Excellent. Good evening and welcome. Would the secretary please call the role? Dr. Braun here. Mr. Cummings here. Dr. Falco here. Dr. Figueroa here. Mrs. Heric here. Mr. Hong here. Dr. Pan here.
President Quas, here we have a quorum. Please rise to salute the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. All right. Good evening. The New Jersey open public meeting law was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interests is discussed and acted upon. In accordance
with the provisions of this act, the East Brunswick Board of Education has caused notice of this meeting to be published and posted at the Board of Education offices. Written notice was also provided to the Sentinel, the New York Star Ledger, the Home News Tribune, the Alternative Press of East Brunswick,
and the Municipal Clerk of East Brunswick. All board of education meetings, with the exception of executive session discussions, are videotaped for later broadcast. It is the policy of the board of education that videotaped meetings are not edited for any purpose. Individuals who speak
at the board's public meetings should be aware of these videotaping rules. So we have a need for a closed session whereas the board of education must discuss matters which are not appropriate for discussion in a public meeting whereas these subjects are within the ex
exceptions to the open public meeting act and are permitted to be discussed in closed session pursuant to NJSA 104-12B and whereas the board of education intends to discuss matters uh as listed in tonight's agenda. Whereas the length of the closed session
is estimated to be 30 minutes after which the public meeting of the board shall reconvene and action will be taken. Can I get a motion please? Second. Wilbert and Jamie. Discussion. All in favor?
Opposed? Abstensions. All right. We are in closed. We will be back in 30 minutes. Okay. Hi and welcome back. Uh we are going to begin with the superintendent's report. Thank you, President Gloss. It is great to see everyone here
tonight. The artwork on display back in the boardroom at the administration building, which you cannot see from in here. Oh, you can see some of it. Uh was created by students from Hammershold Upper Elementary School. The art teachers of these talented students are Katherine Barrett and Miriam Koulik.
Russell Petrono is the principal. Congratulations to the 15 seniors who were were celebrated at educator signing day yesterday, June 4th, right here in this room. This celebration, graciously supported by an EBA pride grant,
recognizes students who plan to become teachers. Students received a promise of first consideration, ensuring them an interview to be considered for a teaching position back here in our district upon graduation from college. The students also took a moment to write
a note of thanks to the teachers who inspired them to get into the field of education. We look forward to welcoming these future educators back to our schools in just a few short years. The East Brunswick High School Counseling Department coordinated a successful trade fair with 24 different
trade professionals in attendance. This included the New Jersey Department of Corrections, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union, HVAC Union of New Jersey, Salem Professional Academy, Automotive Training Center, JR Truck Driving School, and many more. Over 200 students
opted to attend the fair and 85% of the attendees in indicated that attending the trade fair had influenced their exposure to potential career opportunities. Last evening, 59 band, chorus, and orchestra students
assembled represented and representing grades seven through nine and presented the Churchill Junior High School Pops Concert. To have such a large number of students all flawlessly performed together at the same time is a testament to the high level of talent of these
student musicians and of course their teachers. Congratulations to the students and the music staff who presented such an extraordinary event. The annual art walk will be displayed until June 16th in the center of the municipal complex. If you get a
chance, go over and take a look. It is a very inspiring uh body of work from our students. Tonight, our agenda includes a resolution of appreciation dedicated to our parent teacher associations. And I want to express profound gratitude to
all the PTAs for their unwavering support of our students and staff. Yes, ma'am. Just they're flipping pages. Just a few important reminders as we finish up the school year. Tomorrow, Friday, June 6th, is a non-school day
and a nonwork day for students and 10-month staff. District offices will be open. Tuesday, June 10th, is a single session day for all students with lunch served for grades K through six. Tuesday, June 17th is a single session
day for the high school students only as they begin taking their finals. Wednesday, June 18th is a single session day for the high school in Churchill only due to final exams. And Thursday, June 19th is a non-school day, a nonwork
day for students and 10-month staff. District offices will be open. Thank you. All right. This evening we have so many resolutions of appreciation. It's just disarming when
that happens. Of appreciation and recognition. I do want to start by wishing anyone who celebrates a wonderful Eid. And it is June. So happy Pride. Um, but first we are going to start with our student representatives report and the introduction of our new
student representative who we've had the pleasure of having here at the board several times so far this year. All right, Rishi, take it. Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Uh, I hope you're all doing well. I'm going to be honest. I'm a little nervous for tonight's meeting because I have my two toughest public speaking critiques here,
Mr. Mandre and my dad. So, uh, I'll try and um do my best tonight. Uh, thank you. So to begin, last Friday, May 30th, seniors attended our much anticipated prom night at the Pines Manor in Edison, New Jersey. The class council worked incredibly hard to bring this event to life, incorporating a great Gatsby theme
into this event. Um, senior and class council president Asia Lee reflected on the experience, saying, "This year's prom was one for the books." The process started with our executive board curating a vision board of the decor we wanted. We then met with the decorator and DJ to see what worked well and what
could be improved. After that, we chose party favors, vot voted for prom king and queen, and the rest was history. The night was filled with incredible music, stunning decorations, and some very, very questionable dance moves from a few of my friends, some of who are in the audience. You know who you are. Um,
overall, it was a fitting and memorable culmination of our senior year. And we're excited for the remaining senior events to bring that same level of fun and fulfillment. Speaking of which, next Tuesday, June 10th, will be the senior decision day at the high school. On this day, seniors will proudly represent the post their postgraduate plans, whether
that's college, trade school, or entering the workforce. The day will include in celebrations of all the hard work that got us to this point. In addition, students will attend a presentation on dorm safety and college preparedness, providing important knowledge for challenges both inside and outside the classroom. To end the day,
we treated some well-deserved ice cream and time to relax with friends on the senior patio. In athletics, our spring sports is peaking with state level competitions taking place this weekend last. Most notably yesterday, our spring track and field team competed at the individual
state championships, also known as the meet of champions, held at Penisaken High School. Athletes braved 9°ree heat to compete alongside the best in the state. Our girls 4x800 relay team, boys 4x00 relay team, and several individual athletes representing East Brunswick
with pride. Senior and triple jump specialist Ru Onik delivered an impressive performance, placing fifth in the entire state, one of the highest placements in EB history. Meanwhile, the boys team heads to Veterans Park in Hamilton next week to compete in the individual state state tournament.
Senior and team captain Jaden He shared, "We're looking forward to finish finishing season strong with individual performances from all our players. While the team result wasn't what we hoped for, we're motivated to bounce back and hopefully bring home a state championship. All spring athletes will be honored alongside their fall and
winter counterparts at the athletic awards on June 10th, where sportsmanship, spirit, and outstanding achievements will all be celebrated. Keeping in line with theme of recognition, this past Tuesday, June 2nd, nearly 100 seniors were honored at the annual senior awards ceremony.
