Tri-District Review

Spring is in the air. We are starting to see warmer temperatures, signs of new life all around us in nature and, if you look closely, the end of this school year is definitely in sight. As we approach the last few months of the 2022-2023 school year, it is important to reflect on all of the incredible, rigorous, challenging and engaging work that our students, staff, administrators and families have been doing so that we can continue that commitment in this final stretch. Here are just a few notes and points of interest.

At our March Board of Education Meetings, the building-level and central office administrators presented the district's mid-year data and an update on progress made towards each district's strategic plan. Strategic Planning is an integral process for districts to go through to bring together all stakeholders (parents, community members, educators, students) to create a plan that will continue to drive improvement and growth in the district. All three of the districts, engaged in this process in the 2019-2020 school year and through focus groups five-year strategic plans were created, adopted and presented to the public. These plans guide the decision-making, planning, and cycle of review through the 2024 - 2025 school year. Of course, due to Covid, some of the plans timelines have had to be revised, but there has been tremendous progress made towards meeting and/or exceeding some of the goals set by the overall school community. To view the presentations, please navigate to the individual school websites. The district's strategic plans can be found on the Henry Hudson Tri-District Website.

As I said we are in the final push of the 2022-2023 school year. When we return from Spring Break, many of our students will sit for the NJSLA testing as required by the Department of Education. The testing window for our students in grades 3 - 11 is May 1 - May 26. Most of the NJSLA testing will take place either the first or second week of May with the remainder of the window used for make-up testing if necessary. Please check with your child's teacher or building administrator if you have any questions or concerns related to testing.

Finally, students and staff will now be enjoying a well-deserved Spring Break. As I prepare to enjoy this break with family and friends, I wanted to share my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all of students, staff, administration, parents, family members, Board of Education members and community members who are committed to the continuous improvement of our schools and the growth of our incredible students. As education continues to grow more and more challenging, it is rewarding and comforting to serve educational communities who truly have the best interest of students at the center of all of their decision-making and who believe that there are no limits to the success that we can all achieve together. This work is difficult, ever-changing, and emotional, but, in the end, the outcomes are most rewarding. I truly understand and appreciate the balance that all of use must find in our work/school lives and our personal lives. So, please enjoy every second of your Spring Break. Use this time to recharge and re-energize so that we can meet this final stretch of the school year with the same excitement and commitment that we have started. If you are celebrating the Easter holiday, may you have celebrations of joy, peace and love while reflecting on the new beginnings that the Easter holiday and the spring season bring to us all.

Enjoy your Spring Break and Happy Easter!

With kindness,

Dr. Beams

The Henry Hudson Tri-District is proud to honor and recognize the 2022-2023 Governor's Educators and Educational Support Professionals of the Year! We are truly blessed to have such dedicated and committed educators support our children and positively impact all of our school communities! Thank you for all that you do and CONGRATULATIONS!

Dear Tri-District Families,

I am joining the tri-district with nearly 20 years of experience in education, and as you will quickly learn, there is nothing I love more than the chance to be a part of a school family. I graduated from James Madison University (go Dukes!) in 2005 with degrees in Psychology and Writing, and then went through the alternate route program to earn my teaching certification. The vast majority of my teaching career was spent teaching middle school language arts (mainly 7th grade, although I did dabble in other grades at times). After earning a graduate degree from Seton Hall in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy, I transitioned into leadership roles of Dean of Students 6-12, Dean of Students PreK-5, and then Assistant Head of School PreK-8. During this journey, I earned postgraduate certificates in Restorative Practices as well as Social-Emotional Leadership. Ever the lifelong learner, I am currently working toward my EdD in Curriculum & Instruction.

I look very much forward to being in the classrooms, watching all of the wonderful things that are taking place, and working together with our teachers to brainstorm new, innovative ways to bring even more wonder and joy to your childrens' learning experiences.

I am a lifelong Jersey Shore resident and currently live in Howell. I am a family girl at heart, but arguably talk about my black lab, Brady, the most out of anyone. I love to read, swim, enjoy the beach every second I can, and am on a personal mission to grow a green thumb.

Thank you to everyone for the wonderfully warm welcome that I have received in the past month. I am looking forward to a GREAT rest of the 2022-2023 school year, and for the adventures ahead.

Sincerely,

Maureen Rexer

Be creative, Be courageous, Be kind

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of "Rock of Ages"! The students put on outstanding shows on Thursday both for the entire student body as well as an evening performance for the public. We appreciate the support of the many HHRS students who came to cheer on our students. 55 students took on roles either in the cast, crew or other production elements which truly displayed the talent within our school. Special thanks to Mrs. Jenn Wolff for all of her hard work and dedication to this production, it was truly a success.

It’s been another busy month for Hudson Athletics! For starters, Makenzie Denzler was February’s “Athlete of the Month”. Makenzie has been a strong leader on both the field hockey and girls varsity basketball teams which has led to this honor from her coaches.

The winter season wrapped up with state playoff appearances by boys and girls varsity basketball, as well as a championship appearance by the boys middle school team for the first time in almost 30 years! The middle school boys also played in the “Run for the Roses” post-season tournament. Meanwhile, spring sports have sprung and we are excited for our spring sports teams to kick off on top of the hill and across the Shore Conference.

Finally, our Admirals are repping us in leadership opportunities. Ellie Hendrickson represented Hudson at the Shore Conference’s first ever “Women in Sports” Day! Ellie was accompanied by Coach DeWyngaert and Coach Pritchard at the event, where she was able to interact with girls from all over the Shore Conference and hear from various speakers. Hudson will also be well-represented at the Shore Conference Spring Leadership Summit; our spring team leaders will interact with their counterparts from all over the Shore Conference and hear from a former Major League baseball player.

