Good evening everyone. We're going to get started. Welcome to the January 2026 Hoboken Board of Education meeting. Thank you all for being here. If you are joining us this evening to speak on agenda or non-aggenda items, please use the signup sheets that are located directly in front of me. Miss Lopez, can
you please read the statement of compliance? >> Yes. This meeting is being held in conformity to the Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 10 col4-6 ETF. Proper public notice of the meeting was published in the local papers on
January 9th, 2026. If any board member or member of the public in attendance believes that the meeting is in violation of the open public meetings act, the Hoboken Board of Education requests that they make a statement at this time. The board wishes to make those in attendance aware that
this meeting is being recorded on video and will be broadcast by the board at a later date on CATV channel 77 and FiOS channel 46. The full meeting recording will also be made available on board docs which can be accessed through the district homepage. The Hoboken Board of
Education is committed to preserving the decorum of the public process and is mindful that we live in the electronic age of computers, cell phones, and other electronic communications devices. Nevertheless, we respectfully request that all meeting participants kindly
silence their electronic devices during the course of the meeting. And if use of the device is necessary, we ask that you please leave the meeting room if you need to conduct personal business. >> Thank you, Miss Lopez. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> 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. Miss Lopez, can you please call the role? >> Miss Angley here.
>> Miss Katamatory >> here. >> Miss Delar >> here. >> Mr. Ga >> here. >> Miss Kana >> here. >> Mr. Clolo >> here. >> Miss Norwood >> here. >> Miss Vez >> here. >> Miss Mcgherk >> here. Do you have a form? >> Thank you. Miss Lopez. We are going to
begin the evening with our December students of the month. So, I will turn the meeting over to Assistant Superintendent Sandra Rodriguez Gomez. Good evening, members of the board, superintendent, administrators, educators, families, and members of our
Hoboken community. At this time, we have the distinct honor of celebrating something truly special, our students of the month. Each student recognized this evening represents far more than a single accomplishment or moment in time.
They represent curiosity, perseverance, kindness, and growth. They remind us that learning is not just about academics, but about character, about effort, and the courage to show up each day ready to learn. Students, you
inspire us through your hard work, your creativity, and your willingness to challenge yourselves. You show us what is possible when determination meets opportunity. You are leaders in your classrooms, role models to your peers, and a source of pride for your schools
and your city. To your families, thank you. Your partnership, encouragement, and unwavering support matter more than you may ever realize. The success we celebrate tonight is deeply rooted in the love, guidance, and values you
instill at home. We are grateful to walk this journey alongside you. To our educators and school leaders, your impact cannot be overstated. Through intentional instruction, high expectations, and deep care for every child, you create classrooms where
students felt are felt where students are seen, challenged, and supported. These recognitions are a reflection of your expertise, your dedication, and your belief in what every child can achieve. Students, this acknowledgement is not
about being perfect. It's about progress. It's about showing resilience, demonstrating responsibility, and striving to be the best version of yourself every day. Tonight, we celebrate those qualities in the communities that nurture them.
Congratulations, Ryan, Justice, Melissa, Kaden, and Caen, our students of the month for December. We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see all that you will accomplish. And with that, I would turn the microphone over to the principal of the Joseph F. Grand School,
Mr. Charles Bartlett. >> Thank you very much, Mrs. Rodriguez Gomez. Good evening, Dr. Johnson, members of the board, and our guests here tonight. At this time, I would like to ask Ryan Weissman to come join me at the podium. Congratulations to Ryan Weissman, the
Brandt School Student of the Month for December. Ryan was nominated by his fifth grade home room teacher, Miss Doler. Miss Doer nominated Ryan because he consistently shows kindness to his classmates, demonstrates a strong work ethic in class, and takes initiative in
helping others. Miss Doer said, "Ryan always approaches every task with a positive attitude and a genuine eagerness to learn. He consistently goes above and beyond expectations, inspiring his classmates to do their best. Ryan exhibits all of the qualities
we espouse at Brand School. He is considerate of others, shows respect, expresses gratitude, and approaches his studies with a seriousness of purpose. During the times I've visited and spent time in Miss Dolder's class, Ryan is a participatory leader, and he makes
insightful, substantive contributions during class instruction. I always appreciate how Ryan greets me in the hallways and how he is quick to say thank you when I hold the door open for the fifth graders during transitions back from lunch and recess. Ryan was previously nominated for student of the
month when he was younger, but this is the first time he's earned student of the month for our entire school. He also recently received a Brand Pride Award for being prepared and respectful and for showing integrity, dedication, and excellence. Ryan is an asset to our
school and to the student body because he is a quintessential student role model. Whether he is among a group of peers or around some of our younger learners, he always shows his calm leadership ability. Ryan's personal hobbies include reading and playing
video games. His favorite subjects are social studies and math. His favorite sport is hockey. Musically, Ryan plays the drums, the guitar, and is interested in playing the piano. His favorite type of music is country music and his favorite artist is Morgan Whan. In the
future, Ryan has Ivy League aspirations and wants to go to Princeton University and then have a career opening owning his own business, a pizza restaurant. When informed he would be recognized here tonight, Ryan said, "It is important to always try your best, work