Students were recognized for leadership in clubs, academic excellence, and outstanding essays. Awards range from those celebrating future educators within our school to memorial awards honoring the legacy of former students. While the ceremony was long, seeing each classmate get excited and cheer for
their for their peers was truly special and made the night even more amazing. Senior and recipient of three awards, Taznim Hawk remarked, "The senior awards ceremony was an amazing experience that highlighted the achievements and hard work of so many seniors. I'm grateful to have won awards and it felt fulfilling
to be recognized for my work in IPLE and the human relations council where I dedicated time and learned much much more than I could ever have imagined. And now for arguably the most exciting part of this report and yes it is a shameless plug. Student council is hosting our movie night under the stars right after this meeting. So please come. We'll have an ice cream truck,
snacks, and more. Myself, Jane, and the rest of student council has been work have been been working unbelievably hard on this uh this night and this event is really bringing together the culmination of a year'sl long worth of dedication. So, it would mean a lot to have your support and it's going to be a very fun time. So, be there. And finally, June
25th marks the end of the school year and for us seniors, it means graduation. It feels weird to say because it seems like just yesterday I was sitting in in Mr. Powsky's US History 2 honors class and now I'm just a few weeks away from graduating. Last Friday, seniors received our gowns and graduation tickets and rehearsals will occur in the
coming weeks. On the 25th, teachers, administrations, administrators, friends, and family will gather at the cure insurance arena in Trenton, where we'll receive our diplomas and mark the end of our high school journey. I'll have the slightly nerve-wracking honor of leading the pledge of allegiance. And after a month of trying to recite it properly, in line with the morning
intercom, I can promise you it's not as easy it looks as it looks. So, before I close, I'd like to thank this amazing board for all the work you've done for the district, not just the high school, but all the students within our um district. So I have to thank you for that and as well as being graciously welcoming to me coming to this role.
It's been it was difficult at first but you guys made the transition seem seamless and I have to thank you for that and I thank Dr. Bashure, Mrs. Bangard and Miss Leforge for pushing me into this role and providing me with the week the help I get week in and week out. So thank you. And now the most exciting part I'm going to hand the
baton off to Jane. She's been incredible at student council this year. Sort of energetic, enthusiastic, vivaceious energy to the club. And so I'm uh passing off to you can introduce yourself and take it away. Thank you. [Applause]
Hello. Good evening everyone. I am Jane Godwin and I am the current after Rishi big role to fill by the way great charisma about student council president. I'm extremely excited to be here tonight and to
um increase um the school spirit as well as support throughout everyone in the school. Um I really enjoy being here and I can't wait to work with the board. They're all extremely welcoming and um have open me have me here with open
arms. Um, I can't wait to introduce new things into the school and overall this is going to be a really exciting job and I really hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you. [Applause]
All right. Thank you and welcome and and watch how spoiled the student representative gets. Ready? So Rishi is here but he said to me as soon as I walked in but I have to go only though because it's the senior
okay it is the movie night he is still serving the school so we can understand but this is how spoiling it is he has the first resolution but then he's part of the 15th so if we keep him all the way to the end there will be no movie.
Do you mind going second with the 15th? You're reading the we the people miss her. Okay. Do you mind going second after I do the first so that we can scoot him out so he can continue working? All right. Fantastic. We're going up here. You're gonna go up there over here and I'm going to stand by.
Fantastic. Can I just make sure you do a motion to move this? All right. So, I think what we're going to do is I'm going to ask for a motion to move all of the resolutions before we begin reading them and handing them out. So, can I have a motion? Motion. All
right. Terrick and we'll go with Liu. All right. Uh discussion. All in favor? Opposed? Abstensions. Motion carries. Now, can I go? Absolutely. Thank you. Do you see this? Completely
unreasonable. Is this on? Is it on? Yes. I don't know. I'm not very tall so it might not be. All right. A resolution of appreciation for the 2024 2025 board of education student
representative. Whereas Rishi Kundran has served as a student representative on the board of education for the 2024 2025 school year. And whereas Rishi has faithfully attended meetings, offered insight as a student of East Brunswick, and effectively communicated the board
of education's actions to his fellow students. Now therefore, be it resolved that the B East Brunswick Board of Education recognizes and commends Rishi Kundran for his time and service to the East Brunswick Board of [Applause]
Education coming out here. [Applause] That's a good idea. [Applause] That is Okay. Whereas at the New Jersey We the
People 2025, the Citizen and the Constitution competition, 22 East Brunswick High School students in the Advanced Placement Institute for Political and Legal Education, API class showcased their impressive knowledge of
the Constitution, critical thinking abilities, and clear articulation of ideas by testifying on con constitutional issues in simulated congressional hearings. And whereas through vigorous preparation, these dedicated students
achieved first place, marking the 36th time in 37 years that the East Brunswick High School has earned the distinction of representing New Jersey at the national we the people, the citizen and the Constitution competition finals.
It's amazing. And whereas this remarkable accomplishment, a testament to the students hard work, dedication, and commitment, has brought significant local, state, and national recognition to their school, their district, and the community. Now, therefore, be it
resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends these students and their dedicated adviserss, Mark Mundrey and Ellen Spieby, for this outstanding accomplishment. Advisor Mark Mundry will now come up to read the students
[Applause] names. Thank you. Uh I appreciate your flexibility in allowing us uh to go first. Uh that's the benefit of teaching both Rishi and Jane. So uh thank you for
that. All right. I'm going to read out the names of the 15 students that are here to accept their commendations. Uh they are welld deserved. Arun [Applause] Balaji, Samina
[Applause] Chidawala, Zana Dolia, Tesnim Hawk, [Applause] Sahil
[Applause] Cocher, Rishi [Applause] Kundan, Maria [Applause] Mueller, Aush Manenni,
[Applause] Pragya [Applause] Pandi, Roshni [Applause]
Romesh, Dion Sha, Seth Smhler, [Applause] Hannah [Applause]
Smutka, Rukaya Tapia, and Aditia Udeshi. [Applause] Now I have to all squeeze in for a picture. Keep wearing back. Keep moving back. Congratulations.
[Applause] Okay. All right. Our next resolution, whereas our parent teacher associations, our PTAs, are an invaluable asset to our 11
schools and our over 8,300 students, dedicating countless hours to enrich their school communities and foster a positive school culture. And whereas these dedicated PTAs tirelessly fund raise to provide essential resources
including technology, playground equipment, teacher mini grants, and scholarships among many other vital contributions. And whereas the PTAs generously organize and fund a wide array of stu special programs bringing
in authors, illustrators, musicians, dancers, and leading engaging history and science assemblies and workshops that profoundly enhance our students learning environment. And whereas the commitment and efforts of all PTA members serve as an inspiring example of
good citizenship and the importance of community involvement for our students. Now therefore, be it resolved that the East Forensic Board of Education gratefully acknowledges the incredible support, dedicated service, and unwavering devotion of the PTAs to our
students and our staff. A heartfelt thank you to Bow Monroe PTA and President Cheryl Kanaziko. She's here. [Applause] Thank you.
Thank you. We also have Courtney um Central PTA and President Courtney Bloomig Chidik PTA and President Jessica Sniderman. [Applause] Churchill PTA and President Christina
Christine [Applause] Wong, East Brunswick High School PT PTSA and President Rachel Van [Applause]
Wagner Frost Frost PTA and President Kim Groamitzki Hammershold's PTA and Presidents Maryanne Tenos and Christine [Applause] Gman PTA and President Natada Sto
[Applause] Lawrence Brook PTA and President Linda Graham, Memorial PTA and President Caitlyn Mendes, Warster PTA and President Amanda Foster. Thank
you. And further be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education extends a very special thank you to Jamie Wasserman, president of the pres of the PTA president's council for her invaluable support and encouragement of all PTA initiatives.
