to the flag of the United States of --------- America and to the republic for which it stands One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all It's a pleasure to see everyone here this
evening as we conclude Women's History Month Um can we have the I'm sorry All right Can we have roll calligued Present Mr Astra M Hargrave present Miss Horton Given
present Dr Howard present Mr Okai here Miss Parks here Mr Shapiro Miss Best present Thank you Now we will
um I'm sorry Sorry about that Pursuant to the open public meetings act adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as follows By having the time date and place of the meeting posted on the bulletin board in the administration building January 8th 2025 by sending a
copy of the meeting notice to the Star Ledger newspaper and the local source on January 8th 2025 and by filing a copy with the Township of Hillside and Hillside Public Library January 8th 2025 We will begin with our
presentations No we're not going to do that Whenever you're ready Well I mean your announcements Yeah Do that in a minute Okay So what do you want to do Superintendent report Okay We'll have
the superintendence report Good evening everyone Good evening Oh we can do a lot better than that Good evening everyone Good evening As you can see we have a full house this evening A lot that has to do with our
children in the room Excited about some of the great things that our students are about to be recognized for and present First and foremost to all of the women who represent Hillside Public Schools whether you are a board member educator
parent community member stakeholder happy Women's History Month We thank you for doing the great things you do to keep us men in charge and in line I mean in line not necessarily in charge So we will have our first student government student
representative come forth Mr Cole Good evening everyone Good evening My name is Olush Cole and I am here as Hillside High School's board of education representative to let the voices of the students of Hillside High School be heard I am happy to share that
the Hillside High School student the Hillside High School hosted its third pep rally for this school year on Friday March 21st with a performance from the drum line presentation of colors from the JRTC fun games and the recognition
of the spring sports teams Students had fun and we are proud to have been able to brought brought a positive back uh just brought a positive event back to the students which improves school culture climate and just everybody like
behaving in general Students have been asking for a photography club and it recently came to my attention that they were told to join yearbook instead A photography club while possessing a similar component to yearbook in that it involves photos
would empower students to learn the nuance and artistry of photography which would which could lead into the photography club working in conjunction with the yearbook staff Though not replacing the yearbook staff it is my understanding that a teacher from
Hillside High School has made themselves available as an adviser to the club as well What steps need to be taken or information needs to be provided in order to facilitate a photography club becoming a reality Thank you for your
[Applause] time Thank you Mr Cole for your report Later on I'll be able to communicate with you about the photography club but you also may want to talk to Mr Obina and and he can give you the steps to
take Okay All right Good people So I want to get into sharing a lot of great things that are happening across our district I literally just landed probably about an hour ago from a very exciting conference as part of Hillside Public Schools being a part of the
League of Innovative Schools Digital Promise This was our annual conference where we get a chance to visit school district school districts across the country who are doing very creative and innovative things and I was quite excited to be able to partake else as
well as see what's happening out there in the landscape of education today I will share with you that my excitement for what we're doing here continues to grow because in some spaces we're on par with many of our a
well affluent wealthy districts who have innovative resources especially in our elementary space and in a few minutes you'll see why I'm really confident because of the students that sit in this room this evening and then there are spaces that make me realize that AC in
my 55 years of being on this Earth You can see how technology is moving in such a light speed The use of artificial intelligence which everyone in this room who owns a cell phone is currently using AI is moving quicker than we ever can imagine
The use of robotics and robots I had a chance to actually do some work with a robot I mean I was standing as close as and engaging with a robot and I sat there and I said "If we're not careful we're going to be replaced." Because the
lifelike features that were I was exposed to this weekend and this week were quite amazing So we have the challenge to make sure that our students continue to be prepared to be in this competitive global space that's out there And if you have not visited the
spaces I'm telling you you need to because it's different How many folks just by show of hands have ever watched the Jetsons So all of us that raise our hand there now none of us can afford it but
there is a human drone that is flying similar to like the Jetsons It's $450,000 So I don't I don't I'm not in that you know in that price range but that just says that it's happening right So we can't say it can't happen It's
really about us What's our imag how far can our imagination take us and our students so that it can happen We always ground ourselves in our mission and our vision And part of our mission and our vision continues to remind us the importance of making sure our students are prepared for the global
society that we are preparing them for Innovation is one of the words that's in our mission statement New pathways new possibilities new pride is part of our strategic planning process What is your why This was a question that was asked of us many times
this weekend What is our why What is our drive Um I'm I'm continuing to say that every time I wake up and I think about what's the future for our students that's what drives me And I think everyone who's around me knows that I care a lot about what happens for our
kids in the years 2025 and beyond And that's part of the school community the parents our stakeholders and partners all working in concert to make sure that our students are prepared Our priority goals have not changed They remain the same They are
what ground us You'll see that in a few minutes And our core values And tonight I'm excited because our core values constantly reminds us that we're doing this work because of our students The students who when they graduate from here they possess the following
qualities They are effective communicators They're resilient They're skilled They're leaders And if you have not been to our schools to see how Leader and Me is working ask your students when they get ask your children when they get home leader and me recently just did a walkthrough of our
schools and two of our schools were already in year one on p on on pace to be considered a lighthouse district A lighthouse district usually takes three to five years to get that status and we have schools already who are just gravitating to it Our students are
already demonstrating those leadership skills That's the portrait of a Hillside High School graduate that we want We want them to walk out of here on graduation they know they're prepared for the society March is awaren is financial literacy awareness month or autism awareness month and it's also another
one national bilingual multilingual learner advocate month And now if our board president first of all I'd like to have my principles and school leaders from their respective schools that were recently recognized as our eem winners please
come forward [Applause] Take your coat off brother You might be a little warm I know You're not used to that You
Madam President will you join me [Music] Approximately three years ago one of our supervisors brought a competition that NJIT started and it was targeting third and fourth grade students in the STEM field It's
called E SEM Year one when we competed all of our elementary schools competed If I'm not mistaken you know my memor is a little dated sometime We came in we placed every school placed the first year Every school placed Major accomplishment First year accomplish The
first year Hillside had every school elementary school placed Proud accomplishment Last year we went back again Second year in a row Hillside placed every school again What was it last year That was the
