With winter officially behind us and spring now here—even if the temperatures haven’t fully caught up—we’re embracing the longer days, brighter skies, and the renewed energy this season brings. Nature is reawakening, and that same sense of growth and momentum is alive across our schools.

March has been filled with exciting highlights that brought our community together. From the joy and imagination of Read Across America, to the shared experiences of One Book, One District, the creativity of Pi Day, and the celebration of St. Patrick's Day and First Day of Spring, it’s been a month full of connection and inspiration.

While there is still much left to accomplish in the 2024–2025 school year, our Administrative Team has also been hard at work planning for 2025–2026—building on our many successes and continuing to move forward in all areas.

I’m proud of all we’ve achieved together so far and excited for the opportunities ahead as we continue our pursuit of excellence this spring and beyond.

P.S. For those who are anxiously awaiting the summer season, as of today, our last day of school is scheduled for Friday, June 20. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that we have no more emergency closings for the remainder of the year.

5th grade and Pre-Kindergarten students had a blast practicing letter formation with shaving cream! This hands-on, sensory-rich activity allowed them to trace and write letters on a smooth, frothy surface, making learning fun and engaging. It was a creative way to reinforce letter recognition and fine motor skills while adding a touch of excitement to the classroom.

The mischievous leprechaun paid a visit to Bee Meadow School on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, leaving behind a trail of minor mischief and chaos in the classrooms! Unfortunately, none of our carefully set traps were able to catch him. If you look closely, you might spot his tiny footprints on the window where he made his daring escape!

1st and 2nd grade students teamed up with Whippany Park High School’s Interact Club on a heartfelt project called "Bags for Breakfast." This initiative, known as the Rise & Shine Breakfast Bags, provides essential nutrition to local families through Nourish NJ. The Interact Club gathers the food items for the bags, while our BMS students get creative by designing the bags with colorful artwork and uplifting messages for the recipients. It’s a wonderful collaboration that brings joy and support to our community.

In our 1st grade classrooms, students engaged in an interactive and hands-on learning experience where they "performed surgery" to better understand how contractions are formed in everyday language. With playful tools and a creative approach, students carefully "cut" apart words and then "stitched" them back together, revealing how two words can combine into a contraction. This fun, engaging activity helped solidify the concept of contractions in a memorable and enjoyable way, allowing students to apply their new knowledge in both written and spoken language.

Third graders are diving into the fascinating world of life structures—seeds! As part of their exploration, they carefully dissected fruits to uncover the seeds hidden inside. They examined each seed up close, studying its size, shape, color, and texture. This hands-on activity not only deepened their understanding of seed anatomy but also sparked curiosity about the role seeds play in the cycle of life.

New Jersey "celebrities" made a special appearance as our fourth graders proudly presented The Garden State, a lively program celebrating the rich history and unique features of the state we call home. The students showcased their knowledge with enthusiasm, highlighting everything that makes New Jersey truly remarkable!

Staff and students proudly showcased their love for literature by dressing up as their favorite storybook characters. From beloved classics to modern favorites, everyone embraced the chance to bring their literary heroes to life, making for a fun and colorful celebration of reading!

One Book, One District is a cherished annual tradition where students and staff across all three elementary schools come together to read the same book over a two-week period. To kick off the program, older grade levels paired up with younger students, fostering a sense of community and excitement as they shared the joy of reading and launched this special initiative!

At the end of February, Mountview students were challenged to create a BINGO board of kindness. Participating students received a special sticker and certificate of participation and were proudly displayed on the Guidance Bulletin Board. Congratulations to our amazing MTV students whose kindness made a positive impact and spread joy in ways big and small.

MTV is celebrating a month-long reading extravaganza! They kicked off the festivities with a Kindergarten Rhyming Assembly in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Pictured here is one rhyming pair—stop and cop—featuring our very own Officer Cruz! When Kindergarten rhymes, they have fun all the time! Can you spot the big-tall Superintendent Cat in the Hat?

Students came together for a page-turning good time at the Student Council Read-A-Thon! Endless stories, endless fun, and a whole lot of reading! Pictured are some cross-grade reading events that took place during the event.

Making math fun, one problem at a time! Students in all grades are engaging in hands-on, differentiated math activities, solving problems, building skills, and enjoying every step of the journey. Pictured are vertical math in Grade 1 and pizza fraction fun in Grade 3!

