e e e e e e e e e e e e e e six in high e e e e e e e e e e everybody please stand flag pledge aliance States andice in accordance with the open public meetings act adequate notification of this meeting has been provided by advertising in the record and posting notice of this meeting in burrow Hall and the superintendent's office I hereby call to order the public meeting of the little faer Board of education Tuesday May 14 2024 at 7:08 p.m can I have a roll call please M BR M pel here Mr pitos here Mr scotle Mr mey Mr lzo here Mr borac here Mr belli Mr president Bradley here we have a quum Madam president thank you the resol The Little Ferry Board of Education approves the minutes of the regular public meeting held on April 18th 2024 do I have a motion motion second second this is broling AB M yes M pitro yes go is absent Mr mey is absent Mr lzo yes Mr vorac yes Mr Benelli minutes oh yes Mrs brandley yes motion passes he resolve that the Little Ferry Board of Education approves the minutes of the public budget hearing meeting held on May 1st 2024 do I have a motion motion second second R is absent Mrs Patel yes Mr fos yes's absent Mr mey M vzo yes Mr vorac yes Mr belli yes Mrs Bradley yes motion passes I'll now open it up to Mr perado to provide a superintendent report all right we're going to start with the students of the month can everybody hear me or should I get a microphone all right so we're going to start with grade seven student of the month for April is Maria Garcia baros what stay here you have to embarrass you a little bit I am proud to announce Maria baros as the grade seven student of month for April the teachers at your grade level had the following things to say about you she is hardworking she is friendly she has been extremely helpful with new elll students all year long her help with new students has made her even more successful she shows great leadership in everything she does congratulations good morning y com down all right our grade eight April suit of the month is garraza the teachers in grade eight have F things to say about you he is caring and respectful he is an honor to having class he is honest trustworthy and respectful he is polite and respectful towards other students teachers and staff he works very hard he is his best efforts at whatever he does he always cooperates in class with his peers as well as with his teacher congratulations one more one two three okay at this time we're going to transition to the teachers of the year for Washington school and Memorial School and present Washington Schools teacher the year is Tony L ex my good evening Mr on it's on now it is good evening Mr parado Board of Education members fellow colleagues and guests of our honored recipients I have the privilege and honor of talking about the Washington Elementary School teacher of the year is Ros Tre Rosa cry has been employed in the little furry school district for five years she currently serves as our lead teacher in our ASD program her drive and enthusiasm were immediately appreciated as there was no question in her earning ten in last year in her five years here I have gained an enhanced understanding of Rosa and her proficiency while serving as her principal from the moment of her induction at Washington School Rosa took admirable initiative as she not only serves as an advocate for her learners but also their families she consistently holds monthly meetings to assure her students and fam's needs are met even though Rosa is considered a nous teacher she exemplifies qualities that of a veteran she has become a leader not only in her department but a leader for teachers within our school you can often find staff members asking Rosa to collaborate with them on how to implement Ava strategies to meet the needs of their Learners Rosa provides specialized instruction within an individualized program for students in order to empower them to become happy confident and productive members in their Community she is not only their teacher she is their surrogate parent Mentor counselor role model and planer she has patience High dedication and strong perseverance to develop a child with autism Rosa has a deep understanding of each of her students which allows her to identify and Target their daily needs Miss CI is engaged with her students in every step of their life Rosa is a true professional and a true educator she takes pride and puts her whole heart into all that she does rosa shows great great qualities of a responsible leader she will be earning her Master's in educational leadership from Felician University next week when one thinks of Rosa outside of teaching one can think of of her love of sneakers especially NS it is fitting because surprisingly enough a teacher can be related to a pair of sneakers in these ways support and stability just like a good pair of sneakers Provide support and stability for your feet Rosa offers support and stability for her students she guides them and assist them in their academic Journey just like sneakers support your feet in physical activity comfort and adaptability similar to how sneakers are designed for comfort and adaptability to different terrains Roser strides to create a comfortable and adaptive learning environment she adjusted her teaching methods to suit the needs of her diverse Learners durability and longevity sneakers are wellmade and durable and can last a long time just like Rose's impact on her students is long lasting the lessons values and skills she impacts on her students influence them far beyond the classroom flexibility and movement sneakers allow for flexibility and movement enabling one to navigate various activities comfortably similarly Rosa encourages her students to explore different ideas and perspectives fostering intellectual flexibility and growth fashionable and unique sneakers come with various Styles reflecting individual taste and personality Rosa brings her unique teaching and awesome personality into the classroom making learning engaging and enjoyable preparation and attention to detail just as sneakers are meticulously designed with attention to detail Rosa prepares lessons with care ensuring that each aspect of the curriculum