WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=yVVba13K2Dc

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: yVVba13K2Dc):
- 00:00:09: Meeting Opening, Pledge, Roll Call, Executive Session Approval
- 00:13:32: Approval of Minutes, Correspondence, Suspension, HIB Report
- 00:14:35: Board President Comments, High School Board Welcome, Recognition
- 00:16:59: Celebrations, Staff and Student Recognition, Principal Introduction
- 00:20:40: Central School Educator and Service Provider Recognition
- 00:26:23: ALT School Educator and Service Provider Recognition
- 00:31:40: Mount Horb School Educator and Service Provider Recognition
- 00:35:51: Woodland School Educator and Support Professional Recognition
- 00:41:41: Warren Middle School Educator and Counselor Recognition
- 00:47:15: Unsung Superhero Award and Recipient's Contributions
- 00:49:55: Pausing Business for Pictures, Resuming Board Business
- 00:52:44: Board Member Reports, Committee Updates: Curriculum, Finance
- 00:54:26: Planning for Growth Committee Report and Discussion
- 00:56:55: Public Comment 1: Philip Jones Congratulates Awardees
- 00:59:22: Approval of Consent Agenda, C1 Amendment
- 01:00:33: Second Opportunity for Public Commentary, Meeting Adjournment


Part: 1

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The adequate notice of this regular meeting as required by the open public meetings act was provided on January 6, 2026. This notice was on that date posted on the bulletin board in the township office and the board of education administrative office posted on the

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board of education district website and filed with the township clerk of the township of Warren. All in accordance with the requirements of the open public meetings act. Please rise for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

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republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I will now call the role. Mr. Bratz, >> here. >> Mrs. Dalton >> here. >> Mrs. Granholm here.

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>> Miss Keller here. >> Mr. Mr. Mfetta, Mr. Tour, Mr. Valentino, Mr. Weinstein, Mrs. Zan >> here. >> We have a quorum. >> Miss Keller. >> Whereas the open public meetings act

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NJSA 104-11 permits the board of education to meet in close session to discuss certain matters. Now therefore be it resolved that the board of education adjourns to close session to discuss specific prospective or current employees unless all who could be adversely affected request an open

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session. Action will be taken upon return to public session. The length of the meeting is anticipated to be approximately 15 minutes and be further resolved the minutes of this closed session be made public when the need for confidentiality no longer exists. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor?

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>> I opposed. Abstain. The board is now in executive session, but will be brief. Do we have a second? >> Second. All in favor? >> Opposed? Obain. The board is now back in public session. and Miss Keller

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>> resolved that the board of education approves the public and private session minutes of the April 27th, 2026 board meeting. >> Do we have a second? >> Second. >> All right. All right. This is a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Brospe, >> yes.

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>> Mrs. Daltton, >> yes. >> Mrs. Granholm, >> yes. >> Miss Keller, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Zan, >> yes. >> Motion passes 5-0. >> Correspondence and information, Dr. Mingle. >> Thank you, Mrs. Z. No correspondence to report. In the suspension report, there

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are three in school suspensions at the middle school. And in the HIB report, one investigation at Mount Horb School, which was confirmed. >> Thank you, Dr. Mingle. Good evening and welcome to the May 11th meeting of the board of education. And we have a huge audience here and they're the show tonight. So I'm going to keep my

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remarks, I hope, a little short. Appearing on the agenda tonight for acceptance as items B7 and B8 are two donations. On behalf of the board, I want to thank Chevron for its donation of $2,500 for special education materials for central school and also

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Miss Elizabeth Frraken for facilitating this donation. And the board also wants to thank Mr. Kumar Babanasi for his donation of $5,000 for the purchase of cafeteria tables at ALT. Thank you all for your generosity. We are deeply grateful.

