Dennis Barth Returns as Gloucester Catholic Baseball Coach

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (Dec. 13, 2019)– –Veteran baseball skipper Dennis Barth will return to Gloucester Catholic as head coach of a Rams’ program he helped to establish as one of the best in New Jersey over the past several decades.

Barth left GCHS in 2012 to serve as head coach at Rutgers-Camden, where he guided the program to the only two NJAC conference championships in school history. Barth replaces Adam Tussey, who resigned as Rams coach after four successful seasons.

“I’m excited to return as coach – everyone knows our high expectations here at Gloucester Catholic, and coach Tussey left a solid foundation that we will continue to build,” Barth said. “We have a proud tradition of winning here, and I know the program will continue to be successful.”

A former player at Gloucester Catholic and a 1980 graduate, Coach Barth has a long list of accomplishments, including:

A career record of 485-94-1 over 19 seasons.

Recognition as National High School \’Coach Of The Year\’ in 2000

Recognition as South Jersey High School \’Coach Of The Year\’ in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

Recognition of Gloucester Catholic as High School National Champions in 2001.

Nine state championships, including his final NJSIAA Non-Public title in 2012.

Coach Barth is nationally recognized as coach of the Brooklawn American Legion baseball team, winning a Legion World Championship in 2001 and making multiple appearances in the Legion World Series Tournament

Athletic Director Patrick Murphy congratulated Coach Barth, who met with his new team earlier this week, on his return.

“We welcome Dennis back as coach,” said Murphy. “He’s excited to return, and of course his return will be beneficial to our program.”

Rams Head Baseball Coach Announces Resignation; Cites Business Promotion for the Decision

Holiday gifts teachers really want

Looking for a special teacher gift for the holidays? Take a tip from teachers themselves.

by:

GreatSchools Staff

December 5, 2012

Sure that “World’s Best Teacher” coffee mug is cute, but imagine how many of them an experienced teacher already has! Here, teachers share what gifts they’d really like, and it turns out that gifts from the heart are among the most appreciated.

Teachers tell us what they want

There is a perfect gift for every teacher, as comments from these teachers show:

“I am a teacher so I have plenty of knowledge on this topic. Gift cards are a beautiful thing; restaurants, stores, movies, grocery cards are all really great gifts. Flowers are also a nice gesture.”

“I always enjoy getting flowers or a gift card,” adds Dr. Ruth Jacoby, an educational consultant in Florida and co-author of the

School Talk! Success Series

. “Many of my parents usually ask other staff what my likes are. One school at the beginning of the year sent a survey to all staff members on likes and favorites, so many times I get gift baskets with my favorite coffee, snacks, and books.”

The always popular gift card

Teachers told us that gift cards they can use to treat themselves to something special or buy supplies for the class are always appreciated. You can even pick up a wide assortment of gift cards at many grocery stores, making this gift even easier!

Homemade gifts and cards

A teacher in Washington, writes:

“My students always ask me what I want for Christmas. My answer is the same every year. I ask for a homemade Christmas ornament with the child’s name and year on it.

“Each Christmas, as I hang these ornaments made by precious hands, I remember those students. I reflect on the difference that I made in those lives and my new year’s resolution is already made, to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of my students!

“I have over 25 years of ornaments that I now display. Each one is filled with memories.”

A gift for the whole class

“My favorite gifts to receive from my students are those that I can use at school,” writes a Mississippi teacher and mother of two.

“Because of tight supply budgets, practical items like pens, pencils, cap erasers, paper clips, sticky notes, and lined notebook paper make ideal gifts for teachers. A personal note from the student that the teacher can place in his/her ‘memory’ file will make the gift special.”

Other teachers agreed that gifts to teacher supply stores, bookstores, or other places they could buy much-needed things for the classroom were greatly appreciated.

One teacher suggested that parents can tap their own skills to make a special contribution to the classroom: “One of the best gifts that I ever received as an educator was the donation of a parent’s carpentry skills to put a door on an ugly sink cupboard for my classroom.”

