Back to School 2024-2025

Dear WLBSD Families,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the last days of summer, doing what brings you the most joy. We've been excitedly preparing to welcome our students and staff back for the 2024-2025 school year!

A few important reminders:

• School is CLOSED on September 2nd for Labor Day, and CLOSED FOR STUDENTS on September 3rd and 4th.
• Our first day of school is September 5th, with an early dismissal. September 6th will also be an early dismissal day, and full school days will begin on September 9th.

Please take a moment to read these important updates, including a District Goal Update that outlines our priorities and planned action steps for the 2024-2025 school year. We are committed to the shared vision we created together during strategic planning, and this year, we will be making significant progress in bringing that vision to life.

We're excited for all the joy and learning this new year will bring. Enjoy the long weekend, and we'll see you on the 5th!

Christina M. Egan

Superintendent

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Early summer flew by, with our Olympics-themed summer academic program and WLB Recreation Summer Camp ensuring that our halls stayed busy and filled with laughter and learning. Many of our staff members engaged in professional development. In August, we welcomed our incoming FAS 5th graders for an orientation with their new teachers and gave them their first crack at opening their new lockers. Mrs. Irons hosted two days of New Staff Orientation for our newest Spartan staff members. Finally, this week BME welcomed Preschool and Kindergarten families for orientations and a chance to make connections while enjoying a PTA-sponsored ice cream treat.

FAS FACILITIES UPGRADES

The roof surface over the 8th and 7th grade hallways has been entirely replaced, and thanks to a grant sourced by Ms. Lowell, the state of New Jersey picked up 40% of the total cost! Elsewhere in FAS we've freshened up the paint and floors, and the FAS gym is freshly waxed with that "new-school-year" shine.

WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES

Also this summer, Mr. Marvel has led extensive district-wide upgrades to the wiring and infrastructure powering our WiFi. This upgrade will improve our speed and capacity, and will position WLB schools well for future-readiness.

PLAYGROUND INSTALLATION - DELAYED

As you may recall, our district announced plans in the Spring to replace the BME playground, as the current playground structure has been in place for nearly 20 years. In April, we applied for a Local Recreation Improvement Grant, and in June we were notified that we were awarded $72,000 toward the playground!

Unfortunately, due to several factors beyond our control regarding manufacturing and installation, the space will not be ready for the first day of school. While we are disappointed that the playground will not be available immediately, once completed, we know that the project will be an amazing addition to our school, offering many new outdoor experiences for our school community in the years to come.

The new playground installation will not only replace the old equipment, it will also expand the footprint of the playground area, include a poured rubber surface, add accessibility and inclusive play features for all students, and will include two play structures - one sized appropriately for children aged 2-5, and the other for children 5-12.

Mr. Erhardt is making alternative arrangements for outdoor recess until we can cut the ribbon on our new playground, which should be by the third week of September. We know this delay is frustrating, but the end result will be worth the wait! We appreciate your patience and understanding.

THANK YOU!

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the heroic efforts of our secretaries and administrative support team for managing a whirlwind of details with their usual grace and efficiency and ensuring that we're ready to rock on the first day. I also want to recognize the behind-the-scenes hard work by our Pritchard crew, preparing our buildings and grounds for the new year. Thank you!

We have certainly had a whirlwind summer prepping everything needed for a successful new year, and now all we need is you!

Our district is entering the third year of our five-year strategic plan, which we built together with families, staff, and other members of the school community. It reflects our shared priorities, aspirations, and vision for the future of our district, and therefore is our "north star" in planning and aligning our resources.

Here's an overview of our planned action steps for the 2024-2025 school year. We'll keep you updated on our progress and goals throughout the year.

The first goal area is focused on overall learner success, which includes five-year goals around curricular implementation and our Multi-Tiered System of Supports to meet the needs of all our students.

This year, we are focused on improving our ASSESSMENT and INTERVENTION practices to collect the right kind of information and deliver focused instruction tailored to our students' needs.

ASSESSMENT

• We will strengthen our implementation of the DIBELS-8 (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment for our primary grade students. This proven tool helps us assess early literacy skills effectively. Teachers will attend professional development during our opening days to enhance their ability to use the information provided by this assessment in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension.
• Starting this school year, we will expand our use of LinkIt!, the comprehensive assessment and data analysis platform. While we have already been using LinkIt! for housing and sharing data, we will now implement their standards-aligned benchmarks in both ELA and mathematics. We will still have IXL available for teachers and students to use in supplementing their lessons.
• In mathematics, we will couple the LinkIt! standards-aligned benchmarks with continued use of the unit assessments within our curricular program.

INTERVENTION

• The district will use our improved assessment plan to drive a more structured version of the WINN (What I Need Now) period at FAS, and the intervention periods at BME. We have also added some resources and tools to our repertoire, and will engage in an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting our learners. More information will come during Back to School Night and from Mrs. Irons via curriculum updates in our monthly newsletters.

LITERACY INSTRUCTION

• This will be year two of our Amplify CKLA and Amplify ELA implementation. We've had great feedback from families and staff alike about the high-interest topics and knowledge-building, as well as some constructive feedback that has helped us tailor the program to fit our schools and students. This year, we will focus on streamlining our implementation and augmenting the writing components within the program. We will also continue to focus on cross-curricular implementation, since literacy is taught and supported in all content areas.
  
  

SPECIAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS

• We will continue making strategic enhancements in our special programs to better serve all student groups, including multilingual learners, special education students, and gifted learners.

