As we conclude our summer vacation and begin to gear up for the new school year there are several items we must keep in mind:

1. School starts for students on Thursday, September 6^th .
2. There is a Bond Referendum vote on Tuesday, September 25^th.

The Board accepted a $2,782,102 grant from the New Jersey Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act to be used to defray the cost of the Bond Referendum. This money can only be used upon a successful bond referendum vote.

The Board and the Borough Government has been awarded a $93,000 grant to defray the cost of building a new gymnasium at the High School.

GOAL: Work with the community and other elected and appointed officials to develop an educational/public relations campaign to ensure maximum public support of the High School expansion and Forest and Linden Avenue Schools improvements.

GOAL: Increase revenue from non-property tax (alternative funding) sources by 5% over the 2001-2002 budget levels.

GOAL: Complete curriculum audit Pre-K through 12.

GOAL: Develop a Board and District communication plan in order to improve dissemination of information to the community.

Barbara Gemza, Director of Student Services, has been appointed as the agent of the board to implement the 2001-2003 Multi-Year Equity Plan and complete the Annual Review of Progress for 2000-2001.

Debra Cook has been appointed Interim Principal at Forest Avenue School until Deborah Fitzpatrick can return to work.

The Board of Education approved the Report of Attainment of School Based Objectives for the 2000/2001 school year and approved the proposed District Objectives for the 2001/2002 & 2002/2003 school years.

The Board of Education accepted a gift from the Mayor’s Gala to remove the track in the Ridgewood Avenue gym at no expense to the district and also accepted a gift from the GRAA to install basketball equipment.

The Glen Ridge School District will provide Academic Enrichment (BSI) for students requiring basic skills remediation. Participants in the program will be selected according to the following criteria:

• Teacher recommendation and;
• National percentile score lower than 40% on one or any combination of the Reading, Writing, and/or Mathematics sections on our district/state adopted standardized test.

Both criteria must be met or the child will not be eligible for Academic Enrichment Instruction.

The District offers a pullout program for cognitively talented students in grades 4-6. Students in grades K-3 and 7 & 8 can participate in school-wide enrichment activities developed by the teacher of the academically talented and general education teachers.

Students must meet the following criteria:

• Achieve a National Percentile score of 96% or better on the total battery score of the district’s standardized achievement test.
• Achieve a score of 128 or better on the test of Cognitive Skills.
• Teacher recommendation.
• Student must maintain good standing year to year.

The Board of Education approved the annual Peer Leadership training retreat on September 4^th & 5^th.

The Board approved the wording for the ballot question for the September 25^th Bond Referendum:

The Glen Ridge Board of Education seeks to make various improvements to school facilities as set forth in the Proposal. To construct additions to, renovate and equip the High School to provide for additional classrooms, a music classroom, guidance and child study spaces, a computer lab, science labs, an art room, a gymnasium, additional cafeteria space and facility upgrades. Additionally, we plan to replace exterior doors and windows and repair the roof over the wings at Forest and Linden Avenue Schools. The cost

for such improvements would be funded as follows:

Total Cost: $11,925,000

Grant Share: $ 2,800,000

Local Share: $ 9,125,000

The Board accepted the final letter of determination of the NJDOE on our Long-Range Facility Plan.

The Board approved the submission of the application for the change of use for rooms at Forest Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue Schools.

The sidewalk replacement for Forest, Ridgewood Avenue and the High School was approved by the Board of Education.

Rose Marie Cancelliere – Instructional Aide & Site Coordinator-Linden

Kendall Southerland – Special Education-High School

Roseann Portuese – 4^th Grade-RAUES

Michele Shauger – Special Education Intermediate II-RAUES

Melissa Pareti – 6^th Grade-RAUES

Damian Daniello – Physical Education/Health-High School

Yanet Feranandez – World Language-RAUES/HS

Lisbeth Crouse-DiFrancesco – 2^nd Grade-Forest

Barbara Fleming – Special Education Aide-High School

Monica Gonzalez – 3^rd Grade-RAUES

Keisha Harris – Gifted & Talented-RAUES

Eileen Ippolito – 4^th Grade-RAUES

Christine Ruth – Special Education Aide-Linden

Lisa Zito – Special Education Aide-Linden

Judith Gantly – Teacher/Media Specialist-Forest/Linden

Rebecca Rubin – Special Education-High School

Coaching and extra-curricular advisors

Mrs. Hilde Dyer –Media Specialist-Forest/Linden

Mr. Michael LaMorte – Special Education - High School

Susan Tober – Special Education – Forest

Ruthann Cherence – Gifted and Talented-RAUES

Joan Gundy – Media Specialist – RAUES

Robin Kozic- 3^rd Grade-RAUES

James Sarto – Assistant Principal-RAUES

Alex Schmidt – 4^th Grade-RAUES
Jeffery Smith – 2^nd Grade-Forest

Amy LaPosa – Instructional Aide-RAUES

Lydia Muscara – Secretary-RAUES

Kennett Steele – Special Education-High School

September 10^th – BOE Meeting

September 24^th – BOE Meeting

September 11^th – Linden Back-to-School Night

September 12^th – Ridgewood Back-to- School Night

September 13^th – Forest Back-to-School Night

September 20^th – High School Back-to-School Night