001Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this Thursday, June 12th, 2025 special meeting of the Clifton Board of Education. It's our quarterly awards meeting. So, welcome. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence. 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. Thank you. Mr. Shahada. Roll call, please. Miss Bassford, here. Mr. Bruniac here. Mr. Kenova, here. Dr. Danny, here. Mr. Mahia, here. Mr. Ciano, here. Miss Suarez here. Vice President Santiago here. President Paris here. We have a quorum. Thank you, Mr. Shahada. The mission of the Clifton School District in an open and reciprocal community partnership is to provide all students with a quality education to develop the
002skills necessary to become literate lifelong learners who are responsible and productive citizens contributing to a democratic society in an everchanging world. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Law was enacted to ensure the right to the public to have an advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interests is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the provisions of this act, the Clifton Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be publicized by having the date, time, and place thereof posted at the city clerk's office, Clifton Public Library, Administration Building, Senior Citizen Nutrition Center, on cable TV in the local press, on the district's website, and mailed to presidents of parent teacher organizations. This meeting will be tape recorded in accordance with policy 0168. Well,
003I'd like to welcome you all today and to open our awards ceremony is the award-winning Clifton High School Mustang Wind Ensemble directed by Mr. Brian Stneski. [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat [Music] up here. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat up [Applause] [Music] here. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat up here. [Applause] Thank you, Mr. Steki. And thank you so much, women, for sharing this. You can see why they took gold in the North Jersey competition this year. So, we would like to call up uh the members of the the ensemble. Uh the
004Clifton Board of Education accepts the recommendation of the superintendent of schools to recognize the following wind ensemble students and commends them for being chosen as one of the top four scoring ensembles from the region and being selected to perform at the state gala concert with the top four bands from Central and South Jersey. So, I'm going to call your name if you could please come down and Dr. Robert Tozy will uh hand you your certificate. Sebastian Abara, [Applause] Jonathan Avancia, [Applause] Sophia Chopor, Borski, Andrew Davidson, [Applause] Haley Daro, Nicholas Esperencil, Caesar Estrada, Dylan Fleming, Caitlyn Garis, Diego Jervesio, Nicholas Gardia, Lorna Harvey, Chelsea Hong. Chelsea is also the class saludiatoran. Valerie Gimenez, Kaden Kennedy, Ellen Co, Jordan Kullesa, Gabriella Labachi, Daniel Larwa, Yasmine Mills, Michelle Marino, Dorene Neptune, Branel Nery, Nicholas Norz, Jordan or Sophia
005Pacheo, [Applause] Perez, Aiden Riley, George Rivas, Tristan Rivera, Grace Romano, Christopher Sanchez, Alexis Schleer, Jose Torres, Maria Luza Vas, Alysia Vazquez, Andreas Villarin, Rulan Yasim and Nicholas Zerilla [Applause] and Mr. Steski. [Applause] Thank you. I'm put [Applause] Excuse me. Okay. I would ask the uh board members to please take a seat behind the tables here on our temporary deis. We need to clear the area. Next up is a special treat. Miss Dutieri is going to give us a demonstration of the awe and power of the mechanical Mustangs. So, good evening. We set up based on you sitting here. We didn't realize you were going to sit there. So, thank you for coming back here. So, we had quite an amazing season this year. We were tri-state champions for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware. [Applause] We also
006won an event outside of Philadelphia. And then at our at the world championship, one of our young ladies was a national winner for the deans list award. [Applause] So, we're getting set up and it just takes a second. So, if you hear all of that clinking, that's because we won two tournaments and the third medal was from being a finalist. [Applause] So this year's game was a based on the ocean and it was a a water game. So if you look at our robot, there is a C in the front and our robot's name is the seahorse C for Clifton. And we would place coral, which are these white PVC pieces. And we would also collect the algae. So, they're going to show you that right now. Uh, you would place the coral on all
007three different levels and we would grab the algae and we would place it up top into the barge. So, that's level four. We have two different manipulators. So we could simultaneously grab the algae and place the coral. During our autonomous mode, we could place three of the coral with help of our human player who would score them, put them in for us, and we could grab the coral from all three levels. This is on a little bit of an angle. And we also have 22 sensors. We have two cameras. We have six pneumatic cylinders on there. And we had tons and tons of hard work. [Applause] So what we were very good at is something called a super cycle. We would immediately score on one of the levels and grab the coral. I mean, grabbed
008the algae and scored up high. Each of the levels were worth different amounts of points. And then at the end, we had to climb. So, we designed our mechanisms so we could not only pull the coral in that way, but we could also climb with it. So, we would line up and it takes a second. And then we would have pneumatic cylinders that'll grab it and pull us up into the air. [Applause] So, that's our little award-winning seahorse. [Applause] So, we're going to give certificates to all of our students. And we also have eight adults that work with us. Five of which are graduates of Clifton High School. class of 76, class of 02, class of 16, 16, and then 17. So, we're very grateful for our alumni that are coming back to help us.
