Board Meeting - February 25, 2025

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Submitted by jalijewicz on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 4:13pm

Dates:

Friday, February 21, 2025 - 4:00pm

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2025

MEETING AGENDA

of the Metuchen Board of Education

Metuchen High School

400 Grove Avenue

Metuchen, NJ 08840

Call to Order

Flag Salute

Notice of Meeting

I hereby make this statement to indicate compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act known as Chapter 231 of the Public Laws of New Jersey, 1975, which became effective 90 days after enactment, January 19, 1976.

Notice of this meeting was given by providing the location, time and date of this meeting, and posting of the same on the front door of the Board of Education offices, by delivering copies to the Borough Hall and the Metuchen Public Library, The Home News and Tribune, The Star Ledger, and by filing a copy with the Borough Clerk as prescribed by this law.

Roll Call

Mr. Bhatt		Ms. Killean
Ms. Cheatham		Mr. Lifton
Mr. Derflinger		Ms. Shrestha
Mr. Glassberg		Dr. Spigner
Dr. Johnson-Marcus		Mr. Suss

Showcase of Success

Meeting Open to the Public (for any topic)

Presentations

❖ Curriculum, Technology, and Athletics Budget Presentations

Reports

President’s Report
Superintendent's Report
Committee Reports
Student Board Member Report

Old Business

New Business

Approval of Minutes of the Board of Education Meetings

February 11, 2025	Special Business Meeting (1)
February 11, 2025	Special Business Meeting (2)
February 11, 2025	Board Meeting

Meeting Open to the Public (for any topic)

Recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools

(at this time the Board will take formal action on the following items – see attachments)

Oftentimes it may appear to members of our audience that the Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote. Before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the Superintendent of Schools. If the Superintendent is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education, it is then referred to the appropriate board committee. The members of the board committee work with administration and the Superintendent to assure that the members fully understand the matter. When the committee is satisfied with the matter, it is presented

to the Board of Education for discussion before any final action is taken. Only then, is it placed on the agenda for action at a public meeting.

PERSONNEL

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

----------------------------end of personnel section--------------------------

FINANCE

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

Treasurer of School Monies and Board Secretary’s Reports

Move to approve the Treasurer of School Monies’ Report, and Board Secretary’s Report as of December 31, 2025.

2. Payment of Bills

a) Board Secretary’s Certification

Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6:20-2A.10(d), the Board Secretary has certified that as of February 25, 2025 no budgetary line item accounts have obligations and payments which exceed the amount appropriated by the Board of Education.

________________________________________ _______________

Michael A. Harvier, Board Secretary Date

b) Approve the Following Items Submitted by the Board Secretary

Payment of bills and claims, as shown on the attached list(s) that have been certified by the Board of Education and filed in the Business Office.

4. Professional Development

Move to approve the following professional development activities as shown on the following chart:

Start Date	End Date	Activity Title	Name	Building	Approved	Payment	FFPI Proposal #
2/6/ 2025	2/6/ 2025	AI in Education, Grades 4-12 ELA: Problems, Potentials, and Possible Futures	Thompson, Lauren	Edgar	$180	FFPI	25-110
3/7/ 2025	3/7/ 2025	Rutgers Makerspace	Smedley, Kevin	MHS	$0	No cost
3/7/ 2025	3/7/ 2025	Rutgers Makerspace	Tay, Nicholas	Edgar	$0	No cost
3/7/ 2025	3/7/ 2025	Rutgers Makerspace	Klee, Martin	MHS	$0	No cost
3/10/ 2025	3/14/ 2025	5th Grade NJSLA- S Science Assessment Item Review Committee	Nolde, Jonathan	Campbell	$0	No cost
3/11/ 2025	3/11/ 2025	Keys to Adolescent Literacy	Agnone, Andrea	Edgar	$175	FFPI	25-117
3/11/ 2025	3/11/ 2025	Keys to Adolescent Literacy	Thompson, Lauren	Edgar	$175	FFPI	25-119
3/14/ 2025	3/14/ 2025	7th Annual Innovations in Special Education Technology: Blending AI with Strategies to Improve Instructional Outcomes and Foster Independence	Agnone, Andrea	Edgar	$149	FFPI	25-118
3/14/ 2025	3/14/ 2025	7th Annual Innovations in Special Education Technology: Blending AI with Strategies to Improve Instructional Outcomes and Foster Independence	Lewis, Patricia	Central Office	$149	Other
3/17/ 2025	3/17/ 2025	NJCEC 2025 Spring Conference	Agnone, Andrea	Edgar	$190	FFPI	25-112
3/17/ 2025	3/17/ 2025	NJCEC 2025 Spring Conference	Thompson, Lauren	Edgar	$190	FFPI	25-120
3/17/ 2025	3/17/ 2025	NJCEC 2025 Spring Conference	Corrigan, Lauren	Moss	$240	FFPI	25-114
3/17/ 2025	3/17/ 2025	NJCEC 2025 Spring Conference	MacMenamie, Shannon	Moss	$190	FFPI	25-113
3/20/ 2025	3/20/ 2025	Planning High School Mathematics Reform: A Learning, Sharing and Working Conference with Steve Leinwand & Eric Milou.	Dees, Amy	MHS	$199	FFPI	25-115
3/31/ 2025	3/31/ 2025	NJPSA Elementary Committee	Asprocolas, Jennifer	Central Office	$0	No cost
4/4/ 2025	4/4/ 2025	Interdistrict Conference	Lewis, Patricia	Central Office	$0	No cost
4/4/ 2025	4/4/ 2025	Public School Collaborative	Omark, Lindsey	Campbell	$0	No cost
4/4/ 2025	4/4/ 2025	Rutgers Collaborative Conference	Azevedo, Suzy	Central Office	$0	No cost
4/4/ 2025	4/4/ 2025	Rutgers Collaborative Workshop	Forde, Caroline	Edgar	$0	No cost
4/8/ 2025	4/8/ 2025	Defusing Anger, Anxiety, and Aggression: Improving Student Behavior	Kirschner, Brooke	Campbell	$295	Other
4/22/ 2025	4/22/ 2025	Leading Research-Based Writing Instruction with The Writing Rope	Agnone, Andrea	Edgar	$225	FFPI	25-116
5/7/ 2025	5/9/ 2025	2025 Autism Symposium<br/>Actionable Strategies for Trauma's Impact on Sensory and Emotional Processing	Dybas, Christina	MHS	$138.60	FFPI	25-111

----------------------------end of finance section--------------------------

POLICY

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

Suspensions

The Board hereby acknowledges receipt of the suspension report summary for February 10, 2025 - February 21, 2025.

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

Move to affirm the findings of the previously reported case.

EMS012725001

3. First Reading of Policies and Regulations

Move to approve the second readings of the following policies and regulations.

❖ P 9163 Spectator Code of Conduct for Interscholastic Events

❖ P & R 5516 Use of Electronic Communication Devices

❖ P & R 5533 Student Smoking

❖ P 5701 Academic Integrity

❖ P 5710 Student Grievance

❖ P 5512 Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying

❖ P & R 9320 Cooperation with Law Enforcement Agencies

❖ P 5460 High School Graduation

----------------------------end of policy section--------------------------

CURRICULUM

Motion/Second/Comments/Roll Call

1. Field Trips

Move to approve the following field trips for students in the Metuchen School District as shown:

School	Destination	Class/Group/ Purpose	Teachers/ Advisors	Date(s)	No. Of Students	Board Cost- Transportation	Number of Subs Needed
MHS	Campbell Elementary School	Grades 9-12; Collaboration between MHS business students and 1st grade class at Campbell to develop a future vision of Metuchen aligned with the Metuchen is America program.	Elizabeth Dorsa and Kate Lemerich	3/18/ 2025	23	$60	1 sub needed
MHS	Atlanta, GA National Orchestra Festival	Grade 9-12; The Metuchen High School Chamber Orchestra has been accepted to participate in the National Orchestra Festival held annually through the American String Teachers Association. School groups are accepted after a rigorous application process, and are compared against similar schools across the country. Students will participate in clinics, will receive feedback from leading professionals in the field, and will receive a festival rating. Students will also listen to other schools from across the country perform, and will be able to experience the exhibit hall with over 100 string vendors from around the country.	Christopher McEwan and Jordyn Gallagher	3/20/ 2025	22	$0	1 sub needed
MHS	John Cali School of Music, Montclair State University	Grade 9-12;The event, hosted by the John J. Cali School of Music, provides our students with a chance to perform two pieces they are currently working. After their performance, MSU's faculty will give feedback, offering constructive guidance to help the students develop their skills and improve their musical performance. The audience will include other high school bands and the MSU community, making it an excellent opportunity for our students to gain experience performing in front of a diverse, supportive audience. Best of all, there is no charge for this workshop, making it a cost-effective way for our ensemble to gain invaluable performance and educational experience.	John Messenger	3/21/ 2025	17	$200	no subs needed
Moss	Kentonor Park	Grade K; Students will be engaged in community based instruction to Kentnor Playground to generalize social emotional/behavioral skills, communication goals, motor and play skills outside of the classroom and practice them within a community setting.	Lori-Anne DiSerio, Karen Calentoni, Dana Donatelli, Kaitlyn Kodersha, Emily Peluso, Caroline Mandel, Vanessa Beibide, Shannon MacMenamie, Sandy Iacona, Laura Hermans, Lauren Corrigan, Neha Jansari, Farhana Khan, Katie Upshaw	3/21/ 2025	9	$30	no subs needed
CESl	Metuchen Public Library	Grade 1; Students will tour the children's department of the Metuchen Public Library and participate in a storytime. They will receive their own library cards and learn about the resources available to them through the library.	Rebecca Klein, Tara Pata, Christine Piovoso, Julie Anderson	3/26/ 2025	49	$0	1 sub needed
MHS	Liberty Science Center	Grade 9; Instructional Objectives for the Liberty Science Center Trip Explore the Mechanisms of Gene Editing in Biotechnology Students will analyze CRISPR Cas9 as a gene-editing tool to treat genetic disorders like Cystic Fibrosis, connecting to Unit 9: Gene Expression and Biotechnology objectives on DNA-protein interactions and biotechnological solutions.	Lindsay Nalepa, Lauren Korellis, Jordan Leitner,Lauren Kim, Mark Mooney, Anais Ortega, Nickolas Vosinas, Nicholas Zaneto, Sean Rappleyea, Michael Warnock, Kate Lemerich and William McDuffie Updated chaperone list. Previously approved on 2/11/25 agenda.	3/26/ 2025	107	$0	10 subs needed
CES	Metuchen Public Library	Grade 1; Students will tour the children's department of the Metuchen Public Library and participate in a storytime. They will receive their own library cards and learn about the resources available to them through the library.	Rebecca Klein, Tara Pata, Rupel Conzo, Jeremy Barnes, Brian Jeney	4/2/ 2025	50	$0	1 sub needed
MHS	Middlesex College	Grade 10; Empower Student Leaders Equip female students with tools, skills, and confidence needed to create meaningful and sustainable positive changes within their schools and communities.Promote Peer Education Enable attendees to effectively share the knowledge gained from the conference with their peers through school-based programs, workshops, or events. Foster Collaboration and Teamwork Provide opportunities for students to connect, collaborate, and build a supportive network that will enable them to work together toward common goals over the next three years. Address Relevant Topics Deliver engaging workshop sessions that address the unique challenges and opportunities facing female students, aligning with Department of Education core curriculum standards for health and physical education. Support Adult Mentorship Offer a separate workshop for faculty members to equip them with the resources and strategies to support and guide their students effectively.Encourage Long-term Impact Inspire students and faculty to develop and implement sustainable strategies that promote health, well-being, and positive change within their schools and beyond.	Samatha Palermo and Luisa Perez	4/4/ 2025	10	$140	no subs needed
CES	Metuchen Public Library	Grade 1; Students will tour the children's department of the Metuchen Public Library and participate in a storytime. They will receive their own library cards and learn about the resources available to them through the library.	Rebecca Klein and Bailey Tocci	4/9/ 2025	24	$0	1 sub needed
Moss	Rutgers Farm	Grade K; Students will engage in community based instruction to the Rutgers Farm. Students will be able to use prior knowledge to understand this new experience, develop an expanding expressive vocabulary and engage in conversations about what they saw with peers and teachers.	Lori-Anne DiSerio, Karen Calentoni, Dana Donatelli, Kaitlyn Kodersha, Emily Peluso, Caroline Mandel, Vanessa Beibide, Shannon MacMenamie, Sandy Iacona, Laura Hermans, Lauren Corrigan, Neha Jansari, Farhana Khan, Katie Upshaw	4/11/ 2025	10	$100	no subs needed
CES	Metuchen Public Library	Grade 1; Students will tour the children's department of the Metuchen Public Library and participate in a storytime. They will receive their own library cards and learn about the resources available to them through the library.	Rebecca Klein, Samanta Jackson, Candice Evans, Ellissa Cadel	4/30/ 2025	48	$0	1 sub needed

2. Student Observer

Move to approve the placement of the following student observer from Kean University in the Metuchen Public School District for the 2024-2025 school year.

Name	School	Supervisor
Gianna Martini	Moss	Emily Peluso

----------------------------end of curriculum section--------------------------

Meeting Open to Public (for any topic)

Announcements

Motion to Go Into Executive Session (when applicable)

Resolution to Close Meeting

BE IT RESOLVED, pursuant to the Sunshine Act, N.J.S. 10:4-12 and 13, that the Board of Education will now meet in executive session to discuss _____________________________________ and that matters discussed will be disclosed to the public as soon as the reason for confidentiality no longer exist.