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Over the last year, as the board's planning for growth working group has made progress towards a recommendation, there have been occasions where we have issued invitations to additional stakeholders in the community to join the group. In late April, we invited the Wong Hills Regional High School Board of

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Education to designate one of its Warren representatives to join this group. So, Heather Truror, high school board member and vice president of the high school board, joined the most recent meeting and will participate going forward. Miss Keller will have more comments regarding

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that meeting during our committee reports this evening. On behalf of the board of education, I want to thank the high school board for its willingness to participating in this ongoing effort and welcome Miss Trump to the group. Finally, last Monday, I attended the

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meeting of the Somerset County School Board Association. Once again, everyone, that's open to all board members and the food is amazing. Um, the students at the Somerset County VOTE uh cook for us and it's wonderful. Uh, so I encourage all board members to attend. Uh this meeting

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was the annual recognition meeting for accomplishments of individual board members and whole boards from throughout Somerset County. On behalf of the Warren Board of Education, I want to extend a huge congratulations to our neighboring board, the Wung Burough Board of

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Education for its receipt of the Carol E. Lararsson Master Board Certification. It takes a lot of time and commitment to achieve this recognition and it is always a pleasure when we can lift up the success of our neighbors. So, congratulations to the Wong Burough

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Board. And with that, I look forward to tonight's other recognitions. Uh, a night of celebrations, Dr. Mingle. >> Thank you, Mrs. and welcome everybody to the meeting this evening. We have a lot of celebration to hear about in just a moment. I'm to kick that off a little bit here. In the last two weeks or so,

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we have had teachers appreciation week last week, school nurses day as well last week, and school principal day the week before. a good reminder and opportunity to celebrate the people who work in our schools. I also want to thank our human resources department, which sounds really fancy, uh, but it's

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one person, uh, and that's, uh, Miss Gorski over here, as well as Mr. Hegel in the business office. On tonight's agenda, it's just a couple of lines and it looks like approving the contracts for staff is, you know, just one of those normal business moments, but to

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get almost 400 contracts in order uh accurate and ready to go for uh issuance is not a small feat. So, thank you to everybody for that, which this year in addition to the regular challenges, was done in a brand new system for the first time. So, a challenge for sure. And then a couple of uh student recognitions at

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Warren Middle School. We had uh three students, all three students who submitted to the NJREV showcase which is uh in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. All three were accepted into the New Jerseys History Happened Here Statewide

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Celebration. Kudos to those students and their teachers, Mrs. Degan and Mr. Arnold, who are working with uh with them to prepare them for an event at Ruckers University later this month. And also at Warren Middle School, three students earned recognitions for their submissions to the New Jersey Water

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Environment Association annual essay contest. This is an event for seventh and eighth grade students to write about water sustainability, wastewater treatment, and environmental protection topics tied into our capstone experiences. Uh in Warren Middle School, we had two students selected for runners

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up in the central region, while one student, Ilia Gekkman, won first place, not only in the central region, but for the entire state of New Jersey. and he will be uh I don't know if he's actually able to get there, but he will be recognized this week with a monetary prize and an invitation to read his

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essay at the New Jersey Water Environment Association annual conference. And then finally, there's an agenda item with a TBD on it. So, let me make sure I get the right number for everybody. This is item C1, the appointment of a principal at Central School. Uh it's my pleasure to

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introduce to you uh Mrs. Casey Capelli, who's here this evening. Mrs. Coupelli is an experienced elementary school principal who brings a strong instructional focus and a deep commitment to students and staff with her here to Warren. Throughout our process, which is a rigorous one,

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including meetings with administrators, staff, and for the first time students, she stood out for her ability to connect with people, think strategically, and lead with both clarity and care. We are confident she'll be a strong addition to Central School and to our district. And staff and parents at Central will get a

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letter from me tomorrow morning with more information about when and where they can meet Mrs. Capelli for an initial hello as early as next week. So, welcome. Uh we look forward to having you in the district. >> Thank you, Dr. Mingle. We have presentations tonight.

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Who do I Who is getting called up first? Mrs. Tua is going to start it off. >> Mrs. Tua, >> which I know only because she's walking to the microphone. >> I didn't make that happen. >> Okay. >> Thank you. All right. Good evening. Before I begin,

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I do just want to echo Dr. Mingle sentiments um and welcome Mrs. Capelli to Warren to Central. Um I had the opportunity to chat with Casey a couple times during the interview process. And not only was it clear she's competent,

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but also that your values and your style align very closely with staff, families, and students at Central. So, I feel a lot lighter as I shared with you um knowing that we are leaving a community that is so near and dear to my heart in