009You want to you want to read the names? Sure. Is that okay? Yeah. Are they in order? I believe so. All right. So, Angel Herrera, I don't think he's here. Errol Agiri, [Applause] Bryant Carvala, Varas, [Applause] Brian Franco, Contraras, [Applause] Chris Canelo Vargas, Jaylen Sinar, she's not here with us tonight. Dowry Vargas, Gabriel Enrique, Ethan Asoro, and then Ethan Padilla. [Applause] Joshua Lonares, Janelle Santos, my other Joshua Walin, [Applause] Justin Figueroa, he's not with us tonight, Christian Nahas, who's also our deans list award winner from championship. Lamar Olive like a ninja. McKenna Gonzalez, Max Lou, Jack Torres, Sean Aya, my Sienna, who I'm not going to do the last name justice. Matt Wujitson, And finally, Will Franklin. [Applause] Yeah, I'll take him. And if my amazing adults could come up, James Hovind, Dominic Stannis, Slow,
010Richard Copelo, Lissa Telish, I have Jared here, Ruiz, I have Denise Finelli. Do you want them to be a little closer together? All right, everybody sneak in a little bit closer. turn around and grab what's behind you if there's a plaque or a certificate and squish on in. Squish in. You know, my little ones come up front. Come on. You know the drill. We've been You're good. Thank you everyone. [Applause] So quickly we're going to move our robot out of the way. And there's our robot Pokemon cards for you if you would like them that talk about the robot. Thank you so much, Miss Jouri, and congratulations for another successful season. How about one more round of applause for our amazing mechanical Mustangs. [Applause] Okay. Dr. Roberts Paris, I'm up. You're up. All right. Thank
011you, sir. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Um, it's my honor each year u to have the opportunity to recognize our teachers of the year and our educational service professionals of the year. Each year uh the governor has the uh governor's educator recognition program and every school in New Jersey has an opportunity to select a teacher of the year. from those teachers of the year. Um each county selects a county teacher of the year and then of the 21 counties um a teacher of the year for all of New Jersey is selected. Tonight I'm very proud um behalf of the board of education to recognize all of the teachers of the year from Clifton and we also recognize the educational service professionals. Those are all the other amazing people who work with children, but maybe not
012in a teaching role. Maybe as a counselor, maybe as a paraprofessional or or in in in many other roles. So, um, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to call you up, please. Um, we're going to do something a little different because we're recognizing tonight our teachers of the year, Ed service professionals, and later on the agenda, we're going to move it up. We're recognizing our outstanding HSAs. What about HSAs? Whether you whether they are HSAs or PTAs or PTO's, these are the parent organizations at each school that provide so many things for our children that perhaps the district uh cannot provide or um doesn't have the means to provide or those kind of extra things that make school a lot of fun. Our HSAs do so much um for our students and I have to say
013Mrs. Bassford who's been the chair of the HSA committee from the board of ed has been asking me for several years to recognize the HSA um executive board member. So tonight we're going to do that. So I'm going to ask that when I call the teacher of the year ed service professional of the year to come up that same school we're also going to recognize the HSAs from that school. Okay? And then we're going to take a family picture. All right. We don't have a representative from uh our CILA tonight as teacher of the year, but do we have our CILA HSA representatives here tonight? Anybody from CILA HSA? Okay. from school number one. Uh not here tonight, but we'd like to recognize the teacher of the year, Miss Dawn Ward. [Music] And from the
014HSA, uh Mr. Alex Zamora, who is the treasurer of the school one HSA. Mr. Zamora here tonight. All righty. from school. Number two, the teacher of the year, Susan Pasnachki, [Applause] and the educational service professional of the year, Dawn Elias. the executive board of the school 2 HSAs. And I'm calling them all HSAs. I know sometimes they're HS HSAs, PTO's PTAs. We're going to call them HSAs for sake of my sanity. the executive board from school 2. Uh, co-president Lauren Toro, co-president Dana Gova, co- vice president Lindseay Marggo, co-vice president Alexandra Blackowski, treasurer Rihanna Silverman, recording secretary Amanda Perry, and corresponding secretary Katherine Scartelli. Can we take a picture? Well, we will fix it. Promise you. School 2 is one of the HSAs. I call the HSAs on steroids. They're like serious serious. A fundraising
015machine. Congratulations There is no um educator representative from school 3 tonight. Uh both could not make it, but I would like to mention their names. From a teacher of the year from school 3, Renee Roa and ed service professional Anna Zuluaga from the school 3 HSA. the president and my consiliary Rose Kenova [Music] Rose here. Uh stepping on her behalf tonight is Mr. Joe Kenova, board member. uh co-president school 3 Erica Slattage and the secretary Melissa Booth. Um they're probably out fundraising, so thank you very much. Yeah, get a picture of Mr. Kenova. Wait, Mr. Kenova, are you an HSA member? Cuz you know you got to pay your dues. If you don't pay your dues, you cannot partake. Congratulations, Mr. Kenova. All right, from school number four, teacher of the year, Jennifer Fantry, and
016educational service professional of the year, Samantha Gordon. I know Samantha's here. School 4 HSA President Rosemary Pino and Vice President Dal Deri. Just you guys picture family picture family picture. We got a lot tonight, guys. But this is all good stuff, right? This is all good stuff. Maybe we can get Mr. Shiada. Maybe for the future pictures we could get that background over here perhaps. From school number five, the teacher of the year, Lorie Santauso. She got a crowd with her tonight. and the educational service professional of the year, Tina Gonzalez. [Applause] From one former School 5 HSA president to another, school 5 HSA president Jennifer Lee. Yes. [Applause] Vice President Liz Patuchic, sorry for name pronunciation, Treasurer Christine Colligan, Secretary Mon'nique Yarwood, you got a fan club. Trustee Danielle de Janeiro, Trustee Kelly Fitzgibbon,
017Trustee Marissa Forte, Trustee Melissa Zapata, Trustee Jennifer Sun, and Trustee Florentina Herado. Hello. You like that? You like that? Got a family picture. See if we get all squeezed up in front in front of the Mustang um mural. Guys, we might have to uh Yeah, there we go. All right, school five. [Applause] Thank you guys from school. Number eight, teacher of the year, Beth Smith, and ed service professional Natalie Rosario. [Applause] School H uh School 8 HSA President Amy Carol, Secretary Megan Beltran, and Treasurer Janet Beth Rivera. It's okay. Bring them. Bring them. Bring them. That's a nice family picture. [Music] [Applause] All right. from school. Number nine, teacher of the year, Georgian Sherro. and ed service professional Carol Anne Chanchulo [Applause] and School 9 HSA uh co-president Elena Paris Garcia, co-president Christina Ayelloo, [Applause]
018Vice President Lindseay Babu Pula, [Applause] Treasurer Debbie Guzman, and Secretary Amanda Sinatra. [Applause] I need your language skills. [Applause] I trust you more than me. All right. Is school 11 in the house tonight? All right. The teacher of the year from school 11 is Courtney Casperino. and educational service professional Karima Abada School 11 HSA co-president Elizabeth Isle is that am I say that correctly co-president Yennia Bil Bao yeah you She's a coach's wife. Coach's wife's wife. Mr. Brunzak knows every all the HSAs. Second vice president Rachel Partardo. Treasurer Stephanie Perez and Secretary Fierel, excuse me, Fierella Vargas. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. School number 12, teacher of the year, Dana Murdoch. Educational service professional, Maria Pñena. [Music] And from the HSA from school 12, co-president Carllles Fuentes, co-president Natalie Raldon, Vice President Amy
019Bellow, and Treasurer Brian Raldon. School 12 has beckoned their people. Miss Miss Kenning, come on. Anybody from school 12 uh HSA or you know principal, you know, just we don't want them to feel left out. Now I got eight other schools mad at me because they didn't get to do that. That's why you can't deviate. That's a nice pick. All right. [Applause] All right. Congratulations [Applause] school 13 teacher of the year Lisa Bialiscorski [Applause] and Ed Service professional of the year Sabrina Actor representing the school 13 HSA president Emma Perez, Secretary Elena Scordillis, Treasurer Winster Sabios, Communications Chair. I knew you'd be in charge of communications. Uh, Miss Jamie Principy, [Applause] PTA membership, Diana Lambas, fundraising, Poliola Archi, [Applause] sponsorship, Kim Gohan and social media chair Kim Romero. Honorable [Applause] mention, Mr. Rosado. He's the
