001It's an important business we were taking care of in the back room. It's great to see a huge crowd here tonight. Welcome to the A. Carver Township's Board of Education regular meeting, business meeting for May 2025. I call this meeting to order. Mr. Smith, please. Open public meeting statement. On Thursday, January 9th, I've noticed that this meeting is compressed and the mainland terms was also committed that day. Today, Carver Township clerk and posted on the Hilton Warren Township Hall. Can't hear you, Mr. Smith. Roll call, please. Mr. Byers. Mr. Irwin. Here. Mr. Price. Mr. Price is here. Mr. Price is here. Thank you. Mr. Seppi. Here. Mrs. Sullivan. Mrs. Loggie. Here. Mr. Hyman. Here. Mr. Delmar. Here. May we all rise for the flag salute and we'll have a moment of silence please for Marjo
002Atack, long time board bus driver at our school district and for Mary Doherty who is a special education teacher who both passed away recently. Attention salute. 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. Thank you very much. It's my pleasure to introduce our deputy mayor who's in the attendance this evening, Mr. Ray Ellis. Thank you for being with us, former Board of Education member. And it's also a pleasure for me to introduce Mr. Paul Rosenberg, who's a member of our city committee. Welcome to both of you. Thank you for being with us. At this time, I need a motion to approve minutes. Items 4.1 through 4.4. Motion. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Mr. Price? Mr.
003Price, yes. Mr. Seppi? Yes. Yes. Yes. And Mr. Delbar? Yes. And we have our superintendent's report. good evening everyone do i have sound alan we're good all right and welcome to our may board meeting it's a very very special night this evening and we're excited to get started but before doing so we have some special information to share with you the great things that are going on in our school district and if this is your first time at a board meeting what i do is i present to the public into the board Things that are happening and are going on in the school district under our student learning goals and some special announcements for the public. So we're going to begin with the superintendent's report. I got my clicker and we're ready to go. So
004happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, our board moms and moms in the audience, our teachers. Very special day celebrating our moms and hopefully everyone had a great day. I know I did. I did nothing. That's all I wanted to do. Nothing. For under student achievement, we're in testing season and all that's going on. We had under our Fine and Performing Arts, our art show, and our other musical, Beetlejuice. It was wonderful, very theatrical, right, Mrs. Cunningham? Thank you for all the work that you did involving that. that production. High school and firmware and eSports, they're going to the Garden State Spring State Championship and that is like a nationally recognized championship and it's right here in New Jersey and our kids are going so we're excited about that. Medical Science Academy students
005went to Rutgers and experienced the cadaver lab. That was exciting. Our happy accidentals participated in the TIA Atlantic Coast Jazz Championship and they took home first place. And our boys track team is our Atlantic County champions. And some solo recognitions for some high school athletes. We have 500 saves from our goalie there, Shahayla Johnson-Ramirez. And in baseball, Jay Cagna scored, has an RBI, 81 career RBIs and also runs scores, I believe. And a school record for Casey Velarde in stolen bases and triples and 100 hits. So she's having a heck of a season. So we're very, very proud of our athletes. Take a moment to talk about the Pace Apprenticeship program that we have here at Acorba Township High School. It's a very unique grant. That's been awarded to our school district the last couple
006years not all high schools have this and I really want more kids to participate in this and for Parents to realize how fortunate we are we have our students right now in three areas that are excelling The patient care program, we have 12 students who are receiving three credits from Rowan at Grollister County, and they're working at Cooper University Hospital in Cape May and gaining comprehensive medical terminology, credits, experience. We have nine students certified in the phlebotomy and patient care tech program, and seven are certified in ECG and EKG. That's pretty cool. They're high school students. We have EMTs, five students involved in the Emergency Medical Technician Program. They're riding along with the Galloway EMS team, and two have already earned their certification as EMTs. If you're familiar with that, that's a difficult program. under
007manufacturing we have 16 students earning 10 college credits tools and management blueprint ready circuits fundamental solar construction numerical controller welding and HVAC areas all in that area 16 students are going to come out certified this grant is called the youth to transition to work grant we just received five hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety three dollars for next school year and that's for our junior seniors and some beyond high school students that can participate in high wage employment which they're in labor there are these areas out there in in the labor force that is in demand all right and we want to train our students to be ready for these real-world opportunities and we're doing it right here in a carbon Township high school so we need to be proud of that we need
008to realize that it's it's rare it's not everywhere The program is so good. Dr. Graham runs it each and every year with her staff that we're used as a model for the schools in New Jersey. So we're very, very proud and I really enjoy bragging about it. Each year, the county... has high schools nominate two seniors, a male and a female, for the Old Grad Award and that recognition will be considered soon and the winners will come out. But right now our nominees from Maycarp Township High School, Avery Harding, she will be received, well, going to the University of New Hampshire and Jake Karp who will be attending Penn State at Harrisburg, both basketball athletes. and two to three sport varsity letter winner. So we're very proud of them. We wish them good luck in
009the Olgrad Award. So under climate and culture, last week... The week before, actually, we were on break. We celebrated Administrative Professional Day. Teachers Appreciation Week was last week. Some great things going on as we appreciate our teachers and all that they do each and every day. So lots of effort was put in by the school principals to recognize their teachers. It was Interpreters Day last week, National School Bus Appreciation. You know, all these national days. Sometimes they're state recognition, sometimes they're national recognition, sometimes they're federal recognition. There's all kinds of recognition. We're all about recognition, but sometimes we lose track of what needs to be recognized. So we really appreciate all that everyone does. that works in our school district. So I'll go on. There was School of Nurses Day. We also have the high