Donations in the teacher’s name

Several teachers told us that they love to see students helping others in their honor. Margaret Wallace, a special education teacher in Queensbury, New York, said, “The only gift giving these days which I support is donations to causes which one cares about.”

Of course, most teachers care deeply about education, so if your child’s school is lucky enough to have most everything it needs, a donation to

DonorsChoose

may be a great way to honor your teacher. DonorsChoose is a nonprofit that allows teachers to post specific requests for their classrooms and donors to directly fund them. You can fund a project in the name of your child’s teacher or give the teacher a gift certificate to use to help the project of her choice. There are classrooms all across the country looking for help paying for field trips, science equipment, and more.

Get a wish list from the teacher

One parent shared this practical approach for pooling resources and getting teachers things they need:

“Most teachers equip their classroom using their own money. I ask the teacher what he/she could use for the classroom and put together a wish list and pass that out to the parents.

“I found that most teachers wish for a globe, a stack of books, dictionaries, craft material, replacement parts for the computer like a mouse or mouse pad. Often these items are more than what an individual parent wants to spend, but if two or three join together the item can be bought. This helps the teacher by keeping those coffee cups to a minimum and helps your child too, by providing better instructional materials.”

You can also:

• Donate a book to the school library in honor of the teacher.

• Make a donation in honor of the teacher to the PTA, a school foundation or a children’s charity.

• Give a gift certificate good for “One day of cutting out art projects from Jane’s Mom.”

If you really want to buy something…

Mary Beltran, a second-grade teacher in Pacifica, California, says:

“Most teachers I know always appreciate gift [cards] to Starbucks, Target, school supply stores, or bookstores. New teachers, who spend a lot of their own money on books and supplies, especially appreciate these gifts.”

She also emphasized that a personal touch makes a gift special, as she says, “I always get a kick out of gifts that have been chosen or made by a child.”

Scrip gifts

Marcie Wollesen, a third grade teacher in San Francisco, suggests that parents consider purchasing their gifts through scrip organizations. Scrip brokerages, such as

eScrip

, are groups that coordinate merchants and schools for mutual benefit, with a percentage of the profits going to the school of your choice. “Scrip gives money back on purchases, so that makes so much sense to me,” says Wollesen.

If your school isn’t already raising money with scrip, consider starting a scrip program so that parents can buy from participating retailers and see a portion of their money go back to the school. Parent groups can work with merchants directly or through a scrip broker who does the coordinating in return for a portion of the profits. Be sure to choose your scrip broker carefully by checking credit references and contacting other parent groups.

Donate to a teacher’s favorite cause

Peggy Mannion, an eighth grade social studies teacher in San Francisco, remembers one especially meaningful gift:

“A student made a donation to the American Cancer Society in my name. I liked that, because, you know, I don’t need anything! I mean if somebody said ‘I gave ten dollars to a homeless person instead of buying you a gift,’ I’d be thrilled!”

Just say thanks!

Many teachers told us their favorite gift was as simple as positive or grateful words. As one Oregon teacher noted, don’t underestimate the value of praise.

“A supportive, positive letter, with a copy to the teacher’s administrator and/or school board would be a wonderful gift,” the teacher wrote. “And don’t forget those marvelous ‘Letters to the Editor’ in newspapers.”

“Heartfelt letters mean the most,” said Washington teacher Sandi George. “I always keep them in my teaching album,” she said. “It’s important for parents to let us know how much they appreciate all we have done. We work hard at what is often a thankless job.”

Florida teacher Cynthia J. Bradford wrote:

“The best gifts I have gotten are the ones my parents have given me — tears at hearing their child read for the first time in 6th grade, a letter to the superintendent about how their child is reading for the first time in the 8th grade, and a letter to the BOE (Board of Education) and the local paper telling how their child is reading and going back to church because he can read.

