Superintendent Newsletter

We would like to solicit further information from our community regarding Universal preschool if it were offered by our district. Parents of preschool children are encouraged to complete the survey provided below which enables respondents to indicate their preference for preschool location sights. As the survey details, the district cannot guarantee placement based on preference.

Further information about our district's Preschool Expansion Project is provided below in this newsletter.

Welcome Back!

The 2024-2025 school year is off to a fantastic start!

The transition back to school has been quite seamless, for staff and students. I’d like to commend all of our staff as well as students and their families for their work in preparing for the start of the school year.

I was able to visit all of the schools on the first day of school and in many instances welcome students into school for the first time. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces.

Over the course of the first five weeks of school, I have witnessed first hand our staff and students engaging in meaningful learning activities. I hope you enjoy the recounts of these experiences shared below.

Regards,

Frank Santora, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Throughout the month of September, I had the privilege of attending the Back to School events at all seven of our schools in-district. I truly enjoyed attending these events as it provided me with increased opportunities to connect with parents and staff. I would like to commend all of the teachers, staff, Principals and Assistant Principals for preparing comprehensive programs that provided parents with crucial information regarding their child’s school experience.

Over the past few weeks, I was able to attend the PTA Welcome Back Socials for Franklin and Kennedy elementary schools. Both events were wonderful demonstrations of the community's level of engagement and commitment to our schools. Thank you to each and every individual who worked to make these events a reality!

The recently formed Roxbury Education Foundation (REF) is a non-profit organization established by a team of dedicated Roxbury parents that seeks to provide resources and opportunities to help our learning community thrive and empower educators.

In addition to the letter linked above, please visit the REF's website linked here for further information about its mission, current endeavors, and upcoming events.

"We appreciate all the hard work our school district puts in to providing our children with a quality education, and we want to help! We believe that by working with our community and establishing relationships, we can create a brighter future for our schools." ~REF

On September 10, 2024, I had the honor of participating in ShopRite’s annual “Help Bag Hunger Day”. By assisting with packing customers’ groceries that day with other Roxbury residents and local leaders, we helped to promote the message about hunger in our communities and raise funds for local food pantries. Thank you to all who volunteered, and to the ShopRite Partners in Caring Program for spearheading this event and working year-round to fight community-based hunger.

My family and I have been lucky enough to attend the first two home games of the season. I was very impressed with the players, and the coaching staff during the difficult match-ups. Additionally, the students who attended the games as fans continued to impress me as they handled themselves with maturity and spirit.

On Saturday, September 21, RHS hosted the Marching Band Classic-an event that welcomes some of the most talented marching bands throughout the state. The event included exemplary performances from the Marching Gales and Roxbury Sound. I want to take a moment to congratulate all of the students that participated in the event. I would also like to thank all of the staff as well as the Roxbury High School Band Parents Association for their tremendous hard work and dedication.

Along with a number of our board of education and leadership team members, I attended Olde Suckasunny Day on Saturday, September 7, 2024. It was a fantastic celebration of the Roxbury community. There were a number of student groups and representatives present throughout the day, including performances from the Marching Gaels and demonstrations from the Robotics club.

The district is altering its drop-off procedures for students in grades K - 4. As part of the new practice, parents/adults will need to be present at the bus stop when these students are being dropped off at the end of the day. Parents will be given the option to waive this safety measure by completing a waiver form. For more information regarding this change, please reference my September 23, 2024 communication that can be found here.

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, faculty and students of Lincoln Roosevelt School will be participating in a reunification drill. This drill, which will be open to interested sixth grade students and their parents, will simulate the emergency response procedures necessary to evacuate a school building and subsequently travel to a safe location. Students will be transported to Mount Olive High School where they will remain until their parents are able to pick them up. In order to review further information regarding this drill, I encourage you to review a recent communication from Mr. Argenziano (Principal of LRS).

In August of 2024, the district submitted an application for the Preschool Expansion Award. If granted, the district would be able to implement full-day, free preschool for students residing in Roxbury. In order to be eligible for the program, students have to be at least 3 and less than 5 years of age by October 1 of the school year in which the child will be enrolled for Preschool.

Part of the application process required the district to outline a proposed plan that included the creation of in-district preschool programs as well as the creation of partnerships with local area daycare centers. The plan the district created included seven in-district preschool classrooms as well as one classroom at the Learning Tree Academy in Succasunna, NJ and two classrooms at the Lightbridge Academy in Randolph. If awarded the funds this school year, the district hopes to offer 120 spots for preschool age children. If interest exceeds the available number of spots, students will be selected on a lottery basis. Additional information about our district's application for the Preschool Expansion Award was offered at my Superintendent's Coffee on August 15, 2024. Click here to view that evening's presentation.

The most recent Superintendent Coffee took place on September 24, 2024. The session included a presentation on a number of current district initiatives as well as a question and answer session. A copy of the presentation can be found here.

The next Superintendent Coffee will take place from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in the Eisenhower Middle School Media Center. The first hour of this gathering will entail a work session devoted to further developing our district's Portrait of a Graduate (more details provided below...). The second hour we will be joined by our Director of Special Services, Dr. Seminerio, and there will be time allotted for a question & answer session too.

For the 2024-2025 school year, District Goal 2 pertains to the potential revision of the POG based on survey feedback that was gathered from staff, students and parents during the 2023-2024 school year. Subsequently, I will be facilitating work sessions during my upcoming Superintendent Coffees for parents and/or community members where individuals are able to come together, review the data that has been collected and identify ways in which the POG may be altered. Any and all individuals who are interested are encouraged to attend.

The dates/times of my Superintendent Coffees that entail these special work sessions are as follows. The first hour of each gathering will entail our POG work session; the second hour will encompass discussions about our current district's initiatives, and a Q&A session:

from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM:

• on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 in the Eisenhower Middle School Media Center
• on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 in the Roxbury High School Media Center
• on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 in the Jefferson Elementary School Media Center

Website: roxbury.org
Location: 42 North Hillside Avenue, Succasunna, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-584-6099

"Preparing the children of today for tomorrow" is an elaborate venture. Through our district's "Schoolhouse ROX: A POGcast", members of our learning community will tell you all about a wide variety of programs, opportunities, and much much more. As a comprehensive public school district, we are committed to ensuring that each and every student is afforded learning experiences that will afford them a wide array of experiences that support their journey toward a fulfilling adult life. Click on the logo shown to hear our most recent POGcast and view our library of previous recordings.