WISE Words #6

Dear Rossi Families,

As we welcome the month of April, we want to take a moment to reflect on March and express our sincere gratitude for your continued support, partnership, and commitment to the Anthony Rossi School community. It is because of our families that Rossi is such a special place, and we are truly thankful for all that you do each day to support our students and our school.

We are incredibly proud of the growth we continue to see across all grade levels—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our students are demonstrating perseverance, curiosity, and kindness in their daily work, and it is inspiring to watch them grow. After celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this month, we are reminded just how lucky we are to work at the best school in Vineland, surrounded by such dedicated students, families, and staff.

March was filled with meaningful and engaging experiences for our students. Our Read Across America Week was a tremendous success, fostering a love of reading through creative and exciting activities. Read-A-Palooza brought our school community together in celebration of literacy, and classrooms were filled with hands-on learning that sparked enthusiasm and curiosity. These moments are a reflection of the vibrant learning environment we strive to create each day at Rossi.

As we enter the final months of the school year, we want to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance. Each school day is filled with valuable instruction and opportunities for growth, and being present every day truly makes a difference in student success. We encourage all families to continue prioritizing attendance so that our students can finish the year strong.

Thank you for being such an important part of the Rossi community. We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the months ahead.

With appreciation,

Lauren Coia, Principal

Sylvester Cifaloglio, Assistant Principal

Read Across America Week at Rossi was truly one for the books, filled with creativity, excitement, and a shared love of reading. Throughout the week, our halls came alive with students dressed as their favorite book characters, themed spirit days like Red, White, and Blue Day and our Wild Wild West celebration, and engaging activities that made literacy both fun and meaningful. Students enjoyed special moments like Dr. Seuss-inspired treats, a cozy “Stop, Drop, and Read,” and the opportunity to hear stories from guest readers, including members of the high school Interact Club, community members, families, and Board of Education President Mr. Cedric Holmes. These experiences not only brought stories to life, but also highlighted the power of reading and the strength of our school community. We are so grateful to everyone who helped make the week so memorable—from our dedicated teachers who transformed our building, to the many visitors who shared their time and love of literacy with our students.

On Thursday, March 5, students and staff at Rossi “stepped right up” to celebrate reading at our second annual Safety Patrol–sponsored Read-A-Palooza, held in conjunction with Read Across America Week.

The event was a carnival-inspired evening of literacy-rich fun for the whole family, featuring dozens of games, guest readers, community vendors, and reading strategy workshops for parents. Students earned tickets to redeem for prizes—including hundreds of free books generously donated by BookSmiles. Thanks to the South Jersey–based nonprofit, many students went home with armfuls of books to enjoy.

Community partners such as Chick-fil-A, Apache MMA, the Vineland Public Library, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Vineland Police Department joined the celebration, engaging with families and encouraging a love of reading.

Special thanks to our friends from the Vineland High School tennis team and swim team, Police Cadets, and middle school volunteers, who helped supervise students and keep everyone safe throughout the evening.

We are also grateful to our wonderful guest readers, including members of the Vineland Police Department, former Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Gruccio, former Vineland Board of Education member and author-illustrator Makema Douglas, and Miss Vineland 2026 Abigail Berger.

It was an incredible night filled with smiles, popcorn, and plenty of reading. Thank you to our staff, families, and community partners for coming out and showing that Rossi cares about reading!

Congrats and great job to this month's Owls for getting caught being good!

This month our Turnover Chain was proudly passed to Mrs. Kim, one of our wonderful paraprofessionals!

Mrs. Kim consistently goes above and beyond for our students and staff. Her kindness, patience, and dedication help make our school a supportive and positive place for everyone. We are so grateful for the care and commitment she brings each day.

Congratulations, Mrs. Kim, and thank you for all that you do!

A Giraffe Hero is someone who sticks their neck out to make their school community better through courage, compassion, and a willingness to serve others.

This year, Rossi Elementary proudly recognizes Mary Sakhan, Captain of our Safety Patrol, as our 2026 Giraffe Hero.

Mary exemplifies what it means to lead with heart. She is thoughtful, caring, and always willing to lend a helping hand when someone needs it. As a member and leader of the Safety Patrol, she has shown responsibility, initiative, and a genuine commitment to looking out for others in our school community.

Mary consistently sets high goals for herself and works hard to achieve them. Her perseverance, kindness, and quiet leadership make her a wonderful role model for her classmates and a student who truly embodies the spirit of a Giraffe Hero.

Congratulations, Mary. Rossi is lucky to have you.

A huge congratulations to our very own Rossi Owl, Paul Coia, for taking 1st place in the district’s Future Chef Competition!

Paulie impressed the judges with his incredible chicken cutlet taco, a creative and delicious dish that truly blew them away!

We would also like to recognize all of the students from each elementary school who participated in the competition. Every student did a wonderful job, and it’s clear that we have incredibly talented young chefs across our district.

Paulie, we are so proud of you and this amazing achievement. Way to represent our school!

On Friday, March 13th ROSSI was WISE and awarded all the students who earned the reward for Perseverance! Mrs. Diane Rakotz was the WISE guy! Mr. Robert Cresci was our superhero speaker and introduced the traits of Cooperation and Adaptability! He had the audience of staff and students completely engaged with his stories of being both a teacher and a firefighter. He explained that everything is better when we work together and that sometimes adjustments have to be made for success. Great Job Rossi Owls!

Our students with perfect attendance for the month of February earned a well-deserved ice cream sundae party—and what a sweet celebration it was! From sprinkles to smiles, our students enjoyed every moment together.

We are so proud of their dedication to being in school every day and making the most of their learning. Keep up the amazing work!

Today our Owls took part in HOOT Hour, focusing on two essential Portrait of a Graduate competencies: adaptability and cooperation.

Through engaging activities and meaningful collaboration, our students worked together, adjusted to new challenges, and showed what it means to be flexible thinkers and supportive teammates. These are the skills that help our learners grow both in and out of the classroom!

We are so proud of the way our Owls continue to learn, lead, and lift each other up every day

Rossi Elementary School's Safety Patrol spent Tuesday morning at the Vineland Soup Kitchen, turning the generosity of their Souper Bowl Food Drive, a pop-up donation drive that took place during the week of the Super Bowl, into action and preparing 105 bagged lunches for our community.

A heartfelt thank you to Debbie Eisinger for coordinating this meaningful opportunity, to Dr. Martine, our Safety Patrol advisor, for guiding our students, and to our incredible Rossi community for donating the items that made today possible.

We are so proud of our students for leading with kindness and showing what it means to give back.

The event recording can be found on our official district YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/N8ftrJrnFFw

Dr. Martine’s Culture Exchange Club explored the country of Ukraine on Thursday morning. Students discovered the rich history and traditions of the Eastern European country, while creating their very own sunflowers honoring one of Ukraine’s most beautiful symbols. Dr. Martine wants to extend his heartfelt gratitude to the parents of many of our students who prepared Ukrainian dishes for Thursday morning’s meeting. Students enjoyed syrniki, Vafli Tort, vinegret, and even some delicious Ukrainian candy. Students enjoyed experiencing the beauty of Ukraine’s cultural traditions. Школа Россі любить Україну! 🇺🇦