Wall Township Board of Education Meeting 5-20-2025

001Good evening. Welcome to the May 20th, 2025 business meeting of the Walamshire Public School District. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Smith, can I have the sunshine announcement and roll call, please? Yes. This is the Wall Township Board of Education meeting, which adequate notice was provided by notice to the co-star, Asbury Park Press, uh, Township Clerk's Office, all Wall Township public schools, and in the board administration office on January 9th, 2025. Take a roll call. Miss Adams here. Mr. Adnisio here. Miss Barbieier here. Mr. Burton here. Mr. Buffa here. Miss Dioani here. Mr. Smith here. Mr. Wandra here. Mr. Mal here. Thank you. At this time I will uh

002like to hear a motion to go into executive session. Mr. Okay. Uh Mr. Buffa and Mr. Adenezio with the uh second. Uh we anticipate returning for G to general public session at 700 p.m. All in favor? All in favor? I Good evening. Welcome to the May 20, 2025 business meeting of the Walamshire Public School District. At this time, I ask you to please rise as Jack Baltazar of the NNDCC will post the color followed by the pledge of 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. You be seated. Reconvening to public session. Mr. Smith, would you please give the roll call? Miss Adams here. Mr. Adnesio here. Mr. Barbieier here. Mr. Burton here. Mr.

003Buffa here. Miss Diovani here. Mr. Smith here. Mr. Wandra here. Mason Adam. Began Cappy here. Aaron Richie here. Michael Southwell here. Mr. Mal here. At this time, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Henryan. Thank you very much, Mr. Maliff. Um this evening, we're going to start off with um an ex a a very special tradition here at Wall Township Public Schools, and it is the um the formal recognition of the teacher to remember essay contest. So in order to start the program, I'm going to invite the uh deis to take a seat in one of the uh reserve seats up front. And at the same time, I would like everyone to welcome Miss Jamie Lynn Campbell to um the podium so we can start off this very special evening and presentation. Okay. Good

004evening. Thank you for coming out this evening. My name is Jam Lynn Campbell and I'm the WTA vice president of certificated staff. It is truly an honor to stand before you tonight as we celebrate our teachers. Since 2016, the Wall Township Education Association has proudly sponsored a teacher to remember essay contest. This special tradition gives our third through 12th grade students an opportunity to reflect on the educators who have profoundly shaped their lives. Students were asked to respond to the following prompt. We all remember our favorite teachers, the ones who reached up and shaped us in ways that changed our lives. Which teacher has had a major influence on your life? What is the greatest lesson this teacher has taught you? Why is this lesson so important to you in your life? Be sure to

005provide examples of how you live out this important lesson every day. This contest is more than an assignment. It is a heartfelt tribute. The words shared by our students serve as powerful reminders of the difference a caring, dedicated teacher can make. To all of our educators here tonight, your passion, patience, and unwavering commitment do not go unnoticed. You inspire, you lead, you shape futures every single day. You are truly teachers to remember. We are incredibly proud of all the students who took the time to reflect and write about the teachers who made a lasting impact on their lives. And now it is my great pleasure to recognize our essay contest winners for their beautifully written tributes. I would like to now introduce the winners of the contest by building and invite them to come up

006and read their essay to their teachers. First up, we have Erin Sparonza from Malenwood School who wrote about Mrs. Victoria McGlaughlin. [Applause] I had a lot of teachers in my life, but the one who really made an impact on my life is Miss McGlaughlin. She helped me get over my fears by bringing all this music to me. She taught me to never let anyone stop you from achieving your dreams. This is important to me because my dream is to become a singer and an actress. And when she gave me the role in the play, that helped me get over my fear. She influenced me to go all ways and do things instead of waiting. She made my years at Allenwood count. Now when I achieve my dream, she's going to be the one who helped

007me get to it. Music is has always been my favorite, but now it's going to be my life. She brought it in. She brought it to me in a way no one else has. When I first came to Allenwood, I met a teacher who went by the name Miss Little, and that's all I called her. Yet yet, I didn't know she was the one who was going to change my life. When I sat down on the chair, music flowed, twirled, and leaped through me. when I notes, rhythm, beats and sound and noise filled my world. She brought loud, exciting, flowy music to me like nobody else did. With being the outstanding, kind teacher she is, she really made an hu a huge impact on my life. Every day in life, whether it's at a lacrosse

008game, orchestra, or any event, I remember the lesson she taught me. Never let never let anyone stop you from achieving your dream. When I walk into her room, it's like I left reality and step into a far away galaxy where I can just be me. Singing is one of my favorite things to do. And it it will always be because she helped me love it. The songs she sang helped me gain the voice I have now. And I will not let I will let no one take that away from me. Life is hard sometimes when my dreams are close yet so far. which he said to me with will which he said to me will bring will be the thing that helped me reach them. All the memories I had are ones where I remember

009I will make a goal where I will catch the ball. I remember don't give up. All my lessons I learned are because of her. [Applause] For Bold Mill, we have Grace Donnelly, who I'm sorry, we're gonna do Ashley McNamera from Central, who wrote about Mrs. Kristen Wagner. [Applause] A teacher to remember that is a teacher who lifts you up when you are down, works through hard times with you, and never gives up on you. That teacher to me is Miss Wagner. Miss Wagner has always been a teacher I can't wait to learn from and is the only reason I like Mondays. That's when I have art, of course. She makes me laugh even if she doesn't mean to. She makes me smile even if she isn't feeling happy. I look up to Miss Wagner because

010of her responsibility, kindness, and sense of humor. Sometimes I worry about doing art in middle school. Not because I don't think I'll do well, not because I think I am bad at art, but because Miss Wagner won't be teaching it. I don't know what my art experience would be like if I wasn't certain my teacher would be kind, funny, responsible, and the amazing teacher that Miss Wagner is. Now, going on to sixth grade, I just know I'm going to miss her in every way I remember her, in the best way possible. One time I had a pretty bad day and I didn't think anything could make it but better, but I forgot I had art later and it brightened my day. We had a really cool lesson with oil pastels and blending colors. And it

011was almost like I was coloring away all the problems of the day. Not because of the actual coloring, but because of how Miss Wagner taught it, how she explained it, and the parts in between where she didn't feel like a teacher, but a friend, someone who I can talk to, someone who really cares about me, someone to remember, a teacher to [Applause] November. From Mold Mill, we have Grace Donnelly, who wrote about Mrs. Patricia Glavin. [Applause] In second grade, I was a new kid. I didn't know a single person and just kept to myself. I was quiet and didn't gain any friends, except for one person, Mrs. Glavin. When Mrs. Glavin was first introduced to me, she found out I was new and made me feel safe. She encouraged me to make new friends and

012be more independent, which I didn't do. When when Miss Glavin hurt her wrist during pickle bowl, we all repaid the kindness she gave to us back to her. Even though she didn't ask, every day, we would comment if she was okay, pick up things for her, and even sometimes help her help her write. At the end of the school year, I wrote a book with a drawing of her in every picture. I listed her personality traits like kind and caring. In third grade, I finally listened to her words. I became more independent and made lots of new friends and even more in fourth grade. Teachers, please know whatever life lesson you teach your students, it may or may not stick with them forever. What really matters is your trying. And Mrs. Glavin taught me to

013try instead of giving up easily. And students, remember the lessons your teacher gives you. They will work someday. And you will be so thankful for the big impact they made on your life. [Applause] From West Belmar, we have Andrea Haggles Franco who wrote about Mrs. Victoria Reirden. [Applause] Throughout my life, I've had many teachers that have left their best in me and taught me life lessons that I will cherish forever. But when I think of a teacher that's helped me flourish, not only as a student, but also as a person, the first person that pops into my mind is Miss Rearen. Before I met her, I never thought I could accomplish great things if I tried. I never paid attention to my grades and I never gave all in my all in anything I did.