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capable hands. So, welcome. And now I'll tell you about two of the people you're inheriting that are pretty amazing, too. All right. It is my pleasure to introduce this year's Governor's Educator of the Year, Mrs. Sarah Scala. Sarah's path to education is a reminder

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that great teachers often bring all kinds of life experiences into the classroom. She originally studied theater and dance and even spent time pursuing a career performing in and around New York City. But her journey eventually brought her back to school where she earned her graduate degree in

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elementary education and we are certainly better for that decision. Mrs. Scalia started her teaching career 5 years ago in the deep end teaching fifth grade in the middle of a global pandemic. If you can survive co era remote learning with 10-year-olds as a

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novice teacher, you can do anything. It was a challenging time for all educators, but Mrs. Scala met it with flexibility, creativity, and heart. More recently, she has brought that same energy to first grade, where her classroom is filled with joy, curiosity, and a real love of learning. If you talk

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to families, you hear the same themes over and over. Children feel safe in her room. They feel known. They are excited to come to school. And just as importantly, they grow in meaningful ways because of the environment she creates. Sarah's impact doesn't stop at the classroom door. She's the ultimate

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team player. She's a mentor to our new teachers, a leader on our MTSS and social emotional learning committees, and she spends some of her free time developing workshops to share with her fellow educators. She's always the first one to say, "How can I help?" or "Let's

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figure this out together." Sarah, you bring an actor's energy, a student's mind, and a teacher's heart to our school every single day. You remind us that teaching isn't just about curriculum, it's about connection. So, on behalf of the students whose lives you've touched and the colleagues who

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love to work with you, congratulations on being named our governor's educator of the year. We're lucky to have you. Where are you? There you are. And now I'd like to introduce our educational services provider of the

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year, Miss Erica Bell. Joining Oh, yeah. Joining our district in 2022, Miss Bell brought with her not only more than 15 years of experience in special education with students from preschool through age 21 across the country, but also a steady, compassionate presence that

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supports everyone around her, students, staff, and families alike. As an LDTC, Erica sits at the center of a very complex wheel. She navigates the world of IEPs and evaluations with a level of expertise that's intimidating, but she does it with a grounded perspective that

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makes everyone around her breathe a little easier. Erica has a particular passion for supporting neurodeiverse learners and that is evident in her work, especially within our autism program where she is a constant encouraging presence. Colleagues consistently describe her as

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thoughtful, calm, and incredibly insightful. They nominated her in droves this year using phrases like fierce advocate, meaningful presence, and unwavering support. She sees the whole child, and she approaches challenges with creativity

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and a genuine desire to find solutions that work. Erica's also deeply involved in Central's committees from MTSS to roundt. But beyond the title, she's the person who jumps in whenever she's needed, offering a steady hand to a teacher, a place of safety and calm to a

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student, or a compassionate ear to a worried parent. Erica, you have a gift for taking the complex world of special education and making students and families feel confident and heard. You remind us every day that while the paperwork matters, the person matters

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more. It is my absolute honor to recognize Miss Erica Bell as our educational services provider of the year. Thank you for the remarkable difference you make in our school every day. Good evening everyone. I am Christine Smith, the very proud principal of ALT.

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And without further ado, I want to move on to our recipients for this year's honors. ALT is honored to recognize Miss Mariana Orango as ALT's recipient of the Governor's Educator of the Year.

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Miss Orango has demonstrated exceptional skill as an educator in numerous ways which support our endorsement of her as the governor's educator of the year. She first joined the ALT community as a one-to-one paraprofessional. But quickly recognizing that teaching was her calling, she took a leave of absence to

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complete her student teaching experience and then returned to ALT where she began working with us as a dualcertified teacher. Since then, our community has benefited greatly from her service in multiple roles. She has excelled in it as a general education teacher in

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kindergarten and first grade as well as a special education teacher in third grade. Consistently demonstrating high expectations, instructional expertise, and a deep commitment to student growth. She developed strategies to target areas of need and support learners through intervention and referral services, as

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well as individualized education plans. Miss Orango's impact on the overall community is rooted in genuine care for others. She earns the trust of parents and colleagues through her empathy, positivity, and appreciation for the uniqueness of others. She has emerged as

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a humble leader on her MTSS team, integrating her strengths in general education, special education, and Orton Gillingham training. She also uses her bilingual skills to support families in need of translation and models school spirit in every event that she leads.