third year last year So so we've been placing every year All right We've been placing every That's a round of applause That is now so in the spirit of just bragging about how well we did one of our schools
this year if I'm not mistaken took first place in every category Now Well superintendent how many schools were compete or were they competing against from across the state of New Jersey How many schools was 30 30
First place first in every category but we placed first overall and two categories Ah we took we did very well on the other one on their test and came into it and on the log book in 14 So here's what we're fair to do But first the other two I
apologize I got a little But first overall means that be honest with you we're the champion right Okay Those that know me I love being in first Second and third is good too because that means we were we were there So I
said we have to recognize the teachers and the students who continue to put Hillside on the map And these are third and fourth graders Third through fifth Third through fifth So just think about this If we continue doing what we're supposed to imagine what they're going to do once they get to my middle school
and our high school All right So we're gonna start with her and look the proud principal First of all call your staff up because I have a little token of appreciation for them as well A huge thank you to Miss Appreciation to
you too So my kids um I made them cookies at their prize So they wanted it to match their shirt So that's for you Wow Thank you very much So the hard work from our students could not have happened without our amazing teachers Miss Katherine Chris fifth
grade and Miss Johanna Williams fourth grade No stay call your babies up So ready call them up All right So now we're going to begin calling our future engineers Laya Mendoza Kenneth
[Applause] Owim Thank you so much I remember Kenneth when he was this big Esther Octuim [Applause]
Abriel Nikquay [Applause] and our boy Jaylen [Applause] Jenkins Again we are so proud of them
They're still celebrating Um they're they're still wearing their medals around their neck every day in school and even their classmates were so proud of every of everything the hard work that they did the competition I was very fortunate to actually be there It was my first time seeing it And the way the
students presented you would have thought that they have been engineers and scientists and problem solvers since day one So we are very very proud and they were crying when they won first place So talk about pride
[Applause] So let's take a picture but we also want to give a round of applause to the principal for the leadership as well Thank you So on behalf of the board of education this goes to both schools but on behalf
of the board of education and myself in addition to the medals that you received at the competition your school is also going to receive a nice size trophy Wow And you're also going to get additional medals that you can wear to represent your accomplishment So that's for both schools and it's for each one of you And
you'll also get a medal as well Thank you Let's get a picture [Applause] He has something for you to put on your desk School in the second schools I first place overall I'd like you to put this on your desk
[Laughter] [Applause] Thank you Thank you coming All right Make sure all the parents get there Congratulations There was some parents that showed up Yes we have parents here
Thank you to the parents as well Thank you So not to be outdone of course this proud principal right here also took his students to the competition Call up your staff members
first Okay come on up Up Rachel and Miss McQueen [Applause] you have any words you want to say about your great staff Yes I want to thank you I got to see uh you invited me in uh the
day before the competition and just to see the preparation and all that's involved and see the the student uh autonomy and agency in in in the east uh them knowing their roles
them uh the students um correcting the teacher revising the the the actual script and and oh my me and my parents and I we saw uh a mistake there and how Miss Miss Fernandez and
Miss McQueen was just so open to what oh let's let's go let's correct it So um just to see the the hard work and the um and just how much they cared about it is is is very meaningful So and and this is what the third year in a row Uh we came
at fourth Yes Yes So we got we got a little ways to go We got to catch Holden Looker Very proud of you [Applause] So I just want to say you have to
understand when you walk into the class these folks are the type of teachers you want your children in front of there's a so the new space Taylor someone could get in there and just add all those goodies but they're not just
it's not just cluttered it's intentional everything that's in the room is about helping the students become better So I just want to salute because you you are the OG both you know join us a minute and I thank you because you could easily tap out and say you're tired it's not
worth it but this is why you do it and I see the fruits of your labor So thank you from on behalf of the board and that's on behalf of my office as well Now we'll call the students up
Yes Kaylee Roma come on up Yes Congratulations Faith Roma I guess it's in the family Congratulations No Maya Oliver
Congratulations Jonathan Lama Daniel Otaryi Congratulations Kenneth [Applause] Do An amazing thing that a lot of these
students are also was in girls rock science as well as um eMe and um we have some in after school tutorial So you know they are very involved We like to thank the parents for allowing them to be so involved in school and because you
so involved that's why they're standing here today Thank you [Applause] Now I might make a statement that might get me in trouble So I but I have to say this This is why this is the call to action to our parents and those in the
community I'm going to continue to use the phrase girls rock science I'm going to continue to use the phrase girls rock science And if it means we lose a little federal funding because we're going to continue to do it This is
why opportunities and access is important in this country today It doesn't mean that our young boys can't also have but our girls need to also have access to spaces that traditionally have not happened in this country So I'm going to continue to make
sure it's called Girls Rock Science but I need you to also advocate on behalf for us because when we start changing names because of what someone wants to put in our head as fear then it impacts the work that we do with our kids I just have to thank Kathy
and Johanna for starting Girls Rock Science in [Applause] [Music] Health [Applause] [Music] Congratulations So when we get ready to
have our bake off um I don't think we can touch our baker here in the house She she's very good at what she does I think we all who have been here a while know she's she's got a talent that if she ever retires she could definitely have her own little catering business or
bakery business Oh I forgot I'm sorry No no But to we're not done continuing to celebrate our students So in a few minutes I'm going to bring forth
another another strong component in our district where I will not as I said get rid of These just a couple of announcements It's important as we move into the month of April we will be having a special event on April the 5th Please mark your calendars This is a special invitation because we want to
make sure that we give our students and families of children who have autism a space and a day where they can come out and just have a good time So more information information's already been sent out to the families inviting them to this event We did it last year tremendous success We're doing it again April the 5th from 11:00 to 2 at Ola
Edwards excuse me at Hillside High School State of emergency Um this is going to come up a couple times this evening The impact that vaping and marijuana is having on our young people I I some people may forget that in the state of New Jersey
yes marijuana is legal for 21 and older but it's not for children That means under 21 is everybody in our district and it's starting to have some significant effects So on Saturday May 3rd we're going to have an inter uh very deep conversation We have some more
information coming in a few days that will highlight what we're going to be doing around that form We have state officials coming in to talk and what we're trying to do This is not just a hillside public schools This is actually something we're trying to do communitywide We've reached out to our local legislators and hopefully our partnership with our local legislators