is covered effectively overall the analogy between a teacher and a pair of sneakers emphasizes the essential role teachers play in providing support guidance and inspiration to students much like how sneakers enhance Comfort mobility and style in our daily lives so those of you that know Rosa know that she is very generous and kindhearted and I was offered to be her Mentor while she was completing her Masters at Felician which I went to Felician so it was near and dear to my heart but I didn't do nearly enough for her but she decided to gift me a gift card anyway so to pay her back I have a present for you IED my little former a therapist made Rosa sneakers with a puzzle piece in the on her own custom care of 9s so Ros don't go any come on congratulations very welcome so starting a little bit of a new tradition the teacher of the year is going to get the championship belt for each grade and the reason behind this is because it's a very distinguished honor and it's something we should be proud of and I want the students to know coming in every day to your classrooms who the teacher of the year is so you can display this in your classroom you can you can't wear it because it's a youth size so I apologize the adult ones were very expense um however it's something we're going to do and then next year the idea would be you come to the meeting and you hand over your championship belt to the next teacher of the year so congratulations I'm not sure giving me access to microphone was a good idea but appreciate it um I may cry so I came prepared uh I'm deeply honored to receive the teacher of the year award and I would be remiss if I didn't spend this time to thank the people who made me the educator I am today I'd like to thank the Board of Education Mr perado Mr dun Mr peer Miss Rizzy Mrs beer Mrs legates and Mrs peral for not only giving me the opportunity to work in little fery but for not running away every time you see High tailing it into one of your offices Lord knows it's a lot um my dream ever since I can remember was to be a teacher and I attribute that to the teachers in my life who made me feel safe made the classroom the best place to be and celebrated me for who I was even though I'm sure they went home crying some nights because of me they inspired me to make a difference in students lives the same way they made a difference in mine they are the reason I get to live out my dream each and every day and for that I am so thankful While most kids my age were dreaming to be professional athletes or Disney Channel Superstars back in my day uh I was dreaming of being in the classroom it's been 5 years since I started teaching and I can tell you no one really prepared me for it and I had no idea what I was getting myself into uh no one told me that I would love these students as my own and experience unconditional love no matter how many noses I have to blow or shoes I have to help put on no one told me how proud I would feel every time a student reached a new milest stone or developed Independence in a new task and no one told me how I would go to the ends of the Earth to take care of these tiny little humans and keep them safe at all times I never would have thought that my dream would turn out better than I ever imagined as a kid but I'm so thankful that it did I'd like to thank my family for being here it's past 7 p.m. on a week night and I know you would rather be watching reality TV on the couch um thank you to my sisters for always being my cheerleaders no matter what stop crying please no matter how many fights we had over stolen clothing or who had to do the dishes after dinner or sometimes even bigger things we always came back from each other stronger than before my greatest gift in life has been having you two by my side always encouraging me to be the best version of myself last but certainly not least I'd like to thank my little fairy family it's aoke around here that I would sleep here if I could um I tried they didn't let you as much is real joke about that the truth is that I love it here so much because of all of you I love my job so much because the people here make it such a special place to be and I'm truly grateful every day for that thank you to my students and their families uh both current and former who I love with my whole heart and who make my days better thank you to the office staff who are always so willing to help and who always Le me with a smile on my face thank you to the custodial and safety teams for always listening to whatever new classroom safety remodeling idea I've come up with and making it happen in no time thank you to all the teachers and the support staff you've healed me in places you don't know with our endless laughs lunchtime conversations teaching my mom what Millennial slang is and Carol has been sessions with people that I consider lifelong friends last but not least thank you to the autism team first for putting up with me every day because I know it's not easy um but also for working so hard each and every day the uphold the vision we've created for this program 5 years ago each and every one of you are the reason why I love it here so much and the reason why I'm standing here tonight thank you again for this amazing honor and I'm so looking forward to many more years of grow in the best place for most special people thank you now and we'll take pictures all right congratulations next up Mr peer for the memorial school teacher of the year good evening and welcome to the roast of Miss Lance here I'll say this for the retirement speech good evening faculty staff for of Education members guest Mr perado and Jimmy Dugan for walking a baseball field to be with us tonight thank you for being here tonight as principal of Memorial School I have the honor of recognizing this Jennifer laneri our 2023 2024 Memorial Middle School teacher of the year sorry I follow this Miss L holds a special place in our hearts here in little F not only because of her remarkable achievements as an educator but also because she once walked these very same Halls as a student just like Miss M did last year sensing a theme on the Miss leri First Step foot in Washington school as a kindergarten