Notice that this regular meeting of the Pitman Board of Education was advertised from the South Jersey Times, posted at Burough Hall, and a copy thereof delivered to all Pitman schools to be posted and posted on the district's website. Further notice was posted and filed as required by law. This stating that the board would meet in close session at 7 p.m. in the Pitman High
School Media Center. The president shall entertain any objections with supporting reasons to the cont of this of the conduct of this meeting on the ground that it violates the open public meeting act. Seeing none, good evening. Welcome to Pitman Board of Education meeting. Please join me in a moment of silence.
>> Thank you. Please join me in the pledge. 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. >> Mr. Strat, will you please call roles?
>> Mrs. Bolton >> here. >> Mrs. Farrell here. >> Mr. Gman, >> present. >> Mrs. Ciono >> here. >> Mrs. Miller >> here. >> Mrs. Avalardo >> here. >> Mrs. P form 70. >> All right. So that's going to bring us
to our first public comment. The Pittman public school district recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves in school matters of community interest. This is the first of two public comments we will have tonight. The first public hearing is on agenda items only. This is a public comment and not a dialogue between the
board and the public. You will have three minutes to speak and it is your opportunity to comment or ask questions. In accordance with board policy number 0167, we ask that you state your name, municipality of residence, and group affiliation of Athel. To be recognized to speak, please stand at the podium located to my right behind um our
solicitor, Mr. Long, and speak clearly into the microphone. Seeing none, that's going to bring us to correspondence. Mr. Stra, do we have any correspondence? >> No. Okay. I will now move to accept a motion for the minutes of the PIP board of education as held in the dates listed below are approved as printed and
reading dispensed with. May I have a second? >> Second order. >> All in favor. >> Any objections? And I abstain from both please. Okay. It's going to bring us to president's report. One of the things
that I wanted to discuss with the board of education that we've kind of discussed in committee was the changing for the meeting times. We'd like to move up our meetings by half hour um so that our executive session would start at 6:30 and then we can start our public session at 7 o'clock. Is there any
discussion on that? I know that each committee has kind of signaled that they would be in support of that. >> So starting September. >> So starting in September. Sound good? All right. So, we will go ahead and get that um communication out to members of
the public, I'm sure, during via social media and email. Maybe back to school night, too. >> Back to school night. Sure. >> Yeah. Just whatever we can do to make sure that we don't miss any folks in making them aware of the the time change. >> Um the next item is Miss Pavardo and I will sit down later this week. This
week? Next week. Our our schedules are wampous at this point. Um >> what day is it? Right. >> Next Wednesday. >> Yeah. next Wednesday is what we found that worked. >> So, I appreciate all the members of the board responding to the request for your availability regarding committees. Um,
we'll take a look and see what we can work out so that we can maximize participation in committee meetings and kind of fit in everybody's schedule. And I think that was it. So, I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to Dr. Preston.
>> Thank you. Um, I'm going to talk about building preparations, um, referendum project updates. I'm going to, uh, give the floor a little bit to Mr. Calabiano at some, uh, at some point. Uh, but before we get to the presentations, I just want to go over some things that have happened the last month. Um, super
super exciting month. Uh, I'm I'm often asked as a superintendent, as just a as a, you know, just in out in the public. You must be nice to have summers the way you have summers. I said, they're they're off they're the busiest. They're really the busiest time of the year. really like build building preparations, referendum, uh putting schedules
together. Um super exciting exciting time of year. So we um we've been doing a lot um of prep. Um next week we have a new teacher orientation. Mr. Catabiano is leading that effort. Um I I see Miss Guy here. Um certainly want to want to thank the uh the town. We're actually
reinstituting a precoid era uh uh tradition. We're going to have a bus tour around Pitman. Uh actually the mayor is going to narrate the the bus the bus tour. Yeah. We're going to take our new teachers around the bus uh around the entire town. >> Yeah. So we're excited about that. So I
you know I'm going to hop on that bus too to get a to get a the ins and outs. >> I probably didn't know. >> Yeah. Yeah. So uh we're excited about that. So I appreciate you you planning that too and and for the for the town and the burough for bus is taking bus.