will also make this an event that we call a state of emergency But we start doing some things within our community Um again I might get in trouble for what I'm about to say but there are some local businesses in this town that need to hear our voice as well because it's come to our attention that they're selling to our students And last time I
checked on the on the books that's that's illegal So so I won't I won't put any places out there but you know where they're at We're going to have to start putting some signs up or letting our voices be known that you're impacting our babies
Our instructional goals have not changed They live their love of reading this weekend Well for the next three weekends hopefully the enrollment goes up so I do not have to cancel it It's called brothers bonding with books and basketball It's an opportunity for mentors to read with
our students and then get done me have a little mentoring conversation and then just play some act some basketball Be engaged students in grades five through eight targeted group for a very particular reason when we look at our data but it's just another way of making sure we give our students an opportunity to do something constructive on
Saturdays but also continue the love of reading brothers bonding with books and basketball I want to thank stepup barbershop for also supporting they made a significant donation to make sure there are some some refreshments available for the students and they've also enga we're engaging with them about
how we can support for young people getting haircuts if they're reading so one of of our local businesses in the town has said they want to do more and help and this is one of their first steps in offerings assistance and there are others who have also reached out to us So we're going to continue to try and do so Just another note I said it last
month I'm going continue to say it Why is it important to read for 20 minutes a night The research says so but it's also a good way of keeping our kids interactively engaged Also engaging in great conversation It also increases their vocabulary Reading 20 minutes a day five
days a week exposes our children to over almost two million words If I had a dollar for every word that our children could read and we would be able to do some things in our community that's what reading is important I don't know if you've seen this diagram before but I'm going to
start putting some research out as we begin to talk about why it's so important for us to get a hold on our students vaping There's been some some sad occurrences over the last few weeks in some of our schools And this is not to the schools are doing the best they
can in many spaces but our kids are creative Our kids hide these things in many unique spaces that we can't always get to Even when you start sharing with some of our parents they're surprised to find out We also have students selling these items Listen anything that alters the brain of
a child will have an impact on their development And if you don't believe that as a state of emergency you don't think that it is something that we should take seriously then perhaps we need to bring you to sit in these courses as well It's a it's an epidemic
And I think every day across this country we're hearing more and more stories of children and young people getting a hold of bad vapes or whatever else I don't want Hillside to be on the news for that but trust me the kids are experimenting in ways and with chemicals
that are damaging their bodies It's not just marijuana they're spoke smoking They're smoking things that are chemically induced and can have long-term impact to their life Without further ado Dr Wilson and Vice Principal Tracy Scott Jackson please come
[Applause] forward Dr Wilson and his staff reached out and asked could they do a little presentation for Women's History Month in honor of the work that the young ladies in my sisters keeper have been doing Good evening all Good evening
wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight We wanted to showcase and highlight some of our efforts in regards to working with some of our middle school young ladies As we know middle school is an interesting time for a lot of our students and families Uh we want
to take the focus and make sure that we are cultivating womanhood and sisterhood within our organization Uh all of us are here because of some wonderful woman to make sure that we were here and successful So in celebration of women's
history month we have our my sister's keeper with a wonderful presentation Um I just wanted to tee it up I have a man I have to kind of get out the way Just te it up and kind of get out the way Um but this is the brainchild of Miss Scott Jackson She brought this to uh WK Middle School a few years ago so she can talk
about kind of the history of it and what brought it to uh WK Middle School Miss Scott Jackson Thank you Good evening Well as he said my name is Tracy Scott Jackson I am a proud Hillside alumni I am the proud president of vice
pres principal Wow Principal future goals Proud vice principal of WK Middle School but I am also the founder of my sister's keeper And it was born out of necessity And it was a passion project I
started teaching at WK in the 90s And even way back then long long ago there were occasional fights in school And originally the fights were mostly boys But as time passed there seemed to be increase in the incidents involving
girls And a lot of them were my students I knew them to be intelligent articulate funny beautiful young women but they just had a lot of emotions that they just did not know how to manage So what I wanted to do was to provide a safe place where they can come and talk
without judgment or ridicule So I invited them and they came and they bought friends and it grew and the seed for my sister's keeper developed So now my sister's keeper is
in the very capable hands of Miss Chambers She is our secretary but she has a wealth of knowledge She's a motivational speaker and an author and a realtor So they are getting a wealth of knowledge just by being in her company
and she is exposing them to a bevy of things And I'm going to allow her and them to showcase all that they're doing My sisters My sisters My sisters
My sisters My sisters My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters keep us My sisters keep us Who are we My sisters keep us What do we do
Keep us What do we say My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah Go in the back My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My
sisters keepers Who are we My sisters keepers What What do we do Lift each other My sisters keepers While we stand My sisters keepers Who's my Who's got my back
My sisters keepers What do we say lead the way All right Hey greetings everyone My name is Cynthia Chambers and I am the advisor to my sister's keepers club
Greetings to the board Hillside Board of Education staff parents I need a I need a lung So we are here with some of our members to let you know what My Sisters Keeper
Club is all about and the impact that is having on us All righty Hello my name is Kaylee I'm a member of the My Sisters Keepers Club And the purpose of My Sisters Keepers Club is simple We are here to build each other up grow as leaders and create a
space where every girl feels valued and supported [Applause] Hi um my name is Ariel Sisterhood is about supporting one another being there where times get tough and celebrating each other's successes
[Applause] Hello my name is Lee Our motto is be bold be brave be you Hello my name is Cheyenne We also learn what matters most is how you see yourself Hello my name is Kenisha At My Sisters
Keepers Club we build confidence through empowering workshops on self-esteem body positivity and public speaking We also take We also take on fun challenges that push us to step outside our comfort zones and discover our strengths
[Applause] Hi my name is Nvea and my sister's sleepers club and we learn how to set goals manage our time and make smart decisions We also set up as leaders and support each other by mentoring our peers Hello my name is Kathy Dorvo My
Sisters Keepers Club is a safe judgment free zone where we can truly be ourselves It's a place to get advice support and encouragement from girls who understand and uplift each other [Applause] Hi my name is Genesis
Oh okay Oh yeah You had to speak My personal experience with my Sisters Keepers Club has been fundamental for me and all the other girls here We have fun activities every Tuesday and I'd like to see more from Sisters Keepers next year My personal experience with my
Sisters Keepers Club has been really positive Um I've learned to love myself love others and just really appreciate the little things in life and just learn how to be like
um supportive of one another [Applause] Hi my name is Genesis March is Women's History and MSK etiquette month where the focus is all about confidence and presenting our best selves
