FDU Professor Explains 'Dramatic' Sun Halo

Atmospheric phenomenon not uncommon, FDU physics professor says.

A halo was visible around the sun for much of New Jersey on Tuesday, including over Fairleigh Dickinson University's College at Florham. FDU physics lecturer Dr. Michael Kalb said the atmospheric phenomenon happens frequently, but was very pronounced Tuesday. Sun halos appear when you get "just the right concentration of ice crystals in the atmosphere" to refract light from the sun, creating the rainbow halo, Kalb said. "It's dramatic," he said. "It catches people's imaginations." It's similar to the effect that creates rainbows, and the same phenomenon happens with the moon. Follow Patch on Twitter, Facebook and click to sign up for News Alerts. News tip? E-mail teaneck@patch.com

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Online Charter School Hopes to Escape from Limbo

State delays go-ahead amid questions about legality, viability of virtual classrooms for kids

The nation’s largest online education company, K12 Inc., is once again registering kids and offering jobs to teachers for the debut of New Jersey’s first virtual charter school – all without knowing if the school will even open. The New Jersey Virtual Academy Charter School was one of two applications given preliminary approval by the state Department of Education two years ago. But it was forced into a delay last summer, when state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf wouldn’t grant the final charter amid ongoing questions – legal and otherwise – about the school’s merits and viability. Almost a year later, answers to those questions remain hotly debated, including in the courts, and K12 Inc. is taking a wait-and-see approach to what Cerf …

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Don Bosco Overpowers Bergen Catholic to Win County Title

Don Bosco pulled ahead and away from Bergen County in the third quarter to win their second consecutive county title.

The Don Bosco Ironmen outscored the Bergen Catholic Crusaders 5-1 in the third quarter of the finals in the Bergen County Lacrosse Tournament. That scoring outburst made all the difference and propelled the Ironmen to a 10-6 victory and their second straight Bergen County championship. The Ironmen had a rough go of it in the first half. Bergen Catholic goalie Matt Pedrick was on point early on and held the Ironmen to just three first-half goals.  “They came out playing hard. We were struggling with our shots and their goalie played really well," said Don Bosco captain Teddy Sisco-Tolomeo.  Don Bosco looked like a different team in the second half. They came out very aggressive, snatched control of the game and never looked back.   "In the …

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Teaneck Foundation to Honor 21 Students at River Vale Gala

Foundation to dish out $47,000 in scholarships and stipends

The following announcement was submitted by the Teaneck-based Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ: The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. (HBCSF) will award $47,000 in scholarships and stipends for course-required materials to 21 current college and college-bound Hispanic students from New Jersey at the 22nd Annual Scholarship Gala. The gala will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, 97 Rivervale Rd. in River Vale, New Jersey.  The event is the nonprofit organization’s major fund-raiser of the year for scholarship and stipend support. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by a program, dinner, and dancing starting at 7:00…

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Nobel Peace Prize Winner to Speak at FDU Graduation

Congressman to receive honorary degree

A Nobel Peace Prize winner will speak at Fairleigh Dickinson University's 70th Commencement ceremony May 21 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, the University announced this week.  Approximately 2,500 students will receive doctoral, master's, bachelor's and associates degrees at the commencement ceremony. FDU's Class of 2013 represents 26 countries, 24 states and all 21 counties in New Jersey.  The speaker, Jody Williams, along with FDU alum and attorney Michael Baumeister and Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. will receive honorary degrees at the ceremony.  The University will present its Student Pinnacle Awards to Michel’le Bryant from the Metropolitan Campus, Daniel Palmer from the College at Florham and Ronaldo Martins from FDU's …

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PHOTOS: Mayor, School Officials Celebrate Teaneck Teacher

Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin, Superintendent of Teaneck Public Schools Barbara Pinsak and Lennox Small, principal of Benjamin Franklin Middle School, were on hand April 29 to honor BFMS Teacher Monica Joffe and student Alex Lecky for winning Barnes and Noble's local "My Favorite Teacher" contest. Lecky submitted a winning essay in the contest. 

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Draft Charter School Bill Calls for Local Approval, More Reviewers

Bill sponsor hopes to build consensus before Legislature tackles NJ's 18-year-old charter law

The outlines of a new charter school bill are taking shape, with a draft being circulated by Assembly Democrats that would add tighter controls on new charters and expand the number of organizations approving and overseeing the schools. State Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex), chair of the Assembly’s education committee, hascompleted a draft that would require local voters to approve new charter schools and would add up to three “reviewers” from colleges and universities. The draft would also restructure parts of the application process for charter schools and place new requirements on them to annually report and post their enrollment breakdowns and budgets. Diegnan said yesterday that he expected still more changes to come …

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Experts and Educators Try to Define Line Between Texting and Trouble

Is it just a snarky Facebook comment, or one sign of a problem that ultimately makes it impossible to learn in school?

One of the most vexing legal questions raised by New Jersey’s two-year-old anti-bullying law remains how to address incidents that occur online and off school grounds -- including nights and weekends. Cyberbullying was the focus of a daylong conference yesterday at Rutgers University in Newark, where lawyers, scholars, educators, and others discussed the difficulties of drawing a legal line that determines if schools -- or parents -- are culpable. Enacted in 2011, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights states that schools must investigate incidents of online bullying if they disrupt or disturb the educational environment . In the first year of the law, more than 12,000 reported cases of bullying were investigated -- a 50 percent increase from …

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FDU Picks North Bergen Native as Basketball Coach

Position was vacant after the school reportedly fired its last coach.

Fairleigh Dickinson University has hired a North Bergen-native as its new head men's basketball coach, the Star-Ledger reported Wednesday. Greg Herenda will replace fired FDU coach Greg Vertone, who was let go March 5, the report said. The school interviewed numerous candidates and the position was empty for more than a month.  Herenda is currently working as the head coach at Division 2 UMass-Lowell.   

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