[Applause] Oh, sorry. There you go. Thank you. All right. I think we're letting Miss Herrick off the hook. Wilbur. Okay. So, this is a resolution of commendation for the 2025 National
Association for Music Education All Eastern Orchestra. So, whereas a talented junior at East Brunswick High School has achieved the distinguished honor of acceptance into the 2025 National Association of Music Education All Eastern Orchestra. And whereas this
prestigious bianual ensemble comprises the most accomplished high school orchestra students from 13 northeastern states with eligibility based on prior all-state orchestra selection and a limited number of students accepted per state to ensure regional balance. And
whereas this remarkable achievement, diligent effort, and unwavering dedication has brought significant local and state recognition to our schools, the district, and the East Brunswick community. And now, therefore, let it be resolved that the East Brunswick Board
of Education proudly recognizes and warmly commends Jessica Hong and their dedicated teacher, Arvin, Dr. Arvin Gapal, for this truly outstanding accomplishment. All right, Jamie.
This is a resolution of uh commendation uh 2025 NJDA/NJMEA Allstate Elementary Chorus. Whereas following a rigorous and competitive audition process, a talented student from Central Elementary School
distinguished herself among the top young musicians throughout New Jersey and was selected to participate in the 2025 NJACDA/ NJMEA Allstate Elementary Chorus. And whereas participation in the Allstate
Elementary Chorus demands a significant commitment from selected students, requiring numerous hours of dedicated practice, culminating in a memorable performance at the All State concert, which was held on May 3rd, 2025.
And whereas this honor not only recognizes the students exceptional musical talent, hard work, and remarkable dedication, and also brings well-deserved local and statewide recognition to Central Elementary School, the East Brunswick School
District, and the wider community. Now therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends Ariana Vias for her outstanding achievement and her teacher Maya
[Applause] Jud. Is that you? Good luck. We're going to try this way. [Applause] ready. Okay. This is a resolution for of recommendation 2025
NJMEA all state orchestra recommendation. Whereas after a rigorous statewide audition process, two Church Hill Junior High School students and three East Bronson High School students earned selection to the prestige
2025 New Jersey music education association all state orchestra and whereas this achievement reflects their significant dedication and countless hours of intensive practice. along top student musician
from cross New Jersey uh accumulating a collaborative ensemble performance and where is this honor not only celebrates the students exceptional talent and hard work but also brings welldeserved local
state recognition to our school the district and our east bronze community now therefore be it resolved The East Brunswick board of video came proudly recognized and commends those students
along with their dedicated teacher Susan Muse and Dr. Avin Gope for this outstanding achievement. [Music] Please, we have two students here tonight. Remake [Applause]
and Matthew Ham. [Applause] [Applause] Good evening everyone. I have resolution of commendation 2025 Rutgers Waxman Scholars. Whereas 32 dedicated East
Brunswick High School students participated in the prestigious Rutgers Waxman Scholars program focusing on DNA sequence analysis. And whereas their significant research has been published on the National Center for Biotechnology
Information or NCBI database, a global resource for biomedical information crucial to understanding human health and disease. And whereas this publication will allow scientists worldwide to access and utilize the
students findings in their own research. And whereas this remarkable achievement, a testament to the students hard work and commitment, has garnered local, state, and national recognition for East Brunswick High School, the school district, and the community. And now,
therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education hereby recognizes and commends the following 2025 Ruters Waxman Scholars and their adviser Kristen Dresner for this outstand outstanding
accomplishment. Adviser Kristen Dresner will now read the students names. Congratulations. This is for you. Thank you very much. Roan [Applause] Aziz, Elizabeth Kensel, Aaron
[Applause] Troy, Fritig [Applause] Gore, Ayan, [Applause] Hussein, Mandon [Applause]
Burakali, Logan Netzel, Bobby Yashri, [Applause] Pomoderti, Snake Depot, I'm out of order. Sting panda gar Patel Ana
Sha and Tanvi Olia. [Applause] Congratulations. Oh, I'm sorry. [Applause] I'd like to read this resolution of
commendation NFME Allstate Eastern Division Concert Band. Whereas through a rigorous audition process, one dedicated East Brunswick High School student successfully earned a place in the prestigious All Eastern Division concert band. And whereas based on his
impressive record of New Jersey allstate band achievements, this student was selected to represent New Jersey in the 2025 National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Concert Band, performing from April 24th through April
27th in Hartford, Connecticut. And whereas this significant honor, a testament to the students exceptional talent, digital uh diligent hard work, and unwavering dedication, has brought welldeserved local and state recognition
to our schools, the district, and the entire community. And now therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends Kenny Sha along with their dedicated teacher Brian Toth for this
outstanding [Applause] accomplishment. congrats. Good evening everyone. This is a resolution of commendation. It's the NJMEA Allstate Intermediate Orchestra.
Whereas after a rigorous statewide audition process, eight talented Church Hill Junior High School students earned selection to the prestigious 2025 New Jersey Music Educators Association Allstate Intermediate Orchestra. And
whereas this achievement reflects their significant dedication and countless hours to intensive practice alongside accomplished young musicians from across New Jersey. And whereas this honor not only celebrates these students exceptional talent and hard work, but
also brings well-deserved local and state recognition to our schools, the district, and the East Brunswick community. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends these students and their dedicated teacher, Susan Muse, for their
this outstanding accomplishment. Susan Muse will now read the students names. Congratulations. That's for you, [Applause] Allison Chua, Liam Decker, Josh
Kang, Gavin Lee, David Ma, [Applause] Joseph Manukian. [Applause] Congratulations and Angela Sheet.
[Applause] [Applause] This is a resolution of commendation for NJMEA Allstate Symphonic Band. Whereas through a rigorous audition process, two talented East Brunswick public school
students distinguished themselves among New Jerseys top student musicians and were selected for the prestigious 2025 NJMEA Allstate Symphonic Band. And whereas this selection reflects a
significant commitment of intensive practice and culminates in their successful audition into the state's premier ensemble as evidenced by their performance with the Allstate Symphonic Band at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. And whereas this significant
honor, a testament to the students exceptional talent, diligent hard work, and unwavering dedication, has brought well-deserved local and state recognition to our schools, the district, and the entire community. And now, therefore, be it resolved that the
East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends Maria Mueller and Charlotte Wells along with their dedicated teacher, Brian Tooff. [Music] Congratulations. Congratulations to
you. [Applause] Here is a resolution of commendation. NJMEA All State Wind Ensemble. Whereas after a rigorous audition process, two talented East Brunswick High School
students ranked among New Jerseys top student musicians and were selected for the prestigious 2025 NJMEA Allstate Wind Ensemble. And whereas these students earned their place in the wind ensemble, the highest scoring group in the state
through their exceptional performance in the 2025 NJMEA all-state band auditions. They performed with the wind ensemble in February and will also perform with the allstate orchestra. And whereas this significant honor, a testament to the
students talent, hard work, and dedication, has brought welldeserved local and state recognition to our schools, the district, and the entire community. And now therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and
commends Gavin Salgado and Kem Kevin Shia. Kenny Shia, I already said his name once, like I should get it right. I am so sorry, Kenny. Kenny as well as their dedicated teacher Brian Toth.