A shout-out to our amazing MTV PTA for another successful Book Fair in the books! Thanks to everyone who came out to explore new stories and ignite their love for reading. We appreciate the hard work of all of our volunteers.

4th and 5th grade students had fun learning about Pi in Mrs. Wylie's class. They measured the circumferences and areas of various circles, created pictures by drawing circles with a compass, calculated areas and circumferences, and did a Pi Day Scavenger Hunt and created a Google Slideshow about it.

Whippany Park High School students teamed up with first and second graders across the district to prepare bags for the Nourish NJ Breakfast Bag Initiative! The students enjoyed working with their new high school friends, many of which were former MTV students! This was a great example of teamwork, kindness and community partnerships in action as we worked together to support others in need.

Grade 4 shined on stage, bringing Lewis & Clark’s journey to life with an incredible performance. The Lewis and Clark Expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from 1804 to 1806, was a historic journey to explore the western part of the United States and opened up the American West, paving the way for future exploration and expansion.

Jackpot! A huge thank you to the Salem Drive PTA for bringing our community together for a fantastic Casino Night and for their incredible support of our school!

Salem Drive School's Student Council took a trip to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown to donate items from our "SOUP"ER Bowl. What a fantastic organization! The staff gave our students a tour and they were very kind and informative. Salem Drive School donated a total of 1,584 pounds of food!

Student leadership at its finest! Huge shoutout to our Salem Drive Student Council for creating and presenting an inspiring slideshow to our entire student body on the Six Pillars of Character, reminding everyone to Be TRRFCC!

Brain power in action! Our students and staff had a blast participating in The Brain Wash Show during the day, and families joined in on the fun in the evening! A huge thank you to the Salem Drive PTA for making this exciting experience possible!

Memorial Junior School was full of Irish spirit during Student Council’s Green Day! Students and staff showed off their best green attire to celebrate the occasion. The highlight of the day was a special visit from Mr. Anderson and Mr. Ziegler, who dressed as leprechauns and spread cheer by delivering green bagels and coffee to the staff.

7th grade students in Ms. Rogers's class explored genetics through a hands-on lesson using Ellie's family pedigree. Students traced inherited traits, discussed dominant and recessive genes, and applied their knowledge to real-life examples. Ellie, our Seeing Eye Puppy, was the perfect subject for investigating genetic patterns. After a busy lesson filled with curiosity and learning, Ellie decided a nap on the floor was well-earned!

Mrs. Valenti's students celebrated Pi Day with hands-on, interactive math activities! Students worked in teams to measure the diameter of circular objects around the classroom, using their calculations to find the circumference and area. With teamwork, problem-solving, and plenty of Pi Day spirit, students had a fun and educational celebration!

March is Music in Our Schools Month! Our 5th and 6th grade honors band and orchestra performed for 3rd grade students and their families, with a special guest conductor, Mr. Toomey, leading the final piece. After the concert, 3rd graders had the chance to explore and try out instruments—an exciting first step in their musical journey. Special thanks to our volunteers, including high school helpers, for making the night a success!

In the District's continued efforts to support teachers as they best meet the needs of all learners, Guided Reading Training for Grades 3-5 is officially underway. Guided reading is essential for students' reading development, providing targeted instruction at their individual levels. By working in small groups, teachers help build skills in comprehension, fluency, and critical thinking. This personalized approach boosts confidence and fosters a love for reading, supporting each student's literacy growth.

We are excited to invite you to a meet and greet with Mrs. Koeppen, our Director of the Child Study Team, on Monday, April 28 at 6pm in the Memorial Junior School Media Center. All are welcome to attend!

What is SEPAG? The Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) serves as a forum where parents of children with disabilities, school staff, and community members come together to discuss and provide input on special education policies, programs, and services within our district. Your participation will be invaluable in helping to shape the group's mission and agendas for the upcoming school year.

If you are unable to attend but would like to be involved in SEPAG, please reach out to Mrs. Koeppen directly at sherry.koeppen@htboe.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are excited to update the community on our ongoing efforts to enhance Curriculum & Instruction. As part of our preparation for the new English Language Arts (ELA) program in Grades 3-5 launching in September 2025, we are focusing on transitioning to a Workshop Model and incorporating more small group instruction.