010school prom that's slated for June 12th. We had our gifted and talented family robotic night. And coming to us on May 16th in the high school in the D lot will be the replica cattle car that was mobbed in the Holocaust. So there's some education the kids could actually see and touch, feel, and hear about what the cattle car was all about. Again, Teacher Appreciation Week. This is some of the things that... We're offered to the teachers to recognize them. Lots of smiles, that's what we like. Especially this time of the year, great teachers. JROTC will have their military ball. at the Linwood Country Club on May 28th. We had our preschool festival last week. We had a great turnout right there at the Slabell Primary School. Great night, great turnout. And the Wingman Luncheon
011was held right in this room. Last month, we hosted the Atlanta County Superintendent's meeting. It was right in this room. It happened to be a miserable, rainy day like today. And the superintendents had to park in the parking lot, and I was like, oh, great, they're going to come in here. They're going to be miserable. But we have a program here at Alder Avenue. There's one at Fernwood as well. But the Alder Avenue wingmen, which is a group of leaders, student leaders in the school, they came through for me. They welcomed each superintendent to the Alder Avenue Middle School. But better yet, they met them at their car with umbrellas and walked them down the sidewalk and walked them to the school. And the superintendents walked in with smiles on their faces. And those kids
012are great. So, yes, those kids are great. And I had to show them how much I appreciated them. So in this very room. We provided lunch, and thank you Mrs. Cunningham and Mrs. Feld for helping me set that up. And they ate lunch, that was the most important first thing. We took care of them, had their lunch and their ice cream and their pizza, so they're having a good time. But then I had the opportunity, a lot of it was the first time I was ever in this room, to explain what goes on in this room. Not only do we have administrators meeting, the professional development opportunities, but what the Board of Education does. So as they inched away from the tables back there eating, to hear they got to speak at the at the
013podium and then all of a sudden oh what's that so they ended up on the dais and they got to sit and check out the microphones and bang your gavel there mr delbarca and um they thought it was great learning about what the board of education does and how a meeting operates and i took them through everything from a superintendent's report to how we closed the meeting so it was a great day and thank you again so we have some future board members up there i just know it This month is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and we have lots of programs going on in the schools, but also to spread awareness about mental health. And then, you know, we're doing that through our counselors, Effective School Solution, Purpose Prep, Routine Center, Convocation. In our
014middle schools, our STARS program at the high school, and the therapy dogs that we have. Hi. We've been nominated for the USC Mental Health Ice Bucket Challenge. I was nominated by Rebecca Camp. I was nominated by Matthew Balinski. And I was nominated by Mr. Adam Prime. I nominate Jen Germana. I nominate Terry Charlton. And I nominate Mr. Dan Smith. Oh, don't do it. I'm scared. Alright, a little vulnerability there, but we did participate in the challenge as are many of our employees in EHT. folks in the community and the school so it's it's for good purpose and it promotes awareness. Lannan County School Board so some recognition attended the meeting last week and a couple of our board members were recognized as being certified board members and asked for their service on boards of education
015and elected officers for the next two years are president now of the Lannan County School Board Association is Mr. Patrick Ireland. Vice President Barbara Szilagyi and Vice President of Legislation Michael Price. So EHT rules and we're very proud, very proud of you all as well. Community Partnerships, folks that participated in recognition for our teachers and staff as well as partnerships with our students with the apprenticeship program. Reminder, strategic planning for our last meeting. Meeting three will be May 21st at the high school in the cafeteria. And we're getting there. We're getting there. Now it's time to develop goals and objectives around the themes that were established in the last two meetings. So great job. That committee is working hard. orientations as few announcements for the public our pre-k orientations are May 19th and 20th to
016get the word out if you're interested in attending preschool kindergarten be May 28th or elementary schools trans transitioning from third grade into fourth grade June 2nd and 10th our fifth graders moving into sixth grade May 22nd at both middle schools and then our middle school moving to high school freshman orientation is August 25th reminder of our Eagle Fest put it on your calendars and we'll move to our visual superintendents report okay as you can see as you can hear we have great things going on in the school district so many opportunities for kids and what's behind that is passion dedication and service of our teachers that you know they get into it and they the kids get into it and that's why we have some great things going on in here in acarbor township i'm
017very very proud to stand up here and say that i'm proud to be superintendent here just because you see all the smiles and you see the opportunities not all school districts have that not all kids have those opportunities so again thank you all who are involved for all that you do and i get to turn this over to dr charlton because now we get to recognize the the greatest of the great Thank you, Dr. Gruccio. And welcome to one of the best nights of the year, the annual board recognition of the teachers of the year and educational services professionals of the year. This is a group that went through a rigorous evaluation by their colleagues and their coworkers. It was something where they're nominated from a colleague, and then there's a committee of their peers
018that evaluate letters of recommendation and score them on a rubric on their instructional quality. or their ability to make relevant connections to students. So bottom line is this is not a popularity contest. These are truly people at the top of their professions. So we're going to meet them right now in a short video, and then we're going to start bringing them up. And while we are using a brand new program. While Mrs. Moss is doing that, I am going to just lay out how it's going to work. So I am going to bring up the principals from each of the schools where each has two honorees. And the 14 honorees will get a plaque. And that's going to be delivered by Mr. Della Barca, our board president, honoring their recognition from the Board of Education,
019along with a certificate and a letter from the board. Dr. Guccio is going to be presenting a bouquet of flowers. And then principals, I'm going to give you the box to the awards because your staff is going to be very full-handed when they walk away. So we want to make sure that they don't drop anything. And then at the end, once we're through everything, there'll be time. We'll take about five to eight minutes. stop the board meeting and you can take pictures and we'll take group pictures and then honorees you'll be able to take your star with you as you see them up on the wall there. Miss Moss, you ready to go? Awesome, thank you so much. Egg Harbor Township School District wishes to congratulate our Teachers and Educational Service Professionals of the Year.
