we're going to call the meeting to order notice of advertisement of the meeting this meeting is being held in compliance with the Sunshine Law having been advertised in the Press of Atlantic City and notice is posted at the township clerk's office ma Landing post office Misa Post Office Atlanta County Library as well as all schools in from the district the meeting is being recorded there are two opportunities to address the members of the board the board values or welcomes comments and opinions from residents as long as remarks are not personal or discourages the public comment portion of the meeting allows the board to listen to community members and to hear their opinions on St policy and operations the first public portion is reserved for persons wishing to speak about agenda items only the second opportunity following the action items is when residents May address the board on any school related issue each speaker is asked to limit their comments to three minutes and you are not permitted to yield your time to another the public comments portion of the meeting during both sessions will not exceed 30 minutes upon recognized person wishing to speak should speak should stand and identify themselves by name and address yes here Miss bar here Dr sheno here Miss Jackson here Dr L here Mrs Miller Dr Nelson here Mrs PTO here Mr understand for will stand for the flag flute United States ofice we'll have a moment of silence for private reflection need a motion to accept the official results of the annual School Board election held on November 7th 2023 motion second all in favor I any new expension we now do you office do you guys want to come up front or do you want to stay where you are want to wherever you guys want do we want to come up front okay you guys want do you want to say individually or all together all all together okay everybody raise your right hand I repeat that say state your name hi Chris do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the United States of the United States and the Constitution and the constitution of the state of New Jersey of the state of New Jersey and I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Saint and allegiance to the Saint and to the governments established and to the governments established in the united states in the United States and the state and the state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people so help me God so help me God I state your name I Christine I Ronnie Jackson I Jennifer lwk do solemnly swear toly swear that I possess the qualifications that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law for the office for the office of a member of the Board of Education a member of the Board of Education and I'm not disqualified as a voter I not qualified as a voter pursuant to law pursuant to law nor disqualified nor disqualified do the conviction of a crime do the conviction of a crime for offense for offense listed in statute listed in statute and then I will faithfully and I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of that office of that office according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me God congratulations sign them and them please welcome back congratulations we'll now ask for nominations for president I would like to nominate Dr Nelson we have any other nominations close the floor for nominations Mrs anchor yes Mrs bar yes Dr Serena yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr laack yes Mrs Miller yes gladly Dr Nelson yes Mrs perto yes congratulations Dr [Applause] Nelson NY looks so happy all right thank you uh next uh we'd like to take nominations for vice president I'd like to nominate the NC par any other nominations close nominations loc call Mrs an yes Mrs bar yes Dr Serena yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr laak yes Mrs Miller yes absolutely Dr Nelson yes Mr PTO yes congratulations uh at this time I'd like to make a motion to approve the Board of Education meeting calendar for 2024 as posted in our board dos I get a motion motion second second roll call Mrs Anor yes Mrs bar yes Dr Serena yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr L yes Mrs Miller yes Dr Nelson yes Mrs Paretta yes next on the dock is uh approval Co code ethics as attached in the PDF um and I get a motion to approve the New Jersey school board members code of ethics motion second motion a second we need to call no all in favor I yes guys have it at this time uh we can receive comments for public in accordance with the board policy on participation at board meeting motion to close public comment second all in favor I like to open up board member comment thanks nson just wanted to um thank everyone for the nomination I'm happy to continue supporting Jerry in this role and enjoyed my time serving as president look forward to all the great work to the meeting this meeting is being held in compliance with the Sunshine Law having been advertised press Atlantic City and notice posted at the Township Clerk Office M post office M post office Atlantic County Library as well as all the schools of the distri this meeting is being reped at this time i' like to make the motion to conven to Executive session motion motion by Nancy second by chery resol SE to section 7 and8 of the open public meeting act the public shall have shall be excluded from the portion of the meeting involving discussions of legal matters attorney CL privileges of personnel Transportation HIV further resolve the discussion of such matters in executive session can be disclosed to the public when formal action is taken on such matters or at any other appropriate time cannot be disclosed the further result the board may take action and I discuss in executive session now therefore be resolve the board will be in executive session for approximately 30 minutes Mrs anr yes Mrs bar yes Dr Serena yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr laaw yes Mrs Miller yes Mrs parto yes Dr Nelson yes sorry [Music] sorry motion to reconvene open meeting motion bar second Jackson all in favor this meeting is being in held with compliance to Sunshine Law having been advertised in the Press Atlantic City and notices posted the township clerk's office May sign post office missa Post Office Atlanta County Library as well as all the school districts all the schools in the districts this meeting is being recorded there are two opportunities to address the members of the board the board values andless comments and opinions from the residents as long as they the remarks are not