Enter EVG

Welcome...
to the Eleanor Van Gelder School, better known as EVG. Our present enrollment of approximately 400 children includes pre-k through grade six. We may be small, but we are mighty. We are located in Edgewater, New Jersey, a burgeoning borough on the west bank of the Hudson River. Come visit us and enjoy our breathtaking view of the New York City skyline.

Once inside our school you will be impressed by our first-rate technology. We have a network of over 125 computers, all with direct Internet access over a high-speed T-1 line. Our instructional lab has 26 networked computers, laser printers, digital cameras, and a scanner. Our library/media center includes 17 networked computers with Internet access. And every classroom has computers and printers.

What makes us so special?

The Edgewater Board of Education, Administration, and Faculty continue to maintain a high standard of instruction at the Eleanor Van Gelder School. We offer a wide range of classes in alignment with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. Our early childhood education program includes full day kindergarten classes and a half-day pre-kindergarten. Students study the Spanish language in an extensive program from kindergarten through grade six, with French offered in sixth grade. Children attend a hands-on science lab and a computer lab both during and after school hours. More advanced students enjoy unique opportunities: math enrichment classes, a portfolio program for the gifted and talented, and art enrichment classes. Numerous other services are tailored to our children who require remediation and for those with special needs.

Students in all grades with an urge to perform on stage have the opportunity to join STARS, or Students That Are Rising Stars. Currently, we have 99 students enrolled. These students, directed by our staff, spend several weeks learning songs, dance routines, and narrative scripts, culminating in a school-wide performance to showcase their talents.

Our music classes offer students both vocal and instrumental lessons, and each year the EVG Players, chosen from students in grades K-6, perform in a musical extravaganza. They are directed by our music teacher and by local professionals and volunteers training them in both voice and dance. Several of our students have gone on to careers in theater and screen.

Here at EVG our students also benefit from small class sizes, cooperative learning group work, and well-equipped classrooms. Approximately three thousand new books and videos have been purchased for our school library in the last five years. Additionally, we continually upgrade our textbooks in the content areas. Children are now working with a new language arts literacy series and a new science text series.

By making decisions that are based on the needs and welfare of the children, the students in the Edgewater School District enjoy positive school experiences and are able to meet with success. Test results from the state-administered grade four NJASK show students scoring above the state average in language arts literacy and mathematics. Results on the TerraNova Multiple Assessment Test have shown substantial growth each year. In fact, students generally score above their anticipated scores and the national standard.

An essential part of our day here at EVG is community involvement. Members of the PTO continually arrange and support programs and assemblies for all our students. Our participation in the Rutgers-sponsored Family Math Program offers third grade students and their families an evening opportunity to experience hands-on math in a fun and challenging atmosphere. In the second grade, students are matched with adult members of our community in our Reading Mentoring program. The result is a love of reading as well as a personal bond between each student and his mentor.

Better-trained teachers lead to enhanced educational opportunities for all our students. Members of our faculty have been attending workshops presented by nationally known consultants and experienced professionals. New strategies and techniques for the teaching of mathematics and language arts literacy are being implemented in the classrooms.

Don't be deceived by the date on our cornerstone. Our most recent building expansion was completed for the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year, and we are currently expanding again! The newest addition will include more classrooms and a new music room, cafeteria, and gymnasium. Also, we are certainly looking forward to an air-conditioned school! This great new facility, a dedicated faculty and staff, an active PTO, and a Board of Education committed to quality education are all the ingredients needed to have the outstanding school district that we enjoy.

In all, we are quite proud of our school and our achievements.