014Miss Fearen told me that I was smart and encouraged me like no one ever has before. During class, she always let me be myself. Most teachers told me to settle down. But Miss Weirden encouraged me to be fun, bubbly, and authentic. Miss Weirden always made her classroom feel like a safe place to open my personality and be myself. At the end of the year, I never thought that I could win the the academic presidential award. But when I heard my name being announced, I felt an inexplicable feeling of joy, shock, and gratefulness. Winning that felt more than just a simple award to me. It showed me that if I gave my all, I could accomplish great things. Miss Reardan showed Miss Rearden completely changed my way of thinking. She taught me to look on the

015bright side, embrace my personality, and to try my best. Miss Rearden will always hold a special place in my heart because of all she's done for me. She helped me find my voice, my intelligence, and myself. Miss Rean completely changed my life, and for that in my heart, she will always be a teacher to remember. [Applause] From intermediate school, we have Javi Marberry who wrote about Mrs. Gail Maher and Mr. Anthony Magguiara. [Applause] Well, the textbook definition says a teacher is someone who teaches, especially in a school. And technically, that's true. You both fit that category perfectly. But I want to start this essay off by saying thank you not just for teaching math, but for being teachers in general, for showing up every day, for putting up with all the chaos that comes with

016school life, and for doing it with patience. You deserve to be acknowledged simply for being willing to teach students like me and my peers. Not everyone can do what you do, especially when it comes to working with youth. I'm not ashamed to admit it. My generation tends to bump heads with others. We have a strong habit of thinking we know everything, and sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be. But you both continue to teach us anyway, and that says a lot about your dedication and strength. Miss Mar, you are someone who is tough, but you treat your students with respect and kindness, and that balance means a lot. You don't sugarcoat things, which I actually appreciate, because people outside won't either. You're real with us, and that helps us grow. One thing

017I've noticed about you is that you have a sharp eye for seeing exactly where students are struggling, and you take the time to help them understand in the clearest way you can. I remember when I was writing in cursive and asked you if it looked good. Most teachers might have said it was all right or it just needs a little work, but you told me straight up that it looked very scary. And honestly, I respected that. You still made sure to point out that I was improving. And that balance of honesty and encouragement is really important to me. You're someone I feel like I get along with because you're always going to give me a real answer no matter what the topic is. And in a world where a lot of people just say what

018they think you want to hear, that kind of honesty means a lot. Mr. Magara, you are someone who is generally generally very calm and your warm smile and joyful attitude brings an easygoing nature into the classroom. However, you're not afraid to let the class know when they aren't working at 100% of their ability. You and Miss Mar make a great duo. You both handle the class really well without needing to hand out big punishments for bad behavior. You always try to help everyone even when it's clear you're overwhelmed. And you still manage to stay calm and not make a big deal out of it. You also go beyond just teaching math. You help people feel empathy. I remember when the hurricane hit Florida. You helped the class understand how those people might have felt in

019such a terrible situation. You also showed us how even a small donation of supplies could make a big difference in someone's life. That really stuck with me. The reason I wrote this essay is because I wanted to make sure you both feel appreciated for the effort you put into our class and into society. I want you to know that your actions are making a real impact on the world. You're helping shape the next generation to be better than the last. And that's something truly meaningful. I hope that when my peers and I grow up, we can do the same for others. And one day when you both retire, I hope you remember this essay. And every time you think of it, I want you to know you made it happen through your hard work, your

020patience, and your determination to make a difference. Not just in a classroom, but in your community and in the future of this nation. [Applause] And last, but certainly not least, Lauren Trembley from Wall High School wrote about uh Miss Mary Nic Carlo. Lauren couldn't be here, so I'm going to read the essay that she wrote. It was the beginning of my freshman year in high school. The major transition from fun and laid-back classes to arduous lessons and higher expectations. When I walked into my US history class, fairy lights encircled the room and draped over the walls, coated with colorful posters displaying positive messages. Rather than the standard desks and boring chairs, there were bean bags, benches, rocking chairs, and fluffy cotton blankets that hug them. Warmly lit lamps, and all kinds of plants scattered around

021the room. Some so unique you didn't even know the names. The scent of sage trailed the room. In the center was my ninth grade history teacher, Miss Narloa. Beaming with smiles and warmth. She was a teacher you would never forget. She valued kindness, peace, rest, creativity, positivity, and most importantly, mental health. I always look forward to going to her class. She taught with passion and helped her students engage with the lesson. She was fond of projects and presentations because they tied the lecture to our creativity and imaginations. She put the joy in learning. She hadn't known it, but she ended up teaching one of the most valuable lessons I carry to this day. We would start the class every day with a 10-minute meditation known as the daily calm. Some people found it funny or

022ridiculous, but little did I know it would become a lifelong habit. A mere 10 minutes of stillness and silence vacuumed away all my troubled thoughts and temporarily took me away from the chaos of reality. Instantly, I found that I was able to concentrate better on my assignments and my mood improved. Miss Narlo didn't just teach history. She modeled the importance of valuing your mental health and the long-term benefits that come with it. At the time, high school felt like it was infected with stress. Homework piling up, social pressures growing, expectations rising. Mr. Carlo helped me understand that it's okay, even necessary to step away from all of that sometimes. Especially now as a junior, I am always worried about my grades, SATs, and what college I want to attend. But then I remembered Miss Narlo

023and what she believed in. Hearing her voice in the back of my mind reminding me to slow down, I've realized that taking care of myself isn't a luxury. It's essential. It's easy to get wrapped up in the terrifying and stressful aspects of the world that you can forget about your own mental health. Even if it's a mere 10 minutes of meditation, it can go a long way. And I'm very grateful to Miss Narlo for helping me see that. [Applause] Thank you for coming tonight to support our contest winners and celebrate our selected teachers. All of the essays that the students have written will be forwarded to the teachers for them to read and enjoy. The large essays on display this evening are a gift to the teachers who are here tonight that were remembered. The

024students will also be receiving certificates from us as well. So, thank you again for sharing this expression of gratitude with our teachers and congratulations to all. Thank you, Miss Campbell. Thank you so so much for again, I think the essays just get better and better. Um what an outstanding job. Uh I would love perhaps someday to maybe um read all of them because uh you know there's they're so well done and I just want to congratulate all those educators that were um highlighted this evening. Uh you know what an honor that your students took um they took time and that is that is one of the uh pro arguably the greatest gift that someone can give is the time and uh just they were beautifully written. they were filled with personality. Uh the stories it

025it like I said the essays just keep getting better and better. So um it's a beautiful tradition. I'm so grateful that um that uh it's we continue it and thank you WTA for all your work putting that together because I know there's a lot of moving parts. Um the next component of our evening, we will be really um celebrating and thanking some of our staff members that really took some extra some extra steps. Um and these extra steps were taken for the really um to enhance children's education and to uh build build professional capacity across our entire district. So, um, without any further ado, I'd like to introduce our assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Miss Jennifer McCann, to, um, provide some context. And Mr. Maliff, um, let's see, Mr. Maliff, which side are you

026on? Okay. Uh, we'll be honoring from the side. So, if you will, They're not here. Thank you. You're welcome. Good evening. I am thrilled to recognize and celebrate 31 outstanding educators who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment over the past two years by completing the Lexia letters which is the language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling professional learning program. Their unwavering pursuit of excellence in literacy instruction reflects their deep commitment to supporting every student's journey to become a confident, skilled reader. Lexia Letters equips educators with deep researchbased knowledge in the science of reading. It addresses each essential component of effective reading instruction. funological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written language. While grounding these skills in the theoretical models and neuroscience that inform how students learn to read, the letters course is carefully designed

027with a unique scope and sequence of topics, activities, and tools that allow educators to learn, practice, and apply their knowledge with confidence. These dedicated teachers engaged in intensive study on eight topics ranging from the challenge of learning to read to advanced decoding, spelling, word recognition, and from understanding reading comprehension to the writing and writing connection. Through countless hours of professional learning, they not only expanded their knowledge, but also sharpened their instructional practices to better meet the diverse needs of their students. To our educators, your hard work, perseverance, and passion for literacy will have a lasting impact on our students. I am incredibly proud of your accomplishments and excited to see the powerful ways you will bring your letters learning into your classrooms. Thank you for your dedication to our students, your profession, and the future

028of literacy in our community. At this time, I would like to acknowledge the teachers who were unable to um attend this evening. Janine Kalisanto, Dena Deo, Alexis Marie Drew, Shaina Gallagher, Michelle Hazafel, Sharon Hudson, Caitlyn Jameson, Christine Kusco, Kelly Marini, and Amanda Shrier. Those in attendance with us this evening, as I call your name, please come up. Leah Apello, Kristen Bernie, Trish Carfano, Megan Sakata, Tara Crosby, Stephanie Dow, Erin Emban, Christina Leari, Megan Lozano, Margaret Mcchznney, Jacqueline McCusky, Elizabeth Panzer, Kelly Rubin, Christine Skellinger, Lauren Stenzac, Alexandra Sullivan, Jill Turner, Lisa Ventrella, Jacqueline Wetszel and Jacqueline Zazara. [Applause] Thank you, ladies. I believe we're gonna Are you gonna take a picture? We're going for a group. All right. All right. Thank you so much. [Applause] Did we get that on? Okay, at this time we will

029continue our meeting with our student representatives reports. And I see we have all of our student representatives here tonight. Michael Southwell, Megan Kappy, Mason Adam, and Aaron Richie. So, it's your show. Thank you. The end of the year is just creeping up on us as AP testing has just wrapped up last Friday. Congratulations to the kids who had testing all last week and finished those classes strong. The Wall Business Finance Academy just had graduation last night and the pre-engineering academy has their graduation tomorrow night. Congratulations to all those seniors. The Navy ball is also this week. Seniors are celebrating the decision the our decision day that got delayed next Wednesday, the 28th. We have prom next week as well and the senior night the following week. We're all so excited to attend our last school

030events and make some final memories. Spring sports are wrapping up the short conference tournament and heading into states. Best of luck to those teams. The unified sports team just had their team banquet. They had a good year and hopefully one more kickball game soon at the Tom's River East High School. Good luck to all the spring sport teams. We celebrated teacher appreciation week the week of May 5th. The students here appreciate each and every one of the staff members for all that they do for us. Shake it up day will be May 27th and students can be a Wall High School staff member for the day. They will spend the day shadowing a teacher of their choice and all proceeds benefit Project Snowflake. We'd also like to send congratulations to the Congress Congressional Art Competition