020Bargain Town Preschool. Teacher of the Year, Bernadette Cottrell. Educational Service Professional of the Year, Jody Beck. Swift Slay Ball Complex Teacher of the Year Holly Lesser Educational Service Professional of the Year Casey Ionella Davenport Complex Teacher of the Year Melissa Lucas Educational Service Professional of the Year Melissa Clark Miller Elementary School Teacher of the Year Kimberly Biggins Educational Service Professional of the Year. Jennifer Mount. Alder Avenue Middle School. Teacher of the Year. James Ferriola. Educational Service Professional of the Year. Kimberly Savina. Fernwood Avenue Middle School. Teacher of the Year. Louis Mosetti. Educational Service Professional of the Year. Lachelle Mento. Egg Harbor Township High School. Teacher of the Year Krista Delaney Educational Service Professional of the Year Wendy Gross-Dunn Congratulations to all our recipients. Yes, congratulations, and we're going to get right to it, but real
021quick I just want to recognize two people without tonight would be would not be possible. All the decorations you see including the photo op display when you walk in and everything in here is our Human Resources Coordinator Victoria Bordenaro did all that. All the awards you see organized up here were done by Dr. Gruccio's assistant, Ms. Sandy Ferriola. Sandy's right over there. Thank you. Without further ado, we're going to go right in the order of the video. So the principal of preschool, Mr. Joe Marinelli. Good evening, everyone, and congratulations to all the teachers of the year and the educational service. Sorry. It does. It's terrible. It happens. Ms. Bernadette Cottrell, will you please come up and join me? Egg Harbor Township School District. It is with great pride and admiration that we selected Bernadette Cottrell
022as our Egg Harbor Township Preschool Teacher of the Year. Selected by her peers for her exceptional dedication, innovation, teaching practices, and unwavering commitment to her students, Bernadette truly embodies the heart, the soul of the early childhood education program. Her recognition is not only well deserved, but is also a reflection of the tremendous impact she has already made on her preschool community with her passion, professionalism, and her tireless devotion to her young learners in the classroom. Since joining the Barkintown Preschool in 2022, Miss Bernadette, sorry, Bernadette. has been an outstanding figure in both her classroom and the broader school community. Her creativity shines through every lesson, transforming everyday activities into meaningful hands-on learning experiences that spark the curiosity of our young learners. Whether she's leading sensory-rich family night events or using smart boards to enhance her
023already wonderful technology in the classroom, Ms. Bernadette consistently goes above and beyond. Her ability to make every moment in the classroom both fun, educational, is nothing short of inspiring. We are fortunate to have such an exceptional educator on our team and I am truly honored to celebrate your achievements. Congratulations, Ms. Bernadette. Ms. Jody Beck, would you please join me? Congratulations Jody. Jody it is with great pride that we recognize you today tonight for the Ed Carpintano Preschool Educational Service Professional of the Year. Jody is a shining example of what it means to be an educational support professional. Her positive attitude every day. Her tireless dedication to her students' success and the steadfast support of all of your colleagues and the support of the students in the classrooms makes her an indispensable part of our community.
024Her leadership, her professionalism, her unwavering commitment to both students and families truly embodies the spirit of our mission. Beyond her daily responsibilities, Jody is also deeply involved in fostering a sense of connection and community throughout the district. She participates in a wide range of school and community events from programs to literacy nights to family workshops and also bringing enthusiasm and care to everything she does. Her contributions extend far beyond just the classroom, and she plays a vital role in making our preschool a welcoming and enriching place for everybody. It is an honor to celebrate you tonight for a well-deserved recognition as an educational service provider. Congratulations, Shirley. The principal of Swift's Sleigh Ball Complex, Ms. Rachel Kassampang. Good evening, everyone. Congratulations to all the winners. I am so happy to introduce our Teacher of the
025Year, third grade teacher, Ms. Holly Lesser. So one of the most important things I can say about Holly is that she truly embodies EHT pride. Holly graduated from EHT high school. She lives in EHT with her family. And I remember when she interviewed for this position, she was passionate in expressing her desire to come back and serve the district that she loves so much. And we're so glad she did. Holly lives by our district learning goals, making it easy to find examples for each one. For student achievement, Holly uses data notebooks to help students track their own academic growth, encouraging them to take ownership for their learning. Using SOAR to create a safe learning environment for all, Holly is a certified mindful educator, bringing these valuable skills into her classroom to help students with self-regulation.
