of the year uh just a little housekeeping note that this is being video uh taped and uh we'll be on live television and taped as well uh having said that would everyone please rise for the flag salute I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all as I mentioned this is probably the most rewarding meeting that we have during the course of the year and we're here to honor our teachers of the Year I'll ask Dr hibs if he would uh take over here how we doing Township what a uh this is a great a great night and I'm I'm so happy to experience it for the first time I think I asked six million questions about what it's going to look like and where do we stand and how are the pictures how do the pictures work uh just so you know what's going to happen um so we're going to go school by school we're going to start with grenlock first um but not yet and what will happen is is that uh each individual leader will talk about um our incredible teacher of the year um or Andor our educational Personnel that have just made such a difference in Township and then board members are going to sit right uh there and then you'll walk across shake hands and then we're going to take a picture we're going to wait until the picture's done to go into the next so we're not taking pictures and talking at the same time and then what'll happen is is that President Ross is going to call about a 20 minute intermission and we're going to go to the cafeteria and have some cake to celebrate all of our awesome people how does that sound all right so my my my my little my little bit in celebrating our Township teachers of the year and Educational Services Professionals of the year we are not just acknowledging exemplary individuals we are honoring the very heart and soul of our Township community these dedicated Educators and professionals have demonstrated unparalleled commitment passion and resilience in shaping the minds and hearts of our students both are so important they are beacons of inspiration lighting the way with their Innovative teaching methods unwavering support and tireless efforts to foster a love for learning their impact reaches far beyond the classroom creating a ripple effect that transforms lives and builds a foundation for a brighter future as we applaud their achievements let us reflect on the profound influence they have had on our educational landscape reminding us that education is not just a profession but a powerful force for positive change in our world congratulations to our teachers of the year and Educational Services Professionals of the year your dedication is a testament to the power of education and of excellence in Washington Township Schools let's give them all a hand I would like to introduce the proud principal of grenlock Terrace ear Early Childhood Center Mrs Christina Cox who will all right I'll note that pause next year uh who will introduce our first incredible Teacher of the Year Nicole newitz big [Applause] hand yeah we here guys Christina one sec right here [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah okay good evening everyone it is my absolute privilege and honor to introduce to you grenlock teacher of the year Mrs Nicole [Applause] eitz Nicole is joined tonight by her husband Andrew her daughter Kelsey who is watching from North Carolina and her extended family Nicole teaches our littlest Learners the three y olds while teaching 15 three-year-olds may seem daunting to some she makes it look effortless not only does she have the energy but she has the Pure Imagination she transforms and immerses her classroom based on the study her children are working within Nicole began her career in special education and I believe this has given Nicole the necessary tools to adapt to all Learners she has made inclusion look easy and differentiates all of her materials with ease students of all abilities Thrive within her classroom Nicole is a true gift to the students that are lucky enough to have her when I asked her students why is Mrs newitz a great teacher they said I love Mrs neitz because her play with me because her play teacher because she's beautiful because I like to draw with her and the best of all because she wears clothes thank you Nicole thank you one of Nicole's greatest assets is her ability to develop meaningful relationships with the families of her students I received countless emails from parents thanking her for the progress their children have made for making the families feel like a part of the learning process and making a child's first school experience feel like a comfortable and safe place not only is Nicole a great teacher but she is also an asset to the culture of grenlock Nicole is extremely collaborative and a leader within the school she serves as the grade level leader for the three-year-old teachers cohort and a teacher representative for home and school council she never stops working just this weekend she called me to ask if she could make a photo op area in the school for the kids to take Valentine's Day pictures yes in December Nicole gave up countless nights after work from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. to be the Grinch for grenlock photo session after school for family holiday photos and never once has Nicole asked for anything in return Nicole thank you for helping grenlock and the students you work with grow and flourish congratulations teacher of the year very nice thank you I next like to introduce the principal of Bell's Elementary School Mr Shan Gerson come here the now you just come here I don't like I know don't like this but we gotta wait for the thank you Christina ladies and gentlemen thank you all for Gathering here tonight special shout out to to the bells Bears family as We Gather to celebrate a remarkable educator Mrs Christin [Applause] gtii I am honored to introduce her as our teacher of the year parents staff and former students alike have all spoken with one voice highlighting Mrs genti's outstanding qualities as a leader and mentor to fellow teachers she goes above and beyond displaying a profound passion for teaching and a commitment to providing the best possible education for her students one parent shared a touching Testament to Mrs genti's influence on her son stating that he is now graduating with a nomination from NHS National Honor Society at wths and no longer requires an IEP Mrs genti is recognized as a quote super rock star of a teacher and wtps employee moreover Mrs genti's impact reaches beyond the classroom through her involvement in community service she is commended for motivating students to volunteer and serve the community fostering a sense of service above self her leadership in future acts and collaboration with various organ organizations such as book smiles and the funny farm exemplify her dedication to creating positive change beyond the school walls parents credit her with making a difference in their students reading abilities and nurturing their self-confidence in conclusion Mrs Christine gtii is not just an extraordinary teacher she is a person of commendable character and unwavering dedication her impact on students colleagues and the community at large is immeasurable and we're privileged to have her as a part of the wtps family let us join together in expressing our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to Miss Christine gtii for her outstanding contributions to [Applause] education thank you you all at this time I would like to introduce my friend and colleague Mrs Julie lar [Applause] Rubio I can's not good evening good evening Mrs Shel is a teacher over multiple handicapped a group of special and unique children who love learn and communicate differently in order to teach these students the teacher has to be special and unique as well a few of her peers gave us Undisputed adjectives to describe Mrs Shel not human I don't know if that's an adjective but superpowered dedicated patient committed in it to win it amazing out of the box and a deep thinker but I want to add one more adjective I think describes Mrs shalet magical magic lives in room six at birches nothing I've seen in my 22 years as a teacher myself would be found here because it's all made to fit these kids and they come from her mind from the assistance to the setup to the language to the affection sometimes it doesn't even make sense how beautiful and poetic learning and teaching is done in this room I'm calling it these Magic by Melissa my heart almost burst out of my chest when I stopped by we asked two students to use their devices this is so good to say what Miss Melissa means to them because her students communicate through devices Ava Joy said no tracks tracks and August pushed Chez itss that's important that's important and we all know that both of these buttons mean that they love their teacher our school even speaks Melissa language I find myself saying to my husband and children that's not available right now just as Melissa does Birches speaks Melissa as I talked through the speech with our supervisor Mrs Ryan we were picturing Melissa cringing as I can feel her doing right now because her focus is always on the kids her smile willing positive energy and daily t-shirt affirmations are inside of every student she has and they're growing and doing amazing things at Birches Vienna's Dad one of her students wrote to me and said this this woman gets it she Blends a perfect balance of holding students accountable while giving them strength motivation and empathy that they all need to be successful she makes parents feel that they're truly a part of their child's educational process he says he's a better parent teacher and person because of Mrs Shel May and that's the dad and I know for certain that I'm becoming a better princible working with Mrs shelay burch's 2023 Teacher of the Year Melissa [Applause] Shel next up and she's a little taller than me her fills principal Dr n [Applause] Switzer Julie this is a little low don't you think the awkward silence as we wait shake her shake her life yeah she needs it this is like really difficult waiting I feel like everyone's looking and expecting me to say something can I go can we go all right perfect thank you good evening everyone um to our esteemed colleagues and our honored guest welcome it is with great pleasure and immense Pride that I stand before you today to celebrate our outstanding achievements and our remarkable educ educator Mrs Shannon Marino in our journey through the academic landscape we often encounter individuals who go above and beyond shaping the minds of the future generation Shannon Marino exemplifies the epitome of dedication passion innovation in the field of Education Shannon's commitment to her students goes beyond the classroom walls her ability to in Inspire and motivate extends far beyond any textbook or detailed lesson plans she possesses a rare gift the ability the ability to instill a love of learning in every student she encounters Shannon creates an environment where curiosity is nurtured where questions are encouraged and where the pursuit of knowledge is a thrilling adventure one of Shannon's defining qualities is her unwavering belief in the potential that each of in each and every student she sees beyond the grades the test scores recognizing their unique strengths and talents that make up each learner within her classroom in her classroom every student feels seen heard and valued this exclusivity Fosters a sense of belonging that is essential to the academic success and and per personal growth of each of her students Beyond her impact on students Shannon is a collaborative Force at her full Elementary she readily shares her insight and expertise with her fellow Educators sparking a ripple effect of positivity throughout our building her Innovative teaching methods and commitment to the Prof her professional development inspires others to strive for excellence within our building in in every in the evolving educational landscape Shannon Marino stands as a beacon of adaptability and Innovation whether integrating the the um Cutting Edge of Technology with the help of Mr Michael aotto who will be up here soon just a little plug um she approaches everything with consistency and seeks ways to enhance and learn her experience the experience of her students her Forward Thinking and mindset ensures that the next generation is well prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie lie ahead As We Gather here today to celebrate Shannon Marino as her full Elementary's Teacher of the Year let us not only celebrate her individual accomplishments but also reflect on the profound impact that our Educators in this building tonight have shaped on our future Shannon your dedication passion and tireless efforts have not only enriched the lives of your students but has elevated the heri community it is my distinct pleasure and honor to congratulate Shannon Marino as heril Elementary's teacher of the year celebrating with her this evening are her parents Peggy and Jerry Marino her husband Michael sickler and her sister Peggy peas may your light continue to shine so brightly inspiring all of us to reach New Heights in this Noble pursuit of the education field at thank you so much for all that you [Applause] do it is my distinct pleasure to introduce TJ's principal my dear friend and colleague Miss Trisha [Applause] Holmes good now can I like a good picture that's a it's okay you good it's okay they're going to help out it's she just want me to leave some mommy she's okay she's okay it's up to you good evening everyone uh congratulations to all of the teacher and educational Professionals of the year it's a joy to celebrate with you tonight it's my honor to celebrate Jacqueline bruchie as teacher of the year for Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Jacqueline is a special education teacher in our second grade she's joined here tonight by her husband Mike their daughters Savannah and Sienna looking especially adorable in their matching outfits uh and her parents Chris and Sharon Connelly in addition to her Thomas Jefferson family Jacqueline supports the whole child in her class her Learners grow in confidence self-esteem and academics a parent shared with us that Miss brci encourages my son and shows him how capable he is by using Innovative and engaging strategies she has helped him to shine where he normally struggles he can't wait to share his successes with his family when asked her students what they love most about her her students replied that she is absolutely perfect funny and always fills up their buckets as parents we all hope for our children to be taught by someone that will ignite the love of learning advocate for them help them develop their skills as Learners we seek those around us who can create an atmosphere that is safe and loving and a fun place to grow in short we all hope for a miss brci her unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of her student makes her students makes her a shining example of excellence in the teaching profession congratulations to Jacqueline on this well-deserved [Applause] honor it is my pleasure to introduce the principal of Wedgewood Elementary School the incomparable Jenny [Applause] Greer [Music] just going to share this good evening it's my great pleasure to introduce wedgewood's teacher of the year Mrs Denise Santa it's interesting to stand here and talk about somebody's entire career in a two-minute speech so I'm going to do the best I can to encapsulate everything that Denise says to Wedgewood first of all I've been there five months and if I didn't seek out Denise I probably wouldn't see her very often because she's the backbone of the school she's the type that sits in her classroom plans amazing lessons helps her students reach their highest possible potential and doesn't ask for any attention when she won this award I thought I was torturing her when I made the announcement she was so uncomfortable with every student in the building staring at her she was almost completely embarrassed and I had to stop and think about why is that well part of being a teacher is not being the center of attention it's the students and Denise 100% puts her students first everything she does from the time she arrives in the morning till the time she leaves sometimes quite late at night it's all about her students it's planning lessons it's adapting she teaches specialed in a resource room setting for ELA so you all know how much work goes into that she puts tireless hours in to make sure her students the very do the very best they can so we get to see the effect she has on students what we don't see readily is the effect she has on the rest of the staff when she won so many people came up to me and to tell me about her one of the things that was said to me just today is that her students come in in the morning barely unpack and they're flying out the door to get to her room when the teacher takes too long doing lunch count or anything else like can we go now because they can't wait to go and if you think about the subjects that you struggle in that's usually not where you want to go but that's different because Denise makes them feel so valued and so respected and they achieve and they feel like they've done