A Shepherd Visits The Infant Jesus

A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard. An abandoned dog was looking for a comfortable, protected place to sleep. He chose baby Jesus as his comfort. No one had the heart to send him away all night. We should all have the good sense of this dog and curl up in Jesus\’ lap from time to time. This is too sweet not to share. No one mentioned that the dog breed is a \”shepherd!\” (

Catholic Study Fellowship)

submitted by former Gloucester City resident Nancy F.

The achievement gap: Is your school helping all students succeed?

Is your school equitably serving its students? Successful schools have found fair, effective ways to raise the performance of all.

by:

GreatSchools Staff

Many diverse schools experience an achievement gap, meaning that some groups of students achieve at a much higher level than other groups, especially on standardized tests. It is common to see persistent patterns of underachievement for lower-income, African American, and Hispanic students on standardized test scores. More and more, standardized tests are serving as gatekeepers to a child’s academic future. As a result, schools are being asked to close this gap and to help all children reach high standards.

If your school, or the school you are considering for your child, has disparities in outcomes between groups of students, you should look into why this gap exists and what measures the school is taking to close the gap. Schools should strive to create an environment where all children feel valued and all children are learning to high standards. To find out if your school is working to close the achievement gap, schedule a school visit to meet with the principal and observe some classes.

Meeting with the principal: Questions to ask about equity

Here are some questions to ask the principal that will help you assess the school’s commitment to helping all children reach high standards:

Ask:

How are students achieving in the school now? Are there any groups of students that are scoring below others on standardized tests? If so, what is the school doing to address this challenge?

Listen for:

Exact achievement data for each group of students in the school; specific strategies the school is using (curricular programs, interventions, etc.) to raise the achievement of low-performing students; and concrete, measurable school goals for improving test scores.

Ask:

How do the teachers hold all children to high expectations and measure progress to ensure that all students are learning?

Listen for:

Concrete examples of assessments that teachers use to gauge student learning and ways that teachers analyze this assessment data to make sure all students are on track.

Ask:

How is the school working to close the achievement gap? Are teachers using any new curriculum or instruction? Are they offering extra academic support for students?

Listen for:

Specific actions the school is taking to raise achievement for low-performing students. Potential actions include: Implementing new teaching strategies that have been proven successful in other schools and providing additional academic support for students, during the school day and after school. Ask how many children take advantage of these resources and how parents are notified about this extra help.

Ask:

Do all students have equal access to the most challenging classes or are lower-achieving students grouped in remedial programs?

Listen for:

Evidence that all students have access to high-level courses and enriched curriculum and the school discourages permanent “ability grouping” and remedial programs. If you’re not sure, ask to see the demographics of the students in accelerated courses vs. remedial courses.

Walking around the school: Looking for signs of equity

Take a walk around the school, visiting classrooms and observing the surroundings. As you walk, keep an eye out for some of the following signs that this school is striving to be equitable for all students:

Teachers using a variety of instructional strategies, including cooperative learning (students working in groups) and directed lessons to meet the learning needs of the students. Watch to see if students look engaged in the lessons and if the purpose of the lesson is clear.

Artwork and decorations, both in the hallways and in classrooms, that value and affirm the culture, language and backgrounds of the students.

Evidence that the school makes an effort to communicate with parents through their home language and encourages parents of all ethnic and cultural groups to participate in the school.

Accommodations for students with physical handicaps to access all parts of the school.

It may take years for a school to reverse historical trends of underachievement and inequity. The key is to look and listen for evidence that the school is aware of its challenges and is working actively to raise the achievement of all students.

source

https://www.greatschools.org/

Gloucester\’s Game Lions – Rams OT

GLOUCESTER CITY NJ (Nov. 28, 2019)–The annual battle between our two neighborhood schools ended regulation tied a 6 – 6. After scoreless first quarter Gloucester Catholic High hit pay dirt first taking a 6 – 0 lead in 2nd but Gloucester High battled back to tie the game at 6 – 6 on a touchdown by Steven Burkhardt.