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Her nomination from a parent for this honor captures the essence of her spirit, stating, "She always goes above and beyond in her teaching. She motivates and cares about her students. She always has a smile on her face and is ready to seize the day. This parent shared that Miss Orango worked with

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three out of her four children and their fourth child is eagerly asking when she can have Miss Orango as a teacher. Children, colleagues, and parents enjoy achieving success alongside Miss Orango. She is a ray of light in our building and the definition of an exemplary

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educator. Congratulations, Miss Rango. ALT is also proud to recognize this year's recipient of the Governor's Educational Services Professional of the Year, Mrs. Josephine Machinan. And I said it correctly, right?

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Everyone debates whether it's Magnan or Machinan. She says like filetmenan, right? Mrs. Machinan has consistently served as a par profofessional at ALT for nearly a decade. However, this does not capture the full skill and talent that makes her our educational services

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professional of the year. Mrs. Minion is a trained educator with both a teaching certificate and Orton Gillingham training. She began to explore the field of education as a second career in 2006. In addition to working with students as a classroom paraprofessional and a one-to-one paraprofessional in our

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emotional regulation impairment program, she has worked to support student learning as an afterchool enrichment tutor. In each of her support roles, Mrs. Machinan not only delivers valuable guidance and scaffolding for learning, she also connects with the children in a manner that conveys her belief in them.

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She delivers her support with warmth and a humor that lightens the mood of any classroom. Mi Mrs. Minan is also a trusted colleague as evidenced by her nomination from a fellow PAR professional this year. In this nomination, her colleague shared, "Mrs. Minan is always willing to assist other

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colleagues when needed and always has a positive attitude. Her smile cheers up everyone in the room or the hallways." She truly wants all her students to succeed, not only academically, but socially as well. She is approachable and has great rapport with all students

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she works with. Her optimism is admirable. When someone would give up, her enthusiasm and dedication always persevered. Mrs. Machinan's skills, heart, and dedication to the overall school community are a model for others. We are proud to recognize her as our

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educational services professional of the year. Congratulations, Mrs. Nine. I turn it over to Mr. >> Good evening everybody. Just want to reiterate our excitement for Mrs. Capelli joining the admin team here at War Warren Township School. So congratulations again to you. Um good

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evening everybody. Uh, I would like to start by first um it's my sorry, it's my distinct honor to recognize Mrs. Andrea Maguire as this year's recipient of the Governor's Educator of the Year Award for Mount Forb School. >> Now in her 28th year in our district,

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Mrs. Magcguire is the embodiment of dedication. While she has shared her talents with our fourth, third, fourth, and fifth graders over the decades, she eventually found her true calling in kindergarten. Mount Horb is also very lucky to have inherited Mrs. Magcguire for the first time just this school

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year. In a short period of time, while always an eagle, she has become a true gator, and we love that. She has truly embedded herself her whole self in both our kindergarten team and the building, even playing music with myself for family

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reading night. So, thank you for that. That was wonderful. For the past 11 years, she's been the first face that many of our younger learners see, welcoming them with what colleagues describe as a warm hug of a personality. Each and every day, Mrs. Magcguire brings a contagious enthusiasm to her

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classroom, always matched with her magnetic smile. Mrs. Magguire understands the delicate balance of early childhood, knowing exactly when to motivate, when to console, and how to inspire. Even as curricula evolve, her core remains unchanged. A belief that a

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teacher must lead with endless patience and genuine love. She never stops exploring how she might inspire her children. She is a consmate professional professional who leads by example, and Mount Horb is profoundly lucky to have her. Please join me in celebrating Mrs.