[Applause] [Applause] So this is a resolution for uh our German program resolution of re commenation
goar in This is the award of the excellence recommendations. Whereas one East Bronze High School student enrolled in AP German language our culture and serving as co-president of the German
honor society achieved first first place for the United States in the prestigious annual award of excellence contest organized by the Gota Institute in San Francisco. And where is this year's
competition centered on politic engagement in German was open to German language students across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean with the top
three from each region on a fully funded two week German language immersion scholars scholarship in Austria. this summer. Enjoy it. Whereas this remarkable achievement, a testament to
the students exceptional talent, diligent efig effort and unwa dedication has brought well dissolved local and state recognition to East Bronk High School, the school district and our East
Bronik wider community. Now therefore be it resolved that the East Bronze Board of Education hereby recognize and commend those students for this significant accomplishment and extend
his sincere appreciation to their dedicated teacher so Franco Miss Franco [Applause] thank you. Um and this is going to Diva
[Applause] Avadani. Thank you. [Laughter] [Applause] Nice job. [Applause] It is my pleasure to give out the resolution of
accommodation for Johansson International Competition for Young String Players. Whereas after a rigorous statewide audition process, one East Brunswick High School student earned the judges commendation from the Johansson International Competition for Young String Players. And whereas this
achievement reflects their significant dedication and countless hours of intensive practice alongside top student musicians from across New Jersey. And whereas this honor not only celebrates the students exceptional talent and hard work, but also brings well-deserved
local and state recognition to our schools, the district, and the East Brunswick community. Now therefore be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education proudly recognizes and commends Matthew Hoe along with his dedicated teacher Dr. Arvin Gopal for this outstanding
accomplishment. [Applause] Okay. So um this is a resolution of commendation for the Regeneron Science Talent shirt search. Whereas an accomplished East Brunswick High School senior has been recognized as a top 300
scholar in the highly esteemed 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search. hand. Whereas the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors, provides a national platform for
students to showcase original research, celebrating the dedication and innovative discoveries of young scientists addressing critical global issues. This recognition includes a $2,000 award for both the scholar and East Brunswick High School. And whereas
this impressive achievement, a clear reflection on the students effort and unwavering dedication, has brought significant local and state recognition to East Brunswick High School, the school district, and the wider community. And now therefore, let it be
resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education hereby recognizes and commends Allison Lee for this significant accomplishment and extends its sincere appreciation to their dedicated teacher, Jennifer Post. [Applause]
Congratulations. Yeah. I know Alison's dead, so I'll make sure she gets this. Uh, this is a resolution of commendation for Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Whereas the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards provide national
recognition for the creative achievement of students. And whereas one Churchill Junior High Stu High School student has demonstrated exceptional talent by having two pieces selected for recognition this year, building upon her achievement of one selection last year.
And whereas her painting Sellout has advanced to the national level, competing with distinguished works from across the nation. And whereas the significant honor celebrates the students dedication and artistic ability while also bringing esteemed local and state recognition to our schools, the
district and East Brunswick community. And now therefore, be it resolved that the East Brunswick Board of Education hereby proudly recognizes and commends Zoe Quan for outstanding accomplishment in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and further recognizes her teacher
Darren Amay for his invaluable guidance and support. [Applause] Sorry, I should have thought through that travel time before I took the last one. All right. So, now we come to the
good of the cause for the public. The board of education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of community interest. To protect the privacy of all students and staff, concerns regarding individual
students and staff members should generally be addressed by first meeting with the appropriate administrative staff. In order to permit the fair and orderly expression of such comment, the board shall provide a period of public comment at every meeting of the board.
All right. Uh, anyone speaking has up to three minutes. The time will be kept by the board secretary and if you step up if you could just state your name and address unless you are a student and then your name and your school. Is there anyone wishing to address the board?
Hi, I'm Michelle Bethy, five Wong Road. Um, I'm here to advocate for students with dyslexia. As you know, dyslexia affects one in five children. It does not just show up when students are in third grade. Many students are not receiving the intervention that is
needed because, as you've heard from multiple families, the response is, "Don't worry, you don't need to test for it. The instruction won't change. Under New Jersey law, any student who exhibits one or more potential indicators of dyslexia or other reading
disabilities must be screened using a researchbased screening instrument selected in accordance with the law. This screening must occur no later than the end of the first semester of second grade. This law was signed in 2013 and it remains in effect.
It also applies to students in grades beyond second if they exhibit indicators of a reading disability and were never previously screened or identified. So now once Dibbles is finally administered to all students K to3, how will these conversations happen
when there are students identified as below or well below benchmark? What interventions will be in place after screening? when students are showing clear signs of dyslexia, will there be honest conversations with families? I would also like to know when the last
dyslexia dyslexia training has occurred. Um, I want to remind you that a oneweek course, 30 hours of training is not sufficient preparation to effectively teach students diagnosed with dyslexia. These students require instruction that
is diagnostic, prescriptive, individualized, systematic, and explicit. Lessons must continually be adjusted based on progress monitoring to meet their evolving needs. Anything less is not aligned with best practices or with what these students are legally
entitled to receive. On the agenda tonight, there are two programs being piloted. If my children, my two sons are not part of this pilot, that means that they will continue to receive balanced literacy instruction, including leveled literacy intervention, which re research
shows is detrimental to students with dyslexia. My expectations are not excessive. They are aligned with what is required by law and clearly outlined in the 2024 dyslexia handbook. I respectfully urge the board and district
leadership to take immediate action. Please review the current dyslexia laws, ensure staff are trained in evidence-based best practices, and provide students like my children with the support they are legally entitled to. I will continue to advocate for my
children and any other student who is being left behind. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Is there anyone else wishing to address the board? All right, then I'm going to close the public portion. Oh,
no. This is the only portion. I I take it back. Thank you. Uh Fran Snow Eyes, 7 Chindler Court. Hold on one second. Please don't make this part of my three minutes.
Unfortunately is kind of a second pull up on my phone. Is that okay? Is that okay? Okay. Sorry. Sorry about that. Okay. Um, good evening. I'm here
tonight as a parent, an educator, an advocate, but most importantly, as a member of this community. Tonight, I speak with both urgency and hope. Urgency because the patterns of anti-semitism we've seen in our schools
are not abstract or hypothetical or theoretical. They're ongoing. They're deeply harming and they have led to real consequences. hope because I still believe we have the opportunity to come together as partners
and to change this trajectory. Let's be clear, the goal is not to have teachers fired. It's not to be pushed into corners. The goal and the ask is for honesty, integrity, and real accountability.
When we see repeated incidents of teachers harassing or making Jewish children feel unsafe. When students express that they no longer feel safe, our village is compromised. We must respond with more
than procedures. We must respond with a purpose. What's even more painful, the silence of so many of our students are still here. They're not quiet because they're indifferent. They're quiet because they're exhausted because they've raised
concerns. They've filled out forms. They followed protocols. And still they don't believe the system is protecting them. East Brunswick has an awesome reputation. Look what's happening tonight. These kids are amazing. This this district is amazing. It's known for
its reputation and excellence. But true excellence requires more than academics. It requires trust. It requires students to feel seen and heard. requires adults who are willing to have really tough conversations even when it's super
uncomfortable. We're asking for collaboration. I need to skip a little bit because I want to get to my big point here. Sometimes it can feel sifonous. I know it does, but building an inclusive and safe community demands this. Please revisit your comprehensive
equity plan. You need to revisit that. C is not a checklist. It is a rubric. And if it's used correctly, they are meant to be mirrors of scoring ourselves perfectly. While Jewish students are leaving the district out of fear, that
disconnect needs to be addressed. With HI cases like the ones we've heard about recently, we need to commit to doing better. Your time is up. Thank you, Grant.
