Superintendent Sentinel
Parent Newsletter / October 2024
Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!
As the crisp autumn air settles in, our schools are buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. Classrooms are alive with the sounds of discovery and learning, as students and teachers dive into new projects and explore fresh ideas. It’s truly inspiring to see our schools filled with such vibrant activity and engagement.
Beyond the classroom, our fall sports teams are shining brightly on the fields and courts. Our student-athletes continue to display their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship, making us proud with every game and match. These activities not only showcase their incredible talents but also build teamwork and community spirit that are central to our schools. The HSA has contributed in extraordinary ways to support our schools through fundraisers, assemblies, and family activities.
As we move further into this season of growth and change, I look forward to seeing all that our students and staff will accomplish together. Thank you to our families, teachers, and community for your ongoing support. Let’s make this a great fall season!
Dr. Jonathan Hart
Follow me on X @hartjonathanr
Mr. Jason Bohm, Business Administrator
Readington Township School District is embarking on an exhilarating referendum process in hopes of fortifying the foundation supporting student education for decades to come. The district cordially invites you to join us to share your thoughts and ideas in an open public forum on December 3, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at Holland Brook School in the BOE Conference Room as part of a joint effort to aspire and bolster schooling for the overall betterment of the community and future generations. We need your help in this ambitious endeavor!
With the district's existing debt expiring in January 2027, there is a unique opportunity for Readington Township School District to issue new debt through a bond referendum with a potential "net zero" tax levy impact to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades and plan for the future 21st century needs of a growing student population, reflective of upcoming new housing developments and preschool expansion for all 3- and 4-year old children in the township boundaries.
A bond referendum is an election in which a school district asks voters for permission to borrow funds through the sale of bonds to finance large-scale projects spreading the costs over a period of time such as 20 years to have taxpayers who benefit from the project pay for it, and to tap into a type of state aid up to 40% of the total costs that is only available to districts with approved bond proposals. The State of New Jersey’s contribution helps offset any costs and interest associated with issuing new debt. The district's current debt expires in January 2027 so issuing new debt through a referendum at or below $40 million dollars would have a "net zero" impact on the local taxpayers compared to current taxes paid. This incentive along with expiring debt provides an opportunity to replace aging infrastructure and reflect on the modern needs of students.
For nearly 15 years, the district has been prudent to budget at or below a 2% tax levy cap with allowable adjustments with fiscally responsible oversight by the Board of Education. The district has saved funds in capital reserve to finance maintenance and upgrades averaging over $1 million dollars per year for the past 10 years without issuing new debt or increasing taxes; however, inflationary pressures, salaries, benefits and other factors have eroded the district's ability to continue to replenish reserves with capital reserves being approximately $750 thousand dollars as of July 1, 2024.
We are seeking your help in creating the vision for the future by joining us on December 3 at Holland Brook School for the open public forum on the bond referendum. This event shall be an opportunity to learn more about the referendum process, understand how expiring debt creates a favorable moment for reissuing new debt, to share ideas and utmost collaborate to build a strong foundation for the families and residents in the township for years to come.
Should you need more information, please feel free to email referendum@readington.k12.nj.us, or simply contact Jason M. Bohm, Business Administrator at jbohm@readington.k12.nj.us or by calling 908-534-2885.
Mr. Timothy Charleston, Principal
The start of the 2024-2025 school year at Readington Middle School has been an exciting time, filled with many highlights and activities that have set the tone for the academic year. Here are some highlights and events that have taken place since the beginning of the school year at RMS!
First Day of Classes: The first day of school was filled with anticipation and excitement. RMS welcomed nearly 475 students into the halls and classrooms of Readington Middle School. Things went smoothly and that is in due part because each student stepped up and was ready for the first few days of the school year. In classes, students learned about classroom rules, expectations, and goals with students. This helps establish a positive learning environment and fosters a sense of responsibility. Teachers and staff also incorporated icebreaker activities into the first few days of school to help students get to know each other and build a sense of community within the classroom.
