Please Take Part in the 2020-2021 School Calendar Survey

Each year the District considers several factors before developing the new school calendar. This year the administrative team and Board of Education invites the community to contribute to the process. Please follow the link below to complete a short five-question survey that will provide valued input during the development process.

2020-2021 School Calendar Survey

NBA Standout Speaks at Bayshore Career Day

In November, Bayshore Middle School hosted professionals from various fields at its seventh annual Career Day, including keynote speaker Randy Foye, a National Basketball League veteran and former NCAA star a Villanova University. Foye fielded questions from students, including a discussion about playing with and against former NBA stars like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant, and spoke about the power of setting goals at a young age. Hear part of that address by viewing the Twitter video to the left. Presented by the Bayshore Guidance Department and administrative team, the 2019 Career Day saw more than 20 presenters address students. Presenters included those with backgrounds in firefighting and law enforcement, engineers and medical professionals, business and marketing, as well as musicians, photographers, and many more.

Middletown Township Public Schools on Twitter At @BayshoreMiddle Career Day, keynote speaker @randyfoye, a former @NovaMBB star and NBA veteran, spoke to students about the importance of setting goals at. young age, developing a plan to achieve those goals, and never giving up in the face of ... Read more twitter.com

Students Spread Positivity At Local Starbucks

Students from New Monmouth Elementary School are spreading positivity and kindness in their community with the help of a Middletown Starbucks coffee shop located near the intersection of Cherry Tree Farm Road and State Route 35. Students received a collection Starbucks coffee sleeves and are adding splashes of color and messages of kindness. The sleeves will be returned to the Starbucks and handed out to customers over the following weeks.

Hundreds Attend Pathways & Academies Night

Hundreds of middle school students and parents from across the District attended Pathways, Academies, and Advances Academic Opportunities Night at High School North on Dec. 4 to learn more about the focused educational offerings available at the high school level. In addition to Advanced Placement programs like AP Art History and AP World History, incoming freshmen have access to the Arts Academy and Early College Academy, as well as focused academic pathways in STEM, Business Management and Administration, and Government Law and Public Policy. For more detailed information and to review a comprehensive slideshow presentation about the District's pathways, academies, and advanced placement courses, please visit the District website .

"Our goal is not to have the students decide on a Career now but instead to peak their interest so that they understand the process, education, training, etc. that goes in to obtaining and performing in these positions. We are hopeful that this event helps the students to begin thinking of what courses they would like to take in HS. We are also hopeful that this may initiate a conversation between students and their parents regarding career fields and choices," said Bayshore Principal Michael Scarano.

Thorne Middle School Launches District Fundraiser for Wreaths Across America

Thorne Middle School is asking the community to join students, faculty and staff on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 8:30 a.m. for a special Wreaths Across America ceremony, an event that continues the school’s mission of honoring our fallen U.S. military servicemen and women, as well as our military veterans. That morning, local residents are invited to line Murphy Rd. and greet the convoy. There will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in front of the school. The ceremony will continue inside the building with a tribute to veterans, including veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Wreaths will be presented to Gold Star Families. PLEASE REGISTER:  Local veterans and Gold Star Families who wish to attend the Dec. 11 event are asked to register by calling the school’s main office at 732-787-1220. All Gold Star Families who register will receive an ornamental wreath. DISTRICT FUNDRAISER:  Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization that relies on donations, and Thorne Middle School would like to make a donation on behalf of the entire District. If every staff member and student brought in $1, our donation could pay for wreaths to be put on the graves of hundreds of fallen heroes. Jars will be available in the main office of each school for staff, students, and community members to make donations. Larger donations can be sent to Thorne Middle School’s main office. Checks can be made out to “Wreaths Across America.” For more information please visit the District website .

Mental Health Staff Trains In Sand Play Therapy

District mental health professionals were introduced to the basic tenets of Sand Play Therapy through a training facilitated by Toni Zachos Kaplan, LCSW of Lighthouse Counseling & Sand Play Training Center.  Sand Play is an evidence-based and highly researched area of intervention for social skills, expressive techniques, and more. Participants noted the specific potential of integrating sand play in their work, including: fostering connection between peers in social skills groups, engaging students who do not typically respond to highly verbal interventions and providing an effective method of expression to help students problem solve social situations. This training was offered to members of the district’s Mental Health Board. The Mental Health Board, a newly introduced initiative composed of mental health professionals within the district, aims to provide professional development opportunities as well as district-wide education to further support social & emotional well-being of students.

