STATEWIDE – Classroom Close-up, NJ is an original monthly NJN program that features students, teachers and community members who develop and participate in creative and successful school programs. Classroom Close-up, NJ is a co-production of NJN and the New Jersey Education Association. Additional funding for the show is provided by NJEA, PSE&G, Bristol-Myers Squibb and NJ FamilyCare. Classroom Close-up, NJ can also be seen on NJN’s digital channel; please check the web site at njn.net for dates and times.

Monday, November 1, at 6:30 pm; Saturday, November 6, at 7 am
• Adopt-A-Stream- Four schools from the Egg Harbor Township School District participate in the third Adopt-a-Stream/Catawba Project Jamboree. Students from Dr. Miller School, EHT Intermediate School, EHT Middle School and EHT High School learn all about falcons, quail, macro invertebrates, taxidermy and much more.
• Physical Education- Why is physical education an important part of a child’s education? James McCall, coordinator of Health and PE for the NJ Department of Education, explains why physical education helps children become healthier as well as better learners.
• Tech Fitness – A perfect example of an excellent physical education program can be found in Michelle Hockenberry’s Middle Township Elementary class. See how technology plays an important role in today’s physical education classes.
• Intergalactic Poetry- Students at E.T. Briggs School in Jefferson Township are turning their classroom into a space ship with an intergalactic café. Refreshments/brunch will be served to parents who must read a poem as part of their admission. In turn, the students must memorize and recite poems for their parents.

Monday, November 8, at 6:30 pm; Saturday, November 13, at 7 am
• Japan Night- As part of Japan Night, elementary students from National Park School will demonstrate Japanese art techniques and introduce their parents to Japanese art and culture.
• SkillsUSA – Vocational education students from across the state converge on the Garden State Exhibit Center to compete and showcase their best career and technical skills. Student President NJ SkillsUSA Tramaine Cooper explains how vocational education can prepare students for successful careers.
• ESL Club – Students who come from other countries must first master the English language so they can succeed in school. Students from Bordentown School District get a head start by improving their English during the summer. The ESL Summer Adventure Club performs a play and participates in an international picnic at McFarland School with the help of teacher Laurie Gambogi.
• Multicultural Education – Gloria Louis, a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School #1 in Passaic, will showcase her students’ and their work on the African American History and Multicultural program. The students will display their artwork and cultural artifacts.

Monday, November 15, at 6:30 pm; Saturday, November 20, at 7 am
• Jazz Bash – Students from the Jersey City Performing Arts program perform at the NJ City University Margaret Williams Theater. The groups of performers will include Jersey City students and teachers plus a group of students from Germany.
• Carnegie Hall – Students from Clearview Regional School District performed the Mozart Requiem at Carnegie Hall. This is an experience that they will never forget.
• Opera – Gene Golluscio, a teacher at Hartford School in Mt. Laurel, teaches sixth graders the love of opera. He combines a cultural enrichment program with social studies. The students watch opera on DVD, use a smart board to display work, create skits and make puppets to perform opera.
• Jazz for Teens – Saxophonist Don Braden is the music director of the Jazz for Teens Program. Braden selects a faculty of accomplished musicians to work with him on this New Jersey Performing Arts Center program. The goal is to provide students with the most valuable and well-rounded jazz education possible.

Monday, November 22, at 6:30 pm; Saturday, November 27, at 7 am
• Arts Symposium – Students at Holdrum Middle School in River Vale are exposed to the arts through an Arts Symposium. Professional artists conduct assemblies and workshops ranging in topics from acting, singing, writing jingles and plays to sculpting and origami.
• French- The Musical – Brian Lewis, a French teacher from Haddon Township High School, directs a student musical based on an educational journey of France. The students will perform in both French and literally rewind on stage to replay the action in English. The students wrote the script and will perform to middle school students and senior citizens.
• Anne Sullivan – “Lil’ Miss Spitfire: The Musical” – the story of Annie Sullivan was written, produced and directed by three NJEA members: Bob Talmage of Fair Haven, Samantha Talmage of the Atlantic Highlands and Eva Szakal of Toms River. The story chronicles the young life of Annie as she overcomes blindness, the death of her mother and brother, and her own illiteracy to become the ‘Miracle Worker’ and teacher of Helen Keller.
• Artists-In-Residency – New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Artist-in-Residence Programs allows New Jersey students to experience the performing arts through close interaction with professional artists in their schools. Arthur Wilson will explain what is available in the field of theater and Sharon Rauber will discuss the field of dance.

Monday, November 29, at 6:30 pm; Saturday, December 4, at 7 am
• Monarch Mania – Memorial School students from Pittman participate in a school-wide celebration of the Monarch Butterfly Migration. The students will parade through town ending with a butterfly release for the entire community to witness.
• Project Adventure – West Orange High School students participate in Project Adventure, an outdoor ropes course designed to improve students’ self-confidence while enhancing their physical abilities.
• Lion’s Den – Freehold Borough School District students in grades 6-8 participate in a physical challenge course. They learn how to deal with social barriers such as race, gender and socioeconomic status as well as how to take advantage of each individual’s strengths. This program is funded through the NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education.
• Test Anxiety – Some students find that anxiety interferes with their learning and test taking to such an extent that their grades are seriously affected. Author and professor Frances Meritt Stern explains the impact of anxiety on learning and strategies to overcome those negative feelings.