Back-to-School Night: Readington Middle School held their annual Back to School Night on September 17. 2024. It was a fantastic event and turn out. Parents and guardians were provided an opportunity to meet their child's teachers, learn about curriculum expectations, and ask questions about the upcoming year. RMS was also excited to have special community guests available for RMS families to learn more about.
Assembles: We kicked off the school year with an opening Pep Rally celebration on September 27, 2024. Our students and staff, by grade, wore specific RMS colors to show off their school spirit. We were able to come together as a family to introduce all of the staff to the students. We were able to announce to the world that we were a NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DISTINCTION!
This prestigious recognition honors schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to middle grades education and continuous improvement. Readington is one of 17 schools in the United States to receive the honor and the only school in New Jersey to be honored. Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an organization dedicated to helping middle school educators reach every student, grow professionally, and create great schools.
AMLE’s Schools of Distinction program recognizes exemplary schools while supporting them through a process of strategic vision setting to help foster ongoing growth and success. Each recipient school underwent a rigorous review process that assessed their implementation of middle grades best practices and continuous improvement plans. The process included stakeholder interviews with staff, students, and families to provide a comprehensive evaluation.
Mr. Anthony Tumolo, Supervisor of SEL & Special Projects
Unity Day is an event created by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, to come together in one giant ORANGE message of hope and support. PACER’s slogan is, “WEAR AND SHARE ORANGE to color our nation, and even the world, to visibly show that our society believes no child should ever experience bullying.” The ultimate goal behind this event is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community. The call to action is simple—to wear and share the color orange—as a tangible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Here are some brief facts about Unity Day:
Typically held annually on the third Wednesday of National Bullying Prevention Month in October. It is also included within the state’s mandated weeks of recognition in October
Week of Respect
Violence Prevention Week
Drug Awareness Week
Why Wear Orange: As Unity Day is held during October, orange is a color commonly identified with the month and the autumn season. It is also a color that is associated with safety and visibility. It is a color described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes an impactful statement. Orange was also a color that was not being used by another widely known cause.
The first Unity Day was held in 2011. The “Unity Dance,” featuring Tristan McIntosh, who went on to become a 2016 American Idol finalist, was also created that year.
In Readington, Unity Day was recognized this year in the following ways:
All staff, including the members of the administrative team wore orange to show that we all come together in unity to fight against school bullying.
Throughout the month of October and November, Anti-bullying assemblies and classroom lessons have been planned to teach students about bullying and how they can take action to prevent it from happening
Board-approved SEL curricula
Student Pledges to fight against school bullying
All teaching staff are in the process of being trained in anti-bullying practices
For more information about Unity Day and other Anti-Bullying strategies, please check out the following resources from PACER’s National Bully Prevention Center:
Dr. Jonathan Hart, Superintendent
The Readington Township School District has developed and maintained a long-standing policy affirming its commitment to sustainability. Policy 7461 - District Sustainability appears on our website alongside other important policies related to our Green Initiatives. This policy provides direction for our school district when it comes to moving forward in an environmentally responsible manner and has allowed for significant district accomplishments.
These accomplishments include securing a $10,000 grant to develop EcoAction News and a studio broadcast course elective at the middle school. Three Bridges School staff and students, in coordination with many community volunteers, redeveloped a bioswale for native plants and to soak up stormwater runoff. Whitehouse School continues to partner with master gardeners because of the district’s commitment to healthy living and eating. Our policy also led the district in contributing to a publication titled Teaching Towards Green Schools: Transforming K-12 Education Through Sustainable Practices by Linda Plevyak.
The impact of our policy has contributed in propelling the district forward in an environmentally friendly way, making room for student innovation and exploration. Our Green Initiatives remain solid in our district strategic plan. Our Social Awareness goal speaks specifically to ensuring our learners have a shared sense of community along with an awareness of self, others, and their impact on the environment.
