About The Bloggers, 2016-2017 School Year

Welcome back to the 370 Clubhouse blog for the 2016-2017 school year! We would like to welcome back returning seniors Shane, Chris, Stan, and Danny. We would also like to welcome new senior Di’Jon, and freshmen Bervelie, Devon, Jason, and Quinn. The new students will be a great addition to our blog this year as we kick-off our third year of blogging. Scroll down to read more about the bloggers at Room 370 Clubhouse. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

CHRIS

Hello, my name is Chris, and I am 18 years old.  I go to high school in New Jersey.  I live with my brother Tony, but right now he goes to Penn State College in Pennsylvania. I really miss him. I also live with my Mom and Dad. I like to visit Seoul, South Korea because I like to go to arcades there. I want to move to South Korea in 2021 because I was born in South Korea and miss living there. I want to live near my grandmother and grandfather. I like to play Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Nintendo DS, and Clash of Clans. Clash of Clans is an App on my iPad. It is a fighting game. This year in school, I am doing a work program. I work at ShopRite and Walgreens. I like to ride on and take pictures of elevators. I take pictures of the button panel, light indicators and the firefighter sign. Have a nice day!

QUINN

Hello, my name is Quinn, and I’m 14 years old. I live in New Jersey. I live with my dad, step-mom, brother and sister.  I’m the oldest child. I like watching TV, especially cartoons, such as “Teen Titans Go!”. I also enjoy music. The Weeknd is one of my favorite musicians. I moved twice in the past two years. I moved in December 2014, then I moved in July of 2016. Signing off, Quinn.

DANNY

Hello once again, as you know my name is Danny. I am 17 years old, and I'm a senior in high school who lives in New Jersey. I live with my parents, my sisters and my brother. I have two older sisters named Katie and Emily, two younger sisters named Caroline and Jane, and a younger brother named Jack. My dad has a job as a lawyer, and my mom does not work. My mom takes care of my family in the house while my dad works. My older sister Katie is grown up and lives in Washington D.C. She has a career in teaching. My other older sister Emily is a sophomore in college at Notre Dame in Indiana. My younger sister Caroline is a sophomore in high school at a private school. My other younger sister Jane is in fourth grade, and my brother Jack is in first grade. I have a program at VoTech. My program is Graphic Design. I like Graphic Design because I am skilled at drawing. I enjoy my program at VoTech. I like playing video games and watching tv and movies. I don't like to be in my house all day on the weekends, because I get bored. Hope you enjoy our blog!

SHANE

Hello Everyone! It is me, Shane, again. I am now 17 years old and I am a Senior in high school. I live with my mother, my father, my sister, and my dog Stella. My mother has a job as a nurse, my father has a job as a lawyer, and my sister goes to elementary school. I have a job training called SLE (Structured Learning Experiences), what I do there is that I work at Walgreens on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, and I work at ShopRite on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I like to listen to rock music from the 1960s through the very early 2000s. I like music that involves Metal, Blues,  Alternative, New Wave, Punk, Prog Rock, Glitter Glam, Funk, Hard Rock, Grunge, Ska, old Hip Hop from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. I don’t like to listen to pop music because the voices are too auto tuned, and it plays the same songs over and over. I look forward to more blog posts.

JASON

My name is Jason. I’m 15 and in 9th grade. I live with my mom, dad, and my brother Daniel. I have five fish: Jason Jr., Jason Sr., Jason the 3rd, Jason the 4th and Fatty. I play sports such as basketball, football and lacrosse. My favorite sport is basketball. I play football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring. When I’m not playing sports, I like to be with my friends and play Xbox. My favorite subject in school is science because we do lots of fun labs and experiments. I am really looking forward to an exciting year.

DI'JON

HI! My name is Di’jon, and I live in New Jersey with my mother, father, and brother. I also have a pet Rottweiler named Brooklyn. I am a senior. I am new to this high school so it took me a little time to get used to my surroundings and make new friends. I love to play guitar and piano during my lunch at school and after school. I have made a handful of friends so far but I think I really clicked with this one kid named “Taylor.” He plays guitar like me and is a senior as well. I think we really hit it off because we both had that passion and interest for music and guitar. Music has always been a big part of my life, with helping me through a lot of hardship. When I play, I look to show people that anything is possible, no matter what you go through in or outside of school. One of my main interest is reading novels and books on “Greek and Roman Mythology.” Roman and Greek myth has always fascinated me.

Once I graduate High school, I plan to go to college. I would like to major in “law enforcement” working towards my Law Enforcement Degree. My dream is to work for NYPD as a Homicide detective or work in a specialized unit that only deals with Sexually Oriented Crimes. I know law enforcement is definitely what I want to pursue as a career in the future; but if that doesn't  work out I would like to use my musical talent as a secondary back option by maybe becoming a High School music teacher or Music Therapist (For Teens/adults with Depression).