020only uh one of very few males at the elementary level. He's very popular from what I hear. Sorry. I'm sorry. I know. I apologize. All right. Good job. School 13. [Applause] School 14 teacher of the year, Samantha Echavaria. And Ed service professional of the year, Lynn Marakovitz. We do have a mother daughter combination tonight. Lynn is the ed service professional from uh school 14 and her daughter will be recognized later as the um ed service professional, excuse me, as the teacher of the year from school 16. So that's pretty awesome. School 14 HSA president Marina Cowan. Marina here. Vice President Carlanne Erikson. Treasurer Marissa Fontinez and Recording Secretary Denise Gorski. [Applause] All All right, school 15 teacher of the year, Tara PCEL, ed service professional. Anna Rosa Darte, the school 15 HSA president Emily Thompson,
021Vice President Kathleen Granis. Congratulations, [Applause] corresponding secretary Marliss Suarez. Recording Secretary Yasm mean Ziden [Applause] and Treasurer Ferdis Salam. [Applause] If there was if anybody found a mistake in their certificates, please just uh let me know. You can let me know tonight. You can shoot me an email and we'll get you a I know these certificates are very valuable. So, I'll get you a new one. I promise. [Applause] School 16 teacher of the year, Amanda Maracovitz. Mom, you're gonna have to come up. And excuse me, Ed service professional of the year, Katie Garbarino Rodriguez. [Applause] I I lost my spot. Congratulations. School 16 HSA President Carolyn Nudson. Caroline. Caroline. Thank you. [Applause] I'm sorry. I was corrected by Mr. Bronc. That is sweet Caroline. See, I should have known that. Good times never seem so
022good. [Laughter] First first, it's getting getting too early to be late. Uh, first vice president Christina Zarovski, second vice president, Irene Crouchic. How am I doing with those, Gina? Good. Corresponding secretary, Dawn Sanfil. Recording secretary, also known as the principal of school 12, Rose Kenning. Treasurer Genevine Genevieve Knack. [Applause] She's in charge of the money. Mr. Run the act. All right, congratulations. And our last elementary school of the night, school 17 teacher of the year, Linda Staer, ed service professional. Laura Nelki, [Music] [Applause] HSA President Laurianne Dimone, [Applause] Vice President Natalyia Markefe Bukovska, Vice President Marilyn Vela, Treasurer Tara Fernandez, [Applause] event entertainment organizer Alexa Gaspar, and sponsorship ship coordinator Andres Santiago Jr. You sir, thank you for being here. All right, family picture. Three schools left, ladies and gentlemen. Our two middle schools and
023our flagship high school. Next year, we will have three middle schools. from Christopher Columbus Middle School. Teacher of the year, Jennifer Kershaw. Ed service professional Jillian Berlini [Applause] from Christopher Columbus Middle School HSA President Carolina or Carolina Campbell Vice President Melissa Susreba, Treasurer, Yanerys Tavvarz, Recording Secretary Marina Moore Tuesta, social media Jessica Ales and fundraising Jennifer Kiglio. Yeah, let's go. [Applause] Yeah. From Oh, sorry. From Woodro Wilson Middle School. Um, not here tonight. Teacher of the year, Maris Campanella. Ed service professional of the year, Amanda Farice. And from the Woodro Wilson Middle School HSA, President Miriam Manacrram, Vice President Dana Howard and Secretary Dana Cabral, [Music] [Applause] And our last school of the night certainly Uh certainly our our flagship uh Clifton High School teacher of the year, Dawn Caraphen. Hi, Don. And educational service
024professional Francis Wchic. We have any of our high school administrators here tonight to join the picture? Oh, Mr. Hamda. Thank you. Principal Mr. Ahmad Hamda. [Applause] Oh, May, you got double duty. We forgot. Uh, not only the president of Woodro Wilson Middle School HSA, but uh, you know, once you're in, you can't get out. the president of CHSHSA, Miriam Manacram. Uh, Clifton High School Secretary Lisa Smith, [Applause] treasurer Selena Singh and Vice President Michael Albory. [Applause] Congratulations to all of our teachers of the year, our educational service professionals of the year. Thank you for what you do for our children every day. And to our HSA executive boards, uh you make school uh you help make school a lot of fun for our kids. Thank you for all you do for our children. You're very
025much appreciated, Mr. Paris. I'll turn it back over to you. Thank you. They mess up your stuff. Yeah, a little bit. Sorry. Over the last couple of weeks, the schedule's been chuck full of awards nights, athletics, academics, scholarships, um, music, honor society, honor societies, and tonight. And the one thing that just kept running through my mind all night here watching all of you come up is just is the old African proverb, it takes a village to raise a child. And we have here in Clifton one amazing, beautiful village. Thank you all. We're going to start next in our program. We're recognizing the last quarters monthly award winners. And we're going to start with our student of the month awards uh for the month of March. For the freshman CHS award, uh Mr. Can Commissioner Ciano,
026please come up and present. dear free, right? Yep. John Perez III is a Yeah, there we go. John Perez III is a freshman at CHS who enjoys personal finance because of Mrs. Chakra's supportive teaching style and straightforward coursework. His most influential figure is Mrs. Fitzpatrick who taught him from first to third grade and again in seventh grade leaving a lasting impact on his education. While he does not participate in extracurricular activities, Jon stays successful in high school by completing his work on time, staying focused, and being respectful. He does not plan to take advantage of CHS's academic programs. Come on up, John Perez. Did you [Applause] Yeah, I'll talk to you. Take the picture. [Applause] We'll go back. We're gonna do student back. Okay. Next, uh, Commissioner Suarez, can you please, uh, introduce our March
027student of the month, uh, for a sophomore at CHS? Thank you, President Paris. Netti Cortez is a sophomore at Clifton High School with a strong passion for math as it comes naturally to him. His most influential teacher is Mr. O'Reilly, his US history teacher, who engages with him and makes lessons enjoyable. Inspired by his father, Netty strives to be the best musician he can be and plays both keyboard and guitar. He is proud of his success in high school, having earned a spot in the music theory course he wanted and taking mostly honors classes. Looking ahead, he plans to join one of Clipton High School's academic programs to prepare for life after high school. Congratulations, [Applause] We will we will make sure we get this to Ner. Okay. for uh for junior March student of
028the month uh vice president Santiago, please London Jenkins is a junior at CHS who loves criminal justice enjoying lessons on the justice system. Her sophomore geometry teacher, Mr. Genchi was her most influential teacher, pushing her to succeed. Inspired by her hard-working family, Lyndon strives for success. She is a varsity and competition cheerleader for the Clifton Mustangs. Balancing academics and athletics has been her biggest challenge, but she continues to push through. Her goal is to attend college, become a pediatrician, and help with her parents' business. Congratulations, London. [Applause] Okay. Is Tracy Mariji here? [Music] Oh, wait a minute. Do I have the right page? No, I do not. I'm sorry, Tracy. We'll get to you. Dr. Roberts got me out of order here. Here we go. I think this is it. March, April. Yes, now I
029got it. I I know this well student was here. So, we'll we'll try again. Uh as a se for senior CHS March student of the month, uh Commissioner Basser, could you please come read here? She was she. Hi, good evening. Rulan Yasin, a senior at CHS, is a dedicated musician with a passion for piano and alto socks. actively involved in marching band, jazz band, orchestra, and wind ensemble. Music has been a defining part of Rulan's life since childhood. Influenced by Mr. Henry's wisdom and Mr. Steepneski's encouragement, Rulan has grown both as a musician and an individual. Inspired by their grandmother's resilience, Rulan strives to embody strength and perseverance. Beyond music, they practice in CH uh Clifton's student union and the cultural Palestinian dance group, promoting confidence and pride in their heritage. Overcoming challenges with time
