That's And then it's testing. Oh yeah. perfect. I just I don't push buttons. The board met in exact session tonight. We're now ready to start the public portion of the meeting. Uh we have uh some guests. So what we are going to do is start with
the flip the order of the um agenda a little bit. Start with the superintendent report so that we can hear from our student musicians. So, uh, Miss Keit, >> greetings, Glen Ridge musicians.
Welcome to the board meeting. Um, I'm very excited that we have music today because music makes us all happy and we like to be happy and we have all these talented and smiling children. And I'm going to start things off with our
chorus. And our chorus went to Radio City Music Hall on Friday. How exciting is that? And if you were lucky enough to have a ticket that day before the performance
of the Rockett, we had the pre-rockett show which was the Glen Ridge Chorus. So, Miss Lcar, you want to take us into a little view of what you performed at Radio City? And thank you. >> Very excited. We sang three songs.
Christmas time. You can sing. Drink. step. Christmas. Set. Christmas tree Christmas came with me. The Christmas tree.
So big Happy birthday. It's from some crazy Once more together it's sun. Children. I want your son. Bravo Chorus.
Wow. If we could be entertained like this at every board meeting, this is great. Okay. Um, thank you very much. And I noticed some crossover here. We've got kids that are in both chorus and band. Exceptional. And now I'd like to
um just introduce the band. The marching band wrapped up their season recently, having performed at Herell Field for all four home football games, as well as traveling to New York State, Pennsylvania, and across New Jersey to
participate in eight band competitions. Their fall 2025 show was Quincy Jones, the man behind the music. And it served to both provide entertainment and represent Glenn Ridge and its school district for thousands of spectators
between early September and early November. The band had a very successful competition season, finishing fourth in the state among group one schools at New Jersey state championships and then at national championships in Allentown,
Pennsylvania, earning seventh place, only 2/10en of a point out of sixth. The marching band seventh place finish was out of 33 programs hailing from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
The band received its highest national score, 87.40, since its national championship season of 2021. And the only other New Jersey school scoring higher at nationals this season were Wayne Valley. On a personal
note, my son is in the Wayne Valley marching band. I'm sorry. I still love you. I I still love you. and um which is twice the size of Glenidge and Oldbridge, a school almost five times larger than ours. We
were gunning for Old Bridge, too, just so you know. Um congratulations band. And I'd like to introduce the drum majors of our marching band. Senior Emma R and senior Manny Oh, I can't I didn't
practice the last name. Guardiola. Thank you, Anthony. um for a special performance for you. >> Oh, it is on. >> Hello. Thank you. >> Hello. I'm Guardiola. As you guys already know, I'm the drum major. >> Uh my name is Emma. I'm also the drum
major. Um and today today we're going to be playing our 2025 field show for you. Uh Quincy Quincy Jones, the man behind the music. Um, and it's in honor of the late Quincy Jones. Uh, the first part of our show,
uh, honors him as a composer. The second part, which we won't be playing for you today, um, honors him as an arranger, and the third part, which we will be playing, uh, honors him as a producer. So, >> and over the season, as you can see, we amass many trophies, very shiny, you
know, those Enorch. All right. Thank you. 3 two Hey, pink. What's
your face? Stop. Instant. I'm dead. Okay. Perfect. What? across the other
came Hollywood shore. What are you doing? Ladies and gentlemen, the Glenidge marching band and Not only do they dance and play musical instruments, I've seen their show. They sing, too. So, these people
are are very talented. I I was at the West Orange competition. And um one of their competitions was Halloween weekend. I thought they should have got bonus points for doing the Thriller Dance. Um so, congratulations again and
thanks for coming and entertaining us this evening. >> Thank you so much. and the the Glenidge band on Halloween greeted the students as they were entering the building with um variety of Halloween music. I was there as Mother
Goose and I got to see all the smiling children come into the building and staff. you know, when you're coming into the building to Ghostbusters on Halloween, it just added something special to the day. >> And I have
>> Thank you, D. I mean, Dr. Gate, >> thank you, Dina. >> Okay, I have some late breaking news. >> Um, boys soccer beat Waldwick today five to zero. That is incredible.