it and what an amazing thing to be able to do to convince a child that they are worthy and able to do whatever she asks them to do and she does that easily she takes every new approach that comes down and tries it she's not one of those good this isn't going to work I'll just do it she tries it wholeheartedly to do the very best she can to make sure it has an impact it's pretty amazing approach now I assured her I would not embarrass her or upset her but in five months what I have learned about Denise besides being the backbone is that Wedgewood is her family she supports every teacher every student the PTO and me to be successful Alis Applause the supervisor and I often talk about Denise because she doesn't seek out the attention we don't get to see her as often as as we'd like to but when you go past her room it is pure engagement every student involved focused on her doing the very best they can and there's nothing more we could ever ask for a teacher so I'm very proud to introduce wedgewood's Teacher of the Year this is Denise CA going to start I'd like to introduce the next contestant which is Miss Mrs Sam dude for Whitman come on on [Applause] Sam oh God I get familiar faces in front of me oh okay got we got this have two minutes now now I all right I think we're ready good evening everybody and congratulations to all the award winners it's very well deserved well this evening my partner Christine garanger and I get to um celebrate our teacher of the year as well as our educational profess professional of the year so tonight we have the privilege of standing before you to celebrate our teacher whose impact is not only measured in the lessons taught but in the countless Hearts she touches every day as we honor Whitman's Teacher of the Year miss Tor dot who is here this evening with her parents Vicki and Rich and her husband Joey we want to take a moment to share sh a few of our favorite things about this remarkable educator first and foremost if you can see her right now she has a smile that lights up the hallways of Whitman no matter what time of day or what is happening her smile and positive energy is not only contagious but brings a comfort and warmth to Whitman she has an uncanny ability to turn the ordinary into extraordinary M doat teaches fifth grade ELA and from the way she brings a lesson to life to the sub gestures that make students feel seen and heard mot transforms the everyday into moments of magic and inspiration one of her past students mentioned Miss DOT pushed me to be a better writer in fifth grade I did not like it at the time but I am grateful that she pushed me as far as she did because it helped me in middle and high school I really appreciate her for that we cherish the way Miss do cultivates a sense of curiosity within her students she is adventurous Polar Plunge she did on January 1st with her children and husband and has a gift of making learning and Adventure sparking enthusiasm and fueling a love of knowledge that extends far beyond the classroom one of her colleagues stated Mista is the perfect mix of academic rigor and fun she can take the driest content and make it seem like a festive party I feel blessed to have Tori as a my Ela partner and will be internally grateful to her for all the way she has helped shape my son um when he was in her fifth grade class another student said Miss DOT was a great teacher for me last year in fifth grade she made learning fun even though we were still learning she also fit in the fun stuff while doing our work she sometimes turned herself into funny characters that made everyone laugh she did this to help us learn some things Miss DOT is a great teacher the joy and wonder she instills in her students along with her dedication to creating a positive inclusive environment are truly among my favorite things Mrs dot goes above and beyond to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging fostering a community where differences are celebrated and individual strengths are recognized a parent shared that her son has never been more enthusiastic about going to school as he is this year with Mrs dot she cares about each child so much more than just their grades she checks in on them mentally and emotionally another parent Shar that her son has a hard time focusing fitting in and just being understood Miss DOT created such a friendly welcoming atmosphere our child is accepted as he is Miss DOT did all the necessary accommodations and challenges our son academically she creates a very needed structure in her classroom but without pressure and stress mot is the best at creating an inclusive environment we also appreciate mot's adaptability and in inovative spirit in a profession that is constantly evolving she Embraces change with enthusiasm Mrs Dot's willingness to explore new teaching methods integrate the latest technology seamlessly and stay a breast of educational Trends ensures that she remains at the Forefront of providing a dynamic and relevant education for all her students lastly but certainly not least Mrs D's unwavering support and mentorship have left an unforgettable mark on students colleagues and administration she doesn't just teach she guides encourages and inspires and those without a doubt are a few of our very favorite things about Mrs dot congratulations Miss [Applause] do she's the well you're not just rid of us yet we do um we get to have the honor of celebrating our educational professional of the Year Mr Mike Otto although Mike I know although Mike supports the entire District we are lucky to have his office at women if you know Mike you know he does not like the spotlight and is truly the humblest man we know well luckily we have to make people shine so here we are with that we would like to take the time to recognize Mike AO Mike is here this evening with his wife Christina AO his beautiful baby girl Evelyn and his mom [Applause] Angela when we think of Mike we are reminded of an iconic figure that shares some remarkable qualities with this exceptional professional if we may let's draw a parallel between Mike Otto and the legendary superhero Batman much like Batman Mike operates in the shadows quietly but powerfully making a difference he doesn't seek the spotlight yet his impact is felt across the entire District he is so responsive he responds before an email is even sent through his dedication Mike embodies the ideas that true heroes don't always wear capes sometimes they stand in the background supporting all around them and teachers teachers know Mike will be there for whatever reason Batman is known for his resourcefulness and Mike shares this trait in abundance he faces challenges he adapts innovates and finds Creative Solutions to ensure that every student receives the best possible education and every teacher has what they need to make this happen The Dark Knight is renowned for his commitment to Justice and similarly Mike is committed to the pursuit of educational Excellence he tirelessly fights to stay connected to the needs of the district he Embraces initiatives with insight and creativity he supports teachers in and out of the classroom Batman's mentorship of the next generation of crime Fighters is mired in Mike's mentorship of teachers he doesn't just impart knowledge Mike guides and inspires helping teachers students and staff discover their own superpowers the impact Mike has on the lives of others extends far beyond the classroom much like Batman's iconic bat signal Mike is a beacon for the inspiration for all who encounter him his dedication to fostering a sense of collaboration and innovation in our district is a call to action for the entire School community in closing let us extend our sincere congratulations to our our very own Batman of Technology integration Mike Otto may we got more we're not done one more thing one more thing your commitment to Excellence your ability to overcome challenges and your mentorship truly make you a superhero in our eyes and you need to open this in front of everyone good good here's your glasses thank you thank you than just introduce Mike well it's my pleasure to introduce Bunker Hills principal Mr Mike [Applause] dilio it's it's taped for [Music] hi everyone Mike diso proud principal of Bunker Hill I'm here with two of some of my favorite people that would be Miss barbar Keane our school nurse and Mr Michael Murrow one of our art [Applause] teachers both Barb and Mike are here with families and friends and then their work family from uh bunker Hill as well so the first person I want to talk to talk about is Mrs Keane um I talking about Mrs Keane first because I know she's really nervous about being up here so I thought I'd help her out a little bit so um so Barbara uh came to us in around 2017 around there um and I know she was looking for a full-time nursing position and we were blessed to have her land the spot at um Bunker Hill and you know at the time she fit the qualities of a school nurse and and me being a new principal at the time you know I I just enjoy talking with Barb during the interview I I didn't realize fast forward three years from then what it was going to mean to have Barb as a bulldog so um I didn't realize that barb was going to be so transformative or how much of a leader she was going to be or the Advocacy she would have for children or the way she would take care of the staff as they needed it so um Mrs Kean and I would constantly work to discuss how we could communicate with families during covid and um I would get these phone calls especially when we came back and we were hybrid I would always get on the walkie-talkie Mr stillo call extension 503 Z and I love Barb dearly but that those words meant uh somebody's got to go home I got to close a room I got to spray the whole thing you know so it it just it you know but through that we learned we spent a lot of time talking on the phone together and um what I learned about Barb was that she you know speaking about superheroes when you say you know you know what's your superpower well she's a school nurse and um that's how much we we love her she does everything for us so um I learned from her how to stay consistent I learned from her how to um make sure that everything we did was in the best interest of a child even if it wasn't the most popular thing to do that no matter what that child was going to take care of be taken care of um bar became my most trusted Ally and I've never seen an individual navigate a Health crisis better she was poised she was kind she was straightforward never wavered to do what was right and um she taught me like others do about what it means to be relentless for a for a child and I so appreciate that about you Barb um so Barb still operates with covid poise and since then we've had a lot of students that had that have had various health concerns um from students with significant diabetes to students who have self-harming behaviors to even cases that we suspect have um go to homes where there's cases of abuse or neglect and she is so knowledgeable in those regards she she and I often are still in Daily communication and and she advises me what to do and she knows what to do but she asks me just to reassure that she knows what what to do and and I totally have full faith in her and with her guidance she's uh single-handedly worked with CMOS dcpm and to get children services that that otherwise would not have happened without her intervention she's like our fourth counselor moreover Mrs Keane is one of the most patient individuals I know um and we work in a school that is blessed to have four specialized classrooms with um over 35 stud students with multiple disabilities every day she's called upon to assist them as they often do not have the capacity to advocate for themselves um she's a mother of seven and a grandmother to many and um she treats each child like they're her own um she cares mightily for all her children cares mightily for all her staff and and Barb one thing that may meant a lot to me and I don't think you know this is there was there was a time last year when when I had this freakish Health scare or whatever and I I couldn't drive for a while and um you know Barb was always taking care of me and then one day I was at church and with my kids and my wife I don't know she left me or something and was went home but out of out of the blue around the corner comes Barb and her Hyundai and she's like do you want to ride home like oh my God there's Barb thank God you know go to church see the nurse it's fantastic so anyway um I'm so proud to to celebrate you today Barb and and I'm we're so blessed at Bunker Hill to have you as a bulldog congratulations to you so I now have the pleasure of teach of talking about Mike Murrow one of our uh teachers at the at Bunker Hill so um for what what you need to know about Bunker Hill we have this Mantra it's it's long um but if if you'll indulge me I'll I'll kind of read it to you um no one regardless of age title experience ethnicity gender identity Talent appearance religion or religion is better than the other we respect those around us because we're all connected and we celebrate our differences and the second thing is that a life of of of purpose is one that is rooted in the service of others we give of ourselves completely to ensure someone else has a positive experience is loved is cared for and is treated fairly all of that represents Mr Murrow so here's why Mr Murrow is among the best Bulldogs he may teach art to sixth seventh and eighth graders um but he's much more than that he gives of himself completely because he does everything he volunteers um frequently uh for every Spirit day you can see Mr merrow dressed as a crazy Philadelphia sports fan a hot dog um he supports he supports Wellness initiatives in the school he volunteers for the basketball coach he goes to dances um when the staff buys the principal Air Jordans he paints Air Jordans for him so I'm very proud of these if you guys want to see them they'll be here tonight right but as a practitioner he's amazing he's constantly looking for innovative ways to increase engagement in the classroom um he budgets and fundraises for um Maple skateboard decks but he has to get them for a place from a place in Canada and we have to do everything creative to try to get these skateboard decks um but he uses them to to allow the students to have self-expression to convey maybe something in the vein of a famous artist or just Express something for themselves he also has 3D models where students can take clay and create something um and he truly believes in self-expression for art so this is not only done in in Mike's rotation as a art teacher in his sixth seventh and eighth grade classes but he's also very invested and very ingrained in the um four specialized programs that we have at Bunker Hill he has three preparations then he has a fourth where he supports the life skills program for and works on functional artistic skills for students who might have dexterity or even communication um delays um he's amazing at this I don't really know how much you know how amazing you are at this but you're you are amazing and you understand the significant needs um that the students have and the students come to your room feeling energized and proud of what they can and are able to accomplish and then on a similar vein when teaching is over and he has a prep or a lunch he opens his room all day long for students and he has no problem devoting his free time he works with students during their lunches just so that they have a place to go a safe environment and often times he breaks out a canvas and students work on the canvas and uh most recently he had one of his 3D um models and the students created a rendition of bunky the Bulldog on that and that that was in and outside of his classroom and then last year um when Mr andrissa one of our Librarians kind of welded a piece of the World Trade Center to a platform Mr merrow took it upon himself to work with the students and the students created a canvas of the World Trade Center that that is hung over the the piece of Steel um from the Trade Center so um then there's Mr muro's own artistic ability obviously in the shoes but he designs t-shirts he designs apparel for the Bulldogs uh designs posters for the hall for the halls and then there's a organization a nonprofit called book smiles and you've probably seen their bins at different places in the township well he was commissioned by them last year for the nja convention to have a whole bunch of markers and spend the whole day painting trash cans so that we could donate books uh to students who might not have them so um people not only in Washington Township but across the state recognize his prowess so one of the things I need to say to Mike and I say this because I've grown up in a military family um that none of this happens within the classroom walls and it comes with having a strong sense of purpose and realizing that teaching is much more than a Content area and it's I I believe and I know it's Mike's vocation and and often times um we celebrate Veterans and rightly so it's it's essential that we do that for their call to serve but this is Mr murrow's calling this is where he serves he's among the few he's among