030management, Rulan has um learned to balance academics and extracurriculars. looking ahead plan to attend college and pursue a career that allows them them to make a meaningful impact. Is Rolan here? Oh, excellent. [Applause] Okay. Sufficiently out of order. We have to go backwards a little bit. to item 10, right? Yeah, it's actually to item uh eight and then 10. We only do this a few times a year and it's the first year we've done it. So, we apologize for technical difficulties and we thank you for your patience. Give me Give me your copy. I got you. You got me. This is yours anyway. So, go ahead. I got you. Um, at this time I'd like to ask uh Danna Farcus to come up for a special award presentation. Diana [Applause] Bear with me just a
031moment. We need the projector down the screen. Oh, I didn't know that. Do we have to Can we um Can we fake it? Uh, sure. I didn't know that. Did we know that? Do you want me to? We'll come back later. Okay. We'll come back later. Okay. Sorry, Diana. Ladies and gentlemen, our paraprofessionals are oftentimes are the unsung heroes of our district. And it gives me a great honor to recognize the par profofessional of the year, Miss Maria Pena. [Applause] She was here, but then probably because we skipped her, she's like, "I'm out." You know? So, who's in charge around here? Okay. Um, Maria, we'll make it up to you. Okay, Mr. Paris, we're back on schedule for um we're actually supposed to be doing the employees of the month, but we're going to do
032students first. Okay. So, for April students of the month, uh, Commissioner Brunak, please come and introduce the freshman. Is Paula Silva here? Paula Silva. No. What is that? Okay, we're gonna we're gonna pass then. Stay up here though. We're fine. Is Angelica Minowitz here? Yes. Okay, Mr. Brunak. Angelina is our April student of the month for sophomore. Good evening, everybody. Angelica Minovich is a thoughtful and driven sophomore who surprisingly fell in love with chemistry for its logic, structure, and puzzle-like nature. While history isn't her favorite subject, her history teachers have shaped the way she views the world and strengthened her critical thinking. She plays lacrosse, mentors younger students through heroes and cool kids, and plans to apply to the National Honor Society. Inspired by her hardworking mother, Angelica values balance, leadership, and exploring CHS's wide
033range of electives to build a well-rounded education. Congratulations, Angelica. [Applause] Want to come up here? Family wants to come up here for some pictures. Don't like [Applause] Is Bradley Claudio here? Yes. Okay. Uh Dr. Danny, Commissioner Dr. Danny, could you please read uh Bradley's proclamation as junior April student of the month? Don't accept my order, please. Okay. Bradley Claudio is a talented and passionate junior whose favorite subject is music, especially playing the drums, which brings him joy and confidence. With the support of Miss Witzman, he's grown academically while also enjoying creative English activities. He participates in Project Unifi Sports and overcame his fear of performing by teaching himself drums and playing in the Project Unifi talent show. Inspired by his dad's strength and kindness, Bradley hopes to attend Montlair State University to pursue a future
034in arts and music. Congratulations, [Applause] And is Aaron Hatcher here this evening? Aaron Hatcher. Okay, we'll get this to Aaron next for uh the month of May. Uh Aya Abraham, is she here? Yes. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Um Commissioner Ciano, please. A I A I A I A I A I A I A I A I A I A I Abraham is a driven and reflective senior known for his growth, confidence, and thoughtful perspective. Whether cheering at unforgettable football games or engaging in thoughtprovoking discussions in Mr. Rogers class, Ya has embraced every opportunity to learn and evolve. Fueled by passion for math and a sharp analytical mind, he will attend Ruckers University to study finance with plans to pursue law school and become a corporate lawyer. Congratulations. Come on. [Applause] is Francesca Shioone here? Yes.
035Fantastic. Commissioner Suarez, could you please come and present for May? senior of the month. We have we have two. Good. Absolutely. Thank you. Yep. Okay. Good. Francesca is a creative and courageous senior who has embraced every opportunity to grow both artistically and personally. From performing in Marty GR parades with marching band with the marching band to taking college level courses through the early college program, Francesca has continually stepped outside her comfort zone and flourished. Deeply inspired by her art teachers, she will attend Montlair State University to major in fashion design and merchandising. Congratulations. Thank you. Is uh Declan Inker here? Excellent. Uh Vice President Santiago, please. Declan is a thoughtful and resilient senior whose time in high school has been shaped by personal growth, meaningful mentorship, and a passion for storytelling. Through four years of
036track and field and cross country, as well as inspiring classes with teachers like Mr. O'Reilly and Miss Mr. Rogers, Declan has grown stronger both mentally and physically. He will spend his summer working at a camp supporting kids with type 1 diabetes before attending Montlair State University where he plans to pursue a career in animation or comics. Congratulations, Declan. Thank you. This is my [Applause] Is Kelly Franco here? Yes. Fantastic. Um, I'm getting to read yours, Kelly. Kelly Franco is a compassionate and driven senior who has made the most of our of every opportunity high school had to offer. From orchestra concerts and the full play to community service and academic excellence. Since her freshman year, Kelly stepped out of her comfort zone, built lasting friendships, and fully embraced her new community. Inspired by the guidance
037of teachers like Mrs. Stag, she is now headed to Rowan University to major in nursing with the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. Congratulations, Kelly. Congratulations. [Applause] Okay, you're up to right doing this. Um, are we ready for um Deanna? We're gonna go back to Miss Farcus and a special award presentation tonight. I'd like to invite Miss Deanna Farcus. [Applause] No, not yet. It's It's coming up. No, it's okay. Thank you. Come on over here for everybody. Good evening. My name is Diana Farcus. I am a student assistance coordinator from Woodro Wilson Middle School. I have with me one of my club members from our Safe Promise Club, Aisha Gil Carabio. Thank you for the opportunity to share a summary of our mind, music, and movement festival, a school and community event that brought together
038wellness, creativity, and community support. Our goal was to promote mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and empower students in our school community through music, movement, and mindful experiences. We have just a few pictures up here of some of our mindfulness wellness stations. We have Teddy, one of our therapy dogs, as well. Some of the key features for the day included a studentled wellness station. There was about seven of them with student performances as well. We had mindfulness, color and design, paint, stress relief, slime, and self-expression through face painting. We had 24 vendors join us for the day. And we collaborated with three clubs at Woodro. Try National Junior Honor Society and Safe Promise Club. We also received local and national recognition. Ellie Mental Health is a mental health agency with several locations throughout New Jersey and
039they recognize and highlighted the event through their newsletter that they share with their their population. And we were also selected to be highlighted in Safe Promises National Newsletter. Here are a few more pictures of some of our students performing at the day. some Mustang moments. So, our highlights, we had two times the number of volunteers and we had three times the number of guests in attendance for just our second year doing this. We raised $3,100 over the course of the year, which is 600 more than last year. We had 56 student volunteers and 14 staff volunteers and we secured three grants. One was this proud to be sigma free grant through the mental health association in P county. The next one was the pride fast grant through our CA and the last was the safe
040club sustainability management grant. Looking forward we would like to improve promotional efforts to reach and welcome more of the school community. We're trying to envision of new and different ways to expand and deepen the impact of our festival moving forward. We would also like to collaborate with more schools within the district and establish additional additional community partnerships such as art-based nonprofits, yoga studios, family service providers, and form a student planning committee to truly reflect reflect our students interests and to increase leadership opportunities. We want to put more of the planning in the students hands. And then we're going to continue our fundraising efforts to benefit nonprofits addressing health and well-being. Just a few more pictures highlighting the day. It's a beautiful day. Turned out being really windy at the very end. So we raised $2,100