personal and discour the public comment portion of this meeting allows the board to listen to community members and to hear the opinions on school policy and operations the first public portion is reserved for persons wishing to speak about agenda items only the second opportunity follow the action items is when residents May address the board on any School related issue each speaker is asked to limit their comments to 3 minutes and are not permitted to yield your time to another public comments portion of the meeting during both sessions will not exceed 30 minutes upon being recognized persons wishing to speak should stand and identify themselves by name and address everybody rise for SL FL the United States of America and to the na indivisible andice Mo in silence for private reflection thank you at this time I'd like to get a motion to approve the minutes of regular and executive sessions minutes of December 13 2023 M roll call oh comments and questions roll call Mrs anchor yes Mrs bar yes Dr Sereno yes yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr law yes Mrs Miller yes Mrs perto yes and Dr Nelson yes at this time uh presentations Dr zto thank you uh Mr car would you mind coming down to uh give a quick presentation on our therapy dog here at [Music] shener so good evening everyone uh we have been working closely with John over the past few months to bring on board our first animal at the Shaner School U we also I also want to recogniz and thank Ryan Jackson for being part of the team make this happen I know nothing absolutely nothing about the world of dogs or animal therapy so it's been slow learning process for me but about 2 years ago Don Malone one of ourti professionals at Shor began to talk to me about the possibility of this I didn't believe her for about 23 to 24 months of those two years and finally realized that she was serious about this and so so serious in fact that we we begin the program this month and uh Donna is here with Austin so wanted to introduce Don [Applause] [Music] hello welcome say [Music] hello so we are are slowly implementing this uh program at the Shaner school this month our first month January Austin will be spending a few hours a week at Shaner and then the team's going to reconvene at the beginning of next month to talk about how those few hours went and we'll be moving to the next phase of of the program and determining what that will look like we're planning to slowly Implement uh this program over the next few months of school and introduce Austin to our school and our school to Austin looking forward to doing so thank you for your support thank you so much thanks Austin than you if if you don't mind if I could just say a few words about the the program so I attended the meeting a couple weeks ago um in Aben and it really kind of opened your eyes to some of the benefits that animals can bring to um to children to staff um and so as Mr carright said you know we're really looking forward to the program um I think it's going to be hugely successful um especially for the students I think they're the ones who will end up benefiting the most out of um out of the program so really looking forward to it at this time Mr carway would you mind coming back down because we're going to do the teacher the your presentations please so on behalf of the Shaner School staff and the school Community we want to recognize gratulate our staff members of the year at Shaina first our teacher of the year this is Kim [Applause] rousan our par professional of the Year Arman [Applause] Roya our education support uh specialist miss Karen I can we take a picture with Bo here we think okay good on down guys congratulations [Applause] all right Mr ler would you come down please good evening everyone happy New Year I it is heartwarming and truly a pleasure for me to recognize our teacher of the year for her dedication and Excellence she's demonstrated for 22 years at the school and 5 years prior to that in her previous District her commitment to research based instructional practices her role as a teacher leader are commendable qualities that contribute significantly to the environment at the high school she creates a positive Report with her students that not only Fosters their excitement to learn but their intrinsic motivation to do so Mrs sno's exceptional teaching skills clearly make her an educator who has a lasting impact on the students lives and contribute to the overall growth and development of the community her achievements and dedication are undoubtedly deserving of this honor her passion and dedication for educating students continues to inspire and uplift all those around her so without any further hesitation our teacher of the year Mrs Maria Sarno our Educational Service professional the year Mrs Wilson is an exceptional educator whose methods and dedication to meeting student needs go above and beyond she ringly takes on additional responsibilities to support her colleagues and students and she excels in communicating with families making them feel comfortable and well informed her ability to establish a rapport with students is exceptional and her engaging and friendly demeanor positively influences their experiences her colleagues Administration and parents hold her in high regard for her organization efficiency and Effectiveness making her an invaluable member of the H child study team short Miss Willi Miss Wilson sorry about that is an outstanding educator who consistently goes the extra to meet the diverse needs of her students promote professional growth and Foster Community involvement she upholds the highest standards of the education profession this is Samantha will [Applause] Wilson and last but certainly not least Mrs Rebecca manx is a dedicated and positive team player committed to ensuring the success of the students under her care in her capacity as a power professional she works with students who have specialized needs requiring a collaborative approach and positive attitude to support their learning and overall educational environment her positive attitude Fosters essenti essential effective relationships with her colleagues the recognition she has received from her peers is a testament to the impact of her efforts and the appreciation that they have of her contributions it's always wonderful to see individuals go above and beyond to create a positive and effective working atmosphere ultimately benefiting the students and the entire School Community ladies and gentlemen Mrs Rebecca [Applause] Mise is very