students

STORIES

Our stories are all about the interesting people, places and things in Maplewood.

Read some here or page through our online issues.

ellencdonker

Aug 11, 20223 min read

ELECTRONIC AFTERLIFE by Adrianna Donat

One student’s effort to save the environment in SOMA – and the world. We may not be able to live without computers. But how long will...

BUILDING BRIDGES, AND SCHOOLS, IN AFRICA by Tia Swanson

ellencdonker

Nov 26, 20216 min read

BUILDING BRIDGES, AND SCHOOLS, IN AFRICA by Tia Swanson

Morrow Church looks to lessen the divides between rich and poor Like many congregations, Morrow United Methodist Church in Maplewood has...

ellencdonker

Oct 1, 20216 min read

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT by Tia Swanson

Changing the world, one child at a time Lorraine Kerry Barnett grew up poor in the Central Ward of Newark during the dark period that...

MY VINYL LIFE WITH THE STEREO KIDS By Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Aug 13, 20213 min read

MY VINYL LIFE WITH THE STEREO KIDS By Donny Levit

After too many months of online learning, here’s how our family went analogue again I admit this sounds like a plot point right out of a...

PARENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL By Malia Rulon Herman

ellencdonker

Aug 13, 20215 min read

PARENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL By Malia Rulon Herman

New language program teaches more than just English For a parent in the South Orange-Maplewood School District who was born in the U.S....

SAYING GOODBYE TO ONE OF THE BEST By Cassandra Ratkevich

ellencdonker

Aug 13, 20215 min read

SAYING GOODBYE TO ONE OF THE BEST By Cassandra Ratkevich

Beloved CHS teacher Jon Campbell retires after 25 years Visitors to Columbia High School, found Jon Campbell’s classroom easy to spot...

INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER By Adrianna Donat

ellencdonker

Aug 13, 20214 min read

INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER By Adrianna Donat

How the SOMA Community Helped One Young Man Find His Wings Stanley Finlayson graduated from Columbia High School this past June. But on...

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES? By Malia Rulon Herman

ellencdonker

Jun 11, 20215 min read

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES? By Malia Rulon Herman

Maplewood author Tina Kelley’s newest book demystifies an exciting new education model Imagine being able to complete the first two years...

ellencdonker

Jun 11, 20214 min read

A HOME FOR ALL SEASONS By Tia Swanson

While the pandemic raged, houses of faith reached out to their most vulnerable members In the months before the pandemic, Ben Hack, who...

TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF EEGS AND EPILSEPSY by Malia Rulon Herman

ellencdonker

Mar 12, 20214 min read

TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF EEGS AND EPILSEPSY by Malia Rulon Herman

A teacher in search of a book ends up writing her own When the doctor told Danielle Perrotta that her daughter, Bella, would need to have...

BOTH SIDES NOW By Tia Swanson Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa

ellencdonker

Mar 12, 20215 min read

BOTH SIDES NOW By Tia Swanson Photography by Julia Maloof Verderosa

A restoration lends a carriage house purpose 125 years later When New York native Christine Llewellyn Ohemeng and her husband, Kwame...

CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20206 min read

CHANNELING A LOVE FOR COOKING by Ellen Donker

Seth Boyden fourth grader hosts his own cooking show Jacob Case never expected to be sharing cooking videos on Facebook. After all, he’s...

A GAMER'S PARADISE IN SOUTH ORANGE by Donny Levit

ellencdonker

Nov 27, 20207 min read

A GAMER'S PARADISE IN SOUTH ORANGE by Donny Levit

Chris Donnell’s basement “museum” chronicles decades of electronic gaming South Orange resident Chris Donnell is comfortably seated on...

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20204 min read

A PLACE FOR SPACING OUT by Ellen Donker

Columbia High School’s astronomical observatory is restored Humanity has long been enthralled with observing the cosmos in an effort to...

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20204 min read

MAKING WAVES by Kristen Ryan

The CHS boys’ swim team helps to net a strong season For the Columbia High School swim team, time in the water is private, focused and...

MARK MURPHY'S MUSIC SCHOOL! LIVE! FROM THE BASEMENT! by Sara Courtney

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20206 min read

MARK MURPHY'S MUSIC SCHOOL! LIVE! FROM THE BASEMENT! by Sara Courtney

The shutdown made them bored. The music kept them connected. Just a few months ago, before masks and hand sanitizer and the words “remote...

EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS by Malia Rulon Herman

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20205 min read

EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS by Malia Rulon Herman

How one special-ed teacher is making a difference at CHS When Takia Logan took over teaching a small, multiage special education class at...

EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20203 min read

EDUCATING KIDS ON TRASH by Georgia Madiba

A summer walk turns into a waste audit Playgrounds reopened in July after being closed due to the pandemic and, naturally, my two...

THANKING YOUR "GREAT PEOPLE" by Linda Beck

ellencdonker

Aug 14, 20203 min read

THANKING YOUR "GREAT PEOPLE" by Linda Beck

It’s not too late to acknowledge the teachers of your past Last summer, my family endeavored to watch every Avengers movie in order,...

CHS Hall of Fame Members Contribute to Congratulatory Video

ellencdonker

Jun 24, 20201 min read

CHS Hall of Fame Members Contribute to Congratulatory Video

CHS Hall of Fame Encourages the Class of 2020 Message from the CHS Hall of Fame Committee: In light of extended school closure and...