The second goal area is focused on maintaining and continuously improving the physical environment in which our students and staff learn and work. Focuses this year include:

NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNING SPACES

• One of our community-driven priorities in the area of facilities and finance is to create non-traditional learning spaces throughout the district. This year, we will continue to advance this goal by focusing on developing and enhancing our multi-use spaces. We have identified the Reading Garden as a key opportunity for expansion and will work closely with staff to explore ways to make this space even more versatile and engaging.
  
  

21ST CENTURY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

• We will make continued progress this year in equipping our learning environments with 21st century furnishings. This year, the second and sixth grade classrooms will be upgraded with whiteboard desks. We will also continue transitioning from SmartBoards to interactive displays, adding four more units this year.

The third goal area is centered around our district's culture and climate, which includes enhancing and sustaining a healthy, safe, and positive environment for students, staff, and families. Focuses this year include:

POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE

• Like most districts across the country, we have recently seen an increase in student conflicts and potential harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) incidents. To address this and ensure that our schools are positive and nurturing environments, our school counseling team will focus this year on strengthening and implementing strategies to enhance the overall school climate.

STUDENT & TEACHER LEADERSHIP

• We will continue creating opportunities for our students and teachers to share their voices and collaborate in shaping our schools. Action steps this year include expanding our use of committees and seeking feedback through surveys (like the playground color selection survey that went out last June! Our students were the ones to choose the "Riptide" color scheme!).

This goal area is centered around ensuring that our school community is well-informed, engaged, welcomed, and valued as the district's partners in serving our students. Focuses this year include:

DISTRICT WEBSITE UPDATE

• We understand that the website is probably your go-to source for information, which is why it's essential to keep it fresh and up to date. Although it feels like just yesterday that we launched our newly designed site, it's time for another upgrade. We are in the process of transitioning to an Edlio-powered website, with upgraded features such as modern accessibility/translation features and mobile-optimized design.
  
  

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• We will continue seeking opportunities to welcome and include all members of our school community, and to welcome community involvement to enrich the school environment. The families of West Long Branch, Interlaken, Loch Arbor, and Allenhurst have a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer, and we welcome community involvement in the schools!

We are excited to welcome several new staff members to our team this year. Please join us in giving them a warm West Long Branch welcome!

Julyana Goncalves

Preschool Teacher

Alexa Renzo

Elementary Physical Education Teacher

Olivia Cozzi

Long Term Leave - First Grade Special Education Teacher

Diane Danch

School Psychologist

Gabrielle Ascenzo

District Behaviorist/BCBA

We are excited to announce that we have a new Class III Officer joining our WLB Schools team! Please join us in welcoming Office Schulze to the West Long Branch School District!

A Class III Officer is a specially trained law enforcement officer who is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and families. Officer Schulze's role in our school is to provide a visible and reassuring presence, ensure that our safety protocols are up-to-date and effective, and foster positive relationships within our school community. A Class III Officer's role does not overlap with or replace the responsibilities of teachers, counselors, or administrators when it comes to addressing student behavior, classroom management, academic performance, or other school-related matters.

Officer Schulze is a resident of Oceanport, where he resides with his family including two children at Shore Regional and a child at Maple Place. He is recently retired from the Monmouth County Sherriff's Office - Law Enforcement Division, after providing 25 years of distinguished service. He looks forward to continuing his public service working with the children and community of West Long Branch.

We are thrilled to have Officer Schulze as part of our team, and we're confident that his presence will contribute to a welcoming and secure learning environment for all. We would like to express again our heartfelt gratitude to the Borough of West Long Branch for their partnership in making it possible to add a Class III Officer to our schools. Their commitment to the safety and well-being of our students is truly appreciated.

If you see Officer Schulze around campus, please feel free to introduce yourself and say hello!

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Melanie T. Jonas will be joining the West Long Branch team as the new Principal of Frank Antonides School, with a projected start date of October 28th. While it will be difficult to bid farewell to Mrs. Winter in mid-September, we wish her all the very best in her new role and thank her sincerely for her years of commitment and dedication to the students and families of West Long Branch.

Throughout our search for the right candidate, we sought someone who embodies a passion for education, a deep commitment to student success, and a dedication to fostering a positive and nurturing school environment. Mrs. Jonas brings over a decade of experience in educational leadership, including her role as Vice Principal in a 5-8 school similar to FAS. Her strong background in curriculum development, middle school operations, and programmatic oversight is complemented by her genuine focus on building strong relationships within the school community.

Mrs. Jonas looks forward to helping our students reach their full potential while supporting them in a caring and encouraging atmosphere. We are confident that she will be a valuable addition to our team, and we look forward to her leadership at Frank Antonides School.

For the 2024-2025 school year, our new lunch provider will be Aramark.

Please be reminded that if your child is returning to school, and they had free or reduced-price meal benefits last school year, their free/reduced lunch benefits will expire on October 5, 2024. Annual applications are required, and this year our school has been approved for online applications through the PaySchools website or app.

Please see the below flyers for further details, and reach out to your child's school if you need assistance.

09/05/2024 - First Day of School! (Early Dismissal for Students)

09/06/2024 - Early Dismissal Day for Students

09/12/2024 - FAS Back to School Night

09/17/2024 - West Long Branch @ Kiddie Academy Back to School Night (Preschool)

09/19/2024 - BME Back to School Night

09/24/2024 - Regular Action Meeting of the BOE @ 5:30 PM

10/03/2024 - School Closed (Rosh Hashanah)

10/04/2024 - School Closed (Rosh Hashanah)

10/14/2024 - School Closed - Columbus Day

10/29/2024 - Regular Action Meeting of the BOE @ 5:30 PM