Morris-Union Jointure Commission

September was a great kick-off to the 2026–2027 school year!

It was wonderful to welcome students and staff back into our schools and see classrooms come alive with active learning, instructional routines and meaningful connections. Staff did an amazing job supporting smooth transitions and created engaging structured environments for our students. Throughout the month, students settled into the rhythm of the school day. A big thank you to our DLC families for your ongoing support—we truly value your partnership. We’re looking forward to a great year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Janet L. Fike

Superintendent

The MUJC's 5th annual Convocation for staff was held on Tuesday, September 1st. Enrique Lavin, editor in chief of the Star Ledger and NJ.com was featured and spoke about the stories behind the stories and how social media affected journalism over the last several years.. Mr. Lavin captivated, motivated and engaged with our DLC staff. Mr. Lavin advised us to take a little extra time to verify the validity of information to prevent spreading untrue information to others. It was a great way to start off the 2026 - 2027 school year!

Dr. Barry Haines joined the MUJC team this summer as our Interim Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. Dr. Haines is working with both DLCs on developing curriculum that builds meaningful, practical skills students can use throughout their lives. Dr. Haines has served in many prior administrative roles in his career and we are thrilled that he is sharing his expertise with the MUJC. Dr. Haines also strives to bridge curricula areas with technology. Welcome aboard, Dr. Haines!

Our first Spirit Day was held on Tuesday, September 8th. Spirit Days are held the first Tuesday of the month. Please wear your DLC spirit wear or the color blue to show school spirit! Our next Spirit Day is October 6.

DLC - New Providence students kicked off the school year with the month long "Pay it Forward 9/11" initiative centered on kindness. They also participated in interactive music sessions with Jammin' Jen, visited Wightman Farms, engaged in various academic lessons and much more! Students will continue to learn through hands on experiences, discover many new skills and make important connections with their fellow students and staff.

DLC - New Providence students participated in many activities that centered around acts of kindness and compassion. Some examples were greeting and high fiving their peers, making appreciation cards for their families and first responders, posting on the compliment board, creating posters and more. The month of kindness ended with a kindness dance party for students and staff! What a great way to end the month!

Jennifer Pacht-Goodman, founder and owner of Jammin’ Jen, creates a fun and engaging musical experience for our students through singing, instruments, movement, and social interaction. Our students look forward to every joyful musical adventure! Jen will visit DLC-New Providence classrooms for the first part of the school year and will visit DLC-Warren classrooms during the second half of the school year.

DLC - New Providence students visited Wightman Farms in Morristown, NJ. They enjoyed exploring the farm, walking through the pumpkin patch, and taking part in fun seasonal activities such as a hay ride! Everyone had a great time enjoying the beautiful fall weather!

Students jumped right back into engaging academics, life-skills instruction, vocational experiences, recreation, community-based learning, and special activities designed to build independence and confidence. Throughout the building, our students are learning by doing—practicing meaningful skills, building relationships, exploring their interests, and celebrating their accomplishments.

Whether in the classroom, greenhouse, pool, workplace, or out in the community, there is always something exciting happening at DLC-Warren. It has been wonderful watching our students Discover their strengths, Learn new skills, and Connect with one another and the world around them!

Our on-site swimming program provides students with an exciting opportunity to build confidence, independence, physical fitness, and lifelong recreational skills—all without leaving school!

Students work on individual swimming and water-safety skills while practicing following directions, transitioning through routines, interacting with peers and becoming increasingly comfortable and independent in the water. Most importantly, our students love it! The smiles, excitement, and accomplishments we see at the pool make swimming a special part of the DLC experience.

Continuing the theme of the "Pay It Forward 9/11" initiative, Dr. Haines worked with teachers and students to visit the 9/11 museum virtually. The class also listened to virtual stories, and visited websites for heroes and patriotic themes. Students wrote letters to their heroes and identified patriotic symbols of their choice. After choosing some of their favorite helper jobs, like holding the door open, saying thank you and helping to carry something, students created classroom placards by completing the sentence I can be a hero, and "I can help in my classroom by . . . "
You can continue these themes by visiting this website: Meet the Helpers, and talking about the community helpers pictured.

September kicked off a year long effort for both community service and work based learning experiences.

DLC-Warren continues to engage with a variety of community organizations to build strong partnerships that create hands-on learning and volunteer opportunities for DLC students. DLC-Warren continues to build an impressive network of partnerships with local businesses and community organizations. Students are already participating in experiences with Arbor Terrace, Ciro's, Famous Dave's and Yellow Tag, with even more opportunities being developed throughout the school year.

DLC-New Providence students visited the New Providence Police Department as part of their Community Based Instruction. Students distributed the "Appreciation" cards they made for "Pay it Forward 9/11" Kindness Month and got a tour of the Police Department and their vehicles!

DLC - New Providence students have been busy maintaining the climate resilient garden by watering the plants and weeding. They visited the apple tree that was planted last spring. Unfortunately, there were no apples this year, but gardening is a lesson in patience, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a great harvest next year! The mint that DLC-New Providence students planted is thriving! The garden smells absolutely wonderful right now, and we have an abundance of fresh mint ready to enjoy. It’s wonderful to see the students reconnecting with nature and learning how resilient a garden can be. The garden and apple tree were made possible through the Union County Dig In Grant that was awarded to the MUJC.

DLC-Warren students love spending time in the school greenhouse, where they get hands-on experience caring for plants. They water, plant, and tend to the garden while watching their plants grow and change.

Both schools participate in this fun way to Discover, Learn, and Connect while building responsibility and independence.