031winners. Wall High School took home best in show and the first, second, third, and fourth place winners. Best in the show went to senior Marissa Amitier. Her artwork will be displayed at at the US Capitol building for one year where it will be seen by over 1 million visitors. First place went to junior Katie Dorman. Second place went to junior Julia Arfeld. Third place went to Kiara Burns. And fourth place went to freshman Laya Abagabble. Okay, thank you very very much for your report. Mr. Buffalo, you have a question or comment. I know we have the student reps for one more meeting and um Mr. Adam touched briefly on memories and making final memories. I'd love for um the next meeting if you guys wouldn't mind uh maybe coming back with a uh memory that's

032personal to you um in your time in Wall Township schools and just reporting back to the board. Um I think that would be a fun exercise and a kind of good way to bid farewell. I agree. We'll do it. Thank you, Mr. Buffer. Excellent suggestion and just put a little more pressure on these kids. That's that's what we like to do. Okay. Thank you. And certainly, as always, you are welcome to stay, but if you have other pressing engagements like homework or other things, certainly you may be excused. Thank you very much for your for your report. Getting right to work on time assignment. At this time, we're going to open up public comment for school related issues. The board requests that those individuals speaking will be courteous and mindful of the rights of other

033individuals when making comments, specifically comments regarding individual students and school personnel are discouraged and will not be responded to by the board. Students, employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The Walanche Board of Education bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. Speakers should consider their comments in the light of the legal rights of those affected or identified in their comments and recognize that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. I ask you also to please u uh respectfully observe our policy of three minutes uh per speaker. Uh we have at this time a microphone up at the the top of the auditorium and one down here. So when you come up and you're recognized, please state your name

034and uh we will hear your comments. Go. First person. Hello, my name is Carol Sankosski. I live in West Belmar and I teach music at the Old Mills School. I've been teaching music for 37 years and I came tonight to speak about the elementary band program. We have been told that next year the fourth and fifth grade full band rehearsals will be added to the before school lesson schedule. I feel compelled to speak tonight because our elementary band program is once again at risk. This change to place full band before school marginalizes our elementary music program literally pushes it out to the margins of the day, putting the onus on the working parents to transport their kids to school, not once but twice a week. 17 years ago, for a little history, we had a

035fully functioning lesson schedule during the school day. Fourth and fifth grade band also had full rehearsals during the school day. Cuts were made and we were asked to conduct all of our instrumental lessons and our full band rehearsals before school. Parents were asked to bring their kids for lessons and band to before school twice a week. This did not work. We did not have enough lesson groups to meet the needs of our young musicians. meaning that lesson groups were combined. They were we had large groups and we were forced to put multiple instruments into one lesson group that did not afford our children the individual attention that they so needed in this delicate and precious time of learning. We have been here before. The following year, we asked, and when I say we, I mean

036the elementary music teachers. We asked to have the full band rehearsals during the school day, and we would do our best with a limited time for lessons before school. This request was granted, and lessons have been before school, and full band rehearsals have been during school for the past 16 years. Yes, the orchestra program does work on a similar schedule, and they actually need more staff to make their program more than just surviving. But at least orchestra parents can put their kids on the bus to the intermediate school for their lessons and full ensembles twice a week. The band parents do not have that option. In addition, we already have conflicts with families choosing between morning extra help with their teachers and lessons. Coming to school two mornings a week for band will surely mean

037more conflicts with morning extra help. Music is and always has been something to be proud of in Wall Township. Please, let's support our young musicians and their families and give elementary instrumental program the time during the day it deserves. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Anyone else for public comment, please? My name is Colleen McCormack of Sawmill Lane. There was a time when I was proud to say I was educated in Wall Township. Sadly, that time has come to an end. What was once a place where students were well-rounded has slowly become a robotic society where students are glued to a computer and forced to choose and specialize at at an age that is not developmentally appropriate. Elementary age children should be exposed to a variety of activities that not only help develop the mind

038but the body as well. Being an educator, the minute I heard schedule change, I knew what was coming. Schedule changes are just a smoke screen for cuts, increased class sizes, and more work put upon teachers while the six-f figureure salaries continue to get their bonuses and raises. As a health and PE teacher, let me inform you New Jersey requires a minimum of 150 minutes per week. With the new proposed schedule, PE is being cut to 76 minutes. The administration is trying to count the rest as health during morning meetings, which violates the K to6 certification bill signed in 2019. Classroom teachers certified after then can no longer teach the health curriculum under this law. If you're so worried about test scores and bullying, let the certified PE teachers teach their content instead of dumping it

039on the classroom teachers who already have their plates full and cannot do the subject justice. Besides, in a world where sedentary lifestyles are leading to unhealthy habits and staggering numbers of unfit youth who thought it would be a good idea to decrease these precious minutes of movement. Sure, mental health is equally important, but these lessons are already part of the health curriculum and can easily be woven into closure, reflection, and restorative practices during fizzed classes. The fact that we're being fed a separate seven mindsets curriculum is ridiculous. The morning meetings are not only unnecessary, but are cutting into movement time for our children where they can be learning to apply these concepts. Let the children stop living in these virtual worlds created by those that haven't seen a classroom in years and actually get out,

040play, and feel the feelings they so endlessly talk about all day but have no time to actually go out, see, and feel for themselves. I've seen nothing but a decline in the ability to handle social situations and regulate emotions because there's too much talk and not enough practice. In 2019, the recess law was enacted. Children in K to 5 are required to be given 20 minutes daily. While these activities may be structured, they can in no way, shape, or form be counted towards health and phys. I also find it interesting that the administration sent out a detailed letter breaking down the new schedule. Finally, transparency, or so we thought. What was so conveniently left out was the fact that fourth and fifth grade students will be forced to choose between band and recess. To the

041board, I urge you to listen and reconsider these proposed schedule changes. While they may look good on paper, they will not play out so nicely in the real world. Finally, to the parents, we need to step up and stay on top of these people making the decisions. Stay informed and do not leave everything to the administrators because when you do, the only ones that miss out are our children. Thank you. Up top. Good evening. My name is Dr. Sarah Mazone. I'm a proud graduate of the Wall Township School System, a classroom teacher of 15 years, hold a doctoral degree in educational leadership, and I'm honored to serve as the current Monmouth County Teacher of the Year. Most importantly, I'm a mom to two daughters, and I'm deeply invested in our public schools and the well-being

042of our community. My question tonight come as a concerned mom rather than as a teacher who's genuinely trying to understand the rationale behind the proposed elementary scheduling changes outlined in Mrs. Macan's May 8th letter to parents. The plan is a shortened physical education to 38 minutes two times per week. The asterisk next to physical education seems to suggest that PE minutes will be fulfilled during recess. However, recess cannot be used to fulfill these minutes as per NJS18A35-5. Other parents are now reporting that after meeting with Mrs. Macccan. The intent was never to have recess to count as physical education, but rather morning meetings will fulfill 75 of the required minutes per week. My concern is that no other information has been shared with parents about why these sweeping schedule changes are happening, nor how this

043will be facilitated, measured, or assessed. Will these lessons be taught by certified PE teachers with lesson plans, curriculum, and measurable assessments linked to state standards, or will the onus be placed on classroom teachers? How can these morning meetings fulfill physical education? I would assume just like report card grades for PE, the kids would need to be assessed on their mindful mornings in order to comply with the law. Current educational research, including studies from the National Institute of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have stressed the importance of physical activity and the crucial role that it plays in facilitating executive functioning, academic achievement, and cognitive performance. If these changes are in fact needed to increase academic achievement, eliminating time for physical activity is actually counterproductive. Likewise, I'm concerned that library and technology instruction will now

044be reduced to just two times per month, again placing the burden on classroom teachers. With the rapid speed of technological advancement and New Jerseys new legislation for information literacy standards, my concerns again point to the fact that our kids will get even less support from the incredible school library media specialists who play a crucial role in helping our children use technology safely and effectively. My concern as a mother to two small children is that even if these proposed changes are technically in compliance with the law, in the very least, this plan violates the spirit of the law and has the potential to break the spirit of our littlest learners. We know that the incredible elementary educators have the most important job, helping our little ones love learning. Kids need unstructured playtime, gym class to physically

045move their bodies, and technology instruction more than ever in order to not only be successful in their academics, but also become lifelong learners. Thank you for your time, and I respectfully look forward to your answers to these questions. Lynberry. And as you've heard, the state of New Jersey law, NJSLS-CHP, which stands for the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Health and Physical Education, mandates 150 minutes of health, safety, and physical education per week. It is not a choice. It is not to be manipulated or misinterpreted. It is to provide our children with the what necessary knowledge and skills are essential to become individuals who possess health and physical literacy and to pursue a life of wellness. This is non-negotiable. It is New Jersey law. With what is being introduced by our administration, our children's rights