come on come on come on on thank you guys congratulations [Applause] congratul good evening at Davies for this year our Educational Service professional of the year is Danielle py Danielle pul is a member of our child stud team and to say she's anything short of amazing as the for what she does well throughout the um school year she's involved in data collection inrs there mtss she works on our data that we evaluate every as a a leadership te visit Al to everything we [Applause] do and our teacher of this year Teacher of the Year this year is Mr edia Mr EDC is again pivotal in middle school when you think back to all those memories that you have from your middle school years Ed is hands in the middle of it or on the outskirts helping to move it between all the sports that we do the volleyball the DodgeBall the Kickball the pep rally at the high school everything it touches it just turns to gold and we are grateful for him so congratulations and a well deserved finally honor [Applause] forie congratulations thank you so much at this time we'd like to take a 5 minute recess the PTA has brought in treats and refreshments throughout this time 5 minute recess and we'll [Music] Recon go ahead and resume the noral [Music] meeting at this time uh Mr ster would you mind coming down for our district board appreciation quick presentation you that was really great and it's also great that this month we always get to recognize the board so on behalf of the staff Hamilton Township I'd like to say thank you because your job can often be thankless and I know it takes up a lot of time and energy and thought and you put so much into it and we really do appreciate all that you do um and congratulations to Dr Nelson and Mrs bar for your appointments tonight as President and Vice President we're happy to continue to work closely with all of you and you've done so many wonderful things over the past year and two years and some of you three years and we really appreciate your time so the schools have given some entertaining gifts I saw one box of um paper Donuts which was very cool yes and there's some other things on the stage so just little tokens of our appreciation for all that you do thank you thank you and just Mrs Miller did have to leave for a an appointment but she did want to thank Mrs car's class for their uh cards as well so just to put it out there thank you so much for all that you okay I'm going to go forward with the superintendent report um first I would like to welcome Chris V uh V vanani Chris started this week and hit the ground running we're very excited to welcome you as part of our Hamilton Township uh Vision moving forward and thank you for becoming part of our and want Andia family um quickly at the DV School school um in the month of December we were able to support 70 families through the love tree um the love tree is a heartwarming initiative that plays a pivotal role in supporting families during the holiday season it involves the community donating gifts ensuring each child receives presence to write in their holiday the program not only brings Joy to the children but also provides essential support for families symbolizing the spirit of giving and unity within the school Community uh additionally our D students also travel to Hass and Shaner to perform in the choir and band on our mjhs also went to read books to the students while there they assisted with recess and with holiday crafts immersing themselves as Leaders throughout the district they also spent two afternoons which was amazing by the way um and evenings calling younger students and making their uh annual elf calls from the North Pole so I want to thank you that was really fun Mr Li I know you had a quick story you want to share real quick but one of the calls he saw abely exceptional so many kids one in particular phone call so by the fact her stop what buddy I love your movies I love everything [Music] about thanks um at the H School the L tree supported 26 families uh 49 students and each student received at least four G gifts each family received the gift C to acne as well and also congratulations to Andrea M who were a grand and was awarded as a grantee for the Atlantic care healthy schools healthy children 2023 2024 grant funding opportunity for a $750 nutrition enhancement Grant uh at the Sher School the Sher L was able to provide assistance to 27 families servicing 55 children shener has also applied for the resiliency room zenden Grant receip and received $1,500 from the atantic care as well so thank you to all the schools for all do and to uh my amazing board members thank you for those of you that were able to donate to the love tree we provided a Bo of presence for the students and I thank you for that a very warm and heartfelt welcome to to the 2024 school year it's with immense joy and anticipation that I'm here with you today filled with gratitude for the opportunity to embark on a new chapter together to our phenomenal staff members your dedication resilience and unwavering commitment to our students success are the guiding lights that illuminate our path to the Hamilton Township community your continued support involvement and partnership have been the Cornerstone of our endeavors we're immensely grateful for your ongoing support as we step to the promise of New Year we hope to embrace the opportunity to create an environment where curiosity thrives learning knows no bounds and where kindness and empathy L um I'm incredibly proud to be part of this amazan school Community I'm excited about the Limitless possibilities that await Us in the coming school year some dates to remember on January 8th we have our PTA meeting at 7:00 in the D Cafeteria on the 15th of January our school is closed for Martin Luther King day and on the 19th we're closed for President's Day um I I would be remiss if I didn't say a final thank you to our amazing Hamilton Township PTA for providing the snacks and wonderful decorations thank you so much for providing that for us we thank you that concludes my superintendance report thank you Dr Z at this time we received public comments from the public receive comments from the public on tonight's agenda items in accordance with the board's policy and participation of the board's meeting each speaker is asked to limit their comments to 3 minutes are not permitted to yield their time see none uh board member comments I just I would like to make this say um thank you for the beautiful card from Shaner friend my Shaner friends at b107 that's all they time