NOTE: Time change

The Millstone Township Schools is considering becoming a

“Choice School District”

We have had a good level of interest and requests to have a night meeting for this important topic.

To accommodate, we are moving the originally scheduled meeting to the same day, March 7th but it will now begin at 7:30 PM in the MS Library

Steve Cochrane, our Assistant Superintendent, has special expertise in this area as his work in Upper Freehold has yielded 5 different choice programs where they take in quite a bit of revenue. He will be leading us and will be sharing his knowledge at the March 7th meeting.

Should we choose to apply to the State to become a “Choice District,” we will apply by the end of April for a start date of September 2014‐2015.

This invitation is for staff, residents, parents and Middle School Students who wish to participate in this initial conversation!

 RSVP REQUIRED

We are asking that you RSVP by emailing Celeste Eisenmann @ eisenmc@millstone.k12.nj.us

By Monday, March 4th

Funding Reflects a Continued Commitment to Public Education in New Jersey

Trenton, NJ – Demonstrating the Christie Administration’s continued commitment for supporting public education in New Jersey, state aid figures for districts based on the proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Budget released today represents the largest appropriation of K-12 education dollars in the state’s history. The Governor’s proposed budget includes nearly $9 billion in state aid, an increase of $97.3 million over Fiscal Year 2013.

“Throughout my time in office I have continuously argued that in order to grow New Jersey’s economy we must invest in education, and my proposed budget is a reflection of my commitment to our educational system and communities across the state,” said Governor Christie. “However, even as we continue to fund education at the highest levels in state history, we must remain willing to reflect on how we are spending our money and work towards solutions that make every dollar we invest count.”

The $97.3 million increase in education aid is the third year in a row of increases in education funding. On average, districts across the state will receive an increase of $75 per pupil. All districts will receive an increase in K-12 formula aid or maintain flat funding from the previous school year.

“New Jersey ranks in the top three in the country with its per-pupil spending on public education and this year’s proposed budget continues that trend,” said Commissioner Cerf. “But it takes more than money to provide an effective education and we will continue to focus on ways to support our educators, districts and schools in order to ensure all of our students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for the expectations of college and careers in the 21^st century.”

Governor Christie’s proposed budget also includes several new aid categories designed to provide additional funds to districts and students:

The Education Innovation Fund

As part of Governor Christie’s continued commitment to creating high quality school options for all students, the budget provides $5 million for an Education Innovation Fund to incent innovation and reward success. The Fund will be used in two ways. First, a portion will be used to provide financial awards to schools and districts that have addressed achievement challenges. For example, awards might be given to the elementary school that achieved the biggest one year increase in third grade literacy for disadvantaged students, the district with the largest improvement in its attendance rate, or the high school with the biggest jump in its graduation rate.

The remaining portion of the fund would provide resources to districts and schools that develop innovative solutions to address defined problem areas, such as low graduation rates, poor-performing special education students, or low scores in fourth grade mathematics. The Department would fund the best reforms and monitor their implementation and impact, ultimately identifying and bringing the most efficacious to scale statewide.

Funding For Opportunity Scholarship Grants

Acting on his belief that every New Jersey child deserves a high quality education regardless of zip code, Governor Christie’s proposed budget includes $2 million for scholarship grants to allow children in chronically failing schools to attend alternate educational placements. This pilot program will help fill the gap and create opportunities for children with no other options.

Under-Adequacy Aid

The Governor’s budget includes a new category of aid to benefit districts that are currently 10% or more below their adequacy budget. Approximately $16.8 million will be distributed to 131 districts across the state with districts receiving an average of approximately $128,000 each. Awards are capped at $500,000 for each eligible district.

Supplemental Enrollment Growth Aid (SEGA)

First signed into law last summer, the Governor’s proposed budget continues to provide additional aid to districts that experienced enrollment growth greater than 13% from October 2008 to October 2011. A total of $4.141 million will be provided to the 13 districts that received SEGA funding in Fiscal Year 2014.

New Geographic Cost Adjustment (GCA)

The Geographic Cost Adjustment is an index that is applied to each district’s adequacy budget in order to account for cost differences across the state. The GCA was revised using new data from the U.S. Census Bureau and minor modifications were made to reduce variations by county.

