Summit Scoop

Summit Scoop is a monthly newsletter for families and staff members in the Summit Public School District. Summit Scoop features stories of student achievement, events in the District, and positive news around the school community! The newsletter will be sent out on the last Thursday of the month. You can find an archive of newsletters sent throughout the year on the District website.

Summit Scoop can be translated into many different languages. All you need to do is open the newsletter in a web browser, and then click on the "Translate" button. If you open it on your phone, you will need to find the accessibility icon which will bring you to the translation option. It is usually at the bottom. If you open it on a computer, the option is at the top of the page.

Summit Scoop se puede traducir a muchos idiomas diferentes. Solo abra el boletín en un navegador web y luego haga clic en el botón "Traducir". Si lo abre en su teléfono, necesitará encontrar el ícono de accesibilidad que lo llevará a la opción de traducción. Suele estar en la parte inferior. Si lo abre en una computadora, la opción está en la parte superior de la página.

In September 2024, Superintendent Scott Hough presented the 2024-2025 District Goals to the Board of Education. The fourth goal introduced the initiative to undergo strategic planning this school year.

Goal 4: Summit Public Schools will actively engage in the strategic planning process to ensure the continuous improvement and success of the District. Summit Public Schools will create a cohesive, forward-thinking strategy that supports students' academic and personal growth while promoting community trust and collaboration. Through this process, stakeholders will identify and integrate innovative educational practices and technologies that align with the District's mission and vision. Summit Public Schools will build a strong foundation for continued growth, accountability, and excellence in educational outcomes.

Outcome: In the first year of engaging in strategic planning, Summit Public Schools will establish a clear vision and mission that aligns with our community's needs and values. Key stakeholders including, students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members will actively participate in identifying priorities, which will lead to the creation of focused goals and a completed first-year action plan.

The District is hosting a strategic planning general session on Wednesday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Summit High School cafeteria. All stakeholders (students in grades 4-12, parents, teachers, staff, and Summit community members) are invited and encouraged to attend.

This session is an opportunity for the community at large to participate in the District's strategic planning process. At this session we will review the following:

1. What is strategic planning?

2. What is the role of a core team?

3. Participate in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis activity.

While walk-ins are welcome, we would appreciate if you would let us know if you plan on attending the general session on October 16, by completing the RSVP form below.

Nearly 250 students enjoyed the District's summer program, FLASH, at Franklin Elementary School! Students in grades 1-3 participate in FLASH Jr. with four classes: Art Explorations, Kid Lit Creations, Imagine That!, and Cooperative Games. In FLASH Pro, students choose their own classes out of 20 different offerings to pursue their interests and discover their next passion. FLASH Pro is for students entering grades 4-8. Some of the classes they could choose from include coding, yoga, movie making, project adventure, stock market, super STEAM, backyard games, cooking, painting, and many more! Thank you to all of the teachers and students for making it another great year in FLASH!

Every year in August, the Summit High School Counseling Department shares a comprehensive presentation at the Board of Education meeting about the Class of 2024 outcome data. The presentation includes statistics about Post-Secondary Outcome Statistics, Where We Apply & Where We Go, Early Decision Statistics, First Generation Students, Trends & Policy Shifts, and more. To view the presentation, please click on the button below. The Class of 2024 Outcome Data begins on slide 11.

Summit Public Schools tested its emergency alert system, School Messenger, by sending a test message to all parents and staff members on September 17. The test included a phone call, email, and text message for those who have opted-in to receive text messages. If you did not receive the test message, please contact our Technology department by emailing problem@summit.k12.nj.us. To opt-in to receive text messages from the District through School Messenger, please follow the directions below. Those who previously opted-in last school year do not have to opt-in again.

The Summit Board of Education was excited to honor and recognize two groups of staff members at the September Board of Education meeting! The first presentation was recognizing teachers and staff who have demonstrated the expertise, commitment, and professionalism necessary to be a successful staff member of Summit Public Schools, and completed the requirements for tenure in their position with the Summit Public Schools. The second presentation honored staff members who have reached the significant professional milestone of serving 25 years in the District. Principals presented beautiful speeches on behalf of the recipient, who was also presented with a gift from the Board of Education as a token of appreciation for their commitment to Summit Public Schools.

Over the summer, Summit Public Schools welcomed Greg Margolis as Director of Special Services, and Heather Rocco as Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Mr. Margolis served as Director of Special Services for Hanover Township Public Schools for 18 years. In this role, he supervised and evaluated the Child Study Team, related service providers, special education teachers, and special education aides, developed and managed the department’s annual budget, and served as the district’s Crisis Management Coordinator and School Safety Specialist. He also oversaw the Behavior Threat Assessment teams and served as the district’s Section 504 compliance officer. Prior to his tenure in Hanover, Mr. Margolis worked for the New Jersey Department of Education as a County Supervisor of Child Study, and served as a School Psychologist for four years prior.

