It was an early case of "March Madness" at Governor Livingston High School, as the 13th ANNUAL ALL-STAR FACULTY BASKETBALL GAME rocked a sold-out crowd on Thursday, March 11, 2010.

Photos of the event are posted on the BHEF website at the Faculty Basketball page.

Student dancers, prize drawings, and an unprecedented double-overtime game highlighted this fundraiser for the programs of the BHEF.

This annual event has become a mainstay of the Berkeley Heights community, as teachers, students, parents, and volunteers come together to stage both a great fundraising event and a great community-building celebration.

The BHEF wishes to thank the teacher-players, officials, students, and volunteers for once agan making this game one of the highlights of our town's year.

IT'S ON!

The 13th ANNUAL ALL-STAR
FACULTY BASKETBALL GAME

Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 7 PM
Governor Livingston High School Gym

Come watch some of your favorite teachers, administrators
and staff as they display their on-court talents.

Tickets: $6 in advance, $8 at the door (if not sold out)
Don’t miss the 50/50 raffle or chance to win an Ipod Touch!

More information and ticket order form here.

Students at Hughes Elementary School in Berkeley Heights got a special treat this January: a special workshop in African Drumming and Dance, courtesy of the BHEF!

5th grade students at Hughes and Woodruff Schools participated in an African dance workshop, complementing an integrated unit of study in world drumming music and art classes.

The grant was submitted by Ms. Jacqueline Conti (Music Teacher), Mrs. Diana Bjorge (Art Teacher), and Mrs. Karen Pilkington (Art Teacher). The workshop will also be presented at Woodruff Elementary School later this year. The BHEF awarded the grant based on its unique nature and ability to teach students about a foreign culture in a meaningful way.

Check out more pictures below!

The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation is pleased and proud to announce grants totaling $35,846 to support programs across all of the schools in Berkeley Heights. These grants would not be possible without generous donations from individuals and businesses in our community!

A complete listing of the grants can be found at our website. Highlights include:

• Service Learning Project and Humanitarian Initiative Based on the Program “Pennies for Peace”: This district-wide initiative will raise awareness about the importance of education in impoverished countries by establishing reading and study groups throughout the school district. This grant was awarded the Marsha Miller Grant for Outstanding Innovation in 2009.
• Interactive Gene Pools Program: Through an interactive program, 7th grade Columbia science students will work with ocean organisms to study live marine animals and their “gene pools”. This grant will be funded through donations received by the BHEF in memory of Mr. Geoffrey Lisk, who was a member of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, a science teacher, and supporter of the BHEF.

Congratulations to all of the recipients!

The BHEF wishes everyone a Happy New Year! In 2010, the BHEF will present a series of new and established programs benefiting the Berkeley Heights and Mountainside communities:

• The 13th Annual BHEF Faculty Basketball Game.
• Literary Lunches, sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent.
• Our second talent show, The Heights of Talent, sponsored by Elephante Music.
• A special program on bullying and harassment featuring nationally acclaimed author Rachel Simmons.

Keep re-visiting this website for further information and announcements about new programs.

Thanks to a generous donation from Alcatel-Lucent, the BHEF's Literary Lunches program returns for the 2009-10 school year.

This intergenerational book club brings local senior citizens and seventh & eighth-graders together to share insights about the literature they've read while enjoying lunch.

We do have room for a more seniors, so, if you have any friends who might be interested, please give us their names and we will reach out.

This year's schedule is posted at the Literary Lunches webpage.

It's that time of year again...

School starts for all students in Berkeley Heights on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

And the BHEF is proud to begin another year as a partner with our schools, encouraging innovative programs and supporting our community's involvement in our children's education.

We have many exciting events planned for the coming school year, including:

• The Annual Faculty Basketball Game
• Crate & Barrel Shopping Night
• Literary Lunches
• And many more!

We always appreciate your support; you may donate to the BHEF as a corporate Partner-In-Education, a Business Supporter, an individual supporter, or through our Tributes program.

Get ready for a great year!

The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation’s gift of $28,000 to the Berkeley Heights school district added 27 digital projectors and 30 wireless presenters to Columbia Middle School. These digital projectors were installed in classrooms throughout Columbia this year.

