Heat. Uh, notice is hereby given to the regular meeting of the board of education of the town of Westfield in the county of Union, New Jersey at 5:00 p.m. on the evening of Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 in cafeteria B of Westfield High School, 550 Dorian Road, Westfield,
New Jersey. The board will move immediately into private session to discuss matters rendered confidential by state and federal law, including personnel and harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents. The public portion of the meeting will resume at 6. The purpose of the meeting is to transact the regular business of the
board and to transact any other business to come properly before the board. This is to advise the general public and to instruct that it be recorded in the minutes that in compliance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 entitled the open public meetings act the Westfield school board on Thursday May
155 caused to be posted at the office of the board of education located at 302 Elm Street Westfield New Jersey and delivered to the Westfield leader the star ledger the Westfield library town clerk of Westfield tap into Westfield and patch.com a meeting notice setting
forth the Time, date, and location of this meeting. Patty, we have a roll call, please. Rob Bonacio here. Kent Diamond here. Brendan Gallaghan. Charles Galinus here. Leila Merlli here. Sonol Patel here. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz.
Julie Steinberg. Mary Wickens. Uh, Kent, would you lead us in the flag salute, please? I ask the board to approve the following resolution. Uh resolve that the board of education move into private session for the purpose of discussing matters rendered confidential by state and
federal law including personnel and harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents. And be it further resolved that any discussion held by the board which need not remain confidential and the results of the discussion will be made public as soon as practical. Do I have a second? Second. Kent. Uh we'll do
all in favor. Any opposed? Any abstensions? We are in executive session. All right. Um, we're going to get started. Everyone wants to grab a seat. Shh. That usually worked when I was like in fourth grade, so we'll stick
with it. Um, so welcome everyone. We have a This is one of the better meetings of the year because we're honoring uh so many people who really make our district what it is and and what it's all about. Um before we get to our faculty and staff recognitions,
um I want to go back one step for to our last meeting. So at our April 29th meeting, the board welcomed many students for recognition of their musical skills and talents. Regretfully, our private session ran long and members of the Westfield High School Chorus needed to move on to a previously
scheduled rehearsal. We were able to recognize only four of their vocalists that evening. With the end of the school year coming and so many other commitments on the calendar, the high school chorus was not able to join us in person tonight. We invited them back, but unfortunately that couldn't happen. Uh, but we did want to make sure to
honor their exceptional talent and dedication. So, I'm going to read their names and accomplishments. Just please save the applause for the end. And I just want to make sure that they're read into the record based on that. Um, so Emily Bailey, Region 2 treble chorus. Nikita Bot, region 2 treble chorus.
Avery Brooks, 2024 all state mix chorus. Valentina Chuchi, 2024 Allstate Mix Chorus and Region 2 treble chorus. Charlotte Katronio, 2024 Allstate Mix Chorus, All Eastern Mix Chorus, and
Region Two Mix Chorus. Caitlyn Dalisandro, 2024 All State Mix Chorus, All Eastern Treble Chorus. Long list. Um, Mark D'Angelo, Region 2 mixed chorus. Kelsey Dixs, region 2 mixed
chorus. Parker Eert, region 2 mixed chorus. Eve Escarbano, 2024 all state mixorus. Garrett Ga, 2024 all state mixorus. He was also the top 10 or two in New Jersey and the All Eastern Mix
Chorus. Hannah Forbes 2025 all state treble chorus, all eastern treble chorus and region 2 mix chorus placing second in soprano 2. Ella Hartz region two mixed chorus. Owen, region 2 mixed
chorus. Kira Lensner, 2025 allstate treble chorus and region 2 mixorus. Olivia Marino, 2025 Allstate Treble Chorus. Luella Mockby, 2025 all state treble chorus and region 2 treble
chorus. Thomas Moshier, region 2 mixed. Mia Nuzo, 2024 all state mixed and region 2 mixed. We all know it's chorus at this point. Uh Kieran Patel, region two mixed, also placed fifth in alto 2.
Nadia Rigo 2024 all state mixed all eastern treble and region 2 mixed placing second in alto 2. Mia Sako 2024 all state mixed and region 2 treble placing third in soprano 2. Maline Smith
2024 all state mixed. Emily Tessatori 2024 all state mixed and region 2 mixed. And finally Leah Terretky region 2 treble chorus. So, a round of applause for all these these students. All of these students are guided by our gifted director of choirs,
John Brazowski. Certificates of recognition were forwarded to Mr. Brazowski to share with these amazing vocalists, and I know they've been handed out. So, thank you uh for all the great work. And now, I'll turn over to Dr. Gonzalez to get started. Yes. Uh this is definitely a great time of year.
It's the season when we have uh many reasons to celebrate. Uh every week I hear about the amazing accomplishments and achievements of students and staff and each one is a reminder of how talented and dedicated everyone is. Um this evening we get to shine a spotlight
on the staff members um who have earned well-deserved recognition for their excellence as recognized not just by our school community but also by our partners in the community uh both our parent organizations the optimist club as well as the Rotary uh uh club of
Westfield. So before we move on to the Rotary clubs there is a slight uh shift in the schedule. Uh Westfield High School science teacher Rudy Cypion uh needs to exit early uh for a commitment. So we'll recognize him first as the recipient of the Jeffrey family above
and beyond award which honors a high school teacher who has made a difference in the life of a student. Board President Rob Bonacio will now read a resolution before inviting Rudy up to the podium to say a few words and join us for a photograph.
A resolution by the board of education to Rudy Cypion. Whereas the Westfield High School Jeffrey family above and beyond award has been established to annually recognize a teacher or counselor who has truly made a difference in the life of a student either socially, emotionally or academically. And whereas this award is
presented to Rudy Cypion, a dedicated science teacher at Westfield High School, who is lauded by his students as an amazing teacher, who is someone I genuinely look up to, and who has taught me lessons that go far beyond the classroom. And now, therefore, be it resolved that this board of education
publicly congratulates Rudy Cypion for receiving the 2025 Jeffrey Family Above and Beyond award, a significant honor and a notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Rudy Cypion on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal
resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. Mr. SP if you'd like to come up. I just wanted to say thank you. This is truly an honor and I'm incredibly touched by the this recognition. To the students who nominated me for the Above
and Beyond award, your kind words mean the world to me. It's moments like this that remind me why I do what I do. I'm standing here today feeling incredibly grateful, but I also know that I am just one part of an amazing team. So many of my colleagues here in the district go
above and beyond every single day. They spend countless hours preparing lessons, offering extra help, coaching, mentoring, and pouring their hearts into their students. This award for me is a testament to that collective spirit dedication. uh the spirit of dedication.
Therefore, I accept this not just for myself, but on behalf of all the teachers who consistently put in the extra time and effort because they believe in their students potential. I am also incredibly fortunate to be teaching in this district. Our shared commitment to education where values and learning are
the foundation that truly empowers us as teachers to be successful. That foundation allows us to innovate, support our students, and strive for excellence. Finally, I want to extend my sincere thank you to the school board and our superintendent for this opportunity to speak and for their
unwavering support of our schools and our students. Thank you all so much. [Applause] Are you okay with chairs? Chair is okay.