026Holly also utilizes stakeholder relationships to provide real-life experiences for her students. Each year, Holly brings her class over to the central office to meet with our central office administration to review job applications that they create and then go through a mock interview process. Holly is constantly thinking outside of the box to ensure that learning is engaging and meaningful for her students. When asked about Mrs. Lessard, her students said she is smart, beautiful, kind, funny, Beautiful again. They really love you. Nice, cool, awesome. She sings Taylor Swift, has dance parties, and she deserves it. I certainly agree with the last statement. Congratulations, Holly. It is my honor to introduce our SP, Mrs. Casey Ionello, kindergarten and first grade school counselor at the Swift's Layball Complex. I think the world of Casey and the work she does
027in her position. If I could say one thing that best describes Casey, it's that she is always with students. I never see her without a student. She is working with children all day long from arrival until dismissal, often even eating her own lunch with them. She is passionate, hardworking, and so genuinely kind. Casey's colleagues say she has the respect and admiration of students, parents, administrators, and colleagues. She is one of Swift's Leobald's most valued resources because she works tirelessly to make our school a safe and happy place. place for students and colleagues alike. No matter what is required, she steps up to help anyone who needs it with a smile on her face, that is true, and always with kindness. Casey never complains or has an unkind word to say. She is a role model
028for us all to be kind, selfless, and to care for each student as if they were her own child. So this is good when you talk to kindergartner and first graders about somebody. So when speaking about Casey's strengths, I would be remiss to not get feedback from the students she spends so much time with. They say she is good at teaching me how to be a good kid. That's good. This one in particular really shows Casey's diverse skill set. She helped me to not hiss at the other kids in the hallway. She put a stop to that. Her favorite thing to do is to be with us kids. She always tells me it's going to be okay. And she is really good at being a school counselor. That is correct. You really are, Casey. Thank
029you so much for all you do and congratulations. The principal of Davenport Complex, Mrs. Letia White. Good evening, everyone, and congratulations to all the winners. It is my honor to first introduce our Teacher of the Year, Melissa Lucas. So, Melissa is our kindergarten teacher. If you're looking for someone with the brightest smile, go to Melissa. She smiles. She's so friendly. She is kind, caring, and compassionate. You would never know if she's having a bad day because she's always smiling. She started at Davenport as a student teacher and has grown into an impactful teacher leader. She's our model go-to teacher for Davenport staff and for future teachers. She's been a cooperating teacher for many others, so that speaks volumes. Her students are always actively engaged in instructions with a busy learning environment, and she sets the
030standards for students to believe that they can achieve. One colleague shared that Melissa not only has the innate ability to teach, but she's also a remarkable gift at forming deep connections and relationships with her students and their families. She always stays in contact with parents. There's never a time where they don't know what's going on. Her classroom is a place where students are seen, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. Melissa has been a part of EHT, even though it says 18 there. for over 20 years because she stayed where she learned how to teach. Serving in roles of a student teacher, a substitute, and a classroom teacher. Melissa, thank you so much for your consistency. Thank you for being kind and gentle to the students, being a leader to teachers that want to,
031student teachers that want to become leaders. And congratulations. And I'd like to introduce you to our SP of the year. It's the M&Ms, the Melissa's this year. Melissa Clark. Melissa is our speech therapist. Melissa is known throughout the complex for her creativity, her warmth, and her commitment to student development. She created the Valentine's Day candy shop, which we all look forward to, to buy our snacks, which not only gives the staff an opportunity to purchase sweet treats, but it's more importantly for students, giving them an opportunity to have real-life, real-world experience with communicating with our staff. Again, she has speech students that are learning to speak. math and manners in a full meaningful way fun meaningful way the proceeds are also donated to our Renaissance team which is her giving it back to our building
032every morning she is one of the first miles our students and families see greeting them warmly as they come into the building because she's a part of our receiving team for duty Melissa is very soft-spoken, I say that to her often, but her presence is powerful and inspiring. She leaves a lasting impression on students, staff, and families alike. A colleague shared that Melissa's compassion stems from growing up with an uncle who had special needs, which instilled in her a deep sense of patience and understanding for others. She extends the same empathy to the students that she encounters. Melissa, thank you for being a shining example at Davenport. You're always with the students, whether in the classroom, in the hallway, sitting down, doing speech next to the class. I really appreciate you, and congratulations. The principal
033of Dr. Miller Elementary School, Mr. Jim Battersby. Thank you. Congratulations to all the recipients tonight. I also want to say thank you to Dr. Charlton, Dr. Gruscio, and your staff and the Board of Education for recognizing our great teachers and ESPYs this evening. I'd like to introduce our Miller School Teacher of the Year, Ms. Kim Biggins. I think it's really important that obviously you were I want to share with our teachers and her peers who Nominated you for this position some of the things they had to say about you Aussie Kim is one of our RTI teachers at the Miller School and some of the things that they say she personalizes learning to the individual student to ensure they meet their academic success She's innovative She has introduced book talks and created monthly reading challenges
034to inspire a love of reading. She is a natural leader who actively contributes to school events and shares her expertise with colleagues. She leads family literacy workshops and participates in a mentoring program to support both parents and new teachers. Her genuine care for students is evident through her involvement in their extracurricular activities. And she is admired by students, parents, and colleagues. Her empathy and commitment make her highly deserving of this Education of the Year Award. From my perspective, I've known Kim in two different aspects. One, as a parent. She's had my two youngest kids, and that was before I became Miller's principal. My kids raved about her and from the my experience of talking with her during that time I was very impressed but I didn't realize how great she really was to what until