046are being taken away. Therefore, this intervention living in Wall for over 70 years, attending Wall Schools, teaching in Wall for 35 years, both as an elementary classroom teacher and a health and physical education teacher, I have been a part of the school environment in our community. I am appalled that there is a need for this intervention, but I am encouraged that so many residents care and have come forward to ensure that our children's rights are not violated. I have seen a proposed schedule of a wall physical education teacher for the 2025 2026 school year. I see physical education lessons have been cut again without any mention of health. What happened to health? This is a copy of my lesson plans for one school year. The state lists performance objectives for the students for each unit

047to be taught. I'll read you a few of the required objectives the state mandates from a unit on health and wellness from grade three from my lesson plans. The student will be able to tell what causes diseases. The student will be able to describe ways to prevent the spread of diseases. The student will be able to and it goes on and on after the objectives are read to the students. Discussion follows. Vocabulary is introduced and then the actual lesson progresses. An assessment follows the instruction. Each lesson was for 40 a 40minute health class. The topics that are to be taught are medicine and drugs, nutrition, wellness and disease, health safety, fire safety, home safety, school safety, internet safety, playground safety, car safety, bus safety, bicycle safety, stranger danger, good touch, bad touch, family life, and

048first aid. The state has also added new units to be taught after since my retirement. Each of these topics are taught with their own specific objectives, questions, activities, vocabulary, and assessments. I challenge you to tell me how anyone could accomplish these required lessons and more in the proposed time allotted to next year's health and physical education teachers. The state mandated time is 150 minutes is required and needed to ensure our children receive the health, safety, and physical education they are entitled to by New Jersey law. The children as well as the adult citizens of this town count on all of you to respect and protect the students rights. I'm looking forward to your cooperation. Thank you. Thank you. We'll go down top and then we'll go up. We'll go down here then up top next.

049Go ahead. We'll go up top. Dear Wall Township Board of Education, thank you for helping West Belmar School. I think we should still have three gym classes because that will help kids get energy out and help them stay healthy and fit. Plus, children aren't on screens. They're getting faster, stronger, and they're being happy. Even better, some students already have a hard time sitting still in class, so gym is important. Everybody in elementary school that I know loves gym. I would even rather have four gym classes every week. Please do not decrease the number of gym classes. Thank you for your time and reading my letter. Sincerely, Thank you very much. Sincerely, Lily Troka, second grade, WB 1913 cottage place. I would I would like to read my my brother's letter because he's not here and

050he's at his little league baseball game. Oh my god. Dear Wall Township Board of Education, we wish we could still have three gym classes. We don't want to sit in class longer. I love going to gym every day in the morning. I would even rather have four gym classes than three. Being still will bother children on focusing in class. I also want to say that lots of kids already have a tough time sitting in class in gym. I love playing games with my friends like hoola hut. Mr. Lindstra also helps us work out and exercise like doing jumping jacks and situps. He also has us do fun sports. He is doing a great job. Jim is my favorite special. I'm getting faster and stronger every day at gym. Everybody enjoys gym. I would love to

051still have three gym classes per week next year. I also appreciate you reading this letter. Thank you. Sign Caleb Robert Troka, third grade, 1913, Cottage Place. Thank you. I'm sure your brother appreciates your pinch hitting for him. right down here first. Go ahead. How do you follow that? I mean, um, my name is Keith Huninger. Um, I'm here today with the protest. Um, what do we want? When do we want it? Okay. So, I led the chance outside. Uh I'm here today because both my parents worked for the Wall Township school system. My mom started off as a lunch parah and then she became a parah uh for kids with learning disabilities. So I feel like I wanted to get involved. This is something that is near and dear to my heart as somebody that

052is a graduate of Wall High School myself in ' 06. Uh, I wanted to try and get involved and speak out because I feel like what is going on is complete nonsense. Kids need gym. Kids need recess. This is ridiculous. We got to fix this. I also wanted to, while I was here, shout out to uh, Miss Narlo. She was actually my teacher back in the day for um, American government class. That was what inspired me to get involved in politics. So I think that she has a very long span of inspiring people to be their best. So in that sense, what do we want? When do we want it? Thank you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Katarina Polo and I am in second grade at West Belmar School. Gym class is my favorite

053class in school. This is why it is important to me. One, it is fun. We get to run around and play fun games with our friends like Battleship, Hula Hut, and Gaga. We learn how to throw, climb, and challenge ourselves with the physical fitness test, too. Gym helps me get my energy out so I can sit longer. Some of my friends need gym more to help them focus or else they will disturb the class. Three, gym helps me my body stay healthy. We should have gym class more, not less, so we can all grow up to be strong and healthy. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening. My name is Lisa Minkler. I'm a parent of a kindergartener and third grader at Central School. My children have had an amazing amazing teachers during

054their time here in Wall. We moved specifically to Wall for the schools and up until the last couple months, I never doubted the decision that my family made. I've never been more disappointed in an administration before and I've never felt more of a gut-wrenching feeling that what's happening is wrong. It's my duty and the duty of the school to make sure that my children are physically active as well as fulfilled emotionally, academically, socially, and more. I pay taxes so that the board of education and administration have the same thought process in mind. The children are what we're are important here, but it certainly is not proving to be that. These schedule changes are not being done in a fully transparent way. It's being done sneakily and hidden, which is what people do when they know

055what they don't feel right about. As a parent of young children, I understand more than most the importance of mental health and well-being for our children. Both of my kids have dealt with bullying, exclusion, and anxiety within the schools. And I promise you now that the only thing that helped them work through those times were communication from the lunch aids, teachers, principal, and counselors. It did not come from a seven mindsets program. When my kids learned the lunch aids and paras were not being brought back, they were literally brought to tears. Miss Kay has single-handedly helped my kids navigate um on the playground. I'm sorry. And our home is crushed at this news. Mental health and bullying come from the home. So work with the parents. The number one fighter against anxiety and depression is

056physical movement. You have children who are cooped up in a classroom or school building with limited physical movement and fresh air to begin with that taking away more gym time will only affect their mental health negatively. Children who are not moving are going to take out that excess energy in a very non-productive way by bullying and pushing around other students. I can't even tell you how many times there's been indoor recess because of things we cannot control. inclement weather, cold temperatures, and on those weeks, you mean to tell me that my child will get physical movement twice a week for 38 minutes at a time, it doesn't add up. It's zero cost for physical activity. It's already built into the budget. I would like to know and see concrete evidence on how this program is

057working and how it's benefiting my children. My second major concern is leaving only two minutes for dismissal. It's very unfair to the teachers and it's very unfair to the security guards. I have volunteered at Central School countless times and I'm there during dismissal at least once or twice a month. The amount of commotion that already exists is immense because you're dealing with children. Children are not robots or emotionally mature enough to follow every instruction blindly. It does not leave room for a stressed and rushed dismissal time. These teachers and students are doing their best to get everyone safely to their destinations. By taking away a buffer, you are creating anxiety and stress in both the teachers and the students. You're leaving room for the children to get lost in the mix. Studies have shown that

058children who feel rushed develop anxiety very quickly. It doesn't sound that's like that's really supporting mental health to me. I'm asking you to reconsider cutting gym and dismissal and think of the children. Think of the basics of physical movement, not rushing the kids, the simplest and most important things. My kids need physical activity and I can guarantee you that they won't have that in the what I need block because that's not what it's designed for. Keep gym. Make physical movement a priority. give them peace and calm at their at the end of their already crazy days. Otherwise, you've lost sight of the whole point of sitting where you are, and that's sad. Thank you. Hi, my name is Stephanie Hoff. I'm an elementary teacher of 12 years. Um, and I also hold my master's in

059superv supervision and administration. Um, as both a teacher and a mom, it is often difficult to keep up with the changes going on in my daughter's school and to always hold her best interests. As a board member for Wall Public Schools, you were elected because your community trusted you to make decisions that would benefit our students, our school, and our community. These proposed changes have been made without stakeholders consent and best interests. These changes seem small to you, but with each thing you take away from our children, such as guided physical activity and compassionate supervision, the more disruptive behaviors you will start to see. The day after we were told these changes were received, we received an email about free summer program for our children. Why was this program considered essential while our students physical

060activity and supervision was not? We chose to put our children in wall public schools because of the wonderful wonderful programs and school community that has been established over the years. Please do not take this away from our children who we are all here to support. We should all be on the same page with these issues. And I'm baffled that we are standing here today feeling that our board and our representatives are against our children's best interests. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Doug Saxs and I live in West Belmore and I have two children in the schools. I have been made aware of the plan to cut gym from three days a week to two in the elementary schools and I am 100% against this idea for several reasons. The first reason is because

061our 5 to 10 year old children need as much physical activity as possible. Our society is moving towards a less active computer-based one and this is moving lower and lower in age. Additionally, it is every parent's concern that their child eat healthily and exercise. Losing a day of gym does nothing to help these important attitudes and habits of health and wellness. We are in a time of concern about obesity in our youth as well. Next, there is a wealth of research and evidence that connects increased physical education with academic achievement, including testing. There's also observable anecdotal evidence of children learning sports, being a part of teams, winning and losing gracefully, negotiating among peers, and more. This also occurs at recess, but that is a small portion of the lunch block and many days can be