School Choice Aid

The Governor’s proposed budget continues to provide aid to districts that are participating in the Inter-district Choice Program. For the 2013-14 school year, 105 school districts will participate in the program, up from 70 during the 2012-13 school year. In total, $49 million is proposed in Fiscal Year 2014, an increase of $16 million from Fiscal Year 2013.

Former Abbott districts continue to receive almost three times the state average in state aid per pupil. The overwhelming amount of total per pupil education spending in the former Abbott districts has, and will continue in Fiscal Year 2014, to come from direct state support.

Average State Aid Per Pupil In the Fiscal Year 2014:

• · State Average: $5,881
• · Non-Abbotts: $3,291
• · Former Abbotts: $15,261

However, as the past 40 years have demonstrated, just spending more money will not close the achievement gap – it matters not only “how much” money is spent but “how well” it is spent. Despite funding levels that consistently rate among the highest in the nation on a per pupil basis, New Jersey continues to have one of the largest achievement gaps in the country. Funding alone will not meet New Jersey’s obligation to give a great education to every child. Changing the way money is spent is by far the most important means of actually changing the behavior of schools and the school systems. Over the past three years, the Christie Administration has implemented significant reforms to address this achievement gap. Among others, these include:

Focusing On The Lowest Performing Schools:

The Christie Administration has undertaken bold reform to turn around the state’s persistently failing schools. As one of the first states in the country to receive flexibility from No Child Left Behind, the Department of Education is recognizing high performing “Reward” schools and shifting significant resources and support to “Priority” and “Focus” schools, those schools that are the lowest performing in the state or that have significant achievement gaps. The Department is providing the day-to-day support of dozens of expert educators through Regional Achievement Centers to help these schools improve.

Historic Bipartisan Changes To The Nation’s Oldest Tenure Law:

Marking the first extensive reform of New Jersey’s tenure law in over 100 years, Governor Christie signed into law the Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act, a sweeping, bipartisan overhaul of the oldest tenure law in the nation. The legislation was the result of nearly two years of consistent and vocal advocacy for real education reform by Governor Christie and good faith, bipartisan cooperation with members of the Legislature, education reform advocates, and stakeholder groups. The legislation, for the first time, directly ties the acquisition, maintenance, and loss of tenure to a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom while simultaneously shifting away from compliance-based, low-impact, and mostly perfunctory evaluations to a focus on educators as career professionals who receive meaningful feedback and opportunities for growth.

The Urban Hope Act:

The Urban Hope Act is designed to expand the education options available for children and parents by authorizing the conversion of failing schools into renaissance schools in three of our highest needs districts: Camden, Trenton, and Newark. Districts are able to partner with one or more nonprofits to construct as many as four “renaissance schools” in each district. The non-profit applicants must have a proven track record of operating quality schools in low-achieving districts and commit to both building the new school’s facilities as well as offering a rigorous academic program designed to prepare every student for college, career, and beyond. Renaissance schools will be subject to the same standards as any other public school and will be evaluated annually by the Department of Education to determine whether they are meeting their goals and improving student achievement. The first application for a Renaissance school was submitted last fall in Camden from the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy.

Attracting The Best Charter School Operators:

The Christie Administration has made significant steps towards improving its charter authorizer responsibilities, which include both approving only high-quality new school applications as well as holding existing charter schools accountable for results. The Department has strengthened its new school approval process and aligned it with national best practices, and created the Performance Framework for all new and existing charter schools which have helped define charter school success and created a comprehensive and systemic review process for all charter schools. The work of the Administration over the past two years has been reflective of the commitment to excellence and has resulted in the Department opening 18 new charter schools, closing 5 schools for poor academic performance or organizational and fiscal issues, and placing another 17 schools on probation.

Inter-District School Choice Program:

The Inter-district School Choice Program was signed into law by Governor Christie in September 2010 and fully implemented beginning with the 2011-12 school year. The program is designed to increase educational opportunities for students and their families by providing students with the option of attending a public school outside their district of residence without cost to their parents. Enrollment has tripled in the past three years to 3,357 students in 2012-13, and it is anticipated to grow to more than 6,000 in 2013-14.