[Applause] I I don't know specific. Okay, so next up we have the uh Philh Hower and Stegraph awards that are generously sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westfield. Uh for the past 33
years, the Rotary Club has recognized the teacher at the elementary level with the Charles Philhower Fellowship Award. With us tonight is this year's Philhower Fellow, Jefferson, grade uh two teacher, uh Miss Don Donahghue. And before we invite Mrs. Donahghue to the podium to
say a few words, uh Mr. Baconio will read a resolution from the board followed by remarks by Jefferson principal Susie Hung. We also welcome Rotarian Alan Mcinley, director of the Westfield Memorial Library and a member of the nominating committee. Mr. Mcinley will join us for the photo uh photograph
on the stage and we'll make a brief remarks following the recognition of both the Philhau and Steam graph fellows. So this resolution by the board of education of Westfield, New Jersey to Dawn Donahghue. Whereas Charles Philhower distinguished himself as an
outstanding educator during 30 years of service as Westfield Superintendent of Schools from 1917 to 1947, helping establish Westfield as a premier school district in the state of New Jersey. And whereas the Rotary Club of Westfield has established a fellowship in memory of
Charles Charles Philhower, co-founder and past president of the Rotary Club. And whereas this memorial is a fitting tribute to the importance of teaching in the early childhood and elementary grades and the nobility of the teaching profession. And whereas Don Donahghue, a second grade teacher at Jefferson
Elementary School, has been awarded the 33rd annual Philhau Fellowship for outstanding teaching, interest in children, and continued pursuit of professional growth. And whereas Dawn Donahghue is commended as an enthusiastic, committed, and
hard-working educator who prepares her students for the real world, builds confidence in the learner's abilities and encourages them to succeed. Now, therefore, be it resolved that this board of education publicly expresses appreciation to the Rotary Club for establishing this award. And be it further resolved that this board of
education sincerely congratulates Dawn Donahghue for being named the 2025 Charles Philhower Fellow, a significant honor and a notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Dawn Donahghue on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal resolution becomes
part of the permanent records of the board of education. Uh before having Miss Donahghue come up, let's uh invite uh Susie Hunt to come up. [Applause]
Thank you. Good evening everyone. We are here tonight to celebrate the dedication and excellence of our teachers and I'm honored to speak about an exceptional educator, Mrs. Don Donahghue. She's going to cry. Mrs. Donahghue consistently demonstrates what it means to be a truly outstanding teacher. She
completes each year with remarkable success and this year teaching second grade again at Jefferson has been no exception. Um, as you can see all those faces out there and children as well as colleagues in Paris, uh, we are all here uh, to support uh, Mrs. Donahghue. Her positive energy, warmth, and patience
are evident to everyone around her. She has a gift for making each student feel seen and valued as unique individual. As we know, some students present particular challenges, yet she excels at connecting with them, inspiring them to work hard and achieve their potential. Mrs. Donahghue's communication with
parents is exemplary. She emails them regularly and frequently reaches out to them, often with evening or afternoon calls and to keep them informed and involved their in their children's education. Parents deeply appreciate her genuine care and concern for their children's well-being and academic progress. She also works beautifully
with adult helpers, including par professionals and student teachers. Our par professionals love working with Mrs. Donahghue because they learn so much from watching her interact and engage with the children. She has also been able to share her experience and wisdom by also being a cooperating teacher for student teachers. Mrs. Donahghue is a
great teacher leader, consistently stepping up and taking on new challenges. Her commitment to the responsive classroom approach that the district adopted at the end of the pandemic is evident in her daily practice. She proactively pursued advanced training in responsive classroom and most recently obtained the
responsive classroom certification. She skillfully cultivates student buyin in a highly effective classroom system, setting clear and consistent expectations for both behavior and learning. Mrs. is Donnie whose contributions extend beyond the classroom. She continues to serve as a literacy coach and a team captain
supporting our less experienced teachers and uh as well as volunteering for many uh committees including the spirit committee, the guardian committee, the environmental committee, and also helps with our safety patrol. Her dedication extends to relentlessly following up with struggling students, providing
targeted support, including offering extra help before school on a weekly basis to help students build confidence. Her collaborative spirit is also evident through her work with colleagues where she actively plans, shares ideas, resources, and analyze data to inform instruction. She consistently goes above
and beyond and is always lending a helping hand. In short, Mrs. Donahghue is an invaluable member of the Jefferson faculty. Her dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to her students, their families, and our school community make her an exemplary teacher. Mrs. Donahghue, we appreciate you.
[Applause] Oh boy. Woohoo. Oh my gosh. Well, Dr. Gonzalez already knows that
I'm crazy because when he came into my classroom to um present me with the award, I just about passed out and I was just beside myself. It is truly this is such an honor. Um I look
at all of my kids and I just I love them all. Um they are just my family. And I recently when I meet with Dr. Hong for observations followup and I just met
with Dr. Hong a few months ago for my annual and I said to her thank you so much. You have been such a mentor to me. You give me valuable feedback. You have encouraged me to um further my
professional development, to become a literacy coach, to mentor other teachers, to become a consulting responsive classroom teacher. And I just said to her, "Thank you so much. I am the teacher that I am because of you."
And she said, "No." She said, "You have always I'll never forget this. She said to me, you have always had it in you. I just believed in you. And that is exactly sums up what
teaching is and who I try to be. Um I have had such amazing teachers as a child and I've had amazing principles. My first principal when I was teaching at Newark, Dr. James is here today and
she same thing just believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. and it's been 25 years and I just take that that's all my kids need is someone to
believe in them. They matter and I want them to know that they matter. They are my family and when they walk into that classroom every day, I love them and I want them to know they are important.
They are seen. they are a part of the community and I believe in them because that's all we need. That's all I needed as a child, as as an adult teacher. And and I feel like as teachers, we have the
ability to impact our children. And my my teachers, all of them, impacted my life. And that's what I want to be for my kids is to impact them and let them know I believe in you. And I I love
Jefferson. I feel so so fortunate to be a part of that community and to share um with my colleagues and um the Jefferson community and thank you to the board of education and the Rotary Club. I love
teaching and I see all my families here and it just makes me feel so special and to know that that you know how much I love you. So, I love teaching. I love my children. I love Jefferson, my colleagues,
obviously, Dr. Hung. And this is an honor. It is such a privilege and it's an honor. And I um I'm so glad I get to do this every day. So, thank you. [Applause] If uh Mr. McInley wants to join for the
photo They put one student. [Applause] Wow. [Music] Each one of [Music] Wait a
[Music] minute. Everybody here. Congratulations. [Applause] that [Music] Thank you for coming.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Okay, moving on. Uh two years ago, the Rotary Club introduced the Wayman Steengraph award to honor any
non-scertificated staff member across the district. This year's recipient is Joan [Applause] Pensac. Joan is the head secretary at McKenley Elementary School. Again, Mr. Bonaccio will read a resolution followed
by remarks by McKinley principal Mary McCabe, Miss Pensac, and Mr. McInley uh and a group photo. The board of education of Westfield, New Jersey recognizes Joan Pensac. Whereas Wayman Steing began
teaching social studies in the Westfield public schools in 1942 before serving as principal at Franklin, Tmacquis, and Wilson elementary schools. And whereas the Rotary Club of Westfield has established a fellowship in memory of Wayman Steing,
a lifelong Rotarian from 1966 to 2010, who served as club president and district governor. And whereas Joan Pensac, head secretary at McKinley Elementary School, has been awarded the third annual Steingraft Fellowship, which recognizes an employee who works
full-time and is non-certificated with a minimum of five years in the Westfield Public School District, who is dedicated, kind, and supportive, and who has demonstrated a clear commitment to the students and staff of the Westfield Public Schools. And whereas Joan Pensac
is commended as 100% committed to the staff and students and the heart and soul of McKinley who has a natural ability to connect with people on a personal level and who truly embodies what it means to be a dedicated, kind, and supportive member of the school community. Now therefore, be it resolved
that this board of education publicly expresses appreciation to the Rotary Club for establishing this award. And be it further resolved that this board of education sincerely congratulates Joan Pensac for being named the 2025 Wayman Steingraft Fellow. A significant honor
and a notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Joan Pensac on May 20th, 2025. And that a copy of this formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of this board of education. I'll invite Principal Mary McCabe to the
podium. Good evening everyone. Thank you to the Westfield Board of Education and the Rotary Club for recognizing staff members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the students and staff of the Westfield Public Schools. As you can tell from the
