I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are
learning and having fun. And to me, those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education. >> Virtu is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended
Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township: Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What >> really resonates with me about this
school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. Stony Brook is an amazing
place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school
community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well.
>> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our
mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. >> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I
love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all
very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come
back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent
involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. I'm proud to be the superintendent
of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive
environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dwire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to
practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy.
We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single student in the building from preschool
all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves but in what they love. After teaching for 25 years, I can't
pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable
that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come.
So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard, like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder
task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at home. And if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be
as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on
seal over the last several years. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change to the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas.
I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was
absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every
day. >> So my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. >> My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school they have this like art thing where you go
downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. >> My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day
and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVO is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis. Plus, drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Quink. I'm in the fifth
grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. all my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here because we are a really good community >> because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but
it can be complicated but it's still really fun. My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got
me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where
everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me, she still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA
teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is
my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into this school. One word to describe
this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just
great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. Their heart, passion, and soul is for students, and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of
the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done something right that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They are amazing.
They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork
that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just
doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school
and you come to Birchwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere.
Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day and I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've
been here 7 years and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are
family and once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to. And
teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you
come through our doors. >> I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, camaraderie amongst not only the students but also the faculty that work here. We call
ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends
here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you
into this school. One word to describe this school is probably heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect, and trust. I've been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think social
emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every single class once a month where I do a guidance
lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world
because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District and will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop
into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's
feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class.
>> When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel
special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics and I worked so
carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day.
>> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We
connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended. Vanta Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to
work every day excited. I get the opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copeland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in
making it a better place. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them,
be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers. >> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as
a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes, academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade
and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then
she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone
is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And
for every student, that's different. There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success. >> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here, um, we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster
here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me, teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't
pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable
that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along
and, you know, we support each other. What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to
persevere. And we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have
a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it.
And that's what I teach all of my students. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got
me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know, what motivates them so
students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment, moving them forward from one learning experience to another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in
the morning his head would be down on that desk. I trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them
and they want to come. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our
students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended back to school nights, our events, and we have very involved school community both academically working handinhand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well.
Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this district at one of the other schools. And I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise
their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So we always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids
to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom you can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I
like them to become successful, not just academically, but also social, emotionally. >> My name is Queen Kren. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our
school nice and clean. All my friends that helped me since kindergarten, and everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. because of my friends, the teachers, and the principal. Like, we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened
in that story. Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun, but it can be complicated, but it's still really fun. >> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway
I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony
Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of supporting students. the kids understand that everyone makes a mistake. Everyone has a bad day. And I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers
and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our
wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very important qualities
of a very very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be.
>> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus
comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors
in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights,
our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically working hand in hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Meeting today is Wednesday, May 27th. Uh, can I please get an attendance roll call? >> Mrs. Anderson,
>> here. Mrs. Brooks, >> here. >> Dr. Gorman, >> Mrs. Messi, >> here. >> Ms. Richardson here. >> Miss Tor, Miss McGiri, >> here. We have a quorum. >> Excellent. Thank you. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act was passed to
ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice and to attend the meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting their interests is discussed and acted upon. In accordance with the provision of the act, the Rockaway Township Board of Education has caused notice of the date, time, and
place of said meetings to be published in the daily record, the Star Ledger, and be posted in all schools in the district in the municipal building of the township and the township library. Does any board member wish to object to the conduct of this meeting for the purposes as stated in the public notice?
All documentation and materials considered by the board of education as part of this agenda are available for public review and comment. Members of the public are invited to come to the board of education building off Green Pond Road during the regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday if they wish to inspect
any of the referenced items. Could I please get a motion to wave the pledge until opening public session? >> So moved. Seconded. >> Can I get a show of hands? Resolve that in accordance with the open public meetings act, the Rockaway Township Board of Education will meet in
close session to discuss matters involving personnel, litigation, acquisition of real property, security, negotiations, receipt of governmental funds, the content of said discussions will be disclosed to the public at such time and extent as is required by law.
Can I please have a motion to go into close session? >> So moved. >> Seconded. Can I get a show of hands? Okay, we are going into close session at 5:02 p.m. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway
Township Public Schools. >> I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun. And to me,
those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education. >> Birwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community.
It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in
developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. And we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They they really put the kids first all the time and our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved.
Everything we do is well attended. Back to school nights, our events and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway
Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. and we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no
limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. >> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus
duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get
along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very
unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students, it's the staff, it's the community members, it's the parent involvement,
it's the investment in making it a better place. I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are
thankful for all the support we have from our community. >> I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and
teaching at Dwire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and
that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each
other. >> One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages. Now that we house preschool students here, I see every single student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work
with them on a deeper level, on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves, but in what they love. After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a
story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going
to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have
a student that came in and really didn't like math. they were really negative selft talking saying that they can't do this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you
know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over
time, I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of
lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as
comfortable in class as they are at home. And if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an
incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on seal over the last several years. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland
Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change to the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want
them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave
her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah.
>> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher.
>> My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day.
My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. Being at DVL is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it
awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis. Plus, drawing is my favorite
thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Queen and I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is
all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. all my friends that helped me since kindergarten and everybody just helps us here because we are a really good community >> because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and
then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but it can be complicated but it's still really fun. My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good
teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and
I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me, she still talks to me even though we don't really see each other
that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that
subject more fun. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus.
No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into this school. One word to describe this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and
trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. Their heart, passion, and
soul is for students, and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done
something right, that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They're amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do.
>> So, my name is Jackson. My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you
go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do
puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birchwood, you honestly
never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. Birwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year.
There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day and I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've been here 7 years and I will drive that
hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are family and once a bulldog, always a
bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to. And teaching at Dubire is special because we
don't have walls. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. >> I like to tell people that when you're
here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, camaraderie amongst not only the students but also the faculty that work here. We call ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern,
he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn
different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart, honesty,
empathy, acceptance, and respect, and trust. I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a
chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's
because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway
Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland
Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want
them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really
kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my 7th grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing
and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome
this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure
that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended.
Vanda Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the
opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copeland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway
Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers.
>> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes,
academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first
grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never
learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone
cares about each other. If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different.
There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success. >> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here, um, we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to
be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a
story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going
to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and, you know, we support each other.
What really resonates with me about the school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. And we can bring out something in themselves that they might
not have seen before. >> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative
self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students.
>> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books and Juni B Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In
science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment moving them
forward from one learning experience to another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is
about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for
education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them, and they want to come. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is
well attended. Back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handinhand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this district at one of the other schools.
And I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So, we used to always start off with a
growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard, like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic
challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom, you can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful, not just academically, but also social and
emotionally. >> My name is Queen K. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends
that helped me since kindergarten, and everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. because of my friends, the teachers, and the principal. Like, we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. Math is my favorite
subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun, but it can be complicated, but it's still really fun. >> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because
I feel like it is a small close-knit community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we
all feel and have the same idea of supporting students. the kids understand that everyone makes a mistake. Everyone has a bad day. And I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started
coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking
by. And I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun. And to me, those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education.
>> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway
Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a
difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you
know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved
school community, both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District and will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into
our students, helping students develop into future leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know
you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've
been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these
children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world
because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the
kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being
able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. I think social
emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school
and you come to Birchwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is
that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to
be confident in themselves but in what they love. After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going
to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, that the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also
take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative
self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories
is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up,
and that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them, and they want to come. So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do
things that might seem hard, like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at
home. And if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional
maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on SEAL over the last several years. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the
growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel
comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave
her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> So my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. >> My name is Mariah.
>> I think what awesome is about being in Birwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher.
>> My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day.
My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. Being at DVO is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it
awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis. Plus, drawing is my favorite
thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Quinker and I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is
all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. all my friends that helped me since kindergarten and everybody just helps us here because we are a really good community >> because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and
then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but it can be complicated but it's still really fun. My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good
teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books in Juni V. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and
I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me, she still talks to me even though we don't really see each other
that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that
subject more fun. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus.
No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into this school. One word to describe this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and
trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. Their heart, passion, and
soul is for students, and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done
something right that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. My name is Mia.
My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with
the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the
day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy.
We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving
community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day and I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've been here 7 years and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are
incredible. We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are family and once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world.
It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to. And teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no
walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. >> I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It
builds like this, you know, camaraderie amongst not only the students but also the faculty that work here. We call ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that
for the kids. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no
matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect, and trust.
I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think social and emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional
dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come
back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District and will graduate from Copeland before they go on
to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the
growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel
comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really
kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading
and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics and I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to
have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure
that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended.
Vanta Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the
opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copa Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway
Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers.
>> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes,
academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first
grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never
learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBO unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone
cares about each other. If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different.
There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success. >> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here, um, we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to
be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me, teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a
story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going
to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other.
What really resonates with me about the school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have
seen before. >> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative
selft talking saying that they can't do this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students.
>> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books and Juni B. Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In
science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment moving them
forward from one learning experience to another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is
about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I'm trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic
love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time and our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is
well attended and back to school nights, our events and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers but also I think for extracurricular as well >> inside school I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this
district at one of the other schools and I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. >> So, we used to always start off with a
growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic
challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom, you can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful, not just academically, but also social,
emotionally. >> My name is Queen. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends
that help me since kindergarten and everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers, and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the
teachers always help us and it's fun, but it can be complicated, but it's still really fun. I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit
community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of
supporting students. The kids understand that everyone makes a mistake, everyone has a bad day, and I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included
right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these
students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun. And to me, those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come
back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township: Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we
can focus on particularly on being kind. >> What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to
persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put
the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers,
but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future
leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors.
>> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me
it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people.
It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I
do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world.
It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dwire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our
emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family.
We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single
student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves but in what they love.
After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at
home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come.
So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard, like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder
task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at home. And if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be
as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on
seal over the last several years. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change to the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas.
I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was
absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every
day. >> So my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. >> My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school they have this like art thing where you go
downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. >> My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day
and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah, my name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Queen K. I'm in the fifth
grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. all my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here because we are a really good community >> because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but
it can be complicated but it's still really fun. My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got
me into chapter books in Juni V. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where
everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me, she still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA
teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is
my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into this school. One word to describe
this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just
great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. Their heart, passion, and soul is for students, and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of
the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done something right that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They are amazing.
They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being Birchwood is the um the like artwork
that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just
doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school
and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere.
Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birchwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day and I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've
been here 7 years and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are
family and once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to. And
teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you
come through our doors. >> I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, camaraderie amongst not only the students but also the faculty that work here. We call
ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends
here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you
into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect, and trust. I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think
social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every
single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that
permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District and will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into
our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is
teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and
love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. >> When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives
me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that
subject more fun. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha
moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive
boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended. Vanta Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that
they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copa Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the
students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we
can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers. >> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the
things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes, academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good
kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other.
If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different. There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success.
>> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here um we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and the and the community that we foster here at DBO. And I'm really grateful to be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty
and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any
good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class, not not only enjoy their
time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and, you know, we support each other. What really resonates with me about the
school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before.
>> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative selft talking saying that they can't do
this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of
my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and
I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment moving them forward from one learning experience to
another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good
friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I'm trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've
seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors
in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended and back to school nights,
our events, and we have very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this district at one of the other schools and I'm really proud of what we put forth
for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of
lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in
a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom, you can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful, not just academically, but also social, emotionally. >> My name is Queen Kren. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second
grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends that helped me since kindergarten, and everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. because of my
friends, the teachers, and the principal. Like, we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun, but it can be complicated, but it's still really fun.
>> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in
Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of supporting students. the kids understand that everyone makes a mistake. Everyone
has a bad day. And I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included right away.
>> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six
different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very important qualities of a very very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's
multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind.
>> What really resonates with me about the school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might
not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our
students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as
well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District and will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders, into being positive
role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. What keeps
me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me it's just
being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle
School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best
part of my week. That's why I do what I do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world.
It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our
emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birchwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family.
We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single
student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves but in what they love.
After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at
home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, that the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and, you know, being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education and over time I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come.