So now Glenn Ridge will play Saturday night at 5:30 for the group one state championship game will be at Franklin High School versus the winner of Haden Township in Delaware Valley and they are playing
tonight at 6 they started. So that just in today and they had um a lot of student participation to cheer them on. So, we're very excited. All right, moving on. Um, as part of my
report, I'm just um saying that the board and district goals are being officially approved on tonight's board meeting. We have talked about them several times at other board meetings, but we need to get them officially approved. So, they are on the agenda today. The budget calendar is also now
on the web page. We are starting the process to um prepare the budget for the 2627 school year and Rididgewood Avenue School received the Blue Ribbon Award. Um Dr. Harris and I went to Trenton to
pick that up and that's really um due to the great staff at Rididgewood Avenue School >> and students >> and students the staff and students at Rididgewood Avenue School are blue ribbon. So, that is a very um important accomplishment.
And Betsy, I'll give it to you for the >> Okay. Um did you want to say anything about the goals? That's on your list, but I can talk to them. >> Um we've talked about them at several meetings. This is the official process to approve them. >> Okay. Uh thank you. Um we did not have
any written communications uh received since our last meeting, which was on October 28th. Um, so, uh, I will proceed to the president's report. Uh, before we go on, I want to send my condolences to,
uh, Louise Cox, who many of you know because she works in our, uh, board finance office. She handles the facilities use and many other things. Uh, Louise lost her mother, Beverly Coochinelli, uh, unexpectedly on November 7th. So, we send out our
thoughts and prayers to Louise and to her family. Excuse me. Um, the superintendent search, we'll talk a little bit more about that, but the application period ended on November uh 10th. Uh, we have 52 applications in hand and um in in a few minutes when we
do committee and leazison reports, my colleague Anthony will will um amplify that. Uh, the election is over. The transition in Trenton has begun. Excuse me. With Governor Elect Cheryl putting her transition team in place.
The legislature is in the lame duck session. I don't know. I'm speechless because of the ban. Uh the legislature is in the lame duck session with a large number um and the and uh the governor elect is putting her
transition team in place. Um, a large number of bills, including education bills, are going through the hearing and a potential process of passage before the new administration takes over and the legislative session begins in January. A lot of legislation that could
potentially impact us. Um thanking I'm thanking the home and school associations, the Glenrich community association which used to be known as the Glenrich diversity association uh and all the other school groups that part uh participated in the various food drives during the time when SNAP and
other food benefits were unavailable to area families. And thanks also to our friends in the burrow who spread the word about food and cash donations and encouraged all Glenrich residents to help feed our neighbors. Thanks to all uh I think it made a huge difference at
a time when other resources were not available. And that is it for the president's report. Uh we've now come to the first public comment period for questions or comments on agenda items only. Uh for those of you who've been
with us before, uh if you have a question or comment, please step up to the lectern, sign yourself in, identify yourself, uh confirm your Glenidge residence. Uh you have two minutes to speak. Hopefully, my friend Kristen will time if anyone has comments. You get Oh,
thank you. You get two chances to speak. Uh two two-minute increments, one now and one at the end if you choose to do so. Does anyone have a question or comment? No. Okay. All right. Um we will continue. It is
the first meeting of the month and so we will have committee and liaison reports. We don't have a student uh representative tonight. So we will start with you Ray. >> Uh thank you. Uh I'll provide an update on the Central School Home and School Association. Uh they met last on October
17th. It fell a couple days after our October board meeting. Um they had a very busy fall between book fair, fall fest, and the pumpkin walk, which are all big hits every year, and this year was no different. Um at the HSA meeting, we also discussed a new fence that the HSA kindly donated that will add more
outdoor space at Central. Um the install that was slated for earlier in the school year, but we're having that delayed because of the HVAC system upgrade. they don't want to put the fence in and then they have to do some underground digging potentially and then they'd have to rip the fence out and they didn't want to risk disrupting or