>> Yep. The last time was co >> co. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Um last week we had uh uh two days. They were not concurrent but uh we had two days where we had our leadership team, our administrative leadership team uh together. We the first day we focused on
we're really trying to dial in on um what it means to be leaders and what really um we talk about the will of the board a lot. really how to really focus in on this mi on our mission statement of the tradition of excellence. Um and
uh to to that end to our first effort we really believe that character is really tantamount to our success. And so uh we've partnered with and and you you've probably seen this all as far back as the April uh board agenda. We partner with a company called Citrus. Um uh it's
a charact it's a national character uh uh company that helps schools achieve statuses national schools of character which I think um and actually the people helping us do that the a lot of the executives of that of that firm of that group actually live in Pitman and so um you'll see on the agenda that the
partnership right now is uh at no cost to the district right at the moment. Um so we really want to thank them for their work. they worked with a team of uh administrators um and uh just just to push that vision out and we're going to take baby steps to get there, but you'll see eventually
um surveys that go out to the community really looking at what are our our values as a as a town um and and then we'll hone in on what our virtues are as a town, too. And so, it's really exciting work in in in in that regard. Um, second to that and and not not
necessarily in order, but equally as important is uh our instru our our focus on instruction um and specifically instructional engagement. I want to certainly commend um uh we we opened it up to the board of education. We actually had four board members attend our training this past Monday on
engagement. We had presenters uh two university professors who wrote a book I want to say 20 years ago that's really kind of ubiquitous now in education called total participation techniques. they came in and presented um even afterwards after you guys left they said I we've never had board members actually
attend any of our sessions and they said we've presented to hundreds of places um and so we're really excited thank you for coming and and and seeing that work and getting a glimpse into that I'll I'll be sharing that obviously in my next letter the things we're doing um on engagement just equipping teachers we have we have educators on the board here
and so um you know really tapped into that that energy and that insight and really thank you guys for coming to that was awesome Um, I just want to highlight a couple other things from the agenda. Uh, we got Miss Stewart's therapy dog on here. Uh, she had all the proper certifications.
She's really excited to bring the dog in a couple days a week. Uh, for students here, students at uh, at at Memorial School as well will benefit from having that dog um, here. Um, Walls lease, we uh, you'll see that also. I just wanted to highlight that on the agenda. Um, I
put that in my letter last week as well, but again, just want to kind of spread that news. We we are partnering with Hedinberg uh real estate to try to get once once our central offices are moved into the downstairs portion of that building into the old library and computer lab. We'd like to be able to
rent that building out to um a school, a municipality, a a uh maybe a federal office even. That's one of Miss Miller's ideas. And so uh stay tuned on that. That that could be a real nice boon and a revenue stream for the district. So
we're excited about that. Um, one other thing you'll see on here as well is um a a new mandate from the NJ DOE that will require us to screen all uh income K to3 students um for literacy. Um I don't
know if you want to chime in and talk about that real quick, but uh sure that thought process there. I know you convened a whole ELA committee uh and we kind of got derailed by this mandate that was uh thrown at us. Was it June? uh well August of 24 it was signed by
the governor and uh we didn't find out information until roughly March and then additional information was released in May. So >> they they listed out a working group of of educators listed out a list of recommended universal screeners um some more recommended more highly than
others. Um and tonight on the agenda we have the measures of academic progress which um is is more better known as MAP testing. It's uh it's an assessment that actually adapts to the learner, right? So as students answer questions correctly, it gets more difficult and as
students uh get answers wrong, it gets easier. So eventually it finds that student's level. Um so students in K to3 will take that two times, possibly three, but the the actual state requirement is two. MAP is traditionally given three times a year. So um we'll
kind of see how that goes. We're we're going to get teachers trained in it and and meet that mandate, which is exciting. >> I appreciate that. >> Uh lastly, you'll see that the title funds finally came through. Um an increase of $130,000 year-over-year.