Ms. Rocco joins Summit with 14 years of experience as Supervisor of English Language Arts (ELA) in the School District of the Chathams. In the last nine years overseeing K-12 ELA, she planned and implemented professional development for Language Arts educators on topics such as equity, small group instruction, independent reading, and the workshop model. Ms. Rocco consistently reviewed student data to assess curricular needs, and often presented at parent and Board of Education meetings to provide updates on the ELA curriculum. Prior to Chatham, Ms. Rocco served as a consultant for The Educator Collective, where she planned and presented workshops on topics such as differentiating instruction, reading strategy instruction, writing workshop teaching, and curriculum design. Ms. Rocco began her educational career as an English teacher in Westfield Public Schools, and worked her way to the position of K-12 Supervisor of ELA.

Mark your calendar for the upcoming event in the Parent Wellness Series, 'Breaking Free: Unmasking the Mind Control of Modern Technology on Today's Youth and How to Build Resiliency'. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about how technology is shaping our youth and discover strategies for fostering their mental health and well-being, while building resiliency and improving parental bonds. Join us for this presentation by John Mopper, LPC and founder of Blueprint Mental Health, on Wednesday, October 9, at 7:00 p.m. in the Summit High School auditorium. John's insights, grounded in extensive experience working directly with teens, offer a unique perspective on their challenges in the digital age. He'll also address how these same forces impact parents and provide practical strategies for navigating the complexities of modern parenting.

Matt Meiseles, senior at Summit High School, was recently elected by his peers to be the new Student Board Representative for the Board of Education. Grace Epstein, the current Student Board Rep, is helping Matt transition in this role over the next few months. During each Board meeting, the Student Board Rep provides comments to the Board on happenings at Summit High School. The Board of Education recognizes that experience gained by and input from students in the school district is a valued source for improving the operation of the school district. The student representative serves for a one school year term and their duties include:

• Attending all Board meetings, excluding any discussions of the Board involving subjects which are confidential;
• Representing all high school students within the district and presenting student proposals and concerns to the Board for its consideration; and
• Keeping high school students informed of the business of the Board by providing a monthly report to the Student Council concerning the activities of the Board.

Excitement filled the air in the gymnasium as Summit High School hosted its first-ever Media Day, showcasing fall athletic teams and celebrating student-athletes ready to make their mark this season! On August 26, each team had the opportunity to be professionally photographed by John Haddad and 7eightsports. Athletic Director Dan Healy, who organized the event, said the energy in the room was invigorating, and the Athletics department is looking forward to planning additional Media Days in the winter and spring. See what students had to say about Media Day:

"I had so much fun being able to have pictures taken of me and my team that were so professional that it looked like we were college athletes!" - Mackenna Welsh, Senior on Girls Volleyball Team

"Media day was great, the interviews and taking pictures with my team were really fun." - Carter Herman, Senior Cross Country Runner

Towards the end of August, the Summit High School Boys and Girls Soccer Programs completed their annual Hilltoppers Development Camp for youth soccer players in grades K-8. During their first week back for tryouts, three evening sessions were hosted by players and coaches from both programs, running multiple stations including a variety of different skills and small-sided games. It is great to see our High School students take on leadership roles and serve as mentors for our younger student-athletes!

During the first week of August, 32 Summit High School students staged four sold-out performances of Urinetown, the Musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts festival! Students wowed audiences with their energetic performances of this gritty satire set in a world ravaged by drought where private bathrooms have been outlawed and citizens must pay to use public toilets in the name of water conservation. Their performance was one of more than 3,000 productions at Scotland’s Fringe, which draws performers and audiences from all over the globe.

The group’s trip started in London, England, where students participated in an acting workshop at the Globe Theatre facilitated by a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and saw the musical Sister Act in London’s West End. Accompanying the student’s were Director Anne Poyner, Music Director Mary-Lynn Rhodes, Choreographer Kelly Mott-Sacks, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Aaron and District Arts Supervisor Karen Forgione. “Our two weeks at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe were truly magical,” said Director Anne Poyner. “It was so thrilling for those of us who love theatre to wander through a beautiful, historic city immersed in a variety of performances from all over the world all day! We all grew so much as artists and as friends during this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”

Students rehearsed and raised funds for their trip throughout the 2023-2024 school year, raising over $15,000 which not only covered the show’s expenses, but funded tickets to other Fringe Festival performances and excursions throughout London and Scotland, including visits to Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, and the iconic equine sculptures, The Kelpies.

Ben Schachne, who performed the role of Bobby Strong, said about his experience in Edinburgh: “It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to not only go to the Fringe and have the honor of performing, but to see all kinds of theatre that you can’t see anywhere else in the world! After working on Urinetown for a year, performing at the Fringe to sold out crowds was a rewarding experience that most people never have the chance to do, and will definitely be an experience I’ll remember forever!” Sarah Walsh, who played the role of Penelope Pennywise, enthused that “The Fringe was a great experience. I loved seeing the sights in Edinburgh and going to lots of shows at the festival."

OCTOBER 3

Schools Closed

Rosh Hashanah

OCTOBER 10

Board of Education Meeting

LCJSMS Auditorium
6:30 p.m.

OCTOBER 14

Single Session - All Schools

Staff Professional Development

OCTOBER 16

Strategic Planning Session

Summit High School

6:30 p.m.

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