Last Call For Teacher of the Year Nominations The Distirct has many outstanding teachers and educational services professionals, and we are asking for the community's help to identify those individuals whose skills, dedication, understanding, and caring for children have made a positive impact on the lives of our students. Learn more about the  Teacher of the Year nomination process  and be sure to fill out your  Teacher of the Year nomination form and return it to the main office of your school by Monday, Dec. 9th .

Thorne Students Continue Holiday Lip Dub Tradition

Thorne Mididle School's annual holiday lip dub video has arrived. Students have decked the hallways of the Port Monmouth school with holiday decorations and recently showed off their lip syncing abilities and fantastic dance moved as part of the community's yearly musical tradition. To see the 2019 version of Thorne's Holiday Lip Dub please follow the link .

District Partnership with Local Historic Groups

In cooperation with Tom Valenti of the Middletown Historical Society, Linda Maresca and Elaine Hinkley of the Middletown Township Historic Preservation Commission, and Township Committeewoman Patricia Snell, the District has formed a partnership help bring more local history into our classrooms. According to Wendy Morales, the District Supervisor of Social Studies and Technology, the partnership is currently targeting seventh middle school classrooms. The content covered in middle school history classes includes colonial America and the Revolutionary War, with which our Middletown community has many historical connections. The partnership will include local history-based contests that appeal to various types of learners. The first of these contests is the "Middletown's Impact on History" essay contest, which is open to all District middle school students, and features a $50 prize for the winning essay from each grade level. For more information on the partnership and the essay contest please visit the District website .

Middletown Township Green Team Partners With Second Chance Toys With the holidays approaching the Middletown Township Green Team wants to remind community members about its partnership with Second Chance Toys, a non-profit organization that collects, cleans, and distributes gently used plastic toys to children in need. A donation drop off site is located at the Kanes Lane Recycling Center. To learn more about Second Chance Toys please visit the organization's website .

MTPS Community Calendar

Please join the High School North girls basketball and softball programs on Saturday, Jan. 25th, 2020 for their Slam Dunk Autism event, a day of games that will raise funds in support of special education programs. To view a full list of your school's events please visit the calendar on your school's website. High school athletics schedules can be viewed at www.shoreconferencenj.org Middle school athletics schedules can be viewed at www.shoreconferencems.org Important Dates Dec. 11 - Strategic Planning Forum #3 (High School North) Dec. 18 - Board of Education Pre-Meeting Workshop/Voting Meeting Jan. 2 - Board of Education Reorganization Meeting

High Schools Announces HOBY Conference Attendees

Earlier this month High School North and South announced the students who will represent the District at the upcoming Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) conference in June. Jada McKnight and Peyton Benbrook of High School North, and Tristan DeCrescenzo and Luke McCann of High School South earned the distinction. Founded in 1958 by actor and humanitarian Hugh O'Brian, the non-profit organization is dedicated to inspire a global community of youth and volunteers to a life of leadership, service and innovation. From 1958 to 1967, HOBY solely hosted leadership seminars for sophomores from California. Today, more HOBY and its mission is a worldwide initiative with more than 470,000 alumni. For more information about HOBY please visit the organization's website .

High School North Student Government Assoc. Announces Salute to Service Veterans Project

The High School North Student Government Association has launched its Salute to Service Veterans Project, an effort to honor all community members that have served our country's military. After the information gathering process is completed, the next stage of the project is to create a display honoring our soldiers that have been killed in action. The goal is to develop a design that can be replicated and showcased in each of our 17 District schools. The group is seeking help to compile names and information about our active service members and veterans. Those wishing to share information can email Mr. Jonathan Scala at scalaj@middletownk12.org .

Holiday Express Holds Concert for District Students

Holiday Expressed ushered in the holiday season for hundreds of District students and staff members on Nov. 19 with a 90-minute concert of festive classics and soulful Rock N’ Roll. The local nonprofit organization, which delivers music, food, gifts, financial support and friendship to those in need during the holidays, transformed the High School South gymnasium into a holiday dance hall. The event was made even more merry and bright by the appearance of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Grinch who loves Christmas, and the big man himself, Santa Claus, all of whom posed for photos with students and joined giant conga lines that wound around the room in rhythm with the swinging tunes. This year, from Nov. 4 through Christmas Eve, Holiday Express has 100 performances scheduled in various communities in and outside of Monmouth County. To learn more about Holiday Express, or to volunteer your time, please  visit the organization’s website .