BERVELIE

My name is Bervelie, and I am currently 16. I will be turning 17 in two months. I have a four year old niece named Adriel. She is my sunshine and my life. Her birthday is also in two months. I love her so much. I also have a nephew named Jayden and he just turned four in July. I have a godson, and his name is Simba. He is a chihuahua. Although Simba may be crazy, I love him. Last but not least, I have two sisters and four girls I call my "sister" because we have been together since we were little. I also have five guys I call my "brothers" because we also grew up together. Some of my hobbies include playing with my niece and nephew, and seeing my brothers when I go to Irvington. Hope you like reading our blog.

DEVON

Hey Everyone, my name is Devon. I am a part of the class 370 clubhouse. I live with my mom and my pug puppy, Buddy. I love to create anything cool. I create monsters or creatures out of paper. I also make little inventions or other creations out of bottles and cardboard. Another hobby is that I write short stories. My stories are about monsters and creatures. For example, my most famous book was Scary Stories: #1 Goo from the Grave. The story was about a group of friends who have to stop a slime monster. In the future, I want to become a teacher. In my free time, I go to an elementary school to show my creations to the kids, and teach them how to make them. The kids that I know there are from first grade to fifth grade. This blog is going to be fun! Stay tuned for more blog info!  

STAN

My name is Stanley, and I’m 17 years old and a 12th grader. I live with my dad. My hobby is art because I like to draw many things like skulls, fire, and red soul eyes. When I’m done with school, I would like to have an art job where I can paint, sketch, and draw. I am currently going to a graphic design program at a vocational school. I also like to listen to any kind of music and play zombie video games on my PS4. I hope that you will enjoy your year and yeah have fun. And stuff.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

We had just enough time left in the year to finish reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

During our last class, we discussed what students can take away from the book:

• Christopher (the main character) had to overcome challenges and confront his fears in order to travel by himself to London. We can be inspired to face the things we may be nervous or afraid to do.

• Christopher learned that he was more capable of doing things independently. He learned he was really smart at math and set goals for himself. He wrote a book too. We learned that we can do more things independently, like taking the train by ourselves. We can learn to live independently and take care of ourselves. We can try new things like going to a new camp or starting at a new job.

• Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. People can earn our forgiveness and trust, and maybe sometimes we need to ask for forgiveness and earn somebody’s trust back.

Overall, we really enjoyed reading the book together and learning about Christopher's journey, and making connections with our own life journey.

The Replacement Math and SLE Hersheypark Overnight Adventure

Hi Everyone! 

We wanted to share this "news article" style blog post with you about our recent trip to Hersheypark:

The Real World Replacement Math Class and SLE (Structured Learning Experience) Program students, along with three peer leaders from the Autism Awareness group, and faculty members from Millburn High School, went on an overnight trip to Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania on April 29th-30th. Kelly Brandt, special education teacher at the high school, obtained a grant from the Education Foundation to fund a portion of the trip, and student fundraising also went toward the trip.

Millburn High School students who attended the trip included Chris Hahn, Stanley Richards, Rachel Gomez, Danny Dufner, Shane Bracken, Linus Hannewald, Erin Moore, Steven Miller, Julian Berg, Ethan Solender, Dolly Ravishankar, Emily Blumstein, Amy Linczyc, and Melanie Albert. Faculty members chaperoning the trip included Kelly Brandt, Robyn Basta, Lynne Woodruff, Stephen Breslow, Roger Askins, Leora Weiner, and Amy Gallagher.

On the bus ride down, students listened to favorite songs compiled by the “Entertainment Organizer,” one of several “jobs” students interviewed for and were assigned for the trip. Students played a game on the bus where they guessed who picked each song for the playlist. When they were “halfway there,” Miss Brandt played Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” 

Upon arrival students checked into the hotel and off to the park they went. At the park, students separated into Replacement Math and SLE groups to complete learning activities around the park with their teachers and classmates. They also went on roller coasters, visited The Chocolate World museum, did a chocolate tasting experience, took a trolley tour, created their own Hershey bar, and purchased souvenirs. They dined at an Italian restaurant for dinner and stayed at a Days Inn hotel. The next morning they had a hot breakfast, took pictures, and headed back home on the bus.

In addition to the grant from the Education Foundation for $2,500, students set a goal to raise $350 to put toward the trip. They exceeded their goal and raised a total of $1,340 through selling boxes of cards and chocolate lollipops for St. Patrick’s day. Students also completed work in their Replacement history, science, and English classes to make this a cross-curricular project.

Last year, the Replacement classes obtained a grant for a trip to Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Museum in New York City. Students and faculty are hoping the trip becomes an annual event! Thank you to Miss Brandt, Mrs. Gallagher, and the Education Foundation for making this trip possible.

Thanks for reading about our awesome trip! 

