The 2011–2012 school year has officially come to an end.
“It flew by,” said board president Melissa Ciliberti at the Tuesday, June 12 Board of Education meeting in Shamong.
“We had another great year,” she added.
It was the first year of service for interim superintendent Dr. Dolores Szymanski in the district. She is retired from a previous 37 years of educational experience.
“This year has been absolutely wonderful for me,” she said. “I want to thank you all.”
Before the board could leave the media center at Indian Mills Memorial School, new faces had to be hired, a cross-country program had to be approved and 16 pages of agenda items were intricately examined to meet the needs of the district.
Some new faces
Each school hired two new teachers at the meeting.
Indian Mills School welcomed Corrine Russell to teach kindergarten and Jennifer Lee Hendron for third-grade instruction.
Principal Nicole Moore said that Russell knows her way around from having previous roles in the district.
Hendron, she said, did a great job performing her interview lesson.
At the middle school, Courtney Marro will teach sixth-grade science beginning in Sept. while Tara Orichowskyj will instruct basic skills math.
Principal Timothy Carroll said he was “blown away” by the women after seeing them teach lessons to the kids.
“We’re very excited for them to be here,” he said, adding that they were both highly qualified for the positions.
In fact, the students in the classes that they taught during the interview process gave them each a round of applause following their lessons.
In the land of sports
New faces certainly are not the only changes coming to the district.
Dan Giordano will be advising a new cross-country program beginning in the fall.
“I really appreciate his initiative,” said Carroll.
The softball, baseball and lacrosse leagues will be revamped as well.
The local schools, Carroll said, “won’t work with us.”
The new leagues that the students will participate in will have stiffer competition, he said, but “I think that’s good for our kids.”
A new scoreboard is coming to the Indian Mills Memorial School gymnasium.
The Fair-Play Model BB1520–4 is the same model as the scoreboard at Seneca High School, said Carroll.
The total cost amounts to $6,780 and is being supported by the IMMS Booster Club, the Board of Education and Indian Mills Athletic Association.
Dispelling a rumor
“We do not have 30 in a class in first-grade,” said Moore, referencing an email that recently circulated between concerned parents urging presence at the board meeting, although no parents attended.
There are 87 students heading into first-grade, she said, and about 75 going into kindergarten.
There will be nice class sizes for each, she assured.
“It all balanced itself out,” said Moore.
Business and technology
Resolution $111212 was adopted to approve the transfer of $40,000 of unused capitol project funds to debit service funds.
In essence, business administrator Michael J. Mados said, this is the schools giving money back to the taxpayers.
On the technology front, the purchase of Meraki equipment was approved to provide wireless services to the district. The cost is $56,670 and includes installation.
The equipment is considered a requirement in preparation of the PARCC assessment replacing the NJASK test in 2015. The new assessment will be based on computers.
Carroll explained that the district chose this system over other options due to the level of monitored safety nets it provides.