So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard, like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder
task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at home. and if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be
as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on
SEAL over the last several years. I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students and what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their
ideas. I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I
had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear. And it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it.
And that is why I do what I do every day. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school,
they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just
doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first
grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never
learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone
cares about each other. >> My name is Queen Kern. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends
that helped me since kindergarten. And everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers, and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. Math is my
favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun, but it can be complicated, but it's still really fun. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade
teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books and Juni B. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I
came into sixth grade in Copeland where everything was new and different for me. Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One
teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. >> I think the wire school is awesome
because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people
will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. This is probably one of the most special
places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. their heart, passion, and soul is for students and to see them succeed.
>> I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done something right that I have found a way
to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They're amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah.
>> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess.
My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just
everything. >> If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other.
>> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day. And
I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've been here 7 years. and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. >> We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so
vested in our school. We are family and once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive
environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great
sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, commodery amongst not
only the students, but also the faculty that work here. We call ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. I think the wire school is awesome because
you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people
will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think
social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every
single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that
permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students,
helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in
teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least
enjoy coming to math class. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good
luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my 7th grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I
had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it
and that is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the
fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended. Vanda Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that
they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copeland Middle School so great is truly the people.
It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we
can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers. >> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the
things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes, academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good
kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other.
If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different. There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success.
>> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here, um, we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty
and having kids coming up and just happy to see me, teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any
good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class, not not only enjoy their
time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. really resonates with me about this
school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before.
>> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do
this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of
my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and
I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know, what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment, moving them forward from one learning
experience to another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good
friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for
education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is
well attended. Back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this
district at one of the other schools and I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So we used to always start off with a
growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task then all the other academic
challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom. You can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful not just academically but also social emotionally.
>> My name is Queen. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but it can
be complicated but still really fun. >> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit community, but I also felt like there's
a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of supporting students. the kids understand
that everyone makes a mistake, everyone has a bad day, and I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included
right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by. And I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and
talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun. And to me, those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education. >> Birwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come
back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we
can focus on particularly on being kind. What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to
persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put
the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically working handin-hand with our teachers,
but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future
leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors.
>> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me
it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle
School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best
part of my week. That's why I do what I do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world.
It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our
emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birchwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family.
We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single
student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves but in what they love.
After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at
home. And I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and, you know, being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education and over time I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come.
So we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder
task then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at home. and if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be
as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on
SEAL over the last several years. I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change to the students and what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas.
I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was
absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear. And it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it. And that is why I do what I do every
day. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you
go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do
puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Queen Kern. I'm in the fifth
grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends that help me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but it can
be complicated but it's still really fun. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got
me into chapter books in Juni V. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where
everything was new and different for me. Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA
teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is
my favorite because like you can learn different things like times plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe
this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring, the energy here is just
great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. their heart, passion, and soul is for students and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of
the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done something right that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They're amazing.
They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork
that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just
doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school
and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come
back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day. And I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've been here
7 years. and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. >> We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are family and
once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and
teaching at Dwire is special because we don't have walls. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you
come through our doors. I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, commodery amongst not only the students, but also the faculty that work here. We call ourselves a
Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is
my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into the school. One word to describe
this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think social and emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to
discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough
day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world.
Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community.
>> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas.
>> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. >> When I came into sixth grade in
Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. >> One teacher that made me feel special
and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully
with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for
the future and that means making sure that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our
concerts which are very well attended. Vanta Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the
opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Copa Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway
Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers.
>> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes,
academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first
grade. >> Being at DVO is awesome because all the teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never
learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBO unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone
cares about each other. If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different.
There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success. >> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here, um, we have built a family, and I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to
be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me, teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a
story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going
to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other.
really resonates with me about the school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have
seen before. >> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative
selft talking saying that they can't do this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students.
>> My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books and Juni B. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In
science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment moving them
forward from one learning experience to another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is
about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for
education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time and our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is
well attended back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this district at one of the other schools and
I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So we used to always start off with a
growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task then all the other academic
challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than in a bigger classroom. You can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful not just academically but also social emotionally.
>> My name is Queen. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but
it can be complicated but it's still really fun. >> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit
community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of
supporting students. the kids understand that everyone makes a mistake, everyone has a bad day, and I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included
right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and
talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very important qualities of a very very effective education. >> Birwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come
back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we
can focus on particularly on being kind. What >> really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to
persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put
the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically working handin-hand with our teachers,
but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future
leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors.
>> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me
it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people.
It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I
do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world.
It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our
emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family.
We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages now that we house preschool students here. I see every single
student in the building from preschool all the way through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves but in what they love.
After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at
home. And I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class. Not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative self-talking, saying that they can't do this. And so, basically throughout the whole year, we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come.
So, we used to always start off with a growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder
task, then all the other academic challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. >> Our goal here is that every child is as comfortable in class as they are at home. And if they're ever in trouble, they're ever concerned or worried that they have the tools available to them to be successful and to help each other be
as successful as we know they can be. We have really seen over the years an incredible increase in their emotional maturity and in their abilities to deal with issues both in the playground and in the classroom. And I really believe it's because our district's focus on
seal over the last several years. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change to the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas.
I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least enjoy coming to math class. Years ago, I had a sixth grade student who was
absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear. And it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it. And that is why I do what I do every
day. >> So, my name is Jackson. >> My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork that's on the walls. Like in school they have this like art thing where you go
downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. >> My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day
and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVL. >> Yeah, my name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVL is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis. Plus, drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBO unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other. >> My name is Queen Kern. I'm in the fifth
grade. >> Hi, my name is Arya. I am in second grade. What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. all my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here because we are a really good community >> because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. Like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but
it can be complicated but it's still really fun. My favorite teachers are probably all of my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got
me into chapter books in Juni V. Jones. My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. When I came into sixth grade in Copeland where
everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me, she still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA
teacher. I used to just like like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends here and there's good teachers. Math is
my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you into this school. One word to describe
this school is probably heart. Honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect and trust. This is probably one of the most special places I've ever worked. It is the staff, the teachers. Uh they are loving, they are caring. The energy here is just
great. It's wonderful to work with a group of men and women who truly love what they do. Their heart, passion, and soul is for students, and to see them succeed. I try to find a way for them to want to be here. Even if they're sad or even if they don't want to get out of
the car in the morning, if I say, "Hey, let's go wander in the library." And they bounce out of the car right away, which actually happened, then I've done something right that I have found a way to make them feel like this is home for them because that's kind of how I feel. I love the kids here. They are amazing.
They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> So, my name is Jackson. My name is Mia. My name is Mariah. >> I think what awesome is about being in Birchwood is the um the like artwork
that's on the walls. Like in school, they have this like art thing where you go downstairs and like paint a wall with the art teacher. My favorite is recess. My favorite thing is reading and just
doing a bunch of fun stuff. We get to do puzzle of the day and it's really fun. We get to watch videos at the end of the day. >> Our doors are always open. We are truly a family here. Our kids are just everything. >> If you've never taught at another school
and you come to Birwood, you honestly never want to leave Birwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy. We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere.
Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. I commute an hour or more every day and I've been given the opportunity to work in another district, but I've
been here 7 years and I will drive that hour because the community, the parents, the teachers, our principal are incredible. We're just so happy to have such a loving, nurturing community that is so vested in our school. We are
family and once a bulldog, always a bulldog. I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive environment for a child to come to. And
teaching at Duboire is special because we don't have walls. >> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you
come through our doors. >> I like to tell people that when you're here, it's like learning at home. You're in your kitchen, but you still know what's going on in the family room. It builds like this, you know, camaraderie amongst not only the students but also the faculty that work here. We call
ourselves a Dwire family. Mr. McGovern, he seldom calls us a school and we really all live by that. We treat each other like family and we emulate that for the kids. >> I think the wire school is awesome because you can make a lot of friends
here and there's good teachers. Math is my favorite because like you can learn different things like times, plus minus. No matter where you come from or no matter what you like look like, people will be friends with you and welcome you
into the school. One word to describe this school is probably heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, and respect, and trust. I have been teaching art here in Rockaway Township for 16 years. I think
social and emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. I get the privilege of going into every
single class once a month where I do a guidance lesson. The best part of my job is when one of them is having a tough day and then they feel better and it's because of me. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that
permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students,
helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community. >> I am the steam teacher at Copeland Middle School. I really love to see the growth and the change through the students. And what I really focus on is teamwork. So the kids are always in
teams. We want to make sure everybody's feeling comfortable communicating their ideas. >> I want kids to come to school and feel like this is their second home. I want them to come into my classroom and feel comfortable, feel like they can be themselves. They may not come here and love math, but I want them to at least
enjoy coming to math class. >> When I came into sixth grade in Copeland, where everything was new and different for me, Mrs. Heath, she was especially really kind to me. She still talks to me even though we don't really see each other that much and she gives me so much good luck for all the things
that I do. One teacher that made me feel special and cared for was my seventh grade LA teacher. I used to dislike like reading and writing and she really helped me understand and make that subject more fun. Years ago, I had a
sixth grade student who was absolutely petrified of mathematics. And I worked so carefully with her. I gave her extra help just to have her overcome this fear and it was fabulous to see that aha moment when she finally got it and that
is why I do what I do every day. >> We are making sure kids are prepared for the future and that means making sure that they have access to technology. Every single classroom has interactive boards. Kids get a Chromebook in the
fifth grade. >> They work as a team towards a common goal. They overcome challenges. We connect with the community through our concerts which are very well attended. Vanta Copeland is truly an all-inclusive experience for all of the students here. >> I try to get everybody involved so that
they can make a positive impact in the future. I teach US history and I come to work every day excited. I get the opportunity to mold the next generation. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people.
It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So we
can focus on particularly on being kind >> by being kind to a friend, helping them out, helping teachers, be nice to them, be respectful and don't interrupt the teachers. >> And everything we do, we try and relate back to our core values. One of the
things we are working on right now is positive behavior system. I don't like to address anything negative in my office because I want kids to be able to trust me and to be able to come down as a leader of the building. So, we're really working on being kind. And yes, academics are important, but one of the main things for us is that we raise good
kids. The main message is to be kind because above all else, we want our kids just to be kind. >> My name is Carly and I am in fifth grade and I go to DVO. >> Yeah. My name is Rehea. I'm in first grade. >> Being at DVO is awesome because all the
teachers here are so great and so nice. >> I like the teachers here. They make it awesome here. She teaches well and then she teaches us stuff which we have never learned. >> My favorite subject is probably math
because I like all the challenges. >> My favorite special is art class with Miss Takis because drawing is my favorite thing. >> What makes DBL unique is that everyone is so kind to each other and everyone cares about each other.
If I had to describe our building in one word, I would say we're a little unconventional. We're always trying to have our teachers and our students look at other ways to achieve success. And for every student, that's different. There are other ways that we can really show student growth, student success.
>> I'm not trying to be cheesy or anything. It's it really the staff here um we have built a family. And I think that says something about the building and the and and the community that we foster here at ZBO. And I'm really grateful to be part of that. >> Being outside in the morning at bus duty
and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. >> After teaching for 25 years, I can't pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any
good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class, not not only enjoy their
time in class, but also take risks. >> So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. What really resonates with me about the
school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before.
>> It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh. One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. They were really negative selft talking saying that they can't do
this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. Just because we can't do something right now doesn't mean that we're never going to be able to do it. And that's what I teach all of my students. >> My favorite teachers are probably all of
my teachers cuz I got really good teachers. They have fun activities to do and their stories. My first grade teacher got me into reading and she got me into chapter books in Juni B. Jones. >> My favorite subject is science. In science, you do lots of experiments and
I think experiments are very fun. Every day I'm like happy at school. >> We identify the interests of students. You know what motivates them so students feel more comfortable and confident in their learning environment moving them forward from one learning experience to
another. Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> One of the things that I'm really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good
friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I trying to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for
education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up. And that's why I do what I do. To have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them and they want to come. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins
us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is
well attended. Back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. Inside school, I really try to be involved in as many things as I can. My children also go to school in this
district at one of the other schools and I'm really proud of what we put forth for our children. Anytime we can bring togetherness and have us all work together, both in our community and out, it's really going to help everyone raise their own level of abilities to really increase the success of our community. So, we used to always start off with a
growth mindset and we do a lot of lessons about how we are able to do things that might seem hard like a harder task. And I think that if we really teach our kids to be resilient and show grit in the face of a harder task, then all the other academic
challenges that they're faced with come a little bit easier. Having students in a classroom that's smaller where you get to meet their needs specifically rather than at a bigger classroom, you can build more of a rapport and relationships with them. I like them to become successful not just academically but also social emotionally.
