October 2023 Update
From the Office of the Superintendent
Dear Families,
Happy Halloween! Today was a festive day in school with many of our students in costume, and will continue to be a festive afternoon with family and friends. I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable evening of spooky fun!
This month our amazing PTO also held the Fall Fest on October 14th, which was an outstanding event for all. Due to the rainy forecast, the entire event was moved indoors at Maple Place and it was amazing. From games, to junior entrepreneurs to pumpkin decorating, to a pretty scary "Haunted Hallway" - there was something for everyone and could not have been possible without the hard work of so many volunteers from the PTO, our staff, and our administration. THANK YOU!
It is an exciting time for the Oceanport School District. We continue to work on Referendum projects, and have made significant progress on the Wolf Hill addition. Also, we accepted a bid at our last Board of Education meeting for the final phase of projects at Wolf Hill slated for the summer of 2024. We have also been busy planning for PreK expansion at Wolf Hill School. This has been in the works since July when our administrative team began to work on a competitive application for additional PreK funding. We have received these funds and look forward to opening two additional PreK rooms in January of 2024. See the letters below for more information and to preregister for the lottery.
I was scrolling through social media the other day and saw a post that said, "Time is a Thief." and as I finish up this October newsletter, I couldn't agree more as time seems to fly. As the holiday season begins, I hope you each take time to enjoy the moments that make life special.
Have a wonderful night,
Laura Godlesky, Ed.D.
PreK Expansion and Pre-Registration Link
Recently the district was informed that we would be in receipt of PreK expansion aid. This was very exciting news to the community, and our families have been anxious for more information. This expansion means that the district will be able to expand our current PreK offerings by adding two additional classrooms at Wolf Hill School that will be opened on January 2, 2024. In our original application, the district worked to partner with a private provider. While both parties intended this relationship to provide an off-site classroom, and worked diligently to bring it to fruition, it did not work out for the 23-24 school year. However, we are still moving forward with our planned expansion at Wolf Hill School. Please review details in the letter below and click the link below the letter if your child qualifies for this expansion.
Oceanport Board of Education Earns Master Board Certification
At the October 5, 2023 Monmouth County School Boards Association meeting, the Oceanport Board of Education was recognized for earning the distinction of Master Board Certification. More specifically, they were honored with the Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification (MBC) which is awarded in recognition of high performing boards. To earn this distinction, the board must provide evidence to demonstrate an emphasis on student achievement as shown through board action items. To earn the Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification, a Board of Education must first get Certified (which the OP BOE already completed) and within two years, must also complete at least 10 additional hours of training for a total of 26 board credits. Congratulations to the current members, and thank you for your time and dedication to support the students of the Oceanport School District.
Oceanport Board of Education, Master Board Certification
Mr. Mark Patterson, Board President
Mrs. Deirdre Bova, Board Vice-President
Ms. Jamie Gough
Ms. Patricia Kelly
Mrs. Samantha Mahoney
Mr. Patrick McSorley
Mr. Daniel Peltz
Mr. Neal Usatin
Mrs. Marion Wilhalme
NJSLA Scores Presentation and Perfect Score Awards
At the October 18, 2023 Board of Education meeting, Mrs. Geraldine Martinez, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented an in-depth presentation and analysis of the student scores on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. This is on our website, but a link to the presentation can be found below.
Additionally at this meeting, we were able to honor the students who earned perfect scores for any of the tests during the 2022 and 2023 administration. This is quite an accomplishment as it reflects both mastery of standards, but also the hard work, determination, and stamina to keep working hard throughout the administration of the tests. In spring of 2022, Addison Vincelli (ELA), Liam Dougherty (Math), and Finn Schwarz (Math) earned perfect scores. In the spring of 2023, Graham Landau (Math), Lucas Paulin (Math), Audrey Bova (ELA), Grayden Peto (ELA), Adan Said (ELA), and Addison Vincelli (ELA) earned perfect scores. Congratulations to all; we are so very proud of each of you!
State of the District Address
At the October 18, 2023 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Godlesky presented the State of the District Address. This presentation is a snapshot of the district as a whole and shares the current status with regard to the Referendum, budget, strategic plan, performance reports, and current district goals. All presentations can be found under the Superintendent tab on the website, but the most recent State of the District Address can be found below:
Teacher of the Year / Educational Professional of the Year - Nominate Today!
It is almost time to formally recognize some of the hard work of members of both the Wolf Hill and Maple Place staffs. A committee of various district stakeholders will convene in November to score each of the nominations and each school will then present the winners in each category. If you would like to nominate a staff member for Teacher of the Year and/or Educational Professional of the Year, please review the eligibility criteria below and complete the nomination form below.
Please send nominations to the building principal:
Mr. Maglione: mmaglione@oceanportschools.org for Wolf Hill School
Mrs. Keiser: mkeiser@oceanportschools.org for Maple Place School
Please submit all nominations by November 8th, 2023.
We look forward to celebrating our winners!