035I became the principal of Miller and She is outstanding and what I would consider a model teacher one one thing about Kim Additionally, when we presented her with the Teacher of the Year award, we invited her husband Tom, my assistants were there, and she was excited, shocked, which I couldn't imagine why you were shocked because this is so deserving of you. After we celebrated her, took some pictures, gave her flowers, after a few minutes she was like, alright, are we done? Because she wanted to get back to her kids so badly. And that just... exemplifies how great of a teacher she really is. So Kim, this is well deserved. Congratulations. This time I'd like to introduce Jen Mount, our Educational Specialist of the Year. Again, this is some of the things that your peers have
036said about you. in your nomination. Jen is one of our paraprofessionals at Miller School. Jen is the example of a compassionate, kind, creative, and dedicated educator. She builds strong relationships with students, celebrating their strengths, and providing support. Jen creates learning tools for each individual and offers guidance to help students succeed academically and emotionally. Her commitment extends beyond assigned duties. She consistently supports other students and staff whenever needed. She quickly adapts to transitions and challenges, always prioritizing student well-being in a positive classroom environment. She builds strong personal connections with students, creating a welcoming and nurturing environment. Jen, this reward is well-deserved. Thank you for all you do. The principal of Alder Middle School, Ms. Tatiana Cunningham. everyone and congratulations to the well-deserved recipients. We do have a pool of talent here above none. I would like
037to introduce Alders Teacher of the Year, Mr. Jim Ferriola. For the past 21 years, Jim brings science to life through hands-on research projects and real-world experiences. He equips his students with critical research and information literacy skills that prepare them for success beyond middle school. Not only is Jim an amazing science teacher. He is our favorite meteorologist. So thank you Jim for the extra snow days. You can blame Jim. He's also this year he is doing lunch duty and him and one of our other teachers have decided to make it trivia lunches and they love it and they get a store ticket. So when they see Mr. Ferriola coming they know that it is a trivia day. He is the voice of Alder and the catalyst of school spirit as the master of ceremonies at pep
038rallies and events. His ability to connect with students, parents, and staff fosters a welcoming supportive environment where everyone feels valued. Thank you. Jim's commitment to education, innovation, and community involvement make him a truly outstanding educator and a deserving recipient of this year's Alders Teacher of the Year. Thank you so much, Mr. Ferrioli. At this time, I would like to call our Educational Service Professional of the Year, Ms. Kimberly Savino. Kim has been in education, although it says five years, for 19 years and has been with the district for five. Kim was the heart of our child study team. A leader, mentor, and problem solver whose dedication to our students is unmatched. She constantly goes above and beyond not only managing the complexities of a middle school schedule, but also taking the time to visit and
039sit with colleagues, brainstorm solutions, and ensure that every student's needs are met with care and creativity. Kim is deeply involved in student activities like student council where she motivates and empowers students Teaching them valuable skills and helping them find their voice her commitment to both students and staff maker indispensable part of our Alder family and staff. She was so good that she moved up to a supervisor of special education. So it is truly a loss but a gain for now all the students in the district. So thank you Kim for your dedication, leadership and outstanding contributions to our school community. It is my honor to present Kimberly Savino as our Educational Support Professional of the Year for Alder. The principal of Fernwood Middle School Mr. Frank Lockentorff. I'd like to introduce our teacher of the
040year, Mr. Louis Mozetti. So first, thank you to the Board of Ed, to Central Administration for hosting this evening, to honor all the wonderful educators from across the district, Mrs. Bordinaro, Mrs. Ferriola, everything looks fantastic. It's an honor to recognize Firmwood Avenue Middle School's Teacher of the Year, Mr. Louis Mozetti. To prepare for tonight, I reached out to Mr. Mozetti's colleagues for them to share some kind words about Louis. And right out of the gate, as one colleague so perfectly said it, Lewis is an absolute legend. It's true. His support, guidance, and love of both reading and sports have helped shape the path of so many students. He's personable, kind, and knowledgeable, everything a teacher should be. His wife, Ashley, shared that Lewis is just as committed outside the classroom as he is inside. He
041coaches cross-country and track, volunteers at school events, and truly bleeds black and silver. A proud EHT graduate now teaching in the very district he grew up in, Lewis' love for this community is clear in everything he does. One teacher that has worked closely with Lewis since 2016 describes him as a generous teammate, always ready to share ideas and help students and colleagues navigate a challenging curriculum. He goes above and beyond as both a teacher and a coach. Many others echo that same spirit, saying Lewis is always willing to offer support and that it's clear he loves his job and subject. And then finally, for me personally, it's been great working with Louis. He has my respect and admiration, and he's a great team leader. Okay, that last one is Lucy. That's not me. Thank you
042for all you do. That's right. And congratulations. All right, our Educational Services Professional of the Year, Mrs. Lachelle Mento. Mrs. Mento is a go-to person at Fernwood and someone I've worked with closely in many situations. From her classroom lessons to creative problem solving, Lachelle is a vital person in supporting our students. Some comments from her colleagues is Lachelle is a true light at Fernwood. Her kindness, generosity, and deep care for both students and colleagues never go unnoticed. She's a true star and yes, a very stylish one too. Cheers. She's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. She's always there to support our students and staff and her warmth and compassion create a welcoming presence wherever she goes. Another teacher noted that Lachelle goes out of her way to help students in need, always approachable,
043always smiling, and always lifting others up with her positive spirit. Mrs. Mento is one of the kindest and most caring people you'll meet, always helping students and ensuring they get the care they need. Lachelle, your heart, your energy, and your unwavering dedication make Fernwood a better place every single day. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, and thank you for all that you do. And last but not least, the principal of the high school, Mrs. Jacqueline Krugno. Thank you, Dr. Charlton. So I'd like to thank Dr. Gruccio, the central administrative staff, Board of Education for making tonight possible. Sandy and Tori did an amazing job decorating in here. But I'd also like to thank all the staff members that are here tonight supporting your fellow colleagues. That's wonderful. And I'm super proud that I was the teacher
