On Nov. 29, prior to the Board meeting meeting, the Board of Education and Administration honored our high school students for exemplary academic achievements.

Semifinalists in the 68th Annual National Merit Scholar Program

The following students qualified as 2023 National Merit Program semifinalists by demonstrating exceptional academic promise and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These students have an opportunity to continue in the competition to obtain one of the 7,250 National Merit Scholarships, which are collectively worth nearly $28 million.

• Jacob Gustin
• Christopher Mendina
• James Mullarney
• Christian Osowski
• Francesca Stella
• Logan Usilton

Review the Nov. 29 Student Recognition Program to see the full list of students honored for achievements on Advanced Placement Exams.

Congratulations to all of our students for their incredible accomplishments!

In an act of philanthropy, students of Fairview Elementary School collected an astonishing 1,012 non-perishable food items to support the local non-profit organization Middletown Helps Its Own. 

Faiview’s Spirit Committee, which is composed of 15 students and advised by Mrs. Maria Kamen and Mrs. Jennifer Sabolchick, inspired a school-wide, month-long collection campaign. The students developed a creative musical jingle announcement that was performed daily by fifth grade student Elle Dollar to keep the campaign fresh in the minds of peers and staff. For additional motivation, students earned a raffle ticket for every two food items they contributed. Six raffle tickets were then selected to give six lucky students the chance to pie a staff member during the school’s annual Turkey Trot event. 

The Fairview school community would like to extend a special thank you to Mr. Keith McDonald, the leader of Middletown Helps Its Own, who organized the safe transport of the donated items. 

The food collection campaign is an annual venture that takes place across the Middletown Township Public School District. Collectively, district schools combined to achieve the largest collection in the history of this initiative. As a result, 250 Middletown families were able to enjoy a complete Thanksgiving Dinner. 

The outpouring of support for this collection demonstrates the strong sense of community within Fairview and our entire Middletown school community,” said Fairview Principal Michael Melando. “All donations are greatly appreciated and we thank our community for coming together to help others!”

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and MTPS students and staff are transitioning toward the rest of the holiday season with themed lessons, activities, and kindness initiatives with festive themes.

At River Plaza Elementary School, Ms. Kelly Graham's first grade students have decorated a miniature fir with lights, berries and a multitude of methods in which they can promote a culture of kindness in their classroom, school and greater Middletown communities.

At Middletown Village Elementary School, Mr. Damian Font's third grade students participated in a literacy lesson that investigated the themes of the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and then asked students to gather evidence from the text that illustrated those themes.

We can't wait to see all the holiday fun still to come.

The Bayshore Middle School Esports team has completed their second consecutive undefeated season, defeating all Super Smash Bros opponents in Garden State Esports (GSE) competition. 

The team will travel to Rider University on Dec. 17 to defend their State Championship title in the GSE Fall Finals. 

During the GSE’s live tournament seeding show, the Dolphins were declared the favorite in their bracket, and predicted to win their second straight Smash title. 

In addition to earning the tournament’s top seed, two members of the Dolphins were named to the GSE All Star Team. 

Congratulations to the following seventh grade students on their recognition:

• Kaiden Leak (All Star)
• Nick Brier
• David Borbely (All Star)
• Nico Anichino
• Austen McKnight IV
• Jace Leak

The Dec. 17 Fall Finals at Rider University is open to the public and free to attend. Those who wish to attend must register to receive free tickets.

Congratulations to the Bayshore Dolphins Esports Team, and best of luck in the finals!

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

There are many steps parents and caregivers can take to promote wellness and good mental health hygiene. The National Association of School Psychologists offers some practical advice, which we have shared below. If you have concerns about your child, please contact their school counselor.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, the Middletown Township Public School District and Effective School Solutions (ESS) welcomed ESS Senior Director of Professional Learning Laine Whitaker to the High School North Media Center for a presentation focused on supporting students who are navigating stress and excessive worry. Watch the full presentation below.

