001Good evening everyone. The executive session of the Wayne Board of Education regular meeting of April 24th, 2025 was convened in the conference room of the administrative offices of the Wayne Board of Education, 50 Nellis Driveway, New Jersey. Statement of complying setting forth time, date, and location was read in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act, and a roll call was taken. The meeting was recessed and is now being reconvened. I ask everyone to please stand for the flag salute and a moment of silence. I would also ask you during the moment of silence to remember Mr. Kenneth Palszki who passed away. I pledge algiance 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.
002Thank you everyone. Please be seated. Dr. Tobe Okay, so at this point we're going to get to our recognition program before we get to our music program. Um, let me move this because knowing my luck, I will knock this down. Okay. So, um, tonight it's my pleasure to recognize Don Pavlac. So, with great respect and heartfelt appreciation, the Wayne Township Board of Education proudly recognizes Mr. Don Pavlac for his 20 years of dedicated service as a board member. This remarkable milestone marks him as the longest serving board member in Wayne history, a testament to his commitment, leadership, and his deep rooted passion for public education. Throughout his two decades of service, Mr. Pavlac has been a steadfast advocate for students, teachers, families, and community at large. He has waned through and through. He's been here
003a very long time, his whole life, and his tenure on the board has spanned numerous changes, challenges, and achievements. And his presence has been a constant source of wisdom, collaboration, and forward thinking. Mr. Pavlac's impact extends far beyond board meetings. He's helped shape policy, supported educational innovation, and championed initiatives that have enriched the academic and personal growth of countless students. His decisions have always been guided by a strong belief in the value of education and the importance of providing all students with the stools they tools they need to succeed. As we celebrate his extraordinary milestone, we express our deepest gratitude for his service, his leadership, and enduring dedication to the Wayne schools. His legacy is imprinted on every classroom. On behalf of the entire Wayne community, students, staff, and families, we thank you, Mr. Pavlac,
004for your exemplary service and the incredible difference you have made here in the Wayne Township Public Schools. We're honored to celebrate this achievement with you. And it is also fitting that I have this opportunity to speak about Mr. Pavlac because his kind of leadership is one of the things that led to so many years of stability in the Wayne schools. He quietly goes about his work. He's very humble. As a board member, he expects no accolades except for this one day because this is a very special milestone. So with m admiration and appreciation, Mr. Pavle [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Thank you everyone. I'll be brief. Um, I can't believe it's 20 years it's gone by. We've been through a lot together. parents, teachers, uh board members, everyone. But I have to tell you over
005my 10 years, it's been a pleasure to serve and it's a pleasure to serve with these people sitting up here. It's a hard road. It's not easy. A lot of decisions have to be made, especially this year that were not easy decisions. But I also want to thank Dr. Towak for his 10 years of service to Wayne and he has really as he moves on in his retirement this year. It's I can tell you we the Wayne School District would not be where it is today without his leadership and guidance. I thank you everyone. [Applause] Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. Yes, sir. Okay, so this evening is also one of the most exciting meetings for the board of education. This is our music recognition program and as you can see we have plenty of students
006to recognize and so that's a wonderful thing that says a lot about our music recognition, I'm sorry, our music program and of course it says a lot about our teachers who work with our students every day and do a wonderful job in building this program and making what it is today. So um I would like to introduce Mr. Pno who will take the rest of the program from here. [Applause] Good evening everyone. Uh my name is Matt Pno and for the next 45 days I'm have the pleasure of being the event director at Wayne Hills High School. Uh we'd like to thank our our district administration, our board of ed, and the Wayne community for taking the time to honor the achievements of our outstanding music students tonight. We know this is a very busy
007time of year for everyone and appreciate the respect that you are taking and showing to our students and the time you are taking to honor our music programs. Tonight is a wonderful opportunity to recognize both our students accomplishments and the dedication and persistence they have shown in order to perform at such an advanced level. The famous martial artist and philosopher Bruce Lee said, "Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Willing is not enough. We must do." These students have certainly done. These students have certainly they have brought honor to themselves, our music department, our schools, and our community by representing the Wayne Township school system statewide and even beyond. And although tonight uh we honor uh secondary students, our music students, we'd like to take a second to thank our incredible vocal and instrumental elementary
008staff who started all these students. Um not only gave them the great musical start, but also gave them their passion for what they do. So, thank you to all of our elementary teachers as well. We'd like to begin tonight by featuring several of our vocal honores. Last year, we uh featured some of our instrumental students. So, we'd like to give you a different idea. First, a seventh grader at Anthony Wayne, Miss Kylie Ortiz, who is singing Omio Bambino by Puchini, accompanied by her teacher, Miss Lisa Rousenel. [Applause] [Music] Oh my god. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Congallelu. [Music] Glory. Glory. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, thank you, Kyler. That was wonderful. When you're famous, don't forget the little people. Okay. Next, we have a vocal ensemble from uh Wayne Hills High School featuring uh Aiden Perez Alcal, uh
009Farah Schwarz, Annabal Munoz, and Adriana Dinardo. They'll be singing Bell Cow, a traditional Italian song arranged by Christy Jones, and again accompanied by Miss Rousenel. [Applause] [Music] Something soul. Oh my [Music] god. Heat. Heat. [Music] Christ. [Music] Let [Music] [Applause] me It's nice having a vowel at the end of your name following that. The students we honor here tonight have distinguished themselves by competing for these area, state, and regional ensembles with literally thousands of other musicians. Once selected, they come together with other students from hundreds of different schools to perform a concert, working with professional conductors and composers. These types of experiences take them beyond the skills we have taught them in the classroom and beyond the community of Wayne. As we recognize each group of students, we'd ask them to come up, shake hands
010with their teachers, shake hands with their administrators, and we'd like to start by recognizing our uh vocal music students from George Washington Middle School. So, I would like to uh ask Miss Laura Medley to come up for her [Applause] students. Okay. Good evening and on behalf of myself, my colleagues, and George Washington Middle School, I am proud to recognize seventh grade soprano Ava Scavone, who received the 2024 overall middle school choir soloist award at the Music in the Parks Coral Competition. Please join me in congratulating Ava and her musical accomplishments. Hello. Do you want to sing for everyone? Okay. Okay. Thank you. Take my hand. Turn around. [Applause] And now we'd like to invite up M Mr. Nick Vigilleti for the instrumental awards. All right. Good evening everyone. Uh so we're going to start uh
011one of the opportunities we had uh the Rididgewood Symphony Orchestra has a festival uh the last couple of years and they work in in uh partnership with uh William Patterson University. Um for grades five through nine they had last year uh two separate opportunities. So they had a festival of winds and then they had a festival of strings uh for these students and they did a concert. Uh this year they combined all of those things together. Um and they had a um young musicians festival. So uh these young students um had a chance to play with um again lots of students from around uh the area here and work with both uh members of the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra and members of the William Patterson uh university um and and do great things. And then they
012had a um concert at night. Um, so we had a couple of students that were a member of that. So we're going to start with Anna Bugai if she could come up. And she played flute with the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Festival. [Music] a bunch. Do you want to keep them all up here and we'll do one picture? You want to do that? We'll do it at the end to keep it moving. Yes, sounds good to me. Um, next we would like to recognize Abigail Divine. if she could come [Applause] up. Aby's a sixth grader and uh she has currently won the New York International Music Concourse Piano Competition um and has performed at Carnegie Hall. So, we are recognizing her tonight for those achievements. [Applause] Uh the other um achievements we were like
