West Milford Township Public Schools 

Arts Department 
You Matter. We Matter. The Arts Matter 
October 2018 

West Milford Arts 2018-19 

 

Welcome to the Arts Department Newsletter! 

Welcome to a new school year! We are pleased to keep our school and community up to 
date on the present and soon to come exploits of our talented students and staff in the 
Arts department. Our departments encompass K-12 Music, Art and 9-12 Family and 
Consumer Sciences. You can find detailed info on our staff and course offerings at 
http://wmarts.weebly.com/ 
 

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As you scroll down, you will hear more about our Marching Band, newest staff members, 
Pinwheels for Peace​, and other news of the summer and fall. But most of all, we invite you 
to support and enjoy the many wonderful Arts programs we offer throughout the year. 
West Milford continues to be a wonderful Arts community, and we appreciate the hard 
work and talent of all of our staff and students. Together, let’s make this year matter! 

John Boronow,​ District Arts Supervisor 

High School Music: Marching Band 

The 2018 Highlander Band Presents... 

Día de los Muertos

 

The West Milford Highlander Marching Band is very excited to present this year's field 
show: D
​ ía de Los Muertos.​ The show depicts the celebratory nature of the holiday and 
features a variety of musical styles including classical music, folk songs, and contemporary 
Latin music. The ensemble will turn the football field into a vibrant and colorful fiesta! 

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Drum majors Cindy Cintron, Connor Partington, and Theresa Santa Lucia lead the ensemble 
into what is going to be a very exciting season.   

If you can’t get to one of their competitions, try to make it to a home football game! The 
Highlander Marching Band performs at halftime of all home games.  

★ Home Football Games 

○ 10/12 vs. Fairlawn (​WM Hall of Fame game ​) 
○ 10/19 vs. Jefferson (​Homecoming & Senior Night​) 
○ 11/2 Playoff game TBD 
★ Competitions 
○ 10/6 Pequannock and Randolph Contests 
○ 10/13 Yamaha Cup 
○ 10/20 Ridge Contest 
○ 10/27 State Finals 
○ 11/3 National Championships 

On November 10th, the Highlander Band will be hosting its 19th annual Military Tattoo. A 
military tattoo was traditionally a performance of music and display of the armed forces in 
general. The term comes from the early 17th century and although it started as a 
performance of Military Music, it has evolved into more elaborate theatrics and musical 
performances. 

The tattoo is the biggest event at West Milford High School. We’re proud to say that it is 
the largest running tattoo style event on the east coast. The event will feature pipe bands 
from around the state as well as the Clifton High School Marching Band and the 
Highlander Marching Band. Check out our website for ticket information. 
https://www.wmhighlanderband.com​, under the Tattoo tab. 

Macopin Bands  

Each year, the WMHS Highlander Marching Band and Color Guard staff and students 
invite us to join them for "Macopin Band Days". The first Macopin Band Day was on Friday, 
September 28th, the 8​th​ grade band was invited to join the Highlanders at the home 
football game against Wayne Hills. This was an opportunity for the 8th graders studying 
instrumental music at Macopin to get a preview of the High School program by being an 
honorary "band member." The second day was Saturday, September 29th, when the band 
competed at the Wayne Valley Marching Band Contest. Admission to the contest was paid 
for compliments of the High School Band Parents. 
 

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These events were also open to any student who is interested in participating as a member 
of the Highlander Band's Color Guard, a group which provides a unique blend of dance, 
movement, and equipment work to add both excitement and beauty to our field show. 
 
This was a terrific way for the Macopin 
students to really see what being a part of 
the Highlander Band is all about, from the 
"behind the scenes" work at rehearsal, to the 

exhilaration of a Marching Band Competition. 

 

Also in October, our Macopin Middle School 

instrumental department will be presenting 
their fourth annual Halloween concert on the 26th!. The concert will feature the 7th and 
8th grade bands performing Halloween inspired music for a festive experience! 

High School Music: Chorus   

Several members of the West Milford Concert Choir were accepted into this year's 2018 
NJ Honors Jazz Choir. ​Summer Carpenter, Elisabeth Lynn, Skylar Knight, Lexi 
Lewandosky, Julia Macedo, Myles Menier​. Also, ​Ben Macarel​ will be representing West 
Milford in the 2018 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus. These students will be performing in 
Atlantic City at the NJEA teachers convention in November and again later that month at 
the N
​ ew Jersey Performing Arts Center​ in Newark. ​Brianna Viering​ will represent West 
Milford in the 2019 MJ All-State Women’s Choir at ​Rutger’s University f​ or the annual NJ 
Music Educators Conference in February. Congratulations to all of our outstanding West 
Milford Vocalists! 

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Macopin Music: Sussex County Chorus 

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A couple years ago, Sussex County Music Teachers invited us to participate in the Sussex 
County Middle School Concert for Band and Chorus. We have had several students 
participate and this year is no exception. The following students have been nominated to 
audition for the Sussex County Junior Honors Choir on October 11, 2018: ​Julia Gerst, 
Belle Hill, Ryleigh Orr, Amanda Murphy, Angelina Roccisano, Charlotte Storch, Nadia 
Felipe, Daphne King, Lilly Rodek, Sophia Burghoffer, Lauren Frey, Matthew Strianse, 
Mason Birkhoff, Rhys Huber, Angelo Fernandez, Jason Pritchett, Jack Reilly, and Ty 
Rockey.  

This year's concert will be conducted by our very own ​Mrs. Susan Kaczor​. The concert is 
scheduled for November 15 and 7:00 pm at Kittatinny Regional High School

Elementary Music  
Meet Our New Staff: 

We are excited to welcome a new addition to our music 

program in the elementary field, ​Ms. Katrina Vinkman​! She 
is incredibly excited to join the West Milford team this year 
as the K-6 General Music and Choir teacher at Maple Road 
and Apshawa Elementary School! She can not wait to get to 
know the students in her classroom and have fun making music 
with them! Miss Vinkman graduated from The College of New 
Jersey with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education this past 
spring of 2018. While there she loved participating in many 
vocal and instrumental ensembles. When not in school she 
loves to play with her two dogs Lucky and Thor, sing, and play 
her trumpet. She is so grateful to be working in such an amazing place filled with such 
amazing and kind people! 

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The Elementary students are very busy learning about our National Anthem and have begun 
to prepare patriotic songs to sing for our Veterans. We are so proud to be able to honor 
these heroes at a special Veterans' Day assembly in November.   

Elementary Music is in full swing to begin the 

school year. ​Kindergarten children welcome
autumn with a song and a game about apple
trees.

Mrs. Kirsten Callahan using Smartmusic in a

lesson.

Mrs. Paterno leads “Maple Road Rocks” during

Pinwheels for Peace.

 
 
 
 

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Art Department 
Meet Our New Staff: 

Mrs. Lorraine Poat​ ​is the new art teacher at Paradise Knoll
elementary school , she is so excited to return to the West
Milford School District to teach your children. Mrs. Poat
received her BA in Art Education from Montclair State
University,this is Mrs. Poat's 4th year teaching art. She is
confident that your students will have the best art experience
possible, gain new confidence and expand their art skills.

Pinwheels for Peace  

Pinwheels for Peace is a national event our entire art department participates in every 
year. On September 21st, we join in celebrating I ​ nternational Peace Day​. By creating the 
pinwheels in all our art classes from Kindergarten through twelfth grade we help join in 
creating a visual public statement for “whirled” peace. Each of our West Milford Schools 
had a display outside of the many pinwheels created by the students, filled with positive 
messages for Peace. And they create a nice, artful keepsake for students after the event.   

Here are some pictures from around our District on September 21 

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