As previously shared, we have already implemented interactive read-alouds and recently began Guided Reading training. These components, along with the addition of independent leveled libraries in each classroom, mini-lessons, and Reader's Notebooks will fully support our students' literacy development.

Additionally, the District has been evaluating the delivery of mathematics instruction for Grades 4-5, analyzing current practices and ensuring they align with research-based, developmentally appropriate best practices. This also includes taking a closer look at how students are currently grouped by achievement level and the criteria used to determine this.

We will be sharing more details in the coming months and are planning a Curriculum Night for upper elementary parents to provide further insights. Stay tuned for more updates!

In accordance with the National School Lunch Program timeline, we are pleased to report that we are on schedule. The District has submitted the application and is currently preparing to go through the "Request for Proposal" bidding process to secure a vendor. We are also working with the District architect and our Buildings & Grounds team as we plan to ready our kitchen facilities to be operational for September 2025.

Public schools must adhere to specific requirements set by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) when acquiring a vendor through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, as well as when purchasing necessary equipment. According to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), schools must ensure that their food service operations meet federal standards for meal planning, nutrition, and procurement practices under the NSLP guidelines (7 CFR 210.16).

All of these actions must be taken within specific timelines to guarantee that the program runs smoothly, especially at the start of the school year, and complies with federal audits and reporting requirements (USDA, 2023).

The District will continue to provide updates as we move through this process.

On Tuesday, March 18, Dr. Izbicki, Interim Business Administrator/Board Secretary, presented the preliminary budget before it was submitted to the County Office for review. Please click HERE to view the slides.

The District's preliminary budget includes several key financial considerations, with a major area of uncertainty being the revenue from "McKinney-Vento" funding.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act​ (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(A)) is a federal law that works to ensure educational stability for homeless youth and allows homeless students to enroll in school and receive transportation without delay. The Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence."

In the preliminary budget, the McKinney-Vento revenue accounts for three years of recouping funds for the education costs of homeless students, including the 2023-2024 year (the District is currently advocating for the reimbursement of funds, we were entitled to receive and were not claimed by the prior administration), the current 2024-2025 year, and next year's projected revenue. In our case, a significant portion of this funding depends on the state fulfilling its statutory obligation to reimburse the District for expenses incurred under the ​Act​.

The District is hopeful that the state will meet this requirement, but we are also developing contingency plans in case we do not receive full reimbursement.

In addition, the tax rate will increase by 1.61 cents, resulting in a school tax of $3,477.80 for a home assessed at $428,300. The increase per $100,000 assessed valuation is $0.63 which is partially due to the Township sharing that the ratables are down nearly $44 million, impacting the overall tax revenue. As always, the District remains focused on balancing its budget while ensuring that all programs and services continue to meet the needs of our students. We will keep the community updated as we work through these financial details.

The final budget presentation will take place at the April Board of Education Meeting on April 29.

Tuesday, March 25

BOE Meeting @ 7pm

Wednesday, April 9

K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:45pm

Thursday, April 10

K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:45pm

Saturday, April 12 - Sunday, April 20

Passover

Monday, April 14 - Monday, April 21

Spring Break - School Closed

Friday, April 18

Good Friday

Sunday, April 20

Easter

Thursday, April 24

Take Your Child to Work Day

Monday, April 28

SEPAG Meeting @ 6pm (MJS Media Center)

Tuesday, April 29

BOE Meeting @ 7pm

*Budget Presentation*

Memorial Junior School proudly presents NEWSIES JR. THE MUSICAL. Click HERE to purchase tickets!

Friday, April 4 @ 7pm & Saturday, April 5 @ 1pm

Get ready to catch the news—and the excitement! Memorial Junior School is proud to present Newsies JR. this spring! This high-energy, Tony Award-winning musical tells the inspiring story of a group of young newspaper boys in New York City who rise up to fight for their rights and dreams. Packed with unforgettable songs like "Seize the Day" and "Carrying the Banner," this thrilling show is filled with heart, humor, and plenty of dance numbers that will have you tapping your feet! Don’t miss the chance to see our talented students light up the stage in this exciting, action-packed musical. Mark your calendars—you won’t want to miss the news!