>> My name is Queen. I'm in the fifth grade. >> Hi, my name's Arya. I am in second grade. >> What makes our school awesome is all the teachers we have here. They help us every day. All the janitors keep our school nice and clean. All my friends that helped me since kindergarten and
everybody just helps us here cuz we are a really good community. >> Because of my friends, the teachers and the principal. like we read a book and then we do a project based on what happened in that story. >> Math is my favorite subject because the teachers always help us and it's fun but
it can be complicated but it's still really fun. >> I've always wanted to be a teacher. I think the reason why I wanted to be a teacher is because I think I had really good elementary school teachers. Rockway I thought was really interesting because I feel like it is a small close-knit
community, but I also felt like there's a lot of different opportunities in Rockway. I like how there was five different elementary schools, but I also like how I felt like that I fit in with the Stony Brook mentality. The Stony Brook mentality is something where we all feel and have the same idea of
supporting students. the kids understand that everyone makes a mistake, everyone has a bad day, and I think that it gives the opportunity for kids to grow and not feel like penalized. I love that we have a great principal. I love the teachers and the morale. As soon as I started coming up here, since I am from South Jersey, I felt welcomed and included
right away. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and
talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very important qualities of a very very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come
back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we
can focus on particularly on being kind. What >> really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to
persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put
the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically working handin-hand with our teachers,
but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future
leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors.
>> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me
it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one
another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people.
It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I
do. I'm proud to be the superintendent of Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. >> I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's >> Can I please get a motion to bring the
meeting back to public session? >> So moved. >> Second. >> We are coming back into public session at 7:42 p.m. >> Show of hands, please. >> Show of hands. >> Please stand for the pledge. I pledge algiance 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. >> Dr. Corbett, I think we're starting off with Dwer. Is that correct? >> Yes, we are. Okay.
We're so happy to have uh Mr. McGovern here tonight with some of his faculty and we are going to turn the mic over to Mr. McGovern who is here to recognize some very very special students from Dwire Elementary School. Sorry folks, I didn't want to have my
back to you. I want to uh first congratulate the Dwire people for getting here. We had our spring concert tonight between 6:00 and 7:00. So once we were finished, we jumped in cars, we raced here, we all got here. So great job, guys. Tonight, I'd like to bring up two people
who run our trips program, and I'll speak a little bit about that in a minute, but I'd like to bring them up first. Miss Meyers and Miss Farrell. I'd like to speak to the program a little bit. So, if you don't know what Treps is, we're proud to recognize and honor our TRE students and their two
mentors, Mrs. Meyers and Mrs. Farrell, for their outstanding work and entrepreur entrepreneurial spirit at this evening's board of education meeting. Through their participation in the Treps program, these students demonstrated creativity, responsibility,
perseverance, and problem solving as they developed, produced, and mark marketed and sold their own products. From the initial brainstorming stages to the final sales event, they embraced every challenge with enthusiasm and
determination. The Treps experience provides students with far more than an opportunity to create and sell a product. It teaches valuable life skills, including leadership, financial literacy, communication, collaboration,
and resilience. Skills that will serve them well through their academic journey and beyond. We are incredibly proud of the dedication and efforts these students displayed throughout the process. Their successes at Trepite was a reflection of their hard work,
innovative thinking, and commitment to excellence. Congratulations to our strep Trep students on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for representing our school community with such pride and professionalism. When I call your name, please come up,
accept your certificate, and make sure you shake everyone's hands up here. I know it's a long line. >> Mila Affinova, >> Mia Brienza, Hannah Car Caravaglia, >> Jonathan Corsini, Finley Kulkin,
Georgia Cummings, Cameron Delsto, McKenzie Doyle, >> Noel Gonzalez, Aliana Khalo, >> Liam Konikowski, Emily Lloyd, straight across. Rosa Lozano,
>> Chase Leisac, >> Paige Marowitz, >> Fick Nunees, Asher Owen, Bryant Paige, Leonardo Parah, Penelopey Perez, Addison Plum, Zade Rami,
Ethan Rivera, Colton Rogers, Robert Romano, Vince Romeo, Charlotte Spain, popular guy, let me tell you. Julian Torres, Rebecca Vasquez,
>> and Isabella Zadrushka. >> Sorry, that was half the school, but that program was only with the fourth and fifth grade folks. That's a lot. I think I need one more row of students in the front. I'll be out of your way.
My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walked through these halls and talked to
uh we we are so proud of all these Dwire students who work so hard. And by the way, a round of applause for the faculty and staff at Dwire, Mr. McGovern, please. And also I want to acknowledge the parents and
thank you for your partnership in educating these children. Thank you very much parents. And the good news is the good news is the board president has provided us with a bunch of cookies over there and 10 minutes to eat as many cookies as possible. So go for it. 10-minute break
cookies. Yeah, they're right there. You got them. >> Thank you. Jamie. >> Oh, >> Jamie, do you want hand sanitizer? >> A Jamie's taking a toggle. She's in you. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am
the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by. And I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that
are learning and having fun. And to me, those are two very important qualities of a very, very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended
Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What really resonates with me about this
school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere. And we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before.
>> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time and our students are exceptional as well. It's a
wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. Back to school nights, our events and we have a very involved school community both academically working handin-hand with our teachers but also I think for extracurricular as well.
>> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. and we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students, helping students develop into future leaders into being positive role models and citizens in our community.
>> Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking into a special place when you come through our doors. >> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I
love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So, yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all
very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these children. Their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come
back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students, it's the staff, it's the community members, it's the parent
involvement, it's the investment in making it a better place. I come here for the students. I love the kids here. They are amazing. They're the best part of my day. They're the best part of my week. That's why I do what I do. >> I'm proud to be the superintendent of
Rockway Township Schools and we are thankful for all the support we have from our community. >> I truly believe in an educator being able to make a difference in the world. It's so important to have a positive
environment for a child to come to and teaching at Dubire is special because we don't have walls. I think social emotional learning is very important. It gives us a chance to discuss our emotions and give kids a chance to
practice that emotional dialogue and that helps the whole child. If you've never taught at another school and you come to Birchwood, you honestly never want to leave Birchwood. You walk into this building and it's a family. We're all together. We're all happy.
We're smiling. Nobody's cranky or miserable. We're here together for each other. >> One of the things that I love the most about this position and this job is that I get to work with students of all ages. Now that we house preschool students here, I see every single student in the building from preschool all the way
through fifth grade. And I get to work with them on a deeper level, on a way that inspires them not just to be confident in themselves, but in what they love. After teaching for 25 years, I can't
pinpoint one moment of time that is a story of why I come back every day. Any good lesson makes me feel alive. Going to the soccer games, the football games, seeing my students outside the classroom. I want the kids to feel at home and I feel the more comfortable
that they are, the relationship that we build together, the better they're going to do in class, not not only enjoy their time in class, but also take risks. It's a really great environment here at KDM. My co-workers are great. The students every day, they make me laugh.
One thing that I really work on in my classroom is growth mindset. I did have a student that came in and really didn't like math. they were really negative selft talking saying that they can't do this. And so basically throughout the whole year we worked on just changing that mindset. One of the things that I'm
really hoping to teach them more than anything else is about kindness and you know being good friends to each other. One of my most favorite success stories is a particular student when you know he would come into the classroom even right first thing in the morning his head would be down on that desk. I've tried
to instill intrinsic love for school, intrinsic love for education. And over time, I've seen him pick that head up, and that's why I do what I do to have a kid come in and their school's a happy place for them, and they want to come.
So, we always start off with a girl. During the course of the board meeting, the Rockaway Township Board of Education offers members of the public an opportunity to address issues regarding the operations of the Rockaway Township Public Schools. The board reminds those individuals who take this opportunity to
identify themselves by name and address and to limit their comments to items listed on the agenda and or items directly related to the operations of the school district. Issues raised by members of the public may or may not be responded to by the board. All comments will be considered and a response will
be forthcoming if and when appropriate. The board asks that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding students and employees of the board are discouraged and will not be responded to by the board. Students and
employees have specific rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by the members of the public. Members of the public should consider their comments in light of the legal rights of those affected or identified in the comments
and be aware that they are legally responsible and liable for their comments. In accordance with board policy 0167, public discussion is limited to 15 minutes with a threeinut limit per member of the public. The board resident shall have the right to
modify the length of public discussion as she deems appropriate. The board welcomes all public comment this evening, but will be ensuring the enforcement of board policy 0167. This may include, but is not limited to enforcing reasonable decorum, calling for recess, conclusion of public
comment, etc. if necessary. The board reminds the public of these requirements. Thank you. >> Can I please have a motion to open public comment? So moved. >> Second. >> Show of hands. >> I would invite anyone who has comments. Thank you. Thank you, Anita.
>> Jamie Ripkkey. >> Good evening. Thank you all for being here. I know you are all volunteers and I appreciate it. Many members of the community have the following questions and we would appreciate the respect of a response. Dr. Corbett, why have you not
yet sent Mr. Bayer the reasons for his non-renewal which he requested from you 21 days ago? Why did you decide to change Mr. Young's contract without board approval? Why did you not show up to the principal's list breakfast last Friday
when you have shown up to the last five? Is it true that central office personnel have suddenly taken over all of the building based observations and teacher placements at Copeland? who directed central office staff to enter Copeland Middle School unannounced to tear down student posters in support
of their administrators and yell with an earshot of students. Why are you dismantling the entire Copeland Middle School administrative team that completely changed the climate and culture of Copeland in such a positive way? Didn't this support and
achieve the board's goal and directives? Why would you put our board of education in the position to vote on removing an administrator and dean of students position after they restored a positive climate and culture among staff and students? To the board, what have you done since
the last board meeting to respond, especially after you were told there is fear in the teachers? Morale is low. Teachers feel scared and intimidated. They are losing sleep. How many anonymous letters do you need to receive? What is it going to take for you to do your due diligence? We have
960 signatures on the parent petition and over 300 student signatures. You are now ethically bound to respond and I'd like to state here and now we want a full-blown done investigation done by you. Now, this is just for me. The Rucker program is being removed. It
services close to 60 students in the district. For some students, this program is a safety net to receive quality services during the school day. The programs that Rockaway is bringing in are referral services, which would temporarily bring in care for a period of weeks or provide virtual services.
Let's be real, trust and rapport are not built that way. It's no comparison to the level of care the Rucker clinicians have been capable of providing by helping a child in a real time of crisis. The clinicians have the benefit of working as a true team to gather all the necessary information through
administration and teachers rather than solely relying on the student. Outside care means crisis situations will have to wait and the level of student services will never be comparable. For a district that has been directly impacted, why are we removing a service that is so crucial to the mental health
of our students? Crises will have to wait until the next outpatient appointment or to be referred out. If you continue to make decisions that affect the mental health of our students, you need to hold yourselves accountable for every mental health crisis that the school will no longer be
able to handle the way it did with the Ruckers clinicians. Find another place to cut funds. How about starting with the $33,000 the district is currently paying to coach the administrator at Birwood or the $44,000 raise Dr. Corbett just received?
Thank you. Jackie Bader. >> Hold on. Don't start the time yet. >> Jackie Bader, 129 Richard Mine Road. I am the Copeland PTA corresponding secretary. Currently, Rockway Township joint insurance fund GIF liability rating is AAA. My understanding is that
the school district uses similar insurance structure through the school alliance insurance fund which also uses comparable rating scales. What is our district's current liability insurance rating? What is the financial impact that the district is having after the Rucker removal program? The program
removal specifically, how much did the district save or spend previously under Ruckers? What is the projected increase of insurance now that we are going to be removing co Ruckers? How will increased liability exposure affects us taxpayers?