the proud he's an art teacher at Bunker Hill and his purpose is rooted in the service of others so congratulations Mr [Applause] Mar and now I like into now I like introduce my friend uh Miss terresa pety who's going to talk about the Chestnut Ridge teacher of the [Applause] year okay start thank you all right don't make me cry are you minute and seconds might faster you never know thank you as soon this is done then I can breathe me too okay good evening everyone next to me please welcome the Chestnut Ridge Middle School teacher of the year Mrs Kim [Applause] henrix tonight we celebrate Kim's 26 years in education surrounded by her family and her friends it is now my pleasure to sum ize all of the tremendous accolades Mrs henrix received in her teacher of the year nomination letters Kim this is what your colleagues students and parents wrote about you Kim henrix is an exceptional educator an asset to the Washington Township School District leading the middle level yes middle level not just Chestnut Ridge but Bunker Hill and Orchard Valley students as well she leads the middle level ER RI program Kim's students described her motto every day is a new day she provides her students with the understanding that each day they come in with a clean slate regardless of previous incidents that could have happened a month a day or even a class period ago everyone gets a fresh start in Kim's class this motto and Kim's commitment to it creates a positive work and learning environment for her students next Kim makes amazing connections with her kids that's what she calls them her kids and strives daily to encourage success in them she comes in every day with a smile no matter what and has such amazing energy no matter what she is like their school mom truly their coach their Mentor their educator cheerleader and most positive example for them day in and day out she works every day to get the most out of her students academically and socially while working on Career skills and citizenship Kim collaborates with various staff daily teachers child study team members Behavior Consultants administrators and supervisors to provide each of her students with the resources to thrive and the opportunities to reach their full potential it's a true pleasure to work with Kim and to see her in action each and every day our students and staff are fortunate to have her that was another letter here's yet another Kim is also the adviser for a future acts Club at Chestnut Rich she facilitates and organizes donations for events throughout the school but also throughout the Washington Township community Kim henrix is truly the definition of creating Excellence through Equity engagement and environment and why Chestnut Ridge in Washington Township are so very lucky to have her on our team and from me I heard other people recognize their teachers of the year as superheroes well my superhero that I think of most when I think of Mrs henrix is Wonder Woman I walk by her classroom daily and I wonder how does she do it she is truly amazing not only because she's great with her students but she's an outstanding decorator thank you she has the best doors when she decorates and she grows a garden on our school grounds that actually produces food right but most importantly I saw the smiles on fam's faces throughout this holiday season when their children had special holidays because of the efforts that she put forward to make sure everyone was special everyone had something to celebrate the holidays for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays it was amazing and truly special and I am truly honored to be working with you thank you not only at chesa bridge but in the past as well and lastly I'd like to say that when Dr Hibbs became our superintendent he came to ches Ridge and he was walking around the school and we went into your classroom I'm not sure if you remember that day and when we left I said if you ever I'm not sure if you remember but when I left I said to Dr hibs if you ever need a smile just walk into Mrs henrik's class because every time we walk into her classroom we smile congratulations Mrs henrix on being chest Rich Middle School's 2024 teacher of the [Applause] year and now I'd like to introduce the very proud principal and my friend fra Berry of Orchard Valley Middle [Applause] School no over here so they can take good pictures of you good stuff I was he's chearing to he's sharing to as he should be good evening and congratulations to all it is with great pleasure and immense Panther Pride that we announce Mrs Nicole Desto as the winner of our teacher of the year at Orchard Ry Middle School Mrs estala joined the ovms family in 2014 and is and serves as our school's math interventionist in her role she has demonstrated unparalleled dedication to our school community and to student achievement Mrs est's impact on our tiered support students at ovms is truly commendable going above and beyond she works tirelessly in a co- teing classroom to ensure that her students not only grasp the material but also feel empowered and confident in their mathematical Journey Nicole's approach is character cized by individualized attention reviewing missing assignments and collaborating with math supplemental teachers to reinforce key Concepts taught during regular math periods in an educational landscape where extra math classes may be perceived as challenging or embarrassing Mrs estalo stands out for her empathetic understanding she creates the environment where students feel valued and motivated to become lifelong Learners of math showcasing her dedication to each student success and wellbeing Nicole's contributions extend beyond the classroom as an integral member of the ovms inrs team she actively participates in screening students referred by counselors for tiered support her advocacy for additional assistance underscores her commitment to addressing the unique needs of each of our students ensuring they receive the support necessary for their academic Journey the impact goes even further as a dedicated teacher teacher she goes above and beyond to support the needs of all of her Learners her ability to create the most comfortable and successful learning environment for students is evidence of her exceptional teaching skills Nicole consistently communicates and collaborates with families and staff and is committed to fostering student achievement and success furthermore Nicole serves as a tremendous resource for colleagues known for dependability and approachability she willingly shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise her collaborative Spirit enhances our Collective Strength making ovms a better place for both Educators and students congratulations Nicole your impact on ovms is truly remarkable and this recognition is just a testament to your outstanding contributions as an educator you so deserve it and now it is my great pleasure to introduce my colleague and my friend Mr Ray Anderson principal of Washington Township High [Applause] School perfect KS oh come on baby you in front and we got Shan O ma over here come on Shane o ma right over here nck good evening everyone and welcome again to the teacher of the year recognition ceremony for the 2023 24 school year as an educational leader it is always exciting and appreciated to have the opportunity to salute all of our amazing teachers in Washington Township I am joined here tonight by a very big entourage our administrative team at the high school and our supervisors as well and more importantly our outstanding teachers of the year and educational support professional of the year so we are very very proud to acknowledge again Mrs Kirsten Smith Teacher of the Year Mr wow here we go a lot of love there Mr Shane Snider teacher of the year and Mrs Nicole veneer Educational Services professional of the year and just to continue on just a quick shout out to the Whitman School Community congratulations Miss DOT so well deserved I will begin tonight with recognizing the one and only Mrs Kirsten Smith teacher of art at [Applause] TS that's that's your mom I like it Mrs Smith has worked in Washington Township since 1993 beginning her career at Orchard Valley Middle School she is an alumni of wths and earned her master degree at the University of the Arts she is joined tonight by her husband and their children Mrs Smith began at wths in 2001 returned to ovms for a year I didn't realize that and then rejoined us here in 2003 and has been with us ever since in addition to teaching students to love art animation digital photography and Myriad other topics in art Mrs Smith has served as the adviser of the art club and as the yearbook adviser Mrs Smith started both the photography and animation programs here at wths Mrs Smith is often seen chap roning students on trips to Europe with her dear friend and retired teacher Mrs Hudak who's here tonight to celebrate Mrs Smith Mrs Smith has the unique ability to form lasting relationships with her students as they respect her because she has high expectations for hard work and for success as I mentioned earlier she is a graduate of wths and she has continued to give back to this community for all these years what Mrs Smith may not know is that in the principal's office here at wths we house all the yearbooks and we had to do a little digging but we found it and I can share with you that back in the day and maybe still today I don't know if this is true Mrs Smith is a huge fan of Genesis and Phil Collins is that still true I think it's that epic drum solo in in the air tonight right you know the like right without a doubt and her goals for Life included to always be independent and and happy and never to forget her family she's definitely held true to that she also mentioned working with Steven Spielberg owning a yacht and a red convertible there's still time still got a lot to do who knows she has achieved like I said almost all those things the supervisor of Visual and Performing Art Arts Mr Casey klano states that Mrs Smith is a leader in the department who always enjoys learning new things to bring to our students while connecting their project to projects to their own interests so as to create a high quality of work a fun fact is that Mrs students Mrs Smith's former student Mr merrow from dhms she taught him and he's teacher of the year as well the same year it's kind of neat Mrs Smith is described by her colleagues as someone who creates a safe space for students to take chances on their art while gaining confidence to shine she is a wonderful mentor and an advocate to children she brings students a joy of Art and of life that is so greatly appreciated wths is proud to honor Mrs Kirsten Smith as our teacher of the year [Applause] help yep Shan come out next next up is a gentleman who can bring any classroom or Athletic Field to life Mr Shane Snider wths proudly salutes Mr Snider as being selected as our teacher of the year Mr Snider joined the faculty of wths in 1999 as a special education teacher after having earned his Bachelor of Science degree from St Joseph's University gohawks not the ring do you have your ring on maybe Mr Snider is join tonight by his wife Meredith and their two children coach Snider is the 2024 United Soccer Coaches NJ large school coach of the year and he coached wths state championships in 2014 2015 and 2018 coach Snider also served as a girl soccer coach and Coach golf to the state championship which was also in 2014 it's a big year for you 2014 going back Mr Snider is the type of educator who not only teaches important academic material but he also helps students to become better versions of themselves one of his students noted how much Mr Snyder has influenced her as she has grown up he taught her that nothing worth anything in life is handed to you you have to work for it she also mentioned that Mr SNY will always go out of his way to uplift others through a kind word or a hello and has helped her so much in showing compassion and kindness to others even though she doesn't whom she doesn't know supervisor of special education Joseph Hoops describes Mr Snider as one of the kindest and most inclusive people one will ever meet his gregarious personality it's a perfect word Joe to of gregarious that's like real good like you it's it's a great thing Larger than Life coach you are larger than life allows them to connect with students and colleagues in a way that ensures that all students obtain the the instruction they need in order to be successful his colleagues describe his teaching style as infectious deliberate and adaptive to the needs of the students in front of him his sense of humor can be a bit sus can be a little but his heart of gold outweighs those jokes it is our pleasure and our duty to recognize Mr Shane Snider as wths teacher of the year it's big proud of Joe for that yeah I would now like to introduce my executive assistant principal Mr John Savar to present to you our wths education support professional of the Year thank you good evening everyone and congratulations to all the recipients who are recognized this evening you are truly deserved to be honored um as you do so many things uh wonderful things for our kids each and every day tonight I have the distinct honor to speak about wths Educational Services professional the year Mrs Co Nicole veneer Nicole is here this evening with her husband Mike and daughters Lexi in the 10th grade at Washington Township High School and Emma is currently in the eth grade along with friends and family and her supported colleagues Nicole is a 1995 graduate of Washington Township High School chairing a Bachelor of Arts and special education and later a master's degree in student personal services from Rowan University Nicole was hired in Washington Township in 2001 as a special education teacher and in 2005 became a school counselor where she currently helps her students in every aspect of their life Nicole and I both started here in 2001 along with 29 other teachers so I've known her for many many years I can honestly say Nicole has a huge heart she is Pleasant professional and always has a smile on her face I seen firsthand how she cares for every child she encounters she cares about her colleagues her students and this High School Nicole stands out for her kindness compassion and unique ability to connect with her students she simply goes be above and beyond to create a supportive and inclusive environment for every student at Washington Township High School Mrs veneer also makes herself available for students outside of the counsiling office she always finds a way to volunteer to chaperon the many events that we have at Washington toship High School like proms dances and Festival friends a few to to mention Nicole is also a freshman transition advisor and her most passionate position is being the peer Outreach advisor Nicole has held this position since 2005 through her guidance and Leadership she has created a platform for students both regular education and our special education students to connect and support with one another this ongoing program has flourished and fostered a sense of community within the walls of Washington Township High School if you would ask Nicole I think she would say the peer outre the peer outreach program is something that is near and dear to her heart the heart that I mentioned earlier that is so huge I would also say that this program is our Legacy and it will last for a lifetime I'm so proud to say that Nicole is a valued friend and a trusted colleague Nicole is so very deserving of this recognition she like all of you is the reason why we are all Township proud so now I'd like to present Nicole veneer as the educational services professional of the year [Applause] than you want me to give it [Applause] to usually thank you uh before Before You Exit uh if we could have all the teachers of the Year stand and let's have a nice round of applause for all of so all the teachers please [Applause] [Music] stand well you brought a good cheering group with you so uh Before You Exit we want to invite you to a small reception in the cafeteria where the teachers of the year the board members and the principles will be so if you can find enough time to go back there we have a a small reception having said that I'd like to ask the board to uh for a motion to recess for about 20 minutes and we can join them all those in favor all right uh all the teachers of the year if you could come forward so we can have a group photo he e heree right e got [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] way [Applause] don't the met [Music] [Music] yeah [Applause] e [Applause] e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e okay she e e e e e e e e e I'm okay y hello thinked maybe they don't have the mic on can hear that right hello that's you that's me who that's you is it on good waiting for the attorney hello hello I think we do the um did we do the um video no we already did video not did video notice so we're at school community relations right disc there is no there should be no discussion no discussion items no discussion back um well so you have a recess so it's a motion to yes public okay I guess we're I guess we're ready ready to go we had a nice reception for our teachers