student in September of 1981 also known as two years before her superintendent is born 16 years before our co- teer was born at the end of the excuse me at the end of her kindergarten Year miss laneri would transfer to St Martin she relat transferred back to Washington school during her fourth grade year after St Margaret's burned out true story did not know that was real until she told me my first thought was what did that school look like my second thought was what was Miss laneri doing that night uh Miss L would go on to graduate from Memorial Middle School in June of 1990 before moving on to Wal Park and graduating in June of 1994 I to graduated in 1994 8 grade gr par Miss L would go on to attend Pace University where she would earn an undergraduate degree in early childhood education in the spring of 1998 I too graduated in 1998 the F September Missi began her teaching career in little FY as a fifth grade teacher before earning a master's degree in mathematics from William patteron University and turning her Focus to teaching math over her teaching career Missi has exemplified what it means to be a dedicated educator with a profound love of mathematics and an affectious enthusiasm for teaching thiser has not only imparted knowledge but has also inspired and love for learning en countless students in her classroom mathematics is just not a subject it's a journey a journey of Discovery understanding and fun if you need proof stop by during a globe party what my part hold on Miss Ani is a has a remarkable ability to make mathematical Concepts accessible and engaging to all students of all levels through innovating Innovative teaching methods she Fosters an environment where students feel encouraged to ask questions explore and challenge themselves beyond the curriculum Miss Lance here is a mentor and a friend to her students she goes above and beyond to ensure that every student feels supported and valued her patience empathy and genuine care for her students creating nurturing learn environment where students Thrive not only academically but also personally that was evident last year and the fifth grade students showed the most growth in math and then you followed up this year by volunteering to Pilot a new curriculum something most people would have tried to avoid so thank you for that Missi um her patience empathy and genuine care for students create a nurturing Lear environment with students start I said that sorry the jokes were not written made they just naturally so I tend to addly I apologize Miss laneri is not just a teacher she was a role model for all of us her dedication to continuous Improvement her willingness to embrace new teaching strategies and her unwavering belief in the potential of every student inspires us all to be better Educators as Miss laner received this well-deserved recognition let us take a moment to celebrate her achievements and express our gratitude for Tyler's efforts in shaping the minds and futures of students Miss Jennifer Lan's love for teaching has earned her the respect and admiration for students parents and colleagues we are proud to have her as our 2023 2024 Memorial Middle School teacher of the year here to many more years of inspiration Innovation and excellence in education congratulations one too this is of coms staff MERS no not even close maybe minut I Tred don't want you tell me what been all I would just like to point out that he is only four years younger it's not that big a deal I'll be in at ladies and gentlemen colleagues Administration students and honored guests it is with gratitude that I stand before you tonight as the recipient of the teacher of the year award for little fairy this recognition is not just a personal achievement but a reflection of our community and all those dedicated to the little fairy School District I am so proud to have established my career in little fairy over the past 26 years I remember when I started College it was time to declare my mood I remember having doubts as to declaring education and much to my parents' dismay I randomly decided I would give nursing a try why I don't know it seemed like a nice choice at the time well one class in and it was very apparent that nursing was not for me I switched my major to education and never looked back receiving this honor tonight has allowed me to reflect on why I made that wise decision to switch my major as Mr peo mentioned I grew up in this town I can call myself an alumni at 5 years old I enrolled in Washington school as a shy kindergarten student with a bundle of flowers in hand from my neighbor's Garden wrapped in tin foil for the one and only distress for those of you that know you know if you know you know lining up outside the colored Washington School doors I was in awe When Miss Driscoll greeted Us in her pale yellow skirt matching her light blonde hair she had a short kind of Pixie like hairstyle which I was so relieved to see as my mother had recently adorned me with a classic short full haircut she was simply perfect and my little 5-year-old self just wanted to be like her after my stint at St Margaret's of Cortona Catholic school which I did not burn down I thought we were having a snow day school burn uh from grades 1 through 4 I transferred into Memorial School for the completion of grade four where I met my second Idol Miss Powers not only did she teach me had a perfectly diagram a sentence but I also learned an important life lesson to never try to forge my mother's signature in pencil with eraser Mark showing for each content firm but fair she was an amazing teacher and again I wanted to be just like her and that was just the beginning of the many Idol like teachers who would leave a ling impression on please forgive me but there's so many people that I want to mention there was Mr Lerman who made every day fun and made every student feel important Mr Freeman who encouraged classes with Target scores and burer King Mrs rogi who log a tremendous amount of steps walking up and down those negro of the classroom while teaching us to pronunciate enunciate as her skirt got quau in the fan Miss candria who made me feel like I was capable of anything she could