001in conformance with the open public meetings act and the time place and agenda of said meeting has been conveyed to the appropriate newspapers and posted in the board office three schools municipal building and filed with the clerk of the bureau of Emerson could stand for the pledge of allegiance please I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Meeting is called to order at 7:34 p.m. If we could have the roll call, please. Mr. Grow, here. Mrs. Mara, here. Mrs. Ricardi, here. Mr. Smith, here. Mr. Pazdar, here. Miss Tamayo here. Thank you. Uh, Mrs. Mara, would you mind open the meeting to public for input and comments on agenda items only? I move
002to open the meeting to the public for input and comment on agenda items only. I second. Seconded by Mr. Smith. All in favor? I. Mrs. Bardi, could you close the meeting to the public for input and comments? I motion to close the meeting the public for input and comments. Second. Seconded by Mr. Smith. All in favor? I. The board has had the opportunity to review the items on the agenda for this evening. Uh I believe Mr. Mamora, in addition to the items that are listed, uh there's one item that needs to be added. Uh yes. So, this will be um consent agenda resolution number 53. Um a last minute resolution that uh just came in this afternoon after um a vote for a future contract agreement. So, I'll read it out loud so it's part
003of the minutes of tonight's meeting. It's be it resolved that the board of education approve the agreements with the Emerson Education Association teaching staff, custodial maintenance department, and secretaries from July 1st, 2025 through June 30th, 2028 as recommended by the superintendent. Great. Thank you, Mr. Mamura. If the board members do not have any objection to that, we'll go ahead and add that as item 53 to the agenda. Uh with that, Mr. uh Gwick, would you mind adopting all items on the above consent agenda as well as the additional agenda item number 53? I move to adopt all items on the above consent agenda, including item number 53. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Mara. Roll call, please. Mr. Growler, I. Mrs. Mara, I. Mrs. Ricardi, I. Mr. Smith, I. Mr. Pazdar I thank you. Moving on to
004uh committee of reports. Mrs. Mara, chair for facilities, buildings, and grounds. Sure. Um thank you. We do not have any uh significant updates since our meeting just a mere two weeks ago, but I so I will defer um a further report until after our buildings and grounds meeting, which we are currently processing to schedule um before our next regular business meeting in June. So, I'll have a more thorough report at that meeting. Great. Thank you. For budget and negotiations, as Mr. Memorial just mentioned, we added this last item to the agenda. I wanted to report that we are pleased and proud to announce that we've uh reached an agreement with the uh education association. So on behalf of the board, I'd like to thank the negotiations committee for their professionalism, for their collaboration and willingness
005to to work with us and to come to an agreement that I think was good for both parties and uh I think it's going to set us up for uh the next few years uh very well. So, I'd like to thank them and all of the the teachers and the staff and the custodians. So, very good news there. Um, I did attend the county association leadership meeting. Nothing really uh major pertaining or impacting Emerson specifically. Uh, there was some discussion and information about the workshop uh that we all attend annually for training and other information. And um also uh there was a delegates assembly this past weekend but uh I will provide any information on that as it becomes available for uh specific to Emerson and how it would impact us. So that's all I
006have on budget and negotiations. Uh Mrs. Ricardi, curriculum instruction and student achievement. Yes. Good evening everybody. Um we did not meet today. We we met two weeks ago also. Uh, and I am going to defer my report until our next meeting. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Smith, anything? No, just want to echo your thoughts on the the budget um and working with the teachers uh committee for the for the contract. It was great. It's the first time I did it. Um, it was very collaborative. Um, I think it's it's a good contract. I'm very happy with it. I think the community will be happy with it. And uh so just thank everybody for for all the hard work on it. Great. Thank you. Uh Mr. Gwick. Sure. Um hope everybody's doing well. Uh happy belated Mother's
007Day to the moms and uh the mother figures in Emerson. Um apologies for my absence last week. Was very under the weather. Happy to be back. Uh I enjoyed watching the live stream. Would have rather I was here. Um, super quick, uh, just because, uh, there was a lot of hard work that needed to be covered last month. Um, thank you to Miss Abachella and the special ed team for their, uh, presentation last month. Super psyched to see the district landed that computer science grant and looking forward to see how we can utilize those funds to, uh, continue to expose students to lace in that field. Uh, another big one from last uh, month, uh, huge thanks to Mr. Marura, the budget negotiations team, Dr. ness and all the business office, the school staff who
008all uh had their fingerprints on the budget. Um it's a really uh it's a hard task, but it's also comforting knowing the people involved um you know bring that to fruition. So, thank you very much. Um totally loved uh one of our best uh traditions in town, uh the third grade heritage day. Uh the volano play was amazing. Uh we have so much talent in the performing arts here. Um, and obviously I have to jump on the the the train of, you know, per uh uh uh proclaiming my love for the educators in this district. That happened a lot last month. Um, I was very jealous and watching it all happen and I'm like, I wanted to be there, but um uh really appreciate everything you all do for our students. Um, you are amazing.