State Aid allocations by district can be found here: http://www.nj.gov/education/stateaid/1314/

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Dear Millstone Families,

We have had a very large expression of interest for our Choice Schools discussion. Knowing that any one night will make it difficult for all that wish to attend to be able, we are adding a second night, March 11th to the calendar for those unable to make the March 7th night. We are thrilled to see such an interest on this important topic and the decision to add this night is in response to the community’s desire for the opportunity to be involved.

Also, we will be videotaping both nights and posting those videos on the website for anyone interested in hearing the commentary from both evenings. If you are interested and able to attend both nights, that is of course your option.

To be clear, March 7th at 7:30 PM will still be held as planned and we will be adding a second night, March 11th also at 7:30 in the MS Media Center. We hope you are able to make one of these meetings and hear about the Choice School options, as well as ask questions and provide your thoughts to administration. If adding this meeting makes it easier for you to attend on the 11th rather than the 7th, no problem, please email Celeste with that change.

Here is a link to the state website if interested in starting to explore.

 http://www.nj.gov/education/choice/

RSVP REQUIRED

We are asking that you RSVP by emailing Celeste Eisenmann @ eisenmc@millstone.k12.nj.us

By Monday, March 4th

Please make sure to include which night you will be attending.

At the February 25 Board of Education meeting, New Jersey sculptor Blaise Batko donated a black granite sculpture of Webster’s Dictionary to the Millstone Board of Education. The sculpture, which weighs approximately 100 pounds, is 16” high x 14” wide x 4” deep, and captures the spirit of one of the building blocks of education.

“I wanted to give back to a community that has been so gracious to me over the years, and this is my way of saying thank you to all the residents of Millstone,” said Batko.

Blaise Batko presenting this sculpture to Superintendent Scott Feder at the BOE meeting 2/25/13

“Millstone is a great community. It was such a pleasure to work with your veterans and to meet so many people here. You are patriots. You have a love for your country. My wife and I enjoy coming here on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day because we get to stand with our veterans and get to stand with you folks. We just wanted to do something for you. You make us proud to be Americans!”

Millstone Superintendent Scott Feder thanked Batko for his generous donation to the school. The sculpture will be proudly displayed in the Middle School Media Center.

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Board President David DePinho also thanked Batko.

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“It is wonderful to have a such a beautiful tribute to the written word. On behalf of the community, we thank you very much,” DePinho said.

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Born and raised in South River, and a resident of Hamilton Square, Blaise attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Over 30 years of sculpting has led to over 200 exhibitions and over 40 one-man shows world-wide, including exhibitions in Japan and England. Listed in Who’s Who in American Art, he taught at the Newark Museum and Kean College, and has demonstrated and lectured throughout the country.

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Millstone Veterans Memorial

Batko is the sculptor of Millstone’s Veterans Memorial, which is a prominent and moving tribute to our national heroes. In addition, he designed the East Brunswick Veterans Memorial and a Korean War Memorial for the Squibb Corporation, New Brunswick. He also created the September 11 Memorials in South River, East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Monroe Township and Middlesex. Blaise’s sculptures are proudly displayed in over 300 private collections throughout the world.

During the first weekend of March, thirteen Millstone Township Middle School students participated in the Region 1 Competition for National History Day held on Sunday, March 3^rd, 2013 at the College of New Jersey.  The students had spent the past few months working independently or with a small group, extensively researching turning points in history to analyze their historical significance using both primary and secondary resources.  Once their research and interpretations were complete, students had the option to choose from a variety of presentation formats including original Papers, Websites, Documentaries, Performances, and Exhibits.  “In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, National History Day helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:  critical thinking and problem-solving skills, research and reading skills, oral and written communication and presentation skills, self esteem and confidence, as well as a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process.”  (nhd.org)

These projects were completed entirely on their own or with their group, under the guidance and encouragement of the district Gifted and Talented Teacher, Mrs. Michelle Falanga.  Students not only became experts on their individual topics, but were well-prepared to present their findings and defend the importance of their topics at the competition to an audience of their peers, as well as a panel of expert judges.  Students were encouraged to choose historical events, people, and ideas in which they had a great deal of interest, so topics ranged from the discovery of plate tectonics all the way up to the ‘Unthinkable’ death of John Lennon.  Students will be taking the feedback received from the judges during this year’s competition to help enhance and prepare their presentations for the following year.