062lost due to inclement and cold weather. Whereas gym is a scheduled event day in and day out. When indoor recess is a classroom event, the students are not physically active and are often choosing screen time. Recess is no substitute but an addition to regularly scheduled gym time. My final reason would be one that any teacher and most parents will confirm that students do not want to be sitting more than they already are. There are plenty of students that cannot handle it already and should be moving around more during their day. Their young minds and bodies need more varied and well-rounded stimulation, including art, library, music, and physical education. This is what makes them better students, not more seat time. I respect the district's concerns with grades and test scores, but I feel that the focus

063on these are to the detriment of the whole child where there are already numerous signs of the need for more activity, not less. It is not going to succeed in increased academic achieve achievement, but rather will lead to more board children who like school less, more classroom management problems for the teachers and more health related issues. I do not believe that any of us want more problems in our children with attention, anxiety, and behavior problems. I implore all of you on the board who represent us to please consider this policy carefully. Please give weight to what the teachers, parents, and yes, the actual students, 5 to 10 year olds of Wall think about this decision. Have any of these important and directly influenced stakeholders been asked about this important and big change? Thank you. Thank

064you. Hi, my name is Alexandra Saxs and I'm a third grader in West Belar School. I'm here tonight because I like gym and I don't want to lose a day of it. I don't know any of the kids in West Balmer who think two days of gym is better than three. Nobody asked us what we think. We said enough already. And the fact that testing season and almost summer makes things even harder. And for all the parents out here, you want your kids to be strong, right? Well, the answer to that is gym class. Not sitting down all day on a computer, which is hard to do, plus boring, if you know what I mean. Kids who sit for too long can't concentrate to learn all the new things. Please keep gym class it as

065it is, or maybe even add a day. But hear me out. People love gym and that will not change. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Courtney Griffin and I have four children in the Wall Township public schools. I would like a quick show of hands from the board members if you currently have a child enrolled in the Wall Township public schools. Wow, one person. I'm curious as to why those of you who don't have a child enrolled are on the board. Why did you choose to take on this role? All of us are stakeholders in the wall schools. We need to come together as parents, administrators, teachers, and board members to do what is best for our children. Instead of working together and seeking opinions, you are making decisions and implementing them

066without consulting or engaging those that are impacted. We should all be advocates for the students and should be creating a positive and effective learning environment for them. I think I speak for most when I say that as parents, we don't really care what our children score on the NJSLA. So much money and time so much money and time is devoted to the test scores, yet so many students do not take them seriously. there is no motivation for the students to do well on them. How about some kind of reward to maybe entice them? I know in the high school they're now giving out uh a a free midterm grade if your student scores on the median or above. More importantly, we want our children to be happy, make friends, love school, be excited to go

067and learn each and every day, to learn to be respectful, take turns, work together with others, and most of all, be kind. They need a balance. In my opinion, the seven mindsets principles can easily be incorporated into other times throughout the school day. Devoting 15 minutes to it every morning to take half of our gym time away seems unreasonable. Our students need to be moving. If kids aren't able to be up and be active, they aren't going to be receptive to the longer class periods. they won't be able to absorb all of the information being thrown at them. Research shows that adding more instructional time will not yield additional learning for younger grades. Students will shut down and zone out. Through play, children learn valuable communication skills, including negotiation, cooperation, sharing, and problem solving, as

068well as coping skills such as perseverance and self-control. My plea is that you please table the new schedule and let's come together to find a solution that works for all. Bring all of the parties to the table to come together and create a schedule that will benefit the students. I know of so many parents that wanted to be here tonight but could not make it. I thank you for live streaming the meeting. I would love to suggest that you have an option for parents to call in so that their voices can be heard as well. One final question. Did I speak too long tonight? I took one more minute than you are giving to the teachers to pack up 25 students. That's 5 seconds a student. I know I couldn't do it, but I would

069love to meet the person who thinks they can. I thank you for your time. Hi, Jackie Walstein. I have two students in the district. Um, I prepared nothing to speak today. Uh, but I feel compelled to speak about some a couple things that feel near and dear to me. Um, I have a middle schooler who absolutely has fallen in love with music and being part of the orchestra program since fourth grade. All of a sudden this year that he has more opportunity for instruction during his school day has just brought new life to him and he wants to play constantly. I have a daughter who has the opportunity to play an instrument next year and went and explored instruments and would like to participate in band. If band is before school and I have to

070drive her there, she cannot participate in band. My son with orchestra had busing that made it possible for him and possible for us. It will not be possible for my daughter and my family to engage in band if that's what she chooses to do and that is extremely disappointing as a parent. Um so please, please, please do not make changes to that program. I also want to say uh just a quick word on the paras particularly at lunchtime. Um, these children really, really rely on these paras for a lot of things from helping someone to shove a straw into a juice box that's not cooperating, making sure that kids with particular allergies or health concerns are cared for and looked after. Um, answering students questions, providing them with emotional support during the day in tough

071times, helping to negotiate little squables that happen on the playground during recess. You simply cannot have that level of care and thoughtfulness without adequate staff supporting it. And while you can easily say, well, a teacher can do that and we can pay them more to do it than we would be paying the Paris. That's a terrible solution. The teachers need a break. They need that time to prepare for their classes and teaching. You cannot have one or two people looking over a group of that size when you had twice that many before and they were still not able to keep eyes on everyone at all times. It just feels very irresponsible. Uh lastly, my student who's in middle school does not have recess, which absolutely is a missed opportunity for these kids. They're cooped up

072being shuffled from class to class to class all day, but they're older and they can handle it a little bit better. And many of them are involved in sports outside of school. For elementary age children, it is such a struggle for them to sit still all day long. And rather than having handing out IEPs and telling everyone that their kid has a problem paying attention and focusing in the classroom, you need to get children up and moving. And the opportunities that they have to do that currently are recess and fizzed. And if you limit that further, you're just going to have more and more problems in the classroom. And it's really an unfair burden to put on our teachers. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening everyone. My name is Jonathan Reo and I'm here tonight

073not only as a concerned father of three boys at Old Mill, but as the founder of the Wall Township Parent Coalition for Student Safety and Well-being, now made up of over 360 parents and stakeholders across all Wall Schools. I'm speaking to you tonight because the lack of transparency and the ongoing pattern of misinformation from this administration is just frustrating. It's terrifying to parents who are just trying to understand what's happening to their children's day-to-day experience in school. On Wednesday, May 14th, I sat down with Mrs. McCain, Mrs. Antelo, and Mrs. Steiner to ask basic, reasonable questions on how these curriculum and schedules changes were made. I specifically asked Mrs. McCain who was involved in making these curricular changes. She told me that there are committees made up of teachers and administrators that meet regularly to

074provide feedback. So, I followed up and asked for names of these teachers and dates when these committees were meeting. At that point, Mrs. McCain became visually agitated and refused to answer the question directly. When I followed up via email after the meeting, her written response contradicted what she told me in person. She admitted that no former committees existed to general feedback over the years. That is a huge transparency and parents deserve better. In the same meeting, I asked Mr. Steiner, word for word, what are New Jersey districts using seven mindsets at the elementary level? She replied, Manisquan. Afterward, multiple wall parents contacted staff at Manisquan who confirmed this program is only used for grades 5 to 8, not younger elementaryaries. When I followed up again, Mrs. Trana response was, "I didn't specify a grade." This

075is exactly why there is a serious lack of trust between parents and administration. If we're not being told the truth in one-on-one meetings, how can we believe we're being truth being told the truth about what's best for our children? At this time, I would like to introduce the Wall Township Parent Coalition for Student Safety and Well-being. If you're a member or a supporter, please stand. We are not here to tear things down. We are here. We are here to build something better together. We are asking for parent teacher committees to be established at each school that consists of the following. Three teachers to represent the staff that is selected by the staff. three teachers selected by each school's PTA and then freeze all school uh changes for 2025 to 2026 year until this committee can

076fully understand its impact to kids and provide safety to um and feedback to the administration. If our requests are denied, we will move forward with a no vote of confidence in this administration. We do no longer feel, sorry, we will not do this out of anger, but out of true love for our kids and our commitment to making law schools the best that they can. The vot no confidence includes Dr. Tracy Hannerhan, superintendent, Mrs. uh Jennifer McCain, assistant superintendent, Brian Smith, business administrator, and all members of the wall board of education. And as one parent to another, please do what's right for our kids. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Matthew Mahoney. I have a nine-year-old at West Belmar School. My son will be attending there next year. Um, this is a pretty

077negligible act of health and safety on the board's part. By taking away one period of gym per week and then also taking pair of professionals away, you're causing two situations to combine, that could create a very dangerous situation. If kids are overstimulated, especially neurode divergent children, when they go to these lunch periods with no supervision or very little supervision, you have allergen hazards, you have choking hazards and medical emergency hazards. This is a very serious situation that I'm sure you're all aware of. You all seem like very smart people. This needs to be thought about and turned back the other way. This is one of the things that it only takes one bad day for this to all stain the entire school board and really look bad to the rest of the state. I really

078wish that doesn't happen. I would like everybody to understand the importance of gym class and the importance of children getting proper physical activity throughout the day. My daughter and her friends after school every day I'm required to bring a soccer ball after school and they play on a field in the back of the West Bar School. It's a great activity for them. The only drawback to that is it looks like it's in a third world country. The condition of that field is deplorable. There's plenty of funds in this town that can go around. A lawn mower, fertilizer, and grass seed are not the most expensive things in the world. The power professionals being taken out of classrooms and all types of settings in the school. Again, it's extremely dangerous. Please reconsider this action. Thank you.