009You work tireless hours. uh you work when you're off the clock and um it needs to be acknowledged more. Thank you. Um really appreciate you all. Um and seeing the turnout from the community last month, I know it's just the tip of the iceberg of the amazing things we all think about you. So, thank you so much. Um uh congrats and thank you so much to the volunteers for the annual family STEM night. uh that is another Emerson institution and it's so important to get uh uh young people hooked on all things science, technology, engineering, math. Um and so many uh volunteers in the community take their time to plan to put together and be there that night and it really takes an army of uh dedicated u teachers, parents, community members. So, thank you
010all for doing that. Um huge uh kudos to the budget negotiations team and uh the EA um for reaching an agreement. Um I know how much hard work goes into that and um really thrilled that uh that was something we're able to pass today. Uh big couple weeks coming up for the senior athletes with senior uh senior day events. Congratulations to all of you. And uh finally um uh for all the students who have taken the NJSLA and the students that are taking it now um you know be confident, get that good night's sleep, uh get a belly full of a good breakfast and just go out there and try your best and um you're going to rock it. So appreciate everyone. Um and that concludes my report. Thank you. Great. Thank you, Mr. Gwick.
011Uh Mrs. Mayor, thank you. Um, first want to acknowledge uh our amazing teachers who also double as mothers um and their other full-time job. And I hope that you all enjoyed the day thoroughly yesterday. It was a beautiful day. Um my husband surprised us with actually going to a nature park where the kids got to see turtles and frogs and learn and also learn about not trying to catch them because one of the two was trying to do that very insistently. Um, so it was a really beautiful day and I just I hope that everybody else had a wonderful not rainy day and got to enjoy to spend it together. Um the only thing I wanted to add to here is um at this point because we have just been here about two weeks ago
012um was uh I wanted to send a message perhaps not to the people sitting here but to the ones that are watching from home that um you know the lines of communication with our administration and with our building principles are always open. So, if there are concerns that parents or community members have, please approach our amazing building principles, our administrative team, any any of the the adults that touch your children's lives every single day. Please keep those lines of communication open um rather than just talking through back chains a and um hoping that word gets out um to the board or to the administration or some other back channel. I can't emphasize the approachability of our staff members enough. I can't emphasize the approachability of Dr. Nissanov and his office enough. Um, as and that
013trickles down to every admin team at every single one of our buildings. Um, so I would just really encourage community members to remember that especially going in towards the end of the year planning effectively for your children for the coming year ahead. Um, and so I wanted to make that mention here as well. And then last but not least, just wishing everybody a nice long, happy, hot, warm, extended Memorial Day weekend that's coming up. Um, and I hope that everybody enjoys it. The Folston will be back here every day in June for something. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Mayor. Uh, for board president's report, I kind of jumped the line uh on providing my report on the county leadership uh and meeting and the delegates meeting. So, uh, you already have that status. Uh, again,
014uh, Mother's Day. I hope all of the all of the mothers out there had a great day. Weatherwise, it was beautiful. So, I hope you got to enjoy it. And, um, I hope the fathers or the significant others took the, uh, bickering children for the day and let the mothers rest a little bit. Um, and, uh, just closing the loop. uh not closing but just acknowledging once again uh at the end of this teachers appreciation week. I hope the teachers out there felt appreciated. I hope that they realize that this board genuinely does care and and does recognize the hard work. So hope that was felt and that we we continue to show that to all our teachers. Uh and with that uh that's my report. We'll move on to uh student representative report, Miss
015Tamayo. And then Amanda. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I not call you? I can go after Miss Maya. I don't mind. Uh, curriculum. Yeah, I think you might have skipped over her. I think he thought you folded your report together. My apologies. No, you're okay. Miss Mrs. Ricardi, thank you. I don't have much. So, after all that, uh, but after all that, in the past two weeks, it feels like we've kind of been non-stop. Uh there really has been so much that's been happening inside our schools, outside of our schools. Happy teachers appreciation week. Thank you to all the PTA volunteers that really I mean stepped up and showed just how awesome as you that you are from the the wicked theme. It was they top-notch. Um and it's so very very welld deserved. So thank
016you once again for all that you do. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms that are out there. I hope that you got to enjoy your your days and I'm looking forward to the art shows, the concerts, the talent shows, um, and just everything else coming up. And I hope that NJSLA is just smooth sailing for everybody. Excuse me, Mrs. Gagiano and I have made eye contact because we both know what we're thinking. Um, and that it just it ends all very positively for all as I'm sure that it will. And that concludes my report. Great. Thank you, Mrs. Ricardi. And again, my apologies. I I No, you're okay. I don't know why I skipped over on that. You're excited. And now we'll move on to Miss Tomio. Thank you. Um good evening. So there