041for the superintendent scholarship fund and another $1,000 for the mental health association in Pose County. There's just more pictures there. We can skip that. A big thank you. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the board of education and Dr. Robertsi for the opportunity to continue offering this wellness event. Your support and trust made it possible for us to promote well-being and offer valuable mental and physical health resources in an engaging and impactful way for our school community. We did have several providers as sponsors throughout the day who either made donations towards stations towards our volunteers and I'm just going to quickly go through them. from the mental health association in Paya County, the Clifton Education Association, the Woodro Home and School Association, New Chapter Youth Recovery Program, Crunch Fitness in Clifton, the Safe Promise Club
042Tri and NJHS, Moxy Salon in Clipton, Minding Your Mind, and the Bagel Station in Clifton also offered a wonderful breakfast for our volunteers the day of. Some more pictures that aren't loading. I apologize. They were beautiful. They were amazing. They were doing stunts across the field. Thank you to all our volunteers, providers, and guests. And we have a list of all of our vendors from the day as well. Thank you. [Applause] keeping it away from Mr. Shahada. No, we can move it back. Is Mark here? Is Mark Tarani here? Oh, there's Mark. He is here. All right. I'm gonna read this. Yep. Okay. We're honoring our student representative, Mr. Mark Torcani, for service on the Clifton Board of Education. Whereas Mark Tarcani has served with distinction on the Clifton Board of Education. And whereas through
043his leadership, the Clifton Board of Education has gained fresh insights into student concerns, student priorities, and what is on the mind of young people in the community. And whereas he has further contributed to the community by serving as a valuable spokesperson, sharing the student perspective at board meetings. And whereas Mark's exemplary commitment to fellow students and the school district has promoted clearer communication between the board, district administration, and the student body. Whereas Mark has maintained a professional decorum at board meetings, shown respect to board members, and strive to learn the proper etiquette of serving on a school board. And whereas he has demonstrated a commitment of advocating the education of all students without neglecting their own responsibility to strive for success in the classroom. Therefore, be it resolved that the Clifton Board of Education recognizes
044Mark's dedication and commitment to advancing educational opportunity and open communication between the board, district administrators, the student body. And be it further resolved that the members of the Clifton Board of Education extends their sincere appreciation to Mark for his dedicated service on the board of education. And be it further resolved that the members of the Clipton Board of Education extend their best wishes to Mark in all of his future endeavors. Congratulations and thank you, Mark. Good morning. [Applause] I'll just do these guys here. That's you. Yep. Since 2019, uh, when I started here in Clifton, it was important to me to hear the voice of students. So, I created the superintendent student ambassadors at Clifton High School. and I meet with uh a group of students, these ambassadors, uh regularly to discuss what's great about
045Clifton High School, areas that we might need to improve and to get their input. And over the past six years, because of student voice, we've made some significant changes based on student recommendations. Um, selfishly I meet with students because as superintendent, um, you can get bogged down in this job and forget why, uh, you do what you do. So, it was important to me to hear student voices and to meet with students. Um, one thing that I'm very proud of that our superintendent student ambassadors do throughout the school year, when new students come to Clifton High School, the first student they are introduced to is one of the ambassadors who brings them on a tour of the building. um exchanges contact information, then provides them with any kind of support to welcome them to Clifton
046High School. You can imagine it could be intimidating coming to a school with 3,300 students and not knowing a soul. So, that's one of the many things I'm very proud of. Um so, at this time, we'd like to recommend uh like to recognize uh three senior superintendent student ambassadors um for one year. Uh Mark Tarcani. Mark, come on back up. And there are two students. I know Lamar was here. Lamar's still. Yes, he is. Um, two additional students who have been superintendent student ambassadors since they were freshman for four years. Um, Lamar Olive and Bianca Frius Pocals. I didn't see Bianca. Miss Bianca here. Okay. Uh, Mr. Hamda. Um, Steuart, would you guys come up? Miss Mr. V, would you guys come up for the picture, please? [Applause] Mr. Paris. Um, we Yep. We have
047employees of the month and we have sports team that uh employees. We know that you have a bedtime too, but the students have a bedtime earlier than you. So, we apologize. Yeah, we we want to do the uh spring sports first team all county. So, I'd like to invite up uh the coaches uh for girls lacrosse, girls outdoor track, boys outdoor track. Are the coaches here? Are the teams here? No. They're really fast. They're so fast we can't even see them. Okay, we will move on then to the uh district employees of the month. All right. Oh, okay. For the month of March. Let me get organized here one more time. I keep thinking I'm organized, but I'm not. Okay, we're gonna start with uh March District. Is Tracy Mariji here? Yes. Okay. Uh Tracy
048is the district distinguished employee of the month for the month of March. Tracy Mariji serves as one of our district PBSIS coaches in which she plays a crucial role in supporting schools with the implementation of universal prevention systems and secondary tier interventions. Through her leadership, dedication and steadfast commitment to positive school climates, she has empowered countless educators and teams to create inclusive, supportive environments where students can thrive. Beyond her technical knowledge, she brings an unmatched warmth and sincerity to her work, ensuring that every conversation is productive, meaningful, and solutiondriven, and that educators feel heard and supported. Mrs. Moriji's ability to see both the big picture and the finer details of behavioral support systems allows her to help schools create frameworks that are both effective and responsive to student needs. Her impact is felt districtwide and
049her passion for improving student outcomes makes her truly deserving of this honor. Congratulations. [Applause] Is John Silva here? Excellent. Commissioner Mahia will award the elementary distinguished employee of the month for the month of March. John Silva has dedicated 28 years to Clipton schools, making a lasting impact on the school community through his work in physical education, athletics, and beyond. As a physical education teacher at School 5 and the Minds in Motion program, he continually goes above and beyond to support his students. Known for his unwavering commitment to student success and his ability to motivate students, Mr. Silva's enthusiasm, dedication, and positivity has earned him the admiration of both students and colleagues. He is an asset to the school 5 community, serving as a coordinator of multiple programs, including the Elks Hoop Shoot, PBS Fun Festival,
050Project ACES, Safety Patrol Adviser, and the district's highest fundraiser for the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge. Over the course of his career in Clifton, Mr. Silva has also contributed to the curriculum development, served as a weight room adviser, and worked as a trainer for the Stan Lambert soccer camp. His tireless work ethic, passion for teaching, and community service has made him an exceptional deserving of this recognition as he continues to inspire and shape lives both in and outside the classroom. Congratulations, Coach Silva. That's [Laughter] [Applause] Okay, Commissioner Kenoba, please present the middle school distinguished employee of the month for the month of March. All right, this award goes to Briana Dikio. Briana Dio is a dedicated and passionate sixth grade language arts teacher who goes above and beyond to support her students, colleagues, and
