Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District

Serving the Communities of Bridgewater Township and Raritan Borough

Greetings, and welcome to the latest edition of our district newsletter

As your superintendent, I am deeply committed to creating an educational environment where the voices of our entire community are heard and valued. So, we're asking for members of the Bridgewater-Raritan community to participate in our strategic planning process.

Our strategic plan will serve as the roadmap for the future, guiding our institution toward continued excellence. Through analysis and collaborative effort, we will identify key objectives, set clear goals, and outline actionable steps to enhance the overall educational experience for our students.

Strategic planning ensures that we allocate resources efficiently, prioritizing and adapting to the evolving needs of our diverse student body. By aligning our vision with strategic objectives, we enhance the quality of education and strengthen our community partnerships, enabling us to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.

Please take the time to sign up for this critical process. You can attend any meeting of your choice. The only stipulation is that you sign up beforehand using the link HERE.

Robert Beers

Superintendent of Schools

Bridgewater-Raritan Recognizes Our Educators of the Year

The Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education recognized our Governor's Educator of the Year and Educational Services Professional award recipients for the 2023-2024 school year at their meeting on Tuesday, January 23.

All twenty-two award recipients were nominated by their respective schools through a process outlined by the State of New Jersey. Award winners will be honored at a reception sponsored by the Bridgewater-Raritan Educational Association in May.

SCHOOL	EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD	EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL AWARD
ADAMSVILLE SCHOOL	ALEXANDRA PELLIGRINO	DEBORAH CALABRESE
BRADLEY GARDENS SCHOOL	SUSAN WINTERS	PUJA ARORA
CRIM SCHOOL	KIMBERLY KAMINSKY	MONICA HAMMOND
HAMILTON SCHOOL	PAIGE BOEHME	KATHLEEN HUGHES
JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL	ANGELA RANDAZZO	HOLLY GIBSON
MILLTOWN SCHOOL	BRYAN SMITH	STEPHANIE CAMPISI
VAN HOLTEN SCHOOL	MEGAN RUTKOWSKI	SAROJINI PANWAR
EISENHOWER SCHOOL	JACLYNN HURLEY	TARA RUTKOWSKI
HILLSIDE SCHOOL	TARYN PRINCE	MARIA GIARDELLA
MIDDLE SCHOOL	ASHLEN UDELL	ROSALIA FINAZZO
HIGH SCHOOL	HSIAO-YU LIN (SHERRY) GRIGGS	LAUREN AMISIAL

Strategic Planning Committee Seeks Volunteers

The Board of Education invites you to participate in a Strategic Planning initiative with your neighbors, community members, friends, teachers, students, and school district administrators to create a shared vision for the future of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District.

The New Jersey School Boards Association will facilitate this process.

We will create a shared vision for the district, discussing its strengths, the challenges we face, and ways to tackle those challenges. We are inviting staff members, parents, guardians, students, community leaders, and other interested members of the public to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and hopes – so that we can effectively plan for the future of our students.

All residents are encouraged to participate in any or all three of our meetings.

Dates: Tuesday, February 6, Thursday, February 29, Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Time: 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Location: Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School

Please click HERE to sign up for this critical initiative.

Kindergarten and NEW First Grade Registration

Kindergarten and first-grade registration is now open for the 2024/25 school year!

If you are a Bridgewater or Raritan Borough resident who has a child eligible for the 2024-2025 school year for:

Kindergarten - students must be five years old by October 1, 2024.
First-grade students who are not currently enrolled in Bridgewater-Raritan Schools must be six years old by October 1, 2024.

Please visit our website to begin the registration process: https://www.brrsd.org/departments/registration

Referendum and Construction Updates

Upgrades throughout the school district have been launched as a result of the approval of the Referendum questions in March and November of 2023.

Project planning for infrastructure projects related to the district referendum is progressing rapidly. The following projects have been advertised with bids awarded for work to commence at the end of the school year:

Phase one of the window replacement project covers Adamsville, Crim, Bradley Gardens, Eisenhower, Hamilton, John F. Kennedy, and Van Holten schools.
Enhancement of district security by installing secure vestibules across ten schools.
Middle School restroom renovation project.
Basilone Field House Renovations.

On a parallel track, phase one of the HVAC and boiler projects is set to go out for bidding. The Middle School addition is currently undergoing a design review, with bidding plans scheduled in the spring. Lastly, a district-wide paging system is in the works, ensuring effective communication throughout our schools and bringing modernized connectivity and information dissemination capabilities to our individual schools.

Guests to Bridgewater-Raritan High School can see and hear the improvements in the lighting and sound system in the auditorium.

The new features include 44 house lights, 86 stage lighting fixtures, eight cabinet stereo PA speakers, a 32-channel digital mixing board, 12 wireless mics, two digital touch screen A/V control boxes, and a large format Epson Projector. This major upgrade was completed in the fall of 2023 and represents a significant upgrade to our performing arts center.

Unified Basketball

The Unified Basketball Program at Bridgewater-Raritan High School has soared high above the rim in just its second season.

The team, which includes students who attend special education classes and the Physical Education Department's Partners Program, has blossomed into a playing roster of 35 students. A total of 16 players were on the team during its maiden season last winter.

These Panther hoopsters do not just boast quantity. Bridgewater-Raritan defeated Union City High School, 55-54, on Tuesday, January 23, before an enthusiastic crowd in its home opener. That triumph lifted Bridgewater-Raritan's record to 1-1.

Bridgewater-Raritan will seek its second victory when Old Bridge High School pays a visit on Thursday, February 1. Tip-off is at 4 p.m.