[Applause] Hello my name is Dory During the month of March we explored personal hygiene style posture and poise This week we're mastering table manners because how we carry our self [Applause]
manners Spread out Let them see the table Our two teams are going to take good position Ladies spread out Spread on that side Go ahead Set it up Sure So during the month of March as they are saying is etiquette
month So they're going to do the table setting Go ahead Set up real quick They're going to do the table Right That's what we're learning [Music] And while they're doing that I'm going to tell you what this jar is on this table This is my favorite part of my
sister's keeper is our girl jar And this jar is where they could put any question they have anonymously And at the end of each session we pull from the jar and answer the questions So they get their answers without having
And let's see we work from the outside in And we also learned that if you know the right and the left the spoon and the knife has five letters in it The word right has five letters in it so it goes on the right Four has four letters in it
Right or left has four letters in it so it goes on the left So that's one way of remembering Work on the outside in Butter knife Butter knife Our water and everything to the right Ladies nice job
[Applause] Hi my name is Michaela We'll wrap it all up with a special etiquette lunchon To put our skills into action it's not just about looking good It's about feeling great and showing up with confidence Sisters Yeah My sisters Yeah My sisters
keepers Who are we Sisters Strong Free My sisters keepers What do we do Live each other Push on through My sisters keepers How do we stand Side by side Hand in hand My sister keepers My sisters That's a fact My sisters keepers What do we say We live We love We lead
the way My sisters keepers What do we say We live We love We lead the way We live We love We lead the way We live we love we lead the way We live we love we lead the way We love we love [Applause]
Thank you And the stand That's the perfect Miss Scott Jackson Dr Wilson come back up Give you a chance to close out Any final words It's your your your
students your babies I am super proud of these young ladies As we know as I said earlier middle school is a very interesting time So when we're able to capture them at the middle school level where they begin to understand themselves a lot better make
positive relationships formulate constructive and great understandings of what they want to accomplish within their lives then we've got it We can send them on to high school with all the confidence in the world that they're going to be successful Hillside residents So thank you for your continued support Thank you
[Applause] My statement is simple I feel like it's always important to work with girls I don't know how many daughters you have but I live in a house with a sister mother I have daughters When girls are
angry it shifts the atmosphere It is very important that we teach our girls and support them as they learn how to manage their emotions The uh task that they're learning they seem kind of antiquated to them but they matter And we try to
enforce the idea that manners matter When they feel about good about themselves they're more likely to feel good about other people and be less judgmental And what I want them to know is that we have more in common than we have differences Prayerfully it will
affect our climate and our atmosphere in a positive way [Applause] for my brother's keeper next year [Applause]
Good idea Thank you once again I'm going to go through some key data points as we talk about how our district is moving So hopefully you can see this Our strategic and priority goals 1
four and five are covered by the following areas our partnership with Scholastic in which our students have been receiving books this year free books not the ones they have to go and pay for These are part of the part this is part of the partnership in which we are adding books to the libraries of our
students in their homes Our next book distribution will be taking place on April 17th I'm going to put a young lady on the spot who has been spearheading this along with two other of our staff members Miss Candy Rolls will you please come forward and share a word of wisdom
about our our partnership with you're not afraid of the mic so I'm I'm not even worried about that But our partnership with Scholastic but also the importance of real and my books at home And I took a chance giving a pastor a mic but I'm sure you can handle it
Good evening everyone Yes this has been an initiative that is dear to my heart because I love to read and I love to see children read and I initiate book reading to all the children If they don't have books I give them books If you come in my office
you'll see nothing but books We have a book club at Ola Edwards But this Scholastic Reel has been really wonderful We have mentors coming in from our community and from our you our county and they come to read to the
students and it's not just one school it's all the the elementary schools it's the ECC AP Mars they come and read and if a mentor does not come the teacher becomes the mentor which is a good thing as well and if um the teachers like to
switch and swap So we have our last real read on April the 17th We haven't you know got all the kinks out of it yet but we will send notices out so that you could come and participate And if you're home during the day parents come see me
so you can volunteer to come out and read Come out and see what it's about because I always say this don't make me love your children more than you do So come out and read to your kids Read to their classrooms Reading takes you
wherever you want to go Did I do okay In fact Miss Candy undersold a little bit The 17th is going to be a celebration event It's a culminating event We've done two already three already this year Three and this is going to be our fourth one and last year She said that with a little emphasis in her voice It's the last one for this
year but it's our culminating event It's going to be a celebration This is about not just showing that we are caring about our students reading and what they read but it's also about making sure we celebrate readers and the joy and love of reading So this event on the 17th
will be a big one In fact if things hold up Scholastic may be videotaping us and this may go nationwide here I know So Little Hillside is going to be on the map nationally for what it's doing We have again we have we have
already in one year year one of this have outperformed many other districts who have been doing this across the country for many years So congratulations under the leadership of many people Um I I tapped Miss Candy Ross on the shoulder and said tag you're it and of course her and her team and
there's a couple other um Miss I don't see Miss Tracy Maldo and Miss Plant Simon That's that's the team right there that's been grinding and working So thank you very much budget season We are here Dr E will have a few words and a little bit about that And um we're in a little challenging
situation but we're going to stay positive and upbeat and I know we're going to be just fine because we have some sharp minds making sure that we continue to stick to our innovation and the growth areas that we want that we need to Um when it comes to operational excellence we recognize that again with
the introduction of AI and other efficiency tools we're going to have to invest in some of our operations to make sure we're more efficient and improve our productivity Our innovative projects will continue I was one of our innovative partners and I'm going to give this
shout out I was going to tell her a few minutes ago individually one of our recent partners that we just started working with Lumi which is at our WK Middle School and HIA Middle School um said to me he was he's a
pretty well-known partner He's a former athlete who's doing this work now and started this company He said to me he says "Can I clone Miss Tracy Scott Jackson?" And I Yeah that's that's disturbing And why did he say that because Miss Scott Jackson jumped on
this project this innovative project with with the students and she herself is also participating She's writing She's also leading conversations She's holding others accountable And this this gentleman Mr Colin Kaepernick said there
needs to be more Scott Jackson's in every district that he's working in because that's what helps the project move And you can tell that people are really concerned about what's happening when you have a good educator leading the way So I'm giving your flowers publicly I was going to share with you individually but um two nights ago when
I was with um several folks and innovators he stepped up and says "Give her a shout out Great job Kudos to you." If the board pleases we'll also begin some work with Apple and Apple Education That's going to be a nice pathway that involves all of my elementary schools