013to recognize tonight from George Washington. So the uh North Jersey School Music Association holds an elementary um honor band. Uh this is uh students who are nominated by their directors again from around the state. We had I think this year over uh almost 500 students that were nominated by um like 26 different schools. um together they form two different fifth grade bands and two different sixth grade bands and have a um festival coming up on May 3rd I believe it is. Um so we have a couple students tonight that are part of that. So, we would like to recognize tonight Kaden Montgomery, who's playing trumpet with the North Jersey Sixth Grade Honor [Applause] Band. Congratulations. Uh, also we would like to recognize um our one of our eighth graders, Cassandra Papados, who also um competed
014in the New York International Music Concourse Piano Competition and received first place. Um, she received uh lots of recognition over the last couple years and also has performed in Carnegie Hall. So, Cassandra, come on up. Shake hands. Dr. uh performing trombone in the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Festival. We'd like to recognize Nor Cuadri. [Applause] uh playing clarinet in the Rididgewood Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Festival. We would like to recognize Ellen Salem. [Applause] Uh also um her sister is Sophie Seo playing viola with the Rididgewood Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Festival and also would like to recognize Sophie as uh the first ever string student uh from Wayne to be um a member of the New Jersey Allstate Orchestra playing viola. So congratulations to Sophie. [Applause] uh playing percussion with the North Jersey School Music Association,
015sixth grade honor band, Lorenzo Tinduk. [Applause] Congratulations. And finally, we'd like to recognize Kenzo Wterman playing tenner saxs for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Festival and also with the sixth grade honor band. [Applause] Um we would also like to recognize um when we do this program so in about two weeks the George Washington Middle School music program will be going to the music in the parks competition um in uh the second week of May. Um and we did the same thing last year kind of after this meeting. So we would like to recognize the achievements of the music program um at last year's music in the parks competition. Um so for both the um band and the chorus. So I will do the band first. the um sixth grade concert band received a first
016place uh trophy with the superior rating. The seventh and eighth grade concert band received a first place award with the superior rating and was also nominated the best overall middle school concert band. The jazz ensemble received a first place with an excellent rating. And for chorus, um, sixth grade chorus, seventh grade chorus, eighth grade chorus and the Eagletes all received first place ratings, um, and superior, um, as well as the Eagleets receiving the best overall middle school choir. So, um, we would like to to recognize those achievements as well. Thank you very much. And at this point, I'd like to turn it over to Miss Janette Basilicado from Anthony Ray Middle School. [Applause] I'll help. We're good. On behalf of myself, uh, my colleague Crystal Wild, and principal Courtney Dylan from Anthony Middle School, we'd
017like to recognize the following students. Lucas Vargas, clarinet for the North Jersey Junior Area Symphonic Band, Lucas Deabono. Oop, sorry. Lucas Delaberno, trumpet, North Jersey Junior Area Symphonic Band. It's my parents. Um, as Mr. individual already mentioned we have uh students also participating in the North Jersey School Music Association sixth grade honors band coming up in about 7 days. Uh so first on percussion Rafael [Applause] on the flute. Anita Bumpin [Applause] I'm going to publicly apologize to all my students whose names I'm really butchering even though I see you every day. So, I'm truly sorry, but I'm doing my best. Um, Ariana Yo, sorry, Yulimo on clarinet. [Applause] Okay. On the trombone, Helina Mastery. Yeah. uh cannot be with us tonight. But on the tenor sachs, no moon on the alto saxs, atrea and thuja.
018on trumpet. Ivan Torres. I'd like to turn over to our vocal director, uh, Miss Lisa Rushinello. [Applause] Hello. I'd like to put on my Anthony Wayne hat and really stay away from this microphone because it sounds like garbage here. So, sorry. Excuse me. So, I will just speak loudly. Excuse me. Garble was what I was trying to say. Uh, I would like to acknowledge Kylie Ortiz as soprano one in the North Jersey Junior Region Chorus. She auditioned with Oh, well, I was in the room. So, there were 75 other students that auditioned. She got excellent scores. And as you can hear, she's someday going to be quite a wonderful soprano one. So, Kylie Ortiz, come on up. Congratulations. [Applause] with your lovely principal. Thank you so briefly, I would like to put on my Wayne
019Valley hat and acknowledge Charlotte English who right now is the vice president of SDA. You can only imagine what she's doing this evening. But um she also auditioned for region which is 9th through 12th graders and um they do all of their concerts in February and she was a soprano too in the soprano um and alto chorus. So congratulations Charlotte. I'll give this to her tomorrow. She's a little busy right now. Thank [Applause] [Music] you. And Mr. Mr. Pusac, would you like to come to the podium and represent Skyler Kfax? Uhhuh. Good evening everyone. My name is Mr. Puzzac and on behalf of myself, Mr. Vogle, Mrs. Palumba, and Mrs. Weinstein, is my pleasure to announce our Skyla Kofax music awards for this year. Thank you. First award is a very special award for us
020music teachers. Uh, you'll notice there's another music teacher standing up with us. So, I would like to announce the first award, trumpet, North Jersey Area Symphonic Band, Anthony Bosicado. Thank you, [Music] Anthony. You can shake your mom's arm. A Yes. Shake it, please. Thank you. And congratulations. I know. Thank you. Our second award goes to Maximo Bonai on trombone, North Jersey Junior Area Symphonic Band. Oh, take a picture. Remember they drove you back and next is Emily Irwin, French horn, North Jersey Junior Area Symphonic Band. Congratulations SIA Ramanathan Flute North Jersey Junior Area Symphonic [Applause] Band. Big smile. Smile. And last, but definitely not least, this next student is our only middle school student who actually made region band this year from all of Wayne, New Jersey. Not only did she make region band, but
021she is a seventh grader. Juliana uh Juliana Steer, tener saxophone, North Jersey Region One Intermediate Concert Band. Jillian Steer. [Music] [Applause] Congratulations. And I just want to clarify that name. Jillian Steer. [Applause] Next, I'm going to do our choir D awards. First, Luna Capellan, North Jersey Region 1 Intermediate Treble Choir, Soprano 1. Congratulations, Turner. Next is Kayla Fagan, North Jersey Region 1 Intermediate Treble Choir, Alto. Let's give her a round of [Applause] applause. Camila Vicaro, North Jersey Region One Intermediate Treble Choir, Alto And last, but definitely not least, Mio Silvento, North Jersey Region One Intermitt Treble Choir, Soprano 2. Congratulations. Okay. Now, it's my pleasure to introduce the very talented Mr. Christopher Ruska, Wayne Valley High School. I did ask for that adjective to be said. I So, thank you. Thank you for the talented
022part. On behalf of Wayne Valley High School, um Jen Grimbillis and our dearly beloved, uh principal, Ken Palzi, like to announce the following awards. Um we have two students like to recognize. Uh Isla Homsy is actually right now at SDA, probably screaming at the top of her lungs and doing a bunch of dance choreography. But she is a very talented clarinet player and also a pianist who won first place at the elite international music competition and performed a piano solo at Carnegie Hall at the winter's recital. So congratulations Isa. Also like to point out also like to point out she just got accepted into Satan Hall University for premed. So, she's going to be doing some great things in [Applause] life. The next recipient uh is Daniel Cho who um is going to be going
023to school for music. He auditioned at a bunch of prestigious schools. He was accepted into Manhattan School of Music, Barge Conservative Music, Ruckers University, Mason Grove School of the Arts. Um he plays clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, piccolo, saxophone, percussion. An extremely talented individual and he has decided to take his talents to um the new school uh Mattis in New York City and he also auditioned and got accepted into New York youth Symphony Orchestra and clarinet chamber ensemble. Daniel is a phenomenal musician, one of the best I've come across in my 23 years of teaching. We're going to definitely miss him, but congratulations Daniel. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] And if you know Daniel, that is Daniel to a tea. You got to love him. Uh we have four ensembles I also wanted to recognize tonight. Uh