enthusiastic applause, the McKinley community is incredibly proud to celebrate Mrs. Joan Panzac as the 2025 recipient of the Wayman Steeen Award. I am also personally grateful and very
lucky to work alongside this remarkable woman every day. As many of her colleagues and McKinley families shared in their letters of recommendation, Mrs. Penzac is truly the heart and soul of McKinley school. She
brings warmth, calm, and professionalism to every interaction. Whether she's comforting a nervous student, mending a Halloween costume while answering phones, remembering our mail carriers during the holidays and crossing guards,
supporting a staff member or a parent, or quite frankly, just keeping our entire building running smoothly. As head secretary, Mrs. Panzac is often the first face that people see when they walk through our doors. And that first impression is always one of
kindness, competence, and compassion. She leads quietly but powerfully with a genuine love for our students and our staff. Mrs. Penszac's humble service and steadfast dedication to the Westfield community embody the
very essence of the SteamRap Award. We are all stronger, kinder, and better because of her. Congratulations, Joan. and thank you for taking care of us. We are so grateful. Hello everybody. It's so nice
to see everybody tonight. I would like to take a moment to thank the Rotary Club, Dr. Gonzalez and the Westfield Board of Ed for awarding me the Wayne Mensteeen Award. Your recognition of the contributions
made by the non-certified staff in our district is deeply appreciated. I have been the secretary at McKinley School for 14 years. Thank you to Dr. Matthew Bolton who hired me in
2011 and I thought I was the old broad then to the McKinley staff. You are truly an extraordinary group of people who make it a pleasure to come to work every day. We share a commitment to do the
best for our students and families. As our roles in education have evolved over the years, we have adapted and grown together. Thank you to our wonderful principal Mary McCabe. Your leadership and strength lift us
all. Thank you to my friend and c-orker Jennifer Martin who nominated me for this award. And a special thanks to my amazing officemates Julie Federer and Valerie Williams. I cherish every moment we have
had together. I am thrilled tonight to be joined by my children, my three children, McKinley alumni, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Julia. Thank you for celebrating with me. Thank you
all. So, uh before we before we take a photo, I want to invite uh Alan McInley to just speak a bit about both awards and then we'll get uh we'll get to the photo. Thank you very much. It's a it's a pleasure to be here this evening. Um, one thing that's really stood out to me
tonight is that several uh people have been uh recognized and the way that they have indicated the the support of other people in in their acceptance. It really stands out to me. Um, and so I'd like to start by, you know, just thanking um the
board of education, um, Dr. Gonzalez, um the administrators, you know, everyone contributes to sort of creating this this ecosystem that allows I think such amazing educators. I don't think that that happens in a vacuum. And so, you know, I just want to acknowledge the
work that everyone does to contribute to that. It was such a pleasure. Um this is my first time being involved on behalf of Rotary. Um it was such a pleasure to read the nominations. I think that it takes a lot. It's a lot to move someone to to nominate another person, whether
it's um a parent nominating a teacher or a colleague. I I think that takes quite a bit and it it really shows um the how much people care about um the work they're doing um in in Westfield schools. Um it was easily the uh the
highlight of my uh maybe my year um reading uh the these nominations. Um so um you know thank you uh for uh working with the Rotary Club on this and um acknowledging this uh great effort. Um and thank you to all uh to everyone who sort of contributes to to that uh to the
Westfield um schools community. So thank you. All right, let's come on up for a photo. All right, so has full time. So staff and
[Applause] Let's go children. You tired Everybody lost me too. [Applause] Hey, how are you? So, congratulations once again to Mrs.
Donahghue and Mrs. Pensac and our deepest [Applause] [Music] appreciation and our deepest appreciation to the Rotary Club of Westfield for honoring our faculty and staff in this special way. Now, likewise, for more than two
decades, the Optimus Club of Westfield has given deserving credit to our intermediate school teachers, having established the Intermediate School Outstanding Teacher Award in 1998. This year's recipients of the Optimus Club Intermediate School Outstanding
Teacher Award are Edison Spanish Teacher Jillian Martinez and Roosevelt science teacher Melissa Fay. We are also fortunate this fortunate this evening to have members of the Optimus Club uh with us, Optimus
Club president Dariel Walsh and members Marty Galino, Jean Gennady, and Victor Manosski. Thank you for joining us. Following recognition of Ms. Martinez and Mrs. Fay, we will invite Mrs. Walsh to say a few words at the podium before everyone gathers on stage
for a photograph. But first, I'll ask Mr. Bonaccio to read a resolution for Ms. Martinez before inviting Edison principal Lenovash to say a few words, followed by Ms. Martinez. We'll ask Mrs. Shawl and Ms. Martinez to await a group photograph following the recognition of
Mrs. Fay, which will follow the same process with a resolution remarks by the principal uh and Mrs. Fay as well as Miss Walsh. Mr. Pacio. This resolution by the board of education of Westfield, New Jersey to
Jillian Martinez. Whereas the Optimus Club of Westfield, a supporter of schools and children in the community for many years, has established an annual award for outstanding teaching in the intermediate schools. And whereas this award is a fitting tribute to the importance of teaching in the intermediate grades and the nobility of
the teaching profession. And whereas Jillian Martinez, a Spanish teacher at Edison Intermediate School, has been awarded the 28th annual Intermediate School Outstanding Teacher Award for outstanding teaching, interest in children, and continued pursuit of
professional growth. And whereas the nominations received on behalf of Jillian Martinez describe her as an absolute superstar teacher who is patient, understanding, and makes every lesson fun. Now therefore, be it resolved that this board of education
publicly expresses appreciation to the Optimus Club of Westfield for establishing this award. And be it further resolved that this board of education sincerely congratulates Jillian Martinez representing Edison Intermediate School for receiving the 2025 Intermediate School Outstanding
Teacher Award, a significant honor and notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Jillian Martinez on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. Uh, I'll
invite Principal Shaw up. [Applause] Make me feel special. Good evening. Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez, the board of education, and the Optimus Club of
Westfield for your continued support and for recognizing the vital role our intermediate school teachers play. Your dedication to our educators is truly appreciated. Today, we celebrate Jillian Martinez, our
exceptional exceptional Spanish teacher and this year's Optimist Club outstanding teacher of the year award. Jillian has a remarkable ability to bring the Spanish language and culture to life for her students. From her
energetic instructional delivery to the engaging and thought-provoking cultural projects, Jill awakens the love of learning and even the most apprehensive student. Students consistently praise her engaging lessons, her patience, and her
genuine enthusiasm that makes learning fun and accessible to all. Her dedication extends far beyond her Spanish classroom. She is also the passionate adviser for our studentled women's empowerment club, providing guidance and fostering an important
space for our young women to connect and grow. She generously dedicates her time three days a week to our homework club in the media center, providing invaluable support and resources to students who need extra academic assistance. On a
personal note, I couldn't be more thrilled that Jillian is receiving this welldeserved recognition. From the moment I arrived at Edison, Jillian has been a true positive light. She welcomed me with open arms and has consistently offered an infectious smile, which you
all can see, and immeasurable support. Most recently playing a crucial role in the thoughtful and thorough process of selecting our new assistant principal. Her insightful perspective and collaborative spirit were truly indispensable. Jillian embodies the qualities of an
outstanding educator, going above and beyond in numerous ways to inspire and empower our students and to support our entire school community. She truly makes a difference in their lives every day. And we are incredibly fortunate to have her here at Edison. Congratulations,
Jillian, on this well-deserved and long overdue recognition. And I'm gonna hug her. Oh my. Thank you. Thank you so much. Oh my gosh. I was so nervous. I got lost on
the way here. That's why I was late. Okay. Thank you to the board of education, Dr. Gonzalez, and um the members of the Optimist Club award. Thank you so much. Um, I bet you've never heard anyone say
it before, but I got into teaching middle school for the money. Um, my first lesson was actually in Westfield High School. This is where I started. I did my student teaching and a maternity leave position, but soon after I found myself looking for another
job. I knew that I loved Westfield, but the only opening was a maternity leave position at Roosevelt. Liz, my student teacher, mentor, personal mentor, and lifelong friend, said, "Okay, you can sit at home
or you can take the position for $28,000." And I thought about it cuz that's what middle school makes you do. It makes you question if you want money or to not do anything at all. So, uh, yes. Now, however, middle school is
my home. I'm healing my inner child one day at a time every year I step into EIS. But the truth is, it is the best level to teach at. Anyone that works at the high school or elementary school just hasn't figured it out yet. Really, I just have a list of thank
yous. I want to thank the kids. I can't believe you guys are here. I'm supposed to teach them, but they are teaching me every day. It turns out if you stop and listen every once in a while, they have fascinating things to say and are incredible
people. If nothing else, they teach me about patience, adaptability, and humanity. I want to thank Lenova. Since her rise in leadership, she's used it to amplify my voice and presence in the school, which has had a ripple effect into benefits of all areas of my life.