hard, listen, and be kind. That will get you really far in life. That's what my parents taught me, and it's gotten me this far. Ryan, in this line of work, I have to be honest, one of the most wonderful things to see and hear is when a student lives the lessons instilled in
them by their family and then shares those lessons with others at school. I would personally like to thank you for being exactly the type of student any school would love to have walk their halls. And we are beyond grateful that you walk the halls with us. Please join me in congratulating our brand December
student of the month, Ryan Weissman. YEAH, RIGHT. At this time, I'd like to ask the principal of the Thomas E. Connors School to come to the podium, Mrs. Juliana Addie. At this time, I'd like to call up Justice Brian, the Connor student of the
month. We are so proud to recognize Justice Bryant as our December district student of the month. Justice was nominated by her first grade teacher, Miss Scolario, and she is a student who truly shines in our school community. Miss Scolario
shared that Justice is a conscientious and dedicated learner who always puts forth her best effort. She comes to school ready to learn, never gives up when something feels challenging, and approaches each day with a positive
attitude. Academically, Justice has shown wonderful growth in reading. She recently moved up to DRRA levels, reflecting her hard work, growing confidence, and willingness to challenge herself with her reading. In writing,
Justice continues to improve by adding more details and expanding her ideas. During a recent fantasy writing unit, she wrote a creative story about two dogs, Lulu and Koko, who competed in a singing competition, complete with cheering fans and a birthday celebration
for Koko. This story highlighted Justice's imagination, creativity, and ability to engage her reader. In math, Justice has been excelling in her mathback fluency, approaching her work with confidence and accuracy.
Beyond academics, Justice stands out as a kind and caring member of our Connor school community. She's always willing to help others, such as when she recently assisted a classmate in finding their screen during red words of the day without being asked. She is respectful,
supportive, and brings joy to the classroom, often by excitedly sharing a new dance move. Outside of school, Justice enjoys playing at the park, learning how to catch a football, singing, and dancing. She loves science, particularly hands-on experiments like
making a volcano erupt. And when asked about her future, Justice shared that she wants to become a police officer because it's better to protect the world, a goal that reflects her caring heart and desire to make a difference. Justice Bryant exemplifies what it means
to be a Connor's Koala. as she is such a hardworking, compassionate, and positive student, we are so incredibly proud to recognize her as our December student of the month. Please join me in congratulating Justice Bryant, our Connor student of the month.
At this time, I'd like to call up Mr. Dickerson, the Wallace principal. It is my pleasure to recognize the Wallace Elementary School December student of the month, our second grade student, Melissa Santiago. Melissa is a wonderful example of what
it means to be a positive, kind, and caring member of our school community. She was nominated by her teacher, Miss Marris, who described her as a hard-working student who never gives up. Melissa comes to class ready to learn every day. She eagerly participates,
asks thoughtful questions, and approaches challenges with determination and confidence. Melissa truly loves learning and her favorite subject is math, especially addition and subtraction. Whether she's solving problems or tackling tackling
something new, she puts in her best effort and keeps going even when things get tricky. That kind of perseverance is something we can all learn from. But what makes Melissa especially special is not just her academic effort,
it's her heart. Melissa is incredibly kind and thoughtful towards her classmates. She looks out for others and makes sure people around her feel cared for. One of her classmates said it best. We need a Melissa in every class.
She is kind, cares for her friends, and always asks if if we're okay. That simple statement captures the way Melissa brings warmth and compassion into our school each day. Melissa helps make Wallace Elementary a place where
everyone feels welcomed, supported, and valued. She enjoys drawing, playing with slime, and staying active through soccer and basketball. Most of all, she loves coming to school and feels proud to be part of our Walls community. In her own
words, "Everyone in this school is nice to me, and I like coming to school every day." Outside of school, Melissa enjoys playing video games with her younger brother, listening to music, and singing. Her favorite movie and
soundtrack is K-pop Demon Hunters. She also shares a close bond with her grandma, looks up to her family, and dreams of one day becoming a police officer. We have two in the house. When Melissa's mom was asked how she
felt about her daughter being named student of the month, she said she was so excited, just so excited. She also wanted Melissa to know how much she loves her, how proud she is, and how much she hopes Melissa keeps
up the great work. And I know she will. Melissa, we are so proud of you. Thank you for being a shining example of kindness, perseverance, and school pride. Congrat Congratulations on being our student of the month. And now I would like to announce the
principal of Hoboken Middle School, Ryan Sory. >> Good evening. Please welcome Kane Atkins to the podium. Hoken Middle School student of the month. Kaden was nominated by Miss Burke, Miss Nodine, and M. Mr. Schultz, each of whom
highlighted his strong character, leadership, and commitment to Tiger Pride. Mr. Schultz Mr. Schultz describes Kane as a student who demonstrates exceptional maturity and independence. He consistently makes positive choices, sets a strong example for his peers, and contributes meaningfully to the
classroom. Kayen is respectful, collaborative, and always willing to help classmates or assist his teachers when needed. His work ethic and determination reflect his desire to grow, not only as a student, but as a young man. In ELA, Miss Nodine and Miss Burke share that Kaden continually