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McGuire. you. Thank you. >> It is also my distinct honor to recognize Mrs. Sarah Callahan as this year's educational services provider of the year at Mount Horb School. For eight years, Mrs. Callahan has served as a social worker. Most

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recently, Mrs. Callahan has supported our preschool program. As the primary case manager for this expanding program, she's become the vital bridge between our schools and our families. Entering the school system for the first time can be a daunting experience for parents,

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but Mrs. Callahan meets them with a signature warmth that turns anxiety into partnership. From the first phone call and first meeting, Mrs. Callahan is sure to express to parents in various ways that they are in good hands and that we will provide the best possible experience for their child. She doesn't

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just manage cases, she builds bonds. Mrs. Callahan works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our preschool provides the resources and programs necessary to support our everchanging student population. This requires building strong relationships with colleagues, students, administrators,

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pair professionals, and parents. Whether she is visible in the classroom or advising the child's study team, she is a trusted confidant and a tireless advocate for our youngest learners. We are incredibly proud of the standard of excellence she sets. Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Sarah Callahan.

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Now for Mr. Heene. >> I'd like to take the opportunity to also welcome Miss Capelli to uh Warren Township. I've worked in four districts and I will tell you you have entered the best the best. Um so it's my honor to

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announce Mrs. Jessica Moransky for the governor's educator of the year award from Woodland School. Mrs. Moransky, Woodland's dedicated educator for the kindergarten through 2 grade LLD program. Her impact extends far beyond the classroom. She

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fundamentally alters to the trajectory of her students lives by empowering them to be confident, self-aware learners during their most formative years. Mrs. Moransk's classroom is a model of formative teaching and multi-ensory engagement. She's a master at navigating

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the complexity of her students IEPs, seamlessly blending academic and behavioral goals all into one activity. She utilizes structured hands-on methodologies, ensuring that concepts like literacy and math are not just taught, but fully experienced. She

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understands that the greatest gift that she can give her students is a belief in their own capability. Her students demonstrate remarkable growth under her leadership. She celebrates their success, building a culture of high expectations paired with unwavering

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support. Children who began the year struggling to articulate their needs leave her class capable of expressing their emotions, utilizing coping strategies, and engage engaging meaningfully with their peers in all settings. Mrs. Moransky's reputation as

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a true leader dedicated to students is felt across the building and in our community. She is seen as a teacher that rep that that parents respect, trust and appreciate, as a colleague, and a colleague that is collaborative, engaging, and dedicated. A parent who

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nominated Miss Moransky said it great. Mrs. Moransky has made an incredible difference in my son's life. She understands his differing needs and goes above and beyond to make sure he is supported in all environments. We are so

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lucky to be in her class and appreciate her support, her care, and the encouragement of our son. Mrs. Moransky believes that the foundation of education is building strong, positive relationships with students so that they feel safe, valued, and supported in

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their learning. Mrs. Moransky is truly a model of professionalism, and every child deserves a teacher as special as she is. It's truly an honor to have her a part of the Woodland family. An example of what she means to the

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children of Woodland School can best be said by the fact that she has some of her class, some of her students from her class who are here with us tonight. Congratulations, Mrs. Moransky. It is also my honor to announce Miss

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Lisa Capola as Woodland's educational support professional of the year. With over 20 years of experience in the district, Miss Capola consistently brings her energy and enthusiasm to the classroom. As a reading specialist, she uses data to make decisions about

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student learning and design student centered, engaging lessons tailored to individual need. She is an advocate for her students and and will consistently work with parents to share areas of strength as well as areas in need of growth. Her students see her as a role

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model and someone they can trust to go to just about anything. One of Mrs. Capola's greatest qualities as a teacher is her sincere dedication to her students. An example of that is when she took time out out of her busy day to

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help a student who lacked support at home just to assemble and complete a project in science from a different classroom. Mrs. Capola recognized the social and emotional needs of that student and as a result that student came in prepared for success. She also

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tracks student progress with standardized and anecdotal data to measure student growth. She collaborates with her colleagues to ensure that students are able to transfer learning into the general education classroom. A colleague adds Mrs. Capola's creative

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creative approach keeps students motivated. Her ability to make reading engaging and fun and personal has a lasting impact on students confidence and love of learning. She brightens the space every time for the students. Throughout the year, Mrs. Capola can be

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can be seen running to my office with one of her students following close behind. She will barge into my office to share the amazing progress that her students have made. It is common for her to say to me, "I know you have stuff going on, but you need to see how great

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this student is doing." She will then have them demonstrate how much progress they've made in reading. To say her smile and pride in that student is so obvious is truly an understatement. She clearly believes in her students. She clearly builds their confident and she

