• MA Logo Welcome to the President's Corner

     

    President’s Corner 06/24/20

    As we congratulate our MRHS Seniors, MAMS grads, Lloyd Road 5th graders, and our elementary 3rd graders with virtual ceremonies, planes, signs, and cakes take time to reflect on all that they have accomplished and be proud. The last three months have been unprecedented, but so has Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District's reaction to it. The students persevered through the adversity and change.  The faculty, staff and administrative team powered through as well. Parents rose to the occasion by taking on parenting, working and teaching new math. The class of 2020 is reflective of the community, the district and their parents; as a Board of Education we could not be more proud or humbled to be a part of this group.

    Thank you students and parents for the unity you have demonstrated to get through these unusual times. It truly could not have been done without you.

    As our Seniors begin their new journey outside of MARSD we begin to look toward next year. We may not know now what it will look like, but Husky Nation has proven WE can do anything, so long as we do it together.

    Enjoy the Summer!

     
    President’s Corner 5/5/20

    The last two meetings I have focused on thanking the parents and staff:

    This administration and board have always been focused on the children, education and safety. With that philosophy the high school has climbed in the rankings to 2901 out of 18,000 public high schools in the nation according to US News Reports. This is a philosophy we continue to adhere to.

    I want to take a minute and thank the kids, this has not been easy on them, especially the seniors.

    During this quarantine the district has:
    • Supplied four cases of gloves, 300 masks and six cases of disinfectant sanitizing equipment to our first responders in both the borough and the township.
    • Distributed 1,100 chrome books and set-up 18 hotspots.
    • Distributed 5,851 breakfasts and lunches
     
    Additionally, we have not forgotten about events such as Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Personal Best Week, Athletics, and of course, Graduation. We continue to think of creative possibilities to celebrate these mile stones, but there is still too much unknown to move forward with any thoughts or plans.

    As for re-opening our schools, that is a decision for the governor. Much legislation has been passed concerning schools and public entities; one in particular demands the district pays for all services budgeted for in the approved budget from last year, regardless of services being provided. In short the district is responsible for fulfilling all contracts, that includes things like transportation. Districts and providers have been encouraged to renegotiate contracts and our District has begun that process. Given the financial hardships facing the residents, municipalities, and state we are concerned with the districts cash flow in the future.

    However, in the event the District receives credits from the renegotiation process; it will be our intention to pass those credits back to the community. At this point it is too early to tell where the District will stand financially.
     
    President's Corner 4/22/20

    As we enter the fifth week of distance learning many things have become clearly apparent. Our district is made up of amazing teachers, staff, and administration who have gone way outside their comfort zone to ensure that our children’s education continues, technology to support learning is supplied and food is distributed. We also have the most fabulous parents/guardians who are juggling the supervision of virtual learning while working from home, dealing with financial hardships, and being ever present to guide their children through this emotional roller coaster.
     
    We are part of a great community who has come together in an amazing way. While we have no date for when school will reopen in the traditional sense, please know that the Board of Education and Administration are aware of the impact this situation has had on families, especially those milestone events students and families have been looking forward to, and we have not lost hope.
     
    Again, thank you for your continued support of our district and your patience. There is no doubt we will get through this as one great Husky Nation.
     
     
    President’s Corner 2/24/20

    I am pleased to report that yesterday Governor Murphy released the school state aid numbers; MARSD funding remained flat (no loss of money) and an increase of approximately $358,000.

    To reiterate the points made during the President’s report;

    There should be no doubt that student safety is the number one priority at MARSD. The District Administration along with the Board of Education acts with every legal means to ensure student safety, along with both police departments.

    Over the past few years, MARSD has increased parent and child workshops regarding bullying and safety. As recently as last month there was a parent presentation on racism and bias, unfortunately, there were plenty of empty seats. There is no doubt MARSD works at its best when we work together. Which brings us to Strategic Planning March 20th and 21st, an RSVP link was sent out.

    Strathmore was a great host as always. The presentations put on by the students were great. The students at Strathmore have become involved in taking steps to reduce hunger, the more steps they take, the more people they feed. These lessons go well beyond the classroom and speak volumes about the character of the children and faculty. The board was also able to read books published by the ESL students.

    The next Board meeting is on March 9th at Cambridge.

    President's Corner:

    In this edition of the President’s Corner, I am going to highlight two meetings.

    At the January 27th meeting, at Cliffwood Elementary School, the Board was treated to an interactive presentation from our amazing students who showed off their coding skills. They were able to teach members of the Board on how to make robots do a silly dance.

    The next meeting on February 10th, at Cambridge Park Preschool, was the Board’s workshop meeting. As part of new business, the Board discussed the food services contract and began looking at modernizing our long-range facility plan. Under policy, there was a first read on a second option for graduation. Board members began discussion and preparation for some changes in the second read. In the meantime, the policy is available for anyone interested in reading it.

    Lastly, if you have received the survey regarding strategic planning please respond, it matters!

    The next meeting for the Board of Education is February 24, 2020, at Strathmore Elementary School.

    See you there!

    Allison Friedman