demonstrates responsibility, respect, and integrity. He approaches his academic work with focus and perseverance, ask thoughtful questions, and participates in class discussions with maturity and insight. Kaden's actions consistently reflect our core values, making him a positive influence
within the school community. Kaden's guidance counselor, Miss Falconee, has watched him grow into a confident and motivated leader among his peers. She notes that Kaden understands the importance of accountability and recognizes that the Tiger Pride values are essential for success now and in the
future. She is extremely proud of Kaden and believes he is truly deserving of this recognition. Kaden's parents echo these sentiments. Kaden's friend Mason shared that Kaden is kind, funny, and always encourages others to do their best both in sports and in school. He is
he is known for paying attention in class, helping others, and leading by example. When asked how when asked how it felt to be names of the month, Kaden shared that it felt rewarding to see his hard work pay off. He appreciates the opportunities Hoboken Middle School has provided and is proud to be a member of
the Hoboken Middle School track team. Kaden hopes to attend Ohio State and and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. His advice to his younger self would be keep working hard because it'll pay off in the future. I want to close by sharing a story that truly reflects
Kaden's character. Just last week, it was brought to my attention that Kaden and a few friends were being a little bit silly in the hallway. I called students down to speak with them and at the time I already knew Kaden. He did not know, but I knew Kaden had been nominated as student of the month. I'll
be honest, at first I was initially disappointed, but that feeling quickly changed. During our conversation, Kaden was respectful, sincere, and took full accountability for his actions. He listened, reflected, and offered a genuine apology. We ended our
conversation with a handshake. And at that moment, I felt incredibly proud of Kaden. It was a powerful reminder that while we never expect perfection from our students, we do expect accountability and personal growth. This was a great example of how sometimes our mistakes uncover our greatest
attributes. Kaden, thank you for demonstrating such growth and for modeling the values we strive to instill at Hoboka Middle School. Your ability to take responsibility, learn from a moment, and move forward speaks volumes about your maturity and your leadership.
I am I am confident that you will continue to grow, lead, and do great things. And I am incredibly proud of you and your academic and personal achievements. Please join me in a round of applause for our December student month. HEAT. HEAT.
Please welcome Miss Robin Picipas to the podium, the principal of Hoboken High School. Good evening. At this time, I'd like to invite Kaen Garcia, Hoboken High School. JUST WHEN I SAT DOWN, I HAD TO share
that Mr. Sori said how proud he is of you. He said, "Is she your student of the month?" I said, "Yeah." He goes, "Oh my god, I'm so proud of her." Every morning, Caen comes in and says, "Good morning and asks if she could use the phone to call her mom." That's how I
got to know Caen. It is a check-in with mom that starts her day. I enjoy seeing her every morning and I admire how polite she is. For 2 years, she every morning she comes in, she says, "Could I use the phone?" And I'm always like, "Of course, sweetheart." But she always
asks, every day she asks to you that phone. As a freshman, the transition is always a little difficult. But Caen stuck it out and improved as the year progressed. This year, she started the first mark
period with over a 4.0 GPO. The turnaround and effort she puts into her studies is finally being recognized. Her teachers had such wonderful things to say about Caen, so I summarized everything. Caen Garcia embodies what it
means to be the student of the month. She is sweet, kind, and easygoing, and a genuine pleasure to have in class. Over the past year, Kayen has shown tremendous, tremendous growth in maturity, confidence, and academic
commitment. She consistently brings positivity to the classroom with her bright smile, respectful demeanor, and enthusiastic attitude toward learning. Caen actively participates in class discussions and activities, completes
her work with care and attention to detail, and takes pride in her progress. One of her most admirable qualities is her willingness to take academic risks. She is not afraid to make mistakes and
uses them as opportunities to grow, which reflects strong maturity and confidence. Caen is inclusive, supportive of her peers, and always willing to help others and making those around her feel welcome and valued. Her steady work ethic,
improved attitude towards school, and quiet determination have resulted in a meaningful academic growth throughout the year. She is a wonderful role model and truly deserving of this recognition. I asked Kaen a few questions and this is
what she shared with me. Her favorite experience has been being voted student of the month. She is grateful that her hard work is being acknowledged. Her second favorite thing at Hoboken High School is Georgie, our therapy dog. She's everyone's favorite thing at
Hoboken High School. Her favorite clubs athlet athletics have been taking up tennis recently. She loves being outdoors. She also loves the environmental science club. She appreciates going out into the community to care for the world.
She surrounds herself with her family. Her mom and sister are everything to her and she could not imagine life without them and everything she does is for them. I asked her how other people would describe her and she said uplifting,
agreed, hard-working, respectful, and eager to assist in family and household responsibilities. What motivates her is that amazing feeling of achieving success. She credits teamwork and her surroundings as
contributing factors. She is unsure as a sophomore what college she is interested in, but she remains open. She does know she wants a career in law enforcement, number three on the night. I know whatever she does, she's going to
do very well at it. I've seen her firsthand grow from 9th grade to 10th grade, and I look forward to seeing everything she's going to accomplish in the next few years. Please join me in congratulating Kaen Garcia. Heat. Heat.