Excuse me. Jada and Lenova give us space to be good educators. They allow us to individualize our lessons, be creative, and be great teachers. I want to thank my family for being here today. Everything that you all know and
love about me is them. My quirks, my habits, my mannerism, my ambition, all comes from them. And all of the people that came before them and those that couldn't be here today. Everywhere I go, they come with me and make up all of the best parts of
me. As do all of you, everyone in this room. Anything great about my teaching has the seeds or fabric or impression of some other great teaching that I've learned around me. As a traveling teacher over the years, I've taught in a room from every single department in the
building and have picked up trips from tr sorry, excuse me, tips and tricks from every single teacher I've ever shared a space with. What I thought was an inconvenience was actually another chapter of education and learning, but from the best role models up close and
personal. I have made some of the best and strongest connections and relationships from being a teacher at Edison. I've developed lifelong friendships and mentorships, but most importantly, the relationship that I've created with myself. In all of this
commotion, I've discovered that my teaching is actually just a raw expression of myself. and to be recognized for that has become the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my life. This has been a true honor. Thank you.
We're lucky enough that the Optimist Club gives out a second. Uh so a resolution by the board of education of Westfield, New Jersey to Melissa Fay. Whereas the Optimist Club of Westfield, a supporter of schools and children in the community for many years, has established an annual award for
outstanding teaching in the intermediate schools. And whereas this award is a fitting tribute to the importance of teaching in the intermediate grades and the nobility of the teaching profession. Whereas Melissa Fay, a science teacher at Roosevelt Intermediate School, has been awarded the 28th annual
Intermediate School Outstanding Teacher Award for outstanding teaching, interest in children, and continued pursuit of professional growth. And whereas the nominations received on behalf of Melissa Fay describe her as an incredibly talented and knowledgeable science teacher who takes a lesson,
turns it around, and makes it exciting for students. Now therefore, be it resolved that this board of education publicly expresses appreciation to the Optimus Club of Westfield for establishing this award. And be it further resolved that this board of education sincerely congratulates Melissa Fay representing Roosevelt
Intermediate School for receiving the 2025 Intermediate School Outstanding Teacher Award, a significant honor and notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Melissa Fay on Meliss on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this
formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. I'll invite Dr. Gman up to say a few words. [Applause]
Good evening. I want to start by thanking Dr. Gonzalez, the board of education, and the Optimus Club for allowing me to speak on behalf of an amazing teacher. It is my absolute pleasure to recognize someone who truly embodies what it means to be an
outstanding middle school educator, Miss Melissa Fay. Miss Flet Miss Fay is everything you want in a teacher. Kind, compassionate, professional, and incredibly dedicated. Her classroom isn't just a place to learn. It's a place where
students light up with curiosity and confidence. Her lessons are famously fun, actively engaging, and the smiles in room 501 are truly contagious. Students all say she makes
learning fun, and they mean it. She starts every lesson with a bright, positive attitude and instantly lifts the room. She understands how stressful school can be, especially around test time. So, she organizes creative and fun
review games to help her students feel both confident and prepared. If someone's confused or struggling, she's right there encouraging them to push through, keep trying, and never ever give up. She makes every student feel safe,
welcomed, and included. When I spoke to so many of her students, one student in home room who also has her period 1 said, "Having Miss Faith for home room means I get to start my day with her positive energy." She is also known for
incredible consistency, always present, always upbeat, and always cheering on her students. So many of her colleagues described her as dedicated, energetic, and enthusiastic. Whether she's winning first prize in our
staff Halloween costume, which by the way are amazing, Miss Fay, or volunteering after hours, she brings whole heart to our community. As a parent, I can say with confidence, Miss Fay is the kind of teacher I would love for my own children to have. And today,
we are so proud to celebrate her impact, not just as an educator, but as a truly special person. Thank you, Miss Fay. Thank you. Everyone loves the middle school teachers,
right? Um, thank you so much. What an honor it is to be here tonight. It's funny because I see so many familiar parents. Grayson, Desra, we have um Leila who are much what grade is she in
now? Oh my goodness. But you know, it's such a such an honor to teach these kids, but not just teaching them when they're in middle school. Seeing them later on um is has really been rewarding for me. I just want to start out by thanking Dr. Gonzalez, the members of
the board of ed, Westfield Optimus Club. Thank you guys so much um for inviting us and really celebrating education in our community. Mr. Gman, um Mr. Brunson, Mr. Patterson, the science supervisor, Kim Pentangelo, WA president. Thank you
guys so much for the support and belief in your teachers. Roosevelt and Edison colleagues for collaborating, mentoring, and helping shape me to be the educator that I am today. So 15 years ago, Mr. Carrie, you guys remember Mr. Kerry? Uh
when he interviewed me, I thought I was going to die because he said to me, "Miss Cook," because I was Miss Cook back then before I was married, but I didn't change my last name yet because New Jersey, it's like a nightmare and you try to get married and then change your last name. So he made me he he's
like, "Look at that pile of résumés back there." And it was like a stack. He's like, "That's how many people applied for this position." I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I think I'm going to die right now." But anyway, I was grateful for the opportunity to prove myself. Um, my
co-workers have really helped me become who I am. Gina Fox, when I came 15 years ago, she really took me under her wing and taught me the dos and don'ts of Westfield, which was very helpful. Um, but over time, I learned being a science teacher isn't just about teaching science. It's also about making
connections with kids. It's about making connections with them as students, as kids, making connections with parents, colleagues, even the community. Um, something that really touched me, I think it was the beginning of this school year, maybe it was last year, but Mr. Bonaccio, in your back to school
speech, you had said that the number one reason why people choose this town is because of the schools. And that really resonated with me. And I left the convocation really thinking that Westfield truly does respect, value, and celebrate their teachers. And in 2017,
actually, my husband and I bought a really small house in Westfield because we just had to be a part of this community. And my kids go to McKinley. My two guys right there, Miss Pasinanti, who was just in here, Miss Federer, Miss Williams the nurse. I mean, they all
really it has been every sacrifice that we've made in our little three-bedroom, one bathroom has been worth it on the south side of town. And my kids will be going to Edison. So, you know, look at them. They're they're good. They're good kids. Good kids. Um, but they've loved all of their
teachers and we knew from the moment that I started working in Westfield that we just had to have a piece of the pie. But the most important connections that I made have been with my students. Not just science, but also making learning fun, making it meaningful, teaching
organization, teaching social skills, you know, it's much more than just science. It's about saying hi to the kids and asking them how their day is and how they're doing because middle school is the beast. It is. Anyone that has taught middle school knows it's a very challenging time in kids' lives.
And I felt like I in middle school had a little bit of a challenging middle school life. and I really feel like I want to make it different for kids. So, uh, middle school has taught me patience. It's taught me acceptance. It's taught me to keep up with the
trends, all these words that they're using now like sigma and riz and all that. I had to change my grading scale because they didn't understand the grading scale because, you know, sixth grade is going from N's and P's and E's to A's, B's, C's, you know, D's and, you
know, Fs. So my F was like dog water. Not good. A C is like a mid. An A is like a huge aura. Huge aura if you have an A. So I changed my grading scale and the kids were like, "Oh, it makes sense
now." I'm like, "Okay, do you want to have a huge aura or do you want to be skippy toilet? I don't know. Which which do you prefer?" So it's been it's been interesting. But what I really love is also bumping into former students um
that have loved and remembered my class. Uh one student I ran into at um uh the coffee shop in town and he told me he became a scientist because of my class. He sang the electromagnetic spectrum song to me. Like it really touched me.
So anyway, some final thank yous. My parents are watching from Michigan on the live stream. So thank you to my mom and dad for pushing me. um my family for supporting me and thank you to the students for
writing the beautiful letters. I got to read a couple of them and they were very touching and they reminded me why middle school is the hardest but the best job in the world and I enjoy my job and I enjoy going to work as crazy as that sounds because every friend that I have that I tell them I'm a middle school
teacher they're like what? But I really do enjoy it. So thank you and have a great night. So before we do a group photo, I'd like to invite Dariel Walsh of the Optimus Club to just say a few words about the award and then we'll have the uh the honores and the members of the club join
us for a photo on stage. Good evening. Um, the Optimus Club was chartered in Westfield in 1989. And our mission and purpose is to support youth, to be a friend of youth, and especially to encourage the development of youth.
