Just in time for the holidays: the BHEF Crate and Barrel Shopping Night is Thursday, November 13, 2008, 5:30 - 8:30 PM. Great food and drink, great friends, great prizes, and plenty of great holiday shopping at the Crate and Barrel in the Short Hills Mall. Don't miss it!

Thanks to a generous grant from Alcatel-Lucent, one of our Partners-In-Education, the BHEF is pleased to announce the schedule for this year's Literary Lunches program.

This innovative program brings middle-school students and seniors together in a "book club" setting to share insights about the literature they've read while enjoying lunch. The program starts on October 15, when 7th Graders and seniors will discuss Crispin: The Cross of Lead.

The complete schedule is:

The BHEF is pleased to present “The Heights of Talent," an intergenerational showcase of talent to be held at Governor Livingston High School on Friday, December 5, 2008. People of all ages who live, work or attend school in Berkeley Heights are invited to show off their skills and abilities.

The BHEF is seeking diverse acts in vocal, instrumental, dance and variety (comedy, juggling, acrobatics, magic, etc.) performances. The act must be suitable for viewing by all ages, 2-3 minutes in length and not involve animals. Group acts are encouraged and if it’s multigenerational, all the better.

Sign up for auditions will be Tuesday, October 21st at Columbia Middle School, 345 Plainfield Avenue in Berkeley Heights from 4-7 PM. Auditions will be held Tuesday, November 11th from 4-8 PM and Saturday, November 15th from 1-5 PM. More details will be forthcoming closer to the event.

For more information please contact bhef@bhef.info. In the meantime, get your act together and start practicing! Your Berkeley Heights audience awaits you.

We've established the BHEF Tributes Program as a way to show appreciation to people in your child’s educational community. Whether it’s a teacher, principal, secretary, guidance counselor, coach, cafeteria worker or custodian, BHEF Tributes are a way to show your gratitude and thanks. Tributes may be purchased at any time during the year.

For each person you honor with a donation, you will receive a Tribute Card that can be signed by you and/or your child and proudly presented to that person. There's also room for a personalized message. All donations are tax-deductible and your support will be acknowledged in the BHEF's annual brochure.

Order your BHEF Tribute today!

Mark your calendar now for the holiday shopping event of the year: the BHEF Crate and Barrel Shopping Night on Thursday, November 13, 2008. Food, drink, friends, prizes, and plenty of great holiday shopping highlight this event to support the programs of the BHEF.

Last year, over 150 shoppers came out to support the BHEF; we hope to see even more people this year.

The first BHEF Tee Off for Technology was a great day for golfers, and a great event for the foundation. Beautiful weather graced this event to support technology in the Berkeley Heights Public Schools. The New Jersey National Golf Club in Basking Ridge, NJ, was the scene for a day of golf and fun.

Special thanks goes to the Connell Company, one of our Partners-In-Education, for their generous support of the event.

We hope this outing becomes a regular tradition for Berkeley Heights, and will provide support for technology in our schools for years to come.

UPDATE: 12th Annual Basketball Game date has been set: Thursday, March 19, 2009.

It's been 11 years since the first All-Star Faculty Basketball Game, but the event hasn't lost any of its excitement. Two teams of Berkeley Heights teachers and administrators matched up on the court and brought the packed house to their feet.

A traditional highlight of the game is the show put on by the cheerleaders and line-dancers from each of the elementary schools. This year was no exception, as performers strutted their stuff in the Governor Livingston HS gym.

This year's game gained special support from Suburban Optik, one of our Partners-In-Education; many thanks for their generous support.

They'll be talking about this one for years to come: a cappella supergroup Ball In the House teamed up with our own CMS Boys Chorus for a concert of hip-hop, soul, rhythm & blues and rock that ROCKED Chatham High School Friday, February 8, 2008.

The concert was the brainchild of CMS Music Teacher Jim Musacchio, who was looking to increase the participation of boys in his vocal ensembles. Ball In the House worked with the boys in a series of workshops throughout the school year; the result was a Boys Chorus that grew from six students to over 40.

Watch a video of Ball In The House rehearsing with the Columbia Middle School Boys Chorus (courtesy of the Star-Ledger).

The annual BHEF direct mail appeal is being sent this month - look for yours soon!

Congratulations to the 2008 BHEF Scholarship recipients:

Laurie Delatour
GLHS
Community Service

Megan Lam
GLHS
Academic Achievement