and one of my middle schools Um I'm excited about that project because it also speaks about innovation and it's going to continue to do the things that you're doing right now Priority goal number two this is lined and this is something that unfortunately students and staff and
parents staff may be more pleased with this being in place but our parents it's going to be a little time for you to understand Um our governor and our legislators have put forth a mandate where cell phones are banned across all of our schools Not part I know there's going to be some
cheers and there's going to be some um but we're going to work with our students and our parents to make sure we come up with the healthiest policy I do not want this to be a policy where we're suspending students right away because of first offense This is really about teaching them how to use it But the
reality is we have to follow this mandate put forth by the governor's office and the New Jersey Department of Education Um I give the statute and I also give the the citation so that you can see that we're not just making this up And let's see if I can show the link
so people can see Diana can you press the link for me It's not opening I'll come back it I'll come back [Music] it It didn't open That's fine All right The link actually takes you to the New
Jersey Department of Education's website and it's it actually speaks to all the resources and I'll put this up on the website so you can also see it but it speaks to all the resources that are available to help parents understand why and how this policy came into to be It also speaks to the resources that are available to help you have safe
conversations with your child about safe uses of cell phones and the appropriate use A lot of our students understand that social media is constantly being monitored and a lot of things they think that no one will ever see they do see and they have been misusing it So just
as a word of of reference we will be working on that as well Priority goal one and four I spoke about a little while ago our artificial intelligence policy update We will have that It's
going through its first read now by the beginning of July 1 our new fiscal year We will have that in place Parents if you have not already filled out your child's Google Education acceptable use form please make sure you should find that you're blocked out of continuing to access certain features Genesis being
one of them And if you don't then your child will eventually be locked out from using any technology in the district And you know that quite a bit of our work in our district is technology based Cyber security report We just received that We have several areas that
we need to clean up This goes back to just making sure that our district is safe but people are constantly attacking our system and trying to infiltrate our system So when you talk about security it means that it's going to change the way our students our staff and you interact with our system So cyber
security attacks there's someone always trying to attack systems because it's a good way to hold districts hostage and get ransom So far we've been pretty good Kudos to Deanna and her team for making sure that thus far we've been pretty safe but we still know our vulnerabilities and our spaces We need
to improve I continue to say this and I I received a report recently So for anyone in the room and who may be watching anyone who is a senior in high school any part of the state of New Jersey but definitely in Hillside High School please make sure that you have completed the financial aid application
Your child cannot graduate without it being completed That's not the Mr Glover rule Don't come to me on June 24th crying to tears that my baby my grandmother your they flew in from North Carolina It's unfortunately it's part of the requirements for graduation in the state of New Jersey So if you have a
family member that's a senior anywhere in the state but definitely here in Hillside please make sure that you share with them they have to complete the form Priority goals one two and three continue professional development I just want to just show I won't go through all of them but these are the spaces where especially our fiscal dollars have been
leveraged because we are investing in our teachers Currently we have several leader we have all of our leaders and several teachers going through a 4-week intensive course through Columbia University just helping us understand how to use data and data models much better We also are continuing our
partnership with NTN and training other staff members I received a nice little kudos from NTN this past week in regards to the work that we're doing here in Hillside Once again we're setting the mark compared to other districts across the country that they're working with Last part that's important Our metrics
are moving in the right direction Right now many of the student performance report that come from the New Jersey Department of Education are in the embargo stage which means they're just frozen until we get a chance to look at them However tomorrow the embargo is released and beginning the first week in
February We'll be able to share the data that shows how our students are performing And I just showed our board president She's privileged to see this embargo data And I'm happy to say that once it gets released Hillside has seen significant gains for the first time in
the last if I'm not mistaken my data person told me decade But you will see how our students are definitely growing and going in the right direction So that's a kudos to our leaders and our teachers in this district Some good leadership in there also I
believe I want to share with you just an example of how we're doing better It may seem small but fractional movement in an area around attendance is very significant And in the conference I just left many districts are fighting
with chronic absenteeism And some districts are saying saying that they have 50% of their students absent from school And this is one of those spaces I looked at I said we're actually doing quite better We put some better systems in place last year But I just want to show you at year to date where we're at
compared to last year And while there are some students we that have transitioned away from Hillside our attendance is going up and students are coming to school Well if they're in school then our performance outcome should be better And that's also becoming evident in some of the
indicators that we're looking at But for the right now we sit around 94% State average is around 9 State requirement is 95% If you see where we're at compared to last year we are at 93% same time last year at this point So I want to
definitely say that our systems are better Parents are making sure our students are coming to school We still have some students who are chronically absent but we're definitely much better and our systems of support are much stronger Just to give you an indication this chart right here is a new form of data that we're we're working with and
Columbia University help us think about this It's called a run chart but on the left hand side of it you'll see the comparison up through June 2024 And then you can see where the attendance is in comparison to
um this year This is AP Morris This speaks to the students who were chronically absent last year and where they sit now We still again 50% of the students but as you can see students who have who were chronically absent last year Approximately 51% of those
students are now in the status of good attendance or or frequently frequently present Deanna G Taylor Academy Same thing You can see where there's been an improvement in their overall attendance And I'm just using some of the schools I didn't go through all of them but I wanted to just highlight You see that
they went from where at this time last year 15% to where they're at 10% That's a significant change Similarly they've done a great job in making sure those students who were chronically absent last year this year
you can see that they are over 60 excuse me 64% of their students who were chronically absent last year are now in school on a regular basis And this is the high school Now this is the space where students have many reasons to say they're going to opt
out And you can tell compared to last year our students are coming to school Now when we get there when we get them there we have to be doing some engaging things to keep them in school However I'm proud to see the attendance rate is definitely changed compared to a year
ago So doesn't have that same problem that many other districts are having but I want to see this get to a point where we have 100% of our students in school all the time Some final timelines We're still in that strategic planning process I think we're making some good traction Our