And all of our activities are focused on that mission and purpose. Um, we're proud to provide uh resources for this annual award. Um, we've been giving it out, I believe, for over 20 years. Um, many of the teachers that received them
and previously if I bump into them or if they come to an Optimus Club meeting remind us about the plaque and how important it was for them to have it and put it in their classroom. They're very excited when they receive the award. Um it re recognizes the dedication, the
achievements and the impact that intermediate school teachers have on this very critical stage in the development of our young people. It's sort of a a blip in time. And when we were considering um giving the award, it
was very important to us to remember the intermediate school teachers because the elementary school teachers feel the love. I was an elementary school teacher and the high school teachers get a lot of appreciation but somehow intermediate school teachers need that recognition
and support. So we wanted to make sure that that we gave them the acknowledgement that they deserve. The criteria as mentioned before are outstanding teaching interest in children, dedication to the children in the classroom and continued professional
growth. So, this recognition includes a grant award to the teacher to be used for whatever they would like in the classroom or for their own professional growth. And um they're invited to a dinner in September where they will
receive a plaque. So, thank you very much. Perfect. Look up here. You have to go across this. Everybody look up here. [Applause]
Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So Ray is going to do an introduction first. Yeah. No. Yeah. Okay. So, once again, we'd like to
congratulate uh Mrs. Fay and Ms. Martinez. And as always, thank you to the Optimus Club of Westfield for this meaningful recognition of our intermediate school educators. We now turn our attention to the Westfield High School Awards of Excellence, a timehonored tradition in the high school
community. The Robert and Linda Fouse Memorial Award, named for a former princ former principal and teacher, recognizes an educator who is a role model and an inspiration to the Westfield High School community. This year's recipient is
Spanish teacher Paula Prada. As previously recognized, science teacher Rudy Cypion is the recipient of the Jeffrey family above and beyond award, which honors uh a teacher has made a difference in the life of a student. The
sorry the the parent teacher student organization teacher of the year award honors a teacher who is encouraging, motivating, and a good role model. Science teacher Jeffrey Robbins was selected as this year's recipient. We also have English teacher Kimberly
Goen Fowler who received the distinguished teacher of the year award. Established to recognize a teacher who through excellence in teaching and a demonstrated commitment to intellectual pursuits serves as a model and an inspiration to the Westfield High School
community. This time I invite WHS acting principal Bill Lockan up to the podium. He beat me to it. Uh to say a few words about this year's recipients. After Mr. Lchran speaks, Mr. Bonaccio will read a resolution for each
award recipient before inviting them to give brief remarks at the podium. Mr. Lan. Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez. And good evening, everyone. Truly is my privilege and honor to speak about these outstanding educators this evening. In fact, it's been my privilege and honor
to work with many, many outstanding educators here at Westfield High School over the past few months. You can ask 10 15 people what makes a great educator and they may have 10 or 15 different opinions. But one thing all 10 or 15 would agree on is that the most
important characteristic of an outstanding educator is the ability to make a connection with his or her students. Each of the four individuals tonight has certainly done that and then some. Allow me to share with you some of the comments made about our honored teachers by the students who nominated
them. And we'll start first with Paula Prada. She knows how to make the learning environment an enjoyable experience. She engages with her students and helps us to understand the material more effectively using games and activities to ensure we are prepared for tests and quizzes. She's the perfect
balance between fun and learning, making it easier for us to focus and to work hard. Overall, the best teacher ensures everyone has everything they need to succeed in the classroom. about Rudy Cypion always is the one to help me out whether it's about the
curriculum or coming many times for extra help or just talking with me about life. My favorite teacher, someone I genuinely look up to. He's taught me lessons that go far beyond the classroom. He gives the kind of support that is rare and it's why his impact has
been truly extraordinary. He truly cares about our emotional well-being and mental health. Something that I think is super important as we students here are often very stressed in our other classes. About Jeffrey Robbins, a great teacher, best teacher I ever had, made
learning fun again. Learned more in his class than any other. Those skills I walk away with to apply to my life are priceless. He's able to create meaningful bonds with students. always been super helpful, caring, helpful, generous, kind. Having a bad day? Don't
worry, he checks in and if there's and he's there if you need anything. And finally, Kimberly Fowler, goes out of her way to be kind, is an amazing teacher, has taught us a great deal of material while still making the class fun and engaging. She really is the best
teacher I've ever had. Fine words about each of our nominees. How about a round of applause for them? American poet Maya Angelou has written the following. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel. These words certainly ring true when it comes to these four distinguished educators. And please join me once again in thanking and congratulating them. We'll start with the resolution for Paula Prada. Whereas the Robert and
Linda Fouse Memorial Award has been established to annually recognize a member of the Westfield High School faculty who through both excellence in teaching in the classroom and a demonstrated commitment to intellectual pursuits beyond the classroom is a role model and an inspiration to the
Westfield High School community. And whereas this award, whose namesakes were a former principal of Westfield High School and a former teacher, has been conferred upon Spanish teacher Paula Prada. And whereas Paula Prada is recognized as an educator who knows how to make the learning environment an
enjoyable experience, engaging with her students and helping them to understand the material more effectively. Now therefore, be it resolved, this board of education publicly congratulates Paula Prada for receiving the 2025 Robert and Linda Fouse Memorial Award, a
significant honor and notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Paula Prada on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. Mr. Prada, if
you'd like to say a few words. Good evening everyone. Um, my name is Paula Prada and I'm deeply grateful to be standing here tonight accepting this award. I'm not typically a crier, but I feel it coming. Um, so I don't typically win
things. Uh, so it's hard to put into words what this moment means to me. However, standing here tonight, I can't help but think think back to how my teaching journey began. Um, at my grandparents house in Spain, nervously
interviewing with David Greer, um, who was the world language supervisor at that time. Um, my parents had gifted me a trip to Spain as my college graduation present. And I remember sitting on my grandmother's bedroom floor pressed up against her door because that's as far
as the landline cord would go. Um, and he we were just having like a very quick phone interview. Um, it it's as far as it would go from the hallway is what I meant to say. Um, and I guess now is the best time to tell you Dave, my flight wasn't coming in on the on the 19th or
the 18th. It was on the 19th. I needed a day to prep. Um, so it was such an authentically pure moment for me and my beginning moment to my teaching career here at Westfield Public Schools. Uh, that memory stays with me,
not just because of how far I've come, but because it reminds me of my roots. Okay. I'm the first one in my family to go to college and I'm proud of that. But I'm even prouder to be the daughter of my
immigrant parents who are over there sitting over there recording me. Watch. Watch me. Don't record me. Who sacrificed so much to make that happen for me and my sister. They may not have degrees and their English may not be perfect, but
they worked harder than most people that I know. They taught me lessons about dignity and work ethic and community that I try to teach in my own classroom. Sometimes I'm not great at it, but I try. Their journey was work. It was
sacrifice. And it was showing love through action. That's the foundation I stand on. And everything I accomplish is a reflection of their quiet strength. Sorry. As an educator, I found excitement and
purpose in sharing the Spanish language and culture with my students. But not just in vocabulary or grammar or the history, but the heart of it. At the heart of learning a language is the courage to be vulnerable and to make mistakes, to be
misunderstood and to keep trying anyway, much like my parents did for many years. Language isn't about perfection, but rather creating a connection. And I want my students to know that their own stories and their backgrounds and their val are valuable and worth
celebrating. But just as important as the lessons we learn is the kind of people we become. I feel a deep responsibility not just to teach the subject matter but to teach how to be thoughtful, kind, and compassionate people. How to present I'm
sorry, how to be present, listen, and care for one another. I see my own evolution as part of the work. I want if I want my students to grow, I have to do the same. What stays with me the most tonight is the hope that something I did
matter to even one student. That kind of impact feels real and meaningful. It's moments like that that remind me why this work matters and why I keep coming back. So to my students, my colleagues, my family, my husband, thank you from the
bottom of my heart for walking beside me for the past 14 years and for making me feel so incredibly incredibly loved and seen these past few weeks. I don't take it for granted. I share this wonderful moment with all of you. Thank you. Before we get to Mr. Robins for the
students here. A landline is a phone that plugs into the wall that you can't carry around with you. Um, resolution by the board of education of Westfield, New Jersey to Jeffrey Robbins. Whereas the Westfield High School PTSO teacher of the year award has been established to
annually recognize a teacher who is enthusiastic and motivating, encourages students to excel to their greatest potential, and is a good role model. And whereas this award is presented to Jeffrey Robbins, a dedicated science teacher at Westfield High School, who is
applauded as caring, helpful, generous, and kind educator who creates meaningful bonds with students and makes learning fun. And now, therefore, be it resolved that this board of education publicly congratulates Jeffrey Robbins for receiving the 2025 PTSO teacher of the
year award, a significant honor and notable accomplishment. And be it further resolved that this resolution be presented to Jeffrey Robbins on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. Mr.
