The Glen Rock Board Brief

Below are highlights from the June 1, 2026 Glen Rock Board of Education meeting.

• Ms. Hirsch, Ms. Gomez, and Mr. Thompson presented updates on the Gifted & Talented program.
• Mr. Van Nest updated the Board on the ongoing discussion of the new cell phone policy law.
• Mr. Van Nest presented some sample schedules to the board to provide a later start time for the MS/HS and the board discussed the various options.
• Mr. Canellas presented information on arming our security guards. The board will vote on the issue on June 15th.

• Second official approval of renaming of Central Elementary School to Thomas L. Hawkins Central Elementary School.

25 Years at GRPS
Glen Rock Public Schools proudly recognized 13 outstanding educators and staff members for 25 years of service to our students, schools, and community.

• Mrs. Lisa Brown, Special Education Teacher, GRHS
• Ms. Dianne Carpenter, School Psychologist, GRHS
• Mr. Kenneth Cavanagh, Health & Physical Education Teacher, GRMS
• Mr. Anthony Cece, Special Education Teacher, GRMS
• Mrs. Keri Holmgren, Grade 1 Teacher, Byrd School
• Ms. Vanessa Hurley, Special Education Teacher, GRHS
• Mr. Christopher Kelley, Latin Teacher, GRMS
• Mr. James Kurz, Health & Physical Education Teacher, GRHS
• Mrs. Cathleen Mitchell, Intervention Strategies Coach/BSI Math Teacher, Coleman School
• Ms. Stephanie Nerney, School Nurse, GRMS
• Ms. Susan Stevens, Preschool Teacher, Early Childhood Program
• Ms. Tracy Tellis, Special Education Teacher, GRMS
• Mrs. Elizabeth Wanagiel, Special Education Teacher, GRMS

2026 Educators of the Year
The district and BOE proudly recognized the 2026 Teachers and Educational Specialists of the Year. The dedication, passion, and commitment of these educators make a lasting impact on our students every day.

Congratulations to:

• Byrd School – Mrs. Lauren Carter, School Counselor
• Central School – Mrs. Crissy Feifer, Special Education Teacher
• Coleman School – Mrs. Susan Zisa, Reading Specialist
• Hamilton School – Mrs. Jessica Falkenstern, School Counselor
• Hamilton School – Mrs. Kimberly Castelli, School Nurse (Posthumous Honor)
• Glen Rock Middle School – Ms. Lisa Limongelli, English Teacher
• Glen Rock High School – Ms. Anna Lilikas, Choir and Orchestra Director
• Glen Rock Middle/High School – Ms. Caelie Batelli, Wellness Counselor

National Latin Exam

Latin students who were recognized at the June 1 Board of Education meeting for their exceptional performance on the National Latin Exam! Special thanks to Latin teachers Mr. Timothy Kelly (GRMS) and Ms. Kaitlin Moleen (GRHS) for inspiring and supporting our scholars every step of the way. Presented by Mr. Paul Cusack, Supervisor, K-12 Instructional and Educational Technology/Media Center, congratulations are extended to:

Latin, Grade 8:

Gold Medalist

Adam Yampolsky

Yooho Nam

Keira Short

Ellis Cole

Hye-Seop Shim

Julia Johnston

Sahitya Kumar

Rishan Gupta

Silver Medalist

Jonah Rothenberg

Charita Aiyer

Latin II, Grade 9

Golden Summa Cum Laude

Pablo Quiroz ‘29

Madison Choy ‘29

Silver Maxima Cum Laude

Eva Pittman ‘29

Magna Cum Laude

Caden Foley ‘29

Cum Laude

Cian Harley ‘29

Ashvin Krishnan ‘29

Jackson Ro ‘29

Latin III, Grade 12

Magna Cum Laude

Victoria Johnston ‘26

Latin IV, Grade 11

Magna Cum Laude

Gautam Krishnan ‘27

AP Latin, Grade 12

Golden Summa Cum Laude

Dhruv Sahu ‘26

Magna Cum Laude

Gwang-Seop Shim ‘26

Cum Laude

Teresa Sapienza ‘26

Robotics Teams

Members of Glen Rock’s Robotics & Engineering Club showcased their impressive work and demonstrated their robots for attendees. Under the guidance of advisors Mr. Robert Lockatell and Mr. Timothy Mure, the program has experienced tremendous growth over the past five years, expanding to more than 50 student participants across two competitive teams: Galactic Pigeon and Cosmic Goose.

Congratulations to Robotics Team members: Alex Abova ‘26, Miguel Acero ‘27, Nirvaan Aditya ‘29, Ariz Ahmed ‘29, Siddhant Aich ‘28, Aarav Belani ‘31, Dima Ceres ‘28, Daivik Chhaya ‘30, Noreen Chu ‘27, Selina Feng ‘27, Anbo Feng ‘31, Caden Foley ‘29, Anand Gandhi ‘30, Kakeru Haraguchi ‘26, Tamara Inbar ‘26, Aarav Jain ‘32, Mia Kawai ‘27, John Kilar ‘28, Katelynn Kim ‘26, Andrew Kim ‘27, Dylan Lee ‘27, Hannah Liner ‘31, Alexander Maguire ‘27, Grady McInerney ‘31, Tanvi Mehta ‘29, Eammon Mulligan ‘27, Benjamin Natalizio ‘30, Adam Pak ‘31, Anderson Pifer ‘29, Sara Quiroz ‘27, Jacob Sasunov ‘26, Logan Seo ‘29, Shahar Shav ‘30, Shira Shav ‘26, Luke Tojima-Gresh ‘31, Vedant Vadakkan ‘26, Tobey Yang ‘29, Joseph Yoo ‘26, Bryan Youngberg ‘27, Brayden Youngberg ‘30, and Adhithya Yuvaraj’27.

• June 15: Board Regular Meeting

• August 31: COW Meeting