2001 Committee Meetings

December 6, 2001

October 11, 2001

August 8, 2001

June 7, 2001

April 12, 2001

February 1, 2001

Meetings of the Statewide NIE Committee are held at the New Jersey Press Association's headquarters: 810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 307, West Trenton, N.J. 08628-1022. Our phone number is (609) 406-0600 (dial ext. 0 for the receptionist).

Our offices are located in the Mountain View Office Park, which is adjacent to Exit 2 of Interstate 95 in central New Jersey ... about one mile north of the Delaware River bridge linking New Jersey and Pennsylvania. (NOT exit 2 of the New Jersey Turnpike)

When leaving I-95 at Exit 2, turn left at the top of the exit ramp. Then turn right at the first traffic signal to enter the Mountain View Office Park.

Our offices are on the third floor of Building 840, which is clearly marked on the top of the building.

For a map to NJPA's headquarters, click here.

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Summary of the December 6, 2001, Meeting

ATTENDING:

Cynthia Forster (Chair); Shirley Sasor (Vice-Chair); Antoinette Bomentre-Walter; Steve Gondelman; Wendy Halle; Jackie Mickelburgh, Andrea Spaeth; Lee Williams; Jackie Wilson; Zygmunt Wozniak. Also attending was Tom Engleman (NJPA director).

OLD BUSINESS:

NJEA Convention Update

Cynthia thanked the NIE Committee members who helped at the New Jersey Education Association convention booth on November 8-9 in Atlantic City.

The Miss New Jersey "Read For Life" poster was a success. The poster featured Julie Barber, Miss New Jersey 2001, reading a newspaper, and displayed the logos of all New Jersey's NIE papers with the exception of The Star Ledger, at their request. Julie appeared at the booth for several hours on Friday, Nov. 9, to distribute posters and sign autographs. The poster was printed by The Record (Bergen County) at a cost of approximately $490 for 2,000 black-and-white copies. Photography services were donated by The Hunterdon County Democrat. Committee members were invited to take extra posters for their own use. In addition, Tom will place a generic copy of the poster - minus the newspaper logos - on the NJPA website for NIE members to download and adapt for local use as house ads. An article about the event and the poster appears in the December issue of InPrint.

A brief discussion followed, regarding NIE committee participation at the 2002 NJEA convention. Committee members reported positive and tangible, measurable results. Suggestions for the future included: have more copies of representative newspapers available, expand the size of the booth, request that all newspaper booths be located together in one area to create more of a presence, and, offer a poster again. Several members suggested featuring Miss New Jersey again (the 2002 winner), because contacts have been established. It was decided to revisit this topic at the April NIE committee meeting. Tom will check with NJPA's attorneys about copyrighting the phrase "Read for Life".

Motion: Sponsor a booth at 2002 NJEA Convention. Passed unanimously.

First Union Grant

Tom reported there was no news on the grant yet and that he expects to hear in December. We asked for $30,000. If awarded, a subcommittee of NIE members will need to create essay contest rules and other details. Volunteers to serve on this subcommittee are Steve, Jackie Wilson, Wendy, and Antoinette. Cynthia suggested that the committee also develop rubrics for judging, select judges, and decide on other details such as clerical chores, whether to include or remove IDs, and obtaining affidavits for winners.

NEW BUSINESS:

Association for Gifted Children

The application to present at the annual convention of the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children on March 1-2, 2002, was accepted. The convention will be held at the Princeton Marriott Forrestal Village. Our presentation is scheduled for Friday, March 1, 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. Jackie Mickelburgh and Lee volunteered to represent the committee. The event attracts a statewide audience of 700; 45 people are expected to attend the NIE presentation.

NIE Week

NIE Week is the first week in March. Discussion followed regarding what we might do as a group and several ideas were presented. The committee decided to sponsor a contest to include both teacher and student testimonials on the topic: How I Use the Newspaper in the Classroom. It was decided to combine the testimonials into a statewide NIE house ad. The statewide NIE Committee will provide a basic template which Tom will post on the website for newspapers to retrieve and use for their house ads. High school vo-tech art classes will be invited to design the template. Antoinette will draft a flyer to include contest parameters and email it to Shirley, who will get it out to New Jersey schools. Students will be asked to create the template using the NIE lighthouse logo at a size of approximately 6 1/4 x 10 1/2. The prize will include recognition on the template and a NJPA shirt. The deadline for entries will be January 25.