044of two of our recipients for tonight. I had LP and I had Holly when they were in classes here at EHT. So it makes me feel really old. But also super proud of our students and how they come back here to EHT because that's where they're proud to be from. So first, we'd like to honor Ms. Krista Delaney. Come on up. Honor of knowing Ms. Delaney for the past 19 years when she came in as Mrs. Fitz. She has a smile on her face, and that's something that is constantly there. She's on the other side of the table from me at a union meeting. Mrs. Delaney always makes her students feel comfortable and the staff and that smile that she has is infectious and her students certainly appreciate it. Krista is a leader in environmental
045education. She has developed curriculum at the state level and has taught everything from core science to AP, environmental science. She has actually gone national with her recognition by NPR's Sunday edition that actually got retweeted by Bill Gates. So, you know, that was a great recognition for her. She's had received numerous accolades, including the 2017 Governor's Award for Environmental Education Excellence, an honorable mention in the 2021 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Education. In addition, she coaches the Environmental Science League. leads the green team and advises the Environmental Action Club. She even got us a visit from the First Lady, Tammy Murphy, a few years ago, who praised her education in climate, or placed her leadership in climate education. She inspires her students from all different backgrounds, demonstrates exceptional leadership and innovation, and has earned the admiration
046and respect of all the students and staff. her tireless dedication and achievements are a testament to her commitment to education and her students it is an honor tonight to recognize miss Krista Delaney thank you all right next up we would like to recognize our espy miss Wendy Gross-Den Wendy has been with the Ag Harbor Township School District for almost 20 years in over four different schools and has followed the same student around for approximately 15 of those years. Wendy can always be found in our second apartment, instrumental in the setup of our Eagle Transition Academy for our super seniors. She does all the baking with the students, so if you are ever around in our high school, just follow your nose and you're gonna come to some of the most delicious morning treats that you
047can ever, ever find. The delicious treats that the students bake are then sold in the coffee cart, which has also been successful and highly sought after part in the mornings of our students. Wendy is a dedicated year-round professional. She has worked in our summer SB program for over 10 years and also in the after-school aspire program at Miller. She is definitely one of our go-to paraprofessionals. Wendy's involvement in the community goes above and beyond however. She has been to every graduation for about past 15 years and if she's not working graduation she is assisting one of our students who are who are there and is ultimately graduating she goes to almost every unified event so she can cheer on every one of her students and she spends many of her weekends at the field of
048dreams or watching and helping our students play baseball it is this commitment inside and outside of school to our students that make Wendy such an amazing staff member and well deserved of this award thank you one last message to our awardees tonight This is your Oscar, your Emmy, your Tony, your MVP award. You are the best in your field. And on behalf of the board, we hope you remember this night for the rest of your career and into retirement. Congratulations. Let's give him a big round of applause. Mr. Della Barca, with your approval, if I may pause the meeting for about five to eight minutes for pictures. Only after I say my personal congratulations on behalf of all the Board of Education members. Congratulations to all of the recipients. Thank you all for doing such
049an outstanding job for students of EHT. I know I'm very proud of you and I'm sure all of our board members are so very much proud of you. It was thrilling for me to hear each of the principals talk about each person. So I learned so much about each of you and we are so very proud of every one of you. And congratulations. Yes, you may do that. Thank you, sir. So Mr. Vargas, who always does such a great job streaming our meetings, he is going to take an official picture for the district website of both groups of honorees. So I would ask if the teachers of the year with your plaques please come up here. If you want to take pictures and kind of sandwich Alan while he's taking the picture, that's fine. Step
050up and get your picture. Here we go. Thank you. Now before they start, I have to say something though. Osa, congratulations on your going to Harvard University. Marcus, congratulations on going to Yale University. I'm proud of both of you. Thank you so much for the congratulations. And to start our report for today, we have the pep rally that happened at Swift's Sleigh Ball Complex. So to kick off the start of the NJSLA testing, on May 5th, the Renaissance organized a fun-filled pep rally for the kids. In spirit of friendly competition, the kids participated in various activities like speed eating donuts off sticks, toilet papering their teachers, and more. And they also got to enjoy this event with Mighty the Eagle who also visited. And then moving on to Davenport. So Davenport recently had their gifted
051and talented family robotics night. So essentially the gifted and talented students they worked along with students from the Swift and Slay Ball complex to host this robotics night. It's filled with a bunch of activities to kind of promote technology and robotics especially for families and their parents to learn how it works and how they can use it. And the night even concluded with a pizza party to celebrate the successful event. Moving on to Miller, the fourth grade students of the Gifted and Talented program just wrapped up learning about cells, microscopes, and microscopic organisms. They learned about differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. They explored plant and animal cell structures and also studied nine tiny organisms that they would later view under microscopes. So to view the microscopes, they used digital microscopes, which were connected to
052tablets, and they used different samples of pond water that had been enclosed that sustained microscopic life. They identified and discussed what they saw based on traits like shapes, colors, movements, and later the students actually taught their classmates and their teachers about the findings of their explorations. This was a great way for the students to really get immersed with science, discovery, and hands-on learning. And then furthermore at Miller, Ms. Riccardi took the initiative to make a clothing closet at Miller. Essentially, this closet operates similar to a thrift store, but for free. So essentially, she collects clothing and she encourages other teachers and students to donate clothing as well into this area and she organizes it. So if any students are in need of clothing or they have a spill or accident in school, We go here
053and there's free clothes there that they can get and just make a new outfit and Miss Hill even started one on the fourth grade side of the building. So this is just a great initiative to serve those at Miller. It brings kind of teachers and students together at the same time as you know protecting the environment instead of having students just throw away their clothes. It's multi-purpose and reused again and again. Okay, moving on to Alder. The Alder Drama Club put on a show this past weekend. From Friday the 9th of May to Sunday the 11th of May, the cast had the chance to finally bring their singing, dancing, and acting talents to the stage as they performed Beetlejuice Jr. Their costumes and their makeup were also phenomenal. These performances are always such a special