I I have when I we told our board president, Miss Miller, about that, she she kind of said, "H how is that possible?" And I said, "Well, we do have April Miller as a president who's kind of a bulldog when it comes to funding. So >> I wish I wish it was that clean cut. Uh you you I wouldn't be surprised. I I
don't know if people will ever know, but uh seriously, I mean, really really um impressive in your efforts with uh fair funding in in legislative advocacy. I know you use that term all the time, and it it it rings true. I mean, uh Miss Miller has spoken to a working group of superintendents in the county and BAS in
the county. Um helping everybody kind of really understand and dig into and demystify uh the funding formula. And so, uh, we feel like we're kind of leading leading the charge in that in that regard. And we have some interest there. The superintendents are working on a letter to to send up to the, uh,
the DOE. Um, and, uh, you know, really really, um, I think that's the fruits of your labor for sure there. So, wanted to thank you for that. Um, I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Calabiana to go over, um, the really exciting new Pit Pitman Business Academy. Um, so take it
away, Mr. Calabiana. new our new title too, assistant superintendent. >> Thank you. Thanks to the board as well. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, um my the Prometheian board turned off in that time, so we we have to let it warm up. Um but while while it's turning on um our business
academy, uh which has only been around for two years. It's still it's still in the making and um I have to credit previous administration for getting that up and running, but we're uh not going to settle with what it was. We're going to make improvements uh and continue to make improvements not just this year but moving forward. Um so I'm just going to
start out with what it used to look like um which was last school year and the year before. Um and the sequence of courses was if you look on the left we have the grade levels. Here's Pitman's Business Academy. And then our dual credit agreement was with Salem
Community College. So in grades nine students would take intro to business, grades 10 accounting one, 11 accounting two and 12 entrepreneurship and marketing. Now if you have a child in the business academy you say well that's not exactly what happened with my child. I do realize that. So last year some
10th graders actually took intro and accounting one to try and catch up to that track. Um but point being how many credits were they actually receiving if they completed the business academy at Pitman? Well they were getting nine total credits. They were getting three
for intro to business, three for the two years of accounting one and accounting two, and then three for the entrepreneurship and marketing, all from Salem Community College. Um, so I kind of took issue mostly with the fact that our kids were getting two years, taking
two years of a course and only getting three year three credits for it. Um, so that's where this kind of all started. Um, so here's the new business academy. Um, we're moving to a semester model. So rather than taking a whole year of accounting one, students will take accounting one in the first semester and
accounting two in the second. That would be during their sophomore year. I promised Joe I wasn't going to walk around, but I'm I'm going to have to do it. I'm sorry. Um so we can see here that um each course has or each grade has two courses. So in ninth grade, uh
students will take intro to business and intro to computer applications. 10th grade, accounting one and accounting two. 11th grade, entrepreneurship and marketing and microeconomics. And then 12th grade, principles of management and business law. Those last two could change, so don't hold me to them just
yet. Um, what matters here or what I think is really important is that there's no lost opportunity for students, right? And every opportunity, the reason why it's green is that students will get credit for everything they do. So, um, from
Salem Community College, they'll actually receive if they complete the academy 24 credits from Salem Community College and then from RCSJ um, they'll get 21 credits. They actually have one less course in that first two years and they don't offer
credit for intro to business. Um, I just felt and and so did Mrs. Castro that intro to business was a foundational course for 14-year-olds coming in that know nothing about business and we couldn't not offer intro to business to kids that have no idea what business is. So, um we decided that it was
appropriate to keep it in there. Um, students could also then take these credits from Salem Community College and they could transfer them to RCSJ and then RCSJ has a 3 plus one program which is three years at RCSJ plus one year at Rowan and
you walk away with a business administration degree. So if you complete the business academy here, you theoretically are halfway done getting your business administration at Rowan. I I shouldn't rephrase that. I apologize. you'll get 24 credits of those 60.