079Thank you. Betsy Cross. I live in Wall Township. Um, I think the voter no confidence is a great idea. So, just to so we have all the names on the record. Tracy Handerhan, Jennifer McCann, Brian Smith. That's the administration board of ed members. Kathleen Diovani, Ralph Adonio, Cody Smith, Samantha Adams, James Maliff, the president, Thomas Buffer, the vice president, Ken Wander, Marian Barbari, James Bredton. Uh, so those are the the names on there. So, I hope that gets going. A lot of us have signed it. Um, we we've completely lost faith and I've been doing this a long time. Um the thought of not having you got to decide between music and recess from a parent of a music um child who just did a his first professional job. Um it's outrageous. Carol was his

080music teacher was wonderful with him and he started in the third grade. Uh you can't do this to the kids. It's becoming like robots up here. you you you just sit there, you don't say anything. And we're turning our children into robots. Um it you've got to do better. Um you got more money than you know what to do with. I don't know what we can't spend all the money on $50,000 health plans uh where the documents are hitted by Brian Smite and we can't pay lunchladies protecting the kids. and my son was one of those two protected people taking his food. Um lots of bullying. Uh we can't have it happen. Um I've opened a number of documents. Um one thing I've said is we don't like to co-parent with the government. Not I

081I'm a parent. I'm a grandparent and I am very proud to be with Moms for Liberty and policy 5756 needs to be abolished. We cannot have secrets in the school system and Wall Township wants to keep it. I spoke at it on January, February, March, April, and May. But you're like robots up there. You just don't say anything. Next person. Um I've only seen one person on a parent committee and that's Christine Stites. She hasn't been here since she got off the board five months. Why is she on a committee? These parents needed to be on these committees. Um show of hands. Who has an elementary student in the district? And there's no hands because not one person has an elementary school student in the district. Some of you do have students in the district,

082but not in the elementary school. So, you cannot make these decisions. I've said have the kids in the finance and uh business and finance academy review the budget. Why don't you? Cuz you don't want them to see the mess you've gotten yourself into. because those kids would have told you and these kids that sit over here would have told you you're making the wrong decision. We need recess. We need music. We cannot do this. But you just keep yourselves in a bubble up here. It's like puppets on a string of what you need to do. Um you have to do better. You have to listen to the parents. And we have to get four new people on the board in November because I I wouldn't keep any of you. Please bring your remarks to a

083conclusion, Miss Cross. Um, I did get some I'm interested in in this whole asbestous issue. Miss Cross, your time is up. Please, you just told me to wrap it up. Wrap it up. I just got an Oprah back very late today on asbestous. And the problem is the the contractor you hired, Bennett, you never did a proper bid opening because if if I had known what it was, I would have went. So, okay. Thank you, Miss Cross. Your time is up. Thank you. That's going to be reported. You can have cont. Okay. Do we have any other speakers? Gentleman up top. Don Herbert, I'd like to have a question about transportation. I understand you're looking at building a new transportation yard. Where are you planning on putting this? I hope you're planning on putting this

084on 18th Avenue, not behind the garage transportation garage you have now, and take more ball fields away from the high school. Thank you. Do we have any other persons for public comment? What do we want? When do we want it? Okay, please. Hi there. My name is Jacqueline Vanborg. I have uh two kids currently in West Belmar and my youngest daughter will be starting Wall Primary in the fall. Um, I find it very disappointing, upsetting, and um, ironic that this change in the curriculum involves reducing and removing a gym class and this phys physical activity for our kids, especially at the elementary age. Last year, I have the flyer pulled up on my phone for a family night, how to win and how to lose. I will read it to you. I'm sure there's a

085few members of the audience or anybody can go back in their email and find this. This is from February 15 of 2024. Wall Township public school families are invited to join us for family night. Join us for a workshop on navigating wins and losses, fostering character growth through sports, competitions, and academic challenges. Learn how to guide your children to handle success and failure with dignity and humility presented by integrated care concepts. This was proudly sponsored by the WTEA, the Wall Township public schools stu schools and student wellness group. I went I was in this auditorium for that program from this outside group that was brought in and talked about the importance of our kids being involved in sports whether it be in school or outside of school and how being in a more sedentary lifestyle

086and more screen time. The social learning occurs when our children play sports that is when it's happening now not behind a screen. There is so much time that our kids are sitting in the classroom, taking that time away for them to learn how to win, how to lose concepts such as teamwork, working together, building resilience, endurance, becoming physically fit, healthy, both physically and mentally. We're going to take that away from our kids. This very group here, it was right here. all of this learning about sports and now you're saying you're going to take away that time for our children. It is baffling. I don't understand it and it's incredibly disappointing. I urge you to keep these kids active and keep the curriculum as it is where they have their physical education classes. Children have a

087right to public education and they have a right to public physical education as well. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anyone else for public comment? Okay, seeing no one, we're going to close this public comment. There are no special presentations tonight, so we will move on to the uh president's report. Uh I would like to congratulate our congressional art competition winners and our uh high school art department. Every year they participate in this event and we have uh winners every year and I think it's a great uh great thing for our art department to be able to to do this for our students. Uh I also want to thank the WTA for their uh teachers to remember program. I want to congratulate all the teachers who were recognized. I want to thank the students

088who took the time to come here and read their essays uh thanking their teachers for being a great influence on them. Uh I also want to congratulate the teachers who completed the the uh letters workshop doing much of that on their own time and uh thank them for coming out tonight uh to be recognized for their efforts. Uh I also want to let you know I attend yesterday I attended the uh shore conference of intermediate schools uh all-star track meet. It was at Aspbury Park High School. Wall Township was well represented there. Uh I know one of our events, one of our girls won the 400 4 by uh 100 meter relay. I also want to point out that our uh our track coach, Mr. Tom Maliff, uh was recognized by the organization for 25

089years as a as a coach and also as a uh uh uh officer uh in the organization. Uh I also want to point out that I know as was pointed out by our our students earlier in the evening about the many activities that will be coming up over the next month. Uh I'm just encouraging our students to keep these activities positive and we want them to be safe. They have proms, they have graduations, they have other events that are that are coming forward and they are great. They will bring great memories and we want them all to be uh good memories. At this time, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Hanahan for the superintendence report. Thank you so much, Mr. Maliff. Good evening. I'd like to thank the Wall High School NDC NDCC

090for opening our meeting. I'd also like to thank our student representatives, Mason Adam, Megan Cappy, Erin Richie, and Michael Southwall for joining us this evening. Congratulations to all the teachers to be remembered. This is a wonderful tradition and I am so grateful to see demonstrations of appreciation for our hardworking faculty. Thank you to the WTEA for facilitating this endeavor. I would also like to thank all of the educators recognized this evening for their participation in the letters program. Their participation is a testament of their commitment to our students as they expand the repertoire of cuttingedge instructional practices. I am grateful for this opportunity to provide some context on some issues that gained heightened attention since our last board meeting. The first item I wish to speak about is the asbestous baitment at the high school.