damaging the fence. But hopefully that will be installed soon after the HVAC is addressed uh in the spring. Um and then their next HSA meeting is this Thursday. Okay, Heather. >> Um neither curriculum norance has met,
so I have nothing to report. >> Okay, Darius. All right, Anthony, it's all up to you. No pressure. Okay. Um the Glen Ridges uh athletic association was planning to put a batting cage
behind the high school, but because of the limitations on the actual physical cage and the uh grounds that the various locations have not met the needs for
um installing the batting cage. So now we're looking into they the G is investigating other locations on school property um or with the town um to find a place to put the softball cage in. Um
the personnel and policy committee has met several times in person and virtually it seems. Um, and as Betsy mentioned, we have several candidates. We are going through our uh the
willowing down of first round interviews. So, we will be going through that this evening to determine who we will be doing uh our first round of remote interviews with. Um, and I also
will be uh letting the full board know a proposed uh time frame because we've had to make some adjustments um with dates um of second round, third round, and I'm going to propose some dates and then we're going to see if
that works. And um we'll probably have that uh we may even make that update on the on the board on the uh board of ed sorry the Glen Ridge uh site for the superintendent timeline. Um so that's
that's all I've got. >> Okay. And we're on schedule so far. >> Yes. >> Okay. The Ridgewood home and school meeting uh occurred on the 14th of November and we spent some time talking about the blue ribbon school celebration um which is
there's a plan for the future to acknowledge that but in the interim there is going to be this Saturday I believe a 125th birthday celebration for Rididgewood Avenue school. Um and the entire community is invited. It will be a school open house. There will be food
trucks. There will be kids games. There will be uh a presentation by the historical Glenrich historical society on the history of the school buildings and a slideshow and there will be tours of the school. So everyone is encouraged to to come. um people who haven't been
in the school for 30 years, people who have kids who are entering the school in the next you know decade. It all are welcome and that will be um the 22nd from 1 to 4 p.m. Um other news I mean national educ
education week is happening and the teachers are being celebrated by the Rididgewood Avenue home and school um group. There's also been a Thanksgiving food drive at Ridgewood. Um ongoing planning for the sixth sixth grade graduation come May or June of next
year. Um and plans for a holiday store at at Ridgewood. So that's pretty much the update. Uh the Glenidge CPAC is going to be meeting on the 5th with our director of student services, Mr. Dit and there will be a coffee chat at uh
Skoo Cafe I believe on the morning of December 4th. That's my updates. >> Okay. The Glen Ridge uh community association uh formerly the diversity association did not meet uh has not met since uh earlier this year. So there's no report there. Uh let's move on.
Tricia, >> the um middle school high school HSA met this past Friday. Um, as Joshine mentioned, thanks to everyone who contributed for National Education Week for our educators this week, um, with
filling their, uh, the lounges and they didn't do the coffee truck this day. This this time I think they're doing a smoothie truck. So, thank you for everybody who contributed. Um, Winnie already mentioned that the boys soccer had moved up to the next level. Well, unfortunately, the girls
soccer team lost to Verona last week um in sectionals, but they had a great season. As well as Rob Hill mentioned at the HSN, HSA meeting, all the other school teams, they had a great phenomenal uh fall season in sports.
Um the middle school history club went to Washington DC for the history tournament and they fared well as um as well in that tournament. And um I did a um just a special thank you to the middle school high school HSA for the
money that they donated for the new lunch tables in um in the high school. Um and I think they're donating another 10,000 for more lunch tables in the high school. And the next HSA meeting will be
in January. They skipped December for the week. And I hope everybody got a chance to go out to the holiday fair this past Sunday. We had some great vendors there. I picked up a couple great things. So on behalf of HSA, I'm going to say thank you to all who attended. And that's it.
>> Okay, Kristen. >> The Lynon Avenue Home School met last Wednesday. Last Wednesday. Um and it was a really informative meeting. They just wrapped up a very successful book fair done in partnership with Watch Book Sellers.