departments have submitted their drafts and we're hopefully going to have our board have for board review some of our initial recommendations for a strategic plan May 7th right Donkey will be our board budget meeting This is a hearing
Tonight's uh motion on finance is the tenative budget for submission to the DOE They get back to us We still have three or four weeks until we need to revise it and the final budget does not go forward until after the hearing that evening of May 7th So this is tenative
Any questions Please bring to me continue to continue to share about our requirements to make sure we're supporting our our families and students especially our students Our office of student support services We do have social workers and guidance counselors and other staff members who are here to
help our students whose families are going through transition due to the recent federal legislation in regards to immigration With that I would like to say thank you for your attention I know this is a little longer I got you I got you I know it was
a little longer And I like to close on a positive note because I know there's always some good energy we should end with So principal Davis please come forward So she was sitting there looking at me like did this
man sometimes you got to break it up You want to end with a people love to see the children's faces last not mine So okay good evening everyone Good evening Ola Edwards Community School is committed to academic growth and student
engagement throughout the 2425 school year We have worked diligently to foster a culture of learning leadership and community involvement This presentation provides a summary of some highlights and accomplishments of our school year thus far
Our school year began with a strong focus on professional development Staff engaged in training programs such as Horton Gillingham Open Sed and NTN initiatives to enhance instructional practices across grade levels
Additionally targeted support for new teachers and the use of model lessons helped reinforce instructional consistency Students have been actively involved in academic enrichment and leadership building opportunities
Initiatives like the real scholastic mentorship program supported literacy development while keep a clear mind program and various science and STEM activities including computer science education week and girls rock science
club promoted health wellness and critical thinking students clubs and schoolwide events such as yoga cup stacking book club and spirit weeks brought energy and excitement into our school Theme weeks supporting respect
school pride and cultural awareness have strengthened school culture Our school community celebrated student leadership through leader and me assemblies and sixth grade students have begun assisting with daily morning announcement to support and to mentor
their younger peers Family engagement has remained a priority with support with strong support of PTA events such as the book fair holiday bazaar seasonal events like Halloween parade winter
concert and winter dances which has brought joy and community togetherness While initiatives such as Thanksgiving food drive and Salvation Army donation drive emphasize the value of giving back academic support has been a consistent
thread with ongoing afterchool tutoring and preparations for state assessment Progress monitoring through making period through marking period assessments honor role recognition and consistent communication through parent
teacher conferences have ensured transparency and shared accountability Our school has also remained dedicated to student and staff safety conducting routine fires school evacuation and bus evacuation drills Assemblies on dental
awareness and school violence awareness complemented our holistic approach to student well-being As we enter the spring months we look forward to continuing the leadership work including another leader in me assembly and an autism awareness
spirit week which will include a family coffee and donuts activity and promote f promote school family partnership and celebrate inclusivity Ola Evers Community School remains steadfast in our mission to provide a
well-rounded engaging and academically rich experience for all students With the support of our dedicated staff engaged families and committed community partners we look forward to finishing
the school year strong and building on the success we have achieved thus far [Applause] And lastly I want to bring in the Ola
Edwards well part of the Ola Edwards chorus because we have a huge chorus so we couldn't bring everyone Um so I'm going to bring in some of our chorus members And I'm going to turn it over to Miss Vch our music teacher
[Applause] [Music] Thank you for uh sharing your children with me Um if you are able to do so please rise for our national anthem [Music]
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Can you see by the dawn
early so proudly we held at the twilight last stripes and bright stars to the peril
fight for the reds we watch were so galling and the [Applause] rockets were [Applause] [Music]
in the night that our flag was still there Oh say does that star spangle better [Applause] yet for the
land of [Applause] the home of the [Applause] brave opening
[Music] Thank you so much We have one more tune prepared for you which has become a tradition at Ola Edwards uh spring concerts So we are putting all of our dreams for the future somewhere over the rain
[Music] [Music] Stop [Music]
There I heard once in the love [Music] [Music] [Applause]
[Music] And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
[Music] Someday I'll wish upon the star and wake up where the clouds are high [Music] [Music]
That's where you find me The wind over the [Music]
[Applause] [Music] rain over the rainbow [Music] Why can't I little bluebird fly
[Music] [Music] [Applause] Way to go Ola [Applause] What happened
Congratulations to all of the parents and family members who are here tonight to support Ola Edwards Let's give a round of applause one more time I always think it's best to close with the faces of our babies So thank you for that Thank you for allowing your students to come out tonight and share
that positive energy That's why we do what we do on a regular basis Once again hands to our great principal principal Davis Thank you I see her vice principal is in the back there as well Welcome and thank you also to principal Guilford Vice Principal
Guilford and to all of my students thank you for coming out tonight Parents I know it's a little later than we normally go So I'm going before we go to public comment I just want to allow our parents if you must leave at this time we won't hold it against you but we need to let the
babies go home and read for 20 minutes before they eat dinner Exactly Principal Davis any final words Uh no Thank you for all your support Thank you board members for all your support and my parents and the community You guys always show up and I appreciate it Thank
you As we allow the parents and the students to leave out again we thank you all We enjoyed all of the performances this evening
I'm just going to um ask I'm just going to ask for the motion to go We'll give it a few more seconds and then we will continue on with our board meeting so we can take care of our business and move into public comments
We don't have a judge Congratulations Congratulations to all of our teachers and our students Okay Hey Karine Karine got to move They can't get out the door That's why
Oh it's kind of like you know parents kind of stand So we will move forward Um may I have a motion to open public comments All in favor I
Residents are requested to state their names Part: 2
time didn't have the opportunity like they have But when I look around and seeing so many ambassets from up under us and drugs and smoking and and nobody cares Wake
up These are children I honor y'all I I I I send my blessings out to y'all what you have done and what you are doing I might not came up here with certain statistics and what they need
and what and and and and what was taken and everything else but I come to tell you don't stop doing what you're doing Somebody besides me need help Somebody is crying and can't sleep at night They
needs help Reach out Reach out Look around Look around Reach [Applause]
out It's going to be hard to follow that one up right Uh my name is Baris Grant Um I'm here tonight in support of Anthony Salters He's been a pillar in the community Our relationship with him dates back to the early 2000s Both as a friend and a mentor he's always been