051the entire school community. She creates an engaging classroom environment where students feel encouraged and excited to learn, fostering a love for reading and writing through interactive lessons and creative projects. Mrs. Dikio is also a valid a valued colleague, always sharing ideas, offering support, and contributing to positive school culture. Her dynamic approach to teaching, including the development of innovative resources, and original games, makes learning enjoyable and meaningful for her students. Her collaborative spirit and enthusiasm inspire both students and fellow educators, making her a key asset to the school and district. Mrs. Dikio's dedication to student success and passion for teaching makes her highly deserving of recognition. Congratulations. [Applause] Commissioner Suarez, will you please present the high school distinguished employee of the month for the month of March? Tina Robinson is here. Correct. [Applause] Tina Robinson is
052always willing to go above and beyond, stepping up to help with tasks that are outside of her job description. She is the first person staff from Clifton High School to turn for assistance, no matter the size of the problem and is quick to find a solution. Tina's warmth, kindness, and sense of humor make her a joy to work with, and she's incredibly supportive of all her colleagues. She takes exceptional care of the southwing teachers but also works diligently to form strong bonds with students. Miss Robinson's work tirelessly every day demonstrating her love and dedication to our students through her actions. In addition to her individual contributions, she is a true team player, always willing to help out with whatever is needed day in and day out. Thank you. [Applause] So, moving on to the month
053of April. Is Mr. Fieldhouse here? Yes, he is. Commissioner Bassford, please present the district distinguished employee of the month for the month of April. Mr. Thomas Fieldhouse is the district's exceptionally dedicated and hardworking doicile investigator who has helped save the district over $1 million each of the past four years. That's a lot. Okay, that deserves a round of applause. Through his thorough investigation and attention to detail, he has uncovered students who falsely claim to reside in Clifton, preventing unnecessary financial losses. Mr. Fieldhouse's commitment to his work and his stead steadfast perseverance has had a significant positive impact on both the district and the taxpayers of Clifton. His efforts demonstrate a true spirit of service and unwavering dedication and valuable contribution to the Clifton Public School. Congratulations Thomas family [Applause] would like the family to join
054him. [Applause] This is a crew coming down at this point. Congratulations. [Applause] presenting the elementary Oh, let's start with Kate. Is Katie Garberino here? Yes. Excellent. Thank you, Katie. Presenting the April Elementary Distinguished Employee of the Month is Commissioner Ciano. Through her dedication as a school 16 counselor, Mrs. Katie Garberino Rodriguez has played a vital role in creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for all students. Her daily passion for her work is evident as she helps students navigate personal challenges and promotes their social emotional growth. Through initiatives focused on mental health, self-esteem, and diversity, she empowers students with the skills and confidence needed to thrive both in and out of the classroom. Beyond her work with students, Mrs. Gabberino Rodriguez fosters a strong sense of community among faculty and staff by organizing events that
055bring everyone together. Her kindness, professionalism, and positive influence make her an invaluable member of Clifton Public Schools, and we are honored to celebrate her with this well-deserved recognition. Congratulations. [Applause] Presenting [Applause] the middle school distinguished employee of the month is Mr. Hudac here. Excellent. Commissioner Brunak Thomas Hudac serving as a seventh grade language arts inclusion teacher at Woodro Wilson Middle School. Mr. Thomas Hudac exemplifies dedication, professionalism, and a true spirit of collaboration. His patience and commitment in the classroom, particularly during reading and writing activities, inspires students to eagerly engage and value his thoughtful guidance. Mr. Hudach's professionalism extends beyond instruction through his effective communication with parents and strong partnerships with colleagues. His leadership is evident through his active participation on district committees, his willingness to step into administrative roles when needed, and his valuable contributions
056to summer programs. Mr. Mr. Hudach's present dedication, cordial nature, and integrity make him an outstanding member of our school community and a deserving recipient of this honor. Congratulations, Mr. Huda. [Applause] And present Oh, Megan Anderson here. All right. Presenting the high school distinguished employee of the month is Commissioner Dr. Danny. Miss Megan Anderson is the embodiment of patience, support, and dedication, making her an invaluable part of the Clifton High School language arts team. She is consistently going above and beyond expectations, always finding time to assist colleagues and support those around her without complaint. Megan brings a sense of ease, positivity, and joy to the workplace, making employment not just productive, but truly enjoyable for those around her. As a teacher, mentor, co-worker, and friend, she reflects the very best qualities we strive to uphold. Her
057unwavering commitment and selflessness are an inspiration to all and we are proud to celebrate her remarkable contributions to our school community. Congratulations [Applause] We'll get there quick with those strikes. [Applause] Is Ulola a betar here? She is not. She is not. Okay, we will recognize her at another time. Um, is Carolyn Tomasi here? Yes. Okay. So, presenting is commissioner I mean is vice president uh Santiago for the elementary distinguished employee of the month for the month of April. No, April or we may month of May. Sorry. Carolyn Tamasi has been selected as the distinguished employee of the month for her outstanding dedication and service to school 8. Known for her exceptional skills, knowledge, and professionalism, Mrs. Tamasi plays a vital role in ensuring the school runs smoothly each and every day. She consistently goes above
058and beyond to support both staff and students, handling every task with care, efficiency, and heart. Her commitment to the school community is deeply appreciated and truly deserving of this recognition. Congratulations, Mrs. Tamasi. Everyone is great. [Applause] Is Diana Farcus here? I should know you were presenting before. Okay. Uh, presenting the middle school distinguished employee of the month uh, for the month of May is Commissioner Mahia. [Applause] Miss Diana Farcus has been selected as a distinguished employee of the month for her unwavering dedication and impact to the Wro Wilson Middle School community. She consistently goes above and beyond in her role advocating for students in need of mental health and substance use support. Miss Farcus has successfully created and hosted the school's mental health walk for two consecutive years, bringing awareness and unity to this important
059cause. In addition to her work with students, she also mentors fellow SACS and counselors, offering guidance and support that strengthens the entire team. Congratulations [Applause] That's right. There's one more left. Is Rafa Iwas here? Commissioner Kenova will present the high school distinguished employee of the month for the month of May. Mr. Rafa Iwas has been selected as disting distinguished and employee of the month for his remarkable dedication to both the students and the broader educational community at CHS. A true professional, Mr. Aas is known for mentoring new math teachers, supporting colleagues with departmental mandate mandates and fostering positive and collaborative environment. He devotes countless hours to leading the key club, volunteering extensively to improve the Clifton community. His compassion extends beyond the school walls. He has personally contributed to the global causes including helping and
060sending an ambulance to Palestine. Beloved by his students, his kindness, humor, intelligence, and genuine care, Mr. Aas has consistently created classroom experience that leaves a lasting impact. Congratulations. [Applause] Rafat would like his family. He would like Mr. Hamda. He would like his supervisor, Miss Jagger, to come, please. [Applause] Hey, can I can I have that, Joe? All right, Dr. Artosi, if I'm correct, that has brought us to nearly the end of the meeting, but any public meeting we have requires a public recognition session. So, this portion of the meeting is open to the citizens of Clifton for the purpose of addressing any subject matter pertinent to andor directly directly related to the operation of the Clifton Public School District. Residents are requested to sign the register provided for this purpose and to state their names,