054experience that bring lasting memories to the students who get to watch their peers, the parents who get to watch their children, teachers who get to watch their students, guests, and of course the performers and crew themselves. And then on to our other middle school, Fernwood. So for the past few months, students at Fernwood who take French have been working on a brook... book presentation. So students were able to organize themselves into groups. They selected an elementary level French book and they were supposed to create a presentation and project that go along with this book. And the high schoolers, there was like a select few of high schoolers who actually went to the middle school to help them with their project for the past few months with their projects and kind of tutor them throughout the
055way. And recently the Fernwood students did actually present their projects to the elementary schools and engage them in French and just teach them basic skills and basic words and greetings and such and colors and all the fun things. So it's just a great initiative to show, to start that interest within French and to continue throughout the years. And then finally the high school. So May has been a really good month at the high school, especially for our athletes. Suhaila Johnson-Ramirez reached her 500th career goal, career save as a goalie for the girls' lacrosse team. Casey Velarde reached her 100th career hit and now holds the girls' softball records for both stolen bases, 75 bases, and triples, which were 10. Jay Cagna also set a new boys baseball record for career runs scored, which is 83,
056which broke a record that stood since 1999. And then also the boys track team won their 10th straight county championship. Additionally, on May 6th, the high school's medical science academy seniors visited Rutgers University, their cadaver lab. The students had the opportunity to observe and interact with real human cadavers. They explored advanced medical topics such as joint replacements, organ systems, and cardiac procedures. This experience applied what they've learned over the past four years being a part of the Medical Science Academy into real action. And then furthermore at the high school, we're extremely grateful to have such a strong and engaged performing arts academy at our schools. So recently the EHC High School Jazz Band, the Happy Accidentals, they came in first place at the TIA Atlantic Coast Jazz Championships in Wildwood. This was an amazing end
057to their season, especially for Marco Barriela, Jacob Wood, and Chris Tilarosa as they received honors for their individual performances throughout the competition. and shockingly this was Chris's fifth Solis award this season so congrats to them it's a phenomenal achievement and the jazz band also had a clinic with the Marine Corps Jazz Band which included performance by them and signing with the Marine Corps flag so that was I just thought that was very cool of them and then currently at the high school we're in the midst of AP season so so far exams such as AP calculus AP music theory AP African American studies AP Biology and so many more have taken place. Fortunately in our school district we have a variety of AP classes for students to kind of get that first taste of what
058college courses are like. So we've just been in the midst of that and they're finished up this week. So to kind of give our seniors that little boost, recently Dunkin' Donuts, they had a truck came and students had a refresher. So it's just a fun little thing to have for us just to get us through AP season and the end of senior year. So that's all we have for this month. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you both. Another great job for both of you. Thank you. At this time, we have public comment for agenda items only. I'm not going to read the full statement if no one's going to be there. Do we have anyone for public comment? All right, moving on to the committee reports, finance and operations. First, Mr. Smith, are there
059any further updates? There's just one question on budget transfers and one question on purchase orders. The information was sent out earlier today. And Mr. Price, please, Chairman of the Committee. Thank you, Mr. President. Finance and operations started at 6 p.m. on 5-6-25. Mr. Byers, Mr. De La Barca, Mr. Price, and Ms. Szilagyi were in attendance. Mr. Smith was the Administrator. Transportation Department, Mr. Smith gave an update on the search process for the Transportation Director position. The upcoming purchase of a wheelchair bus and the district's exploration of electric school buses. Food Service Department, the department is preparing for end of year's events, trips, meetings, and the closeout of the financials. The committee discussed the current community eligibility provision, the CEP, administered by the USDA. The Facilities Department is working on a preliminary referendum project list, and
060Mr. Smith reviewed a possible project to relocate the Eagle Academy program that may be included in the referendum. Business Office, the Business Office wrapped up all of its 25-26 budget paperwork and has been working on several bids that will be added to the June board agenda. Mr. Smith reviewed several items on the agenda for approval, including the monthly reports, various tuition and home instruction contracts, professional service contracts, the engagement letter for the June 30, 2025 audit, awarding of bids, and a project change order. grant awards. The committee recommends moving forward with the action items discussed. The next time in place of course would be Tuesday June 10th at 6 o'clock p.m. at the board office. Mr. Smith, I don't know if you had anything to add, but this concludes my report, Mr. President. Thank you.
061Thank you, Mr. Price. Any questions from the board members? Quick question, Mr. President. Go ahead. Mr. Sepe. Regarding number three for Eagle Academy, just a quick, what are our options for that building there? That's Barkin Town School, right? Yeah. So we really don't have any options to maintain that building, so we're looking at different options to relocate either another existing district building or off-site or something like that. So we're just looking at what all of our options are. So we would maintain that building? I'm not sure. Once the program exits the building, we would have to decide as a board what to do with the building. Beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. We need a motion to approve finance item 8.2. So made. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes to everything,
062but I need to abstain from 8.20. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Sepe? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. And Mr. Delbar? Yes. in a motion to approve finance items 8.3 through 8.22. Mr. Price, I'll make that motion. And a second. Second. Hyman. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes to everything except for 8.20. I need to abstain from that. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Seppi? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. And Mr. Delbarca? Yes. Ms. Moss, for any updates for curriculum committee and since Mrs. Tamika Floyd's not here, you're gonna do the report? Ms. Moss, thank you. I am, and I do not have any updates. So the curriculum committee met on May the 6th at 7 p.m. The meeting was for 52 minutes. In attendance was Mrs. Gilbert Floyd, Mrs.