Motion: Prepare a testimonial house ad for NIE Week. Passed unanimously.

FUTURE MEETINGS:

Following a discussion of potential guest speakers for future NIE meetings, it was decided to explore the possibly of having the April NIE Committee Meeting at the New Jersey Advertising & Circulation Annual Conference on Friday, April 5, at Princeton Marriott. We would invite someone there to speak to our committee on the subject of ABC rules, etc. This would be followed by an NIE meeting with our own agenda. Tom reminded everyone that there would be the regular conference registration fee that includes the luncheon and all programs operated by the NJPA Circulation Committee.

Other ideas for future speakers included the Department of Education on the topic of vendor certification and a roundtable on how to develop workshops - what works and what doesn't.

Committee Assignments:

Volunteers are needed for the following committees: Curriculum Development; Financial Development; Special Events; Essay Committee; PR/Advocacy. Please call Cynthia with your preference.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

Next NIE Meeting:

January 31, 2002, at 11:00 a.m. at the NJPA office in West Trenton. Lunch will be provided by the Press Foundation.

Respectfully submitted 12/10/01 by Shirley J. Sasor

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Summary of the October 11, 2001, Meeting

Attending: Cynthia Forster (Chair); Shirley Sasor (Vice-Chair); Tom Engleman (NJPA Director); Steve Gondelman; Wendy Halle; Milli Kerner; Jackie Wilson. Guest Speaker: Dana Egreczky, Vice President, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce

Minutes from the August 8, 2001 meeting were read and approved.

NJEA Convention: November 8-9 in Atlantic City Tom Engleman needs to know who can volunteer at the NIE booth, and which days. Wendy Halle volunteered for Thursday and Jackie Wilson volunteered for Friday. More volunteers are needed each day. Cynthia Forster will email all NIE Committee members to ask for additional support. Tom will be responsible for the exhibit set-up on Wednesday and tear-down on Friday. The booth display will include a listing of all NIE newspapers that are members of the statewide committee. Handouts will include last year's booklet of activities, an updated listing of NIE coordinators, and posters of Julie Barber, the reigning Miss New Jersey, reading a newspaper. Additionally, the committee decided to allow each member newspaper one promotional handout, if desired. NIE coordinators are responsible for getting these handouts to the convention center. Shirley Sasor is arranging for Julie Barber to appear at the booth to sign autographs.

New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Presentation Dana Egreczky, Vice President of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and a former math and science teacher, reviewed the Executive Summary prepared by the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence. The Executive Summary clarifies the Chamber's position on Standards & Assessments, Teacher Quality, and Accountability. More information is available on their website, www.bcee.org. Dana also discussed the Chamber's "School Counts" program and the "Technology Challenge" program which they are endorsing. She suggested that the statewide Committee consider forming partnerships with universities to offer teacher training seminars (for graduate credit and continuing education credit) in the use of newspapers in the classroom. The charge to the school districts would include the cost of the seminar, curriculum materials and classroom sets of newspapers for one school year.

Garden State Scholastic Press Association Volunteers are needed to represent the statewide NIE Committee at their annual meeting on Monday, October 29, at Rutgers. This event draws high school journalism teachers and students from throughout New Jersey.

Gifted & Talented Cynthia Forster prepared and submitted a proposal on behalf of the committee to present at the Gifted & Talented Convention in Princeton. This event is in March 2002.

NIE Committees Members are needed for the following NIE Committees: Financial Development, Special Events, Public Relations & Advocacy, and Curriculum Development. Everyone is encouraged to volunteer for at least one committee. Please contact Cynthia Forster with your choice.

Next Meeting Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m., NJPA offices in West Trenton.

The meeting adjourned at 1:40 pm.

Respectfully submitted 10/11/01 by Shirley J. Sasor

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Summary of the August 8, 2001, Meeting

Attending: Cynthia Forster (Chair); Shirley Sasor (Co-Chair); Tom Engleman (NJPA Director); Committee Members: Antoinette Bomentre-Walter, Gail Bonus, Melissa Edwards, Harry Hart, Liza Mattison, Alisha Snedaker, Lee Williams, Jackie Wilson, Zygmunt Wozniak; Guests: Lora Geftic, Vice-President, Garden State Scholastic Press Association; Bill Monahan, NJPA

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved (Harry Hart moved; Jackie Wilson seconded).