The Millstone Township School Community would like to offer their sincere congratulations to the following participants:

Kyle Sikkema – Individual Paper:  The Puzzle Pieces of Earth: Plate Tectonics

Reece Eng – Individual Documentary:  Unimaginable:  The Death of John Lennon

Gillian Finnegan, Carrie Ringo, Daniel Shuttner – Group Documentary:  The Hindenburg

Matthew Gold, Keely Allen – Group Exhibit:  Impact of the Atom Bomb

Anthony Buonantuono, Andrew Duffy, Chris Ferro, Eddie Micklovic – Group Exhibit:  The Manhattan Project

Mark Soliman, Sam Marks – Group Exhibit:  The Big Bang Theory:  It’s My Favorite Theory

Dear Millstone Residents,

On both March 7th and March 11th, we  held meetings to explore the meaning and possibilities of Millstone becoming  what is a called a “Choice School District.”  At these meetings Steve  Cochrane, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and  myself presented on this topic and shared the factual information associated  with the State program as well as how it could look in Millstone.

Along with each night’s presentation, we had a large public  presence who asked questions, made comments and provided input into the  topic.  Although the information in both meetings that was shared was  similar, we did alter the presentation in the second video from the  first.  If you choose to watch both videos, you will also notice that the  tenor of both meetings was different as well.

I encourage any Millstone School family, as well as any  resident, to watch the videos, take notes and should you have any questions or  thoughts, please forward them to sfeder@millstone.k12.nj.us.   I will be using questions and comments to help me build a thorough FAQ and fact  sheet for the community.

As always, thank you for your interest and as a side note, I  strongly encourage our public to attend the March 21st BOE meeting  where we will be making the final adoption to the school budget.

Sincerely,

Scott Feder                   Superintendent of Schools

The Millstone Township Board of Education approved their $36.8 million 2013-14 school budget, holding the tax levy stable for the fourth consecutive year.

The average home in Millstone is now assessed at $451,000. With the approved school tax rate of $1.92 in place, a person who owns a home assessed at $451,000 will pay about $8,659 in school taxes in 2013-14.

Visit the district website for budget details.  http://www.millstone.k12.nj.us/web/site_flash/Board%20Office/Budget/budget.html

On Wednesday, April 3rd

The Millstone Board of Education will be having a

JOINT BOARD MEETING WITH UPPER FREEHOLD.

This meeting will be at the Allentown High School Atrium at 7:00 PM

THE AGENDA WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1.  A sample of  High School Clubs available to students

a.  High School Jazz Band Quartet

b.  Half and Half

c.   Robotics and Robot/ Mr. Wicks d.  Fed Challenge

2.  The Business Administrators from both districts will be presenting on how the tuition rates are calculated - Mrs. Schiraldi/Mr. Biesiada

3.  Ms. Constance Embley, High School Principal – Seniors/College Acceptances

4.  Shared Services Successes Summary

•     Mrs. Schiraldi – Community Ed Update

•     Mr. Biesiada and Mrs. Schiraldi – Transportation Services

•     Mr. Cochrane – Curriculum

5.  A Millstone Student will be sharing her experiences at AHS

a.  Jackie Ferre, student at Millstone K-8/Allentown HS 9-12

The Millstone regularly scheduled Board Meeting will be held on Monday April 8th.

WE HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO JOIN US AT THE JOINT BOARD MEETING WHERE MANY IMPORTANT

ITEMS ARE BEING DISCUSSED AND SHARED.

Public discussions about the opportunity for the Millstone Schools to become part of the New Jersey Interdistrict Public School Choice Program have begun.

The Board of Education hosted two public meetings in March for community members to learn the facts about the Choice program and the opportunities that may arise by becoming a Choice school district.

Community members had the opportunity to ask questions and provide their comments on the proposed program presentations.