- Room 370 Clubhouse

Pictures taken by Erin Moore

Book Review of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was written by the author Sherman Alexie. The main character is Junior, a teenager growing up on an American Indian reservation in Washington state. Junior is too smart for the reservation school, Wellpinit, so he seeks a better education off the reservation, at Reardan High School. Junior faces many challenges including trying to fit in at his new school, widespread poverty and alcoholism on the reservation, and trying to make a better future for himself. Will Junior find love, acceptance, and a better future for himself? You have to read find out! 


We finished the book, and it was awesome! We like the book because it is funny, and it shows courage. We learned about the problems on the reservation, and we see how Junior works to overcome the challenges facing him. As a class, we are going to complete an Action Research project focused on the problems affecting American Indians living on reservations. 


This book has won numerous awards, including the National Book Award Winner for 2007. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to the blog.

So far this year, we've done a "Cities" unit where we studied ancient cities such as Machu Picchu and the Mesa Verde. We also learned about modern cities, and students completed a research project about murals. They specifically researched the area of Dallas, Texas known as Deep Ellum, an artsy community with many murals. Students interviewed the mural artist Frank Campagna as part of their research project. Below is a picture of one of his most famous murals.

Now we are reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the story of an American Indian teenager growing up on a reservation. We are learning about the many challenges that American Indians living on reservations face, including widespread poverty, alcoholism, depression, and inadequate access to education. Below is a drawing by Danny of the character "Rowdy," the narrator's best friend.

Thanks for visiting the blog. We will update soon on our progress in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian! 

Room 370 

Blog Highlights for the Year, 2014-2015

As a class, we've had an interesting and educational year. Let's take a look back at a few highlights: we went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, we interviewed a famous ice sculptor, and we took a trip to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Manhattan. We also learned about Malala-- the girl from Pakistan who stood up to the Taliban and is fighting for the education of girls around the world.

We'd like to thank everyone who read and supported our blog this year. Your comments made us feel good and think more deeply about what we are learning.

To date, we've had 1, 214 page views of our blog! The large majority of our views are from the United States, however we have blog readers from France, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belarus, and India! This is our 10th blog post for the year, so we average about 1 blog post per month.

We are taking a break over the summer and plan to resume the blog next year. Congratulations to Sam and Linus who are graduating!

Thanks and see you in September!

Replacement Classes Take Cross-Curricular Field Trip to NYC

This article was written collectively by the students in Mrs. Boccia's English Class (Erin, Sam, Stan, Shane, Chris, Linus, and Danny).

Students of Replacement math, English, science and history classes went on a cross-curricular field trip to New York City, on Wednesday, April 29. Miss Brandt, a Replacement math teacher, obtained a grant through the Ed Foundation for the trip. Chaperoning the trip were administrators, paraprofessionals, and teachers. The group visited Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, ate lunch at Chevy’s Mexican restaurant, took a double-decker bus ride, and then took a sightseeing cruise around Manhattan.

The gang rode the train from Millburn, NJ to New York City. Due to unknown circumstances, all trains were rerouted to Hoboken. From there, the group took the PATH train to 33rd street. They arrived to New York City around 9:00 am and stayed until 4:10 pm. The class visited Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum because it covered four different subjects: math, science, history, and English. In math class, they planned the trip to NYC. In science, they learned about nutrition, which tied into the lunch portion of the trip. In History, they covered the landmarks of NYC, and in English, they researched the history of Robert Ripley. This trip did a great job covering all the different areas the students learned about at school.

Students weighed in on the highlights of the trip. Linus said “My favorite exhibits at the museum were Popeye and the two-headed cow.” Danny commented about the Ripley’s museum, “I liked everything. The ones I enjoyed the most were the heads in a jar where you can put your head in yourself, and the Empire State Building, and the black hole. I also liked the couch where you sit below a moose and next to a Native American.” Chris said, “Ripley’s BION. The black hole exhibit, the spinning. Double-decker bus… saw the Intrepid Museum.” 

Sam explained, “My favorite part of the trip was going on the cruise because I liked seeing all the buildings by the water. The spikes on the crown of the statue of liberty represent the seven continents of the world. I saw the bridges that I’ve learned about.” Shane said, “I liked going through the black hole. I liked how it felt like you were moving when you weren’t actually moving. I also liked the cruise and took a lot of pictures.” Erin explained, “My favorite part of the trip was the cruise because I got to see the entire city of Manhattan. I took pictures of landmarks from 3 boroughs. I also took a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Also I took a nice shot of the skyline.” Stan noted, “My favorite part of the trip was doing the impossible laser race at Ripley’s BION. You had to avoid the lasers in order to press the button to turn them off.” 

Overall, students had an exciting, interesting and educational day in New York City. 

Photos from the trip:

Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. (by Mrs. Boccia)

The two-headed cow. (by Linus)

The Jaw of the extinct shark called Megalodon. (by Sam)

Small wooden battleships. (by Shane)

The Buddha has 1 million shredded American dollars inside it. (by Danny)

Darth Vader helmet made from old keys on a keyboard. (by Chris)

The Manhattan skyline from the cruise. (by Erin)