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clearly loves them. This is the teacher all children deserve. Thank you, Mrs. Capola for always being that teacher. And I think she's joining us from home as Mrs. Capola uh has her sister's wedding and she has all her family in

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town. So I think she's got her hands full at home. Uh but hopefully Miss Capola, you're hearing at home right now. Thank you. Good evening. It is my pleasure to share with you the WS teacher of the year, Donna Barty. If Warren Middle School students from

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the last 21 years were given a chance to identify one teacher who was instrumental in helping them negotiate the challenges and drama of adolescence. A name that you would hear repeatedly is Donna Barty. A cherished member of our community, Mrs. Barty has spent the last

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two decades dedicating her professional efforts to helping young adults develop confidence in managing the their challenges while finding success. Her nurturing approach is a gift to our community and we are proud to herald and lionize her wonderful educational

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practice. Special education is both a vocation and passion for Mrs. Barty who has supported students in all subjects and all grades at WMS. These those fortunate to collaborate with her in the classroom describe her as dedicated and resourceful. She studies her students to

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learn their strengths and needs to develop plans to help them achieve their full potential. Her colleagues marvel at her subtlety and discretion when connecting with all students, even the most disaffected. She is a collaborator who supports students and staff alike.

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As coach of our cross country team, Mrs. Barty encourages our young athletes to always strive to improve their personal best time over the need to win. As a result, this sport has become a welcoming starting point for our students who wish to be involved in competitive sports and find value in

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belonging to a team. Finally, the term community means more when used to describe Mrs. Barty connection to Warren as she is a resident whose four adult children are all graduates of WMS. She and her husband have managed a business in town that has provided many opportunities and

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resources for our Warren families. Her understanding and perspective of the community's culture have deep roots which allow her to truly walk in the footsteps of our students and their families. Throughout her professional efforts, Mrs. party in her own quiet way guides our young adults toward many

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small victories that over time allow them to develop an understanding of themselves as capable and successful. In doing this, she helps them to learn to shine. As she celebrates her students many successes, she too may be applauded for the important part she plays. Please

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join me in recognizing Mrs. Donna, the WS teacher of the It is also my pleasure to share with you the WS educational services professional, Miss Lauren Systo. Knowing that our middle school years are often the most challenging and emotionally turbulent experiences of our

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young lives, it is very comforting to know that caring professionals make it their life's work to guide students through those difficulties. Mrs. Lauren Sisto is a giant amongst these professionals as she champions their causes and uplifts them each day. Currently our eighth grade guidance

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counselor, Mrs. Sisto is steadfast in her commitment to be with her students as they navigate the erratic eb and flow of adolescence. She celebrates their joys and consoles their hurts daily as she brings them toward their graduation. The Warner community first came to know

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Miss Sisto in the spring of 2002 when she completed her student teaching within the district. Although she has spent the majority of her 23 years at the War Middle School, she has taught every school in the district save for one. In 2013, Mrs. Doto was transitioned from from special education teacher to a

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counselor. In that role, she has been capable be able to share her empathy, support, and desire to advocate for students. I'm going to pause just for my speech for a moment to also recognize that this is her second time receiving the award. First as a teacher, now as an educational service professional. That speaks volumes about her practice right

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there. At the core of Miss Disto's mission is her unwavering commitment to guide students in finding a path toward maturity and self-awareness. She goes to great lengths to connect with her students and learn their many interests and challenges. As part of her process, she makes herself available for

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students, parents, and staff continuously so that she is he is there to mark their achievements or assist in their low moments. On any given day at WS, Missto is on the move throughout the building, traveling amongst her students and affirming them that she is present

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for them when needed. As well, she's known to her students as she's well known to her students, they can truly trust her with their experiences. In addition to her grade level counseling, Mrs. Systo is a great proponent of our social and emotional learning goals. She her regular practice allows her to

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cultivate a culture of care and respect within our school. Knowing that students needs change and evolve, she is sensitive to the trending problems and quick to adjust our resources and programs to address the needs and situations in a manner that improves the experiences for all of them. Please join me in congratulating Miss Systo as the

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WMS educational assoc. do we also have our our first time giving out the unsung superhero and education award but that person is not present tonight. I don't know if Mr. AR Miss Menzer if you want to say any words or if we just want to announce announce