024we have our Wayne Valley marching band who is the 2024 NJMBBDA class A New Jersey state champions, one overall best music and best visual. We are have our symphonic band who a few weeks ago competed at the NJSMA region one contraband festival received a gold rating and won overall best percussion section. Uh last week we actually just had uh indoor percussion championships and we are the 2025 US bands regional a scholastic standstill bronze medalists. And finally, we have our jazz ensemble who recently qualified uh for the region 3 state finals, which means that we're one of the top nine jazz bands in region 3 in the state of New Jersey, and we'll be competing next Saturday for the state championship. Congratulations to all those ensembles. [Music] And last, but certainly not least, I know this
025is a student recognition, but I'd be remissed to say uh the next person we're going to recognize for the school of Wayne Hills has been a band director for 35 years at Wayne Hills and is going to be retiring in a few weeks. And I think it would be nice to have a quick moment to thank Matt Paterno for everything he's done for us in this district. [Applause] Thank you. Was that Yeah. Good. No, I'm good. Thank you. Good. Thank you. Um, on behalf of our principal, Mr. Verick, our assistant principal, Dr. Glass, Miss Pascal, our choir director, Miss Palumba, and myself. We're proud to recognize the following musicians from Wayne Hills High School. First on bass clarinet, North Jersey Area Band Symphonic Band member, Joe Catalano. [Applause] a baritone saxophone player with the American
026Music Abroad Red Tour, Maline Deleo. Yeah. Then you He goes first. He's bigger. Thank you. A trombone player with the Caldwell University Honors Band. Essen here. Congratulations. Good job. A baron saxophone player again with the American Music Abroad Red Tour. Mia Guzman. She could unfortunately not be with us tonight, but we'd like to recognize her anyway. A flute player with the Eastern Wind Symphony Youth Band and the American Music Abroad Red Tour. Aaron Hunt, your mom wants to [Applause] go. Uh, besides with the American Music Abroad Red Tour, Julia Herzkow, congratulations. Good job. a trumpet uh player with the New Jersey uh Symphony Youth Orchestra, Noah Kim. I think he was out of school today, so I think he might be sick. A clarinetist with the North Jersey Area Symphonic Band and the American Music
027Abroad Red Tour. Ian Quan was here. Um, a French oneist with the Caldwell University Honors Band, Haleem Ma Maserie. Congratulations. A clarinetist with the North Jersey Area Symphonic Band made it as a freshman, which is extra impressive. TM Mousa. Excuse me. One second. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I'm trying to keep this. Um, a bassoonist with the New Jersey Region One Symphonic Band and the Caldwell University Honors Band. Marcus Nevis. I don't think he was able to. I'm now with percussionist with the Calgary University Honors Band, Farah Schwarz. Congratulations. An alto saxoponist with the Eastern Wind Symphony Youth Band, Liam Sheffield. Good job. An oboist, uh, first obo with the North Jersey Area Band, uh, principal obo and wind ensemble, Juliana Steer. Congratulations. An alto saxoponist with the American Music Abroad Red Tour. Ani [Applause] Tanga, a
028chist with the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra and an obo player with the Caldwell University Honors Band. Uh, Satie Valencia. She can unfortunately not be with us tonight. She actually has rehearsal. I'm not kidding. Dave. And last, but certainly not least, a trumpet player with the Caldwell University Honors Band, Eric Wallik. Congratulations. Good stuff. And on behalf of our choir director Oh, wait. Because he's tall. Hey, wait. Okay. And on behalf of our choir director, uh, Miss Palumba, uh, we'd like to recognize, uh, Ariana Dinardo, North Jersey Region One Mixed Choir, Soprano 2. We'd also like to recognize Annabelle Munes, uh, Munes, right? Sorry. Uh, New Jersey Josie Region One Trouble Choir, Soprano One. Congratulations. Thank you for singing to me. And last, but again, oh, not last. Sorry. Uh, we'd also like to recognize
029Aiden Prescal, New Jersey Region One Mixed Choir, Ted One. Thank you. And again, but on the vocal side, New Jersey Region One mixed choir, soprano one, Farah Schwarz. Okay. Thank you. all this picture taking makes me want to shutter. Thank you. Uh, a few uh, instrumental program awards to uh, mention. and our Patriot 5 uh instrumental ensemble performed many community outreach concerts at assisted living than and uh places around the community. We're very proud of them. Weno's Patriot Marching Band was second place tournament of bands New Jersey State group three champions. Uh Weno's Patriot March band was also uh selected as best overall band and first place group doubleA at Midland Park band competition. Our indoor percussion uh this year was out for their second year, took several first place awards and fourth place in
030the US band championships. and the way Symphonic Bend uh had a silver rating at the NJSMA concert band festival this year. So, we're very proud of all those students. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We started this program back in 2006 and I'm I'm very very proud to see it still going. Thankful uh to the administration, the community to give up the time for it. The in closing I would like to remind the students that their success did not come about by chance and that the formula for the achievements that have brought them here this evening can be applied throughout their lives. In a world of I can't Bruce Lee again reminds us if you always put limits on everything you do physical or anything else it will spread into your work and into
031your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus and you must not stay there. You must learn to go beyond them. Thank you again for honoring all of our students tonight. Um, and thank you students for your both your achievements and the honor you've brought to our community. Thank [Applause] you. Thank you. Oh, thank you. [Applause] Um, on behalf of the board, I congratulate everyone tonight. Um, as we gather here to celebrate the talents of our students, but to honor the hearts of our students as well, the discipline, the passion that lies behind every note they play and every song they sing. To our incredible music students, your dedication to your craft is both inspiring and humbling. Whether it's early morning rehearsals, the hours spent perfecting your sound, or the quiet resilience you show
032in the face of challenge, you remind us all the beauty that you can be created with the love meets hardworking heart. To each and every one of you, I congratulate you on behalf of the board. And to Mr. Pno, Matt, it's been a good ride and we've come up with good things. And just to close, as it said, you know, your legacy is what you leave behind and you leave a great legacy here. And I thank you again. Thank you. Any other comments, Matt? I also want to give a shout out. Congratulations. But also to the parents, everybody who ran up here with the camera and tried to get the thing zooming up there. That's just the tip of the iceberg. It's the driving to the competitions. It's the my, you know, my my read
033needs a needs a new read and I lost my music and mom wears my trumpet and the dog stepped on it. And you're running around the arts and music trying to get new instruments for these guys. You're teaching them resilience because they're watching you overcome stuff that's not even for you. It's for them. They see that and that's a big part of this. So, it wasn't mentioned quickly enough. So, I'll jump on it cuz I'm that kind of guy. Mom and dad, grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, and friends. You all, you also get this congratulations. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Yeah. Anyone else? any comments? Uh, we're going to take a 5m minute break. I would ask everyone who received an award to come up in the front here so Mr. Meredith can get your picture and I'd
034ask all the teachers to come up with them. [Music] You want to just take this nap? Probably going to get you going. [Music] What? something I said something. I'll be wide open. Travis Hunter. Giants I'd take Carter. Yeah, we're ready. Ready to go. That's all right. No problem. We're ready to go. Bye. My stock broker. All right. We're missing somebody important. We're really just waiting off for the Giants pick in the draft. Yeah. My son texts me like, "Can someone dinner?" I'm like, "I'm a little busy." I I'm like, "Why? Talk to your mother. I'm good. I have good tomato. Dr. Tobeck. Thank you, Mr. Pavlac. So, I'm going to keep my report very brief because we still have a lot more to do this evening. So um this is the time of the year
035where ultimately throughout the district there's a number of different employee groups that are we recognize because they're national day for this national day for that. So um just real quickly want to take a moment to recognize all of our principles. National principles day is celebrated on May 1st every year. Um, also yesterday was administrative professionals day and so we thank all of the administrative professionals who work tirelessly in our schools and including all the administrative professionals who develop our board agendas and all the reports that the board receives. So um they have a lot to do with every single board meeting and the success of each meeting. Also national nurses week is coming up in May from May 6th to May 12th and of course teacher appreciation week which is May 5th to May 9th.