of the Year and hope that you had an opportunity to be part of that so could I have a motion to go back into regular session moved second all those in favor I opposed okay right we'll begin with school and community relations a report C Carri she just a few quick comments uh this evening first just a quick reminder that our food bank that was originally scheduled for last Wednesday January 17th is scheduled for tomorrow January 24th behind the 910 wing of Washington Township High School from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. families throughout South Jersey who are in need of food assistance can register on site with proof of residency and clients visiting the Washington Township Public Schools mobile food pantry are asked to enter the back of Washington Township High School off the ganttown road entrance The Helping Hands annual Super Bowl hob sale is just a few weeks away set for Sunday February 11th 2024 this year we proudly celebrate the 30th anniversary of Washington Township's most treasured tradition all proceeds from the event will continue to benefit Washington Township families who are facing medical setbacks the easiest way to help us succeed is by purchasing some of our delicious hogies but donations Ander sponsorship sponsorships of any kind are accepted this year we are offering an exciting promotion each hogy that is pre-ordered will earn a ticket into a raffle for great prizes from local businesses please see our website it's right on the splash page for a link to purchase your hogies today and all pre-orders must be submitted by Friday February 9th by noon for more information or to make a donation contact Charlie Dow at C at wtps.org or Teresa sapanara that's T sapanara TS a p o n a r a at wtps.org or Heather Fin hfin wtps.org and finally because it's worth mentioning again congratulations to our teachers of the year and our Educational Service Professionals of the Year thank you thank you thank you Kathy correspondence I have a motion to approve the correspondence that's listed so moved second any discussion who's second it guys Sten all those in favor I opposed thank you approval of the minutes of December minutes for December 2023 some moved second Scott all in favor I I okay uh I need to abstain from minutes yeah uh I'm exstension I did not attend that meeting old business is there any old business committees will report under old business due to no work session um HR negotiations committee Sean anything oh I'm going to be reporting on that okay okay um reporting now the Personnel committee met on January 8th uh presid was Connie Baker chair Ralph Ross Steve Sereno Serano Carol Chilla she had to leave after 10 minutes to attend a Family Matter Eric hibs Sean Sweeney and missen was Janine weter uh we we met uh from 6 to 85 p.m. we discussed Personnel concerns and recommendations reviewed and discussed the resolution of the WT sspa board concerns in order to process the agreement for distribution uh we updated uh discussion on job posting and discussed communication to the community to consider assistant and subp position that's it thank [Music] you okay uh policy Steve yes uh policy committee met on January 8th at 4:30 pm. uh board members in attendance Connie Baker Ralph Ross Scott La Liberty myself and Dave Tomac chairperson is myself the administrators in attendance were Dr hibs Dr Nathan Mrs Gretchen Gerber Dr Gregor and Katherine Cary uh the polic discussed uh policy 0152 board officers and policy 0163 Quorum both of these policies are set for a second read tonight the next policy was policy 0161 call adjournment and cancellation set for a first read tonight the next policy policy 0612 notice of board meeting set for a first read tonight policy 3218 use possession or distribution of substances policy set for a first read tonight policy 8500 is set for a first read tonight this specific policy is replacing policy 8540 free and reduced rate meals as well as policy 8550 outstanding Food Services charges food service charges I'm sorry which have both been eliminated that's all Mr President thank you Steve hey Ralph yes Ral yes just a quick comment um why were we handed 0167 public participation in a board meeting tonight I don't know if you were aware but we this was handed out to us it's not on the agenda it's going to be uh discussed in Old business yeah this is old business well you're you're asking for a vote this was handed out to us R I'm not sure this meeting was I'm sorry this policy was discussed but we are not voting on this policy tonight and we still have a little bit of ideating and brainstorming to do regarding the policy to my knowledge right no no I agree with you that's the last I heard but I'm saying this was handed out and Connie said we're going to talk about at Old business this is old business and we're talking about policy so I guess my question is why was this handed out because it was it was handed out so the board members could see it as we discuss it it was discussed in policy okay are we discussing it then or no you want to discuss it I would I'm I was I was under the impression Mr Serrano the same thing that we were not going to talk about it but this was handed out so I just want to know why it was here we discussed it in we're not we're not voting on we're not voting on anything we're going to discuss it okay let me let me rephrase this do do do you have a do you have a question on that okay yes I have a question all right go ahead um I'm going to ask it again so we're under old business committee reports we just Steve just reported out about policy and Student Activities and so this would fit in why do we have this in front of us I guess that's my question I thought we were not talking about it and everyone has this in front of them it's my understanding Steve correct me if I'm wrong that it give it handed out so you can read it so when we do make it decide to vote on it right but Connie just said we're going to talk about it so are we talk I'm sorry are we talking about it or not because I was under the impression we weren't you want to talk about it now we're ready we're going to talk about it in Old business all right we're in Old business but go ahead well if you're go and talk about it talk about it Mr President Let's uh let's table it let's discuss let's bring it back to the committee and then we'll bring it back the next meeting that way we can move on with the meeting I know it's pretty late people out the AUD I'm going to be bringing it up in Old business okay okay all right so Carol we're going to be bringing it up at Old business then we'll kind of discuss it I guess um business committee right got little the Liberty yeah let's get down to business all right we we had a a a record there we we did business in under an hour and under two hours so that on uh January 10th we met we met for an hour and a half uh board members attending was myself Dave Ralph and Pat Uh Dr hibs and Janine were also present big items we talked through the energy audit update uh we are in progress of building walkthroughs that's a big deal because we're hoping to get a lot of money out of the energy audit to help us fund improvements to HVAC Windows all types of building improvements so do you need anything further on that that the walkthrough is still in progress yes yes okay yeah so that's still in progress and they were they were even up on the uh on the roofs even with all the snow looking at everything oh wow great so that's progressing uh quick update on the rod grants again that's another big pot of money that's uh uh about $8 million that we'll be getting from the state to help with several Improvement projects uh including roofs Windows things of that nature uh we discussed that uh we're still waiting um for a appc for a packet to uh come back from the state on that but we started some Wheels in Motion just of uh review of timelines for roofs and windows and things of that nature so we're hoping that we'll get that back from the state so we can move that forward expeditiously uh do you need any further update on that we got anything back from the state since the not yet the letters are have started to other districts we didn't get ours yet we didn't get yours yet so we should have it for the next hopefully for the next business committee meeting um talked through the budget calendar uh and the timeline of that we added some business committee meetings over the next couple of months so that we can have additional focus on the budget so we added uh we moved uh meeting February 13th and we added March 4th um we also added March 13th for non- business committee meet members to review with Janine and we're targeting Public Presentation of the budget for March 19th um we reviewed some uh purchasing items competitive Contracting for the high impact tutoring Grant uh that we uh hopefully will be voting on and award of that tonight that is I mean amazing we're getting a lot of tutoring hours basically enough for every third and fourth grader in the district yes sir to get tutoring um so hopefully we can get that approved and get the message out and get uh parents uh to take advantage of that because that's um a tremendous benefit to to the folks coming from a grant there and then we discussed the lease for the uh Pitman uh classrooms um we reviewed that lease had a couple things we wanted to follow up on which the attorney did um so hopefully we'll be ready to move forward on that that lease which I think is just a great way to we're adding classrooms for um prek but it also gives us the ability there's 40-day termination clause in there so if for any reason we ever needed to get out of that lease we lose our funding or whatever we have that termination clause and there that we could pull out of that all the cost of that lease is going to be covered by the by the grant so U that should be amazing deal for us um Staffing we talked about some business committee goals and that we're going to discuss those more next meeting and then we discuss the bid for the high school bleachers uh Dave and I exit follow up with the engineers and the ba to go through a few things and clarify that bid process um looked good and that's moving forward and those were the major major things we covered in business Scott Scott I have a question um on the lease we're going to be voting on that later uh Dr Hibbs uh maybe you could you could chime in on this my understanding that the entire gr uh the entire lease with Pitman schools is covered covered by the grant except for a food truck where you would take the food to the school um is that true that's the only cost that we have taxpayers yeah um so I I don't want to mix two things so the lease with Pitman is for us to use the building so you're talking about uh Connie the Pea Grant uh so the Pea Grant uh the state has allowable costs and for whatever reason they will not include the money to purchase a some form of a truck to put to bring the food back and forth because Pitman does not have a working kitchen it's much like grenlock that way so yes we are going to have to figure out that very small piece to get a a lot of money for all of our kids uh as of right now you know I think Mrs Gerber's done a great job and and Christina Cox to go through the grant um small things such as paint small maintenance all covered air conditioning covered um a lot of the things that we need to get going covered all the things covered um so we're we're very confident that the lease will will cover all of the inside they are responsible for the outside uh grounds but yes to our working knowledge as of right this moment the only big thing of consequence that we know of right now that paa is not covering is the infamous food truck who I asked Mrs gber to literally Advocate I think three separate times Mrs Gerber I can't see you um am I speaking accurately that's the only real thing yep yeah just just wondering too uh when we get to that juncture that we have to talk about a food truck will we also look at um perhaps some type of agency that would would would actually do that to see if it's cost more cost effective like so like hire some company to to transport it rather than buy a truck I mean will we look at all those options yes uh we'll be happy to do so we're actually going to look in-house at first to to see if there's any any any of our vehicles that are maybe coming off that we don't necessarily want piling up miles with kids on them and can we trans transfer that into some form of a you know of a of a food delivery truck as well um I'm not aware of any um companies that do transport uh we're I don't believe there's any discussions on buying a brand new truck at this moment so we're trying to figure it out internally first Mrs Baker um that's our goal um and and one more thing on this just to really really highlight this if you if you really extrapolate we're aiming uh Mrs gber what's the number of seats that were rough leads about 150 at at Kindle right but all in you know if I use 150 that's about Kindle correct correct so if you if you use uh Kindle we have 13 rooms which oh sorry 13 rooms uh which would be about 195 kids and then if we all in not all in but all in for the additional so um let's um is 375 kids that's the that's what we're adding right yes so if you just take 375 and you extrapolate that by about $10,000 cuz that could be what people pay in you know in 3K throughout a year you're talking about an annual savings to our taxpayers uh personally of about $3.7 million which is just incredible you know we'll we'll more than have doubled our universe in in one year so we are really excited and that and that doesn't include the money that comes in annually through the grant through the Pea Grant so we are we're really kind of excited about this this is this is something we're we're very blessed and fortunate to have yeah Mrs Gerber thank you for your heart hard work that's great agreed are we still on all old business no we still in committee reports committee that was business business did you finish that one Scott and the best part at the end of that meeting so a lot of great discussions is that we got to go over and watch Township beat Kings Way in the wrestling match let's go Township okay uh instructional Affairs yes we also discussed the tutor me program to be used in third and fourth grade for the students in our district who are eligible for the program um we talked about the math tutoring which will be available during the school day I mean before school and after school some of the ELA will be available during the school day and it's called a high impact tutoring grant that that got us that money the tutoring itself is a computer generated and School staff will be present to provide Prov support as needed during their these tutoring times taking place in our schools we talked about the Google training that is planned prior to the implementation of implementation of Google this Summer Staff surveys were made were taken out so that we know what needs of each staff member are some staff members will be providing training to others within the district based on skills in this area or by turn keying what the staff members learn via District training trainings will begin in February we have a list of Staff members which is another important part of this in the district elementary schools who are interested in helping out with the tutoring sessions being offered to the third and fourth graders as Proctors as well as substitute Proctors and that's being developed and there's a lot of them substitutes are needed to keep the sessions running smoothly we talked about some of the professional development that will take place this summer concerning curriculum that needs to be Rewritten we talked about a physical education to option this new opportunity for specifical physical education students in our high school is still in the planning stage more information will follow we talked about the fact the pre-scheduling the 2024 2025 school year has begun the committee discussed ways to make this process more informative and less stressful for our students and their families especially our parents guiding students in the 8th grade scheduling classes for 9th grade we talked about the fact that parents will be able to review topics being discussed read in our English classes for the second semester curriculum materials are posted on the district website please see policy 2530 for more information and then we talked about vacational classes curriculum goals that continue to be important topics for the board representatives from our district plan to to visit successful programs at nearby school districts Dr hit has been in touch with Williamstown High School and delsa Regional High School about their programs and our district plans on visiting these programs in the near future we will meet again on February 13 2024 at 4:30 p.m. that's it thank you P um at this point I'd like to call on our repres representative of the student body uh Eddie Mill Eddie yes thank you Mr Ross um first I just wanted to shout out all the teachers of the Year again I'm very lucky to have been mentored by three of them um Miss vineer in the pure outreach program um Mr Snider as my soccer coach for two years and