steadfast advocating for students and community growth As the former head football coach Mr Sult has been one of the program's biggest supporters and fans For eight consecutive years he dedicated his time financial resources to helping develop young leaders within the program As a coach is always critical to have support from
individuals not only family members but people are invested out of genuine love for the commitment to the success in the students I believe the district should continue to support Mr and utilize his leadership both within and beyond the community His dedication and commitment has made a last impact and his work is
invaluable I appreciate your time I would never hesitate to stand by my friend and my mentor Mr Sult In these challenging times we should treasure good people in our community Thank you for your time [Applause] Good evening everyone I'm Marie
Cumberbatch Hills uh Bond Street Hillside First and foremost uh I guess we all here to rally around Mr Salters Thank you Uh first and foremost I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Mrs Salters my son's dedicated home instructor and Mrs Miss if I'm
pronouncing that properly if you're married um Miss Kimberly Taylor director of student support services for their commitment to the students of this district Their dedication and professionalism ensure that students receiving home instruction continue to progress academically despite the
challenges they may face The Hillside School District serves a student population of over 3,000 children a portion of whom require home instruction for various reasons While the exact number may not be publicly available the need for this program is evident It is
imperative that home instruction remain a viable and wellsupported option for the families of this district Home instruction is not merely an alternative but an essential educational service that ensures continuity of learning and
prevents academic setbacks Currently Mrs Salter supervises six students including my son Some may perceive home instruction especially virtual instruction as an easy solution However it presents unique challenges that require dedication
patience and individualized teaching approaches The importance of home instructions cannot be overstated This program maintains academic progress and prevents learning gap Addresses individualized education program requirements provides free appropriate
public education which is FAPE as mandated by law Ensures flexibility and accessibility for students with varying needs Supports students struggling with school anxiety and school refusal Facilitates a structured approach to
students transitioning back to school Home instruction is not a one-sizefits-all solution but a critical support system for students facing challenges that prevent traditional school attendance With the one-on-one instruction provided by Mr Salters my
son has been able to maintain passing grades in most subjects and is working diligently to improve in others He is three classes away from graduating high school after this school year and the support he received through home
instructions plays a vital role in his academic success I commend Mr Mrs Ta Miss Taylor and Mrs Alters for their unwavering commitment to the students who depend on this program I urge the district administrators to recognize the value of home instruction and ensure
that it remains fully funded and accessible Eliminating or reducing this program will do a disservice to the students and families who rely on this as it bridges to academic success To Miss Taylor thank you for your leadership and dedication To Mrs
Alters your work does not go unnoticed Hence all your supporters here tonight Keep advocating for these students ensuring they receive the education they deserve Our children face many challenges but we as adults serve as the guiding roles that help them navigate
their educational and life's journey Thank you Good evening everyone Aruna Mura 133 Silver Avenue and teacher at WK uh middle school So um we decided to reschedule our daddyaughter dance and it
has been rescheduled to May 31st So I just wanted to make that announcement that we are still having it It is on Saturday May 31st And come on out Thank you Madam President Motion to extend public comment Second All in favor
Good evening Jayvon Roberson I am a teacher here at HIA and I'm here for three reasons One I would like to give a huge thanks to Mr Saltus just for bringing me a part of this family here My last job wasn't
the greatest job and it kind of killed my spirit of working with children I worked at a daycare where nobody took anything serious Rules and regulations weren't followed Safety precautions wasn't taken There's a lot of things that had that school shut down and I was
I became real depressed I met with Mr Sus and I applied for two Y'all can hear me Good I don't like this mic Um I applied here for three positions Well for two positions One was to be a custodian and one was to be a
sub Mr Salters looked me in my eyes said "Brother I'm not letting you be a custodian here I got more in store for you I know you could do more I got more and plan for you." And that right there helped me realize I'm worth more than what I currently was at And that statement from a person who barely knew
me made me feel like I was 10 times the man I was So when I got to this school I found that great teachers really was there and not just great teachers great staff members was all around and it re it reinvigorated my feelings and my
passion So now every day that I'm here I go hard for my scholars because my scholars go hard for me And with that being said one of our best and favorite custodians has been moved to a different stool And we don't feel like he's going
to do whoever replaces him isn't going to do the same job as him And we need that man here Mr Andre Gekcko I believe is his last name We need that brother here because that man has helped this school as much as everybody else But I just wanted to say I really just
appreciate all you here the entire Hilltop community And in turn I just want to give my thanks and gratitude to all y'all Thank you Motion to close public comment Second Just I agree with you about that
Okay next question Superintendent Glover Um [Music] are there any things that you want to respond to as far as other comments make So there are several things that several
areas and items that Mrs Lawler brought to the attention First and foremost I'll cover as much as I can The resolution opposing a charter school Of course we're going to I mean be careful Of course we appreciate Hillside Education
Association stepping forth to put that public comment out and that resolution as well System I'm going to skip the 2% increase just for a second systems 3000 As I stated earlier I teed up about our levels of efficiency and the importance of being more efficient There are
several systems within our organization that are very dated and we have been required to take a look at how we can advance those systems And so that's why we are looking to make an upgrade so that we can become more efficient and it will ultimately be a cost saver So the
sticker shock of what you see today actually is rooted in saving more money down the line I think Dr Ienholes already mentioned Deanna Taylor That's all part of the cost That's nothing additional nothing new Just want to make sure I cover all the director of technology So Hillside
Public Schools is one of the only districts does not have a director of technology And honestly our technology has changed since the year 2020 And within the four years that I've been here it has grown significantly and the and our cyber security audit is another
reason why we have to have these systems in place We are actually understaffed and a director also and this is no disservice to Deanna because Deanna has done a great job of doing the work that she does I say that hands down Yet there's still spaces that we need to have someone who operates in a different
space and that's not a a slight on Diana at all It's just the need to have a director who does more than what is um happening right now And I say kudos to the fact that over the last two years that Deiana has and and her team has done what they've done but we still have gaps and our cyber security audit
definitely attests to that The cost is in line So I'm going to be honest with the cost is actually cheaper because there are many more folks out there because this is a very specialized You have to have very specific credentials Um we're getting a bargain compared to what folks are asking if they were doing
this work on their own But fair question and definitely one that appreciates you asking Page six you mentioned the page 666 Which one was it Number 10 Oh so this is a again something that
came out of our audit Right now we we still deal with too much cash and there's been a request by multiple clubs within our district that ask for us to have a ticket in event where we can and mostly every other district when you have an event you just either scan or pay online This allows us to do that