036So that is um an event where across the district each school has a variety of uh different activities planned to recognize the excellent work of our teachers. So um as you see we have no student representatives tonight. Um that in large part has to do with the fact that there is just so many things. So at this time of year sometimes we we're a little short on student reps. Um there's SDA of course everyone knows about SDA today, tonight I'm sorry tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 6 p.m. And I have to turn things over to Mrs. Casmark right now who has to do a required report on absenteeism. Thank you, Dr. Tobach. School performance reports are available through the New Jersey Department of Education website and include data on our school's chronic absenteeism rate. A
037student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school days for which they are enrolled. This translates to missing as few as two days of school per month. In New Jersey, a student is considered chronically absent if they have 18 or more excused and or unexcused absences within a school year. When 10% or more of students at a public school are chronically absent, the school is required to develop a corrective action plan to improve absenteeism rates. Five of our schools were required to submit a plan this year. They include John of Kennedy Elementary School whose absentee rate was 10.3%. Ryerson Elementary School whose absentee rate was 16.7%. Anthony Wayne Middle School whose absentee rate was 10.2%. George Washington Middle School whose absentee rate was 16.1% and Skyler Kofax Middle School whose
038absentee rate was 13.3%. Each of these schools has developed a plan outlining recommendations to address problems and barriers to school attendance. We look forward to working closely with our families to support improved attendance and acknowledge the tremendous effort of our administrators and teachers who work hard to ensure there's a positive environment at each school. Thank you. And finally, the HIB report. I'm reporting the following data related to harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents in the Wayne Township Public Schools. There were seven incidents of HIV that were investigated since my last report and four of those cases were actually found to be um HIV cases which is a big improvement when you compare our numbers over the prior few years. We're heading in the right direction every month. I never turn this on, right? I good. Okay.
039All right. Um, tonight I just want to take a minute to introduce Julie Lion who's the vice president of n of national partnerships for right at school who's going to pres do a presentation on our proposed aftercare program. Thanks. Appreciate it. Whoa. Hi everybody. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Uh first I just want to say um thank you so much for the work that you do. I know that this job that you do is not easy and so I am thankful for your commitment. I'm also thankful for the commitment that you have done in the RFP process for before and after school programming. Uh I'm really happy that and that we have responded and I'm here tonight to tell you a little bit. I am Julie Lion. I am the vice president of
040national partnerships of Wrighted School. I have been with Wright at school since 2010 when we first started. Uh I was a former teacher, so being here tonight makes me really happy. Uh seeing all the kids. Uh I still get to go back to the classroom a lot when visiting writed school programs. I also was a summer camp director. So that's another passion of mine. Uh, I left teaching and directing summer camps back in 2011 to help start right at school so we could have better options for the children in elementary and preschool and middle school during the afterchool hours. And that also includes before school and summer camps and break camps and days off. I call that our continuity of care that we're doing more for children in those hours. Since 2011, our mission has
041been to inspire a love of learning to support schools and give parents a peace of mind. And I am proud to say that we have about 65,000 children a day in our programs. But what I'm most proud about are the 5,000 educators that we employ and we hire and we train to work with communities just like Wayne. Our promise is to our students, our families, and our partners. So, we say in our programs and before and after school that we want children to have a place to grow, a place to learn, and really a place to be a kid and have a lifelong joy of learning. And so, you'll hear me talk a lot about safety and joy because those are two of the hallmarks of our program. and to our families that we have
042a safe and consistent program where children can go after school to feel like they're a part of a community to have consistent staff after school and I know that the Wayne staff currently are running an incredible program that we want to elevate but we want to hire them as well. We want them to be a part of our program that's really important to us and having flexible and fair pricing. So when we started to dig into the RFP response, we looked at the communities around Wayne to see what parents are currently paying for before and after school programs and we came in around that pricing and some of it's actually lower. And then to our partners for you guys is safety and joy in all nine elementary schools and to have a high quality collaborative
043program and a local responsive partnership team. and our commitment to the Wayne staff that's currently working is that we want to interview and hopefully offer them positions in our program. And so on Monday, May 28th, if this becomes board approved, we will have a meet and greet with all those educators to talk to them about Wright at school to let them know who we are, to talk about the training that we require to be an employee at Wright at school, and to work with children before and after school. And we have local leadership. And so we have a whole structure of an area manager that will manage all nine of the schools. We'll have a program manager at all nine schools and then our educators that will be in the schools working with children and
044most of them will be the current Wayne staff. And then professional growth. So I think that what's really important is that the educators are the heart of the right at school program and that we're giving them the training that they need to work with children in the before and after school hours. And that includes what are you doing in your schools that we need to be trained on. So whether that's fire drills or sa school safety or calm classroom or PBIS, we are going to train our educators to do the same thing that the principles and the teachers are doing during the school day. So it feels very much the same and our commitment to Wayne families as I said is safety number one. There's this whole study done that the working parent, their work
045productivity starts to go down at 3 PM because I'm that person. I'm that mom who's like, "Where are my kids after school? What are they doing? Who are they with? What are they eating? Are they doing their homework?" And so we're making sure that our staff are well trained to be able to work with your ch the children of Wayne after school. And we partner with all the principles and the district administration to align on the safety procedures and those emergency protocols. Fun is the number one thing that we want the children to be doing after school. We want them to feel good. We want them to know that they have a community where they belong and that they're having fun in the program. And making it affordable for families so they can and flexible
046so they can choose between one through five days a week for before or after school. They can change their schedules monthly. And we will also take New Jersey state sub subsidies for families that may not be able to afford our programs. Everything will be done online. So parents will go to our online portal system, they'll register. 80% of those families never come back. Their schedules never change, but we will be able to make that possible for them to go back on that portal and change schedules through our online registration system. So we're all in this together. We are really the outofchool time experts. We know how busy the administration is during the school day. So really taking that off the plate of the school district. We will do all the sourcing and hiring. Hopefully your
047Wayne staff will be the ones working in the program going through the background checks, registration and payment, curriculum and supplies. We bring it all and training and supervision and also marketing. So we will take care of letting the parents know when registration opens. If we're selected, we will have a parent forum. We'll do that online zoom. We'll meet those parents. We'll talk to them about what the program looks like, how much it costs, show them where to go register, get them excited for a new and exciting program. So really, the hallmark of our program is our disguise learning in our station rotation. If I told any of the kids in Wayne, when the school bell rang at three, who wants to learn more? I'm sure they would all roll their eyes and say, not me.