Many residents are concerned that without the Ruckers program, the district's overall risk exposure is now significantly higher, which could result in higher costs related to lawsuits and insurance claims. I also want to address transparency. Why is it that the public is not able to
view a more detailed view line by line district budget similar to what the township has to provide at the township council meetings? This is a taxpayer money and residents deserve a clear understanding of how funds are allocated. I also have many concerns regarding the frequency of closed
sessions held before meetings for the public's perspect. From the public's perspective, it appears discussions may be occurring regarding agenda matters and potentially staff related issues. My understanding is that employees discussed in close session are entitled to Rice notices. Are all of these being
um sent out properly? I would encourage each board's member to independently ask questions directly to teachers and staff. A full review of information being presented to you by make to make your decisions. You are elected by the residents of Rockway Township to provide
oversight and ask difficult questions when necessary. The information presented to you is one-sided, not the whole story. Get all of your facts. Finally, we are previously told that emails sent to board mail at rockwip.net were distributed to the full board. We
have now since learned that these emails are routed through the president and then forwarded. If this is the case, why is it not automatically distributed through a rule through the IT department, so everyone simultaneously receives a communication? I have personally sent multiple emails and never received responses. We know that
there has been discussion about wanting a greater community involvement in the audience here at board meetings. However, if that is truly your goal, this is not the way to accomplishment. Increasing public precipitate uh precipit precipit
should come from transparency, trust, and open communication, not from growing frustration and concern within the community. At the end of the day, the parents and taxpayers simply want the best for our students, staff, and community. We want transparency, accountability, and thoughtful decision-making from the individuals we
elected to be in these positions. You need to do your job and ask those hard questions. That's what we're asking for our children. Jennifer Skolski, Jennifer Skolski, 164 Valley View Drive. >> I am in the microphone. Okay. Can I get
any closer? Okay. Before I get into specifics, I want to make sure we're all working from the same understanding of how this is supposed to work. The board holds governing authority over the district. You hire a superintendent to
serve as your chief executive to use his expertise to make recommendations, implement your decisions, and run day-to-day operations within the boundaries you set. He advises, you decide. That's the structure, Dr.
Corbett. Somewhere along the way, you reversed that. You've been making significant moves, moves with real consequences for real people before receiving board approval. That's not advising. That's not executing board
decisions. That's governing without authority. I've only got three minutes, so I can't touch on it all, but here's a small example of that. On May 6th, this board approved the renewal of Mr. Young's contract, including a stipen for his position as dean of students. That
contract was executed. An executed contract is legally binding. Let me remind everyone that Mr. Young publicly stood up to Dr. Corbett on that May 6th meeting. Then on May 15th, Mr. Young was called into your office and told that
his position was being eliminated. That is called preemptive implementation. You effectively executed a de facto contract modification after the board had already approved Mr. Young's contract. That's ultravir acting beyond the scope of your
authority. This new recommendation by doc Dr. Corbett can be found on today's agenda. The reassignment of Mr. Young back to math teacher is in the personnel section under section 7. The board will vote on that tonight. And I would like to remind them that any one of them can
ask to pull Mr. Young from the personnel list for a separate vote. Let's move on to the situation with Mr. Bayer. You have to provide him with a letter of reasons for his non-renewal. Mr. Bayer requested that letter weeks ago. You have a 30-day timeline and you've used
that time to make it nearly impossible for the door board to do their job. You have told some staff members about new positions that they will be given, creating a web of obligations the board never agreed to. The board would have to disappoint multiple people in order to disagree with your decisions. That
creates fate to comply, which means you're engineering a situation where reversing course feels so disruptive that the board feels obligated to agree with you. So now, Dr. Corbett, do you see the position that you've put your employers in? You've shown the entire
town that you believe you are running the show. So, I turn to the board to remind you that you are not responsible for cleaning up his mess, but his actions do reflect on you. Christine Grao. Okay.
Hi, Christine Graasso, 65 Omaha Avenue, Copeland PTA vice president. Today, my seventh grader chocked outside the school. Welcome to a place where heart shines the brightest. I fear our light is a little dimmer given what's
been going on. Um, I feel it's important to speak on behalf of many who feel they cannot. A staff member at the school shared the following for um me to share. I am not employed, so I do not have the fear to share this with you that others
feel. The decision not to renew Mr. Bayer's contract came as a shock to staff, parents, and students alike. Over the past three years, we have watched Mr. Bayer help rebuild morale, strengthen relationships within the school's community, and create an
environment where students and staff felt supported and valued. Many of us remember what the climate of the school felt like before and the difference has been undeniable. What has been most difficult to witness these past few weeks is the effect the
situation has had on our students. Children are perceptive. They know when something feels unfair and when adults they trust are hurting, uncertain, and unsupported. Our students are reacting to the instability and tension around
them. Many are acting out because they feel confused, upset, and unheard. When they see chaos among leadership, it affects the emotional climate of the school. One of the most upsetting
moments for many students was seeing the posters they created in support of our principal taken down. These were not inappropriate or disruptive. They were expressions of love,
appreciation, and support from children who wanted their voices heard. For students, creating those signs was their way of processing confusion and disappointment. Removing them sent the message that
their feelings and voices did not matter. Whether intended or not, that action had an emotional impact on our children. We often say we want students to express
express themselves respectfully and take pride in their school's community. That is exactly what they were doing. They were showing support for someone who made them feel safe, valued, and cared for.
What has impressed me most is that despite this disappointment and despite colleagues losing their positions, our principal and staff continue to show up for these children. I ask the board to truly listen not only to parents and staff but to students
whose voices are over overlooked. Thank you for your time. Michelle Castenbound. Michelle Castenbound, 55 Kings Road. At the last board meeting, I stood here and I spoke about fear inside our school community. I spoke about teachers and
staff members who expressed support for Mr. Bayer, but felt uncomfortable speaking publicly as they felt like there would be consequences. But what struck me afterwards was not what was said that night. It was what was not said. There was no statement from the
board addressing that fear or even acknowledging it. Why didn't the board members reach out to teachers or make themselves available or do their due diligence? I understand that there are things that you cannot legally say and discuss and I
do respect that. But I also think that this silence has created confusion and distrust. I'll remind you what I said that night. There is fear of high from the higher administration, fear of retaliation, fear of losing their jobs or being transferred. So when I learned
on May 15th that Mr. Young was told that his bis position was being eliminated though the contract was signed. The first I was beyond upset beyond the first message I received after learning this was see this is why teachers didn't
want to talk. I felt terrible. I told teachers to tell the board how they felt because I believed you were listening and I told them to stand up for what they believed. But what blew my mind was at our PTA meeting three days later on
May 18th, I spoke about what happened with Mr. Young's position being eliminated and watched our board of liaison's face go into shock. She had no idea. A board member had no idea and to my understanding the board of ed has to
approve all positions and eliminations. At the last board meeting, our board president told us that in public that the decision not to renew Mr. Mr. Bayer's contract was not made in a vacuum. It is my understanding that I only heard the superintendent's accounts
of Mr. Bayer's performance. You have never heard the other side. Isn't that definition of a vacuum? Mr. Bayer is still waiting, as we've heard, 21 days without any answers, without any communication. That's what's making this
weird. It is bizarre. What we do know is we have 960 signatures, emails, teachers, staff, students, community, all coming together in support of Mr. Bayer's renewal. And now, Mr. Young, you cannot deny that something seems off here. People, look at all of these
people. Really, I'm asking the board, I am asking you, please conduct your own investigation because something feels bizarre. It feels strange. It feels off. And just so you know, many cases in New Jersey where the board of ed has
overturned a superintendent's recommendation. In fact, one of our current board members has a personal experience because in Carney, when a former high school principal was recommended for tenure, the board overturned that super reendance recommendation twice. Even though the decisions was appealed by commissioner,
the commissioner ruled in favor of the board, affirming that the authority had valid reasons to reject that recommendation. The board of ed has a responsibility. It is represent the community. >> Maya Ripki,
>> me Anita, let them speak together. Just that you got to state their name for the record. >> Oh, wait. >> You signed up twice. I apologize. >> I'm just going to hold it. >> Good evening, Board of Ed. I'm a former Copeland student who is now a freshman in NLES. I was hoping I wouldn't have to
come tonight, but for the sake of current and incoming students, I feel it is important to share our experiences at Copeland. I got to experience the difference between the previous and current administration. For this emotional roller coaster that's been going on for the past few months and the anxiety that comes along with it. This would not need to happen if you did the
right thing. After Mr. Bear took over as principal, I noticed a lot less fighting and we were a better school community. Current and incoming students will have to face someone completely different. And with and with the current students already having formed bonds with the current staff, it makes having someone
new come in very challenging. Thank you. I feel like I feel that this school year has ch this school has changed for the better in so many ways from being more proactive with the students taking care of problems that need to be solved and ultimately making the school year better for the students. When I was a student here, I got to see two different types
of principles. The previous principle that was here was much different than the current and it wasn't good. The current principal has managed to has managed the school, put laws, set boundaries for so many different things. Nonetheless, you're taking away everything that I
needed when I was when I went here, and now you're doing that for everyone else. I'm talking about administrators in the Ruckers program. Thank you, Jack Kenbell. Jack castimon 55 road good evening everyone since the last time I spoke at the board meeting event meeting a lot
has changed throughout the school we have done chants during lunch that were planned by students and we have put up posters for that almost every single student made we have also spoken up to show our support for Mr. Abera as you've seen in the last board of ed meeting and now we also learned that Mr. Young's
position is being taken away. So, we have also gone one step further with different ideas. We've taken meetings and we've also done text to show our support for Mr. Bear and Mr. Young. You want to know someone? When I walk
into school, I don't really want to be there cuz I'm very tired. I just want to sleep. But as the day goes on, I feel more happy. I just feel No, wait. I feel like one of the reasons why it's because I'm a part
of a community. I don't like what's going on right now. I really hate it. But I've gotten to know a lot more kids by this happening because we all want Mr. Bear and Mr. During this day. So I ask you all, please keep Mr. Bear and Mr. Young.