Interested in Substitute Teaching? If you are interested in a flexible employment option that fits your lifestyle, a substitute teaching position may fit well with your lifestyle. If you would like to learn please connect with Middletown Township Public Schools District Manager Deanna Scanlon at dscanlon@ess.com

High School Students Honored for Academic Achievements

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, District administrators, the Board of Education, and Superintendent of Schools, William O. George III, Ed. D., recognized Jada Tulloch and Jonathan Rasnitsyn of High School North, and Kelsey O'Keefe, Christopher Roder, and Jack Schaeffer of High School South as 2020 National Merit Program Commended Scholars. Those students were also included in the group of 73 District high school students that were honored for achieving recognition on one or more advanced placement exams. These exams concluded courses that offer college-level curricula to our students. If you missed the recognition ceremony, view it in full here .

New Scholarships to Honor High School North Teachers

The High School North Guidance Department is reaching out to alumni and community members for their support of new scholarship fund that will honor the legacies of former educators Mr. Rick Unterstein and Mrs. Poroshat Shakoor. Both lost their lives earlier this year.

Untertstein passed passed away suddenly on July 18, 2019, while on vacation in Maine with his wife. He taught Environmental Science and AP Biology for many years, and was passionate about the environment, evidenced by his work with the 7 Lakes Alliance organization. His students adored him for his quick wit and patience. He leaves behind his wife, two beautiful daughters and their husbands, two amazing grandchildren, and countless friends. Shakoor passed away on October 19, 2019 after a long battle with lung cancer. She taught Mathematics, primarily honors Pre-Calculus and AP Probability & Statistics for many years. She had a great sense of humor, excellent fashion sense, and demanded the best of her students every day. Many students credit her with their success in Mathematics courses in college. She leaves behind her loving husband and two children. High School North staff members are creating scholarships in the names of both Unterstein and Shakoor to aid students that will study science and mathematics in college. If you would like to contribute to the memory of these revered educators, please make out a check to "MHSN Guidance Scholarships" and designate which teacher (or both teachers) you would like to support in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to MHSN Guidance at 63 Tindall Road, Middletown, NJ, 07748.

Dr. George's Corner - An Important Message About the Strategic Planning Process

Earlier this week Superintendent of Schools, Dr. William O. George III, Ed. D., issued a letter to the school community concerning the District's Strategic Planning process. Please view the letter in full by following the link . For more information about the Strategic Planning process please visit the District website .

New Board of Education Meeting Video Now Available A If you were unable to attend the Nov. 20 Board of Education Meeting at high School North, you can now watch the video in full by clicking the button to the right. Previous Board of Education meeting videos are also available in the video archive . New Parent Information Committee Meeting Video Also available is the video for the latest Parent Information Committee meeting held Tuesday, Nov. 12. You can view it by clicking the button to the right. Learn more about the Parent Information Committee, and view the upcoming meeting schedule by visiting the District website .

New Survey Data Presented at Strategic Planning Forum #2 During the District's Nov. 13th Strategic Planning Forum #2 at High School South, Schoolhouse Strategies presented new data trends from the approximately 2,700 stakeholder surveys submitted before the Oct. 30th deadline. To watch the forum in full please view the video to the right. To review the survey data please visit the District website . The final Strategic Planning Public Forum will be held Wednesday, Dec. 11 at High School North from 7-9 p.m.

More Strategic Planning Info

High Schools Make Donations to Korntey Rose Foundation

Earlier this week the student government associations of High School North and South presented the Kortney Rose Foundation with donation checks totaling more than $3,000. In 2006, Kristen Gillette lost her daughter Kortney to a brain tumor. In the ensuing months, Gillette was moved to found the Kortney Rose Foundation , a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research. To date the group has raised more than $2.3 million, a total that includes fundraising contributions from Middletown Township Public Schools. District students helped the foundation raise $10,312 last year, and Gillette hopes that total can be surpassed with this year’s “Kortney’s Cash for the Cure” event. Fundraising materials for the month-long effort arrived in our schools Oct. 15. The deadline to donate is Nov. 15. For more information about “Kortney’s Cash for the Cure” please reach out to the front office of your home school. To learn more about the Kortney Rose Foundation, or to donate, please visit the organization website .