063Salagi, and Mr. Delbarca. I was the administrator present. We discussed field trips and professional development. We were updated more about the proposed town time for the high school and reviewed the requested data. The committee will continue to be updated on that data and the tracking throughout the 25 and 26 school year. The committee was notified that Books a Million will once again donate books to the district this summer. We will have those titles of books for the board to review once we get that. We also had updates on the committee work that's been happening throughout the district, specifically around our Behavior Focus Committee. I also did share with the committee about the replica cattle car that will be at the high school on May 16th. We're really grateful that... uh stockton holocaust center and the
064jewish federation uh selected our district to do that and then i did leave that off the report but i we also did discuss the the proposals for some ideas around the relocation for eagle academy as well some possible items for the next meeting will be summer curriculum work and we will meet june 10th at central office at 7 p.m thank you miss moss any questions All right, moving on. We need a motion for curriculum items 9.2 through 9.3. So made. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Sempe? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. Mr. Delabarre? Yes. Moving on to policy. Mr. West, any further updates? I do not, Mr. Delbarca. All right. Mr. Ireland, as chairperson of the committee. Good evening. I will read out
065the policy committee report. So Tuesday, May 6th, we met at 5 p.m. The length of the meeting was 45 minutes. Board members that attended were myself, Ms. Hyman, Mr. Sepe, Mr. Delbarca. Administrators that attended were Mr. West, and others was Ms. Casey Gifford. So as subjects that were discussed were policy and regulation 2423, bilingual education, replacement final reading. Policy and regulation 2431.4, prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and head injuries, replacement final reading. Policy 4250, hours and days of work. Policy 4411, bus drivers and bus aides. Policy 5350, student suicide prevention. Policy 1120, management team. Policy 7441, electronic surveillance in school buildings, on school buses, and on school grounds. Conclusions that were reached. Policy 4250, hours and days of work, was reviewed and discussed by the committee. The policy committee agreed to revise the following
066language. Employee categories, funds for educational credits, and salary provisions. Policy 4250 is up for one reading and waiting board approval. Policy 4411, bus drivers and bus aides, was reviewed and discussed by the committee. The committee agreed to revise the following language. Salary provisions. extra runs and incentive reimbursements. Policy 4411 is up for one reading and waiting board approval. Policy 5350, student suicide prevention, was reviewed and discussed by the committee. Policy 5350 is a mandated revision from Strauss-Essme and incorporated language addressing training requirements, duty to report, and response protocols. Policy 5350 is up for one reading and waiting board approval. Policy 1120, Management Team, was reviewed and discussed by the committee. The committee agreed to abolish Policy 1120. Policy 1120 is up for one reading and waiting board approval. Policy 7441, Electronic Surveillance in School Buildings
067on School Buses and on School Grounds, was reviewed and discussed by the committee. At this time, the committee agreed not to make any changes to the policy. Our next meeting is set for Tuesday, June 10th. at 5 p.m. Mr. West, did I mess anything up? No, great job. Thank you, Mr. Ireland. Thank you, Mr. President. We are done. That is the policy committee. Thank you, Mr. Ireland. It's been a busy committee meeting. At this time, I need a motion for policy items 10.2 to 10.9. So made. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Sepe? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. And Mr. Delbarco? Yes. For personnel, Dr. Charleston, any updates? I do not, Mr. Delbarco. All right. We need a motion for personnel items 11.2 through
06811.8. So made. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Sepe? Yes. Mrs. Sloggy? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. And Mr. Delabarre? Yes. Dr. Gruccio? Okay, I'd like to announce to the public for the very first time our newest employee, Mr. Leonard Falcone, armed guard for the school district. Welcome. Congratulations, sir. Welcome to Acarver Township. At this time, under new business, we have a couple of new items to add to the items that were listed originally. We add 12.3, New Jersey Department of Education grant submission for universal screening, and 12.4, motion on a resolution for 21st century grant. And Mrs. Elko, I think, will read the resolution. Yes. At this time, we need a motion, please. Oh, motion. For 12.1 through 12.4. a second and a first. We
069had any discussion? Now would you like to read the resolution? Absolutely. Okay. The resolution says, whereas the board is a recipient of federal funding for our Aspire program via the 21st Century Learning Community Learning Centers grant, programs such as Aspire help our students learn, thrive, and engage in meaningful educational activities in a safe and healthy environment after school hours and through summer learning programs. Whereas the Board understands the federal 2026 budget proposal combines reducing and possibly eliminating the 21st Century Learning Grant funding for schools like Egg Harbor Township. Whereas the board seeks the support of our elected officials, the New Jersey School Board Association, the New Jersey Department of Education, and the Federal Department of Education to fully fund the 21st Century Learning Grant Program and implores them to advocate for the full funding of
070the 21st Century Learning Grant Program in the 2026 federal budget. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Egg Harbor Township Board of Education supports our 21st Century Learning Grant Program, which directly benefits our students. and employers are elected officials the new jersey school board association the new jersey department of education and the federal department of education to advocate for all school districts including the egg harbor township school district that received the 21st century learning grant to fully fund the grant in the 2026 federal budget And be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be forwarded to the respective legislatures, New Jersey School Boards Association, New Jersey Department of Education, and the Federal Department of Education. Thank you very much. We have a motion. May we have a roll call, please? Mr. Byers?
071I believe this program is important. I say yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes. Mr. Price? There it is. Mr. Price, yes. Mr. Seppi? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. And Mr. Delbarco? Yes. We need a motion for all business items 13.1 through 13.2. Motion. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Byers? Yes. Mr. Ireland? Yes. Mr. Price? Yes. Mr. Seppi? Yes. Mrs. Slogge? Yes. Ms. Hyman? Yes. Mr. Delbarco? Yes. communications. We had a new board calendar. Anything, any other further comments? I just want to reinforce that Dr. Gruccio mentioned earlier that the Atlanta County School Board Association recently had elections and Ag Carpet Township took on the county with Mr. Ireland winning as our new county president, Mrs. Salagi as our new vice president, and Mr. Price as vice president for communications. legislation and just to
072add a comment there this is not the first time Mr. Castellano was county president just a few years ago I had the honor of serving for five years as county president so Egg Harbor Township is really doing a super job with the Atlantic County School Boards and I'm very proud of all of those people who recently won election and for you I know you're going to do a great job guys very proud of you any other comments tonight may have a motion for adjournment So made. Second. Second. All approve? Aye. Anyone against? We are adjourned. And thank you, everyone.