There's no cost directly but it's a cost that goes back either to the consumer as far as how we So let me give you an example If we were going to charge $5 for the ticket and this individual went to pay online it would charge a dollar$1 dollar$150 depending on the event and how we have it set up or we could just
put the cost back on to the the purchaser of the ticket So that's how the fees are incurred And there is a small and forgive me I do not have the contract in front of me There is a small um fee we have to pay yearly but it's very nominal When I say nominal most of the money comes out of the ticketing
sale price Yeah Yeah Yeah I'll make sure you get that Yeah I'll make sure I send that to you On page eight number two So a lot of this has to do with Strauss SMA and updates This is not something we're just sun setting on our own The remote public meetings during a declared emergency
that's again that's under statute But these are things that came out of Strauss Esme our policy director Gifts from vendors um that's a no no We for all of us So let me give you an example If a vendor came in tonight and decided to give all of us um little bags we
could technically be in trouble And so we can't do that So that's why that has to be there Number 15 and 16 So I think I said this I know this comes up all the time It's just a tricky time when the grant the mental health grant has to get
approved So there are multiple phases and it happens to always kind of ended December Couple things happened Dr Sandy Mercedes who was the director of the department she transitioned So we had to wait till our new director came in So that's one reason why we had to wait
till Miss Taylor arrived so she could be no mentioned but it also was that period of when the new grant period began So that's why that happened in this period Motion which is now 27 right It was moved No no no problems Motion 27
still speaks to we're receiving a lot of grants and there are descriptions that we have to up job description we have to update All of this much of this is being paid out of a grant It's not coming out of our general funds but we have to have these as part of the
grant The 2% increase So it's public knowledge Hillside in Union County was one of two districts that suffered a 3% loss in revenue 3% And in full transparency Dr E and myself have reached out to the
department We've done as much negotiating and lobbying as we can The response that we received from the department didn't make us feel good didn't help didn't smile but we knew we planned for this and thought this may happen That 3% decrease in state aid
decrease was approximately $1.1 million Close to $1.2 million $1.2 million If I had a graph I could show you what that really means So I'm going to give you the basic math This is just an example If we receive state funding of
$30 million it was higher but I'm just using this as an example If we receive state funding of $30 million last year take $1.1 million away from the 30 million we're going backwards There are costs though
associated So that's a gap already of 1.1 There are costs associated with we knew we're going to rise For example we settled two teachers contracts two contracts teachers union and also our um administrators But natural costs
automatically salaries go up That's a gap You have transportation costs that goes up Students who receive um special education services and other related services that goes up We don't have control over those costs as they go
up So you went backwards knowing that you were going to have a natural increase in your organization That's our gap That's a significant gap It's close to $4 million in the gap
So fiscally sound over the last seven years and board members please correct me if I'm wrong We've only raised taxes once in seven years Once in seven years and the Department of Education has made it very clear and there's a formula that
Hillside has not done its fair share in leving levying its tax base Now we're trying to make sure we support our taxpayers and we to help our community members and we were able to do good things and not be in the situation we're in Now we're having to make some
adjustments The 2% increase that's being proposed equates to $620,000 $1.1 million reduction in state aid 600,000 620,000 620,000 doesn't even cover that full
amount I am doing along with Dr Igenhos my best to never have to cut positions and impact our classrooms So in short the explanation is this year we're going to have we don't have a choice because if
not then other decisions will have to be made that I don't want to sit up here and have to go to the public and say we're reducing some of those spaces of innovation staff members as you've all come up here and said we have staff members doing great things Imagine them not being here class sizes increasing
and all the other things We we're not proposing removing our extracurricular activities We're not proposing reducing clubs those things that are keep our students coming to school We're trying our best to make sure we stay but it's tight and it's tough So that's the 2% I
think I I hope I covered every one of the questions Oh right Right That's that can't happen until after the board takes care why to representatives I would love to see all the the pouring
of right because the state the state funding formula multiple districts we as a superintendent we have our meetings on a regular basis I know we're not supposed to go back and forth but I just want to make sure I clear this point up Multiple superintendents have always questioned the funding formula and this is the first time that Hillside has seen a loss and it was a shocking So it was
us and Union the two districts in Union County that saw a 3% loss uh reduction Many others either for flatfunded or saw increase as much as 6% So this was a little this was a little gut punch for us but we're
still when I say the brain power up here is really trying to make sure that we hold steadfast in our work That's it But you definitely should write to the legislators and communicate and express the concern that you have because it does impact taxpayers The Oprah request I will definitely take
into consideration I I think it's a deeper conversation and we'll take care of that internally I I want to also salute and thank you for our assembly woman I know she had to step out and leave but thank her for coming out and the work that she did to support the efforts of Deanna Taylor And I think
Madame President that is it for now I'm back on Okay Um we will now thank you all for your comments Um we will now move into our committee reports Vice President Horton Given
Good evening everyone So we'll start with finance and I'm going to ask board member Hargrave Good evening The finance committee met on Tuesday March 18th and we discussed items one through
1 through seven on the [Music] agenda Thank you board member Hargrave We're going to move to buildings and grounds And can we ask board member Eduahiti Yeah Good evening Um the
buildings and grounds committee met on Wednesday March 19th and discussed um the following items and which were to which were the revision and approval of
the motion approved on February 27th 2025 and also um we discussed the approval of payment to Northeastern Interior Services LLC for the completion of the new electric service walk coiling kitchen
door and site walk completed to date Thank you Thank you board member Aui We're going to move to education and we're going to ask Dr Howard Good evening madam vice president The
education committee also met this past week to discuss items 1 through 15 on the agenda primarily discussed were grant fundings class trips and to discuss the administrative and custodial calendar moving forward in the upcoming
school year Thank you Dr Howard We're going to move to policy We're going to ask board member Estraa Good evening Good evening We had met on Tuesday March
18th and discussed policies one and two uh A through O and including the abolished policies A and B Thank you Now we're going to move to labor board membership
Good evening The labor committee met on Wednesday March 19th and discussed agenda and non-aggenda items Thank you That's all Thank you Vice President Horton Given May I now take a motion to move
into executive session All in favor I be resolved pursuant to the open public meetings act that the board of education meet and close executive session at this time to discuss matters relating to personnel pending litigation labor negotiations and contract negotiations The board will
reconvene in public session at the conclusion of the close session The matters discussed in close session will be disclosed to the public as soon as the need for confidentiality no longer exists Thank you