Help Preserve Middletown's Most Notable Newspaper

The Middletown Township Historical Society (MTHS) is seeking volunteers to help preserve editions of The Courier, a newspaper published from 1955 through 2009. The Middletown Township Public Library has bound collections of The Courier, but MTHS has noticed the deterioration of these collections and hopes to preserve them digitally for future generations to enjoy. Volunteers interested in joining the effort can email Pam Curchin at pcurchin@mtpl.org . For more information about MTHS, including a schedule of their upcoming educational events, please visit the  organization's website .

Inaugural Articulation Day Used to Tackle Challenges and Share Successes

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, educators and administrators from across Middletown Township Public Schools participated in the District's first Articulation Day. The District-wide professional learning initiative allowed time for our teachers to gather after school hours with colleagues of the same grade levels and subject matters to have open discussions about overcoming challenges faced in their classrooms, as well as actionable tactics that have proven to enhance the educational experiences of our students. Jessica Shaw-Alfone, the District Director of Staff Development and Special Projects, said her focus remains on offering educators professional learning opportunities that promote choice and collaboration with peers. "What I hear most from educators is the lack of time they have in their schedules to connect with colleagues and talk about what's taking place in their classrooms," said Shaw-Alfone. "By sharing our challenges, our concerns, and most importantly what's working in our classrooms, this is how we can grow as a District and better prepare our students for the future." Articulation Day was yet another progressive professional learning opportunity for District personnel, following the launch of last week's MTPS EdCamp at High School South. The EdCamp model is based upon ad hoc community participation, in which attendees choose topics they would like to discuss, and lead others in the conversation, prompting contributions and anecdotes from attendees. Learn more about the MTPS EdCamp by viewing this video .

The Middletown Township Public Library (MTPL) will host Wreaths Across America in its lobby on Saturday, Nov. 16th and Saturday, Nov. 23rd. Residents are encouraged to visit with the Wreaths Across America representatives to learn more about the organization and how to sponsor a wreath. You can also register to volunteer on Saturday, Dec. 14th to help lay wreaths on the graves of local veterans at Fair View Cemetery on Rt. 35. For more information about Wreaths Across America please visit the organization's website .

Math Educators to Present at National Conference in April Middletown math educators Dr. John Kerrigan and Dr. Kara Teehan will co-present at a national math conference in Chicago this coming April.  Their presentation will focus on the design and implementation of active learning classrooms in District middle and high schools.

Kerrigan, the District Director of K-12 Mathematics, and Teehan, a mathematics educator at High School North, are passionate about progressive learning environments, as well as the promotion of access and equity for K-12 students in those settings. In addition to their District positions, Kerrigan is a professor at Rutgers University in both the math and education departments, while Teehan is a professor at Monmouth University and Stockton University.  At the spring conference they will discuss instructional techniques and strategies for active learning that engage students in algebra, calculus, precalculus, and college mathematics. This is the second year in a row that Kerrigan and Teehan were accepted to present at this prestigious national conference for the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics. For more information about active learning classrooms please visit the District website .

District Honored at 2019 NJSBA Workshop

Educators across the District are engaging students in personalized learning opportunities that build the skills necessary to one day flourish during college studies, a trade school education or in a rapidly evolving global work environment. The District was recognized for this forward-thinking approach on Sept. 16th during a ceremony at the 2019 New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop in Atlantic City. Read more at the District website.

A University Model in Active Learning Classrooms The District has adapted the university "Active Learning Classroom" model from Rutgers University, and designed and implemented five new rooms in our middle schools and high schools. Research shows that active learning, when compared to individualistic learning, improves academic achievement, the quality of interpersonal interactions between peers, and a student's self-esteem. Learn more on the  District website .

District Working to Develop Global Citizenship Education District Supervisor of Social Studies and Technology, Wendy Morales, is emphasizing the concept of global citizenship education during the 2019-20 school year. As technology continues to transform higher education and workplace environments the importance of global competency for our students is rapidly increasing. To learn more about the District's global citizenship education efforts please continue reading.

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