All right. Now I'm going to close the public portion. Allegra Sidler, 12 South Woodland Avenue. I just wanted to know if anyone could elaborate on the parameters for soliciting participation in the forum for the superintendent search. And I'd
like to ask again who the chair of the curriculum committee is and how parents are able to be involved in such a committee. Thank you. All right. Third times the chart. Now I'm closing the public portion. All right. I am moving on to
the agenda. I would like a motion to move the full agenda. That does not limit us from discussion on any element. Can I have a motion? I'm sorry. Could we please just go by sections because I have like three comments I want to make in different places and
um you're still allowed. You're still allowed. You can I I will come to you first. I'm sorry. I promise. Okay. Whatever. It shouldn't change. Can I have a motion, please? Move. Uh Wilbur and Jamie. All right. Discussion. Anna.
Oh, sorry. No, it's fine. Okay. Um I I wanted to make a comment on under business and support operations um item four shared service agreement and I know we had spoken about this previously. It does concern me that in
another we're anticipating another bad year um with finances even though we're uh the plan payments take into consideration the debt expiring in 2026 and maintains a debt level payment
structure. It still worries me that we're spending money uh on things that I'm not fully convinced that we need right now. Obviously, a roof at Irwin that has to be done. Uh, as a teacher in East Brunswick, I can't tell you how
many years I had buckets uh, you know, from leaks and stuff. So, that doesn't bother me. But some of the other things do. And I was just hoping um, in the future that we can look more carefully at these and not be spending money that
we don't absolutely have to spend right now. Should I keep going? Yeah, go right ahead. Okay. Uh, a question under curriculum and instruction. Can you give the page number for that one? Oh, yes, ma'am. Um, page 20. Thanks. Okay. So,
um, they'll be piloting the um, a new ILA curriculum and I'm glad to see that there's no cost to the district for that. Um would it be possible to get an idea of exactly how many students how many teachers are going to be involved
with that? Yes. Uh each each program will be uh two teachers per grade level. So that'll be piloted in all the buildings in the district. Uh the one program as you see on there is a K to5 program. The other one is a K to6 program.
Uh the state issued new guidance recently. In March, the um student literacy working groups put out their recommended report and then just recently the department of education issued their literacy framework in May last month. So based on this new
information, input from staff and parents um and you know right now last um meeting you all approved uh the um application for the universal screener. Um and that's a mandate by the department of education around this literacy work. Right now the curriculum
adoption is not mandated but we feel that it would be our due diligence to take a look at some other programs and um pilot at this time. Okay. Thank you. All right. And then just one other comment under special education student
services um the HIP self- assessment um I'm curious as to um what the district does or do we track HIP trends from year to year.
Dr. Braun, yes we do. We we use a program called Hipster. Uh so it's a database that we actually look at and we see we can actually identify not only types of HIVs but where they occur, locations within schools and times of day. Oh, okay. Good. That's that's very
good. Um I was curious, have you noticed any trends? Um especially I'm thinking in terms of with the grade restructuring, did that have any effect on uh HIB or other sorts of incidents? No, not overall effect. What we're
seeing is is trends that we've established that we've seen traditionally where students are gathered in larger spaces, cafeteria, hallways, in some cases buses. Uh so those those tend to be the the biggest
um issues. Now we have had uh this last year we had an occasion um actually at a football game uh at the high school. So, you know, it it doesn't mean that we don't have situations going on other places, but those those gathering spots
tend to be the biggest um Yep, that makes sense. Of concern. Okay. I used to have cafeteria and hall duty, so I I understand. All right. Thank you very much. Sorry, just um just a few quick questions on uh
business and support operations. Item number three with the um uh um there there are terms in here that says that uh when the cost or price of any contract is under a certain uh threshold, then the purchasing agent is
authorized to award the contract um uh without public advertising for bids and bidding. How long have these guidelines been in place at this point um with these particular thresholds? The reason I'm asking is that uh costs have been going up and so maybe the um uh the
guidelines here might not make sense in 2025 if they if they made sense at a time uh you know several years ago. I'm sorry. I'm just Mine's the old one. That item is no
longer on the no longer on the agenda. Sorry, I'm working up my old agenda. Yeah, I I apologize if that wasn't communicated to you. The I can answer the question quickly. So, if if you are trained as a qualified purchasing agent in New Jersey, you go through the
Department of Community Affairs, fairly rigorous process. The threshold is presently used to be 20. They've raised it to $44,000. But even even at $44,000, the QPA, the qualified purchasing agent, still has to go out do due diligence and get at least
two quotes, competitive quotes to test the price that that's being offered. So, what they let them do is rather go through the whole bidding process, go out in the marketplace, but it's got to be below $44,000 to spend. So, we're satisfied that that threshold is appropriate for our Yeah. Well, it's set
by state law. the legislature sets it and and they they change it probably once a decade there. Okay. Yeah. Thanks for the context. Um next thing and I don't know if this number is going to um line up anymore but is regarding the shared services agreement. I know we've
had some back and forth with the town. Is this the last step of this process now? Yes. Okay, great. um on the uh sorry with the new ILA uh curriculum uh
let's see what um uh I understand this is a pilot when will this be evaluated are we doing this halfway through the year at the end of the school year well the plan is to implement in September and we will be using our universal screening data with our new universal
screener that we'll be adopting the MClass Dibbles to U as well as classroom metrics including you know foundational literacy assessment and comprehension assessments um coupled with teacher input and administrator input of those who are participating in the pilot to
look at student growth in each of the classrooms and identify strengths and weaknesses of the programs. Okay. And the timeline of those assessments it'll be all year. All year long. Okay. Great. Thanks. Um la uh la last two things. um the agreement with Montlair for the
continuing education. Um uh are the teachers happy uh with with the offerings there? Anyone? We're going to bring the expert up. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. So, this program I is this on? Yes. Um so, this is actually for current
teachers who are interested in becoming supervisors or administrators. uh and we have had several um interns from Montlair who have had a lot of success and we've we have found that the program seems uh excellent and so that's why we went into a partnership with them. We actually expect that some of our
administrators uh will be the professors uh working with Montlair and working with our teachers to be able to expedite their administrative certificate. Okay, great. And and in regards to the tuition, do we get any sort of discount? Um we the students the the teachers get a little bit of a discount and we also
offer tuition reimbursement for our students uh for our teachers through the contract. Uh perfect. Last item, sorry. On the um uh agreement with the Ruters Nursing School uh program, I noticed that anesthesia is in the title there. What do the anesthesiologists do in our
schools? Nothing. Nothing in our schools. Um but the the memorandum of understanding actually this will be the first time that we've accepted nursing interns into our district. In the past we have not um had an opportunity for um nursing
interns unless they were going an alternate route and they were already hired by us and we were um supporting them through their education. So uh this will be the first time that we can hopefully start to grow some more t more nurses in our department. Great. and and um and I assume they're working with our
current school nurses. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. When I saw anesthesia, like the professional curiosity took over. So, thanks. So, nothing actually. All right. I'm done. Le So, uh similar your mic's similar to Dr. Pence's uh question
about the pilot programs. So, I understand that this is a two a one-year pilot program. Is any way we can have a evaluation meeting every quarter or uh half a year so we can adjust the
way we handle this program that will be a data collection and adjustment opportunity for us a report out to the board on the progress of the pilots. Yeah. Either certainly pro every quarter or same years. Yes. So can you that will
that will help us to adjust adapt the new program and the second one is the shared surface with the township. I want to thank the township town council uh and our mayor Dr. Black Han for this cooperation with the board. You know we
well one is Bronswick the school every penny this this board spend uh is come from the taxpayer. So this share surface can actually save the taxpayers money because the township has better uh
credit rating. So I really appreciate the keep always helping this uh school district and we are part this this school district is the largest employer and of this town and is
the backbone of this town. So I really appreciate uh their kindness and the willing to work with us. So we are not independent. No matter where you go, there's only one East Bronzic in this state, in this country.