Hand-Outs:

• 2001 Literacy Day Tabloid - a study guide produced by the NAA. The statewide committee's copy can be circulated to any member newspaper which wishes to view and use.
• National Geographic Society's information promoting National Geography Month
• "The Scope And Nature of Newspaper In Education Programs: A National Survey." This is a research report that was distributed at the 2001College Journalism Educator's Convention
• Proposal developed by Cynthia Forster for a workshop at 2002 National NIE Convention in Hershey. Proposal still needs fine-tuning and new ideas are invited. The convention will be held at the Hershey Lodge. Speakers are not yet finalized. There will be an area for vendors.
• Updated NJ NIE Committee roster, prepared by Tom Engleman

NJEA Convention: November 8-9 in Atlantic City

NIE Committee members are needed to volunteer at the booth. A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the October meeting. The booth will feature the names of all NIE Committee newspapers. If your newspaper nameplate was not included last year, please send a copy to Tom Engleman. The Herald News is one paper identified that needs to be added.

Proposed Hand-Outs: List of committee members; booklet of activities put together last year; generic curriculum guides; new curriculum guide prepared by the curriculum subcommittee headed by Liza Mattison; candy.

Cynthia Forster suggested we produce a poster featuring a New Jersey celebrity with the message, "New Jersey reads" or similar. Lora Geftic suggested a sports star from a local college or professional team. Harry Hart cautioned about being sensitive to north/south Jersey preferences. Shirley Sasor suggested Miss New Jersey. Alisha Snedaker recently interviewed Laura Bush and will inquire if she if interested. Music stars such as Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen were also mentioned. Harry Hart asked that on the NIE Committee list to be handed out, we highlight NIE members who will have booths at the Convention and list the booth numbers.

First Union Grant Proposal

Proposal details were outlined by Tom Engleman and Harry Hart. In writing the grant, it was noted that there was a deliberate attempt to be somewhat vague to allow for fine-tuning if the proposal is funded. It was also stressed that the proposal is in the development stage. NIE committee members are urged to share these ideas with co-workers and come back with new ideas.

In submitting the grant, a few changes were made, most significantly, the request was increased to $30,000, representing more funds for the curriculum guide and prizes. Briefly, the proposal outlined a statewide essay contest on a topic such as school violence. Judging would be by another statewide NIE Committee, although no group has been approached to date. The goal of the project is to get newspapers into the hands of students at schools. One hundred percent of the money given to each participating newspaper must go toward purchasing papers for schools. Newspapers are expected to promote the essay contest at their own expense. Winners will be recognized in participating newspapers and at the NJPA Luncheon of Champions. If funded, NIE Committee members will have an opportunity to approve the ad, which will contain the Lighthouse logo.

Tom Engleman encouraged the group to use the New Jersey Press Foundation as a conduit for funds. He reported that the Star-Ledger was the first to take advantage of this tax-benefit with a $20,000 donation.

Core Curriculum Content Standards

Cynthia Forster handed out copies of the New Jersey State Core Curriculum Content Standards and updated the group on the implementation of standards, noting that New Jersey is revising the standards and frameworks to include Grades K-2; 3-4; 5-6; 6-8; and 9-12. Discussion followed about the importance of lining up NIE workshops to match these standards and meet new teacher certification requirements. Cynthia may invite a guest speaker from the New Jersey Department of Education to a future meeting.

InPrint Magazine

Bill Monahan, NJPA, proposed adding a new column to InPrint magazine, promoting the NJ NIE Committee and its members. InPrint has a circulation of 1,350 and reaches newspaper publishers and editors. The next issue has a deadline of Friday, August 17. Cynthia Forster suggested a column featuring brief highlights of what each member newspaper is doing for Literacy Month. She is willing to write the article but needs input from committee members ASAP. Liza Mattison suggested that future columns profile NIE Coordinators, beginning with the officers then proceeding alphabetically.