make any lesson inspiring she encouraged me day after day even though I was responsible for the unkindly Lost fartless goldfish death I over and then there were my cherished Math teachers M shal who is the reason I never struggle with my time SA miss baldino and miss Kennis who taught me that math is wonderful as chalkboards were filled with simplified equations I could also never forget Miss baros who made the science lab feel like the coolest place on Earth M Willer whose passion for teaching social studies was accompanied by her blowing horn and smashing fruit and Mr KS who made eth grade a year to remember little fery has a long lineage of impressive te teachers each and every one of these teachers and more clearly left their mark on me was which was unbeknownst at that time fast forward to my substituting days here in little fery a young 19 to 20 something year old home on college breaks who was told I need to get my foot in the door and as my parents said make some money I remember those early morning phone calls from old the land and my mom always po bed in the room to ask if Ola called Ola was the sweetest and almost impossible to turn down good morning Jennifer this is Olga lman are you available to sub today I have an opening with my eyes still closed and complete reluctance to get out of bed I would say yes most of the time truth be told there were those times I just didn't have it in me and would turn ring her off so my mom would not hear it ring and then I could pretend there was no phone call that day and sleep in as any college student should but four years of subbing and getting my foot in the door apparently worked as I interviewed with my former principles Mr holster and Miss Kathy Bren and I accepted my first job slated for a kindergarten position I was eager and ready little kids yay shortly after I was told it would be a third grade position instead still filled with excitement I was ready for slightly older things today however I was not mentally prepared when I was told at the last minute I would be teaching fifth grade fifth grade those kids are not so little I was terrified as most of my subbing experience was with the younger grades but good old Olga assured me I would be just fine and I was so I began my teaching career thinking I'll just get my feet wet here I'll get some experience and I'll move on well 26 years later my feet are soaked this led me to ask myself why have I stayed in this profession for so long luckily I am probably one of the few teachers you can say that I have taught my the same grade level my entire career I taught all core fifth grade subjects until we departmentalized for three years I T solely social studies and I have taught math my creest passion for the last few years year after year I was blessed with a great team of teachers I never imagin my first year teaching would be alongside two of my former teachers M shield and Mrs nass and with one of my best friends mom Mrs Pia I was so intimidated but they were truly the best mentors a new teacher could ask for it only took me two years before I had the guts to call them by their first names over the years my fifth grade team would include more former teachers like Miss brini and new teachers to whom I have become a mentor fif grade is my Niche and I have been lucky to work with former teachers turn to colleagues colleagues turned friends and friends turned bosses all of whom have been there through some major life milestones and have shown support across the board coming to work daily with a group of people who collectively lift each other up support one another and make each other laugh each day is priceless I work with some amazing and impressive teachers and math potions and the most supportive Administration and I've learned so much from that I couldn't have chosen a better path than deciding to carry out my career here in Littleford another reason I continue my journey in this field is because of my parents my parents raised me and my two siblings to understand that our education in school always came first they supported me as I began my career and taught me to never give up to work hard and to always be able to take care of myself the importance of Independence and a strong work ethic were always instilled in me they tirelessly raised all three of us and made it seem so easy my parents have always partnered with me on all of my paths my mom being here tonight fills my heart with such Joy because this is a way that I could show her how all of her love and efforts have paid off and I know my dad is watching down on me right now proud of you receiving this honor I hope I am a fraction get it fraction I hope I am a fraction of the model of good parenting for my own children Jake and Mar that they were for me Jake and Marin you help me to navigate my practice in all that I do everywhere I always have them at the Forefront of my mind in the classroom Notions of what if this was my child struggling or is this the way I would want their teacher to engage with them being mindful of them is reflected in the way I interact with my students and I thank them for making me a better teacher my other kids that Ultimate Force that has kept me in this profession is undoubtedly my student none of this would have been possible without these most important individuals the students have given me the drive to be a better educator each and every day I cherish every personality and every challenge that they come with they keep me on my toes and inspire me to be creative in my lessons every day I I've learned so much from my students as well there is nothing more rewarding as a teacher than to witness that aha I got it wide eyed sparkling light bold moment in teaching no two days are the same and that's what makes it so excited each day a new adventure as teachers we wear many hats teacher counselor friend sometimes a drill sergeant and sometimes a pushover all hats I'm so very proud to wear finally to all those those who work tirelessly to support our school Community I thank you from the bottom of my heart fellow Educators administrators staff and parents thank you for this honor and for all that I know you do each and every day