Show #9
Initial Airdates:
Monday, December 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm;
Saturday, December 19 at 9 am

First Day Celebration – Parents, students and the community celebrate the first day of school at Dr. William Mennies Elementary School in Vineland. Over 20 community agencies share their services with parents, in an effort to encourage and support parental involvement. Mennies is participating in the First Day of School America Campaign, a family involvement program that promotes student success.

Guitar Program – Music teacher Tom Amoriello is creating a classroom for the 21st Century with guitars. Nearly 800 students at Reading-Fleming Middle School in Flemington learn to love and appreciate music through guitars. The guitar program includes an electric guitar lab, ukulele instructions, and performance opportunities in both the school and the community.

Pete’s Odyssey – "Pete's Odyssey" is an animation project involving students from Bloomfield College and Cicely Tyson High School in East Orange. The dedicated and talented students animate, film, color and create layouts - all by hand. The animation will be entered for the Sundance Film Festival and then will travel to 30 festivals around the world. The executive producer Charlotte Rinderknecht and director/head animator Larry Lauria will be at Bloomfield College to attend the premiere.

Fitness Friday - Copeland Middle School physical education teachers in Rockaway run a mini training camp for kids called “Fitness Friday.” The students scale hills, navigate lateral step-ups, lift road cones for arm endurance, jump rope and jog around a track.