Thank you, >> Heather Battton. Hello, Heather Batton, 9000 Anna Circle. I'm a seventh grade parent and licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience working with traumatized children and families in
clinical sorry in clinical work relationships are the foundation for growth regulation healing and trust when those relationships are abruptly disrupted stability and progress are impacted as
well three years ago Dr. Corbett introduced Mr. bear as having the knowledge and experience to unite the Copeland Middle School community and provide students with an education in a physically and emotionally safe school environment. He called the appointment a
new beginning for Copeland and that is exactly what happened. The overwhelming response of recent board of ed meetings from students, parents, and staff is proof that the Copen leadership team fundamentally shifted the school's culture. That is
why this community is shocked as it witnesses multiple actions that are effectively dismantling much of the on-site leadership connected to student well-being, school culture, and safety. This includes the decision not to remove
not to renew Mr. Bayer's contract and the renewal of and the removal of Mr. Mr. Young's from the dean of students position immediately after he spoke at the last board meeting. These actions have been taken without any clearly communicated plan for
preserving the culture, trust, and stability the students and families have experienced. This district knows the history of this school and the devastating consequences that can occur when students do not feel emotionally safe, supported, and connected. Dismantling the leadership
team that helped create stability without a plan to preserve it undermines the very progress that has been hard. One from a clinical perspective. When relationships are disrupted, trust and emotional se safety are directly impacted. The district asked this
community to trust its committed commitment to rebuilding Copeland's culture. Many of us did and these decisions are now challenging that trust. The district itself identified in goal two the need to maintain a safe and supportive school district culture,
promote mutual respect, and support students social and emotional health. So tonight, I'm asking the board to consider whether the current direction truly aligns with its own stated goal and whether the long-term cost of these decisions is worth the risk to this
community. Thank you. Monica Estrada. Monica Estrada 59 Miami Trail. I emailed all of you and directly requested Dr. Corbett to explain how any decision was made with our children's best interest
in mind. Unfortunately, I have more questions than answers today. Mr. Young was one of the brave staff members that took the podium on behalf of on of Mr. Bayer on May 6, a few days later, as we've heard, his position is being eliminated even though his contract was
renewed. How will uprooting two of the most trusted and loved individuals by students benefit the school culture structure and our children? The seventh graders made beautiful, touching, inspiring posters supporting
Mr. Bayer. Why did you feel it was necessary to rip them off the walls despite the risk of hurting morale, teamwork, and their feelings? And I have yet to hear the reasoning behind Mr. Bayer's contract not being renewed. I do
not accept a prepared holding statement like the one I received. As a public relations expert, I have drafted many of those and I know exactly what they aim to accomplish. What I want to hear is what you are looking to accomplish with
the decisions like the ones I just mentioned. It is disappointed that it seems like the rumors of retaliation and making decisions based on your personal preference is true. You made a good decision three years ago. I ask you that
you keep true to it. I have a few minutes left in my timer, so you are more than welcome to give us an answer to the questions I just posted. Thank you. Riley Batton. >> I am Riley Batten 9,000 and a circle. I
am so confused. It has been apparent that the students of CMS care deeply about this change. Post-it notes and posters flooded the hallways. The support for Mr. Bayer and Mr. Young are is inspiring and I
understand why. When I rejoin public schools, I was shy and emotionally distant. But with the understanding, trust and patience that Mr. Bayer and Mr. Young cultivated, I flourished. Many of my peers share similar stories. Because of that, I hope you will listen to the people it matters most to, the
children. Thank you. Kira Richmond, Kira Richmond, 10 Mount Pleasant. A um as a sixth grader, Mr. Bear has been nothing but a joy to have in Copeland. Personally, I've had many great
experiences. He has helped me through the transition from fifth grade to sixth grade, which was one of the biggest changes. I was so nervous for it, stressing out the whole summer. When I found out Mr. Bayer was the principal, my whole attitude changed
personally. On the first day of school, I had no clue where the band room was at all. Mr. Bayer was standing right by Senor Phillips's room, helping kids get there. I was one of the kids he helped. He helped me learn the school better. He
helped me become the person who I am standing here today. Personally, I want to ask you, the board, Dr. Corbett, why you have chosen not to renew Dr. Corbett's contract. He is an amazing
individual but you I feel just don't tend to see that. And as well as that Mr. Young has been nothing but a joy as well. He has helped every student in different ways. Whether it was helping
them with students they had issues with or anything. He was there there for students who needed support, who needed everything. When you take away Mr. Mr. Young or Mr. Bayer. In fact, you are are not helping.
You are actually punishing the students. Thank you. Mika Bader Mika Bader 129 Richard Mine Road. Mr. I hope that Mr. Bear and Mr. Young should stay in their their same position
and almost all of the school agrees. We have been putting up signs and everything, but we got them took him down. So, we are going to do we were going to do a walk out, but Mr. Bear said no. So, we respected his wishes and
all met up to discuss ways to band together to show our respect for Mr. and Mr. Young. We really want them to stay. Listen to the us kids. We are in the school. Look at these kids. Who
Who's here with me? Monourir Mammoon. I I have never been to one of these meetings. Moner Mammoon at 116 Valley View Drive. I've never been one of these meetings, but I'm seeing here a lack of responsiveness and and just crazy machinations. There's no way that Dr.
Corbett was responsible for making that decision on his own. This must have involved Mrs. and her decision making. It's all a silly plot. It's ridiculous. This is emblematic of a lack of accountability. >> Sir, can you please speak into the
microphone? We are >> I think they can hear me. This is emblematic of this district's lack of accountability. Another another aspect of lack of accountability is this ADL program, the Anti-Defamation League, No Place for Hate. This is an Israel
propaganda program that is designed to shut up people of Arab, Palestinian, Lebanese descent. And it's a racist program. It is a racist program. And I brought you evidence. We spoke today, Dr. Corbett,
evidence that this is a nationalist Zionist Jewish supremacist program. Greenblat, Jonathan Greenblat, the head of this organization, decrying cross religious marriage, anti-misogenation. You ever heard that term from the US civil war? Can't have black people and
white people intermar. >> Thank you very much. We >> are you going to tell me to shut up now? Yes, you are. Okay. That's why I'm protesting no place for hate. Okay, sir. I'm not helping your comments. I'm asking the policies regarding
>> Brad and Larry. Can we please have some help up here? step away from the day. Sir, >> no sir. Sir, >> the Arab is being >> sir, you're excused from the meeting. >> A fivem minute recess. Thank you very much. >> Five minute recess.
>> I'm not a human. That's what the issue is with this. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say
that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very important qualities of a very very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is
truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community. It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township. Heart, honesty, empathy,
acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. What >> really resonates with me about the school is that we put more value in developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging
learning experience, they learn to persevere. and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. >> Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our
staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students are exceptional as well. It's a wonderful school community. Our PTA is incredibly involved. Everything we do is well attended. back to school nights, our events, and we have a very involved school community, both academically
working handin-hand with our teachers, but also I think for extracurricular as well. >> Every student who goes through Rockaway Township School District will graduate from Copeland before they go on to high school. And we have an opportunity to instill core values into our students,
helping students develop into future leaders, into being positive role models and citizens in our community. Our mantra we live by is no walls, no limits because being a school with no walls uh provides our students a great sense of community. You just know you're walking
into a special place when you come through our doors. >> What keeps me coming back here every morning? Hugs from kids. You know, I love being outside in the morning at bus duty and having kids coming up and just happy to see me. Teachers who I now share personal connections with because
I've been here for 11 years as the principal. So yeah, I I think for me it's just being a part of something, being a part of the team. Uh we're all very different, but um but we we get along and you know, we support each other. >> Every morning I'm inspired by these
children, their energy, their willingness to support and grow with one another is contagious. >> The people I work with makes me come back every single day. I hire a very unique and special educator and that permeates throughout the building. I have the easiest job in the world
because I have the hardest working teachers in the world. >> The thing that makes Scopland Middle School so great is truly the people. It's the students. It's the staff. It's the community members. It's the parent involvement. It's the investment in making it a better place. >> You could call the next individual up to
speak. Thank you very much. >> Oh, where's Dr. Corbett? >> Let's get a second for Dr. Corbett. >> We're going to take a few seconds for Thank you very much. >> All right. >> My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockaway Township Public Schools. I was just
waving to some of our wonderful students as they were walking by and I'm so happy and pleased to say that when I walk through these halls and talk to these students in these six different schools, I see students that are learning and having fun and to me those are two very
important qualities of a very very effective education. >> Birchwood is very special because it is truly a family atmosphere. Students come back year after year. There's multi-generations that have attended Birwood. It is truly a loving community.
It's such a wonderful place to be. >> Our core values are the same as Rockaway Township: Heart, honesty, empathy, acceptance, respect, and trust. So, we can focus on particularly on being kind. >> What really resonates with me about this school is that we put more value in
developing personal growth versus comparison to others. Whether it be a difficult learning task or a challenging learning experience, they learn to persevere and we can bring out something in themselves that they might not have seen before. Stony Brook is an amazing place. It really is. And I think anybody
who joins us, whether it's full-time or visitors in the building just for a day, uh, you know, I think echo that sentiment. Our staff is second to none. They really put the kids first all the time. And our students >> because she's the minute keeper. >> Guys, you guys are killing me up here. >> I'm sorry.
My name is Dr. Richard Corbett and I am the proud superintendent of Rockoy Town. >> Hi, Lisa Ginder, 136 Birch Street. Um, mine's going to be a little bit different, although that was quite the tough act to follow. Um, I'm going to go
a little bit on a different topic, but um, not that off topic. So, um, my biggest concern was looking at the minutes and seeing some of the consolidations that are taking place. As somebody who has worked in public education for my entire career and who
has been intimately involved in hiring practices, in performance improvement review, and in letting people go, um, and in having to monitor budgets and managing finances, hundreds of millions
of dollars over the course of my career, I can say that these are not sustainable measures. The sustainable measure at this point is to go after health care. Health care costs are one of the largest expenditures that we have that
contribute to the fringe. The fringe costs that lead to things like my poor kids in their school having programs in art and music cut. Art and music are what make our students compassionate individuals. It makes them well-rounded. It brings you the the kids who came up
to you today who could be well spoken and articulate because they're getting a well-rounded education. Making these types of cuts will not last you till next year when you have to make the same decision. You are our elected officials.
We are relying on you to be our voice. do what you need to do to band together with other boards of education to work with our public legislative bodies to push back against health care costs because it's a huge problem and it's
your responsibility because you are our voice. I can't just go and start talking to them. They're not going to listen to me. But collectively, you have that power. I can only hope that my boys as they come into Copeland are as wonderful as these kids are here speaking to you
from the heart about their personal experience and I am relying on you to make that a possibility. Thank you. Shane Ripky. >> First of all, uh my name is Joe Rebeeki, 68 Sha. Uh I want to commend each of the
children who stepped up in front of this microphone tonight to speak. You have a voice and you're using it. So, thank you school board and superintendent Corbett. Four years ago, my daughter attended
Copeland Middle School and yes, she spoke tonight and we were terrified of the trajectory of the school and her middle school years. We witnessed firsthand the lack of discipline and structure at school events like band and
chorus concerts. We witness great teachers leave the school and this district. We witnessed friends in this Rockaway community take their kids out of school and place them in private schools. We wish watched as
close friends even moved out of this district so that they could put their schools their children in other schools. Then everything changed the following year as Mr. Bear was hired as school principal and Mr. Young and Miss Champagne rounded out the school
leadership team. Within three months of this team leading Copeland, there was a completely different and positive vibe emanating from the halls of Copeland. My daughter and many of the other kids we spoke to raved about the difference they felt in the school. There was now
structure. There was discipline and a great energy coming from not just the students but the teachers. We remember that my wife and I attending a board meeting within the first few months of Principal Bear's tenure and I spoke candidly
about how impressed we were in his leadership in the direction the school was headed. Our daughter graduated from Copeland last year and has nothing but positive memories of her time here and loved her last two years. This year, our son started at Copeland and has also enjoyed his first year.
We were hoping he would have the same positive memories. That is until we recently heard that Principal Bear's contract had not been renewed. We're not here to make accusations of any kind, but I am very concerned and alarmed by the decisions that have been made by the
superintendent and the school board. I leave you with this. A few weeks ago, I sat in this exact same room with maybe eight other people as we listened to a HIP lecture. Superintendent Corbett, after that
event, you spoke to me. I said, "Doesn't seem like there's a lot of people here." You said, "It seems like the only time there's a big turnout for a board meeting is when the school community is really upset." I ask you and the rest of the board to look around this room and feel the pain,
unease, and dissatisfaction we are all feeling at this time based off of your decisions. And if I may, to Mr. Bear, Mr. Young and Miss Champagne, thank you for your time and attention to the betterment of this school, these students, and my children, Shane Ripky.
>> Ma'am, it's not your turn to speak. We have somebody else. My name is Shane Ripkkey 34. I live at 34 Kaug. Thank you all for coming out to support Mr. Bear and Mr. Young. I want to start off by saying that Mr. Bear reminds me of my old principal at
Stonyie Brook Elementary, Mr. W. Mr. W is one of the only reasons why my middle school experience was good. And I see a lot of Mr. W and Mr. Bear. I know a lot of the children are shocked and disappointed that Mr. Bear's contract will not be resigned. And it
has also come to my attention that Mr. Young's position will be terminated. Mr. Young is another great man that has brought a good middle school experience to myself and many other students. And one more thing, my sister Mayor Ripki has been to the school with both with both principles, Mr. Mr. Ganella and Mr.
Bear. She said that with Mr. Bear, she felt more safe at the school. And that is all I have to hear to make my opinion about Mr. Bear. That is all I have to say. Thank you all. >> Eliza Rosenbel. >> Thank you.