048I'm done. These kids have been sitting all day. We want to get them in our program, moving their bodies, burning off energy. We survey our families and our administrators twice a year. The number one thing that parents want and caregivers want for their child after school, safety and joy, but to come home with their homework complete. And so we want to make sure that those children are going home at 6:00 and they can have family time and they can sit down and have dinner. And you know, homework is changing and it's harder for parents to understand how to help their children in homework even in the elementary school school ages. So, we're going to make sure that those kids are going home with that homework complete and they have a, you know, understanding of the
049concept. And so, all of our station rotation is really play-based disguise learning and community-led community service. We want to become a part of the fabric of the community. We'll partner with your PTAs. We'll partner with your parents. We want them to feel like they're a part of something after school where they're learning and having fun, but they actually don't know that maybe they're doing engineering or maybe they're doing math. They just know that they're having fun doing these projects. And so this is a little bit of a sample of a year in the life of the right at school student. So they're getting a lot of critical thinking and durable skills. And the durable skills are the ones that we want these kids to graduate from high school and go off to college, right? grit,
050empathy, resilience. That's it. And we're hopefully doing that starting in kindergarten with our children and right at school and then they can leave, get to, you know, finish fifth grade, go into the middle school and have a little bit more of that that they've learned in that afterchool program. And so this is our proposed 2526 pricing. We have a sibling discount. We have a military discount. we are able to drop down the pricing for, you know, the one, two, three, or four day families. Um, and we'll also take New Jersey subsidies. And that's sort of the end of my quick detail, but it was a lot. It was a lot. Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to clarify for a minute the pricing piece because I know that's important for everybody. So, just to clarify this,
051the pricing for right at school for five days a week as it shows up there is two would be $298 a month. That is currently more than families are paying this school year. However, the price that families are paying this school year includes some subsidizing on the district's end that with the current budget would not be would not be allowable for next year. In addition, the cost for staffing and operations has also increased. So the price that the the proposed price for the current district program would exceed the right at school amount. In knowing that that might be something that would happen this year. We went out for the RFP. We solicited proposals from other from other vendors. We had five proposals that came in and right at school was the least expensive of the
052five proposals that we received who met the specifications for the RFP. So, and after we dug around a little bit around the area, as I mentioned, this is still even lower. Most of them are around $350 a month for about a threehour program after school. And so, we were able to drop it down. We know you've got large volumes of of children that are utilizing these programs. And so, um, we're really excited assuming that we're we're board approved, but um, yeah. So, we look forward to working with them. Any questions? Any questions from the board? Okay, good. Thank you. See none. Thank you. And thank you. That's pretty amazing. Mr. We have a question. Um, can you control the hours on the program pricing as far as Sure. After Oh, go talk. Before and after.
053Tell you want me to say them? Sure. So, the afterchool program for five days a week is $298 a month. For four days is $271 a month. Three days is $236 a month. Two days is $177 a month. One day a week is $108 a month. And then our before school for 5 days is $260 a month. Four days is $236 a month. 3 days is $26 a month. Two days is $254 a month. One day is $94 a month. And then we offer a discounted combo rate if you're choosing five days a week for before and after is 505 a month. 4 days is $4.58 a month. 3 days is $3.99 a month. Two days is $2.99 a month. And one day is $183 a month. After school till 6 and before school it
054starts at 7 a.m. till the start. Yep. Okay. In the morning and till 6. Till six. Yes. And we'll we will be able to offer school out days if there's half days. Um and we can certainly talk about if we want winter break or spring break camps if your bu only if your buildings are open. And we typically will centralize those. So we wouldn't have them at all schools and that's only if you want. Yeah. Julie, what would the hours be? Would they change from what they are now? No, they will be the same hours. Yeah. And we'll survey families. If parents want longer programming, we can certainly go till 6:37. Uh but we typically most families need about till six o'clock. Thank you. Yeah, Mr. Zakus. Uh is there an ability for a family
055let's say in the month of December they decide to to join this uh before and after are they able to to jump in and jump out? Yes. Rolling admission. So they can come online to the website. We'll link it to your website. We have an incredible marketing team and tech team that will manage all of this. They'll go register. They can drop in. We also have punch cards. I didn't even talk about that. Like for the family that really just only needs here and there. Uh and then they can come to the website, register uh December, January, February, whenever they need programming. There's no commitment either. They can unenroll, reenroll. Yeah. Anyone else? Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Now it's my turn to sing. I will save you. I'm tonedeaf. Thank you.
056We have one revision to the agenda tonight. Approval of a settlement agreement. Resolved that the board of education upon the recommendation of the superintendent hereby approves settlement agreement and general release in the matter of a civil action docket number 2 col24- CV-475- SDW-LDW dated April 22nd 2025 as attached by the reference and further authorizes the board president and the board secretary to execute the name on behalf of the board. The business administrator and superintendent are authorized to take all further steps required by the terms of the settlement agreement. Right. At this time, we'll open the public on agenda items only. This portion of the meeting is open to the citizens for comments on agenda items only. Residents are asked to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to three minutes per
057person. Members of the public are discouraged from speaking negatively about an employee or student. Board bears no responsibility for comments made by the public. Comments regarding employees, students cannot be legally responded to by the board. Other comments may be respond to tonight or at a subsequent meeting under old business. Do I have a mover? Move. Second. Mr. Batter. Anyone from the public wishing to speak on an agenda item? Seeing no one, move to close. Second, Mr. Pacos. Mr. Faber. Committee reports. We have some committees that met tonight. Mr. Pacos. The education committee met on April 3rd uh at 5:00 p.m. at the board office. Uh members in attendance were myself, Mr. Badshill, and Miss Lamandry was absent. The administrator in attendance was Dr. Kasmar. We discussed um we reviewed the February 6, 2025 education committee
058minutes. The policies and regulations um that we discussed were policy number 2365 acceptable use of generative artificial intelligence. Um we also um discussed the AI implementation plan. Uh we discussed a residency transfer from Wayne Hills High School to Wayne Valley High School. Uh we also looked at a dual uh enrollment agreement for PCC, Pail County Community College for English, business, psych, sociology, and automotive. And we discussed uh what Dr. Dr. Kazmark mentioned earlier today about the chronic absenteeism overview and that's it. Thank you. Any other good Mrs. Lumandry? So facilities and transportation met this evening and in um present was uh Matt Gardano, Mark Faber, Lauren Tibbitz, Peter Roma and Richard Scabitzky and myself. Um, we talked about a bunch of different things, but um, we talked about PNIS school and the the ongoing work
059that's happening there and the envelope basically is the the the facility itself and what we're doing there. Um we discussed rod grants for Ryerson um Tunis Day and both of them require and AP Turhune also requiring some roof repair and partial roof um construction. Um there was um some discussion regarding solar agreement that's going on um and that is an ongoing discussion with nothing final happening yet with that. Um we're also working with a prek grant so that is helpful at the pnness school and um and that's about it. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? This time I'll take a motion on the agenda. Can we move the agenda to one vote, please? Mr. Gardana. Second. Mr. Batter. Any comments, discussion? Seeing none, roll call. Mr. Alquinn, yes. Mr. Badu, yes. Mr. Faber, yes. Mr.
060Gordano, yes. Mrs. Mr. Leandry. Yes. Mr. Pisakus. Yes. Mrs. Raloso. Yes. Mr. Pavilac. Yes. Oh, motion. Motion carried. At this time, I'll open the I'll open the meeting to the public for general comments. This portion of the meeting is open to citizens for comments on any topic. Residents are asked to state their name, address, and subject matter. Comments may be limited to five minutes per person. Members of the public are discouraged from speaking negatively about an employee or student. Board bears no responsibility for comments made by the public. Comments regarding employees or students cannot be legally responded to by the board or other comments may be responded to tonight at subsequent meeting. Do I have a mover? Move second. Mr. Ber, anyone from the public wishing to speak? Good evening, Bo. Is the mic on?