This gift will enhance your child’s experience by maximizing the usage of computers and the Internet for educational programs and instruction in the classroom. Additional wireless presenters, such as wireless mice, laser pointers and slide movers, will help teachers utilize this new technology in the classrooms.

Funds to support this gift were raised through the BHEF’s 2008 Golf Outing. We appreciate your support!

The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of Grants for the 2008-09 school year.

This year, the BHEF distributed a record $29,260 in grants to support programs across all of the schools in the district. The grants ranged from interactive art programs to cutting edge scientific equipment. We thank you all for supporting the Education Foundation and its fundraising activities throughout the year.

Review all of the grants for 2008-09 here.

Today marked the third and final workshop of the String Residency Program, funded by the BHEF. Four professional musicians from the NJ Symphony again worked with middle and high school string students in small groups. This workshop was also observed by strings students from Mt. Park Elementary School.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the Columbia and GL musicians assembled as one orchestra (with the professionals) to present a mini-concert to the 6th and 7th graders. The concert included the entire orchestra playing Ferdinand Herold's Zampa Overture, the four professional playing selections from Bernstein's West Side Story and the First Movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #5, and concluded with the entire orchestra playing the First Movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3.

Mr. Don Grego, Berkeley Heights Strings Teacher, was extremely grateful to the BHEF. The GL video crew brought their mini-school bus converted into a mobile sound, recording and video studio to Columbia to tape the program for airing at some point in the near future on TV34 and FIOS 47.

Read more about this event in the Alternative Press.

The professional musicians expressed great appreciation (and admiration) for the number of students involved in the district's string program and also for how attentive the audience of 6th & 7th graders was.

A sold out crowd packed Governor Livingston High School's gym for out 12th Annual BHEF Faculty Basketball Game. The Game was an enormous success and netted over $8000 to support the programs of the BHEF.

This year's game is sponsored by our Partner-In-Education, Suburban Optik.

In addition to a tight, well-played game between faculty members of the Berkeley Heights School District, the event featured dance and cheering routines from students at all of the elementary schools.

Check back soon for highlights and photos from the game.

Heads up, hoop fans! Every year, the faculty of our Berkeley Heights Schools meets on the court for a showdown of true March Madness: the Annual BHEF Faculty Basketball Game.

This year's game is sponsored by our Partner-In-Education, Suburban Optik.

Each year, SELL-OUT crowds have come to watch their favorite teachers, staff, and administrators display their on-court talents.

ENTERTAINMENT is provided by students from the elementary schools who sing, cheerlead, and perform floor routines before the game and between quarters.

All proceeds benefit the Foundation's mission to fund enriching educational programs for the students in our schools.

Visit the BHEF Faculty Basketball Game page for more details.

The Heights of Talent debuted on December 5, 2008, at Governor Livingston High School, featuring a wide variety of terrific acts from right here in Berkeley Heights. Sponsored by Elefante Music, the show was an unqualified artistic success, and raised a substantial sum of money for the programs of the BHEF.

The production staff of The Heights of Talent wishes to thank Elefante Music for their sole sponsorship of this exciting new show.

The Heights of Talent featured 25 acts with kids from all the schools, teachers, residents, and local employees. There was singing, dancing, juggling, rock bands, comedy and more.

Visit the The Heights of Talent page to view photos from the show.

We're gearing up for the first ever inter-generational talent show in Berkeley Heights: The Heights of Talent. The show will take place as scheduled (even as we congratulate the Governor Livingston Football Team for their success).

The production staff of The Heights of Talent wishes to thank Elephante Music for their sole sponsorship of this exciting new show.

The Heights of Talent features 25 acts with kids from all the schools, teachers, residents, and local employees. There will be singing, dancing, juggling, rock bands, comedy and more.

Tickets are available at the door for $10 at the Governor Livingston High School Auditorium.

Visit the The Heights of Talent page for more information.

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 appeal was sent this month - look for yours in the mail!

Congratulations to this years's
BHEF Scholarship winners!

B.B. Cuccioli
GLHS
Academic Acheivement

Andrew Gildea
GLHS
Community Service

Teagen Haddad
Paul Jamolawicz
CMS Award