>> Uh to the board and to uh Dr. >> Can you please state your name and your address? >> Sorry. Yes. Eliza Rose about 44 Taylor Street. Thank you. >> Um to the board and to Dr. Bayer, thank you for your time listening to me myself as well as all of the other community members, parents, and students. I am
here today without a speech. I'm speaking strictly from my heart. Um when I first heard the news that Dr. uh Mr. Bayer's contract was not going to be renewed, it was um it was troubling. It was very troubling. Uh my daughter has enjoyed all of her time here at Copeland. She's a sixth grader. She's
enjoyed her time here at Copeland. Made a lot of friends and has felt very safe, welcomed, and loves school for the most part. Um it was it became an even more troubling experience when I learned that the Ruckers program was going to be
eliminated. The Rucker mental health program serves a lot of students in this district and it serves a lot of students in Copeland. my daughter being one of them. Um, it has brought her out of her shell. It has made her a more whole
student. Um, she participates in everything all due to the fact that that was there for her. It was troubling at the very beginning of the school year, but she has made strides and she has leaps and bounds from where she started.
I attribute every aspect of her success to the Rucker's mental health program. Had it not been for that, I don't know where we would be. I I I I ask you, I beg you, I am I'm sure every single one
of you either knows a child, has a child of your own, or has heard of a child throughout your own personal lives that struggles with mental health issues. This program is imperative. It is is the only way that a lot of the students can
get through the day. It's the only way that a lot of the students can get through a marking period. It is the only way that a lot of students can wake up, get on that bus, and get here because without that support from that Rucker mental health program, a lot of the
students wouldn't be in class. They wouldn't be in home room. They wouldn't be on that bus. I beg of you to re revisit that. revisit it because it is very helpful. That's Thank you very much.
Puja Agarwal. Hi, my name is Puja Agarwal. Five Vintage Court. So, good evening board members. Um, I have come to know several of you throughout our past interactions and I've seen firsthand, you know, how
you work to make things better for our community, better for our children. So, I have complete faith in you. I know you are people of solid family values who always put the children first. So, tonight I'm asking you to do just that.
put our kids first and keep our principal, Mr. Bayer. Before my son reached middle school, all I heard from my neighbors was negativity. Every single child I spoke to in on my street, nobody liked it. But the moment I met
both Mr. Bayer as well as uh Mr. young. There was a huge weight of relief that just literally just lifted off my shoulders. They instantly made the environment here feel safe and comfortable. Every single
interaction I've had with them has been positive. So, I've always taught my kids that if you want to make a change, you have to stand up and make it happen. And that is why I'm here tonight. And I am so proud of every single student that has come
here, whether past or present, to make a case for Mr. Bayer and Mr. Young. I am so proud to be part of this community that fights together. We stand up for what we believe in and standing up for what matters. And right now,
keeping our principal and our dean, Mr. Young, that really matters. So, please keep them both here where they belong. Thank you, >> Carolyn Paige. >> Hey guys, Carolyn Page, 77206 Blue
Mountain Drive in Wharton. I did not plan on speaking, so I don't really Whatever comes out comes out. But Dr. Dr. Corbett, we moved here four years ago. Every single time I email you, you respond right away. Every problem I've had, from HIV complaints to my kids not
being heard, you have heard me and you've addressed it immediately. Noel, same. You have helped me through numerous issues and you've always been a friend to talk to you. So, I trust you. I really just want you to know that and I appreciate the work that you've done. I don't know the ins and outs of what's
going on with the principal. What I keep hearing is how great Copeland has improved from a social and emotional uh behavioral aspect. What I'm not hearing is about academics and that's why I'm here. Whatever happens next, whether Mr.
Bayer stays, we get a new principal. That is up to you guys. I am concerned about the academics at Copeland. My daughter is doing worse since being here. Um she doesn't get any written homework. the the math is everything is
on I ready like uh there was a sub the power run out there is someone and my daughter is texting me about being on Tik Tok and a hairstyle and she's in math class and I'm like why are you on Tik Tok and so I emailed doc Mr. Bayer and he's like, "Well, if you don't want
her on TikTok, don't send her with a phone." Cool. Valid. She was explicitly told she was allowed to be on Tik Tok because the power went out. And my question was, why is she not reading a book? Why is there not an academic
conversation happening? I teach at NYU. I'm an NYU professor. We are taught to have standards for the academics that we provide. I want standards for academics at Copeland. I want my children challenged. I want them coming home with
homework whether they like it or not. I do not My concern I guess maybe isn't as serious about the emotional and social stuff because I wasn't here for the bad side and I love that my kid feels safe and I like that my son is coming to a
school where he'll feel safe but I also want them challenged. I want them ready for high school. I want them ready and interested in internships in high school. I want them interested in science camps. I want to know when my kid is failing and I want an email from
the the teacher which I never get. I don't get communication from the students uh from the teachers to me and that is my concern for whatever is next. So thank you >> Juliana Kabasakalion >> Juliana Cavisa County and 113 Green Pond
Road. I would love for Mr. Bayer to stay. He always make us feel safe and loved. He greets us with a smile every day. He is very kind and respect respectful to us. Thank you for your time. Leia Bilbao laa
leia ba uh 62 Steven place. I feel it is like needed to mention that um a lot of us it has been mentioned in this conversation before that a lot of these students aren't feeling heard and
I can confirm that because I am a sixth grade student that goes here and Mr. Bayer and Mr. Young have honestly done so much for this school. They have made people feel safe. they had made made people feel welcome and they're just making the school a way better place as
heard by many people. So I feel that it is like needed to keep them because a lot of people are being helped. A lot of people are like feeling happier. A lot of people are having a better time at Copeland with them around. they can
they've like I just said they've helped people a lot and it's honestly just such a nice place with them around and I feel like it's just honestly the greatest place I've been to with them around. Thank you Eningga Donskaya.
Uh hello Inga Danskaya 64 Kanchi. Uh there are very there are two very important issues at stake here. One is mental health of children but I but a lot of that been said already. So I'll only add a couple things. My high school sophomore lived through both administrations and the before was
everything the current parents are are fearing. Middle schoolers are tough crowd. They challenge everything. You know, they take full advantage of anarchy and they don't react very well to authoritarian style. The reason why the current administration works well for the kids is because they're treated
like humans. I will address another very important issue, our children's education. When we are stressed, it affects our physical and mental health. Our productivity and quality of our work at our jobs. Same goes for our teachers. Our wonderful teachers have been put
under a lot of stress for this. They are afraid to speak up. Their morale is very affected and their feeling of job security is shattered. I'm sure some of them have considered moving on. I have seen it firsthand as a child of a teacher. And who suffers as a result? Our children. The way our teachers are
treated affects our kids' education. Please treat our teachers better and they deserve it. Thank you, Chris Kino. Good evening, Chris Colernel, 52 Hiburnia Road. Just wanted to come speak my piece here in regards to Mr. Bear's
contract. Um, my girls are almost done here. One in freshman, one's eighth grade, one 7th. So, all three of them have had this administration nothing but great things to say. They loved it. They loved their time
here. They were all nervous to come here just like any kid. But uh I gotta say fantastic time and I don't know why we would change gears now when things be seem to be going the right direction. So that's all I got to say.
Christy Coralo. Uh, sorry, short people. Uh, Christy Quilu, 562 Mount Hope Road. Um, famous last words. I wasn't planning on coming here to speak. Uh, I'm not going to speak on Mr. Bear because, as you know, I'm conflicted because I do adore Mr. Bear and I'm very excited. I was very excited for my daughter to be in this
school with him next year, but I also know Dr. Corbett, we've worked together and I have a lot of respect for you as well. So, I'm just kind of stuck there. Um, I did want to talk about Ruckers. Um, I don't know what the plan is. I will say this much. I was sitting in the crowd and and as people were coming up
and talking about Ruckers, I happened to overhear someone say, you know, well, if your kid is really having that much trouble, something to that effect, I'm paraphrasing, they should go out and get extra help or external help or whatever the comment was. And I just said, "How incredibly ignorant." Because Ruckers, when the kid is at school, if there's a
problem, identify, they come there and they handle it. I'm not going to be too graphic because there are children in the office and in the in the audience and good job kids on speaking up for yourselves. Um, that's I'm I'm shaking up here trying to speak, but um and I used to be there. Uh, Ruckers is
instant. It is very difficult to find children support, especially after COVID. It is extremely diff difficult and for some parents extremely expensive. So when this the parent or the school is able to identify a problem with the student,
they're able to call in an army of people from guidance counselors to professionals from Ruckers and they're able to take the next step to protect that child. Because I'll tell you, children who are leading to harm, it only takes a second. It only takes an instant. It only takes an afternoon, a
night, a morning, a minute. Um, and so we need that support in this township. So I will say this, and I hope that you'll speak to it because I probably missed it because I I wasn't at the last meeting, that if we don't have ruckers, if we don't have those, I I call them angels who will sweep in and scoop up
our children and help our children at a moment's notice, money or not, insurance or not, um, what will we have to replace that? So, at some point, I know it's a little heavy now for you, but at some point, if you can just speak to that, that would be great. Um, and again, I just want to thank the community for coming out and standing up for
yourselves. You know, I I know it isn't easy. So, thank you. That covers everybody that was on the signup sheet. Do we have anybody else that would like to make a public comment at this time? Hi, my name is Greg Nelson. I live at 59 Miami Trail. I've been in a community
for about 5 years now. Um, and I I honestly can't believe that this community um has come together to agree on anything. What we agree on is the names here. Rachel,
Jackie, Lisa, Megan, Noel, I know that one. Allison, board attorney, Dr. Richard, Reverend Corbert,
Jane Gorman, Jamie, sorry, Jamie, >> and Jamila, who looks like she's missing tonight. I think we've all voted for you, right? I have one of your names on a lawn sign in my garage.
And my voice is as shaky as these little middle school students that are getting up here because I didn't plan to come up here and I didn't want to be up here. I think it's ridiculous what we're talking about. And I just had to speak up.
Everyone is in agreement about Mr. Bayer staying here. The students have put their names on signs. It's going to morph into this community and they're going to put your names on signs, right? We're forming a community
and that's beautiful. I didn't expect to find that in Rockaway. I really didn't honestly. And I found it here. But one name that I haven't seen on any posters or any yard signs is Dr.
Reverend Richard Corbett, who as you know, I've I've seen you are have a masters of divinity, which is incredible. You have a a long career. I I I think that's something to be respected. And I believe that all of you
on this board have put your opinions and your votes into whatever happens. And it sounds like whatever happens is probably going to happen. you had voted on Mr. Bayer.
It sounds like that's going to go away. That's okay. Maybe he's done at the end of the year. But then to hear that two other administrators are now not renewed because of last month's meeting just sounds like retaliation, right? That's awful. And I
don't think that retaliation would come from an entire board that we voted for. I think that retaliation is probably coming from one person. I just guessing right now again. I know my time is up, but if
this board votes on what they vote on, we're all in agreement. We voted for you, but we probably won't vote for you again. Right. >> That's time. >> Thank you so much for your time. Asha Abaza. >> Good evening, Asha Abaza, 6 Easty Heart
Street. Um, I didn't really prepare anything for tonight. Like some didn't, some have. I was just asked to read two anonymous letters that were submitted to us. Uh, one on 526, letter from Copeland Middle
School teacher in regards to Mr. Bayer non-renewal. Mr. Bayer has cultivated a warm and welcoming environment for both students and staff. I can personally attest to the comfort and ease in communicating professional matters with him. I have
never felt so supported by administration unlike in other districts. His door is always open. He is fair and level-headed, humble and kind. The students sense his co his calm demeanor and it makes a difference. In
the last three years, under Mr. Bayer's guidance, recess has been brought back. Cougar climb has been established for students on the cusp of failing and brick builders are acknowledged. There is a positive more respect. There
is there is positivity, more respect, and safety in the building. The administration, Ruthie, George, and Dustin have moved mountains. Why change what we know works? Why start over with a new dynamic when we know what works?
He works. Please reconsider his renewal. Second letter. The morale has already changed significantly. The students are nervous and the staff feels uneasy. Mr. Bayer has established such an
amazing standard. This is unfair. We need answers. Copeland has never been more stable and safe. I'm nervous of the anxiety this will bring into currently enrolled students, parents, and staff. And what about upcoming students? We
have heard of the positive place Copeland has become because of Mr. Bayer. Please, please, please hear the outpouring of respect and appreciation for this man. This is about the children. The last thing I want to leave you with
is look at these people. What are they here for? One thing, the kids. Do you support your kids? >> Stand up. >> Stand up.