061Yeah. Good evening, board. Uh, good to see you all again. My name is Matthew Eisenberg and I live at 11 uh 11 AWAM Drive here in Wayne. I'm here tonight to follow up on the brief introduction I gave at the February 20th board of education meeting regarding my book, Confidence Skills for Young Adults. Forgot to bring it up. Confidence skills for young adults and to provide an update on the journey since then. Since that time, I've had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Tobac, Dr. Kasmar, and Mr. Minioni who I don't see here anymore but I saw him earlier. During our meeting, I presented a first draft of a full curriculum course proposal based on the book designed specifically to support the development of confidence, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and other essential tools
062that today's students need but are rarely taught uh taught in traditional academic settings. Although we acknowledge the late timing in the school year, I'd like to suggest a meaningful shortterm possibility, a presentation to the future business leaders of America or another student assembly, even a single event, especially one targeting graduating seniors, can plant seeds of insight and transformation that last a lifetime. I also uh invite I also invite each of you to take just a few minutes to read the reviews on the Amazon page for confidence skills for young adults. These are not just testimonials from young readers. Parents, educators, and adults of all ages are finding profound relevance in the book's message for their children and for themselves. On April 15th, I gave a presentation at Paya County Technical Institute to the future business
063leaders of America. After that session, a young uh a young woman came up to me and said that 25inut presentation just changed my life. She told me she wished she had this book two years ago. She held her gifted copy tightly and asked me to sign it. That moment reaffirmed why this journey matters so deeply to me and to the young people we're all here to serve. My mission remains simple yet powerful to inspire and equip young adults to step into their future with clarity, confidence, and courage. The potential is already within them. Sometimes all they need is the right language, the right tools, and the right encouragement to awaken it. I thank you for your time, your dedication to our students, and your openness to supporting initiatives like this that aim to prepare them
064not just for graduation, but for life. Thank you all. I'm done with my presentation, but I just have to say Matt, my daughters are 40 and 45. Matt Pno went they went through band with Matt Paterno and the character building that they learned there synchronizes well with my book and he taught them lessons in life. I never heard of band time before. Do you folks know what band time is? That's when you have an appointment you get there 15 minutes before. That's Matt Paterno. Yep. A true gem. Uh, I'm done with my time. Thank you all. Thank you. Anyone else from the public wishing to speak? Seeing no one in approach and move to close second. Mr. Bish retirements. I'm going to start all the way down to my right. We go down and then
065we're coming back. All right. Today I'm reading for Miss Beverly Sullivan. As Beverly prepares to begin the next chapter of her life, she reflects fondly on nearly 18 years of dedicated service to the Wayne Board of Education. Three years at Wayne Valley and almost 15 years at Wayne Hills. Throughout her time in various roles, she has taken great pride not only in fulfilling her responsibilities, but also in building meaningful relationships with students, parents, staff, and administrators. Many have expressed their gratitude for the ways she has supported them over the years. But she is quick to acknowledge that the impact has been mutual. The people she has worked with have touched her life just as deeply, leaving lasting impressions that she will carry with her into the future. She is extremely grateful to the board of
066education for the many opportunities for professional and personal growth, particularly through the district's professional development initiatives. She is equally appreciative of the unwavering support and guidance provided by administration and her immediate supervisors throughout her career. Thank you. I'm going to read about Erica Batelli. After almost 20 years of dedicated service, we celebrate the incredible career of Erica Batelli, whose passion and commitment have made a profound difference in the lives of her students with multiple disabilities. From the moment she stepped into the classroom, she brought peace, patience, kindness, and a deep sense of responsibility that has helped shape so many young lives. Her ability to connect with students and provide unwavering support has made her an invaluable part of our school community. She graciously pours so much of her love into everything she does and has
067a heart that never gives up. Her belief in the process was evident in the consistent effort she put forth each day in order to positively impact the lives of students in her care. Beyond her work with students, Erica has been a source of encouragement and positivity for colleagues, always ready to lend a helping hand or share a kind word. Her dedication to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment has left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire others for years to come. She has not only been a paraprofessional but also a mentor, a friend, and a role model to all who have had the privilege of working with her. Erica never hesitated to help and offered incredible support to her classroom teachers. She has been an integral part of running a successful classroom and it
068can be said with certainty that we would not have been able to do the job without her steadfast support. As she embarks on the exciting on this exciting new chapter, we celebrate all that she has accomplished and the countless lives she has touched. While we will miss her presence in the classroom, we know she has earned this time to relax, explore, and enjoy all the retirement has to offer. Congratulations, Erica Batelli, on a well-deserved retirement. Thank you. I have two to read. Uh, I'm going to start with Cindy Martinez. Cindy Martinez has been a math teacher at Wayne Hills High School since 1986. Cindy's impressive and impactful teaching career began right after she graduated Ruckers University. She has dedicated her 40 years in education to students of Wayne. Throughout her tenure, she has served in
069many role ro roles including a class adviser and even one season as a cheerle cheerleading coach. She has spent her entire career being passionate about the teaching and inspir inspiring her chu her students. Constantly embracing changes and developments in math and technology. Her passion for teaching, unwavering commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, and genuine care for each student have made a lasting impact on the school community. Cindy never fails to create an to create an environment of positivity, humor, and kindness in her classroom. She challenges her students every day to do their best and never give up. Cindy has even inspired many of her students to go into education as a result of the profound impact she makes in their lives. She is an extremely dedicated educator who is well respected by everyone, not
070only the math department, but the entire Wayne Hills community. She is a mentor to other teachers and sets the bar for impact any of us can hope to make. Aside from her role in the classroom, Cindy Martinez is a an incredible leader and friend. Anyone who knows Cindy personally knows that she has the biggest heart. Cindy uh is unlike the unofficial w is is like the unofficial welcoming committee to the Wayne Hills community. She is one of the first people to greet you on the first day at work. Always willing to extend a helping hand whether she just met you or has known you for years. Although we are sad to see the for all the future students who will not have Cindy, we are excited for her as she enters her next chapter. Wayne
071Hills will not be the same without her next year. Happy retirement Cindy. wishing you a wonderful and fulfilling retirement fulfilled with joy and relaxation. And I also have uh Sue Copelan. Um for 13 years I've been writing retirement tributes for staff members of the George Washington Middle School and then sending it to the person that manages my day, doublech checkcks my work, and provides the support and guidance to successfully lead the school. However, all of a sudden I realized what do you do when the person you are writing for is the one you're learn leaning on to run most of the school uh to on the most to run the school. So it is mixed with mixed emotions uh I are about this uh I would like to congratulate Miss Suzanne Cochland uh as she
072completes her 18th year as the administrative assistant to the principal at George Washington Middle School. During all of my years of principal of GW, not my years of but uh I have had the privilege of working with Miss Cochlin and I was able to learn that being the administrative assistant to the principal meant you that meant that your dedication, organization and support that you have helped keep the the school running smoothly year after year. Behind every successful partnership is someone quietly making things work and that someone has been you. During our 13 years together, you have been a true professional, a trusted friend, and someone I could count on for unwavering support no matter how difficult things were. Miss Conklin's commitment to our school was visible every day in the main office, and each and