Superintendent Scott Feder will report back to the Millstone Board of Education with his recommendation on implementing a Choice program in Millstone.  Feder stated that the Choice program, among other things, would be one way for the district to offset the impact of decreasing enrollment while providing additional revenue. Enrollment in the Millstone School District has continued to decline and is expected to decline further in the next five years, based on a demographic report analyzing this topic.

Other opportunities the Board of Education will be exploring relate to the performing arts center and cutting expenses by consolidating school buildings and reducing staff.

Feder suggested developing a Choice Committee made up of community stakeholders to research this topic.

In an open letter to the community on the district website, Feder said, “I encourage any Millstone School family, as well as any resident, to watch the videos, take notes and should you have any questions or thoughts, please forward them to sfeder@millstone.k12.nj.us. I will be using questions and comments to help me build a thorough FAQ and fact sheet for the community.”

Click on the links below to view the presentations:

Presentation March 7

http://www.millstone.k12.nj.us/web/site_flash/BOE_Meetings/School%20Choice%20Presentation_030713.swf

Presentation March 11

http://www.millstone.k12.nj.us/web/site_flash/BOE_Meetings/School%20Choice%20Presentation_031113.swf

The New Jersey Department of Education website defines the Choice program in the following way:

“New Jersey’s Interdistrict Public School Choice Program enables approved choice districts to enroll students who do not reside within their districts without cost to their parents.”

Millstone is considering applying for an opportunity to become a Choice district in Advanced Mathematics and possibly Fine Arts.

Nominating petitions must be delivered to the County Clerk of Elections before 4 pm on June 4. The General Election will be held on November 5, 2013.

The Millstone Township School Board will have three three-year seats on ballot. Those seats are currently held by Margaret Gordon, David DePinho and Kevin McGovern.

The Plumsted School District will have six residents seeking to fill three three-year term seats on their Plumsted Board of Education. The board is expanding its membership from five to seven members this year. The candidates are Joanna Barlow, Keith Buckalew, Jon Hauge, Christopher Probasco, Richard Roach and Robin Witkowski.

Upper Freehold Regional School District will also have three three-year seats on the ballot. Those seats are currently being held by Douglas Anthony of Allentown, Patricia Hogan of Upper Freehold Township and Tia McLaughlin of Upper Freehold Township.

Collen Henkin, second grade teacher, Millstone Township Primary School and MTFEE

Millstone TOWNSHIP, NJ, May 22, 2013 – MillstoneTownship Foundation for Educational Excellence (MTFEE) awarded a $1,600 grant today at the “First Grade Show” to Millstone Township Primary School for an interactive author visit. MTFEE is a non-profit organization devoted to funding grants for items that nurture extraordinary educational experiences for every student in Millstone Township Public Schools, that are beyond the scope of the general school budget. MTFEE also awarded two grants in February for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education programs, totaling $4,203.19.

The award granted today was submitted by Collen Henkin, second grade teacher, on behalf of the second grade team which also includes Karen Gurico, Jackie Happich, Cheryl Hoffmann, Laura Hughes, Marian Peck and Donna Romano. The grant consists of a visit from published children’s author, Marcie Aboff, who will present a school-wide program (Pre-K through 2) entitled, “My Life as an Author” to show students how ideas become books. During the presentation, she will read a story aloud and explain how she gets the ideas for her writing. She will also identify all of the people that are needed to publish a book. In addition, she will present her “What’s Your Story?” interactive personal narrative writing workshop to the second grade students to inspire them as writers. Ms. Aboff will return for a follow up visit with the second graders to provide feedback about their writing. The program is scheduled to be implemented in the fall of 2013.

In keeping with its mission, the grant will enhance the Writing Workshop curriculum for all grades—with special focus on the second grade curriculum—by providing Millstone Township Primary School students the opportunity to interact with a published author in a small setting and understand the process involved in publishing a book. Since 2002, MTFEE has awarded more than $437,800 to Millstone Township Public Schools. There are currently more than 60 MTFEE-funded grant programs running in the Millstone Township School District. Every child that matriculates through the school district will in some way benefit from an MTFEE-funded grant.