Support your kids. >> Thank you. >> Can I please have a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Seconded. >> Show of hands. On page three of the agenda, you can see all of the communications that board mill has received since our previous
meeting. Moving on to approval of the minutes. Could I please have a motion to approve the minutes? >> So move. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> I just want to acknowledge that we did receive some um correspondents after the deadline. So those will be reflected on the next agenda. >> Yes. Yes. Thank you.
>> Uh sorry. Can I please have a motion to approve the minutes? >> So moved. >> Second. Can I please get a roll call? >> Mrs. Anderson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Brooks, >> yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mezik, >> abstain. >> Noted. >> Ms. Richardson?
>> Yes. >> Ms. Mcgiri? >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you, Dr. Corvette. >> Thank you, Miss Mcgre. On May 7th, we're going to put the slides up. Uh, Mike, thank you. On May 7th, 2026, our district proudly
hosted a successful community wellness fair that brought together over 40 local agencies and organizations dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of our families. Representatives from organizations including Zufall Health, NJ SNAP, Ruter's Behavioral Health, St.
Claire's and Community Food Bank of New Jersey were present to provide valuable resources and information to families. With approximately 100 families in attendance, the event created meaningful opportunities for community connection and support. Children enjoyed fun
activities including ballroom uh ballroom artists and face painting, helping to make the evening both engaging and familyfriendly. We extend our thanks to all the agency staff members and families who participated and helped to make this
year's community wellness fair such a tremendous success. Mr. Ganella met with the lead teachers earlier this month for a full day of planning focused on developing an academic approach that places less emphasis on technology and more emphasis
on writing and hands-on learning experiences. Based on teacher feedback, our educators believe students are more more engaged, active, and thoughtful in their learning when they spend less time on devices and more time writing, discussing, and
working through ideas independently. As a result, students can expect to spend more time writing across all subject areas next school year. Students and parents will also see the introduction of additional educational resources, including writing and math journals and other classroom materials
designed to support critical thinking and written expression. The district is working to implement a more balanced educational approach, and students will be begin receiving handwriting instruction starting in grade three.
Parent kindergarten information night was held at Stonybrook on May 14th. Parents were provided information regarding school procedures, classroom expectations, student readiness, opportunities for parent involvement, and upcoming kindergarten events. The
evening was led by kindergarten lead teachers, Miss Raft and Miss Sprout. The Culpit Middle School band concert was held on May 12th, 700 p.m. at Morris Hills High School. I was there. students did an outstanding job. Thank you. And
news from our school. Birwood students continue to thrive academically while enjoying meaningful and engaging educational experiences that enrich their learning journey. An NJSLA pep rally and heartfelt motivational notes
created for our third, fourth, and fifth graders by the kindergarten, first, second, uh, and second grade students made an impact. Many students taking the NJSLA shared that they felt confident, prepared, and most importantly supported by the caring Birchwood family. Birwood
students also demonstrated their compassion by helping raise funds for the annual annual animals in knee drive. On May 8th, the PTA and students kicked off teacher appreciation week in a special way by inviting students to dress like their favorite teacher. The
PTA plant cell was a tremendous success and one highlight was seeing the joy on students faces as they selected the perfect plants for their mothers. The kindergarten team had a fantastic time during their field trip to Tranquility Farm, returning excited and eager to
share all the fun activities that they experienced. The fourth and fifth graders also enjoyed memorable field trips this month. The fourth graders had a wonderful experience at Liberty Science Center and their enthusiasm for everything they learned was heard throughout the hallways. Meanwhile, the
fifth graders enjoyed their annual trip to the Bronx Zoo, creating lasting memories alongside their classmates and families. DBO also celebrated teacher appreciation week by recognizing the outstanding dedication, compassion, and hard work of
the faculty and staff. Throughout the week, students, families, and staff members took time to acknowledge the tremendous impact teachers have on the school community. DBO's educators continue to create a positive, supportive, and engaging learning environment where students are encouraged to grow academically,
socially, and emotionally. The school community remains grateful for the professionalism and commitment shown by the staff who help make DBO such a welcoming and successful place for all students. In addition to celebrating staff members, DBO students continue to
demonstrate leadership and community involvement through several meaningful initiatives. The student government is successfully leading a fundraiser to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital, helping students understand the importance of giving back and helping others in need. The fourth grade classes
organized a thoughtful birthday in a bag initiative to support local families. Through this project, students collected and assembled birthday themed items to help ensure that children in the community can celebrate their special day. DBO is extremely proud of its
students for demonstrating kindness, empathy, leadership, and a strong sense of community service through these impactful efforts. Dwire's concert, band, band, and chorus actually have been enthusiastically preparing for their highly anticipated
performance, which was today, May 27th, with students working diligently to ensure their performance is the very best it can be. Under the direction of Miss Aaron and Mrs. Wallace, there's always an element of creativity and surprise that make these performances
truly special. In addition, Miss Rinko has been working with students across all grade levels to create colorful displays that will transform the hallways and auditorium into a vibrant showcase of students talent and creativity. As we begin to wind down the school
year, the staff remains hard at work not only continuing to provide exceptional instruction each day, but also thoughtfully preparing for the year ahead. Careful planning conversations are underway to create the strongest possible classroom environments.
Scheduling for next year is in progress and the kindergarten meet and greet have been planned with notifications already sent to our incoming families. The Dwari commitment to service continues as well through the seeds of service program. Students are exploring a wear blue for
CASA initiative. CASA of Morris County supports foster children throughout Morris County and this effort reflects our students ongoing dedication to giving back to the community. Lastly, thanks to our PTA for another great teacher appreciation week, the Dwire family remains deeply committed to
academic excellence while continuing to foster a culture of service, creativity, and community involvement. KDM students completed their NJSLA testing this month. Teacher Appreciation Week was also celebrated thanks to the KDMPTA. Teachers and staff were treated
to thoughtful surprises each day. Students joined in the celebration by decorating notes and sharing their favorite things about their teachers. KDM had a fantastic field day with the theme roadtpping through the USA where students enjoyed a variety of activities
led by Caitlyn Malloy and her team of wonderful parent volunteers. First grade students also have been having an exciting hands-on science experience caring for baby chicks. They had opportunities to hold, observe, and
learn how to care for them, making for a memorable learning experience. KDM self-contained classrooms participated in a community-based instruction trip to the to Park Lake where students enjoyed a picnic lunch, walked around the lake identifying birds, and practice safety
and appropriate social behaviors in a public setting. A group of students and parents joined the KDM food advisory committee to partner with Mashio's food service in tasting and rating potential lunch menu items. It was delicious. And finally,
since the beginning of the year, KDM has over 318 positive office referrals of students displaying heart qualities. As we move towards the end of the school year, students continue to stay focused on upcoming I Ready assessments while also looking forward to end of the year
activities. The Stony Brook School community held its annual NJSLA parade where students in grades K through2 enthusiastically cheered on the third, fourth, and fifth graders as they prepared for testing. Students worked hard throughout the testing period and
showed great focus and perseverance. In addition, fourth grade dolphin teams created and carried out their own mission to reinforce Stony Brook's core values. Dolphin team one created a dolphin heart jar filled with positive affirmations to support fourth grade
peers during recess, while dolphin team 5 completed its mission to help first and second graders follow hallway expectations. This spring also brought a series of successful events, including the book fair, the annual plant fair, and a special assembly with creature
comforts. Pet therapy to celebrate the school's recent fundraiser in support of their cause. Staff appreciation week was another highlight as the entire team felt truly celebrated. The school year extends sincere thanks to the PTA and parent volunteers for their time,
energy, and dedication in making these events possible. This past Tuesday, fifth graders celebrated their league graduation, recognizing their commitment to leadership and making positive choices. Thank you to all the families, staff, community members who came out to support this special milestone. Still to
come are several end of the year events the school community always enjoys, which include field day, spring concert, and the art show. Coin Middle School enjoyed another successful and eventful month with students achieving uh with student achievement and school spirit.
Congratulations are extend extended to both baseball and softball teams on outstanding seasons. The boys baseball team showed tremendous improvement from last year. While the girls softball team will put his undefeated season on the
line against Puquanic Middle School, which they did today at 400 p.m. at Peterson Field in the Morris County Championship game. And I'm proud to say I understand they won. So, congratulations to the girls softball
team for their championship. On Friday, May 22nd, Copa Middle School hosted a principal's breakfast to celebrate students who earn 95 uh center or average or higher on their third marking period. The event recognized the hard work and academic
excellence demonstrated by these students. Unfortunately, for the first time in four years, I was unable to attend since at the time I had a meeting with the board president. Congratulations are also extended to the builders of the month. Students recognized for the were recognized for
their citizenship, leadership, and commitment to doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Positive examples continue to make a meaningful impact throughout the community. And I will end with the HIV update. Uh just hit that link if you don't mind,
Mike. That's the HIV update link. And to summarize, currently of the 15 investigations, three are confirmed. This evening, nine HIV investigations are on the agenda for board approval. Of
the nine, three are confirmed. Mike, are you there? Does that link work? >> Link HIV update link. >> All right, that's a summation. I just kind of gave you the summary of it. Thank you very much. That is my report.
>> Thank you, Dr. Corbett. Miss Oh, >> I had one question for Dr. Corbett. Um, you mentioned that we the handwriting instructions to begin in grade three uh during the next year. Is it possible for the district to consider providing handwriting instruction in all grade
levels next year? >> Yes, it's possible. We should certainly should. It's not just I mean, there's a new law that's been passed requiring instruction, which we support wholeheartedly. I think the challenge is going to be not just teaching students how to write cursively but also to give
them extended practice doing that for example through notetaking because it just a lesson doesn't do it doesn't drive the point home. So >> personally I would like to see less time online and and more doing that historical documents. >> Yeah that's exactly. >> So should I ask the education committee
to also look into that please? Yes, it's on. >> Thank you. It does. >> Thank you, Miss Slim. >> Thank you. Um, tonight's agenda reflects the appointment of our insurance brokers among other vendors. The district has decided to utilize a new broker for this coming year and will be appointing
Centric Benefits Consulting, replacing Brown and Brown. Given the difficult renewal this year, we're seeking a fresh perspective on our account and Creative Solutions as we move towards next year's renewal. Centric will act as broker for health, RX, vision, and dental benefits. Also on tonight's agenda, we have the
recommendation to appoint Mr. George Murden as interim supervisor of facilities and safety for the remainder of this year and for 2627. We held interviews this past month for the for this position and had many impressive candidates. During that process, George's knowledge of and dedication to
the district shone through. George presented a well- thoughtout and actionable plan based upon his experience and observations. as he has recently obtained his CFM certification. He will work for the upcoming year under the observation and guidance of our consultant and retired B&G director Angelo Palumbo. We expect great things
from George and congratulate him on his selection. >> Congratulations, George. >> We also have a motion to enter into an agreement with Lur's photography to replace Life Touch for school photos. Lors was evaluated by the district principles to ensure they meet our needs
and they were unanimously recommended. Under our finance section, we are recommending an agreement with CM CNM Doors Controls Incorporated for the completion of the district secure vestibial project. Pricing for this project is in accordance with the Mammoth Ocean Educational Services Commission pricing for a total of
$167,429 for all three locations that are going to be served. Um, so we are working through that co-op and uh benefiting from the bid that they completed. In addition, we are approving a change order for the district roof projects um for $55,965
to account for the removal and disposal of the solar panels that exist on the sections of roof we will be working on at both CMS and Stonybrook. At this time, due to the age and condition of the solar panels, we do not intend to reinstall those panels, nor are we purchasing new ones at the moment. Um
once the project is complete, we'll reassess that position and the solar panels will remain on the other sections of roof that are not being constructed. So ends my report. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Moving on to committee reports. Do we have any committee reports for this evening?