Thank you. And Lori, I'm sorry, Tim. I didn't turn this over. So, um, number one, under business support and operations, um, although I think some of this was kind of discussed during the budget, just a comment that,
um, I appreciate the work done by the administration to see rates negotiated for transportation below CPI. I know not a lot of districts have had success doing that with their transportation companies and services, and I think that speaks of the relationship um, that we
have. Um, Dr. approval, you answered my question about the timeline regarding the pilot programs. Um, I also want to say regarding um, Monontlair and working with them regarding uh, for administration, I think that's really excellent that we're able to provide
that um, and use our own professional staff to train and hopefully see u movement at some point of our staff and to hire positions um, hopefully here. Um, so I'm excited to see like how the f the first cohort goes. Um, and I also
think it's great that we have nursing interns. Um, a lot of schools throughout the state have been struggling with um, having nurses. actually at the New Jersey school board's dem delegate assembly a few weekends ago. One of the
discussions was surrounding the certification of nurses that work in schools and would there be a possibility to have the state change some of the requirements because there are districts that are really struggling especially in
rural areas having uh nurses at the schools or having nurses that are available to go on field trips with children. And so um I'm I'm happy to just to see that we'll be bringing them in. And I think it's a positive for um our district to um to be able to work
collaboratively because I think it shows that in the future then you have still the opportunity to come back here and eventually work. Um just like when we had the the teacher signing recently um and that we offer those students availability to uh a guarantee to at
least a first interview when they're finished with their education. So, I think those are really great. And that's it. Thank you. If I could tap into what Mrs. Herrick just said, just for the public, I think a lot of a lot of people in the community uh know that we have a
nurse in all of our schools. And in some schools, we have more than one nurse, but we rarely run a field trip where students leave campus that we don't send a nurse. And so that that exposure that that cost to the district and that
having that resource is really important. So I just wanted to put that in context for the public. Thank you. Thank you Tim. Thanks so much. Um I just wanted to touch on and again I know a couple members have brought it up but that the 2023 24 HIP self assessment um
you know I'm just um I'm a little concerned about that. I know that this is an evaluation from the previous uh academic year. Um, but when we look at the self- assessment and again self- assessment, but we scored a perfect score at all of our schools and we heard
from a member of the community tonight that that people are struggling and and and I recognize fully that this is a complicated time and these are complicated spaces for all populations. Um, but my concern is that if we're and I just want to make sure I'm understanding this clearly as well. My
concern is that if we're continuing to to rate ourselves as, you know, at the highest level, are we not pausing enough to think about, explore, listen, and and take steps to make sure that we're, you know, addressing these challenges
appropriately. Um, and it's hard. It's hard. I I get that. And I and I appreciate the words of the community member tonight about these difficult decisions and and how do we do this appropriately. Um and I and I don't have
an answer right now and I and I I you know I know that we're all willing to engage in that space. But um you know I just really want to make sure that we're really looking at this appropriately especially as we move forward because it's not going to get any easier. I think we all know that too which is which is unfortunate for us as a as a
community at large. But um I just want to make sure that we're you know there's always room for improvement in any system. It's a human system. Um and so it concerns me when all of our scores are at the highest level possible because in some ways I'm wondering if
we're not looking at it as well as we should. So that's just my comment. If I could for clarification. Um so the the comprehensive equity plan is is based on an accumulation of data data points that we have from prior years. We
know as an organization that there is always room for improvement. There there isn't anything that we do at any moment in time that we couldn't look at and say we could have done it differently, could have done it better. Um we have we have invested this year uh in a variety of of
um presentations, trainings uh that have directly been focused on anti-semitism. We've been working with the Jewish Federation. Uh they've been great partners with us this year on uh being a resource when we have uh any antibbias
incidents. all of those, which by the way are mandatorily reported uh up to the prosecutor's office uh and through our county superintendent. So, what I want to assure the public about is this is this is a scorecard based on data
points, but there's the kind of like the quantitative part of this and then the qualitative part of this. And the qualitative part of it is we always look at what we do, how we can make it better, how do we better serve our students. And every time we hear from the community, every time we hear from a
parent, every time we hear about a situation that's occurring, we look into it, we explore it, and we try to figure out better ways to to meet the needs of our current students and pro and and actually prepare for the future along with our our teaching staff.
So, I just want to give that assurance that that that there is work being done behind the scenes. This is not um we felt like we got a a really good score and we don't have to do any more work. So, Victor, I have a question for you. So, so you state that you reported to
the uh middle county prosecutor's office and report the county superintendent. Is there any way you can share the report with this board or if possible if not confidential? just throw out to the public so people know you are doing the good job. Well,
Mr. Hong, so maybe I was let me just be a little more clear. Every time we have an antibbias incident, there is a protocol for us to report and it involves the police department. Uh it involves our student resource officer.
It involves the county superintendent and it involves the prosecutor's office. there's a communication chain that goes to all those entities. Uh and then we we we follow that usually through a process
and and with the antibbias incidents. Um sometimes we have to hand those over to the police department and they become investigative issues that we can no longer talk about until that investigation is closed. So we don't
have you'll see on the um HIV report some of those antibbias issues will will appear as an HIV as well. Uh but we also report those things at the end of the year uh as part of our comprehensive report of u violence and vandalism those
kinds of things uh to the board. Thank you. All right. I actually wanted to comment on the HIB as well. Um my comments were maybe in a different direction. Um speaking as somebody who's been in the schools for a very long time, not well
in these schools and in a different district, I I am happy to see that the other actions taken are or sorry the discipline imposed is not just a consistent out of school suspension, out of school suspension. Um because it's
distressing when you work with kids to see the the knee-jerk reaction to be just put them out because no one learns anything that way. Um, I am always happy to see consistently if you go down the chart that the actions related to the target and the actions related to the
offender consistently include notification to the parents because we have to partner with the families always, but also counseling to I mean that's consistent straight down. And I just I appreciate about the district that the knee-jerk reaction is not to
just move them away, but it's to provide help and learning instead because these are difficult situations and this is the place where our students have to learn how to handle this. Is there anyone else on the discussion for the agenda?
All right. This cumulatively will be a roll call vote. Dr. Braun, yes. Mr. Cummings, yes. Dr. Falco, yes. Dr. Figareroa, yes. Mrs. Heric, yes. Mr. Hong, yes. Dr. Pan, yes.