However, um the credits that are remaining, students will have other opportunities in their four years to gain those credits. So, you get the 24, which leaves you with 36 left that you could do in the summertime through HSOP.
Um there's other ways like uh applied calculus, you actually if you take AP Calc, you can you can get those credits as well. So, there's a myriad of other ways that you could get those credits. Um, and we feel confident that there's freshmen that will come in this year
that will actually have a RCSJ associates degree and be halfway done towards their Rowan business administration degree by the time they graduate. Um, for those that have children in in the business academy, uh, we have a plan to start catching them up. Of course, we we lost some time,
right? So, we're going to work towards that. we're going to give them that opportunity. Um, and it's just a handful of students. So, we actually know each kid and Mrs. Gaines and Mrs. Stewart have already devised plans or a plan for them to start to catch up. So, we'll
start seeing that this year. >> That's it. >> And I'll stop getting texts from you at 2 in the morning about the business academy and what credit and who I got to talk to and who. Yeah. Exactly. >> Any questions from the board? >> Yeah. >> Or from Dr. >> No, but I do want to say thank you to Mr. Haltiano. He really led the charge
in meeting with the various um colleges in the area and creating this very quickly and um I was super impressed at the speed at which we were able to get it out there and I know it's a huge opportunity for our students. So >> yeah and it's going to be super helpful. There's going to be a lot of happy kids at the high school I can tell you now
and we're happy that this has all worked out. >> Yeah. Well, it's what I would want for my own daughter. So I I think it's important we try and provide it for the children here too. What was the what was the line you used in kind of like when devising any comprehensive program which obviously we're going to talk eventually about you know performing arts and the
all those things is >> um there really should be no reason to to leave >> Pitman High School that it's all going to be here. We could do everything that everybody else is doing in the region. >> I I think unless you're going to take cosmetology there's there's really no reason to leave Pitman and uh
>> we're going to have programs that are as good or better than anywhere else out there. Yeah. >> Um, and I'm I'm really proud and confident in this. Now, on the agenda tonight, you're going to see some curriculum writing for Mr. Shivers and Miss Castro, right? So, they're still actively working on this curriculum so I
can get the dual credit agreements in place, right? So, we're still in the process, but we didn't want to wait a whole another year. So, that's why we're going to come right down to the wire and hopefully on September's board agenda, we'll have some of these things in place. And I think as much as we're, you know, obviously you led this charge too,
um, uh, the the the excitement from Miss Stewart and Miss Gaines was just equally matched. I mean, just really really excited about this. >> And they have plans of doing other things as well. >> Y >> uh, getting those things in place, but we'll roll those out and present those at another board meeting in the future. >> Thank you. Y appreciate that.
>> Yeah. Thank you. >> You told me I talk a lot. >> That was pretty quick. We can have like a >> trying. I was trying to get All right, you're in there. >> All right. I just wanted to uh just briefly update people. Obviously, you
can see I get a lot of and and we'll p we'll push this out to to various subgroups that have been asking me questions about the referendum. Just want to just give everybody kind of a brief update. Um you know, you you might be driving past the parking lot and saying, "Is that going to be done for the first day of school?" Well, I can
tell you it is. Um the junior senior high school track drainage and auditorium event parking lot reconstruction. We have pictures of that. The roof replacement and the secure vestibules are the big ones right now. It's really kind of phase one and it's only like it's only really about what Mr. Datus 25% of the referendum
basically in this phase maybe 30% of our referendum next year is the bulk of the work. The HVAC upgrades, the upgrades, the pees, the bathrooms, all that. So that's all slated for um next summer. Um, you can see that the if you're out if you've been out there, the track has
been uh the demolition has been completed. Uh, new uh drainage reconstruction. There's there's some old pipes that they didn't even know what what what they went to. It was interesting uh doing the walkarounds there. Um the parking lot uh reconstruction, you can see new curbing,
which is really really nice. New cement work um that should be done uh will be complete probably early next week. Um they are aware too. I I know I get I've gotten this question a lot. They're aware of the carnival coming into town. Um so they are making the proper uh precautions there with you know that
particular part of Lynen Avenue. Uh the roof replacement it was slated for we the work is only on this side of the roof. That is going to actually continue um excuse me that is going to continue um into the a little bit into the fall.