not the teacher name but I just thank you for taking the time out and making such a hug card for me my friend that b107 um I also wanted to thank Mrs Marco's class for my Donuts I think this is the cutest thing I've ever seen I'm going to have to decorate my office with some of these Donuts I have probably two dozen here um each of them individually decorated and signed this is just beautiful what a great idea thank you so much um so that was the one thing I wanted to comment and the other thing going back to the elf calls if that is not the best thing for kids I don't know what is my I my only regret is I wasn't prepared to record the reaction my kids weren't home at the time when we got the call so they had to call back and leave a message when I played the message for them later the astonishment on their face was just it was unbelievable and then when they ended up getting the presents that they got from Santa that the elves told them that they were you know that they heard it was it was just in incredible so thank you to the Davies um team for doing that it's it's amazing I do I I just want to say thank you for saying thank you you don't hear that a lot when you when you do things and I appreciate that um I'm I'm a proud member of the Berettas now um this is wonderful that we've gotten all these uh beautiful I I have a poster that will be going up in my office because I work from home home so I can put anything up but it will be going up and um I'm just grateful for um this this uh opportunity that I had to do this I'm also really happy to see Mr LaVine here tonight because um I'm going to run right up there and hug him because I haven't had the opportunity to do that but back to the elf calls I think it's amazing that they've done some Davis has done that and also um I I just just want to I think the the therapy dog I want to bring that up as well I think that's going to be a rockstar program so um thank you for saying thank you and all that you do as well um I want to say thank you also I got a letter for Dr Anderson and and making from Sher so thank you very much thank you and appreciate we got that the actually handwritten from Davies as well so thank you and we're passing that around as well so thank you all for administration of being here it's always nice to look out there and see Administration here I appreciate it thank you for continuing on that TR just again thank you for the the sweet notes and the H cards from the DAV dond team and congratulations again to the teachers of the year and the educational support members it is um a true honor but even for all those that were nominated to be seen in such a highlight from your peers congratulations we do a ton for our kids and um we're all glad was that you the elf on the roof that one day um maybe I don't know El calls all around but thank you guys um and happy New Year and I also want to say thank you to Mr Brown for taking the pictures it's good to see you guys get involved thank you all right anybody else no um at this time I'd like to get the Personnel policy committee um okay we did not meet this month however I would like to motion 92 through 9 15 as listed motion motion by Ryan second by Dr SHO loc call questions comments roll call please Mrs Agra yes Mrs bar yes Dr Sereno yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr L yes Mrs pero yes and Dr Nelson yes thank you n um at this time um I'm going to read the finance and operations uh committee meeting we did meet I'm liking some other people we're dedicated uh we met today at 4:30 um to talk about the dubers school which we'll cover in the old business uh in attend was um har myself Nancy and Jen at this time I'd like to make a motion motion to approve Financial committee items 10.2 through [Music] 10.17 motion second part questions comments call please Mr Zer yes M Bar yes Dr Serena yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr law yes Mrs P yes and Dr Nelson yes um M aner can you read the curriculum committee sure curriculum committee did not meet however I would like to make a motion to approve items 11.2 and 11.3 second questions comments roll call please Mrs anchor yes Mrs bar yes Dr Sereno yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr law yes Mr P yes and Dr n yes all right old business section 121 uh we have a resolution regarding Hamilton Township Board of ucation and dubbers school property go ahead and read it right now since it wasn't in the notes orfor the Hamilton Township Board of Education board owning uh certain property located at 200 faret Avenue Hamilton Township New Jersey more commonly known as duerson school the property and wherefore a property is a historical landmark in disrepair and wherefore the board went out to RFP to sell a property received no viable offers wherefore the board is exploring all opportunities of property including Rehabilitation or possible de demolishment demolishment and wherefore the board in the effort to uh explore all opportunities before making a final decision regarding the property seeking assistance from local Federal legislation representatives and applying for funds the attempting to possibly procure funds for rehabilitation of the property and wherefore the board is is able if the board is able to obtain such funding will evaluate the opportunities of the property moving forward that make the most sense for the needs of the board and now therefore the board authorizes this resolution to be shared with L County as well as local state and federal government and I get a motion to approve the resolution motion motion by Nancy second second by an anchor roll call this sorry yes comments and questions okay good I'll do that first and can we amend that motion to add that Mr Rogers will Beering that motion sure uh so we're amending the the resolution on the on the table to authorize Committee Member um Harry Rogers to carry this res signed resolution to those different government bodies including Atlanta County local state and uh Congressman us Congressman motion and the second second anchor second by anchor motions comments got roll call please Mrs aner yes Mrs bar yes Dr Sereno yes Mrs Jackson yes Dr L yes Mrs pero yes and Dr Nelson yes new other old business any new business hearing [Music] none public comment uh receive comments from the public just this part receive comments on the public ordance with the board policy on participating at board meetings see none No Ex motion to adjourn please motion motion by Nancy second by Dr Shino all in favor yes thank