Welcome our new Adminstrative Team

Dear Parent Community:

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

As some of you know, Ms. Laura Muller, who has been part of the Summit Public Schools community for the past seven years, has moved on to become the Principal of Columbia Middle School in Berkeley Heights. Additionally, Mr. Eric Fontes, who has served as a teacher at Summit High School, Supervisor of Mathematics, and most recently Assistant Principal at LCJSMS, is moving on to become the Director of Curriculum in Long Hill Township.

Certainly, this is a bittersweet moment for me, as I have grown very fond of both Eric and Laura and have greatly valued their contributions to our schools. I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Muller and Mr. Fontes for their dedicated service to LCJSMS and the Summit Public Schools. Their leadership, commitment, and care for our students and community have made a lasting impact. We wish Laura and Eric all the very best in their new roles. They will certainly be missed, and we are grateful for all they have done for our community.

With that said, I am pleased to share that we have hired two outstanding new Assistant Principals.

Beginning in late June, we conducted an extensive search, reviewing more than 140 applications. We initially conducted screening interviews with 33 highly qualified candidates and ultimately selected seven finalists to interview with a diverse panel of staff members. Following a comprehensive interview process, the finalists completed presentations for building and central-office administrators.

As a result of this thorough process, I am pleased to announce that the following candidates have been selected and approved to serve as our next Assistant Principals.

Ms. Kimberly Volz brings a wealth of educational leadership experience, having served as both an elementary educator and Dean of Students for grades K–8 in Harding Township Public Schools. In that role, she oversaw student discipline and supported a positive, student-centered learning environment. Her leadership experience also includes serving as the district’s Anti-Bullying Specialist, 504 and MTSS Coordinator, and chair of the School Culture and Climate Team. In addition, she has provided strategic leadership across numerous areas of school administration, contributing to building operations, instructional support, and organizational effectiveness. Kim will oversee 6th grade and 7th grade last names (L-Z).

I am also pleased to announce that Mr. Matthew Trokan will be joining our team. Since 2019, Mr. Trokan has served as the Supervisor of World Languages and Social Studies in Roxbury Public Schools. During his tenure, he also served as Interim Assistant Principal for several months while his principal was on leave. Prior to joining Roxbury, Mr. Trokan was a high school social studies teacher in Vernon Township and taught English in Chile. Matthew is fluent in Spanish and literate in French. Matt will oversee 7th grade (A-K) and 8th grade. Mr. Trokan will start officially in October and Mr. Fontes will be on board until that time.

While we will certainly miss Eric and Laura, I am confident that Kimberly and Matt will be tremendous additions to our leadership team. I look forward to everyone having the opportunity to meet them, and I hope you will join me in giving them a warm welcome to the LCJSMS family.

Wishing everyone a successful conclusion to the summer. Enjoy these remaining weeks, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back soon.