Garden State Scholastic Press Association

Lora Geftic, representing the Garden State Scholastic Press Association, talked about collaborating on future projects including Shadow-a-Pro, a spring journalism teacher's conference, and the upcoming Garden State Scholastic Press Day at Rutgers, scheduled for October 29. Speakers are needed to facilitate workshops for middle and high school journalism teachers, students and newspaper advisers. Subjects can include any topic that will help kids put together a newspaper, including photography, ethics in journalism, and design and lay-out. Vendor tables are available to the NIE Committee and newspapers at no cost. Interested individuals should contact Lora at: geftic@optonline.net

In-House Curriculum Guide

Liza Mattison handed out her committee's newly-developed curriculum guide. The math guide will be e-mailed to committee members. Feedback is invited. The next step is to lay out and publish the document. Liza will discuss this with Bill Monahan of NJPA. She reported that in Pennsylvania, the cost to newspapers for a similar page is approximately 17 cents each, and newspapers order the quantities they need. She recommended that it remain a statewide committee document and that the committee decide whether we want it to be our own piece or a sponsored piece.

New Business

The question was posed and discussion followed on: Should we be doing something with college readership?

The next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 11, at the NJPA headquarters in West Trenton. The agenda will include the NJEA Convention, the poster idea, the new curriculum guide developed by Liza Mattison, and projects for the remainder of the year. A guest speaker from the State Chamber of Commerce will be invited.

A motion to adjourn passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 1:30 pm.

Respectfully Submitted, Shirley J. Sasor 8/10/01

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Summary of the June 7, 2001, Meeting

The June 7, 2001, meeting of the Newspaper in Education Statewide Committee was held at the New Jersey Press Foundation headquarters in West Trenton from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fifteen members attended the meeting, including: Cynthia Forster (The Record) and Shirley Sasor (Hunterdon County Democrat) co-chairpersons; Harry Hart and Anne Carrel (The Courier-Post); Antonette Bementre-Walter (Burlington County Times); Melissa Edwards (Packet Publications); Jackie Mickelburgh (The Star-Ledger); Jackie Wilson (The Herald News); Ken Wenther and Gail Bonus (The New York Times); Lee Williams (The Daily Record, Parsippany); Milli Kerner (The Times of Trenton); Karen Theer (Home News Tribune); Wendy Halle (Courier News, Bridgewater); Liza Mattison (Easton Express-News). Tom Engleman, director of the Press Foundation and Dr. Robert Kubey of Rutgers University also attended.

Report by Finance Subcommittee (Tom Engleman & Buddy Hart)

Committee members outlined a proposal for a $25,000 grant, to be budgeted potentially as follows:

• Prizes: $1,000
• Curriculum Guides/Workshops tied into theme: $4,000
• Purchase of papers: $20,000

Each participating paper would tentatively get $1,000 to buy papers at NIE prices. Buddy needs to know what each paper charges (NIE price). It was proposed that each participating paper would promote the contest, run a minimum of 3 ads (3 columns x 6 inches), and run essays of the 1st prize winners (3 essays - 1 in each grade division).

Essay Contest Proposed Guidelines:
-- Topic might be Violence in Education or other as proposed by sponsor
-- Three Divisions: Grades 6 and under; 7-9; 10-12
-- Judging: Independent group to judge, perhaps another state NIE Committee
-- Winners: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize winners
-- Recognition: Savings bond, plaque, invitation to Luncheon of Champions

Motion to approve proceeding with initial concept of corporate sponsorship was passed unanimously.

Guest Speaker: Dr.Robert Kubey, director, Center of Media Studies (Rutgers University)

Topic: Media Literacy
Goals: To develop more critical audiences and encourage "mindful" viewing of the media in all its forms.

Report by Bylaws Committee

Following a discussion about what percentage of state committee membership should constitute a quorum (25%, 30% or 50%), the committee voted to define a quorum as 30% of total membership.

Added to ByLaws: Committee shall defer to Roberts Rules of Order to resolve procedural questions. In the event of a tie vote, NJPA Foundation representative (Tom Engleman, current) shall cast the deciding vote.

Motion to accept bylaws, as amended, passed unanimously.

NIE Committee Chairs: Motion that Cynthia continue as Chairperson and Shirley continue as Vice-Chair passed unanimously.

Report by Curriculum Committee

Committee is preparing a 4-page tab with 20 activities each for language arts and math. Will include the core curriculum content standards.They would love to have additional membership to help with this project.

Other Business & Announcements

Motion that NIE be represented at the November 2001 NJEA Convention passed unanimously.

NIE National Meeting in Hershey, Pa.: Proposal for table due in August.