>> I have an ED committee meeting. Great. >> The education committee met on May 7th from 4:30 to 5:45 in the central office at the board office. In attendance was Dr. Corbett, Mr. Ella, myself, Mrs. Torren, Dr. Gorman, uh teacher, Miss
Springs, Miss Young, and Miss West. Um we discussed first teacher lesson plans. We discussed what um is required to go in them. We've kind of noted that teachers in the district have voiced an interest
to have more time to reflect on the students growth for the week. And in hearing that voice, we've decided to move forward so that plan books will be due on Mondays instead of on Fridays. We discussed in great detail I Ready that
um Miss Breg from KDM spoke to us about her use of I Ready. She talked about the three distinct parts for I Ready. Um there's the curriculum component, there's the online my path component, and then there's this universal screener
that is the primary piece of it. So we can see students ability levels and then create multiple tiers of response. Um the feedback is heard about how much time students are spending on the computer. While some teachers are able
to work with students individually while those other things happen, there is still a concern from parents of how much they're on screens. So, we would like to present the idea of a listening session early in the fall. Um,
on our agenda, we discussed creating a handbook for teachers and for staff, one that would be a universal for all elementary schools so that there's um the same language that's on the agenda
items to move forward. And we discussed um it was actually announced last meeting, but we again discussed the CUAC placement letter in August 2025. We had received a score of 76% from the county's interimm review, but they came
back and re reviewed us again and we're now at 83% which is identifying Rockaway Township as a high performing district. So, great job to teachers with all making that possible. >> Thank you. Any other committee reports?
>> Just something really quick. Um, our next community outreach meeting will be June 3rd. It's supposed to be virtual. >> Yes. Rachel, are you able to be there June 3rd? >> Um, it's usually 4:30 and it's virtual. >> One, two week later.
>> Yeah. We'll move forward creating some >> that's the only >> I have a a conflict with that and then we'll restructure some of the other committees. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Any other committee reports at this time? Okay, moving on to reorganization items
for board action. Mrs. Slim, did you want to jump in here or do I need to make a motion first? >> Um, no. I do actually want to make a slight amendment um to letter J auxiliary personnel. We are adding the architect of record for the district.
So, there will be a number seven and it will be appointment of architect of record. Upon the recommendation of the superintendent school, the board appoints USA Architects, Planners, and Interior Designers, LTD, as the district's architect of record. Um, they are the same architects we've been working with. We just neglected to have
them on the list, so we just want to add them. >> Great. Thank you. Can I please get a motion to approve the amended reorganization items? >> So move. >> Second. >> Any board discussion?
Is there a roll call on that? >> Yes. >> Yes. I could find >> I think it's on page >> n there. Okay. Public comment. >> Oh, do we have any public comment on reorganization items at this time? >> Okay.
>> Can I please get a roll call on that? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Brooks? >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mesi? >> Yes. >> Ms. Richardson? >> Yes. >> Ms. McGiri? >> Yes. Motion carries. >> Moving on to personnel. Uh given the
conversations that were had earlier Oh, do you have something, Lisa? >> Oh, okay. I'm just looking intently. >> Given the conversations that were had earlier this evening during executive session, um I have a reading the wrong
script there. Excuse me. Um I'd like to make a motion. You need a motion to amend the resolution that's on the agenda. >> I make a motion to amend an item that's on the agenda. >> Second. >> Wait. Wait.
>> I'm making a motion to >> You're making a mo. So, the motion is to amend the resolution that is on the agenda for purposes of tableabling. >> Yes. Now, during board discussion, what I'd like to do is I'd like to table item B2 for further review and discussion.
That's on page 10, section B2, 2026 27 reassignments. So the motion and the second that is currently before the board of education is to amend the resolution that you are subsequently going to move and second to
adopt. >> Yes, >> this is going to table the item that Allison has set forth. All other items will be moved forward as a group. >> Everybody good? Do I do I need a full roll or can I do a hand show of hands? >> Do a full full roll. >> Full roll for the motion and full roll
for the vote or the >> This is This is to amend the resolution to table that item for another motion. >> Just give me one second. Okay. All right. I'm ready for a roll. Okay. Okay. Mrs. Anderson, >> yes.
>> Mrs. Brooks. >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Messi, >> yes. >> Miss Richardson, >> yes. >> Miss McGiri, >> yes. >> Okay. Motion carries to table item B2.
>> And now you need a motion to approve all other items. >> Can I get a motion to approve all other personnel items, please? >> Second. >> Can I get a roll call, please? >> Yes. >> Hold on. All right.
Okay. >> Mrs. Anderson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Brooks, >> yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mesi, >> yes. >> Ms. Richardson, >> yes. >> Miss Mcgiri, >> yes. >> Motion carries as amended.
>> Just for purposes of the record, the board just took action to table item B2 on the personnel items. All other items were moved forward without amendment and approved. The other item that is B2 is being tabled for further consideration and review just for clarity of what exactly occurred.
>> Okay. Moving on to HIB determination. Do I have a motion to amend HI resolution on the agenda based on conversations from earlier this evening in executive session? >> Oh my goodness. >> So move. >> Second.
Therefore, be it resolved that board of ed votes to affirm superintendent's recommendation on HIP cases. 30592 confirmed, 306203 unconfirmed, 306633 unconfirmed, 3066
unconfirmed. 30757 confirmed 306864 unconfirmed. 307713 confirmed, 307714 unconfirmed, and be it further resolved that the board of ed votes to remand HIP
case 307444 unconfirmed for additional investigation. >> I just wanted to make one point. Um, >> you said that one the 306757, you left out the six. >> So, I just wanted to make sure that >> I'm sorry.
>> Yeah, >> sorry. Sorry, I was reading my >> So the the modification that the board of education is making to the agenda this evening is to pull item 307444 from the list of approvals and instead remand that for further investigation. All other items as listed on the board
agenda are moving forward as approved. Do I have any board concern regarding that amendment? >> Okay. So, I need I need a motion second to approve the amendment and then a roll call on that. >> I have a motion in a second. I need a
roll call. >> Can I get a roll call? >> Okay. So, Mrs. Anderson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Brooks, >> yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Meszi, >> yes. >> Ms. Richardson, >> yes. >> Miss Mcgiri, >> yes. >> Motion carries as amended. >> And now the appro the approval of the
amend uh of the amended resolution. >> Can I get a motion for the approval of the amended resolution? >> Second. Can I get a roll call on that, please? >> Mrs. Anderson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Brooks, >> yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mesi, >> yes.
>> Miss Richardson, >> yes. >> Miss McGary, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Again, just to follow up, as far as transparency goes, the board of education previously published the agenda which listed the uh identified HIPS for the second board approval. Um
the board of education as part of its executive session determined that further investigation on one item was uh required. So as a result the board of education is approving all the other HIPS that are listed for approval with recommend uh taking action to remand one for further investigation just for
clarity. >> Thank you. This is the last piece to add in. Moving on to education. I'd like to walk in upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools. The board of education concurrently approves the
third grade field trip for KDM students scheduled for May 26, 2026 to Kain University for the Wild World of Weather program. Can I please get a motion to approve the education section as amended? >> So moved.
>> Second. Do we have any public comment on the amended education section? >> Can I please get a roll call vote? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Brooks? >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman?
>> Yes. >> Mrs. Messi? >> Yes. >> Ms. Richardson? >> Yes. >> Ms. McGiri? >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. Moving on to section D, special education. Can I please have a motion to approve special education recommendations? >> So move. >> Second.
Any board discussion? Any public comment on special education? >> Can I please get a roll call vote? >> Mrs. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Brooks? >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mzik? Yes. >> Miss Richardson? >> Yes. >> Miss McGee? >> Yes. >> Motion carries.
>> Thank you. Moving on to E. Administration. Can I please have a motion to approve administration recommendations? >> So moved. >> Second. Any board discussion? Any public comment? Can I please get a roll call vote?
>> Mrs. Anderson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Brooks, >> yes. >> Dr. Gorman, >> yes. >> Mrs. Messi, >> yes. >> Miss Richardson, >> yes. >> Miss McGee, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. Moving on to finance. Can I please have a motion to approve finance recommendations?
>> Seconded. >> Any board discussion? Any public comment on finance recommendations? I just wanted uh one question. Sure. Uh did you sign >> I did sign the bills as you were asking. Yes, I signed the bills. I was up there
yesterday. Everything looks good. We are good to go ahead and approve them. Thank you, Lisa, for the reminder. >> I blocked it out, honestly. >> Well, that's heartbreaking for me. Thought you enjoyed signing the bills. >> Uh can I please get a roll call vote on finance items?
>> Mrs. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Brooks? >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Messi? >> Yes. >> Miss Richardson? Yes, >> Miss Mciri. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. Can I please get a motion to approve pol policy recommendations? >> Seconded.
>> Any board discussion? Uh, any public comment on policy recommendations? Can I please get a roll call vote? >> Mrs. Anderson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Brooks? >> Yes. >> Dr. Gorman? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Messi? >> Yes. >> Miss Richardson? Yes. >> Ms. MCI? >> Yes. >> Motion carries.
>> Thank you. In accordance with board policy 0167, public discussion is limited to 15 minutes with a threeinut limit per member of the public. The board president shall have the right to modify the length of public discussion as she deems appropriate. Can I please have a motion to open public comment?
>> So moved. >> Second. >> Show of hands. >> Do we have any additional public comment at this time? I'm sorry. I know it's really late. Um, I just want to say real quick from my personal experience what it's like to
deal with the outpatient psychiatric care if you don't have something like Ruckers available to you when something happens. My daughter recently had a pretty bad psychiatric event. Um, and we ended up at St. Claire's because I heard
that their program is great for psychiatric care. Um, that was on April 30th. She was in CCIS from April 30th through May 5th. On May 12th, several days after she got out, we had our first appointment with a therapist. Two days
later, we had an appointment with a psychiatric psychiatrist. On May 14th, we had our first meeting with Perform Care. They asked us a bunch of questions. On May 19th, we had a second meeting where they combined two different meetings to ask us a whole
bunch more questions. On May 21st, we I had a parent meeting so that they could ask me questions. On June 3, we have a psych follow-up. On June 3rd, we also have another parent meeting so that they can ask me more questions. As of right
now, my daughter does not have a therapist. Jackie Bader again. I just want to say thank you very much for listening to everyone tonight, including the students. We appreciate you guys taking the time and extending the 15 minutes
per the president. um it makes a difference for at least us to get things off of our chest and being able to be heard. And I know there's a lot of followers right now watching on the YouTube link, which we also appreciate for people who cannot be here. I also appreciate that you guys took the time
and tabled the one um personnel question issue, whatever the heck you want to call it. Um that was a very big concern that a lot of us spoke about tonight. So, thank you for that and thank you for taking the time to look into further
things that are coming up and asking your own questions and making your own decisions. Appreciate it. I have the longest street name. So, Gretle Raybeck, 29 Old Biddtown Road. Um, I have a very, very quick comment. This has been a long meeting, but I just
wanted to point out that um, Rucker Behavioral Health was the organizers of our community wellness event. It was held here at Copeland, but they were the ones that obtained all of the vendors and made it such a success. And I'd just like to ask Dr. Corbett to maybe revise
your slides to show that they weren't just a participant, they were a proponent of the community while this fair. Thank you. Any other public comment? Can I please have a motion to close public comment? >> So move. >> Second.
>> Show of hands. Any old business? I guess it's old business because it Sorry, two things. I do have two things. It's it handwriting. And so I do want to give credit where credit is due. I want
to um recognize Mrs. Harily because she is teaching handwriting as I'm sure a lot of the teachers are kind of going over and making sure there's time for handwriting, but I know that she spent a significant time point of time this year to make sure that while her students
were reading documents that were 250 years old that they also could understand the handwriting. And so our seventh graders are relearning skills and they're excited for it. So I wanted to thank her for that because it matters.
And then I have one new business. Is there any other old business? >> New business. Go ahead. >> I just want to wish good luck to all of our music students as they perform in the High Notes Music Festival this week. I know they've been working really hard. >> Excellent. Thank you.
>> Any other new business? >> Yes. I just wanted to comment that I attended the principal's breakfast. Um unfortunately Dr. Corbett wasn't able to come because he was having his weekly meeting with you. meeting with me. >> But um congratulations to all the children that um were invited to that
breakfast. >> Excellent. Thank you. Any other new business? >> Okay. Do we have any reason to return to executive session at this time? Excellent. Uh can I please get a motion to adjourn the meeting?
>> So moved. >> Second. >> Can I please have a show of hands? Meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Thank you everyone. Uh, no.