073every student, staff member, and parent was able to experience it. However, in addition to what she offered our school on a daily basis, Miss Cochland has always been an active member of our overall school community. She chaperoned and attended con concerts, often brought family to support school events, and was the first to contribute to many of the programs we organized to help with those in need. Miss Conklin's commitment to our school has played a large role in the many successes our school has achieved, and I truly cannot thank her enough for what she has done. While I am and always will be grateful for Miss Conklin's performance and professionalism, what I have admired was her commitment to family. Her love for her family shines through uh in everything she does. Whether she is sharing stories
074about her grand about your grandkids, talking about your talking about holiday traditions or sharing stories from her most recent family vacation. It is clear that the greatest joy has always been found in people she held closest. For the past 13 years, I've watched Miss Cochland balance her family at GW and her family at home. But now, it is time to commit your time to the family at home. Honestly, with as many grandkids kids as you have, you need more free time. While we still have a few months to work together, I know your presence will be missed at our front office and in the daily rhythm of our school. However, for me, it will be the support, sharing stories, and commitment to make GW a great place to be. Thank you for everything you have
075done for GW, and we wish you a retirement of full happiness and time with those grandchildren. Okay, I have two of them. Uh, the first one is Kathleen Angler. Kathy Angler will be happily retiring after 25 years of teaching. Her career started in the elementary school and has ended with her stay at Skyler as a sixth grade social studies teacher. Kathy has loved all of her experiences and most of all her connections and relationships with her students. Kathy enjoyed participating in Skylar extracurricular activities like our dodgeball events. She looks forward to traveling with her friends and family in retirement and just relaxing. Kathy, thank you for years of service and dedication. you will be missed and we wish you all the health, happiness and peace ahead for your next chapter. Excuse me. The next one
076is for uh Jabra Barum. It is with heartfelt gratitude that we say farewell to Jabra Gabe Barum who's retiring after 20 plus years of dedicated service at Wayne Township Public Schools as a school district's storekeeper. Gabe started his career with us as a custodian in 2000 where he quickly established himself as a reliable and dedicated worker. In the following year, he transitioned to the role of storekeeper, ensuring that all supplies and deliveries that were were kept in perfect order, demonstrating exceptional organization and reliability. Gab's professionalism, kindness, and work ethic have set an inspiring example for all who had the privilege of working with him. as he steps into this new chapter, continues his spiritual work as a priest in his church community and around the world. We extend our warmest wishes. May this next phase
077of life bring him fulfillment, joy, and countless blessings. Thank you, Gabe, for your years of service and dedication. You will always be a valued part of the Wayne Township family. I have Karen Bevino. Karen Vavino has been calling Skyler her home for the past 32 years. Karen's journey began as a student teacher at Wayne Hills High School and continued with roles as RA at Rainbow Nursery School and substitute teaching in various schools in Wayne before she found a home at Skyler. She started as an eighth grade science teacher guiding students through subjects like physical science, biology, earth science, and later transitioning into her role as a guidance counselor. As a science teacher, Karen taught for 18 years and then for the last 14 years was committed to her role as a guidance counselor. Throughout the
078course of Karen's career, she had her own family of five children and pursued a master's degree plus 30 credits. She is living proof that one can do anything. Karen is everything it means to be an educator and especially illuminates all the incredible qualities necessary to be a guidance counselor. Her compassion for her students is felt in everything she does and the way she approaches every day. Karen works tirelessly on the daily basis to ensure all her students needs are met. Whether academically, socially, emotionally, or at any time, all three. Karen involves herself with students beyond their experience at Skylar Kfax and connects deeply with every family, ensuring they feel part of the Skyler family. She brings a smile to those faces of all and the kids who and the kids that know her. The connections
079she has made over the last 32 years in Wayne for those students who may not have always been able to advocate for themselves is a legacy she will leave behind and what her students and families will always be grateful for. One of Karen's favorite memories was the beginning of award for the Governor Educator of the Year award, which was so welld deserved. Other fond memories include seeing kids' faces light up as they perform some really awesome science experiments and when former students visited and say that she helped them along the way. In Karen's spare time, she likes to play golf, swim, cook, and listen to music, binge watch TV, and mostly play shuffleboard and other various um games with her eight grandchildren. Karen will be missed will miss everything about Skyler. She will miss the
080faculty the most, especially her guidance friends, the wonderful administrators, her former eighth grade team, and numerous colleagues. Secondly, she will miss interacting with her students. Their enthusiasm for learning and willingness to make Skyler a better place is something she will cherish forever. Lastly, she will miss birthday breakfast, parties, assemblies, concert, pink out, race for Skyler Cup, lunch with friends, and everything that makes Skyler her home away from home. Karen will look forward to bringing her grandchildren, who love Skyler, to their last take your grandchild to school day with everyone. She will look forward to traveling with her husband and spending more time with her parents, children, and grandparents at the Jersey Shore for the first time. She will not have to fight the Labor Day traffic to come home to start school in the fall.
081Karen, we wish you all the best, health, happiness, and love for a beautiful, deserved retirement. So, I'm going to try not to cry because Ethan Mayan was the principal of my four children. 20 years ago, Wayne opened up James Fallon Elementary School and um I was on the welcoming committee to welcome Mr. Mayan and it's just ironic tonight that I'm getting to say his goodbye. So Ethan Mayan has been a pillar of the Wayne school district serving as James Fallon Elementary School's principal for the past 20 years. He has been a strong leader who built lasting and impactful relationships with the entire community. His unwavering commitment to students was evident in all he did. Prior prior to joining our district, Mr. Mayan served for nine years as the band director and then assistant principal in
082Ridgefield, followed by two years as an assistant principal at Dumont. In Wayne, Mr. Mayan did what he does best, built relationships and trust with students, staff, parents, and the community. He dedicated himself to James Fallon, arriving at the building each morning earlier than most people wake up. For 20 years, Mr. Mayan was not just an administrator, but a true leader and a true role model. Mr. Mayan was always an active presence in the daily activities of the school. Whether it was dedicating his time to Fallon Bucket Brigade, collaborating with the student council year after year to collect and distribute toys for children at St. Joe's Hospital, or visiting classrooms to read to the students. He enjoyed each and every interaction with the found students. Students know Mr. Mayan as an approachable member of the school
083community. His engaging read aloud sparked thinking and reflection about what it meant to be respectful and kind and the often humorous nicknames he bestowed on students. Drawing references from actors, song lyrics, and musical artists that preditated their birth years created a unique bond. Students came to expect Mr. Mayan join them at recess, especially for the legendary kickball tournaments. Mr. Mayan prioritizes teaching students to be upstanding members of the community and emphasizes kindness to others. Above all, he modeled the importance of community service by playing drums at the annual party sponsored by Holiday Express, an organization that so beautifully embodies the healing power of music and friendship. Mr. Mayan showed our students the importance of giving back and the joy of community engagement. For years, Mr. Mayan worked to support the Wayne Alliance Magic Masters basketball
084fundraiser. He organized teams of faculty members from each elementary school and created the game schedule as well as the schedule for the 25th anniversary student halftime show. His influence extended deeply into the heart of our arts program as well. Mr. Mayan's oversight of both the art and instrumental music departments has been nothing short of transformative. His expertise and genuual passion for the arts were always evident and unwavering support has been instrumental, no pun intended, in nurturing the strong elementary instrumental music program that exists in Wayne today. His commitment to our young musicians wasn't limited to the walls of James Fallon. He was a constant present at district concerts including all Wayne Wayne band and strings performances always grinning eartoear and ready with an encouraging word and round of applause. A talented drummer himself, Mr. Mayan
085shared his love of music in profan ways. He brought his rhythmic talent to the all Wayne faculty band and sparked a unique opportunity for students by starting the bucket brigade at James Fallon Elementary. Many may not be aware, but Mr. Mayan gave his own time before school to work with future drummers called the bucket brigade, teaching them and sharing his passion as they all played music together. Beyond his specific contributions, Mr. Maine has cultivated an unparalleled culture at James Fallon Elementary School, a testament to the mutual respect and trust he fostered with his faculty and staff. He set high expectations for all while always being respectful and supportive. He saw every conversation or situation as a learning opportunity for those involved. Mr. May was so proud when James Fallon earned the distinction of the National