[Applause] Robbins. Wow. I'd like to um thank everyone. To be standing here tonight receiving the PTSO teacher of the award leaves me humbled and filled with gratitude. This honor is special to me
because it comes from this community, my students and their parents. I'd like to thank my students, the parents, Dr. Gonzalez, the board, the PTSO, and my family for making for creating a space to make this possible. Thank you. I feel like I'm standing
among giants. The great students who inspire me every day. The parents who partner in their learning journey. And the exception exceptional educators, union, and administrators who surround me with their passion and expertise. I'm going to date myself here real quick. Three decades ago, a raft
guide from New Jersey was considering a career change and was doing observations looking for a placement for student teaching. I saw Rich Ganji and Bob Brewster teaching here and I was blown away. And I knew this was the place for me. I wanted to learn to be an educator
here and I wanted them to teach me to teach. And during the months that followed, I learned more about education than my prior years of college. 30 years later, if you run into Brew in town and you drop my name, he will tell you about my lesson that went
sideways, went really bad, and how he gave me the space to learn from it and make it better the following day. It's quite a story from a gifted storyteller and I recommend you seek him out to hear his version. That's the magic of this place. We have incredible students and phenomenal teachers, great
administrators, all working together to make kind, curious, skeptical citizens who ask questions, look at data, and draw meaningful conclusions from it. Mind you, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes our students will make developmentally appropriate
decisions that are not acceptable in the school environment. But we can turn this into a moment of reflection learning. And please do not ever do that again. I have had the privilege of working with a great
union, great administrators, many of whom are in the room with us tonight, and I'm pretty certain that I've made all of them roll their eyes at least once at some of my suggestions. great ideas. Quoting my student teaching evaluation from the 1900s, which I still
have, they that my observer said, "Although this session was not the traditional teaching presentation, so everyone was warned early." Um, my administrators have given me the privilege to try new things and they have challenged me and helped me grow to the teacher you see before you now. I
want to again thank my students, their parents, the PTSO, my mentors, my colleagues, and the administration. This award is a reflection of the incredible community we've built together, and I'm deeply honored to be part of it. Thank you. Uh, next, someone I'm lucky to call
family. uh resolution by the board of education of Westfield, New Jersey to Kimberly Gosen Fowler. Whereas the Westfield High School Distinguished Teacher of the Year award has been established to annually recognize a teacher who through both excellence in teaching and a demonstrated commitment to intellectual pursuits beyond the
classroom serves as a model and inspiration to the high school community to strive toward excellence. And whereas this award is presented to Kimberly Gosen Fowler, a dedicated English teacher at Westfield High School, who is praised by her students for being a kind and amazing teacher who has taught us a
lot while making the class fun and engaging. Now, therefore, be it resolved that this board of education publicly congratulates Kimberly Goen Fowler for receiving the 2025 Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, a significant honor and a notable accomplishment. And be it
further resolved that this resolution be presented to Kimberly Gosen Fowler on May 20th, 2025, and that a copy of this formal resolution becomes a part of the permanent records of the Westfield, New Jersey Board of Education. Mr.
[Applause] Fowler, thank you so much. Um, Board of Education, Dr. Gonzalez, uh, Mr. Lan, colleagues, um, I'm deeply honored and
humbled to be named this year's Westfield High School Distinguished Teacher of the Year. I want to congratulate all of the teachers being recognized tonight. I so enjoyed hearing your words and reading about your careers and all the writeups. Um, I don't know all of you, but I feel like I
truly gained an appreciation for your passion and your talent. Uh, I'm grateful to be able to tell you directly how much you inspire me. As an English teacher of 25 years, a 1989 graduate of Westville High School,
and the mother of four children who have gone through the Westfield school system, one of whom is still in the building with me. I guess you could say I bleed blue. Not just because I'm proud uh but because I have seen excellence in education abound consistently as a
mother and as a teacher. So first a word about our teachers and then a word about our dear dear students one of whom is sitting right here. I am in awe I am in awe of what happens in our classrooms at all levels. Besides being
in my own classroom, my favorite experiences as an educator are collaborating with colleagues and visiting other teachers classrooms informally and formally as part of Westfield's new teacher and buddy
teacher mentoring system. Imagine a district that values its teachers so much that it provides a professional development day to watch colleagues in action and learn from them. that is Westfield. It's been a privilege to see
truly effective and enriching teaching at work in my department, other departments, and in other buildings. When you see colleagues in their element doing inventive things in the classroom, you want to better yourself. When you're surrounded by brilliance, you aspire to
it. This is what I have experienced. And I have always been so honored to be counted amongst the incredibly talented, caring, smart, passionate, creative, and impactful teachers in our building and in our district. The students, oh, our dear
students, I have the best job in the world. Literally, I look forward to spending 43 minutes with them, each group every day. And next year we get 55. I'm I The more the better. And I mean it. I'm so excited. Every year's
different. Every lesson plan is slightly different depending on who's in the seats. I think I learn more from them every day than they learn from me. I really do. They're so bright and curious and insightful and caring and
hardworking and this year their empathy um they had different reasons for empathy and they stepped up and um I am in awe of them. I am in awe of them. In the classroom, we work very hard on building trust, feeling comfortable asking questions, and keeping an open
mind. These ingredients are vital to students building a willingness to push themselves, think critically, and grow. A pillar of all my classes is the importance of truly hearing others, and understanding before rushing to judgment and criticism. We're going to disagree.
That's part of life. But the best way to find some common ground, even in disagreement, is through meaningful discourse, and that involves communication both ways. I'm so proud of my students as they put this into practice. I want to thank my students
for their willingness to be uncomfortable and listen to each other. I think we've all learned something new this year at some point or other. So to me, this award validates this practice uh of humans committing to understand
one another as they construct their own identity and their worldview. I want to thank those who've mentored me uh and partnered with with me in the past and those who continue to do so. I'm always grateful for your imprint and your guidance. I also want
to thank my incredible family for their unwavering support. my husband Tom and my children, my sister and my mother. Um, three out of four of my kids are able to be here tonight. One of them is coming home from study abroad on Saturday. Um, Anastasia,
Amelia, Ronin, and Marin. Um, I love you to pieces. I'd like to close with a brief excerpt, brief excerpt from one of my favorite poems, Diving into the Wreck by the great Adrien Rich. It has nourished me as a teacher on the best days and
fortified me on the very hardest days. I came to explore the wreck. I came to see the damage that was done and the treasures that prevail. May we all as educators and as humans be willing to think critically,
to see damage that has been done to face it and make it better. And may we also as educators and as humans be willing to find the treasures that prevail because they are always there. Thank you.
Look up there. Anybody? [Applause] [Music] I was like, "Do you want to crack Thank you so much.
Okay, once again, congratulations to all of these deserving staff. staff members and thank you to their families, friends, and students who attended tonight to celebrate their many achievements. This time we'll move right into we will uh we'll move right into uh just I know the board has some
announcements. Uh we'll start with CJ. The district art show is almost here. A vibrant celebration of student creativity across all grade levels. Join us on Tuesday, June 3rd, and Wednesday, June 4th from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. each day in the Westfield High School Gym 5 area.
Visitors should enter through door d1 on Trinity Place. Additionally, free tickets are required for entry and can be reserved at wpsvpa.booktick.com. Uh Ila, for the eighth consecutive year, the Westfield Public School District has earned recognition as one of the best
communities for music education. This prestigious accolade awarded by the National Association of Music Merchants, NAM Foundation, honors districts for their exceptional commitment to providing comprehensive music education opportunities to every student.