Congratulations to all of our students recognized tonight. We are so very proud of you and please keep up all your hard work and your good decision making. uh you've just done such a great job and it's so wonderful to get to hear your stories. We are going to have a slight
change in our order this evening and next we will shift to Dr. Johnson for her superintendent report. >> Thank you. Um in my superintendence report I also have a student recognition. Um so if everyone could be patient with me, I will uh take us to
that student recognition at the end of the report. So before I actually begin tonight, I just want to remind the school community that there will in fact be an early dismissal on Friday, January 16th, and that schools will be closed on Monday, January 19th, in observance of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This important day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King's enduring legacy and our shared responsibility to advance equity, justice, and service not only within our schools, but also within our broader
community. So tonight, I am extremely proud to congratulate Hoboken High School on being named a College Board AP School Honor Rolls recipient for the 2024. Hoboken High School met the bronze level
criteria in both college culture and college credit categories, reflecting the school's continued commitment to expanding access to advanced placement coursework while supporting student success. Notably, Hoboken High School achieved the platinum level distinction
in the college optimization category, demonstrating exceptional work in enduring in ensuring that students not only enroll in AP courses, but are supported in earning college credit and maximizing post-secary outcomes. This
recognition is a direct result of the intentional leadership, instructional planning, and student- centered supports that are implemented by the Hoboken School high schools administration, faculty, and staff. Together, they have created an environment that prioritizes
opportunity, rigor, and college readiness. I'm incredibly proud of this accomplishment and confident that the work that is currently underway this school year, Hoboken High School is well positioned to rise to silver level distinction in the very near future. So,
congratulations Hoboken High School. I would also uh like to update the board and our community on the intentional work that's underway across the district to address address achievement gaps and accelerate learning for all students. Uh our administrative team and staff are
working very diligently in this area across all schools. We are integrating tutoring and targeted academic support into the school day and extending learning programs in a variety of ways at the middle school and the high school
levels. We've implemented varsity tutors uh expanding uh access to highquality ondemand academic support aligned to classroom instruction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the elementary level, our reading specialists are providing
targeted interventions focused on strengthening foundational literacy skills. At the high school, our career and academic success centers are delivering individualized and small groupoup interventions designed to support students academically and to keep them on track toward graduation and
post-secondary success. In addition to instructional support, we are also strengthening family partnerships as a critical component of this work. In December, Hoboken Middle School hosted its first educate, empower, and elevate dinner engagement session with families
at the Hoboken Housing Authority. Uh, this session fostered open dialogue and collaboration um that was really geared to um and geared uh to focus on student success and we are really looking forward to continuing this work with
upcoming sessions. Our elementary schools will be hosting a session on Tuesday, February 3rd in the housing authorities community room and Hoboken High School on Thursday, February 19th. We believe deeply that closing achievement gaps requires a shared
commitment between schools and families and we look forward to continuing to partner with our community to raise academic achievement for all learners. I would also like to share an update related to district operations, fiscal planning and accountability as well.
Earlier this month, I along with um our business administrator, assistant superintendent met with the county superintendent, the county business administrator and county ed specialist for our annual meeting in preparation for the development of the 2026 2027
budget. It was a very productive and collaborative meeting that provided us with an opportunity to talk a little bit about initiatives that we anticipate for the upcoming school year. Um, and it also gave us the opportunity to talk a little bit about some of the upcoming
budget challenges that we must continue to navigate. Things such as rising health care costs, ongoing facilities needs, and continued enrollment growth. These conversations are critical as we work to balance fiscal responsibility with our commitment to meeting the needs
of our students and staff. In addition, I'm also pleased to report that the district has submitted all of its required uh documents uh for the New Jersey QAC process. We look forward to engaging in the state's self-evaluation and monitoring process in the months
ahead and we are very confident um in the systems and practices and structures that we have in place to support continuous growth. Uh we anticipate that our um QAC process and results will um
be in fact stellar. Hoboken High School's Harvard Model Congress is going to be um on a plane on Thursday traveling to San Francisco to compete in the um Harvard Model Congress competition. Um we would like to I would
like to um extend my very best wishes to the team. Um I know that they're going to do a fantastic job. They do every time they travel and compete. Um, participation in the Harvard Model Congress represents a significant academic and civic achievement because
it requires students to engage deeply in research, public speaking, debate, collaboration, and problem solving at the highest level. We are incredibly proud of all of the students who are going to be representing Hoboken High School and our district on a national
stage and we wish the entire team and their adviserss safe travels and the very best of luck. Um, I would also like to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Hoboken High School and Hoboken Middle School's thesbian competition teams. They
participated in the Governor's Awards in Arts Education Theater Competition. Um, that's hosted by the Speech and Theater Association of New Jersey at Monontlair State University just recently. Um on January 10th, students competed alongside of their peers from 51
different schools um from around the state in a full-day highly competitive event that was adjudicated by professional theater educators. Uh performances were evaluated um and they were done anonymously to ensure fairness