and of course to my family and my friends I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and the love you surround me with both personally and professionally you truly are my Village for as long as this career has battery life I will continue to foster a culture of learning and growth where every student feels valued supported and empowered to succeed thank you very much for okay before we go on we're going to take about five minutes just take pictures their family so if you have to go by all means but uh we're GNA take a few pictures about minutes e e e e e e e e e e e e good all right Mark we uh we're good okay so the hit report for the month is zero at Washington zero eal nothing to report and at this point I usually return it over to our student representative but he is not here tonight so you thank you congratulations I will now open it up to uh Mr Goldman for the board secretary report evening everyone so first I'd like to start with facilities uh we met with our architect this week we commissioned a scan to scan the entire roof to tell us what areas might be in Greater of repl so we're putting together plan to address our roof in stages that Mak sense just give an example roof this size except for the solar where Solar Ray is a littleit over2 and5 million so Ro are cheap so it's not something to do at one time but you want to address the areas that are more worn down so we have that report and over the next couple years we'll be addressing what we should do uh next thing the basketball outside basketball courts will completed uh they're up and running so really so we been meeting with potential Professionals for our future building uh we've been meeting with um it FES uh will be going out to RP for construction manager and we started speaking to a Furniture vender that means we're starting plan this um we've also um executed a contract with RSC which is our architect and turn they contract with the engineer the environmental Etc so the race has begun uh food service for the month of April we made a profit of $ 17,37 here today we've made 92,7 47 the contract behal of the vendors to break even we'll break 100,000 so and we serve a little bit over 11,000 meals in the mon B and that number is actually up um in terms of Finance we closed the month of April yesterday uh the board has those reports um tomorrow we meeting with the auditor what we asked the auditor to do is look at how much money we spend throughout the year where we are so we know what to put away in reserve and what projects we can speed up and do so tomorrow morning right tomorrow morning so we've done all that and that's concludes my report Madam president students have completed the first week of NJ SLA State Tes one week one week to go and then NJ s science test testing for Brees 5 at e staff is completing CPR certification this week with officer teachers will complete their year long next month that's the end of my report thank you we have a Personnel report but since isn't here yes so the committee and John and I met withian we are nearing AG have BR in place they be willing about weeks in about two weeks so hope on the next agenda be ratified great thank you Mr Benelli for finance um Mr Gomez pretty much this Patel for transportation thank you um yes um just to add to Mr Gomez is attending a conference on May 22nd if you've been at previous board meetings you know that we're looking to purchase another bus um the purpose of this conference is opportunity for him to speak to vendors um around some the bues back back there's like none available so we're trying to um secure potentially a bus for the future in the interim there is a Tre that is um in in process for public school for bus rual Pur the Deeds that we have um coming up which it out so we're looking to do that and potentially work at this for the future 2425 school year um on the agenda in addition we have a full-time bus driver that we're looking to bring on for the for the next year um they will be starting my thank regarding expansion um we just heard Mr Gomez um say that uh our project is underway since passing the referendum we've had three separate meetings with our architect um we met most recently last night where we discussed the floor plans um so Mr um peer and Mr Dunn were gracious enough to join us where we review the typical classrooms um small group instruction rooms science labs music art the cafeteria things of that nature to see what we could potentially need um so the process is underway um and that's all I have for the Expansion Project yes at least so we we also at the meeting we confirmed one of the companies for the furniture they're going to be coming in May 23rd to do what they call Discovery so they're going to be coming to some of the classrooms watching operations watch some of those compers teach and we're going to be putting together a committee with some teachers and administrators and board members we going to other buildings that been built recently their design their furniture and one of the things that this company offers that we really like is the opportunity to have potentially have two demo or mock classroom set up for next year where they it's no charge they pick out the furniture they set it up for Middle School rooms and we can actually see that furniture in action and see how it operates in the class so we're pretty pleased with that vendor um and looks like we're until it's official Mr Bor for the F Le report not really nothing new other than we convey what's going on to the Ming thank you Mr fos for Richville Park asage um so I wasn't able to be at the last week's meeting I was traveling however they did pass their uh their budget um last last week's meeting and um I'll have a more detailed Report with the next meeting thank you Mr right we'll now open it up to public comment on agenda items only all right then we'll move along to a block vote for F18 to F22 do 59 to d77 P30 to P51 C5 to C6 six fa7 do I have a motion motion second second okay Mr yes Mr pitos uh M vuso yes Mr vac yes Mr belli yes Mrs Bradley yes motions passed we'll now open it up for public comment on non-agenda items do I have a motion to adjourn motion second second