27 students from Westfield High School's Youth and Government Club participated in the 81st annual New Jersey Youth and Government Conference with a number of students earning individual honors. This 3-day event welcomed 400 students from more than 20 high schools across the
state. Kudos to all club members and their adviserss, David Delara and Daniel Farabel. Kent, thank you. I have too. To keep the celebration going, the Westfield PTC Special Education Committee is holding a spring social on Friday, May 30th at
Rock and Joe's Coffee House at 20 Prospect Street beginning at 9:00 a.m. Secondly, as we continue to raise awareness and foster understanding of the diverse cultures and traditions in our school community, we recognize May as Asian-American and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and a time to honor Memorial Day. As noted at our April 29th board meeting, we celebrated Jewish Heritage Month in April as recognized by the state of New Jersey while also acknowledging its national observance here in May. Thank you.
So, I also have two congratulations to the 86 Westfield High School students inducted into the National Honor Societies for Spanish, French, Chinese, and Italian with 34 excelling in Spanish, 24 in French, eight in Chinese,
and 20 in Italian. For a list of the inductees, visit the news section on the district and high school homepages. And this is a reminder that the Westville Public School District will be closed this Friday, May 23rd through Wednesday, May 28th, in observance of
Memorial Day and for the three unused snow days. Kristen, the last regular public meeting of the board of education for the 2425 school year will be on Tuesday, June 17th in the cafeteria B at Westfield
High School beginning at 6 p.m. We look forward to continuing our recognition of students and staff. The meeting will be livereamed via the district YouTube channel, which viewers can access on the board tab on the district website. The complete agenda will be available on
Friday, June 13th. also on the board tab. Thank you. Uh next we'll move to a report by district administration, Dr. Gonzalez. Okay. Uh to get started, I'm I would like to ask Miss Ramos if she has
anything to add to the agenda. Under uh governance section, we're going to be adding number 19 to a under the harassment, intimidation, bullying. It's the 289060- EIS-3072025. That'll be number 19. For tonight's uh administrative report,
I'd like to um provide two updates. Uh the first is reviewing the district and school final uh HIV grades as required under the anti-bullying bill of rights. In alignment with the New Jersey Department of Education's requirements, the Westfield Public School District has
received the official 2023 2024 harassment, intimidation, and bullying grade report. This report reflects the self assessments submitted in the fall and confirms our internal evaluations of each school's implementation of the anti-bullying bill of rights. The HIB
grade report evaluates schools across eight core elements, each contributing to a maximum possible score of 78 points. Each category includes HIV programs, approaches or other initiatives, training on the BOE
approved HIV policy, other staff instruction and training programs, curriculum and instruction on HIV related information and skills, HIV personnel, school level HIV incident reporting procedure, HIV investigation
procedure, and HIV reporting. Each school's total score reflects its implementation of the anti-bullying bill of rights based on these elements and the district grade represents the average of all school scores. While the NJ DOE does not assign letter grades or
rankings, these scores do provide valuable insight into the degree of compliance and program quality across the district. As required, the official report is posted on both the district and individual school websites to promote transparency and community
awareness. If you have any questions regarding a school a specific schools report, please feel free to contact the building principal directly to find out more information. And then the other update I'd like to provide is with regards to
the all the projects uh related to the bond referendum. Over the last year, we used our monthly reports to re uh to share the activity associated with building the budget and bond proposals and educating the community about the April 15th vote. Now, with the passage
of the referendum last month, I'm pleased to provide the first of countless progress updates to our referendum projects. After taking a brief moment to acknowledge and appreciate the community support, we quickly transitioned into the implementation phase. Since the week
following the vote, we have been meeting weekly with our architectural partners, FKA architects, to lay the groundwork for these transformative projects. And our initial focus has been on two key areas. The first is engaging professional support. We initiated the
process to issue requests for proposals, RFPs, for engineering services to assist in the design of both new and renovated spaces throughout the district. These partnerships are essential for translating our vision into actionable plans. We also engage in a program
review and space planning. We are carefully reviewing our program plans to ensure that the intended purposes of these spaces continue to meet the evolving needs of our students and schools. This includes gathering input from department administrators and school principles which will guide our
planning through the coming weeks in and into the summer. Simultaneously, FKA Architects is conducting detailed measurements of all relevant spaces, both indoors and outdoors, to support the development of specifications, blueprints, and construction plans. An
important part of our discussion has been setting priorities and scheduling with a focus on three guiding principles. The first is equity. We want to ensure that every school community sees progress and benefits from the referendum in a phased approach. Safety.
We want to make sure that planning construction timelines is done in order to minimize disruptions to teaching and learning while maintaining a safe environment for students and staff. And then third is urgency. We need to identify uh and address projects that
are time-sensitive, ensuring that we meet immediate and projected needs. We recognize that this is a multi-year endeavor, but the work is well underway. We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide regular updates as we progress through each phase of
implementation. That concludes my report. Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez. Uh we'll now move to our high school student report. James, good evening everyone. Westfield High School has been full of action as we
close the 2025 school year out. Earlier this month, the school held its annual honor society's induction ceremonies with over 200 students being inducted into the NHS and almost a hundred being inducted into their respective world language honor societies. I was lucky enough to have been able to induct
students for both the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish Honor Society. The ceremonies went very well and all the inductees are very proud of their accomplishments. Along with this, last week, Westfield Westfield's booth booster association held their 58th annual banquet for senior athletes with
dozens of scholarships given out to many deserving student athletes. Last Sunday was also Imagine's annual Greta's run. This event went extremely well and many volunteers from our school's comm community service club helped with everything from setup to cleanup. Additionally, tonight we
recognized four amazing teachers for their contributions to WHS and its community. I was grateful to be on the selection committee for these awards and the four teachers honored tonight are so deserving of this recognition. Looking forward as we head into Memorial Day weekend, there are various events going
on as we close out the year. Tomorrow, seniors will be recognized for all their amazing accomplishments at this year's senior awards night. The ceremony will be held at 600 p.m. in the WHS auditorium. Additionally, after Memorial Day weekend is senior week. Senior sunset will take place at Keller Stadium
at 7:45 p.m. on June 4th. followed by the school's senior picnic the following day during periods six and seven. During this day, seniors can pick up their cap and gowns and can also purchase one if they did not already. They can get their senior t-shirt for $5 as well as their
NHS tassels if applicable. There will be an ice cream truck, snacks, a DJ, as well as various long games. Finally, prom will take place on Saturday, June 7th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Pines Manor in Edison. These events will be the last ones of the year that SGA helps
organize. And with that comes the election of a new board. Our current corresponding secretary, Ben Zo, is in attendance tonight and will be next year's vice president of communications. And with that, filling my role as a student representative to the board of education. Ben is incredibly smart and involved within WHS, and I have no doubt
that he will do a great job representing the school next year. With the year closing out, the school will be filled with fun activities and events to make these last few weeks impactful for its students. Thank you. Thank you. And welcome in a little bit,
Ben. Uh we'll now move to board committee reports. We'll start with uh curriculum instruction and programs. I think Sonel, the curriculum, instruction, and program committee has not met since the last board of education meeting. Our final meeting of the school year is scheduled for Monday, June 2nd. This
evening's board agenda includes several curriculum documents from the English language arts department. These materials were previously reviewed and discussed by the SIP committee and are now being presented for full board approval. Also on the agenda are five overnight trip requests, all related to high school athletic teams traveling for
competitions. In addition, four candidates for student teaching and internship placements are being submitted for board approval this evening. Thank you. Sel uh finance facilities Kent Thank you, Rob. Finance committee meeting met last Friday, uh the 16th. A
good time was had by all. Uh we uh there's a few projects we got going on over the summer initiation for the 202526 budget. Uh the second grade furniture has been purchased and will be delivered by the end of July. So that' be first grade and second grade with new furniture. Woohoo. A boiler replacement
for the Westfield High School Science Wing and Washington have been ordered. So not as exciting as furniture, but needed. Uh front ADA accessible walkway at Franklin is started and will be done in the summer. Flooring at WHS High School,
we're replacing roughly 20 classroom floors just to keep things moving. And we've ordered some cafeteria equipment here for the high school for uh using cafeteria funds, which will be needed next year with block scheduling. Other items we talked about uh we'll talk about later in the donations, but we
have we'll have a new softball scoreboard. Just a little teaser until later in the agenda. And uh we talked about the referendum which Dr. Gonzalez uh already covered. That was about it. Comments, questions.