with students advancing to final rounds that were based solely on talent preparation and professionalism. Hoboken students earned a total of seven awards and exceptional an an exceptional accomplishment um given that there were
nearly 200 entries into this um competition. So, we're really proud of our thesians. Um, I would like to wish um all of our student performers the best of luck in the upcoming district winter concerts at Hoboken High School auditorium. The
Hoboken Middle School and High School um will have their winter concert on January 14th and the elementary schools will have their concert on January 21st. These performances celebrate the strength of our music programs and the dedication of our students, music
educators, and families. I'd also like to extend my very best wishes to the Hoboken Middle School Thesbians as they prepare to debut Romeo and Juliet together and alive at last on January 30th. Uh we wish the cast and crew a
successful opening and an outstanding run. uh tonight just to kind of uh throw something a learning experience into um my superintendence report. I'd like to highlight a extremely powerful and
deeply meaningful learning experience that recently took place at Hoboken High School. The Hoboken High School students that are engaged in our Holocaust and genocide class had the uh distinct honor of um meeting and hearing directly from
a Holocaust survivor, Ma Dam. This experience, it reinforced for them lessons of empathy, moral courage, and responsibility to to remember and confront injustice at all times. and the students really had a um powerful and
moving experience um when they interacted um with this particular Holocaust survivor. And finally um at the end of my report tonight, I would like to recognize Jay Malik. Jay is a student at Hoboken High School who
earned third place in the Congressional App Challenge. I'm not going to say too much because I have a special guest who's going to present um uh recognition and and um congratulatory remarks to Jay. But I don't know if uh the board
remembers, but um not too long ago, Jay was part of a team that won the state um championship for um the uh steam tank um challenge. and uh he just continues to impress everybody at Hoboken High
School. We're really proud of you. And so at this time, I would like Mr. Fernandez to come on up because I know he's one of your mentors and he knows exactly what the project was all about. So, welcome, Mr. FERNANDEZ. >> Thank you so much, Dr. Johnson. Uh good
evening, school board members, uh students, families, staff. My name is Jose Manuel Fernandez and I am the supervisor of science and innovative technology for the Hoboken public school district. Um, I have the honor of being here tonight to recognize achievement of
one of our many bright young minds, uh, Mr. Jay Malik. Jay, come on up here. I'm going to embarrass you a little bit. That's okay. Uh when we think about great innovators uh of the 20th century, a lot of names come to mind. Uh Maronei,
Tesla, Bezos, Jobs, the person that made those little pizza savers on the top of your pizza box. But for most people, we only get to know the entrepreneurs and the innovators after they've achieved greatness. And we have we are fortunate enough
tonight to be able to witness an innovator taking his first steps into the world. And I have a strong feeling that many of us are going to hear the name Jay Malik again and again in the near future. Um while some innovators are driven by financial gain or
notoriety, uh true innovators are motivated by the advancement of all disruptors that challenge the status quo and not only change the way that we do things but also change the way that we think. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts
all boats. and students like Jay that really give us hope that the tides of progress and equity are moving in the right direction. Jay's distinguish himself over and over again through the years through his academic excellence, creativity,
leadership and commitment to using technology and hard work to solve real world problems for people. Uh personally, I've had pleasure of working with Jay two years ago when he when his team took first place in the steam tank state competition. Uh they invented a
system of device called the rice pack. And after that win the next year, last year um Jay and two of his colleagues uh had a new venture. They wanted to find opportunities for high school students to gain employment. So they created this
website called the Hoboken Market. And we would go out to job fairs and we would meet businesses that were looking to hire and it was all them. They would go up and Jay would be one of the first ones to extend his hand and introduce himself and tell them about the product that they have and what they want to do
and how they're trying to bring a change to their school community. It was something that as an educator and just as a human being is just very just filled with a lot of pride. Um some of his other greatest accomplishments to date include um high honors on the US
biolympiad, uh the national community service award, AP scholar with honor by the college board, uh multitude of awards for the model un uh the Hudson County mock trial championships which Jay last year was the only sophomore to attend and compete
all while participating in varsity soccer, indoor track and field, national honor society, uh after school peer tutoring programs, classroom without walls, math club, do you ever sleep, man? Jeez. Tonight, we are here to honor Jay with
yet another award, earning third place in United States Congressional App Challenge. What makes this achievement truly remarkable is that Jay literally had two weeks. We kind of just said, "Hey, this app challenge is coming up. Figure out something or if you have
something, apply it." and Jay pretty much put something together in about two to three weeks, applied and won third place. Um, using the skills that he developed in his AP computer science classes along with his AP research class and his
entrepreneurship classes, he was able to submit an application with remarkable speed. As educators, we work every day to help students see the relevance and the impact of their learning and work. And Jay exemplifies this by taking what he learned at Hoboken High School,
identifying a real need in the community, in the world, and turning his idea into action. Because of Jay's example, all computer science students competing in uh completing their first year uh will be required to submit their
final app project for subsequent competitions. Jay's app is called Microchia AI. It's an AI assistant designed to support individual microchia, which is a congenital condition that can lead to hearing loss. The app helps transcribe
spoken lang language in real time, improving communication and access accessibility for users. Um, you know, I was speaking with Jay today and I was asking about what his goals are for the future, where he sees
himself. And, you know, it's still very early. He's only a junior, but he was telling me how he's looking at uh UPEN has a biomed and business program which I think almost melt perfectly with his vision and his strengths and his goals.