Principles been made aware the work won't be done during the school day. There won't be that level of distraction. They'd start They're they're actually planning to come in around 5:30, work till about 7:30, pause until the end of the school day, 3:30, start back up again, and work till sundown. Um, and uh did they do we have
a meeting tomorrow, but I think the last week we talked probably sometime in Octo late October, early mid November. >> Yeah, it's mostly going to be finishing work once we get to the beginning of >> punch punch list stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. >> Uh we have so Mr. Stratus and I have bi-weekly meetings with um our
architect, the engineers, uh the uh uh contractors to make sure everything's going smoothly. Uh the high school main entrance renovations uh thank you for your patience this summer coming through the the the junior high doors. Um that uh also uh should be complete soon.
Those exterior doors will likely be complete by the start of the school year. interior doors both at the junior senior high school and at pees will still continue. Um they'll be out outfitted with a bullet resistant glass. Um it's going to be it's going to be a
really a really nice look and certainly a huge safety and security upgrade that we're excited for. So the window door and fire shutter installation will occur um actually this week. Um here's more images. This is the pees uh
area. You can see the bar at the top. Uh that's going to be again and you'll see here at PDS, if you can recall, coming in through that main entryway. This shouldn't pose a huge issue. Again, the exterior doors will will not be affected. Interior will not be completed until a couple probably probably mid
September, mid to late September. um this uh this old this is Miss Walsh's old office that'll actually be walled off and then there'll be a door that is constructed here to get to that office and there'll be a man trap in here for any visitors that come in. Now most of
our students enter through the uh the side doors, one of the side doors. So that shouldn't be an issue for uh drop off and and and pick up at the end of the day. So we're excited for that work to be done as well. And I think that's all that covers everything. I didn't put the walls pictures in there because that's not
technically part of the referendum. Um, but that work should be actually wrapped up by uh they plan to give us the keys and and turn it over to the owner I think September 22nd. So, uh we're excited about that as well. Um just for the revenue potential and the lease potential of that building um in the
future. Any questions on on that from the board? >> Looks good. Public. >> Thank you. That concludes my report. All right, sounds great. >> Okay, it's going to take us to finance and facility committee. I'll turn it
over to our chairman, Mr. >> G. Sorry, I was down a rabbit hole. Sorry. Trying to score. There we go. Finance and Facilities Committee met on Wednesday, August the 13, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. via Google Meet. In attendance were
Superintendent Dr. Robert Preston, business administrator Mr. Dantis, committee members Rebecca Hayiono, and Stacy Papalardo. The committee discussed several agenda items, including the June financial reports, parent transportation contracts,
ESA, and other grant funding for the upcoming school year, and the approval of services for visually impaired students in our district. We also discussed many of the referendum projects. The junior senior high school roof is on schedule to be completed on time. The security vestibules at PEES
and the junior senior high school will be pretty much completed by the start of the school year. We will just be waiting until mid-Sepptemeber for delivery of the interior doors. That will be the last step of the process. The track should be completed by the end of October. The employee parking lot should be ready before in service days for
teacher for teachers beginning. We have had several inspections throughout the month and as work has been completed. We continued our discussion about the leasing of Wall School. Mr. Draatus received the contract from Hedinberg realy. They will be assisting us in
finding a tenant for the building. Our hope is to have some leasing someone leasing the space by the end of January. With that, I you >> Yes. So, we also have an add-on item number 19 and it's a recommend motion to
approve a settlement agreement uh in KH and MH on behalf of HH versus the Pitman School District as discussed in executive sessions. With that, I make a motion to approve items 1 through 19 as written.