Thank you, Ken. Uh next we'll go to policies, personnel, and governance. That's Laya. um policies met on May 7th and um it was a very productive meeting but it does not seem that there was a ton of
policies but the other stuff was was was really productive. Um so we reviewed the uh job descriptions specifically um of the superintendent as well as our cabinet members and they are on our agenda this evening. Um
the uh I'm sorry, the district uh organization chart was revised um to reflect more accurately what our district currently has and what our district currently needs. Um additionally, we reviewed the changes
made to the student code of conduct. These are also on our um agenda for first reading tonight. And um we ended the we ended the meeting with a discussion of reviewing hired professionals um discussing the inventory and review of our hired
professionals and recommending developing a system for a cyclical review of them as a goal for the upcoming year. Excellent. Thank you, Ila. Uh we'll now move to recognize the public. This is on agenda action items
only. Uh during this portion of the meeting, district residents and staff are invited to address the board of education on agenda action items only. These are the items uh in colored font on the Westfield agenda. If you have uh more general comments about any issues under the district, there'll be time for
public comment on that after the votes in just a little bit. Um as a courtesy, we ask uh folks to allow current students and staff of Westville public schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if
applicable for the record, the specific action items they are commenting on, and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or designate, not to individual members or staff. The board um sorry, uh the board asked that members of the public be courteous and
mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New Jersey. The p the board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members
of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should be referred to the responsible building principal, superintendent of schools, or the board of education, either by telephone, letter, or mail. Although the board may not respond to items raised
during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the board president may terminate the participant statement. Continued disruptions may result in removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker statement will be limited to three
minutes in duration. Seeing no one on agenda items, I'll close public comment. Uh, and I will uh make a motion uh to the board to approve the April 29th, 2025 and May 6th, 2025 board meeting minutes as well
as the April 29th 25 executive session minutes. Do I have a second? Kent. Uh, we can just do this by voice vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Any abstensions? Minutes pass. Uh, Kristen, I'll ask you to move the governance
items on the agenda, please. I'd like to ask the board to move items uh A under the governance portion of tonight's agenda. Can I get a second? Sonel. Patty. Rob Bacio. Yes. Kent Diamonds.
Yes. Brendan Gallagghan. Charles Galinus. No. Leila Mr. Yes. Sonol Patel. Yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. So Patty, since I wasn't here for executive, do I abstain from 19 or is that different? I
don't No, you don't have to. It's just like every other one. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, yes. Julie Steinberg and Mary Wicens. Next, move to the personnel section of the agenda. Ila, I'd like to move items A through HH on
the personnel section of the tonight of tonight's agenda. Is there a second phoneal? Dr. Gonzalez, I think you have a retirement. Yes, I have just one retirement this evening. Uh Carlo Papa.
Carlo Papa has been a dedicated member of the Edison Intermediate School staff, uh, devoting over two decades to supporting our students, staff, and daily operations. As a familiar and long-standing presence at Edison Intermediate School, Carlo has witnessed the growth and success of countless
students over the years, also playing a quiet but essential role in their educational journey. As a custodian, Carlo took great pride in ensuring that the building was ready for learning each and every day, demonstrating reliability, hard work, and true
commitment to the school community. His resilience and dedication throughout his many years of service have been a constant source of support for all who walk through the doors at Edison. As Carlos steps into retirement, we are deeply grateful for his years of service. His steady presence will be
missed, but the positive impact that he's made will continue to be felt throughout Edison Intermediate School. We wish him all the best in this well-deserved next chapter. Patty Robinio, yes. Kent Diamonds, yes. Brendan Gallagghan. Charles Galinus,
yes. Leila Melli, yes. Sonol Patel, yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, yes. Julie Steinberg, Mary Wicens. Next, I'd like to ask Kent to move the finance and facilities items on the agenda. Yes, I'd like to move items A through M. And I'd like to highlight the
We have some donations. Woohoo. Uh we'd like to thank Franklin PTO for a gift of $12,685 for an outdoor classroom cany. Uh second, the Westfield Coalition for the Arts for $180 for a Westfield High School memory project. Uh, the Westfield
Educational Association donated $5,000 for Hate Ends Now, the cattle car exhibit to be presented at the Westfield High School. And lastly, the Westfield School Boosters Association donated $19,211 for a new scoreboard for the W Westford High School softball
field. And with that, may I have a second, please? Kristen Patty Rob Bacio. Yes. Kent Diamonds. Yes. Brendan Gallagghan. Charles Galinus, yes. Laya Morelli, yes.
Sonel Patel, yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, yes. Julie Steinberg, Mary Wickens. All right. Next, Ila, would you move the policy section of the agenda, please? Yes. I'd like to move items A through B under the policy section of tonight's
agenda. Do I have a second? Okay. Patty Rob Bonaccia. Yes. Kent Diamonds. Yes. Brendan Gallagghan. Charles Galinus. Yes. Laya Morelli. Yes. Sonel Patel. Yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz. Yes.
Julie Steinberg. Mary Wickens. And finally, Sonel, would you mind moving the curriculum instructions and programs items, please? I'd like to move items A to C under the curriculum instruction and program section of tonight's agenda. Can I have a second? Thank you, Kristen.
Patty Rob Bonacio, yes. Kent Diamonds, yes. Brendan Gallagghan, Charles Galinus, yes. Leila Morelli, yes. Sonol Patel, yes. Kristen Sonic Schmeltz, yes. Julie Steinberg, Mary Wickens. I'll call the board's attention to the
notes for the record. Uh there was no unfinished or new business submitted for the agenda. Uh I'll now ask if anyone has any liaison reports. All right. Seeing none, uh we'll move to recognize the public. Uh during this portion of the meeting, members of the public are invited to address the board of education on any
topic. As a courtesy, allow current students and staff of the Westville public schools to speak first. The board requests that individuals sign in and state their name, municipality of residents, and group affiliation if applicable for the record and ask that all remarks be directed to the board president or designate, not to
individual board members or staff. The board asked that members of the public be courteous and mindful of the rights of other individuals when speaking. Specifically, comments regarding personnel matters are discouraged and cannot be responded to by the board. Students and employees have specific legal rights afforded by the laws of New
Jersey. The board bears no responsibility, nor will it be liable for any comments made by members of the public. If a matter concerning a district staff member is of interest or concern to a resident, the matter should be referred to the responsible building principal, superintendent of schools, or
the board of education either by telephone, letter, or email. Although the board may not respond to items raised during the public forum, all public comments will be considered. Please note that if any member of the public becomes disruptive during the meeting, the board president may terminate the participant statement.
Continued disruptions may result in removal from the meeting or adjournment of the meeting. Each speaker's statement will be limited to three minutes in duration. Come on up. Can you hear me? Okay, good. Um, hello everyone. My name is Sarah Weinberg. I'm a junior at Westfield High School, the
co-president of the Jewish Cultural and Development Club, an active member of the No Place for Hate Committee, and most importantly, a citizen of Westfield. I am aware that the world is not a perfect place and there is hate spread every day within the news and the public, but I didn't think that it would
leak into our school systems. I'm here today so that you all can get the perspective of what it's like to be a student in this town right now. School is meant to be a place of learning, safety, and community. And it all gets shot down when a student puts a swastika underneath a desk or when the n-word is
plastered on the bathroom doors. I know those students understand what those symbols mean and understand the hate that they represent. I know this because I learned the same curriculum that they did. As a Jewish student, I am disgusted that a swastiko would repeatedly turn up
on the walls, desks, and bathrooms in a place of learning. I am scared that something worse will occur, like an act of violence instead of just a symbol of hate. I am uneasy about what the future holds regarding being a Jewish student in this district. When these situations
repeatedly turn up, my safety is not insured. Though emails of updates and apologies are appreciated, there needs to be a larger call to action. I challenge you, the board of education, to do more to solve this issue. The famous Jewish author Ellie Weisel, who
devoted his life to fighting anti-semitism, wrote the following words, which I think are appropriate to this situation. Action is the only remedy to indifference, the most insidious danger of all. What specific actions are you
all prepared to take to not only prevent this from happening again, but to bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice? The time for talk is over, and the time for action is now. I know this isn't the first time a symbol such as this has been written on the school's
walls. Ask yourselves, what are you prepared to do to make it the last. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. All right. With that, um, I will, uh,
close public comment, um, and ask for a motion to adjurnn. So, and a second. Second. All in favor, please say I.