091As I am sure you are aware, the district has started a great deal of capital improvements throughout the district. One of these projects is a major renovation of the high school auditorium. Due to the scope of this project, every day is needed to complete the renovation for the opening of school in order to meet that deadline. To have delayed this project would have had a negative impact on our arts and music program in the fall. That is why demolition began at the start of this month. One of the critical steps in the demolition was the proper removal of floor mass flooring mastic as it contained non-fryable asbestous. The district has been working with an environmental consulting firm and the contractors to ensure all work follows the strict removal protocols. Because it was a nonfryable asbestous

092with proper containment, the project was able to be completed safely while while school was open. As many of you are aware, members of the community reached out to the Department of Health, Department of Labor charged with asbesus related matters, and the Department of Education. As follow-up to the community concerns, our local health department and the Department of Labor independently conducted site visits during the project at the high school and they independently determined we were in compliance and following appropriate protocols. I was told by the health department that they would be following following up via phone call to those individuals that reached out to them to let them know they completed a site visit and that we were in compliance. In the future, we recognize that greater emphasis on emphasis on timing of school communications is

093necessary and I will be working with all of the principles on this. Speaking of communications, I would like to share that Mr. Mr. Davis, the high school principal, has shared an executive summary and documents related to all of the error test results related to this project. For interested parties that do not have a student in the high school, the executive report and the testing documentation is posted on the facilities tab of the district website under the also under the referendum tab. Another topic that has garnered a considerable amount of community attention is next year's elementary school schedule. I would like to clarify some points related to next year's schedule as there is a great deal of inaccurate, misleading information circulating in the school community. Firstly, recess will continue to be 20 minutes long. As stated

094previously in my letter to parent sent to parents, students will have the option to participate in structured activities and games organized by physical education teachers. I stress that students will have the option to participate, meaning free play is still an option for the students. Also, recess will be supervised by full-time lunch power professionals and increased number of certified staff and school security. Next year's schedule will not alter the start and end times of school of the school day. Students receiving services through an individual individualized educational plan, section 504 accommodations, or multilingual programming will continue with uninterrupted services as indicated by their plans. The elementary schedule consists of core academic subject classes, specials, win periods, lunch, and recess. I believe it is necessary to highlight certain aspects of the schedule as there are some misnomers. Let's

095start with the win periods or what I need periods. These periods are opportunities for all students to receive instructional attention that is custom for their very own instructional needs. These periods are designated times for teachers to provide the small group and sometimes indiv individualized attention. Students needing academic support are provided with interventions. Other students may work on fine-tuning new skills. When students demonstrate mastery of the concept, they will be afforded the opportunity to challenge themselves with enrichment activities. These needs are determined by regularly collected instructional data, including Ire and Dibbles data. I would like to stress that any small groupings are flexible by design as the groupings respond to an individual topic strengths and individual topics needing additional support. During our reading block, we use an explicit systematic approach to teaching reading where the students

096are taught the foundational skills such as phenemic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, background knowledge, and language comprehension skills needed to become fluent readers. These aspects are integral to the district's commitment to implementing science of reading practices. Building a strong foundation will allow for stronger comprehension in the upper elementary grades. Students will also write every day by responding to grade appropriate question prompts within the reading program as well as more formal writing opportunities. In the upper elementary grades, English language arts instruction remains 77 minutes daily with an additional 38 minute win period. The math curriculum aligns with inquirybased instru instruction where the students have time to discover and draw their own conclusions before the teacher provides direct instruction. This this approach to mathematics instruction inherently demonstrates the why of mathematics, thus creating a stronger foundation for students

097to make connections and understand the meaning of mathematical operations as opposed to isolated wrote practices. Students in grades K3 will receive 58 minutes of dedicated math instruction each day and a 19minute win period. Science and social studies instruction will be structured like it was this year. Band is another area that has been the topic of conversation. The music and adjunct music teachers will continue to have the flexibility to create a schedule that supports morning instrumental lessons and morning bands for grades four and five. Fourth and fifth grade bands will remain separate. For example, one grade may have band with the music teacher while another grade receives instrumental lessons with the adjunct teacher. The structure is designed to preserve the integrity instructional progression of each band. Students will also have the opportunity during recess to meet

098with the music teacher for additional time with their instruments. Additionally, the music teachers have time during recess to offer choir for fourth and fifth grade students. The teachers will create a schedule that best meets their school's needs. With respect to health and physical education, there is a minimum of 150 minutes per week in elementary school. New Jersey requires 150 minutes of health and physical education instruction. The DOE does not delineate how many minutes must be dedicated to health lessons and how many minutes are dedicated to physical activity. Next year's schedule includes two periods of physical education per week and a daily 15minute morning meeting where some of the health standards are addressed. I wish to stress that the family life education standards will not be addressed through morning meetings. That said, we have heard from

099some parents challenging our application of the 150 minute requirement. Please know that the district since we started working on a new schedule model has consulted with the DOE. F following recent parent concerns, we reached out to the DOE again and we currently have an open dialogue on this matter. If we must amend some of our minutes, we will do so. We are certainly looking to be in compliance. As an aside, I would like to stress that in no way does this school district not value the importance of physical activity. We recognize how important exercise is for all students. That is why we are now, in addition to the DOE minimum, providing students with the option of participating in structured physical activities during recess if they choose to do so. That said, I wish to highlight

100that the WT WTPS continues to provide numerous sports and recreational clubs for its students. I would be remiss if I did not mention that I continue to be impressed with the Wall Township municipal recreational opportunities and all of the community-based organized youth sports programs in Wall Township. Our students are so fortunate to live in a town that provides so many opportunities for physical activity. Since our last board of education meeting, there has been a great deal of misinformation being circulated and many unfounded accusations. Understand that as superintendent of schools, I need to make difficult decisions on a regular basis. It is not unusual for people to disagree with them, especially when there is change involved. Rarely are there opportunities for a win-win. When win-win decisions are pre present themselves, I am thrilled and I am

101and I jump at them. But unfortunately, like I said, it is rarely the case. There are often dissenting opinions, especially online. And unfortunately, dissenting opinions are not always rooted in facts. The amount of time spent addressing inaccuracies propagated from rumor mills is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because I would much prefer investing our time in our students education and well-being and making our schools the very best that they can be. Our students deserve this. One inaccuracy I wish to point out is that parental feedback does not matter to this administration. That could not be further from the truth. I wish to share that as a result of parent feedback and staff feedback, the district prioritized funding the summer nights academy for elementary students in next year's local budget when it was previously funded through federal and

102state grant funding that had expired. The school community provided feedback. We listened. We budgeted accordingly. We are offering the program this summer. Currently, all seats are at or near capacity in this extremely worthwhile summer program. Throughout the last two years, the district has has hosted a considerable number of family engagement evenings of various topics that serve as an opportunity for parents to learn about the priorities of this district as well as important parenting topics. Many of these were sponsored by the WTEA where through their grant funding they were able to provide a wonderful dinner for the families in attendance. A great deal of contemporaneous feedback has been provided to the district during these events leading to very productive dialogue. The implementation of the seven mindsets has afforded parents with many many opportunities to engage in

103meaningful ways and share their perspectives. Opportunities for parent engagement and feedback include our virtual kindergarten seven mindsets parent orientation and multiple opportunities to have participated in parent educator book clubs and these are just to name a few. Each issue of the Wellness in the Works newsletter includes a parent feedback link at the bottom of the newsletter. But perhaps the greatest vehicle for parents to be active participants in this school district is through the strategic planning process. Parents, high school students, community members, staff, and board of education members were invited to provide feedback towards the development of a three-year strategic plan with its plan of action kicking off during the 2023 2024 school year. In this process, feedback was gathered through multiple in-person facilitated sessions and surveys. This feedback from the stakeholders enabled the district to

104determine priorities for the next three years. Each summer, the board of education has an objective setting retreat which is driven by the three-year strategic plans goals. This retreat is open to the public. The affforementioned elementary curricular changes are a direct result of strategic of our strategic plan. Twice a year we report out publicly at board meetings on our progress towards meeting the yearly objectives established by the these strategic goals. Our midyear report is held in February and the year-end update is held in either July or August. All of these objectives and accomplishments are posted on the district website under board board goals or on the superintendent's page. Our current strategic plan expires in June 2026 and planning for the next multi-year strategic plan is on the horizon. I would like to change gears just a

105bit because there is some really good news that I would like to share with the public this evening. I am happy to announce that in April, the district was awarded $41,495 for a computer science grant. In recent weeks, the district was awarded an additional $22,216 to implement our grant-f funded computer science goals. While schools have been bustling with activities over the past few weeks, first and foremost foremost, May is recognized as mental health awareness month during which our schools raise awareness to ensure that all students and staff feel supported and know how to how to um receive help and outreach. We are proud to announce that the National Association of Music Merchants, the NAMM Foundation, has recognized Wall Township Public Schools as one of the 2025 best communities for m music education. Congratulations to all

106staff and students for this achievement. Additionally, the intermediate school participated in music in the parks, securing first place in every category, including choir, orchestra, concert band, and jazz band. Last night, West Belmar hosted a vibrant multicultural celebration. Students displayed posters, shared traditions, and offered delicious cuisine from various cultures. Guests acted as travelers, receiving a passport to explore different countries and their cultures. It was a joyful night filled with community spirit and connection. Wall High School recently held its senior awards night and the Wall Business and Finance Academy celebrated its graduation. This week, the pre-engineering academy will also hold its own graduation ceremony. Congratulations. We are very proud of you. All schools participated in teacher and staff appreciation week. I want to extend my s sincere gratitude to all staff members who continually go above and

107beyond for their students. Your commitment and influence are truly valued. We are se we also celebrated national school nurses day honoring our nurses who are everyday heroes caring for our students throughout the year. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and compassion. I would like to thank all of our parent teacher organizations throughout the district for all of their efforts and special attention to um our teacher and nurse appreciation week. U it was amazing to see all of the support that our staff members received and um what I also know is it doesn't end with um teacher appreciation week and nurse nurses um appreciation week. It extends far beyond that. and I just want to thank them for all their support. Later this month on May 27th, we invite you to join us for a family

