook: Wednesday, March 21 

 
 

Empty Bowls: 
 
Our High School Art and Cooking classes are
preparing for their 7th annual ‘Empty Bowls’
event on March 12th. Empty Bowls is an
international project to fight hunger.

The basic idea for Empty Bowls is

3 
 
  

simple. Participants create ceramic bowls, and then

serve a simple meal of soup and bread. Guests
choose a bowl to take home as a reminder that there
are always empty bowls in the
world.
Earlier in January the High School Sculpture students
participated in their annual ‘bowl-a-thon’ where their
goal was to make 100 bowls within 5 hours. They
succeeded with 110 bowls made!

 
Musical Season: 
It is Musical Season at Macopin and WMHS! This is the year of Disney with Macopin putting on ​Beauty
and the Beast ​and the High School putting on​ The Little Mermaid!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4 
 
  

Spotlight on Music: 
 
Elementary School:
We are extremely
proud of our
Westbrook
Elementary School!
Their School
Character song was
submitted by Mrs.
VanSickle and was
published in the
March/April issue of
Music K-8!

Macopin Middle School:

Montclair State University NAfME Collegiate hosted a Chamber Music Day for middle school
instrumentalists on Saturday, January 27th. This was an exciting opportunity for young musicians to
learn chamber pieces, make new friends, and perform for their family and peers! Students were
coached by professors and students from the Cali School of Music. Chamber Day also featured a
professional guest performer, a West African drumming/singing/dancing workshop, and a composition
class for all students to participate in. Our very own Olivia O'Mahoney, 8th Grade clarinetist,
participated and proudly represented the Macopin Music Department.

It is Junior Region Audition season. We are excited to have a number of students represent our program
and audition for these ensembles. Corran Vaughn and Danny Janz are auditioning for Junior Region band
in February. Shane Duffy and Declan Wallace are auditioning for the Junior Region Jazz Band in March.
Katina Gloria, Grace Syme, Morgan Todisco, Dillen Orsino,
Georgie Barrett, Lilianna Sanchez, Madeline Storch, Katie
Scala, Natalie Hamblin, Allie Leswing, Tyler Barker, Aidan
Becker, Angelo Fernandez, Julia Gerst and Daphne King are
auditioning for the junior region choir. We wish them all
the best of luck on this exciting and challenging endeavor!

The following 8th Grade Macopin Middle School musicians

were nominated and chosen for the 2018 North Jersey
Area Band Honors Ensemble: Gianna Edmond, Flute, Kade
McDaniel, French Horn, Shane Duffy, Trombone and
Corran Vaughn, Baritone.

5 
 
  

These students prepared a select piece of music as well as required scales, auditioned on December 9th
at Wayne Hills High School and attended a week of rehearsals in January. They performed their concert
at Mount Olive High School on Sunday, January 14th. There were 25 Northern New Jersey Middle
Schools represented on stage that afternoon. We applaud their time, efforts and commitment to this
year’s honor group as well as the support of our administration and parents, without this support our
students would not have had this amazing experience. Congratulations for a job well done, these
students represented Macopin Middle School and the West Milford community with pride.

Thursday, March 22nd, is our first ever Wayne - West Milford Band Day from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Students from Schuyler Colfax Middle School in Wayne will be joining us here at Macopin for the day.
We will spend the time performing for each other and working on a piece together with the help of their
Band Director, Mr. Pusak and their High School Band Director, Mr. Paterno as well as our very own Dr.
McLaughlin.

The purpose of the day is to participate in a non-competitive atmosphere which provides a place for
growth, cooperative encouragement and mutual respect among music programs, students, staff and
administrators. Directors select their own programs; there is no required repertoire. There are no
ratings or rankings so directors and their ensembles are free to stretch themselves, reach for new
heights, and strive for innovation, growth and excellence, instead of focusing on a rating or placing. And
hopefully make some new musician friends from Wayne!

Wednesday, March 28th is a big day! With two festivals and two different concert programs. We will be
attending the NJMEA Middle School Band Competition at West Essex High School during the school day
and in the evening will perform at the West Milford ALL District Arts Festival.

High School:
West Milford High School Area Band members include:
Amanda Roth, Kathryn Keller, Steven Lange, Audrey
Leibig, Theresa Santa Lucia, Raquel Mea, Sophie Pilaar,
Christina Shao, Sean Partington, Connor Partington,
Danielle Dreyer, Dan Dauber, Peter Suckiel, Peter
Oselador, Brian Macarell, Ben McLaughlin, EJ Lindstrom,
Eric Darnsteadt, Madison McIntyre

West Milford High School Region I Band members include:

Kathryn Keller, Stephen Lange, Danielle Dreyer, Connor
Partington, Dan Dauber, Peter Suckiel, Brian Macarell, Ben
McLaughlin, EJ Lindstrom, Madison McIntyre.

6 
 
  

Also a big congratulations goes out to ​Dan Dauber Tenor Sax

Symphonic Band
Danielle Dreyer Bass Clarinet Symphonic Band for making All
State ensembles.

Spotlight on Art: 
We had another successful year at the Wallkill Art Invitational. A number of our Art students took home
prizes!

Third Place for Painting- Jean Huang for Third Place in Pottery- Emily Golding for
“Acrylic on Paper Still Life 2” “Ring Jug”
Jean Huang also received an Art Talent Scholarship
from William Paterson University!

7 
 
  

First Place in Digital Media/ Video- Sophia Meany Second Place in Photography- Kerry Bramley
For “Diana” For “Twiggy”

TV Communication Arts & Journalism students visited ABC

News in New York City and were given an overview of
network operations and production for ABC News. Students
had the opportunity to visit the World News Tonight Set,
control rooms, Digital Media Center, edit, and graphics
department for the network. Students saw first hand how
many disciplines and career paths in the TV production and

news industry are dependent on each other

and the many career opportunities
provided for prospective employees. The
field trip was coordinated by 1996 West
Milford graduate and Senior Manager of
ABC News Editing Jonathan Brauer.

8