Um but he also mentioned schools like Caltech or Stanford and to be honest they would be any one of them would be lucky to have a student like Jay. In closing, uh, students that are here today being honored, I hope that you can look at Jay as an example of what's
possible during your time here at the Hoboken Public School District. And Jay, I want you to take a moment and look at all these young faces in the crowd. And remember the journey that brought you here today. You represent the very best of our community. And we're all so
incredibly pr proud of you. Um, I have here a plaque that reads, "The Hoboken Public School District proudly recognizes Jay Malik for earning third place in the US Congressional App Challenge 2025, demonstrating academic excellence and entrepreneurial leadership.
Um, Jay, we're just so proud of you, man. And um, just we can't wait to see where you go from here. So, with that, please join me in giving a well-deserved round of applause for Mr. Jay Malik. HEAT.
HEAT. Thank you. >> Congratulations, Jay. We're very proud of you. We'll now hear from our student representatives. We will start out with our Hoboken Middle School representatives, Zamaya Surret and Scarlett Verva. Good evening, Dr. Johnson, Miss
Rodriguez Gomez, members of the Hoboken Board of Education, and everyone joining us tonight. My name is Amaya Surret, and I an eighth grade student at Hoboken Middle School. My name is Mia Mina, and I'm also an eighth grade student at Hoboken Middle School. It's an honor to be here this evening to represent our school and share some highlights from
December. December was a busy and exciting month at HMS. A book Middle School kicked off its first Tiger Assembly of the Year with lots of energy and school spirit. Students gathered with their Tiger teams to compete in exciting minute to win it challenges battling out for a chance to win a bagel breakfast or pizza lunch for their team.
During the assembly, students were also recognized for their academic achievements, including earning honor roll and high honor roll. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication. One of the highlights of the event was Mr. Sarping's heartfelt holiday poem, a a warm and uplifting
tribute to HMS that brought the entire community together. The HMS chorus spread some holiday cheer during the week of December 17th, singing a senior lunchon at Monroe Gardens and Adam Gardens. The students
performed for the seniors, led a holiday sing along, and spent some time talking to the residents. It was a great experience for all involved. On December 18th, Hoboken Middle School hosted his first community dinner at Monroe Gardens community room. During the event, families enjoyed a fully catered dinner
while participating in several informative and interactive activities. Mr. Surfing shared an overview of our HMS NJSLA data, provided support in navigating HMS technology platforms, and engaged in thoughtful conversations with our dedicated HMS educators. Families
also took part in a collaborative activity that helped our staff better understand families needs as we continue to work together to educate to elevate. This was truly a meaningful event for the evening of connection, collaboration, and community building. and we are grateful for the time and
engagement of everyone who has attended. There is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks of HMS. On Wednesday, be sure to check out our district's winter concert at Hoboken High School at 7:00 p.m. Our PTO will be hosting a bingo night in HMS gym at 6 p.m. on Thursday,
January 15th. Hoboken's middle school production of Romeo and Juliet Together and Alive and will last from January 30th from and um February 1st in our auditorium. Be sure to check out Mr.
Shore's Tiger Weekly or email Mr. Benson for more information. Winter sports season is officially underway at Hoboken Middle School. Our HMS girls and boys basketball teams along with our co-ed wrestling team have begun practicing hard and preparing for an exciting and competitive season ahead.
HMS co-ed swimming and co-ed bowling teams are set to begin in February, giving even more of our students an opportunity to represent HMS through teamwork, dedication, and tiger pride. Thank you for allowing us to speak to you this evening, and we look forward to seeing you next month. Until then,
remember to live each day with Tiger Pride and always enjoy the ride. Go Tigers. Thank you, ladies and Mia. I apologize for calling you Scarlet. I probably need to get my um contact prescription checked out. Moving on to our representative from
Hoboken High School, Miss Jennisio. Good evening. My name is Jenna Serio. I'm the Hoboken High School student government representative and thank you for having me today. I hope everyone here had a really relaxing winter break spending time with their families and catching up on sleep. For general events on January 7th, Red Hot and Blue, Yale's
Yale University's oldest allgender a capella group attended Hoboken High School for a special performance and optional music workshop/info session. They shared their experience performing worldwide, seeing jazz and contemporary music, and talking about music opportunities at Yale. The student
government held a holiday cookie decorating contest on December 10th for the Hoboken community. 50 K to5 students joined our over 30 volunteers in a festive good time. Next year, we plan to have a gingerbread house making contest. The student government hosted its
semianual blood drive on December 14th. The student body and faculty were able to donate 53 pints of life-saving blood. It was a great experience and service opportunity for our school community. We will hold our next blood drive on April 14th and we invite all board of ed members and administration to join us.