Congratulations are in order for Middletown Township Public Schools Director of Athletics, Mr. Richard Carroll, for receiving a sectional award of merit from the Directors of Athletics Association of New Jersey. Carroll is just the fifth director of athletics from the Shore Conference to earn the Dave Salberg Sectional Award of Merit since the honor was launched in 2004.

"Throughout his career, Mr. Carroll has demonstrated professionalism, strong leadership, and unwavering commitment to out student athletes. We commend and congratulate him for serving our district with continued dedication, and for modeling a sense of pride and honor in our athletics programs and student achievements," said Board of Education President Mr. Frank Capone.

Earlier this week, three Bayshore Middle School band members qualified to participate in the All-Shore Intermediate Band, marking the first time in school history that the Dolphins have had more than two students qualify in the same season! 

The All Shore Band was founded in 1958 with the mission of challenging students by providing a setting for them to play high-caliber music with other student musicians from the Monmouth and Ocean County area. 

Currently, Thompson Middle School’s band director, Kate Raguseo, is the president of the organization.

Congratulations to the following seventh grade students on their recognition:

• James Noll, Tuba
• Ashley Pedersen, Timpani
• Keya Steiner, Clarinet

The season’s culminating performance will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 at the Michael T. Lake Performing Arts Center in Neptune, New Jersey. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Congratulations to James, Ashley and Keya, and thank you to the students and their families for supporting music in our schools!

This past spring our 11th-grade students sat for the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) field test. This assessment will serve as the graduation requirement starting with the class of 2024, replacing the former NJSLA high school suite of assessments. On Tuesday, November 29, results of the pilot test for both high schools were presented to the Board of Education and are now available on our MTPS Assessment Hub.

We are set to administer the NJGPA this March 2023 to all juniors. We will be administering a practice NJGPA to grade 11 students in December in lieu of a LinkIt! benchmark in math and in ELA. The results of the practice test will be used to guide instruction during the months leading up to the NJGPA. For more information about the NJGPA, along with sample test items, please visit the Pearson website.

In an effort to provide our Middletown High School North juniors and seniors with opportunities to interact with professionals from local businesses, companies and organizations, the Middletown Township Public School District, in collaboration with the Middletown Community Affairs Council, will be facilitating a “Meet and Greet” at the Middletown Arts Center on Dec. 6 at 6:30 PM.

The intent is for our Middletown Juniors and Seniors to learn about work-based learning opportunities, entry level positions, internships and mentorships within our community. The contacts they make at the “Meet and Greet” could influence their decisions pertaining to possible future careers.

Tables will be set up for each professional who will be available to answer any questions from the interested high school students. As many high school students are contemplating their post-secondary plans and intended majors, this event will help them explore various career pathways and certifications that would be of interest to them.

We have some prominent local businesses committed to participating, including Voyant, Molly Pitcher and Oyster Point Hotels, the Visiting Nurse Association of NJ, Stillitano Consulting LLC, Red Bank Wealth Management, Automated Building Controls and professionals representing law, real estate and land surveying among many others.

A word of thanks and appreciation to all of the participants who will be volunteering their time in meeting with our students and sharing their experiences in a variety of fields.  

Lincroft Elementary School has elected its first student council. This team of students will work to address school improvement initiatives in addition to cultivating community partners to facilitate philanthropic efforts. The council's first meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29 where our council members will work with staff and administration to develop goals to enhance Lincroft's educational environment, as well brainstorm potential community outreach ventures. The student council will also participate in PTA meetings.

"We are so excited to announce the election of our first student council, and to begin working with this incredible group. We thank (Assistant Superintendent) Mr. Matthew Kirkpatrick and (Board of Education President) Mr. Frank Capone for graciously joining us and saying a few words of congratulations to our new council members. I must also extend my sincere thanks to our fifth grade teacher Mrs. Joanne DeWolfe for her tireless work to help get this school initiative off the ground," said Lincroft Elementary School Principal Daniel Imbimbo.

Congratulations to the inaugural Lincroft Elementary School Student Council!