Lions put on a late first half surge hoping to take a lead before entering the locker room, but QB Gavin Callahan\’s pass intented for Steven Burkhardt as time ran out was intercepted in the endzone by Rams Ben Watkis.

Throughout the second half both teams were unable to provide a knockout punch as the game ended in regulation 6 – 6, after the Rams attempted a goal winning field goal which was blocked by Lions Gavin Callahan

In overtime were each team begins at the 25 yardline, the Lions surprised the crowd when they converted a 4th down 22 yd field goal to take a 9-6 lead. The Rams overtime opportunity resulted in a TD pass to Ben Watkis

Photo\’s courtesy Bruce Darrow

(www.Darrowphotos.com)

Gloucester High School

Gloucester Catholic

https://darrowphotos.com

Two and One-Half-Hours

The Renewal of GLOUCESTER\’S GAME

GHS Cheerleaders and Mascot

Gavin Callahan\’s Blocked FG

Winning Touchdown Ben Watkis

Ben Watkis interception

TD Run Steven Burkardt

Gloucester\’s Game Lions – Rams OT

Photo\’s courtesy Bruce Darrow

(www.Darrowphotos.com)

Gloucester High School

Gloucester Catholic

https://darrowphotos.com

Two and One-Half-Hours

The Renewal of GLOUCESTER\’S GAME

GHS Cheerleaders and Mascot

Gavin Callahan\’s Blocked FG

Winning Touchdown Ben Watkis

Ben Watkis interception

TD Run Steven Burkardt

The Renewal of GLOUCESTER\’S GAME (Rams v Lions)….plus Videos of previous Contests

The excerpt below is from the

Renewal of Friendship

booklet which was released in 1993 when the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Gloucester High and Gloucester Catholic was resumed.

Two and One-Half-Hours

The football teams from the two schools will meet tomorrow (Thursday) at the John Lynch Field at Gloucester High School, Rt. 130 and Market Street.

The Rams won last year\’s contest 30 to 14. Gloucester Catholic\’s junior running back Dashaun Harris finished that game with 222 yards on 23 carries and three total touchdowns in front of an estimated crowd of 400.

Thursday\’s Kickoff is 10:30AM. The Rams lead the series, 22-21-1.

BY G.J. FERGUSON

(CNBNewsnet)(Gloucester City NJ)(Nov. 27, 2019)–It has been nearly three decades since the last City-Series game was played in 1965. At times, it seems like it was only yesterday. But, sadly it wasn\’t. With the final whistle, on that sunny autumn day, the

City-Series passed into memory. Memories that have endured over the years. They have lived in the hearts and minds of those who remember the series and attached a special meaning to it.

Gloucester Catholic 1963 football team

It is with those in mind, that the idea for this program began. It started out as a history of the series, but a true history would require a book of several hundreds pages. What we have instead is more like a memoir of the City-Series. I hope that as you read the game stories and look at the old pictures, it will bring back the memories. Not just of the games themselves, but of old friends, old teammates, and a different time.

In the old industrial city on the

Delaware

, the year 1948 marked the beginning of the annual football games between Gloucester High and Gloucester Catholic. It was a time when semi-pro and town teams were still popular and attracting good-sized crowds. However, the largest and most loyal following was reserved for

high school football

. Across the country, in rural towns, in cities large and small, people filled the bleachers by the thousands to cheer their local school teams.

In some areas of the country, the games drew crowds of 25,000 to 30,000 or more. Closer to home, the

Collingswood

, and Camden High game used to attract 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. The City-Series games never approached numbers like these, but the crowds of 4,000 or more were common. For a small city of 15,000 people, it was a tremendous show of support.