President Goss, yes. Right. All the motions carry. All right. Committee reports, information items, and for the good of the cause for the board. I will start because I had the wonderful experience. Was it only yesterday? Yesterday. Oh my gosh. It feels
Yesterday was very hot. It felt like a very long day and a long time ago. By the end of the day, I had two badges on from having been in the district in different buildings and three if they would have given one to me at the board office. Um, but I I want to thank Nicole Tibbitz for the teacher signing day. Um,
it appears to be having talked to people on boards elsewhere and teachers elsewhere, it appears to be fairly unique here that we I love I sat in this room. I sat over there uh for athletic signings for my son and my daughter and that's amazing. But I really love that
we celebrate people who want to become educators as well, not just our athletes. Um it really was special. It was nice to see everyone coming together to support these students and I was here with my family. It was just a really celebratory moment and I appreciate the
work that you put into it. Um, I then traveled immediately to Memorial for Field Day where I would like to thank the PTA. I'm going to thank Felicia right there because there's the Memorial PTA or at least a chunk substantial chunk. But I want to thank the PTA, the
staff, the support staff, the custodians, the SSOs, um, Principal Jones and the parent volunteers. It was very hot out there yesterday and the kids had a blast because of the energy level of the PTA and the parents and the
teachers just keeping them moving and having a good time. And I watched at dismissal those kids came out and they still asked if they could go play with each other some more. Nobody had that tired. I'm just overwhelmed. It was a fantastic day but it took a lot of work by everyone. So it was deeply
appreciated and I want to thank everyone who organized Dr. Bushure was back there. But I want to thank everyone who organized senior awards. That is a very long and substantial event and we it is it is long. Um but we have so many
talented seniors who receive awards and I do appreciate the number of people that came out to support them. It's a packed auditorium which is such an amazing thing for our kids and I appreciate the families that sponsor awards and come back every year. It's just nice to see the celebrations of our
of our seniors going on. I just feel like with a senior myself, we're just going from one to the next to the next. It's a great time of year. All right, I think that's all for me. Lori, quick uh I I was with the EB T um
sustainability task force, excuse me. Um this week I'm I'm serve as the liazison to that group. It's a great group of people um who uh are very interested and take on a lot of initiatives. There's a great event this Sunday at the library. Um it's like a repair cafe. So if you have anything that you'd like to bring
out and I know the district has been I believe there's been emails out about that as well. Thank you. Um so that's really great. Th this is a group of people who are really uh just you know keen on and and energized by the opportunity that we have to to be good
stewards. Um and they really want and are motivated to work more closely within the schools uh and to do better there. And I think that there's some great examples surrounding us. You know, I know that we've talked about this a long time. I know these projects are are pretty extensive, but there's a lot of um incentive at the same time to make
sure we're recycling, right? To potentially explore composting options. Um again, big projects um but big impact. And and I think the thing that that I heard at that meeting that I just wanted to kind of reiterate was, you know, getting our kids involved in this and engaged in this is the best way to
strengthen us as a community. So, um, we'll be reporting back more on that, but, um, you know, I just wanted to kind of put that on the radar and would love to kind of dive a little bit more deeply into, um, you know, just our how we how we take care of our disposables within
our our district. So, thank you. If I could just add to that, the here in this building, the SAVE Club has done a tremendous job uh getting their composting done. Uh, they're working closely with child nutrition. They pick
up uh scraps uh various scraps of food several times a week. Uh and I know they're working very hard to try to expand that to other schools. Um so it's been a really good partnership. Um so I just wanted to add that. So it it is
growing and um we are aware and working with our students uh at the high school level to to make that happen. I just want to add on to that. Um, so it's an interesting thing because now I get all the emails from all of the schools. So I see what the principles are sending home and there was a group
that started at the high school two years ago, green good guardians. I always mess up the green good guardians. So we had students that formed our student and then who gathered students who formed a group to recycle notebooks and turn them into notebooks to then give back out because you know at the
end of the year your child comes home with a notebook that's still got half of it in it and what are you going to do? And they have had in the at least in the elementary school newsletters, they're telling the families where the drop offs are, the dropboxes, so that those don't go to waste and they can be recycled and
given again to another family. And I love that because it was completely student driven the beginning of that project. Anyone else? So, first I've um I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everybody on the board. I missed our May 29th
building uh meeting and um I know Mr. Hong had um congratulated me on my on receiving my uh new board member certification from New Jersey school board. So, thank you as well as the support for many of you um you know when I threw out nominating myself from the
floor for an accounting position but uh there'll be more discussions on that but thank you for your support. Um, I do want to say that I am uh the alternate member of the New Jersey School Board's legislative committee for our legislative district. We had a meeting
on Saturday. We were joined by Dan Harris from Woodbridge who was a board member in Woodbridge for 12 years and now serves on Woodbridge Town Council. He is also the chief of staff for Assemblyman Craig Coughlin. We had a really good discussion. Um, we talked
about school funding, of course. We talked about pilot programs and some unique things that they were able to do um with their mayor in Woodbridge. So maybe more discussion on that soon. Uh we also talked about legislation that's passed recently or standards that are
changing such as literacy um as well as continued discussions around the cell phone policies and the new use of sunscreen which I guess over the next few months we'll have to talk about updating our policies um because students will be able to apply sunscreen
um to themselves. teachers will not be able to apply um but students will be able to apply it without a doctor's note which was something that was recently um passed through the legislation. Um we had a fantastic student services committee meeting on May 19th. I was so
excited to take over uh the as the committee chair um for that committee and in discussing what we wanted to see um or discuss with uh counselors and student services throughout the district. Um, some of my early goals had
been um the uh East Brunswick adaptive recreation program. So, we had Caitlyn Kho come and she did a presentation. It was a very comprehensive overview of the program. Um, it talked about how they have their day camp, their Thursday
social group, their bowling, tennis. Um, we also talked about how there's a collaboration with the extended school year program that we have um and students that go to the camp after and how they use um like we use
transportation to get them there for the half day after the half day ESY program. Um we talked about how we could be more collaborative and exchanging information regarding students um and their needs in certain programs. Um then the next thing that I had wanted
to talk about was um at the student services meeting was the transition from the elementary schools to Hughes because I know a lot of parents um have expressed concerns of their children going from the small elementary schools to Hughes. And so we had a very
extensive presentation and thank you to to Dr. me for um for going along with my you know wanting to um ask and and and have a great discussion about all of this. But I can assure you through my pres through the presentation and all the discussions um that the for the
transition to Hughes um counselors visit all eight elementary schools. They discuss electives and language language request. They also do um class lessons regarding getting lost, using your lockers, how do you read your schedule,
what your the grading system is, clubs, um A days and B days, what happens if you're late to class, how do I make friends? So, all of these things that our kids are concerned about or we as parents are concerned about. Um there's a frequently asked pa like pages thing.