The Admirals Athletic Club will host the HS Sports BBQ and Awards on June 1, 2023. Click on the picture below to RSVP!

On January 25, 2023 Highlands Elementary School held its annual Spelling Bee. A big congratulations goes out to our school spelling bee champion Isabelle Thorpe, in 4th grade for advancing to the regional competition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Association. Also a big congratulations goes out to our runner up in 4th grade Giuliana Lovallo and our 3rd place contestant Eva Scarabaggio in 6th grade.

At Highlands Elementary School, students in the 6th grade were able to put their theater skills to use during the month of February! They wrote scripts depicting life during the Great Depression and acted them out for their peers. They did an excellent job describing life after the 1929 Stock Market crash, what it was like to live during the Dust Bowl, and even how people felt moving into Hoovervilles.

It’s Spring up on the hill! While Winter seems to have taken a break this year, we still had a

great run through the Winter season of our three A’s! Academics, Arts, and Athletics. Our

student artists were hard at work organizing and hosting our own Poetry Out Loud Competition.

The event and the art were magnificent and we proudly sent Lydia Smith, class of 2024, ahead

to the regional competition. She continued to shine at regionals, qualified for the state

competition, and was crowned the New Jersey State Champion!!! Mrs. Merrigan, Lydia’s coach,

brought her students to see the show and cheer on Lydia. It was a highlight for the ages and

Lydia now heads to Washington D.C. to compete for the National Championship.

Please enjoy this link to Lydia's State Championship Performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3bAocAej9A&t=1s

We had a great return to Hudson’s tradition of practicing Spanish skills with the annual luncheon

at Juanito’s Mexican Restaurant. Mr. Manigrasso and Mrs. Chu ensured a great day for our

students and a learning experience like no other.

Middle School is hard at work for the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” that they will perform on May

19th and 20th.

While we celebrate the rebirth of nature that goes with Spring, we also see a renaissance

academically among students and staff. We settled in from the start of the school year and

celebrated our winter holidays and events. Now, the long stretch to the end of the year begins.

College acceptances are rolling in and graduation prep has begun! Our students can see the

finish line, but there is still much to accomplish. From 7th grade to 12th grade, the end of the

year comes fast, with emotions that run from bright-eyed optimism to nervous excitement for the

future. As we enter Spring we do so with joy and a keen eye on what can be for our students as

we work hand in hand to open doors for everyone.

Our Admirals continue to impress in the classroom, on the field of play, and on the stage. Winter

was a great ride, but we are just getting started.

Mrs. Ciafardini and Mrs. McBain along with the H.E.S. The Student Council hosted our first Staff vs. Student Council Knockout Basketball Tournament. After three grueling rounds of competition, Mrs. Ciafardini rose to the occasion, knocking out from the competition Mr. Perkins for the victory. Seen below is her victory lap and her students enjoying their trophy!

The AHES PTO came in for Feel Good Friday on March 24th and facilitated a spring planting activity for the entire school. Students had the opportunity to plant seeds that can then be added to our Tiger Patch garden upon sprouting. The students will not only be a part of the vegetables that grow this spring, but also learned valuable lessons in science in the process.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FEBRUARY CHAMPIONS!

This month, we recognized students for being "Inclusive". Students were selected by their teachers for their actions and words that make them an inclusive member of the AHES community.

Thank you to the Highlands Elementary School PTO for sponsoring and coordinating our Planetarium assembly. On January 27, 2023 our students were provided an immersive learning experience about our solar system through an interactive and exciting lesson within the planetarium. Not only did our students enjoy this experience but our teachers really had a great time as well.

Many thanks to the PTO for the assembly on March 6th featuring Mad Jack the Scientist! Using fire, balloons, dry ice, and a few magic words, Mad Jack thrilled the crowd as he brought science to life with valuable lessons on temperature, air pressure, and molecules. We look forward to seeing how all of our young scientists will bring this new knowledge back to their classrooms.

H.E.S Students and Families raised over $2500 for the American Heart Association through their Jump Rope for Heart and the Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser. Thank you to Mrs. Cook our Physical Education Teacher, for heading up this wonderful campaign for H.E.S.

AHES celebrated "Read Across America Week" the week of February 27th. Guests readers joined our classrooms to read to our students and share their love of reading. Ms. Plaia led our Student Council in establishing spirit days for each day this week that helped the entire community get into the spirit. Happy Reading!

The HEA-sponsored Read Across America event had some extra help from the students of the National Elementary Honor Society. This was a great opportunity for our student leaders to practice service and leadership while engaging in the promotion of literacy. A special thank you to all staff and students involved in making this idea come to life. A huge shout out to Mrs. McBain, Miss Lebel and our very own Cat in the Hat Mr. Naeder.

Because we have not used any of the emergency closure days in the 2022-2023 school calendar, all Tri-District schools will be closed from May 25 - May 30, 2023. Schools will reopen on May 31, 2023. Enjoy the nice long Memorial Day break, soak up the Jersey Shore's Vitamin "SEA" and we hope to see everyone back and ready to tackle the last month of school!

Mr. Ferrarese, Principal, AHES

Mr. Layton, Principal, HES

Mr. McCarthy, Principal, HHRS

Mr. Pritchard, Vice Principal/AD, HHRS

Mrs. Maureen Rexer, Director of Curriculum & Instruction