If measured in length, it was not a long series. In

South Jersey

, many of the football series began in the 1920\’s or before. Vineland and

Millville

began their rivalry in the 1890\’s. In comparison, the City-Series was only played from 1948 to 1965. Nevertheless, for those eighteen years the people of Gloucester had a game that somehow, seemed to touch the very soul of their proud, old city.

In a

small town

like Gloucester, everybody seems to know everybody else. This familiarity made the games much more personal. Playing against a school located miles away; the opposing players were only numbers. In the City-Series games, that \”number\” had a name, and you better not forger it! If not brother against brother, surely there were cousins facing each other. Childhood friend’s kids from around the corner and down the street battling each other for 48 minutes. It was a neighborhood rivalry in the truest sense of the word:

Like the town it was played in, the games themselves were rough and tumble affairs. It was a hard-nosed and smash-mouth football. This was literally true before the facemask came into use. They were emotional games, played in a charged atmosphere before large, fanatical crowds.

Given all this, the remarkable thing is, the emotions never really got out of hand. Not on the field, nor in the stands. For the most part, the games were cleanly played. The hard hits came before the whistle, not after. This is not to say the games were perfect, they weren\’t. Nevertheless, the minor disputes that did occur were soon forgotten.

The very nature of the series made this possible. All of the ingredients that made this a fiercely contested game worked in reverse as soon ass it ended. It was high school football the way it was meant to be.

The first five years of the series belonged to Gloucester High. The Raiders (or \”Paiseleymen\”, as they were also called at the time) won the initial game in 1948 by a close score of 18-12. Matters only became worse for the Irish/Ramblers over the next four years! From 1949 to 1952, the Raiders completely dominated the series, winning by 21-2, 56-7, 19-6, and 25-7.

In 1953, Gloucester Catholic, tired of being a doormat for their city rival, recorded there first win of the series, winning by a score of 12-7. The Ramblers must have found the victory to their linking, as they set out on a winning streak of their own. The next four years found the Maroon and Gold on top by 20-13, 52-7, 26-0, and 12-7.

With the series tied at five games apiece, the Raiders pulled ahead by winning the 1958 game 18-7. However, there were to be no more long winning streaks in the series. The following year, the Rams triumphed over the newly named Lions by 19-0. 1960 was more of the same as a powerful Catholic Eleven rolled over the Lions 34-0 to take their first lead in the series.

A Preview of Gloucester Catholic & Gloucester High 2019 Gridiron Teams

Rams vs Lions Turkey Game

–Nov. 2009–With a few minutes left in the first half the Lions came back and tied the game at 14-14 but the Rams came back and scored again. As the half ended the score 22-14.

+++++++

RAMS V LIONS TURKEY GAME 2010-

What an exciting Thanksgiving Day football game this year between cross town rivalries Gloucester City High School and Gloucester Catholic High. Nearing the end of the fourth quarter Gloucester High was winning 27-20. With 19 seconds left Gloucester Catholic got a TD, making the score 27-26. Instead of kicking a field goal Catholic went for two but was stopped by the Lions defense.

+++++

RAMS V LIONS TURKEY GAME Nov. 2011–

The video contains some snippets of plays from the first half of the game. Ben Boyer carried 42 times for 294 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Gloucester City to a 34-14 victory over Gloucester Catholic yesterday in Gloucester City. Boyer finished the season with 1,841 rushing yards, 168 shy of the school-record 2,009 yards accumulated by Mike Blankenship in 2001. Boyer had touchdown runs of 28, 73, 3 and 8 yards for Gloucester City (5-5). With the victory, Gloucester City tied the all-time Thanksgiving Week series between the two schools at 18-18 (there has been one tie). Elliott McCummings had two touchdown runs of 6 and 80 yards for Gloucester Catholic (3-7). Score Lions 34 Rams 14

2006 Turkey Day Football: Gloucester City HS vs Gloucester Catholic HS

Originally Published November 2006

By LEA KOROS

Special to ClearysNotebook

GLOUCESTER CITY NJ —With the Lions / Rams game less then a week away the talk has begun. The “ELECTION” is over and the residents and alumni have started the annual rite only a local GHS or GCHS graduate can appreciate. This talk is for the locals not the wannabes, the talk is not held on the bus ride from Deptford or

Washington Twp, but held at the Memorial A.A. church. I’ve heard the sermons at the bright orange church about mixed marriages. Lately the sermon preached why can’t we forgive and accept these marriages. How can a Lion marry a Ram? How can they send their children to that place on Cumberland St?