061addresses, and subject matter. Comments are limited to five minutes per person. Issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded to by the board. All comments will be considered, and a response will be forthcoming if and when appropriate. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding subjects uh regarding students and employees of the board are discouraged. They will be responded to by the board will not be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. Members of the public should consider their comments in light of the legal rights
062of those affected or identified in their comments and be aware they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. Is there anyone who would like to approach the microphone this evening? Welcome. Okay. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Ashley Fernandez. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight. Um tonight I'm here just to speak. Um, I'm not here to place blame or anything. I'm just here to get my story heard. Um, because this situation has been very painful and probably the most discouraging experience of my life. Um, I've been told I cannot graduate in June because of the numbers of tardies and cuts I accumulated. And I understand the rules exist and I take full accountability for my attendance record. But I'm asking you to look beyond numbers and see the person behind them because
063my situation is not one of carelessness or disrespect. I come from a lowincome household. My parents both work full times in New York City and leave early in the mornings. So that means I'm the one responsible taking my little brother to school every morning. He goes to Woodro Wilson Middle School. Um and we don't qualify for bus service. So once I drop him off, I often struggle to find parking and after 7:15, most of the spots are already taken and the rest are only permit only. I had to make a choice between risking a ticket I cannot afford or being a few minutes late. Still, even with all of those obstacles, I still chose to come. Never skip class to hang out or go home. I walked in because sometimes just a couple minutes late
064and gave my full effort and my grades show that I'm passing all of my classes and I have no major disciplinary record. I haven't been suspended or involved in fights, drugs, none of that. I've worked hard and stayed focused and done what I can to stay on track. To now be told I cannot graduate with my class after everything I've been through. It feels like I'm being punished for being responsible. Um, there were many mornings when staying home honestly felt like the easier choice and I still showed up because I believe doing the right thing is what matters at the end of the day. And now I'm losing the one moment I've looked forward to for years. I didn't have my eighth grade graduation because of CO and that was taken away from me. I've
065held on tightly to that dream walking across the stage in June. Um, not just for me, but for my parents, my family, my brother, and my community. I've already been offered a full-time job over the summer with the company that I'm currently working on, which is a martial arts school that also runs a non-forprofit organization for the unprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. I teach classes and train nearly every day of the week, which is why I had to leave early today from my job to come here to make it on time. Um, I'm proud of the work I do and I hope it shows the kind of person I am, which is committed, hardworking, and trying to make a difference. I know some students get exempt from gym, which is the first which is
066my first period class that I'm losing my credits from. and um which are kids that are who get exempt are the students who um participate in sports and I hope my physical work which goes beyond just training and includes teaching and giving back can be recognized in the same spirit. I'm also aware that there are students who have been involved in serious behavioral incidents or repeated fight suspension substance use who have been still allowed to walk and graduate. I'm not here to I'm not saying this to take anything away from them or cast aspions. Um I've made mistakes in the past and I made mistakes in the past as well and my freshman year especially was the hardest year. I fell behind and I turned things around during my 2023 year and my 2024 year
067school year alone. I earned 60 credits, almost double the average, which is 35, in order so that this year I could leave early, which is fifth period, so I can make it to my full-time job to support my family. I've learned from my past and I've showed that I'm committed. That's why I'm It's so hard to understand how someone like me who has grown, taken responsibility, and then everything to stay on tax, be denied an opportunity to walk with my class. All I'm asking is to walk the stage this June with my peers. I'm willing to complete any credit recovery after, and I understand I won't receive my diploma until it's fully earned, just like any other student. But I hope you can understand how deeply important it is to me for that one day
068just to be a part of that ceremony. And that's all. Please don't let another graduation be taken away from me. And please see me more than just a list of tardies. Thank you for your time and compassion. And I appreciate you listening, guys. Thank you. Thank you, Ashley. Is there anyone else who would like to speak this evening? Okay, seeing none, motion to close. Commissioner Brunak, seconded by Commissioner Bassford. Um, so unless we wave board member comments. Are we board waving board member comments? Oh, is there someone else who'd like to speak? Is there another person who like to speak? Okay, come on. Yes. At a commission uh motion open by Commissioner Bassford, seconded by Commissioner Brunak. Good evening. My name is Sarah Rodriguez and I'm a senior here at Clifton High School. I'm currently
069not being able um uh to graduate in on June 20th with the rest of my class. I'm being told that I have to go to summer school because of credits that I lost due to my tardiness to first period. Um, I understand being on time to school is important and understand that rules are in place for a reason, but I believe that when life can become so overwhelming, um, and just showing up at all is an act of strength. This past school year has really drained the happiness and life out of me, and I was going through a very dark time that no 17-year-old should have to endure alone. I don't have a support system that I can rely on. I only have myself and it's always been like that. And now I have to
070pay the consequences for things that were completely out of my control. I'm aware that you don't always get what you want in life and things will not always go your way. But I was raised with the mindset that I will always fight for things that I feel is right. Graduating means more to me now than ever before. It would be a symbol of everything I've overcome and the pain that I lived through and the strength that I found and I hope and the hope that I still hold on to for a better future. I'm not asking anyone to ignore the rules. I just hope that you can understand that there was more going on behind the scenes than just a lack of effort as you may see it. Um, despite despite all of that, I
071still came to school and I still didn't give up. I turned in my assignments. I tried to participate and put the smile on that everybody wanted from me. I hope everyone in charge of the decision can please reconsider and know that life is not always going to be easy just because I don't have bills to pay. I don't have rent to pay. I don't have kids to look after. Everybody's struggles in their own ways and I just hope that you can please reconsider and think about it. Thank you for your time. Have a good night. Thank you. Is there another come forward please? Okay. Good. Good evening everyone. Um, my name is Mariah Ford and I'm a senior here at Clifton High School. And I'm also being denied credit, so I won't be able to
072walk the field to on June 20th. And I'm just here to express how I feel because all of us here work very hard these last few years. And I just feel like, sorry, I just feel like being late to a class shouldn't like have an effect on of us of us on us walking the stage if we're passing the classes and trying our hardest to do well in the class. And we also have struggles here getting here in the morning like which looking for parking and all the traffic. So it's like when we come in just I don't know just like it's hard for us. So, I just feel like everyone here should just just take it in consideration for us to walk the field and let us graduate with our class. I don't know.