They were able to fulfill a lot of wish list items from the teachers um the teachers classroom wish list which was really fun for them. Um they hosted a uh family movie night at Freeman Gardens in in October which was a success and they are planning another family fun night at
the end of January on the 30th that will um that will be bingo which sounds really really cool and um they have started planning for or no they are um planning to launch this plans plan to get started
on spring fling um right after the holidays. They don't have a theme yet, but that event will take place um in uh I believe in May. Um they are looking for a new discovery chair. So any Lyndon parents who are interested in helping out with that
committee um please reach out to the um to the presidents and they voted to um approve the purchase of a new laminator for the building. It was a request from Dr. Caravala and they approved that purchase at the um last week. And they
also voted to approve the purchase of a new basketball hoop on wheels um to replace um the beloved but and apparently very wellused hoop that has been there. I think some bikers were there. So that makes me feel very very old. Um starting next week, Lyndon will
join Forest and Central in a season of giving cold weather accessory drive um to benefit Tony's Kitchen. Uh they are the three um lower elementary schools are partnering partnering um Lynden will be gathering scarves so anyone who has scarves to donate can
drop them off at London. I believe Forest is collecting mittens and gloves and central possibly hats I think if my notes are correct. Um and I think that's um you know perfect timing because the temperatures are starting to drop. Um I don't have the date for their next meeting. I want to say it's probably in
I think it's in January. I think they're skipping December too. Um, for the Gas Lamp players, the juniors just wrapped up their fall show with the Wizard of Oz this past weekend. Tickets are now on sale for the Gas Lamp Gas Lamp mainstage production of A Christmas Story. Those performances are scheduled for the first
weekend in December. Um, so that's December 5th, 6th, and 7th. And the weekend following that, the Gas Lamp Kids Workshop will present Disney's Frozen on December 13th. And that's those are my reports.
>> Okay. Duval, >> I just have a report from uh Forest Avenue Home and School Association. A quick recap on October. Since October is a very busy month, they um had yoga enrichment month actually, which was
sponsored by the um um or organized with Mindful Nest. They had a scholastic book fair where they raised $2,500 in Scholastic funds for the teachers to use in mostly for rugs and classroom items.
Uh Fall for Forest was a successful fundraiser for them raising $1,000 almost. Um Lincoln testing was completed which aligns with the goals that Winnie had mentioned earlier for the district. Uh there was a Diwali assembly and that
was um actually partially funded by a grant from NJAPI and uh the kids have all there was a Halloween costume drive which was donated to Tony's Kitchen. Um and they also had their Jacko'Lantern
Fest and Halloween celebrations. Um right now we they have started uh their neighbors in Need. Uh it's their largest community service event where each grade collects different Thanksgiving foods and they assemble bags for Tony's Kitchen. And all of this will be
happening next week, of course, because Thanksgiving is right on top of us. Um they are looking forward to hosting a big fundraiser this year in early March, which they're going to be calling Firefly Fest, and will be a family fun night open to the entire community. Um,
and hopefully that will help fund projects um, including a sun shade at the playground and leaving space for the child study team and and for teachers. But we'll have more on that in January. The next meeting will be in January. And um, that's it for now. Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Uh, we'll now go on with the business portion of the meeting. Uh, we have um some administrative items. Joselyn, would you move those? I move items A1, including our meeting
schedule for the next year, to sorry, A2, which has the district and board goals. >> Okay, thank you. May I have a second? >> Second from Darius. >> Yes, but we've got to move A3 as well. So on the >> Did I miss that? I'm sorry. On the agenda
>> and item A3 on the agenda. Thanks, Darius. Okay. So, amend the motion to include A1 to A3. Okay. May I have a second? Darius, you got the second. Thank you. Okay. Um any comments or changes on the
um administrative items? Other other than what was noted. All right. Barbara, would you call the role? >> I. >> Mr. Bonnet, >> I. Mr. Dinard, >> yes.
>> Mr. Dorenzi, >> yes. >> Miss Gotautle, >> yes. >> Miss Graham, >> yes. >> Miss O'Neal, >> Dr. Yaris Ramos, >> I. >> Miss Ginsburg, >> I. Motion carries. >> Okay. Anthony, would you move the personnel items?
