At a recent Saddle Brook School Board meeting, passionate testimonies were delivered advocating for the renaming of the Saddle Brook High School and Middle School after the late Howard Weinberg, a beloved former educator. The suggestion came from Eric Elvin, a high school alumnus and former student of Mr. Weinberg, and received support from another former student, Tom. Both speakers highlighted Mr. Weinberg’s unwavering dedication to his students and the community.
Eric Elvin spoke of Mr. Weinberg’s role in starting a synergistic class at Saddle Brook High School, providing technology and media for his classroom, and serving as a coordinator and advisor for the Saddle Brook Community Partnership committee. Weinberg dedicated over two decades as a Saddle Brook School District educator and close to 40 years of his life to teaching.
Elvin shared his personal experiences with Mr. Weinberg, who became a father figure to him during challenging times. In late 2010 and early 2011, while his mother battled cancer and he ended up homeless, Elvin found support in Mr. Weinberg. Despite facing medical complications of his own, Mr. Weinberg provided guidance and support that deeply impacted Elvin’s life.
Tom, another former student, echoed Elvin’s sentiments, highlighting Weinberg’s dedication to the community and his work as the coordinator of the Saddle Brook Community Partnership.
In other matters, the topic of the mayor’s group looking for new members in grades four through twelve and the upcoming Talbot Township picnic was highlighted, as was a community event involving the mayor’s group and the Junior Police Academy.
The school board also presented a revised district calendar due to a change in the voting location from the middle school and high school to the new municipal complex. The last day of school will now be moved up to a Thursday, and a previously scheduled half-day professional development (PD) for March will be removed. The board also noted that a professional development plan and a mentoring plan are in the works for new staff.
During the personnel discussion, several hiring updates were announced for positions such as middle school specialist science, part-time art teacher, high school math teacher, speech pathologist, preschool teachers, and paraprofessionals. Finally, policy discussions covered the abolition of two policies and the introduction of a mandated state policy for sick leave applicable to all staff members.