108academic night in the cafeteria of Wall Intermediate School sponsored by the WTA. This event will focus on grades kindergarten through 11 and strategies to prevent summer academic slide. The event will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and dinner will be provided. Please visit our website for more information. Each year, schools are charged with reviewing harass harassment, intimidation, and bullying or HIP data and programming. Using the categories and metrics provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, schools can receive up to 78 total raw points with 78 being the highest score that can be achieved. The full breakdown for each category for each school is available on the district website and it is in the meetings agendas packet. The overall score for each of the district school for the 23 24 school year is as

109follows. District grade 77, high school grade 76, intermediate school grade 75, Allenwood grade 78, Central School grade 76, Oldmill School grade 78, West Belmore school grade 78, while primary school grade 77. Our total district enrollment numbers for April 2025 are as follows. PreK 79, Kindergarten 228, first grade 226, 2nd grade 233, 3rd grade 247, fourth grade 236, fifth grade 280, sixth grade 238, 7th grade 252, eighth grade 258, 9th grade 219, 10th grade 215, 11th grade 251, 12th grade 235, and total enroll enrollment 3,197. That concludes my superintendence report for this evening. I thank you, Mr. Maliff. Back to you. Okay. Thank you very much, Dr. Han. At this time, we're going to have a board of education update. Are there any board members uh who would like to make any comments? Mr. Mr. Mal,

110if I would. Um, I just wanted to let the board know that um, I was able to attend the unified sports banquet at uh, Allentown High School on May 2nd and it was really a uh, phenomenal event. Very well put together and just it was amazing to see the um, all of the athletes and how excited they were to be honored at that event. Um, and just a shout a shout out to um, all of the staff that helped with that. uh in particular, coach, and I'm probably going to butcher his last name, uh Jared Muz Musaf. Um he really ran a tight ship, and it was um the the way that the kids looked up to him and were so happy to be in his presence. It was just um it was a really

111cool thing to see. Borbier. Um I just wanted to add that I was able to attend the wall uh BFA graduation ceremony last night. Um which was really a tremendous event put together for the students to honor all that they had achieved during the last four years in this program. Um and what the program itself had achieved in its last 16 years. Um really cool event getting to see alumni and community um adviserss come together uh to support our students. Um so I just wanted to say congratulations to them. Um, and last week I actually got to go to the Monday and Tuesday band concerts at the Wall Intermediate School. Um, so I sat through the sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade jazz band competition band. Um, and even the allwall fourth and fifth

112grade bands, um, which got some help from some of the middle school students. Uh, they did a phenomenal job. Um, their dedication and musical accomplishments were on full display. Um, and as a side note, I can't wait for the HVAC upgrades in this room when it is packed. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Farier. Anyone else for public for comments from the board? Okay, seeing none, uh, committee reports. Uh, the minutes are available on our agenda. Uh, any of the committee chairman wish to make a comment on the committee reports? As I said, they are available uh, on the minutes are available on the uh, agenda. At this time, we're going to open up our second public comment. This public comment is dedicated to items that appear on tonight's agenda. So, if there's anything that uh

113appears on tonight's agenda you would like to address, uh please come to the microphone. Betsy Cross. I live in Wall Township. Um, I did want to go over that Oprah that I got back today. There's a company called Bennett Company. Um, there was supposed to be a bid opening on August 29th. U Mr. Smite did advertise in the paper for that one. Um, and I don't know what happened, but I put in an Oprah for the bids that were open on October 3rd and nothing came back. So, you never publicly advertised. You hired a company for $9 million and you didn't do it in public. That's a problem. Um, so Mr. Malf, I'm going to send that into you. I'm sending it into the Department of Education. Uh, we'll see what happens. And I think

114the controllers's office absolutely should look into this. We cannot have um jobs being done in the dark in a back room with Mr. month. Uh, I would have been there on October 3rd if I knew it was happening, but you didn't public advertise it. Um, the company doing the asbestous abatement, you didn't want to also let us know the name, but I found out from the board of health, it was a company called Unicorn. I saw their truck outside today. So, I don't know why they're still here if everything's already done. um your report that's online. Um the company should have been here to go over the report like what happened in 2000. School had to be shut down for 2 weeks because of the mismanagement of asbestous and Mr. Smith was here then. He's

115the only person that was here and it was a mess. Cut the school down for two weeks. Uh so easy to find these articles. So, I'll email them on the agenda, Miss I'll email them into all of you. And you talked about the asbestous, so I'm talking about it. That's the way it is. Um, what else? How much money have we spent on the seven mindsets since it's been in the district? I know I asked that a month ago, but nobody ever got back to me. No, nobody ever got back to me on any of my questions for months. How much have we spent on the seven mindsets and how much are we spending for this year? How much are we spending on health benefits? We don't have any numbers. Mr. Buffa does a FNF

116minutes. It's a three-hour meeting and it's few paragraphs. There's nothing attached. You have to do better, Mr. Buffa. You've taken that same approach of no details to the chair, Miss Cross. I'm speaking, Miss Cornell. Please direct them to the chair. Thank you. Um, what else? Could you let me know who's going to be the treasurer of monies now that Pablo Canelo is no longer? You said he resigned, but who else is doing the job? Is Is that going to be Mr. Smite's 14th job in the district? Uh, I think he had 13 jobs listed on the agenda for tonight. Um, as you know, I'm not a fan. He shouldn't be here. He should have been gone when James Hel went to prison. Okay. Thank you. He should have been gone then. Thank you. Thank you,

117Miss Cross. Do I have any other comments on agenda items up top? It's my first uh wall board meeting as a parent. So, just thank you for having me. Um so, I'm not 100% sure how it works. Like I said, I am a teacher. Um will you vote on any of the concerns that we had as parents? So after we all talked and gave our concerns, you then read to us what you listed and you kept exactly what you said you were going to keep and we said we don't agree with that. So are you going to vote on that or are you allowed to answer? This is public comment. You're making a comment. So you can't comment. Okay. So, are you going to vote on us wanting to keep three days of gym, or

118are you keeping what you said you were going to keep? Okay. No comment. That's fine. I'm going to take it as you're not voting and you're ignoring our comments. Um, my second comments. I'm sorry. What's that? We're not ignoring your comments. No. Okay. Are you going to vote on our comments then or no? Are you keeping what you said you were going to keep without our stakeholder interest? Yes or no? The the public comment is the opportunity for the public to give the board. So then you're notation. There's no action on a public comment. So it's just we receive the information and then we address it. We address it from there. Yeah. I just figured I figured we were all in this together. Calling out. Please stop calling out, Miss. Yeah, totally fine. If you

119don't want to be in this together, I totally get that. But as a concerned parent, I was just hoping um that you would give me an answer. Thank you. Um my second question was if you had any um data to support the seven mindsets. My daughter is in first grade and she says that she gets a book read to her and she gets to color. That was her take on the seven mindsets. Um my daughter is very enriched. She reads fluently. I teach second grade. She's reading well above a lot of my second graders. Um she always tells me about her day. She tells me she loves gym. She loves recess. She has literally just said exactly what I said about the seven mindsets. So, I was just wondering about the valid validity of the

120seven mindsets and how you chose that program. Um, and then my final comment is just about the summer nights of program. Um, how you found out that that was considered more important than what we essentially pay for tax for taxes for all of our students during the school day. So why a summer program that supports standardized testing and math and reading scores was considered more important than our child's physical education as well as what they're doing during the school day, their safety um and their support. So thank you. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else with public comment on agenda? Anything on the agenda? Yes, sir. Hi. Um Dr. Anhana, yeah. I don't know if you could comment on now, but uh on your superintendent report, you said there was going to be no um change in

121the start and time of the day. So, does that mean next year class ends at 3:10 and the bus comes at 3:20? All right, I'll send you an email then. Thank you. That's enough. Is there anyone else for public comment? Okay, seeing none, we're going to close public comment. Mr. Smith, just for clarification on the uh comment that a project that was awarded at $9.7 million wasn't publicly advertised and uh publicly bid. That was incorrect. Uh the project was publicly noticed. There was a public bid opening. There was three biders and other attendees at the public bid opening and the contract was awarded at the following board of education meeting in October. Just to clarify, didn't stop calling out. Thank you. At this time, I'm going to ask for a motion to uh approve tonight's

122uh consent agenda, which would be find in items 12 through 19. Can I have a motion? I'll make it. Mr. Buffer, a second. I'll second. Miss Diovani. Roll call. Miss Adams. Yes. Mr. Ania. Yes. I'm going to abstain on the HR report number seven uh a number 40 and attachment one. Um both portions of pertaining to a family member noted. Mr. Barbier, yes. Mr. Burton, yes. Mr. Buffa, yes. Mr. Diovani, yes. I'll abstain from 16B. I wasn't present for discussion. Noted. Mr. Smith. Yes. Mr. Wandra. Yes. Mr. Mal. Yes. But I will abstain on 16A specifically the attachments one through four. No. Thank you. At this time, I'll uh entertain a motion to adjurnn. Okay. Mr. Adenezio, I'll second. Mr. Giovanni. All in favor? Opposed. We are journed.