Mr. Munos and the student government will be starting a Hoboken High School podcast and will focus on Hoboken athletics, academics, and all things red. Details to follow. And the Hoboken High School student government will hold its first annual block of cheese day in February. Details to follow.
A special shout out to Hoboken High School student government J. Malik for coming in third place in the Congressional App Challenge. We are so proud of his accomplishments. Jay, you are one of the smartest and driven people that I know personally, and I just wanted to say that I'm so proud of you.
Going on to sports and clubs, our debate team held its first non-comp non-competition scrimmage on Saturday, January 10th, where they scrimmage at Bordertown High School to prepare for Montreal counties taking place in the upcoming weeks. Our girls basketball team is currently 6 to2. We are
celebrating senior Samantha Gonimer and jun junior Emma Verhan who broke school track records over the spring break. The boys varsity volleyball team are also 8-1 in the West Orange Winter League. Looking ahead this Thursday, January 15th, our debate team will be traveling to San Francisco to compete in Harvard
Model Congress. We wish them the best of luck in their competition. Finally, Hoboken High's PTO's winter formal will be held on January 30th. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak and we will be looking forward to seeing you at our events. And as always, go Redskins.
Thank you ladies for your very informative reports. We really appreciate them. We'll be moving into our committee reports now. I know some of you may have homework left or early bedtime. So, if you want to take a moment and and we'll take a two-minute break to let people go home if they need
to and then we'll shift into committee reports. We'll now get started with our committee reports. Miss Lopez, do you have a business administrator's report tonight? >> I have no reported this. >> Thank you, Miss Lopez. I will turn it over to Miss Norwood for curriculum. >> Thank you. The curriculum committee met
on Thursday, January 8th. In attendance were Dr. Johnson, Miss Sandra Rodriguez Gomez, Miss Angley, Miss Cabtori, Miss Kahan, and myself. There are two curriculum uh items on the agenda and the committee recommends both for approval. 9.01 is approval of assemblies
and presentations and 9.02 is approval of field trips. As I described during last month's update, um the mind the mind play roll out continues and that's a tier 2 response to intervention support for ELA that is based on the science of reading and aligned to the
Orton Gillingham method. Targeted students are engaging with this online platform during their ILP period and they're identified based on their DR3 scores or link scores. Um at this point we've got 83% usage in the first week.
Um and the program continues to expand um now to high school students in self-contained classrooms. Um as noted, we have rolled this program out earlier this year in January, whereas in um last year we only rolled it out in March. Um
but due to it success, we uh rolled it out early. A number of my updates were already covered um earlier by Dr. Johnson. Thank you very much. Uh and I will uh just touch on a couple more things. Uh the
content area supervisors have been doing mid-year presentations to Dr. Johnson and Miss Rodriguez Gomez. These supervisors are providing department overviews and highlights um focusing on student achievement and assessment data and tying in professional development
with that achievement data to ensure that professional development is as effective as possible. Uh these presentations started with math on January 12 and are ending um with special education on January 29.
Uh Dr. Johnson discussed um some of the work on closing the achievement gap and the E3 the educator empower and elevate um initiative. Uh just wanted to highlight that as well. And my last update is um to point
out that the Hoboken Public Education Foundation has funded field trips this year that are focused on financial literacy. Um the K through three grade group is going to um learning days at local banks to learn how local banks
help people save money, earn interest, and keep their money safe. Grades four through six are participating in the Junior Achievement Biztown program in Edison, New Jersey, where they take on roles such as store manager, bank
teller, mayor, customer um and work on keeping their businesses running. Grades seven and eight are also going to the junior achievement program, but focusing on um their capstone program, which is finance park, which is uh focused on personal financial planning and career
exploration. And with that, I have no further updates. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Miss Norwood. We'll now turn it over to Miss Delara for facilities. >> Thank you. Good evening. The facilities committee met on
uh Sorry, my notes just my There we go. The facilities committee met on January 8th. In attendance were Dr. Johnson, Miss McGherk, Miss Angley, Mr. Copfell, and myself. Um, the committee reviewed a series of facility use requests for the upcoming months. All of these requests
were reviewed by the committee and are recommended for tonight's approval. The committee received an update on the HVAC project at Wallace Elementary School. The district is working with a few vendors and the current cost estimates are ranging from $250,000 to two to
$600,000 with the lowest estimate coming in at 250. Two additional estimates are expected. The Hoboken Middle School elevator remains a top priority due to ongoing failures. Um I was just told by our
director of facilities, Mr. Caligie, that the final inspection is going to be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. The committee discussed SDA grant funding following a recent meeting between Dr. Johnson, Mr. Caligie, and our B business administrator, Miss
Lopez. One of the primary uses being considered is applying SDA funds towards architectural fees for the 38 Jackson Street project. The committee also discussed how remaining SDA funds could be applied towards improvements at Hoboken High School, including both the
auditorium and the gym. And lastly, the committee reviewed two recent articles regarding Wayne and Danville school districts that petitioned the New Jersey Department of Education to allow remote learning days when schools are used as polling locations. The district continues
discussions with city hall to identify solutions that would reduce disruptions and improve safety during elections. Thank you. Um just as an update to that particular meeting, the article that we saw
regarding um a petition to the DOE for remote learning on election days when polling happens in the schools um was denied. So that would not be permitted um by the department of ed. We just learned that today.