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the announcement as they're coming up. Uh, I just want the audience to be aware that um, this is the first time that we've nominated and had somebody selected for this award, but we do intend to make this a regular part of the governor's educator of the year award process moving forward

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districtwide um, to to highlight people who may not come out in the regular process in the in the program that the state of New Jersey recognizes, but are just as important and instrumental to the work that goes on every day. So, you'll hear more about that here. Sure. Well, >> we have a little song for you that we

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Um, so Phil is um I I have no words to describe how amazing he is. He is everywhere in this building. The kids all know who he is. He knows who they are. He loves them. It's very evident. He loves taking care of this building as is evidenced. You walk around, it is

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sparkling clean all the time. Um, he does things without thinking. He has once in the cafeteria when some student like was choking, Phil went over, did a little himlick, turned around, and went back to work like nothing had happened. Like, Phil, you just see it's fine.

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We're good. He's going going to go to the nurse. We're all good. Like, he didn't even blink. Did not want appreciation for that, which is he doesn't like to be in the spotlight very much, but he this is welld deserved. He's a fantastic. >> If you drop off your child in the morning, you see Mr. Shimp go out there every morning. We've never asked him to do that. That's something he chooses to

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do, to be the forward face of the the community. So there's we got one more anchor for for them to know and to see and just be part of what we do here. So congratulations to Mr. Shimo. We're so proud of you. Congratulations again to all the recipients uh this evening um for their

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recognition. the the board of education just couldn't be more thankful and grateful for all of the work that you put in and the dedication that you bring to educating our students. Um, we're going to stay in open session but pause our business for a moment. So, if anyone wants to get up and take pictures

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together, I see lots of family groups. We have principles here. I'm sure they'll join you in photographs. So, we're going to give you a few minutes to to do all of that. Okay. There's a backdrop in the lobby if you want photographs in front of a backdrop.

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>> I always do. >> No, it's just kind of always done. Yeah, just >> and then my assistant will >> it has everything >> I noticed that

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just clicked with me today while you were doing I notices >> yeah I used the agenda and like make numbers >> right >> I have a system >> it works That's awesome. I've been doing it since

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>> she's doing good. I saw her being with us over the weekend. We were down in Maryland. So, hey, all good. >> Yeah, I know. >> Great. >> Yeah. So, my oldest is in seven. My um middle one's in fourth, but my youngest

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is second. Yeah. Oh, yeah. You haven't met her yet. >> Yeah. Good luck. >> Nice to see you. >> It's funny. I didn't even notice you was here. You're right. Okay, everyone's welcome to stay. Of course,

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we are going to resume board business. Um, we do not have an item on the agenda tonight scheduled for discussion. So, we're going to move on to reports of board members appointed to external assignments. I have a quick note on the New Jersey School Board Association

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delegate assembly. Uh, the assembly is taking place this next Saturday. Mr. Tour and I will attend. the um assembly handbook was made available to each of you in the um last week's superintendent update. Uh so

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please note that update um with regard to that handbook, I don't I'm not aware of any other appointments outside of Okay, then let's move on to committee reports. Do we have a readout on the curriculum committee?

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>> I think I'll just let uh Steve do that next month. >> You got it. We will carry that till next month. Um the finance operations and security committee met May 4th and we had one item on our agenda which um and we had uh the architects present as well

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and that was a continuing conversation and review of potential um options for the um Warren Middle School security vestibule. Uh that discussion and review will be continued at the next meeting of the finance committee on June 8th. Um,

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and there's nothing more from that meeting. Um, so nothing for personnel negotiations and communications. Miss Keller, planning for growth working group. The district's planning for growth working group met on Wednesday,

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April 29th. Prior to the meeting, as Mrs. Zan mentioned earlier, she had formally invited Warren representation from the Wong Hills High School Board of Education and Mrs. Heather Trumpour was able to attend the April 29th meeting.