Miss Marino as my third grade teacher I love them all so dearly okay so um two weeks ago I was able to hold my first student Forum with the entire school um and I had about 30 participants throughout Washington Township High School attend and I also wanted to give a special shout out to Mrs Hull and Mr lemons who are two guidance counselors who helped to oversee um and be um watching over that meeting as it happened um and another preface I will be holding my second one of this on February 13th um Mr Anderson and Miss sabanero have already scheduled that for me and we're going to have a focus of that meeting on school climate after the um discussions that I had at my first general meeting with the um student body okay so now just a few things that they brought up to start um the biggest concern that was brought up was um our bathrooms at Washington Township High School um a lot of students asked for some sort of inspection for them I had a plethora of some of our girls tell me that when they use the bathroom they have one foot on the ground and the other foot on the door because the locks Don't Break um locks don't work or the doors don't close all the way so that was a little bit um upsetting to hear and just overall um some bathroom stalls no longer have stalled doors on them and um things of that nature so it was just kind of disheartening to hear that um and then also on in a similar regard um students mentioned that our new e-hall pass system has kind of dwindled and is no longer being used by students um and they notice that the rise of students um congregating in the bathroom and not using it for what it's for has risen substantially um students mentioned that the old system that we used when we just had scanning of our IDs um had a lot more effect in the school because you could not enter without scanning now people just walk in when no one's looking so that was um the biggest concern was the bathrooms that was brought up in both sessions of my meeting um next students uh voice our concerns on the retake policies that we have at the high school mostly just the discrepancy in them and how they're not consistent how Department to Department each um retake is different but also class to class some teachers teach um one class and another teach another teacher teaches that same class just different teacher and students um voice their concerns that they have two different retake policies based on their teacher some teachers don't allow it and some teachers do and that was just kind of unfair to me um I think that we should Implement some sort of um Department by Department um structure for each retake so that no matter what class you're in what level or what teacher you have it's always the same um and I also would recommend it being more of a remediation and less of a retake so it's less memorization and more what did I do wrong and how can I fix that for the future um okay so now just a little bit more into the high school there was just a few concerns as well that some clubs have no advisers right now so I just asked I already had a meeting with Mr Anderson and we talked a lot of this through so thank you Mr Anderson but I just wanted to ask if there was anything that the Board of Education could do to advertise these jobs the two that were brought up to me were the Anti-Defamation League and the Mu Alpha Theta math National Honor Society both of which are no longer accepting members for this year because there's no adviser to oversee them and that was also a little bit concerning to hear and I Mr Anderson has done an amazing job of trying to advertise these jobs but no one has really picked up on them yet so if there was just any way that the Board of Education could find a solution to that that would be beautiful um into now office hours um our students feel that that that system that was implemented during and postco has kind of dwindled as well but they were also very useful I surveyed the room and I had 100 % of students um say that in previous years up until now they utilized office hours on a monthly if not weekly basis and I then asked how many people have gone to office hours throughout this entire school year so far and two people raised their hands amongst both sessions that was also a little bit concerning to me those were really useful um so I just think finding some sort of way that we can have students meet with their teachers not just after school but during the day would be very useful um and then in a similar regard overall students currently feel that there's not enough time for certain things like clubs after school because they conflict with sports or mandatory activities so we're missing out on those sort of things but again um no Solutions were really brought up because that was kind of a higher up question that we couldn't really get to um and then just finally me and Mr Anderson talk this through as well just a discrepancy in our unit lunches because now that we have two separate unit lunches each teacher has the same each day but some students also have the complete opposite schedule as their teachers so it can be a little bit challenging for them to seek help during the school day okay so now just for some positive updates as well um me and Mr Anderson are working to implement a Club calendar so that all clubs can Implement their meeting dates by um per each month not only for the students to be able to have all the clubs in one location but also for Club advisers to be able to see conflicts and try to schedule around those um and then Mr Anderson also was just very happy to announce that we're very close to another after school late bus on Mondays as well oh and the microwaves they are almost here this is exciting it's almost done okay that's all I have thank you guys thank you Mr Mill um at this time um I'd like to have a motion to open the meeting to the public Ralph Ralph Mr Ross yes no more U old business bring up any more old business hold on just real quick can I just ask questions about what Eddie brought brought up so some of this was repeat information from the last student Board of Ed rep so I just want to know in terms of Dr hibs yep I'm sure that you're working on this list I trust in ter I don't know if this is the first time you're hearing it or not but again the bathrooms I know that were brought up so I just want to yeah for sure I'm I'm gonna walk every bathroom in this building before I leave tonight um make sure no one's in there first and I'm going to lock doors and I'm going to see what works and what doesn't with my very own eyes and then the other items um I think that Eddie was asking the board support on um ADF just yeah just to kind of like I know he addressed it so I just want to make sure at least if if we know that you're working on it awesome I just don't want to ignore no I uh I I think the response there is um I I'll find a way that's it I'll find a way to staff it okay and then I guess he mentioned retake policy and clubs and stuff so I'm just assuming that we're going to put that in committee yeah I'll go if I just go top to bottom locks install should be something that we catch all the time um we'll be happy to make sure that it's never been brought to my attention that any stall door has been off in any way shape or form so that's a new one um but locks will check um we'll dig into the scanning of the bathrooms I agree that retake should be consistent Eddie for sure um Dr Nathan I'm going to charge you with that one uh you're going to handle that and I also agree Eddie remediation is way better than memorizing something and trying to regurgitate something that doesn't really benefit anybody the two advisers I'll huddle up with Mr Anderson and if I have to run one of them I'll do that for you Eddie not a problem um office hours I think that's a larger conversation with unit lunch right Mr Anderson that's a larger conversation um clubs that conflict I think that's a tough one as well because sometimes you know if you if you're if you're Varsity athlete or if you're in band it is it is tough to sometimes we have to make choices that's unfortunate part of life um and I do get the the concept the unit lunch is switching um so I think I think I I I went Point by point with Eddie I will um what I will do at the next board meeting is I will report out under old business where we got to awesome thank you so much you got it appreciate it yeah and I also real quick I just missed one of my points I just want to thank Mr Anderson again for making me and the students aware of the grading profile and the um just our school profile that colleges and universities have because another concern was our grading policy but um I'm happy to inform the students that uh universities and colleges are made aware that we're on a seven-point scale instead of a 10-point scale um students just thought that they were going to be looked at more harshly if they had a b instead of an A on their transcript but Mr Anderson very thankfully made me aware that that is not how that works so thank you awesome thank thank you yeah and Eddie great job meeting with everybody thank you so much I can't see you but thank you do you think we could um talk about the retake during IIA sure Dr Nathan can you throw that on for us please she wants to throw the the retakes instructional Affairs all done Stace we're still in Old business right and I would ask if there any more old business um first of all as we go on I apologize if you s we sound a little muffled up here we're we're in an atmosphere that we're not used to and I think some of us are getting too close and some of us are far away so I apologize if you can't understand some of us um having said that let me go back to uh old business is there any old business Connie uh yeah I want to uh go back to uh December board meeting there was an initial discussion where we were talking about as a board and the decision was let's wait until the new board um you know convenes uh we were talking about the work session versus the regular meet monthly meeting and to go back to the concept of the work session where we're talking as a board about information relative to the Committees uh we're not going to be doing voting unless there's something urgent that comes up the voting will take place at the end of the month and um I guess we need to look at do we want to move in that direction because right now we sort of have two board meetings that are the same so uh that was the that was the uh discussion that started and where are we going to go are we going to stay the way we are or are we going to look to have the work session be a work session according to the concept of the work session well it's my understanding and correct me if I'm wrong we're going to discuss that in the uh policy uh section with the committee um I know we talked about that at the at the policy meeting we talked about that but there's bringing it up to the full board I mean you know here's the thing we have another meeting coming up and we you know month after month goes by you know why can't we talk about it now you want to talk about it now sure all right we'll talk is there anything that solicitor says that we can't talk about that now we talked about it last month no there's no reason that you can't talk about it now um you're talking you're talking about going back to the first meeting as a workshop uh whereas now we vote on things to first meeting and then we vote on them again in the second meeting so you're saying that we're what we talked about was having you know just talk about it where we can no voting on it but just talking about the various well right now we have committees okay and the work session is an opportunity for the full board to ask question or or have or or the administration gets back to the board about concerns that you have related to the Committees right now we're doing it you know we having the committee meetings we're doing it internally by email the the work session is a work session where we're going to be doing the board's work we're not going to be voting unless there's an urgent matter we're going to be talking about the board's business um I don't know if you if you want me to make it as a motion you know where are we going with this well does anyone want to comment on that any other board members yeah go ahead so I don't think there's anything preventing us from discussing the committee reports as it is now I mean the work sessions are the work sessions we want to talk about the committee reports you could ask questions about the committee reports my fear in not having voting is stuff already moves so slowly so now we're going to reduce it to once a month where we can award contracts approve hires all that other stuff I mean we got a lot of work to do in this District I really don't want to slow things down I'd rather keep them moving so if we want to expand the meeting and discuss the committee reports more depth we just just do I think the concept too Scott is that uh if there's something urgent that the superintendent needs to passay us we could we can in fact vote on it maybe Dr hips could weigh in on that before Dr hibs does I'll just if I if I may rap yeah go ahead so I agree with Scott I guess I just don't understand why it's an issue that we vote on two meetings oftentimes look at what happened with the snow last week right everything is backed up we have a ton of things to approve there's I'm sure a lot of principles supervisors waiting for things to be approved you know and years past we did a work session and the thing that was different and it may be more conducive to conversation is that we didn't sit on the Das we sat on the floor and I think it was a little bit more conducive to conversation I wouldn't be opposed to that happening but I don't understand is what would constitute an urgent vote versus a non-urgent vote because for the most part everything we vote on is somewhat urgent right we're it's up for approval we're voting on it so I just don't understand what we will gain by not voting number one number two I don't understand what we how will the discussion be different because I think when everyone reports that on committees we have pretty robust conversations I just don't understand what would be different other than not voting and if that's what would be different I don't understand why we would do that and that's what I was going to say Carol like we do committee reports and that's your time to listen what the was spoke about in the committee and then ask questions so I'm I'm not really understanding the purpose of changing it I guess I think the way that you used to do it I I'm not talking about the voting but the fact that you were saying Carol the round robin type way of doing it is a little bit less intimidating and more you're looking at the person like right now I can't even see anybody when I'm talking to you I think that part it might be good for the board to have a different way of sitting during the work session good idea anyone else have any comments on that Dr hibs yeah uh I think that it's you're always going to have to have an element of keeping voting because Scott is totally right there's things that we have to do and to move forward so if you ask me what does that look like that could look like anything under finance and business that ran through the committee structure that needs to go for a timely manner uh hires are always a timely manner because you know I don't I don't have the authority to hire off of board meetings anymore so the sooner we approve the sooner someone can start that is that's that's we do and who we serve so I think that there's always going to be an element of voting on something I think that's a what we can keep off for the regular if that's the concept we we would do that so if I understand the concept correctly things run through committee and then they would the big things would be discussed at the the uh example that Pat gave and Carol gave kind of sitting together at in a Board Circle or you know having a conversation and then big things would hopefully be held for the regular but there might be some things there if you go with that structure I think that could be great it gives you two conversation pieces and really kind of mixes the concerns that we had here so Scott's you know concept of well if we want to discuss the committee things we can do that but still vote I think that's really what that Spirit still is um and that gives you an extra Conversation Piece uh that's my my thoughts but uh are we voting twice on the same no items no you I think that's Connie's yeah no you're not going to I would no you wouldn't vote twice on the same item so anything that so let's say for instance that you went with the structure of you have all your your your different committees and then you have the workshop model where you're sitting and and conversating and and having conversations if there's for instance on that agenda the higher of a Spanish teacher that's it you're done Spanish teachers hired after that we process right after that if if something could wait for the regular it could wait so something like the um the counseling Proclamation that's on the agenda tonight could wait for a regular there wouldn't be any expediency