Yes, it has begun. Wednesday night the hardworking, church going, people of Gloucester will head to a local establishment and dissect the upcoming Turkey Day game. They will argue that no game on Turkey Day was better then the 1971 Delsea game. Or the Froggy Rebstock catch a few years later against Delsea. Anyway they look at it some old-timer will say it was the “Shot heard round the world”, forgetting they are talking about

football

and not the 1971 boys basketball.

Yes, it is Turkey Day. The two teams will prepare differently, the Rams will have their moms make a pre-game team breakfast, while the Lions players will go to their own breakfast at the “Orange Church”. The church better known as Coffee Corner at Broadway and Market St. has a pew and will be occupied Mr. Harris, Ken Settar, Steve Cowgill, and Ma Hagan the few survivors of Wednesday evening. The Preacher Pop Cowgill will hand out communion a Breakfast sandwich to each Lion. After these players are blessed, they will head over with the Pride of the City on their shirts.

It is game time. Lions Coach Harris has a team, which was a play, or two from the playoffs and the team wants to end the season with a .500 record while the Rams underachieved and missed out on the playoffs.

On offense, the Rams will rely on the passing of Brooklawn’s Ray Mc Kenney. Mc Kenney who has struggled at times this season will look to get the ball to City teammates Mike Calzonetti (child of a Lion/Ram marriage) and George Spingler. If Mc Kenney is on his game, it will be a long day for the Lions.

The Lions have been hurt to many times by the pass so look for Coach Harris to give

Bryan Collins some extra help in the deep patterns. The Rams backfield has struggled with its running game. Locals

Ryan Alcott and RB Ed Saunders have carried the load and will have another difficult time establishing a running game against the Lions strong

defensive line

On offense, the Lions have suffered in the passing game. With the exception the short pass to WR Liam James or TE Mike Becker, the Lions have not put together any consistency in the passing game. The Lions will provide a running game with TB Brandon Mc Elwee and the punishment of FB Josh Porter. Mc Elwee is coming off a strong game against Audubon where he rushed for 250 yards and scored 3 TDs. Both of these players will provide the majority of the Lions “O”.

The game will come down to Mc Kenney or backup quarterback Calzonetti’s ability to work the ball down field against a soft Lions secondary. The Rams will not be able to move the ball on the ground so look for an aerial attack from the Rams. The Rams will work away from the Lions DB Liam James and work more towards DB Brian Collins with help from FS Brandon Mc Elwee

The Lions will work the inside game and will win the battled of the line. Behind Mike Marchionne, the Lions will hammer a running game against the Rams, which has not been able finish off tackles. A few missed tackles and the Rams will be in trouble. Nevertheless, the game will come down to the pass. Who can pass, will win the game? The Lions have a lot of pride and will make all necessary adjustments to win this event but the locals who went astray and betrayed our great city, Alcott, Spingler, Mike Gartland, Mc Kenney, Harry Amwake and Calzonetti will provide enough offense and defense to beat the Lions.

My prediction……..Rams 26 Lions 14

GHS & GCHS Football Teams to Honor Veterans at Thanksgiving Football Game

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (Nov. 15, 2019)– Please spread the word to any veteran or active military who attended GCHS or Gloucester High. Last year was really special honoring these brave men and women and we

hope to continue to grow the tradition. Gloucester Catholic alumnus can email their info to RMurphy@gchsrams.org