MTFEE grants are awarded every school year. Once grant applications are received and compiled, the grant committee has an opportunity to review them individually and then come together as a group to discuss them before their recommendations are presented to the entire MTFEE board of trustees for final approval. The committee utilizes a grading system, similar to a rubric that the teachers use, during the review process to fairly evaluate the applications.

For more information about donating to MTFEE, becoming a trustee, or its fundraising activities and events, please e-mail info@mtfee.org, visit www.mtfee.org and become a Facebook friend.

Photo Caption: Left to right: Beth Cotler, vice president, MTFEE; Nicole Pyhel, president & information officer, MTFEE; Collen Henkin, second grade teacher, Millstone Township Primary School; Sarah DelGuercio, MTFEE trustee; Linda Griggs, auctions chairperson, MTFEE and Jennifer Pratt, MTFEE trustee

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About Marcie Aboff

Marcie Aboff is a children’s author and guest speaker. She specializes in picture books, beginning readers, chapter books and magazine stories. Ms. Aboff writes for both trade and educational publishers, fiction and nonfiction. Her newest trade books include four math ‘Read it Readers’ — The Pizza Palace, The Tallest Snowman, Mike’s Mystery and The Lemonade Standoff. Other trade books include The Giant Jelly Bean Jar (A Garden State Book Award Nominee), Uncle Willy’s Tickles, India and Guatemala. Marcie has also written over two dozen educational books for guided and leveled reading programs. She is the author of licensed activity books for DreamWorks, Looney Tunes, Clifford–The Big Red Dog, Holly Hobbie, and others. Her short stories are featured in numerous children’s magazines including Highlights for Children, Spider and Children’s Playmate. She is a member of Authors Guild and SCBWI.

About MTFEE

From its initial conception in 1995 to its designation as a 501©3 charitable organization in 2002, the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence (MTFEE) has remained steadfast in its goal to fund grants for items that nurture extraordinary educational experiences for every student in Millstone Township Public Schools and are beyond the scope of the general school budget. Items include innovative classroom programs, educational opportunities for students, staff development, and state-of-the-art teaching materials. Through the creativity of the teaching staff’s grant applications and the fundraising efforts of MTFEE, the foundation is proud to have awarded more than $437,800 in grants to MillstoneTownship schools. MTFEE grants, which have been awarded at every grade level and in every discipline, have included SMARTBoards^®, mobile computer and iPad^™ labs, and a rock climbing wall. MTFEE was the first organization in the district to put iPads^™ into the classroom in the spring of 2011. There are currently more than 60 MTFEE-funded grant programs running. Every child that matriculates through the school district will in some way benefit from an MTFEE-funded grant. MTFEE is a member of New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership and The National Consortium of State and Local Education Foundations (NCEFS).

Email your graduation photos!

MyCommunitySource@gmail.com

Email your photos! MyCommunitySource@gmail.com

Sophia Cerri

Alyssa DeSantis and Joey Wolford

Jessica Ricca and Alyssa DeSantis

Dan Martinek and Jess Ricca

Gianna Corsaro and Kevin Bergen

Dear Millstone Families,

It is always bittersweet this time of the year as the school year ends and the summer festivities begin. The walls become bare, the hum in the halls fades to silence, and the little ones get one step closer to being not so little. Everything moves forward with an outlook of wonder and excitement about the summer and what is to come.

It certainly was not anyone’s plan to be reading an end of the year note so late in June, but this year did have its share of challenging times. Hurricane Sandy was a devastating blow to so many families in New Jersey and the majority of Millstone was without power for up to two weeks time. Schools were closed for 8 days and everyone was scrambling for one thing or another. It was a difficult time, but a time where Millstone came together in support of one another and made it through. Now we are in June and it is time to say so long to the 12-13 school year and a big HELLO to the summer. Before we go, I want to take this time to wish our retiring staff a fond farewell as they explore new journeys ahead.

Thank you to all of the below for the years of service and the time you have devoted to the children of Millstone. You will all be missed!

           Joanne Schuimo – Kindergarten Teacher 

           Phyllis Schussler – Teacher of Handicapped            

           Mary Rachko – Teacher of Handicapped            

           Sheila Hornstein – Spanish Teacher            

           Nancy Hamilton – School Psychologist            

           Diane Becza – Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant

I also want to thank our entire staff for a wonderful year of caring and teaching. I cannot say it enough, so I will keep saying it, “We have an outstanding staff that loves their work and cares about the success of your children!”

