School Celebrates Sean Fischel on 'Heaven-Sent Kind of Day'

Baker Elementary School students and staff remembered the 7-year-old, who passed away in January, with a day of fun and togetherness.

Sean Fischel Day at Baker Elementary School couldn't have gone better if Sean had planned it himself.  Hundreds of students and their teachers, clad in T-shirts (donated by Campbell's Soup) bearing Sean's logo—an "S" connecting two links in a chain—sang, danced and, most importantly, came together for a day held in the late boy's honor Friday. Sean, 7, passed away in January following a months-long battle with HLH, a rare autoimmune disorder.  His death hit students and staff at Baker hard. But they celebrated his life Friday, which is just what Sean would have wanted. "This is what Sean likes. This is what he's all about," said his mother, Kim. Students danced and sang along to a DJ, and paraded around behind the school with the Baker …

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Student Remembrance, Guilty Plea in Cancer Scheme Top Local News

Also, find out when the Swede Run barn restoration might be finished and which local business owner gave a helping hand to a community project on Main Street.

Baker Elementary School students and staff remembered the 7-year-old, who passed away in January, with a day of fun and togetherness. Lori Stilley admitted she faked terminal cancer for months, accepting thousands of dollars in cash, free meals and even a free wedding at the Moorestown Community House. Township manager Scott Carew says the field will be open—at least temporarily—for this weekend's big lacrosse festival. With only two minor pieces of the project left to complete, the restoration is slated to be finished this summer. Supporters need roughly $200,000 to build the pocket park on Main Street. They got a big boost Tuesday. Thomas Bernhardt was an instructor at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. A service was held …

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Day in Late Student's Honor Helps School Remember 'Special Little Boy'

Students and staff at Baker Elementary School will hold Sean Fischel Day Friday, to honor the memory of the 7-year-old who died of an autoimmune disorder in January.

After her 7-year-old son, Sean, died earlier this year, Kim Fischel hoped that through his death, the people he knew, the people who were touched by his story, would come to see life the way she saw it. "There’s an ultimate reason why this happened. I may never know what it is. But I think Sean’s love is living on in everybody," she said. "From the beginning, I wanted Sean to be remembered through the connectivity he's allowed me to see and everyone else to see." Sean's former classmates and teachers at Baker Elementary School will try to live that message Friday, with a day dedicated to his memory. Baker principal Shelly Rowe said Sean's death—the end result of a months-long battle with HLH, a rare autoimmune disorder—hit the students and…

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Baker Students Celebrate Read Across America

Baker Elementary School students spent all last week reading, having fun and learning about the works of Dr. Seuss.

Baker Bears Show Their Love of Science

Could the next great scientist be a Baker Bear?

"Natural-Born" Teacher Ready to Lay Foundation of Learning

For Amanda Casario, a new first grade teacher at Baker Elementary School, there isn't a "more rewarding profession out there."

Pardon the analogy, but if the most important step of building a home is laying the proper foundation, then first grade has to be considered one of the most crucial steps in a child’s education, right? This is where they learn—not just the basic curricula (math, science, Spanish, social studies, reading), but the fundamentals of learning and living in a school environment they’ll need for the next 15+ years of their lives. “It’s a really special age,” said Amanda Casario, who will begin teaching first grade at Baker Elementary School this fall. “They come in as a blank slate, and you’re teaching them how to learn, how to be in school, and really just giving them the foundation they need to be successful for the rest of their life.” Casario…

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Baker Students Have Fun at Field Day

The "Baker Bears" danced, competed in relays and learned the importance of being fit—all in the spirit of fun.

Baker Bears enjoyed their annual Field Day on June 8. The day began with a rousing concert performed by the William Allen Middle School seventh and eighth grade Jazz Band. It was a perfect kickoff to the events as Baker Bears clapped and swayed to the jazz beat. Events began officially at 9:30 a.m. and included hippity hops, hula hut relay, soccer relay, cup of water relay, “monster trax,” scooter relay, potato sack relay, and Olympic torch relay. After the events concluded, the children picnicked with their parents and classmates on the lawn. The fun continued with an outdoor scavenger hunt and delicious popsicles.        A fitting end to the day was the “Be Fit” assembly. Baker’s favorite bear, Buddy, even participated in the assembly to…

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Popular Children's Author Delights Students

"You have to keep moving, get them to participate vocally. And humor. You have to use humor."

Anyone with young children knows how difficult it can be to hold their attention for more than five minutes—and even that's a challenge. So maybe you could learn a thing or two from children’s author Tedd Arnold, who captivated a gym-full of kids for 45 minutes—three times in one day—at Roberts Elementary School last week. Arnold, author of such popular titles as Parts, No Jumping on the Bed!, and the Fly Guy series, came to Roberts and Baker elementary schools last week, a visit sponsored by the Home and School Association. “I’m out here … to demonstrate to these kids that there’s fun to be had in books and in learning,” he said. And judging from the children’s enthusiastic reactions during his colorful presentation, they got the message …

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Elementary School Open Houses Focus on Arts and Literacy

Moorestown Education Association/Home and School-sponsored open houses give parents a window into their children's school day.

Elementary school parents will again get a chance this week and next to see firsthand what their children are learning about in school. After missing last year due to ongoing contract negotiations, the Moorestown Education Association in partnership with the Home and School Association will host open houses at all three lower elementary schools this Thursday, along with open houses at the Upper Elementary School next Wednesday and Thursday. “It’s a nice time for the kids to bring in their parents and show them how much progress they’ve made,” said Bridgett Potts, a teacher at Roberts who’s helping to organize the open house. “They show them their work. They show them their desk.” Potts said this year’s open houses will have a two-fold …

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Moorestown Students Doodling 4 Google

The students are competing with thousands of others across the country for a chance to get their drawing on the Google homepage.

For the second year in a row, Moorestown students have taken up Google’s "Doodle 4 Google" challenge, for the chance to have their drawing appear on the Google homepage. Google has sponsored the contest five years running, giving school students across the country the opportunity to redesign the media giant’s homepage logo.  “It’s adorable, because the prizes are huge and everyone comes in here like, ‘I’m gonna win this thing!’” said BJ Lemaire, a teacher at Roberts and South Valley elementary schools. This year, all three Moorestown elementary schools and a graphic design class at William Allen Middle School are participating in the contest. Lemaire said the Doodle contest is great because they like to give the children activities “that …

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