086Blue Ribbon School and he genuinely believed in the James Bon's mission statement which emphasizes nurturing and celebrating respect for oneself and others, fostering creativity and promoting academic excellence. Ethan, your dedication, your passion, and your genuine care for our students and staff have left have left a long impression on the Wayne school system. You have shaped programs, led teams, celebrated students, and showcased the very spirit of our community. As you embark on this new chapter, please know that your contributions are deeply appreciated. We will miss you, your leadership, your sense of humor, and the beat of your drum. We wish you good health and much happiness in your retirement. May this next chapter be filled with adventures, joy, and most importantly, precious time with your family. Marica, Jake, and Gia, whom you treasure so much. Congratulations
087on your retirement from the Wayne Board of Education and Regalosi. Have a nice uh retirement. This evening, we have the honor of recognizing a dedicated educator, Ellen Klene, who is retiring after an extraordinary 36-year teaching career with the last 25 years dedicated to the students and families of John F. Kennedy Elementary School. Throughout her tenure, Mrs. Klene has been a pillar of the JFK community, shaping countless students in her fifth grade classroom. Her passion for teaching, dedication to student success, and talent for creating engaging learning experiences have left a lasting impact on her students. Better known as Klein's kids. Year after year, she has created a classroom environment where curiosity thrives, creativity is encouraged, and learning is both meaningful and memorable. Even if you needed a winter coat in her famously cold as a polar
088bear classroom, with a deep love for teaching, writing, and social studies, Mrs. Klein has inspired her students to become thoughtful writers, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens. Whether guiding them through historical events or helping them find their unique voice in their writing, she has fostered a love of learning that extends far beyond the classroom. She has also integrated digital resources into her lessons, ensuring her students are prepared for the future while keeping learning interactive and engaging. Her willingness to adapt and innovate has greatly benefited all those in her class. On behalf of the JFK community, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for her dedication, warmth, and commitment to our students. As she embarks on his next chapter, we thank her for her years of service and wish her a retirement filled with adventure, relaxation, and maybe even
089a little warmth. With heartfelt gratitude and sincere admiration, we honor Mary Edund on her retirement after 22 years of dedicated service to the Wayne Board of Education and the Before and Afterare program. Mary has made a lasting impact at JFK where she has been a constant and compassionate presence in the lives of children, families, and staff. As a caregiver in the before and afterare program, Mary has gone above and beyond by nurturing and supporting the children in her care. For many years, she also volunteered to help with school plays and events. In addition, she made fond memories as she worked at Tunis Day and built lasting relationships with her caregiver team. She was the friendly face at the front entrance, welcoming all as a trusted door monitor, eager to engage with every child who walked
090through the door. Her warmth, reliability, and joyful spirit created a comforting environment that helped students start their school day on a positive note. Mary's genuine love for the children and willingness to pitch in wherever needed has made her an irreplaceable part of JFK's school community. Her legacy of dedication and connection will remain in the hearts of all those she has touched. Mary, thank you for your 22 years of extraordinary service. We wish you joy, relaxation, and countless hap happy happy moments as you begin this well-deserved new chapter of life. Congratulations on your retire retirement. You will be greatly missed. And I have one more. It is with sincere gratitude and admiration that we address the upcoming retirement of a truly remarkable educator, Mrs. Laura Hoostrait. For the past 30 years since 1992, she has been
091a cornerstone of Tunis Day Elementary School, dedicating her professional life to the students of our community, having earned her bachelor of science in elementary education from Satan Hall University and her master's in environmental studies from Montlair State University. Miss Hoostra brought a unique and invaluable perspective to her roles teaching first, second, and fifth grade. Throughout her distinguished tenure at Tunis Day, Miss Hookstra consistently consistently exemplified the qualities we hold in highest regard. Kindness, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the best interest of her students. Her dedication has undoubtedly made a lasting and profound difference in the lives of countless young people, enriching their academic journeys and fostering their personal growth. Beyond her exceptional work in the classroom, Mrs. Hoostrait's passion for the environment has been truly inspiring. As a founding member of the Tunis Day
092environmental committee and the driving force behind the student green team, she has instilled in our students a deep appreciation for the natural world. Her leadership in coordinating the award-winning Earth Fair, the Summer Outdoor Learning Institute, and the Party for the Planet has provided invaluable hands-on learning experiences. Furthermore, her tireless efforts and initiatives such as the Tunis Day trail refurbishment, the construction of bird blinds, and her collaboration with Ramipo College on their environment has as an integrating context project have left an indelible mark in our school and our community. Her commitment extends far beyond the school grounds as evidenced by her countless volunteer hours with esteemed environmental agencies such as River Edge Environmental Commission, the Bergen County Zoological Park, and the Weiss Ecology Center. This dedication underscores her profound belief in environmental stewardship and her desire
093to make a positive impact on the world around her. Her dedication and excellence have not gone unno gone unnoticed. She has been recognized with several accolades including the promising practice award, the hometown hero award, and the distinguished honor of being a two-time governor's educator of the year. These awards are a testament to her exceptional contributions and the high regard in which she is held by her peers, our community, and the state. While the retirement of such a dedicated and impactful educator is undoubtedly a loss for our district, we are also excited for her as she embarks on this new chapter. We uh we are confident that her passion and commitment will continue to positively influence others in the years to come. On behalf of the entire board of education, the administration, the faculty, students, the
094community, we extend our deepest gratitude to Mrs. Laura Hoostrait for her 30 years of exemplary service to the Tuna State Elementary School and the Wayne Township Public Schools. We wish her and her family the very best as she begins this welldeserved phase of her life. Thank you to all our retirees. I thank you for your service to the district. We have lost a lot of people who with a lot of years dedicated to this district and all we can do is say thank you. We appreciate you. Any old business, new business, board of member comments? Mr. Judo, thank you. First, I want to uh reagn congratulations to all of the uh musicians who came out today. These people basically are unsung for most of the time and they put in hours and hours of dedication.
095Their parents put in hours and hours of dedication. Their educators put in hours and hours of dedication and teach more than just music. So to them, uh, I thank them very much for their contribution. I also want to thank this old geyser to my left over here. Two decades on the board here. The man's got the strength and the patience of Job to go through what he's gone through with pandemics and just about every controversy you see on TV. We've been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it. So, I want to tell Don, congratulations, my friend. You're this this award is welld deserved. Thank you. Anyone else? Mrs. Regalos. Um, again, I'd like to thank the um students that came out today and were recognized with those beautiful music achievements that they
096have. Thank you to the teachers and parents. Um, it was just a beautiful moment to watch. It's my most favorite time when I see the students um receiving awards and their parents taking pictures. It just brings back so many memories and it reminds me of why we're all on the board and we do what we do. It's it's for the kids. Um secondly, I just want to say it's Wayne Valley's SDA. Um come out and support. Go Blue, go white. Um it's a great show and uh you'll uh leave there full of spirit. And lastly, I'd like to congratulate my buddy here, Don Pavllock. 20 years. I was in high school when he first started. But um I just want to say that 20 years on the board of education, that is truly truly an
097accomplishment and we've learned from him and I I just want to thank you for everything that you do and I'm so glad that you're going to be on for another 20. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? See no one will take a motion to adjurnn. Motion second. Don't hold Mr. Gano. Mr. F. Good night everyone. Thank you.