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We thank the high school board of ed and Mrs. Trumpour for her participation and engagement. The planning for growth meeting included an overview of the projected impact of anticipated round four housing development, the presentation of three potential models

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for future school organization. model one, which is what we're calling the current model option, which is essentially maintaining for K through five schools. This model would still require adjustments such as resoning and

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programming changes to address growth. The second option, which we're calling the intermediate option, is a model that has three K through3 schools and one 4 through5 school. and the third which is the parallel banded option which would

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be two K through2 schools and two three through five schools. After the committee got an overview of those models, they went to separate breakout rooms to discuss the implications of each model in the areas of finance and operations, preschool and

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special education, general education, and student experience. While we do not have a formal recommendation at this time, the committee unanimously agreed that the current model option, which is maintaining the four K through5 schools,

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is not sustainable for anticipated growth. Across all three models, it is important to note that addressing projected enrollment growth will require some level of change in school assignments, program placement, andor school structure. We plan to have an

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item on the June 15th board of ed meeting to discuss the work of this committee and details of these models. The board will not take action on this matter until at least September 2026. Importantly, any contemplated changes

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would be implemented no sooner than the 2027 2028 school year. Materials from this meeting and the entire process that we've taken um are available on the district website. >> Thank you, Miss Keller.

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This is now the first opportunity for public commentary. This is the first of two opportunities. I ask that anyone interested in addressing the board, please raise your hand or use the raise your hand feature on Zoom. Each speaker is asked to limit their comments to three minutes. Please begin your

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comments by stating your name and address and by directing your comments to the presiding officer. Please know that the board of education welcomes and encourages input from the public. Public commentary is intended as an opportunity for the board to receive such input, but

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is not intended as a Q&A session. Following public commentary, if appropriate, the presiding officer or the superintendent may provide some response. For this first opportunity, we ask that your comments be limited to items that appear on tonight's agenda.

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There will be a second comment opportunity for all other comments later in the meeting. So, looking first to our audience and seeing no one, I apologize. Seeing a person,

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>> sorry, human. >> Uh, my name is Philip Jones. I'm the vice president of the Warren Township Education Association. Um I was kind of hoping to speak to a full room, but they've all gone. Um this makes it a little easier, I guess. Uh I just wanted

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to congratulate all of the uh governor's educator of the year award winners. Um what a phenomenal group of educators and support professionals. Um every single one of them is so deserving of the award

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that they received. And as everyone knows, teachers and school personnel, we don't do this job for the money for sure. Um we don't do it for the prestige or the awards. Um but every single one

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of these people does an amazing job every single day and we could not be more proud of them. Um and also thank you to the board and the community for the uh hard work that's going in on the um planning for growth committee. We appreciate everything. Thank you.

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>> Thank you, Mr. Jones very much. Is there anyone else in the audience, live audience, that would like to address the board? And seeing none, I'm going to the Zoom audience. Do we have anyone in our Zoom audience that would like to address the board on an agenda item?

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Seeing no one, do I have a motion to close public commentary? >> Motion. >> Do second. All in favor? Opposed? Abstain. The first opportunity for public commentary is now closed. Dr. Mingle, do you have anything on items

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for board consideration? >> Just to reiterate that at item C1, the TBA is replaced with Casey Capelli. >> Thank you, Dr. Mingle. Does any board member have an item for board consideration they wish to pull for a separate vote or conversation?

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Seeing none, Miss Keller. Motion to approve items for board consideration. A1, B1 through B8, C1 as amended, C2 through C21. >> Do we have a second?

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>> Second. >> All right. I'll now call the role on the uh consent agenda as amended. Mr. Bratz. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Dalton. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Granholm. >> Yes. >> Miss Keller, >> yes. >> And Mrs. >> Yes. >> motions pass 5-0.

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>> Welcome to our new principal. >> Okay. We do not have any unfinished or new business on the agenda for this evening. So, we are moving on to the second opportunity for public commentary. Uh, this opportunity is open to any topic you wish to raise to the board's attention. Again, I ask that you

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raise your hand or use the raise your hand feature on Zoom. Remember that comments are limited to 3 minutes and please state your name and address before beginning. Looking to our live audience. Any humans here? Seeing none, go to our Zoom audience. Do

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we have anyone on Zoom that would like to address the board on any topic at all? Seeing none, do I have a motion to close public commentary? >> Motion. >> Second. Second. Okay. All in favor? >> Opposed? Abstain. The second opportunity

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for public commentary is now closed. Miss Kelly. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Do we have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? I opposed. Abstain. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you very much. >> Thank you everyone.