>> Thank you, Miss Delara. And thank you, Dr. Johnson. We'll now turn it to Mr. Clipfell for finance. >> Uh thank you. The uh finance committee did meet on Friday, December 9th. With me were Mr. Grana, Miss Girk, Miss Bz,
Miss Lopez, and Miss Curry. Uh the committee did have the opportunity to review all agenda items. It's a very brief agenda, and there's nothing really tonight that merits uh further explanation. Uh the committee re does recommend everything for approval. Um the audit is
complete and is due to be submitted to the business office uh later this month and will be presented to the board uh formally presented to the board at uh February's meeting a month from now. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Klepel. Miss Kadamator, do you have a governance report? >> I do. Just one second. Okay. Governance committee met on Thursday, January 8th. In attendance were Dr. Johnson, Miss Norwood, Miss
Angley, Mr. Klefell, and myself. Committee discussed the agenda and recommends all agenda items for approval. Um my report this month is a little light as there are fairly typical items on the agenda um with almost all of them relating to staff appointments,
transfers, resignations, and co-curricular and extracurricular related staffing among other things. There are just a few items um I'd like to highlight. 10.13 includes the appointment of volunteers for our Connor's East STEM team and our high school basketball teams. Um, as always,
we thank these community members for their time and dedication to our students. 10.15 covers the approval of the agreement between the board of ed and the YW.CA to operate the YW.C.A. summer camp at various district locations in accordance with the agreement for the summer of 2026, much
as it did in the summer of 2025. And 10.16 approves the shared service agreement between the city of Hoboken and the Hoboken board of education for class 3 um retired police officers um which I believe will be covered in the wellness committee report tonight. And
that is my report. Thank you, Miss Katamatori. We'll now go back to Miss Delara for wellness. Thank you. The wellness committee met on January 8th. In attendance were Dr. Johnson, Miss Norwood, Miss Kana, Miss Veles, and myself. The committee
discussed and reviewed the class 3 school resource officer uh memorandum of agreement which has now been finalized by the district and the city and is ready for board review. Once approved, it will begin a 4 to sixmonth process to hire class 3 officers. As an update, the
pilot program at Wallace is operating successfully with positive feedback from parents. The committee will be holding a mid-year meeting with Chartwells to review food quality, menus, and finances. The committee also discussed an exciting
potential partnership with Stevens Institute of Technology. Their athletic department is looking to build stronger community engagement and increase attendance at their NCAA Division 3 games. They are interested in inviting Koboken students, including cheerleaders, band members, to attend
games and perform at halftime, helping create a more exciting game day atmosphere while giving our students meaningful opportunities to participate um in their program. The Elks Drug Awareness Poster contest for grades 3 to 5 will now be offered as a take-home
activity, so it does not take away from instructional time. And the Kinder Smile program will provide free dental exams. in preventative care for students in K to6 twice a year at no cost to families um or the district. And finally, the
district is working with local barber shops in town to support families with lice checks and treatment with free services available for families who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Delara. And I'm going to keep my president's report very brief
this evening because we had such wholesome committee reports and a great report from Dr. Johnson. Um this is the last meeting where we'll have our 2025 committee structure. So when we reconvene in February, we will have new committee assignments incorporating our
newest board member, Miss Vez, who I'd like to congratulate on getting through her first regular meeting and first round of committee meetings. It is um you know always an exciting and somewhat hectic time of year, but we are grateful that you are here. And um my last thing
I wanted to do was remind people about the middle school play, but I think that that was covered earlier. So we can now go on to public comments on agenda items. Miss Lopez, do we have anyone signed up to speak? >> We have no speakers. >> Okay, we'll move on to the consent
agenda. Is there a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. Miss Lopez, when you're ready, could you please call the role? >> Miss Angley, >> yes. Miss Katamatori, >> yes. Miss Delara, uh, I'm going to
abstain on 13.02, item 12, and yes on everything else. >> That's just item 12, correct? >> Correct. Thank you, Mr. Gro. >> Yes. >> Miss Connor, >> yes. >> Mr. Cla, >> yes.
>> Miss Norwood, >> yes. >> Miss Vez, >> yes. Miss Mcgher. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> Do we have anyone signed up for comments on agenda and non-aggenda items? >> We do not. >> Thank you, Miss Lopez.
So, that will conclude our meeting. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion. Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Meeting adjourned. Heat. Heat.