To the parents, thank you, thank you, thank you! This district is never short on parents that want to be a part of their child’s education and support the schools. We have wonderful families who care about education and want the best for their children. Because of all of you, our jobs are that much more rewarding!

In what I believe is the most fitting conclusion to this year:

“Hi, This is Scott Feder with an important announcement. Due to the weather, schools will be closed tomorrow, June 26^th ….. and the next day, and the next day and the next day and the one after that…”

Enjoy the summer and see you around town!

Sincerely,

Scott Feder Superintendent of Schools

The Millstone Township PTO proudly announced on their Facebook page that they donated $56,000 to the Millstone Primary and Elementary Schools.

Dear Millstone Community,

I am excited to be reaching out to you and sharing a great opportunity for our school district and community. On October 12th and October 21st, we are launching a Strategic Planning & Visioning Initiative. During this process, we will look ahead for the next 10 years and devise a plan to reach high level goals for our schools. Involving the community in this process is key. Even though you may not have children in the schools, you are still very much impacted by our successes. We welcome and encourage you to join in this process.

Strategic Planning is a comprehensive process that enables us to take a close look at where we are today and identify where we want to be in the changing years ahead. This process will be driven by a Steering Committee of faculty, parents, students, and community members. The launch sessions on, Saturday, October 12th and Monday, October 21st will be perfect times to learn about the process, what steps we’ll be taking, and just be in the loop on what is happening.

We need you to participate and share your thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams for this vision of our future, as together we define what we want from our school district. Be on the lookout for information in this regard and survey opportunities as well. If your schedule allows a greater level of involvement and you think you may be interested in joining the Steering Committee, join us at the October 12th launch at 2:00 PM in the MPAC to learn more about the commitment. If you are unable to make that meeting, but still interested in joining the Committee, you can watch the video of the meeting online at your leisure and contact me directly.

On any level, we strongly value your input and participation, and hope you will be as excited about this opportunity as we are. Again, watch for more information coming soon. Also, you can always click on our website and link to our Strategic Plan for updates. We will also be tweeting and you can follow us at @millstone_Dist

With all that is happening in the field of education, this is a great opportunity for us, as a community, to work today to create our vision for tomorrow. Come join us as we begin this exciting process!

We look forward to seeing you and have a wonderful October!

Sincerely,

Scott Feder
Superintendent of Schools
Millstone Township School District
732-786-0950 ext. 51010

TAKE THE COMMUNITY SURVEY YOUR INPUT COUNTS

Please click on the link below to take the Millstone Township School District Community Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MillSVCommunity

The Millstone Township School District has embarked on a strategic visioning process. The purpose of the strategic vision is to create a long range, 21st century vision for continued educational excellence. The vision and initial strategic planning process will also assist the district in identifying priorities for the next 5 to 7 years.

This survey has been designed as a vehicle to solicit your input as a community member regarding perceptions of and values for the Millstone Township School District. The information gathered will be used to help identify specific school district strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. Ultimately, the input will be used to assist the Board of Education in developing a 21st century vision for excellence. School board members, the district leadership team, and other important stakeholders including various parenting organizations were interviewed to gather baseline information and perceptions about the district. From these interviews, the following questions were developed. There are a total of 20 brief questions which should take less than 10 minutes to complete. The answers you provide in this survey will remain anonymous.

The Millstone Township Board of Education thanks you for your participation and commitment to the students of Millstone Township. Please be sure to check the district website regularly for results of the survey and more information on the strategic vision process. The strategic vision process will be completed in April 2014. The final report will be available at that time.https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MillSVCommunity

MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP K-8 ALUMNI SURVEY

Reaching out to any High School or beyond students who went through the Millstone Township Schools in the last 8 years. Please take a few minutes and complete this online survey!

Tell us what we need to know to plan for the future!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MillAlumniSurvey

JOIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S

STRATEGIC VISIONING PROCESS

PARENTS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR

CHILDREN IN COLLEGE OR HIGH SCHOOL!