to have that done at a workshop in the middle of the month so we we would probably just have to allow us the grace to figure out what in our opinion was more of a high priority than what isn't and then would there probably be some fluid nature to that and if I can just from a legal perspective to the extent that the board does want to switch to that model of um a true Workshop My suggestion from a from a legal aspect would be that the meetings that are noticed as workshops still be noticed uh the notices still should include an indication that formal action may be taken so that way that the board is not hamstrung uh into not being able to take any action should a circumstance come up like Dr Hib said you know emergent need for a certain teacher or a um special educ ation student moves into the district that requires a one-on-one Aid that we don't have here you know those types of things um would be permitted in a workshop session to be voted on to the extent that the legal advertisement indicate that formal action may be taken at the workshops you know I think along those same lines there still would be a public comment as well there has to be yeah um so now what what do we have to do do we have to have a motion and vote on this or how how do we do this to the extent that the board wants to um change its meeting structure if you will um and to the extent that it's not necessarily written in a bylaw um you I'd have to see if the bylaw um separates out workshops from non-w workshops even assuming if it does um the board could still take a vote if it wanted to um to adopt whatever structure um it wants with regard to meetings and to the extent that it's inconsistent with a policy or a bylaw we can update the policy or bylaw to reflect uh the action of the board should the board vote tonight to uh to change that to a workshop and a and a regular meeting each month just just to add Scott I mean just think about policies to change a policy we have to have a first and second reading if we don't vote on the first reading in the work or working session and then second reading in the was going to take us two months yeah to make a policy change so I'd be all try said that we could vote we could vote if there's things on there that have to be voted on such as policy or such as hiring I think you're going to find most of the stuff we vote on at the work session are things we're going to have to vote on the work session but if we wanted to change the seating structure for the work session so it's more conducive to a conversation I'd be fine with trying that but I don't see us needing really to change the agenda that maybe allow more time for discussion of the committee reports I don't think I don't think we need to change anything either it we have the title work session and public session we're not we're we're we're it's what we're saying is that the work session should be more conducive to interaction among the board members with in the areas of the Committees and what what's going on with the Committees so how does voting change that interaction I guess that's the question I how does not voting on an item change the trajectory I'm not saying we're not going to vote on things okay so I think that's been answer I'm sorry Connie can you just summarize then what your suggestion is because I think that there's a lot of confusion down this end Connie do you want to do you want to make put put this in a motion do you want to make a motion and indicate what your what Your motion is so we can pull the board and see what their feeling are policy 0164 Mr Ross I guess I'm just confused I just I think I get confused easily but this is I'm really not understanding what the benefit is or the purpose of the change or the thought of a change I I I think I think I think what Connie saying is and correct me if I'm WR Connie I don't I don't think she feels and maybe some of us feel that we don't discuss the issue the issues enough and she wants to talk about it more in public and uh before we we kind of vote on it is that right Connie yeah I think that the the board's work should be done here so the public sees what we're doing rather than me looking at committee reports asking questions ahead of time getting the ahead of time the board's work my understanding is to be done at board meetings we have a board session uh that's a that's a work session that's a that's exactly what it is it's a work session that we're doing the business right here in in front of the public then there's a public session at the end of the month that where there're we're basically we're doing a lot of voting on what we talked about however I'm not saying and I and underscore what Dr hibb said if there are things that need to be addressed whether it be contracts [Music] employment absolutely that would be voting on but I'm talking about transparency and that the work session is the work of the board in front of the public about any questions we have relating to the committee work and the voting that's going to be done at the end of the month based on that committee work that's where I'm coming I if I if I could I think what Connie's saying is we vote I go through the Committees and they make a report of what they discussed uh at their committee meeting but there's no chance to discuss that I mean we have a couple questions here and there I think what Connie's indicating correct me if I'm wrong again that we could talk about a policy that Steve Zano maybe introduces and we could dissect that and kind of talk about that at the meeting is that what what you're trying to yeah I'm just saying the work of the board should be done at public meetings in front of the public okay can I just jump in real quick I guess I'm totally confused because last I check we do the work of the board andin public unless it's executive session material I don't know who's having different conversations that I'm left out but last I checked anything like that should be in public so when the committee reports are given there should be no reason and I would feel badly if a board member didn't feel comfortable that is the time for the board to discuss right we get the committee report if there's questions there's no reason Scott actually is a great example of this he sends a number of questions in ahead of time and oftentimes he will reference those questions that he asked so to me nothing prevents a board member from ever discussing anything at a committee at a committee report Adam Pier checked me on this like I don't I I guess I'm just trying to really understand and support what is missing here like if you have a committee report and someone has a question we should as a board have that conversation in public so if you want to talk about transparency I just don't understand I don't want to throw the word out just because it sounds good last I checked we do that work here in public if there's discussion by the board we should have that in public so I I just don't I I'm so confused and I know I'm not alone down here the only thing I feel like we've come to agreement is switching the tables I guess I just don't understand where this lack of communication lack of transparency and lack of dialogue I I just I I don't understand it at all well I again I think what Connie's trying to say is uh and I'll use Steve Serrano's uh committee to policy he'll read the policy and we vote on it and there's no questions but we should disc we that's what I think uh Connie is saying that we should discuss that and we don't discuss it so Ralph real quick though before we take a vote though and we talk about things oftentimes we will say discussion and that's the time where the board members would have the opportunity to discuss it I just don't ever feel like there was a stifle I think our board meetings go Fairly long again on the agenda you know the policies everything's attached and we read them ahead of time and we read them ahead of time and we then come with questions if we have any so you read everything ahead of time then we discuss it if there's a question or a concern we're going to sit here and read it in front of everybody it doesn't it just seems like I want to make these meetings productive and effective and efficient and I don't think that seems be differ if I can for just a moment um again this is more from the legal side of things um board policy 0164 conduct of board meeting um talks about two different types of meetings one being a regular board meeting and it indicates and includes specific items to be uh addressed or I should say the order of business for a regular board meeting the policy further goes on to then list out the items that are addressed uh or the order of business for a board work session um if you look at the policy you'll see see that in the work session there's a little more in terms of what's on the items of order for business than are in the public session and I have to say it's not much of a difference but it is a little different um and and so to the extent that the board does want to change it um you know certainly it's within the board's prerogative to do so but we have to also remember that whatever we change it to uh needs to either be you the policy 0164 would have to be updated to reflect whatever change if any we're going to make and the same thing holds true for if we're doing work sessions but we're not listing out you know following the order of business as it's um listed out in the policy we should adjust the policy as well to reflect the true State of Affairs regardless of what the board chooses and we're we're not following this now anyway we're not following this CU you can see in this there's unless I'm crazy no sorry there is two public sessions but we're not following this format in this anyway what was the policy number again 0164 correct 0164 conduct of board meetings and it was last um revised in uh on October 30th of 2018 I was just going to say that years ago we should go to Every board meeting and the difference to me years ago with work sessions as opposed to the regular session was the way that you sat and there was just that was a longer meeting your work session because you did all the discussions and everything so by the time you got to the regular session unless there was a lot of activity from the public it really just flowed and was over more quickly because most of your discussion should take place or did take place during the work session so then your next section did flow and wasn't as long so what uh the attorney just showed me was that the main difference is that there's just more discussion at the work session and I guess Mrs Baker don't feel that we're getting enough of that disc discussion so that the public can question a policy or or uh a hire or something of that nature is that right yeah that's what the major differences between the two according to this policy um I'll just read you know I'm going to spot check it here uh but I'll I'll I'll so that those of you following along in the audience and at home can hear it uh one of the differences is that at a work session there's an announcement of notice whatever that means um presentations at work session questions on the agenda administrative requests agenda items to be voted on um old business from the board committee reports um there's an area for discussion items um board summary whatever that means and board schedule whatever that means so those I'm sorry board summary and board schedule are are in both the regular and the work session so it seems to be the big differen is again spot checking it on the spot here is um the ability to ask questions which again is really at every meeting um and uh section for discussion items and uh administrative requests can can I make a suggestion because almost 10 o' and was up at 3 a.m. can we maybe agree to try the new seating arrangement for the work session cuz I think that's something that everybody seems to be open to you know and then as far as what would be in each that we take that back to policy and have the policy committee discuss it and then we document the policy the way that we want it to be going forward with that I agree well and also too you know I I you know I I'd like to see us get away from and both Scott and I did it this month where we come up with questions okay those th those questions should be talked about right here at the board's work not doing things I don't know I don't know lack of a better word behind the scenes basically have it right out in front in front of the public to hear the work of the board that's all I'm just and that b basically would be okay the questions that we asked the questions that are asked in them emails it's not really fair for us to expect Dr Hibbs and and Janine to have that information at their fingertip you're correct that's why it would be at the work session at the work session if questions come up and the administration have to look at it they will be able to look at it prior to the to the regular session at the end of the month that's all that's all about what that process is about quick sorry Ralph Carol can we take Scott's suggestion change the floor plan and revisit this we're going to talk about this for the next two hours we have so many other things to talk about would you be agreeable to that to just moving forward we all are saying yes let's change the seating arrangement and start there I just am I going to bring questions that no one's seen to to get somebody at the meeting no I'm not I'm going to I'm going to give them to him before and if I want to call it out and read my questions then great but I just think that this has becoming like a swirl of crazy I don't know if you agree but if we can just take Scott's suggestion so we can move on we're going to be extending the meeting soon it's already 9:45 yeah yeah I I'm good for that uh all right thank you but to just to reiterate what you say Carol I don't like to put a time limit on when we're supposed to be done or not we we if we have to take our time and go through things I know that people have other obligations though but Sor we're here I wasn't talking about time limit we would have to make a motion to extend the meeting past 11 o'clock which I have no problem making the motion I'm just saying we're beating it up and I don't feel like we're going anywhere which is why I asked if you'd be agreeable to take Scott's suggestion so we can move on to other things it's totally your call Connie you all right send this back uh yeah I mean if uh you know under the want want to cut it short sure uh I have a I want to follow up on the policy 0167 we did discuss in well you're you're all right on taking this back to policy so I don't think I have a choice okay okay so anyway um we discussed uh policy 0167 uh in in the committee meeting and uh what what did discussion revolved around is a is is actually following the policy that in the public participation that the first open public comment is to agenda items and the second comment is for any concerns a resident might have about the school system uh we also talked about uh the five minutes that's in the policy uh probably were one of the few did districts that have five minutes most have three we talked about maybe making it four minutes of course the board always has the the ability to extend the time or do away with the time uh depending on on the kind of questions or concerns the community has so what what we were talking about and what I'm bringing up with this policy is that we follow this policy we never we we suspended it probably about a year ago but we never changed the policy and we were looking to um follow the policy so so so you're looking to either continue with the way the policy is but which what which we haven't been doing correct and um or change the policy well the only change would be if if the if the board members wanted to go from four to five to four minutes if not just enforce the policy as it is keep it at five minutes if you don't want to go through two two readings or whatever and and follow the policy that the first public comment is for agenda items only and the second public comment is for concerns okay um I I I I know that's going to go to policy committee and I know we talked about it where the first part of open to the public is on agenda items only uh what Connie's saying is that's the way the policy reads but we kind of have deviated from that and just open it to the public on um any item that they want to talk about I talked to the administration about that and I talked to to the attorney and uh you said that that's the way most of your school districts yeah so um I you know we represent districts all across the state and um you know there are many ways to skin a cat as they say um the majority of the boards that I work with have three minutes and of course you guys have five and that's totally fine um a great number of the boards that I work with um will have two public comment sessions one for agenda items only the second for any item but again it's it's really the it's the will of the board um in terms of what you know what it will entertain from the public there is an absolute requirement that we have at least one public session in order to make this an open public meeting um so beyond