>> I have a second. >> Second, Papao and discussion. >> Yeah. I just want to, if I may, um, just want to draw your attention and ask uh, our assistant superintendent, Mr. Calabiano, to speak about the, um, uh,
2526 technology parent handbook, specifically the technology fee that we're incorporating this year. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we we've always had Chromebook insurance that we've offered at a price. Uh the price was $35 per student and um we we didn't get a ton of parents or
families that were purchasing that insurance. Um we would still incur breakages throughout the course of the year. Um and um those breakages actually were significantly more than what the insurance was costing. So then we would go through we would go through a collections process um which when we
were then billing right become uh additional manh hours to get the bills in to then uh track that money down try and get it in. So the the idea is to offer insurance that's a mandatory insurance at a much better rate. So
instead of being $35 per student, it'll be $15 per student and not to exceed $45 for a family. um that is going to be something that parents and and kids will have to make sure they have paid in order to uh uh have a Chromebook. Um of course, you
know, there's always additional circumstances, but um uh so that's what we plan on implementing this year. Uh I also wanted to note too, we we we actually add three grade levels of Chromebooks every year, uh which is a significant cost to the budget. So um
and you have to do that in order to keep the cycle fresh. So, we go through a four-year cycle and then we have to constantly bring in three grade levels of Chromebooks. Um, so that that wasn't something that existed, you know, nine years ago. And nine years ago, we actually had more funding than we do
now. So, um, it's a significant cost and something that we're trying to keep pace with so that our students continue to have the same opportunities that they should have and that every other district has. So, um, that's why we ended up making that decision. >> We'll get messaging out to the community on that. We did we did post something
about that priming everybody I think at the in the May in my May report or letter to the community but just obviously now now we're on the doorstep of a new year and want to make sure we get that messaging out. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Thanks for that. Appreciate that. >> And if I could just add I will say we are fortunate to have an in-house tech
department because it really minimizes the cost for fixing those things. And it was >> something when I speak to board members in other districts such an asset, especially how quickly they turn around things for us. I mean, >> I know that our computers have gone into the shop, so to speak, and they're
almost always ready for student use the very next day, which is incredible. It's really minimizing um any opportunity for students not to have a Chromebook kind of available to them. So, >> yeah. >> Yeah. Thanks for mentioning that. >> All right, Mr. Datus, if you could
please call the vote. Sure. Mrs. Bolton. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Ferrell. >> Yes. >> Mr. Gman. >> No to item 17. Yes to the rest. >> Thank you. >> Mrs. Higgiono. >> I have to abstain from 11, but yes to
all others. >> Okay. Mrs. Papalardo. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Pope. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Miller. >> Yes. >> Carrie. >> Thank you. Okay. Curriculum and instruction. I will turn that over to Mrs. Bolton. All right. So, the curriculum and
instruction committee met on August 13th at 4:30 and the meeting lasted a little less than an hour. In attendance were Dr. Preston, Mr. Calpiano, Mrs. Papalardo, and Mrs. Pope. They discussed some of the items on the agenda tonight. Number nine is the professional
development plan for the 2025 uh 2526 school year. Number 14, we talked about this earlier. Um, the K to3 universal screener measures of academic performance reading
fluency assessment, MAT for short. Um, this is a helpful tool for assessment and interventions. Uh, professional development will be provided to implement this screener. Number 19 is the implementation of
Sarah's Spanish school. We talked about this a little last month, so we're going to push this through now. This is a program that will be utilized with the sixth grade students. Um, and Mrs. Donaldson, our world cultures teacher, will facilitate that program.
So, with that, I'll make a motion to approve items one through is it still 42? >> 432. >> 43 as written. Okay. I have a second. Second.