There's um peers. So, they go to Hughes. Um we group elementary schools together. So it's not just one school there who put schools together so that they can meet and others. Um there's a peer group of Hughes current Hughes students who
give like peer support and they talk about their experiences and they answer questions. Um the counselors have said that if they visited an elementary school two times but they feel that the students still need some extra guidance that they'll go
back sometimes up to four or five times. If there are certain students who still um have concerns or still just not are feeling anxious about the transition um they continue to work with those students. They do not have to open their
lockers and use the first day of school, not even the first few days. Um, they just try to easily um to easily transition them into just getting used to the school. Um, and then there's a lot of supports. So, they do um support
groups, school counselor interviews, they could be one-on-one, they could be small groups. Um, they have assemblies. They use time in home room to practice their lockers. um they can reach out to their school counselor by emailing or if they're not sure like how to do that or
they're nervous about going to them or asking how to set up an appointment, there's a Google form to fill out. Um if a student still needs help filling out uh using their locker after a few days, they can fill out a Google form and they're met to kind of work on that with
a counselor. Um we also talked about the transition to Church Hill. So there's also a support group um and teachers will usually make recommendations um to maybe uh to their uh I'm sorry student assistant specialist um there they also
talk about coping skills meet there's meet and greets um the counselors provide pictures of the school so like they have the students in the classrooms or in the assembly and and they say like this is the layout of church hill so the students just don't feel so overwhelmed they get like a visual this is what the
cafeteria looks Like so although I feel like a lot of them are at different schools for different um you know uh things that they belong to like sports or outre outreach or music I feel like they're trying to just say like to ease their anxiety low which I think is
great. Um they ask them there's also like pre and post assessments. So they ask the kids like what are you afraid of and their preassessments and then in their post they're like are you you know are you still afraid of this? Like what are you afraid of now? now and they try to see is there any change like what's
going on are these programs is what we're putting in place helping these kids. Um and so we also talked about career fairs. So there was a really great career for fair at Churchill Junior High School for 9th grade students. Um they had 30 tables, 42
individuals. Um just really positive feedback from students and professionals. They also did a career fair at the high school and I think if Dr. Busky had one of the pictures of the trade fair that had occurred. So that
was for non-olbound students to help prepare them for career paths. It was very well attended. they actually are thinking of ways to increase or allow for um other students to um attend even ones that are possibly thinking about
going to college but unsure about a trade so that there's a mix um so students don't feel so like I have to pick something right now or like I have to in my mind start to get on this track. Um they looked at exit surveys to get feedback. 71% of students that
attended said they learned about a career that they hadn't previously considered. Um, and then we also talked about how at the high school they had a financial aid group um that helped students, some of them first generation college students fill out the FAFSA. Um,
they provided support. They talked to them about scholarships, decision process, the college process, kind of like a timeline. So, it was a really great meeting. I think we had really good discussions and um I just want to thank everybody that's part of the
student services committee um at the school level at the board level for the input and the discussions for the community members that are part of it that attend um I just think it's a wonderful pro like uh committee that
really shows and shares what we are doing at our schools. So thank you. Sorry I was long. No, I I love that committee and I wish we had I wish there was a way and I think there is to increase the number of
parents that are involved to find out how much we offer. Leo okay so I want to add a few word about the high school senior award night. I want to thank Dr. Vasi and Dr. Busher for this really really nice event. So I want to
specially thank those uh sponsors, those families keep coming every year, reward our students, inspire their future. So this year more than 100 students or uh received more than
$70,000 award. So it's very impressive. I look I look at this young men and young ladies. They are so happy. They I'm sure they are proud of themsel. And second, I want to thank the
PTA. So we give them the the uh the recommendation tonight, but I want to thank them specially because they are the bridge between the family, the school, the teacher, the community through their
contribution. Of course they are volunteers. through their uh contribution. Not just the financial uh contribution, their emotional support to our students to bridge the students with our teachers, our administrators, which
means a lot more than their financial contributions. Of course, at this difficult time, any penny counts. That's that's why I want really appreciate uh at the end of this meeting. Thank you. All right.
Okay. Oops. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Um uh I I I was also at the uh student services um uh committee meeting as well. I'm just going to um reiterate Lor's point that the um efforts that we used to transition students from elementary
school into Hammershold and then from Hammershield Churchill are so comprehensive and so thorough and so well uh thought out. And I'm just recalling my transition from elementary school to junior high. And I was given a card with my locker number and the
combination and they said it's that way. The end. So there's that. Um uh I I had the pleasure of attending the Memorial Day service that uh the township put on uh over Memorial Day uh weekend. Um it's a lovely service. If you haven't been
there in person, I highly recommend it. I've been going for my me and my family have been going for many many years now. Uh the reason I'm bringing it up is that uh there was the uh East Brunswick band ensemble that provided music for the service and Mr. Toth was uh one of our
teachers of course uh was conducting the band and some students were in in the band as well. Uh this was not a school uh ensemble. There were uh grown-ups in in there as well. But I think that this is just one of the many many ways our
schools give back to the community. And if we keep our eyes out, we'll find examples of these everywhere. Um, and I think this is one of an illustration of what uh the schools bring to our township and why our township is as strong and as wonderful place to live in
as it is. And then finally, one last thing about the pops concert last night. I had a chance to uh uh catch a good chunk of that um as as well. But this is the music nerd in me. Um there was a one moment where there all five ensembles uh
three orchestras, one band and a chorus were all performing one song together and they were in the gym. And I just know again from my music nery that that gym is large enough that it actually takes sound time to travel from one end to the other. Which means that if you're
a performing musician, you're hearing music that was made like a little bit a little bit in time in the past by the time it gets to your ears. And the fact that they were all able to play in unison is a bit of a minor miracle. And it's a te it's a true testament to how
excellent our students are as well as the teachers and the um ESPs that uh uh brought uh brought this concert to fruition. So that was great. Thank forgot to say that the special education parent advisory group is
having a parent meetup at Great Oak Park on June 11th from 5 to 7 p.m. Thank you. I just want to tag on what Dr. Pan was saying. There's nothing wrong with being a music nerd. I I can tell you that much. I I too was at the Church Hill
Pops concert last night. And it talk about mindblowing. Now, I raised three children. They went through their teenage years. You know, sometimes it's really hard to get your teenager to do what you want them to do. Somehow,
miraculously, these teachers last night got 500 of them to work together. They were beautifully disciplined. They the music that they played was technically very challenging, especially given the
fact that it was in a gym. The audience being in the um in the bleachers are about 1,400 people because the bleachers were completely full. And ju just let this sink in for a moment. 25% of the
entire student body of Churchill Junior High School played together simultaneously, all at once, all in complete unison. And it was it was truly
beautiful and mindb blown. Thank you. Sure. I was a little quiet tonight because I was just so in awe of all the excellence. Really proud of everyone who received awards tonight. Proud of all our students really. Um, as always, go
Bears. All right. I want to thank the board. Um, I know the community isn't completely aware, but we've had we've had a long week. We had a long meeting last night. So for everyone to be here again and be so dedicated is amazing uh
because we have we are sad but we have started our work on the superintendent search actually we're quite a bit in I think at this point um but the community should be seeing more on the website and on social media about trying to get information from the community and
community participation. So please be on the watch out for that. And I just want to wrap up with if anybody has a little person, it is a true testament to the school district that the minute we started the ABC countdown, there was sadness. They don't want to go. All right. Can I have a Oh, we have to go
into closed. No, we do not. Yes. I'm sorry. I should not look that enthusiastic, but yay. All right. Can I have a motion to adjurnn, please? Second. Hannah Wilbur. All in favor? Opposed? Abstensions. Thank you so much
and good night.