073Thank you. [Applause] Hello everyone. My name is Janiah Seedo. I'm a senior at Clifton High School. I thank you for all the time to let me speak and get my story out there. Coming into Clifton High School was the hardest moment of my life. I came into freshman year with my parents freshly divorced. It was a scary for me, but it definitely got worse. My godmother then took her own life the end of freshman year, which caused me to become a person I never thought I would be. I started failing my classes and missing school and losing myself. Okay. Losing myself just cuz nothing felt the same with us. Nothing felt the same without her. Like not being able to call her or waiting for her to pick me up outside the school. When I
074came back sophomore year, I was freshly grieving for my godmother's past. When then I lost my best friend in front of my eyes. At that point, I was ready to give up. I didn't see the purpose in going to school and continuing my life. Thankfully, the family and friends I have, I was able to pick myself up somewhat before junior year. Junior year comes around and then my life changed forever. I got pregnant with my son, Josiah, and he's the best thing that could have ever happened to me. He's my purpose. But after that, it just wasn't just me I had to worry about. It was my son as well. I got put on online school. And when I was healed from giving birth, I came back trying to make things right. I didn't have
075help watching my son at first until he was old enough to go to daycare. now that he is in daycare which starts at 8 which automatically makes me late for school that starts at 7:30 but it's the only help I have. I passed senior year with all's A's and B's and I stopped putting my anger into fighting and automatically getting mad at people and I actually made friends like a normal teenager which I didn't feel like I was anymore because of how fast things changed so quick due to me because of how much things changed so But due to me fighting so many battles these past four years and letting that affect me at school, I'm not able to walk on my class in June. But instead, I'll walk in August. It breaks my heart.
076My mom won't be able to see me walk the stage knowing how hard she fought for me to pick myself up. I fully take accountability for my late and absences because I'm not the only person who's been through stuff in life. And it's my responsibility to be in school the same time as everyone else. But these past four years have been a roller coaster for me. I tried my hardest to be a student with a full-time job and a mom at the same time. As soon as I had my son, my first thought was walking the stage with him to not only show everyone I did it, but most importantly myself. Now that I can no longer do that, I've lost hope. I hope you guys can hear my story and consider letting me walk
077with my class. Thank you and have a great night. [Applause] Good evening, members of the board, superintendent, and respected guests. Thank you so much for allowing me to speak. My name is Adriana and I'm here to speak on behalf of some students, young women who I've grown with, learned with, and watched push through unimaginable things during our four years of high school. Right now, they're being told they can't walk the stage in June with the rest of us, that they have to graduate in August because of lateness they've accumulated over the years. I understand policies and structure exist for a reason, but also I believe in grace and in the power of understanding what people truly are going through. One of my friends has struggled through anger management. That's something most people don't talk about
078enough, especially in young women. It's not just about having a bad attitude. It's deeper than that. It comes from pain, from pressure, and from things bottled up that no one ever taught us how to let out in a healthy way. But besides that, she still made effort. She She still comes to school. Even when it was hard for her to be in certain environments, she showed up. That's growth. That's strength. That should be recognized. Another one of my friends, someone who is truly one of the strongest people I know, experienced unthinkable. This school year, she lost her aunt and her best friend. And not just lost them, she witnessed it happen with her own eyes. the kind of trauma that creates silence in a person. But she didn't disappear. She didn't give up. She's also
079a teen mom raising her baby while navigating grief, school, and all the pressure that comes with being young and responsible for another life. We try our best to support her, but at the end of the day, she's the one doing the hardest part, which is showing up every day, keeping it together for her son and her, and is still trying to graduate on time. The amount of resilience that takes is something that can't be measured by a clock or tardy slip. And another one of my friends have been silently battling depression. Real painful physical and emotional depression. Some days she barely has the energy to get out of bed. But she pushes herself because she knows school matters. She knows her future is important. Just because someone is present on paper doesn't mean they're engaged.
080And just because someone is late or struggling doesn't mean they're not trying their hardest. She fought through enough of those dark moments and still chose to be here. These girls are not rule breakers or slackers. They are survivors. The they are the kind of students who make school stronger by simply not giving up. Life has already been cruel to them in ways that most adults haven't been experienced. But they kept going. They completed their four years. They passed their classes. They overcame more than most can handle. And now they're being told they can't celebrate with the rest of us because of something so small compared to what they survived as being late. I'm not here asking for pity. I'm asking for compassion, for understanding, for leadership that doesn't follow that doesn't just follow the rules,
081but sees the humans behind them. I'm asking for you to just let them walk the stage in in June. Not as an exception, but as a recognition of what truly means to earn your diploma. Please do not deny them at this moment. Not after everything they endured. Thank you. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak? Okay. Motion to close. Commissioner Basser, second by Commissioner Brunch. Dr. Bertosi, you have Thank you, Mr. Paris. just a just a quick statement and I just want to say that um whatever the outcome is guys it it it takes a lot of courage to come here and speak your story in front of strangers and um you showed a lot of maturity in doing that and uh I just want to tell you I have a lot of respect
082for that. Um and all I can tell you is that um I will look into each one of your situations. I will talk to Mr. Honda. I'm not promising anything other than uh we will look into it. Um, and uh just I I I appreciate your friendship. Make sure you guys stick by each other and and help each other always. Okay. So, thank you. [Applause] Does the board desire to have comments this evening or are we going to pass? Motion to pass. Motion to pass the comments by Commissioner Bford, seconded by Commissioner, Vice President Santiago. Motion tojourn. Have a great evening everyone. Thank you for coming. Congratulations to all the winners.