Any discussion? >> Okay, seeing none, Mr. D, please call it. >> Mrs. Bolton, >> yes. >> Mrs. Frell, >> yes. I have to abstain from number three. >> Mr. Gman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Higgbyono,
>> I have to abstain from 41, but yes to all others. >> Mrs. Pavardo, >> yes. >> Mrs. Pope, >> yes. >> Mrs. Miller >> have to abstain from number one. Yes to the rest. >> Okay. Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Oh yes. I'm sorry if I could turn it
over to Dr. >> Yeah, if I may. Um I just want to introduce uh our new staff, several of whom are here tonight. Um Miss Chelsea Fall was not able to make it tonight. Uh but she'll be joining Pitman Elementary School as a special education teacher, bringing 13 years of experience across elementary and middle school settings.
She holds a BS in elementary and special education from St. Joe's and a master's uh from Christian Brothers University. Miss Fall has served as a lead teacher, inclusion teacher, and reading specialist, and was recognized as educator of the year at Pleasant Valley School. Her expertise includes curriculum development, IEP design, and
strategies to support students with diverse learning needs, including autism. She's excited to bring her passion for inclusive student centered learning to Pitman School community. Um, and I'll just share that, um, when her current school found out that she was coming here, um, I am I'm I'm close with
the the principal of that school who's who sent me maybe an expletive. Um, and I said, "Well, what do you mean by that?" He said, "He's one of the best teachers I've ever seen." So, um, really excited to get Chelsea. Uh, Mr. Morris, he's not here tonight, but our CST director, um, Chris Morris, uh, said
that she she's one of the best I've I've interviewed. So, we're really excited for her to come and she's she's got a ton of expertise. Um, we also welcome in a new capacity. I know she's our building based sub, uh, Miss Liz Jones, our she's currently our building substitute teacher, but she'll be
filling in for Miss Fall, who cannot start until October 1st. She's she's bound by other contract obligations. Uh, so she's not able to start till October 1st, but Miss Miss Jones is going to uh support that particular MD classroom uh, for the start of the year. >> Uh, Miss Regina Shannon is here tonight.
Uh she'll be joining uh Memorial School as a preschool teacher bringing experience in early childhood and special education. She earned her BA from Widner graduating sumakum laad and is certified to teach in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Miss Shannon has taught preschool and absein where she implemented creative curriculum
supported individual student needs and led enrichment programs to prepare children for kindergarten. She has special interests in early literacy, music and movement and science-based exploration which she integrates into her classroom to spark curiosity and joy learning. Now a new resident of Pitman, Miss Shannon is excited to share her passion and creativity with the students
and families of Memorial School. And just a little tidbit about Miss Shannon, thank goodness we met with her. We did uh yeah, I I I think you know she wanted to be in this area. She's new to Pitman, a new resident of Pitman. Um she she would have easily gotten a job anywhere. Um she was another excellent interview
candidate. Um so we're really excited for you to join us. >> Thank you. Happy to be here. >> Yeah. Uh Miss Paige Blake could not make it tonight. Uh but she will be joining Memorial School as a part-time instructional aid. A lifelong Pittman resident, she has worked uh in the district as both a sub and childcare provider, gaining valuable experience
supporting students from a preschool through elementary school. She's currently completing her BA in inclusive education. She actually just completed it, uh just finished. Um she has aspirations of becoming a teacher. Um and I think this is a great toe in the water for her and we talk quite a bit
about growing our own uh teaching staff here. So, we're excited to have Miss Paige uh Blaker as our new um uh instructional aid at Memorial. Uh lastly, uh Miss Valerie Hustler will be filling in as a long-term sub at PEES. Miss Hustler has subbed in the district
before. We thank her for service. She's stepping in to fill um a long-term sub position at PEES for about uh six to eight weeks. Um so, uh welcome everyone and uh thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Oh, yes. I I went right over it. So, yeah. Miss Jennifer Morris Grasso will be joining Pitman Junior Senior High School as a part-time drama teacher, bringing over 16 years of experience in theater and dance education. She earned her BA in theater and dance education from Rowan, graduating Sumo Cumla, and