017was um obviously there was teachers appreciation week which happened last week and the student council got to plan certain things every day for that week. Um we started off the week with welcoming our teachers and clapping them in down the hallway. We put like a red carpet and then we had students clapping them in, putting music. Um, we also got to do like a little movie snack during our activity period here for the teachers. We put snacks on the side over there. We put like a movie up for them for at least like that little portion of time. And we also did like a little game. We hid apples around the school and the teachers had to find them and whoever like found them got a little prize. And uh there was some student volunteers
018that made some baked goods and they put them in the teachers lounge so they can just grab a snack and to go. So that was for teachers last week. Um we also started AP testing. Um this is we're the second week in so all the students are stressed but they're excited for it to be over. Um some things coming up is the marching band which you can kind of hear them from afar. We are going to do this memorial parade for the first time. So, we're all really excited. So, we're practicing for that. Um, also there's teen arts this upcoming Friday where the jazz band, the chorus, theater, and um, photography, I believe, some arts get to go and it's just a day where teens just express themselves and you get to see other people
019do what you love to do. So, that's exciting. Bergen Community College. Yes, at Bergen Community College. Um, and we also have a spring concert coming up for the high school which is this Thursday. So, we're all really excited. And Wano, which is next week, right? Yes. And that's that's all for my report. Great. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, Dr. Nissan, superintendent's report. Well, I have I had a short report to begin with and most of it has already been said, so I'll I'll be very very quick, but I'll start off with this is Mr. Hutchinson reminded me that this week is one of the last three full weeks before the school year ends. So after this week, there's only two more full weeks of school left before Glad to hear that. Um so yeah,
020we are we are beginning to wind down. Thank you for mentioning about the concerts that are coming up. We also have uh our uh junior high school uh academic awards coming up on the 19th and the dates are all in the publications, but we have the art show coming up, the grades one and two uh music performances, the talent shows. Um so yeah, the final days are coming and thank you to the board for uh the extended Memorial Day weekend. I'm sure everybody appreciates that coming up uh next this week uh next week rather. And just the last item because we talked somebody had mentioned about the computer science grant. Uh what we we got word late on Friday. The state department communicates with us around 4:00 on Fridays often. Um but they don't want
021a response before Monday. That's why. Uh but this is a good thing is that for the award winners of that computer science grant, they're awarding an additional $22,000 to every district. So wow, that something,000 grant now just went to 60 something,000. So beautiful. Uh we we'll be working on that and you'll see motions to approve that uh in June. With that, that's all I have for my report. Great. Thank you, Dr. Nissan. Uh Mr. from Memorial Business Administrators report. Thank you. So brief report also um as we're looking to close out this school year. As you could tell from the agenda, getting ready for next year, the 2526 school year. So the budgets opened up. Uh purchase orders are starting to be made. Contracts are coming in for next year. So we're preparing there. Um
022just wanted to say I'm looking forward to working with the association for the next three years of our contract. So, hope it's as good as the last two years that I've been here. And then finally, just to give a shout out to Miss Alice Operman, who's been a grant writing machine. Um, you'll see there's three grants that Alice has been working on here. So, um, very very um, happy to see that she's bringing some money into the district. So, um, just wanted to give her uh, some special recognition. And that concludes my report. Great. Thank you, Mr. Mamura. With that, that concludes the reporting section. Um, m uh, Mrs. Ricardi, would you mind opening the meeting to the public for input and comments? Sure. I move to open the meeting to public for input and
023comments. I second. Seconded by Mr. Smith. All in favor? I Cindy Dan School. Um, I just wanted to thank the board um, on behalf of all the staff for their generous gift to each of the teachers. We have some great Emerson bling that uh we all can walk around in and personalize with our stickers so we don't mix them up. But thank you very much. It's very much appreciated. Okay, looks like that's it. Uh Mr. Garlic, would you mind closing the meeting to the public for input and comment? Sure. I move to close the meeting to the public for input and comments. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Mara. All in favor? I. And um Mrs. Ricardi, would you mind closing this out? Hold on. To adjourn and discuss an executive session. Okay. Hold on. I had
024my at home printed one out and it didn't the sheet. I move to close the meeting to the public and adjourn. Yes. Yes. Yes. at 7:53 p.m. to discuss an executive session, personnel, legal matters, and shared services agreements with Burrow of Emerson in the conference room of the Board of Education offices. No action will be taken at this time. The board will return to open session upon completion of discussion and may or may not take action at that time. The next meeting of the board of education is scheduled for June 16th, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school media center. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Mara. All in favor? I I thank you very much everyone. Have a good evening. Thank you. You already had a typ heads.