>> Yes. I will move uh items P1 through P13 including um items P8, P13 and P4 on the addendum. >> Okay. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second from Jocelyn. Uh in keeping with
our rules and the board members code of ethics, uh personnel items are discussed in exact session. So if no one has any uh no one on the board has any objections I will ask Barbara to call the role. >> Miss Akimandi >> I.
>> Mr. Bonnet >> I. >> Mr. Dad. >> Yes. >> Mr. D. Lorenzi. >> Yes. >> Miss Gotley. >> Yes. >> Miss Graham. Yes. >> Miss O'Neal. >> Yes. >> Dr. Yarus Ramos. Hi.
>> Miss Ginsburg. >> Yes. Motion carries. Heather, would you move the curriculum items? >> Sure. I move C1. >> Okay. May I have a second? >> Second from Trisha. >> Second from Trisha. Okay. Any uh discussion on any of the curriculum
items? >> Okay. >> B. So that is the G&T second grade students going to the Unitarian Fellowship in Morstown. What was the question? stated education purp educational
purpose and I didn't see one there so I didn't know what the purpose of that on the on the exhibit >> okay um >> I mean we it
tiny >> can you just for the record state what the what it is in the tiny print Okay. >> Fair then. That's fine. I just I didn't >> Okay. So, you're okay. It It says um Steam STEM adventures. Students will
challenge themselves while working together in groups to explore different activities relation to technology, engineering, and mathematics. They will help each other as they must follow directions, utilize trial and error, and test their creations for strengths and stability.
And this is really small type type. So I think I got it right. So it's a it's a sort of STEM STEM activity. >> That's okay. >> Just wasn't in the regular place. >> It wasn't in the objectives. Yeah. >> Any other comments or questions on the
curriculum items? >> All right, Barbara, would you call the role? Miss >> Akin Wandi. Hi, >> Mr. Bonnet. >> Mr. Dinard. >> Yes, >> Mr. Dorenzi. >> Yes, >> Miss Gotautle. >> Yes,
>> Miss Graham. >> Miss O'Neal, >> yes. >> Dr. Yarus Ramos, >> hi. >> Miss Ginsburg, >> I. Motion carries. Okay. Before we move on the business items, I would draw your attention to the donations listed under B3 on your agenda. Uh the first one from
the Glenidge Home and School Association, money for replacement of the water cooler on the second floor in Glenidge High School. Again, from the Glenidge High School home and school association, monetary donation for the athletic trainers office, uh renovation,
uh $4,400. Much needed, I understand. Uh from the Flipin Group for Capturing Kids Hearts, $10,000. Uh the flip-in group is the parent organization of the capturing kids hearts uh organization. From the Glenidge home and high school home and
school association, monetary donation for the cafeteria tables, 14,000. And from that same group, monetary donation for the water cooler, $300. So, thank you to all our donors. And now, Heather,
would you move the business items? Okay. May I have a second? Second from Duval. >> All right. Any uh questions or comments on the business items from board members? Okay. Barbara, would you call the role? Miss Akimwi?
>> Hi. >> Mr. Bonnet. Hi. >> Mr. Dinard. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dorenzi. >> Yes. >> Miss Gotle. >> Yes. >> Miss Graham? Miss O'Neal, >> yes. >> Dr. Yaris Ramos,
>> hi. >> Miss Ginsburg, >> I. Motion carries. All right. It's now time for the second public comment period for questions or comments on agenda items or other items pertaining to the running of the schools. Uh the protocols and rules are the same. Does
anyone have a question or comment? No. All right. Then uh the board was not able to conclude its exec session business in the first exec session. So we will be adjourning back into our second exec session. But this concludes the business portion of the meeting. So
we will take no for take no further actions uh uh items. We'll act not act on any further items this evening. So um board members, may I have a motion to go into exec session? >> Motion. >> Moved by Ray. May I have a second?
>> I think I caught you, Heather. Okay.