the one public session which you're required to have by law the board can decide on its own um what is best for uh the community in terms of uh input Adam would you mind pointing out to us where we're violating the public participation policy because I don't see where we're violating it if you could point that out I'm I'm looking at 0167 corre I can I can clarify is that okay sure um so I don't think the policy is is not we're not violating the policy on our website under board meetings there is a public participation at board meetings and it it must still have the old way before was changed and it reads um the first public comment section is limited to discussion on agenda items during the second SE section members of the public May address General School District topics or matters so I don't I think what was meant to be conveyed there was this is what it says on the website not that we're violating the policy right because we're I'm reading policy that was handed out to us 0167 and what it says is that um there are two separate public participation opportunities during each month's work session and regular session board meetings during which members of the public May address topics dealing with agenda items and or general School District matters so to make a statement that we're violating policy we're not that's the way it's written and that's what we've used so um I think it's interesting that Connie you wanted to extend the time in August for an unlimited amount of time for people to speak but now we want to shorten it so um I don't support the policy to change it I think we're throwing around words like transparency and if you want to be transparent I think we need to keep the public participation policy to 5 minutes whatever the public wants to talk about we're here twice a month Ralph you just pointed it out um there shouldn't be a time limit to meetings right so we should hear from the public if they want to talk for 10 minutes and they want to discuss anything they should be able to do that so I will let you know and ralh I think I voiced this to you before I am not in support of changing the policy I think this is bad timing to talk about changing the policy period all right what Dr uh hibs pointed out was that's on the we site of having the agenda and like Carol pointed out that's not the policy the policy is the way we have it now so if you want to um the board wants to redevelop the policy to say agenda items only and then then U um open to the public then we can do that uh legally yes you can it' have to go through two readings though right first and second I was just referring to the fourth paragraph in the policy okay and where where is there a disconnect with the fourth paragraph should I move theard see if they want toit okay if we're okay we'll have policy look at it and see what they come up with Steve put that make a note in that for well can can the attorney look at paragraph four yeah I'm going to I'll read it out loud for the board to hear paragraph four of the policy reads for the first and second public participation section each participant is allowed to address the board only once and each statement made by a part participant shall be limited to a period of five minutes duration um I I don't see any um problem with the the way that the public sessions have been run in the meetings here that I've attended as it relates to paragraph four uh paragraph 4 would would indicate that um people can come up for a first session and people can come up for a second session um and that they're allowed to address um the board once during each such session yes um for five minutes duration yeah yeah that's so bring it back to policy yeah we'll put it back to policy talk about it anything else on that no anything else nope I got it Den noted yeah I think that's I old business any other old business I have old business goad so um two things actually um I wanted to just ask about the website um Dr hibs I know you you just read about our outdated public participation on it and there's a lot of things that are outdated on the website and I know um Kathy I know that you were working on like revamping it um it's just it's um I don't know if there's anything we can do in the interim but it's really difficult to even reach out to a teacher if you look on our website it's just there's a lot of things that are just missing um and outdated so I don't know if that was a project that is still under way but in the meantime it is I think a little bit problematic for parents and for students to just it's confusing the way the website is right now so I just don't know where we are on the website project Kath you want to take it so we haven't done too much in terms of the current website because what we're doing is we're going through all of the navigation pages to see what's redundant like for example there's um a lot of things that are in there four or five times so we're trying to revamp the navigation to determine exactly where those things should be and as it's kind of like doing a renovation on a house you kind of you know take down the wall and then you see there's some other stuff in there that needs to be taken care of so we're we also out outside of the navigation we're also trying to make sure that the website looks professional and is really consistent in our branding so the other things that we're trying to do is get more consistent logos to get some um information about all of our Administration our supervisors on there so as we're building that we're kind of going through what's on the website so that we make sure we're only transferring the things that are absolutely needed and a while ago before we started this we also um surveyed the community including the staff and students as well to see what they felt is most important to actually have on the website so we're trying to use a lot of that data to gear us um in the right direction as well as using kind of what the trends are with website so we're our Focus mostly right now is in the building because there's a lot of stuff that's on there that's that's going to have to come off so Dr hibs I don't know if you have a timeline I you've done phenomenal work throughout the district to really make the face of Washington Township look what it is but when people go to our website I hear it frequently it's a little bit of a hot mess in the meantime I just don't know the timeline of what was described and I don't know if you have the answer but maybe at the next meeting if you could just give like an update on timeline that would be awesome yeah I I would be happy to do that Mrs chill thank you and then um my second piece of old business is calendar and just getting that meeting scheduled um I know last time it was a pretty large group in the room um so I just don't know if we have any dates I know there's community members that are involved supervisors principles and the like so I just don't know if there's planning because we're already I can't believe for like end of January already so I just don't know if we have a date in the book yet and if we've communicated that out to those members Carl I spoke to the superintendent the other day about that when you brought that to my attention and correct me if I'm wrong I think you're in the process now of putting together he had asked me about how many people I felt should be on it I did say two board members uh and then right around all the unions give them an opportunity to send a representative yeah I I believe we were aiming for either it's either the 30th or the 31st that's awesome to have that meeting um I just want to forecast this uh I didn't even work here yet and I went to the last calendar meeting there was a lot of people in a room talking about the calendar um that was not a process that I was used to having about 50 people in a room to talk about a school calendar I think we ended up in a great spot um however I would just want to forecast it because I always like to speak truth um next year's calendar will probably very much look like uh this year's calendar it's when you look at it it really matches up there's a few small differences so the thought process is is to actually share that out beforehand as a draft just a draft and then take feedback so we don't go into the room thinking we have to build the calendar from scratch because that's that's not the way that that should work so for instance a small thing that we have is and a big thing is we're off for Veterans Day uh next year that's that's a different thing but a lot of the other things will will stay the same and one of the big things that I I took as feedback about the calendar was even if we're not able ble to Grant everyone's wishes about different days off in the calendar um what I I talked to Matt about was putting front and center on the calendar the days that are off limits for tests projects being due and homework such as rashash Shana such as yam kapor such as dwali those days are going to be off limits for tests projects quizzes you know that should be just a day we we we honor we honor Heritage and and cultures that's wonderful thank you you yep anything else Carol I'm good thank you anyone else old business I haven't said yes somebody no haven't said that I have a motion to open the meeting to the public so moved second all those in favor I I post so if you have a card or you wish to I'll come get it talk to the board 10 minutes for what oh it says 10 there we go listen Tom I'm not going to argue with you what are we okay Mrs bisara okay um I'm going back to the reorg meeting my my apology IES but I'm going back to what Mr Li Liberty said about why he should be president he filled out the appropriate paperwork for the election what's the status of your election paperwork in order to be president I didn't I didn't hear the question I can't hear you oh um I'm going back to the reorg meeting with regards to appointing the board president okay Mr Li Liberty stated the reason why he should be board president he filled out the appropriate paperwork made a statement and you have yet to fill out any of the paperwork so I'm trying to follow up on the status of the election with regards to contributions donations Etc so um I'm just I'm just going to stop you there um because what what I'm going to say is that all candidates for office are required to abide by all laws um regarding elections qualifications for candidacy Etc um under the statutes School elections are actually not governed by the school laws um and so as a result um no board member would be required here um on stage tonight uh to disclose anything more than that which is required by law of them to do and the law does not require any board members to respond to any questions posed by members of the public about campaigns and uh anything to do with campaigns and so to that end um I'm just going to say that thank you for your comment but I don't expect that any board member will be um discussing his or her candidacy regardless of of who they are uh or anything related to their candidacy uh here in this form okay and just uh my second second question has to do with the legal invoices for November if you can just State at a high level if it's a department or a process there was a subpoena from the New Jersey Commission of I think investigation it said imv can you just explain yeah um I'll be honest with you I don't regularly handle my partner Ari Schneider handles Washington Township he's the lead I'm not familiar with the November bill or that subpoena that is yeah just not I apologize that's okay sure anyone else I got you Mr bisara hello everyone um on your holidays or the the calendar meeting that you were talking about Dr Hibbs I would recommend when you're you have those blackout days that you talked about in the homework how about the following day though too for tests just kids might not want to study on the night of Russia Shana as as well so just add that um yeah um what you were talking about earlier I'm going to be honest with you out here it made no sense uh about discussion discussion is only stunted by the board if you don't discuss something then that's on you you have a a a structure set up that allows you before you take a vote to discuss anything every president I've seen will say motion discussion so from back there I had no clue what you were trying to accomplish for about 30 minutes just about that uh want to speak a little bit about just the lack of trust and transparency you kept throwing transparency around but then you want to stifle the public from speaking so that made no sense at all if you guys do that I think it would be a huge mistake because you know you're voted in and very few people come to a meeting very few people will speak if you don't want to give people the opportunity to speak have you respond then maybe we want to respond back because there is no back and forth don't sit up there if you don't want to hear from us don't sit up there it's not that difficult um also want to talk a little bit about uh the future and specifically rfps um I'll be honest with you I don't trust this board I don't trust at all it's politics that's what it feels like so I'm going to offer something that I think that will help you with transparency if you really want to be transparent let's change the RFP process let's create a committee that includes public members with experience in rfps I'd be happy to volunteer I've done it my entire career make it sealed bid so they would only be opened during the committee so no funny business can happen the last time we had a board that was mainly driven by politics we had a lot of problem with rfps so this is a very simple solution it will add credibility you bring public members who have experience doing it and sealed bids will make sure that nobody saw anything and you can't play any games uh the members of the public can help add credibility to a process so I would really appreciate it if you would have some discussion about this if you are about the kids if you are about the district you will do this it's very simple um again look to things you can do to add credibility because you don't have it to a great degree right now and I think there's an opportunity to increase it right there so I hope to hear some discussion about that Mr B are you suggesting that we open the rfps in public I am I am suggesting that you have a committee you can create a committee that includes public members that is allowed um in districts and I'm saying yes that committee would open the bids I'm not saying they have to do it in a public meeting I'm saying with the public there that will add transparency for you and again they can sit at a meeting and say yeah this was a very fair process so I think that could help you who does that open yeah I can take it take that hey Mr Bal Sarah how are you okay so here's every RFP that that we put out is always sealed and is never tampered with or looked at by us until there's the public bid opening so that process already already occurs the the process that um I I don't know what you're referring to but after that is where people are approved that that's I think where that conversation lies but I just want to make sure that you understand that and everybody Jean and and I we don't you know there's there will be a stack of envelopes that will stay absolutely sealed we advertise the date and time and what happens is a lot of people will come into that um especially the contractors because they want to come and see whether they got the bid or whether they lost the bid and if they lost it they they know how much they lost it by because you have to go through and read what what that what the you know uh TJ roof $1.37 Million by um Adam O's construction company uh TJ roof Eric hbs's company $1.49 million and it's quite crazy at times because you'll see when people don't really want to win the bid and they're just they'll throw out a number of $7.9 million for that $1.3 million job but just want you to know that that does happen um and we can we can certain and we advertise unless I'm mistaken right we advertise dates and times of when that happens and and and to add to that um you the public bidding process is is highly regulated as it relates to um Public Schools and um it's not uncommon to see bid challenges bid protests being filed by um you know contractors uh Additionally the bids that are received once they are received are public documents which can be OA at any time so um you know there is there's actually the scoring sheets as well um all of that um is is public and um it becomes very public when there's a bid challenge or a protest so what we have to do so when you got so so it depends with regard to the professionals there are certain professionals that actually um under the law in New Jersey you don't have to actually go out to bid for um but it's kind of a good transparent way to do things um by going out to quote unquote bid and and it's not really a bid that's an actual RFP but you are right Mr baldasaro um there are some Professional Services that require the RFP and there are others that do not when we do an RFP for professionals or any RFP um we do advertise it and we do the same thing with with a bid there's an advertise date and time that