recently completed her MA in theater and arts administration, also at Rowan. Um, Miss I I recognize the name when it was set up. Uh, I was a I think a first year administrator in Glboro when you uh were worked on I it wasn't Beauty and the Beast, it was a different play. What was
that one? >> Mary Poppins. >> Mary Poppins. Yes. Uh, she was did choreography for that. Um, excellent. Uh, you know, super well regarded in the area. Super excited to to have you on board. A lot of ideas. Uh, but just let me continue with her bio here. Uh, she
uh she attended Rowan. Miss Greso has taught theater and dance in multiple schools and programs earning recognition such as teacher of the year at St. Joseph High School. In addition to teaching, she has directed and choreographed countless productions across South Jersey and the Philadelphia region, inspiring students to develop activity, creativity, confidence, and
collaboration. A member of a Actors Equity Association, she is deeply committed to arts education and excited to share her passion for performance with Pitman students. Uh the day I met with Miss Graasso, uh she sent me an email that night with all her different ideas for the different courses she could possibly introduce. We had talked
about really making comprehensive program pro programming to borrow your term uh in the uh performing arts academy really kind of beefing that up and uh you know maybe oral communications all kinds of stuff. So really excited to to sit down with you possibly next Monday um with Miss
Stewart and um Mr. out the piano and really kind of dial in on what what those courses will look like for the students here and and just and and so Miss Miss Graassa will also be subsequently approved uh to do the fall play and spring musical. She'll be uh inhouse on that and uh so we're excited
for that to uh kind of grow grow our own pipeline there as well. So welcome aboard. Thank you. >> Thank you. If we could just take a brief recess so we can welcome the board and then we'll resume in just a minute. Does that sound good? Just a brief go to our communication and policy
committee and I will turn it over to our chairwoman. All right. The communication and policy committee met on August 13th at 5:30 p.m. In attendance were Stacy Paplardo, Melissa Farrell, Dr. Preston, and
myself. The committee discussed the ongoing development of policies on elopement and odor. U Strauss Esme has not yet issued their proposed policies. So the administrative team is working on
getting examples of similar policies uh adopted by other districts so that we can develop our own if need be. Um, so our only action item for tonight is the second reading of the revised policy on
recognizing student achievement. And with that, I will move to adopt item number one as written. >> And just as a followup from that, I did finally hear I did hear back from Strauss Esme yesterday. Um they're recommending that we discuss alopment
policy 3280 and actually go to first reading in September with uh specific language on um district responsibility, staff responsibility and protocols for alopment. They call it wandering but
inserting it into policy 3280. So I will have that Chris Kristen and I started working on that this uh this morning actually. So we'll have 3280 for first reading in September. Great. >> May I have a second? >> Second.
>> Okay. Any other discussion? >> Okay. Seeing none, Mr. Datus, if you please call the vote. >> Mrs. Bolton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Frell? >> Yes. >> Mr. Gman? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Higgbyono? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Papalardo? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Pope? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Miller? >> Yes. >> Motion carries.
>> Thank you. It's going to bring us to our second public comment. Um, please state your name, municipality, residence, and group affiliation if applicable and limit your comments to three minutes. Be recognized to speak. Please stand at the podium located to my right. Okay, seeing none, any old business? Um, I do want to thank all the board for
pinch hitting for me. I was uh out of the district work for a little bit, kind of just catching up now and I appreciate everyone who filled in on committees and handled all the stuff. Um, any new business? Okay, seeing none, I will entertain a motion to adjurnn.
>> So moved. >> May I have a second? >> Second. Balden. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposition? The next board of education meeting is scheduled for September 17th in the Pitman High School Media Center. And just to remind folks, the um uh executive portion will start
at 6:30 and