they're opened in front of whoever wants to come and then what will happen is is that for every in the RFP will be basically a checklist of things that we rate and then there'll be a one pager where we have to rate whether or not they submitted things and there's a lot of times where people will submit five out of six things but then they're excluded from the bid because they didn't provide um something we just went through we just went through something you know not too long ago with the high impact tutoring Grant where we had to work through um a nonprofit status because something wasn't provided and we had to go through that piece to make sure that we were good so there are times where that lack of inclusion will exclude people but you'll be able to see you know they were ranked and what the order was and who who submitted what and that's all a public document right they could that could be opened right and and and that is really a function of uh of the business office I mean the board doesn't even typically I shouldn't say this board a board does not um sit there and open the rfps it's usually always done by the the business office um and the qualified purchasing you folks I talked to a business administrator and she indicated that you're welcome to come in when they open the bids I I don't think we would want uh Auditorium full but if you're interested in it she can let you know and you can come in or anybody else right okay Jean yeah yeah so at that meeting just all the envelopes are opened in front of everybody most of the time anyone who submitted a bid or an RFP will come and then you actually read so for example if it was a bid for a roof and we had have this is the price and then there's an alternate to replace something else we read the results of the the sheet the bid sheet we never say even if there's one that's clearly the lowest that that's the winner because there's a ton of other requirements Insurance licenses we have to check so you know we make sure we clearly read the results but then we have to go through and check that all the bid packets are together um and then um summarize them for the Committees and um make the award at the next meeting that we can okay anyone else to have a motion to close to public so move second all those in favor I oppos okay report of the superintendent uh I have a motion to approve the superintendent items one through five so move second roll call discussion discussion I I said one um Dr TBS I emailed Dr Gregor or something that looked like a typo on the head report so I'll make sure that that gets yeah corrected I will absolutely make sure that is corrected great that's all anything else roll call Connie Baker yes Mrs Bloom yes Mrs Chilla yes Mr too yes Mr Liberty yes Mr Lindsay yes Mr Sano yes Mr Tomac yes Mr Ross Yes instructional Affairs have a motion uh for the instructural Affairs items number one to three so moved second discussion roll call Mrs Bloom yes Mrs Chilla yes Mr de Mayo yes Mr Li Liberty yes Mr Lindsay yes Mr Tomac yes Mr Serano yes Mrs Baker yes Mr Ross yes one one thing real quick before we move on sorry I should have brought this up during discussion but um that high school plus program I mean that's a huge benefit for our students the Juniors and seniors Dr you mind just commenting on that so the Public's aware of what that program is yeah absolutely uh Jen can I uh can I ask you to highlight all the great things about that the the high school plus program hi everyone um there are some great things that we have going uh partnership with Camden County College um the high school plus which is our dual credit program um we have up to 50 courses now uh that we have an agreement so we worked with the supervisors to increase it to that level um the other nice part of this is if we have free reduced lunch students we the district does pay uh for those courses that they like to register for um we have that information located we have I I created a high school web page uh specific to the high school plus program we do share that out with families uh through Power School their swiftk12 email and internally in the school high school we do have um it posted on all of the TVs throughout the the hallways for the students our splash page for anybody that goes on to the web page that gets that information um additionally we have a representative Mr Delany from Camden County College who uh comes periodically and does make classroom visits and there is a video also embedded on the web page um for families to watch he is offering a evening on February 7th where um parents and students can come and ask questions about the high school plus program um we're in the second round of registration at this point which closes mid-march and um it's a great opportunity for students you can take a three credit course for $150 while enrolled in high school so it's such a benefit um for families and of course like I said it's uh 50 courses that we offer here at the high school so um I hope that covers the information yeah okay and that I mean and there are plenty of kids that can come out with a lot of credits um if that's the pathway that they really truly hope to to choose and one of the things that we're actually uh really excited about is Rowan is I know we're talking about cam County but in a very similar vein Rowan is looking to streamline their Pathways to really cut years of college off for kids so conceivably if you went through Rowan's medical you would cut a year of undergrad out and could and a year of Med out which is just an unbelievable savings for for our kids so we're trying really every way to to make sure that kids have the opportunities to to reach their dreams and to do it in the time frames that they want and there's there's good and there's bad about this you know if you really accelerate you can end up graduating a lot earlier and for some that's a great thing and for others it might not be a great thing um but I think to each his own and I think we need to make sure that we put this information into everybody's hands so that they can make that call because if you uh you know you could end up saving almost you know two years worth of college and and really coming out with up to you know know roughly 60 credits if you really hustle which is just a great thing anything else Scott nope that was great thank you all right policy um motion to approve items on the policy numbers one to n so moved second discussion roll call Mrs Chilla yes M to Mayo yes Mr L Liberty yes Mr Lindsay yes Mr Tomac yes Mr Sano yes Mrs Baker yes Mrs Bloom yes and Mr Ross Yes student activities communication a motion to approve the Student Activities Communications item number one so moved second discussion roll call Mr Mayo yes Mr Li Liberty yes Mr Lindsay yes Mr Tomac yes Mr Serano yes Mrs Baker yes Mrs Bloom yes Mrs Chilla yes and Mr Ross Yes Human Resources have a motion to approve items number one through 57 so moved second have a second St okay St discussion yes sorry discussion had a couple things for yeah wanted to acknowledge some of our retirements so uh we have six folks retiring with 154 years of Total Service between them uh Mindy Smith math math interventionist with 34 years of service thank you for your service Eileen Boza computer teacher teach 30 years of service thank you for your service Sarah Sako reading specialist teacher 35 years of service Katherine Thorp uh special uh instructional assistant 12 years of service Teresa Sanara secretary to uh 26 years of service and Carol Hazel Elementary teacher 17 years of service thank you all for your [Applause] service okay Ralph I have a question on on this um under A5 uh I had some questions uh relative to uh people attending the um the texo conference in uh Atlantic City the 24th to the 26th and if you look under the group attendance there is listed three people and a total of 22302 um I just wanted to ask uh Dr Hibbs because there there was an issue with yours that we had to add the registration last minute when you when you add those figures up I thought that they they add up to the figure in the group attendance 2230 that was the original one now it's 2770 does that have to be changed just it's just a like a a cleanup that that number should be should reflect the entire three people's cost I don't is that what I understood I was told well I I don't the second piece of that as we can't really talk about I guess executive discussions but um I think what the numbers that are on this agenda for those of you know that's this is the technology conference uh it's probably the best conference that New Jersey has um we approve people individually and then Township does a group approval this is all just a preliminary approval anyway so I Adam I don't think that we have to adjust this because in the end we have to give back actual receipts to get reimbursed for anything that's allowable so I'm not a lawyer but my take is no and it's just a pre-approval yeah I mean it it sounds like it's a not to exceed almost um and in that regard nothing yet is going to be paid out because we rely on the attendees to essentially uh give us the receipts uh to substantiate their their actual requests for reimbursement so um you know even if the board were to approve something tonight on this and an employee did not have the receipts that money would not be dispersed to the employee um so I mean that's really all I can say if it's a if it's a not to exceed amount I mean it it means it may may change it may not even be that number at all may be lower yeah I I think you know I I do understand uh the the cost for the for the conference and that it's a it's a good one I'm just wondering that because we had to adjust your numbers we didn't change that bottom number that I thought I understood was supposed to be the three of you the numbers off but they're but indivi individually they're still approved Adam okay so I then why why are we even listing it then I don't know I yeah I I think the question I think the best thing to do is for us to huddle back and ask look at our policy and see if we have to have that group piece under there any place I've ever been we haven't had that but honestly I didn't have time to look into whether or not that's a Township policy thing we'll be happy to look into that and if it's not we'll just take it off if it is we'll explain it when is it's this week coming up and that would be great because my initial question was I thought it was another three people going to the conference for $2,200 but the answer was it's just it's really you guys together but the numbers don't add up so if that's not a problem that's fine I just wanted to bring that up yep any place I've been it's always been an individual approval but we'll we'll be happy to look into that and and figure out does that piece need to be there because it's fully explained in the top portion of the A5 okay just real quick why are we talking about this I'm just I I have to call it out this is about discussion right we had this discussion in executive session now we're having it here but we don't have discussion I just like I'm just trying to understand we talked about this a disgusting amount of time in executive and now we're discussing it again but apparently we don't have discussion we have a lot of discussion like in general the meetings I'm just going back to where we there was a comment made that we don't have discussion on some things we have too much discussion we're going to with technology conference because we're super behind and I don't mean it in a disrespectful way we are because there's a lot of professional development that needs to be done especially in technology it changes probably every month right so now there's a desire to attend a technology conference and we're worried about what line is on what so as a board are do we want Dr Hibbs to look into this or do we want Dr hibs to just go to the conference and learn as much as you can and bring it back to the district and make us better I just I want to understand why we're chasing things on it lines and how it adds up I don't I mean personally this is really inexpensive so go to a technology con uh conference and learn on what we can do better as a district so I personally would prefer that you don't spend a lot of time on that because I just think it's a no-brainer I don't know if anyone else feels that way but we're talking about the I it's it's like a round and round we're bringing it up again and I think we do that a lot we talk about things in executive then we want to bring it up here and rehash it again we talked about public participation again like it just I'm just trying to understand the goal well Carl let me let me help you understand from my perspective we did talk about it in an executive session but the public didn't hear it in executive session and they have a right to look at the board report and they look at it and say what's all this money being spent for so so yep I agree with you Ralph exactly that so but the comment was made earlier that we don't discuss things that was what was made we don't discuss things we do it behind closed doors we not only do it behind closed doors we do it in public we do it on the phone we do it on I I I'm saying this is we are bringing it up again so it's just another illustration to the work session and what we're going to do I'm just pointing it out yes you're correct the public has a right to know but we also as a board need to talk about things that we're running the superintendent all around to do things that are a waste of time and I think there's a lot of things that are going on behind closed doors that Dr hibs is running around doing a lot of things that are not we're not being consulted as a board to agree on what he's doing or not doing I'm just being honest with you so I agree with you I'm just illustrating that there's a lot of discussion that's happening everywhere and earlier there was no discussion so I just want to point that out for the public to also understand so you're okay with us talking about it in executive session and bringing it up in public so that the public can understand well there's certain things in executive session that you can't discuss in public I understand that right so no I'm not in agreement of that I guess my point is is I'm bringing it forward to say there was a long discussion that we don't have discussion and we do so I would like the public to know there's nothing nothing going on behind closed doors we end up talking about it in the board meeting too I just want to be accurate with what we do because that was a comment that was made okay all right moving on uh any other I have uh for A5 too I have to abstain from uh initials eh and JW because of my conflict not the previous conversation so don't think that don't take it the wrong way you have that yeah J you have that takeing it personally Dave take any other concerns on okay I haven't said that have a roll call Mr Li Liberty yes Mr Lindsay yes Mr Sano yes Mr Tomac uh abstain from eh and JW on M1 and yes to the rest Mrs Baker uh abstain to number 9 32 55 56 and yes to the arest excuse me Mrs Bloom abstain on number 40 for KH and yes to everything else Mrs chill yes Mr de Mayo yes Mr Ross Yes okay moving on finance and Facilities a motion uh and a second to approve items number one to 21 so moved second discussion just uh just wanted to thank Janine for sending uh that worksheet on how to reconcile the board secretary and treasure report thanks I was looking at it wrong so I took that governance training and it had the suggested reconciliation which I was calculating correct I you should give him that feedback yeah was that discuss anything else okay think we get a roll call on that no no um Mr Lindsay yes Mr sirano yes Mr Tomac obstain from N7 ah and yes to the rest Mrs Baker yes Mrs Bloom yes Mrs Chilla yes Miss too yes Mr Li Liberty yes Mr Ross yes very quickly I think it's really super important to always highlight great thing things and I know that 154 years isn't a part of this but that's amazing as is we just literally more than doubled our prek universe for next year and then we're going to basically be able to give tutoring to every one of our um third and fourth grade kids so it's always super important to focus on the great that we did that is what we did tonight is really it's it's magnificent it's amazing it really is it was double I think it was almost yeah it's so it's what we did it was great great stuff thank you everybody thank you anything else no sir okay special education no items negotiation no items new business any new business from any board members none haven't seen none good open to the public so moved second second all those in favor I opposed anything else from the public motion to close so moved second all those in favor before we adjourn I just like to uh say we may have sound a little rough around the edges some of us are new in this position some of the the uh candidate did you clap down there St clap okay um so I apologize for that and I know some of our chair people are new and trying to work through this so bear with us and we'll uh we'll get through it so thank you for coming motion to adjourn so move second all those in favor opposed thank you for coming