Before their May 11 special voting meeting, the Board of Education and Administration recognized more than 200 of our high school students for their exemplary educational, artistic and community service achievements.

Students were recognized for the following outstanding achievements, many receiving recognition in multiple categories.

Review the May 11 Student Recognition Program.

As part of an ongoing Sustainable Jersey initiative to help fund renewable energy efforts across the state of New Jersey, High School North was awarded a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant, funded by the New Jersey Education Association.

Sustainable Jersey annually awards 16 grants of $10,000, and another 10 grants of $2000, to public schools to fund projects that support Sustainable Jersey actions.

High School North will use the funding to upgrade its outdoor learning lab. Upgrades planned include an aquaponics system to provide a water source, heating system in the greenhouse, as well as a solar panel for a sustainable source of electricity.

"Sustainable Jersey is proud to support the work of each of these schools and school districts and to recognize the dedication of every applicant,” said Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon. “These creative projects are exceptional and will serve to accelerate school-centered sustainability programs as we head into a pivotal decade for climate action and sustainability in our state."

For more information about the program please the Sustainable Jersey for Schools website.

To honor our school nurses on National Nurses Week, a recognition ceremony was held at Town Hall by Mayor Perry and attended by the Board of Education and District administration. At the recognition ceremony, Mayor Perry presented each nurse with a certificate of appreciation for their work with the Township during the pandemic, and sincerely thanked them for their service to the students as well as all Middletown Township community members.

New Monmouth Elementary School drew a standing-room only audience to the High School North auditorium earlier this week for a variety show that featured its multi-talented student body. Performances included dance troop displays, additional athletic performances, musical numbers, vocal showcases and so much more. Congratulations to students and staff who contributed to this incredible evening!

With a birdie on his playoff hole, High School South junior Richard Reck completed his round with a final score of 74 to secure a victory at the Central Jersey, Group IV sectional state golf championship. With the individual win, Reck has earned his spot at the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, where he will compete for an overall state championship.

Reck's team-leading total helped lift the Eagles to a second place finish overall in the sectional championship tournament. Aided by Dan Cassidy, Ryan Jerome, Christian Palermo and Sean Russo, High School South finished with a total team score of 328 and a No. 3 position in the Central/South Jersey Sectional State Rankings.

Congratulations to Reck and the Eagles on their incredible work!

Earlier this season, the High School North Softball program celebrated the life of Jimmy Griffin and his contributions to the local softball community as a longtime Shore Conference umpire by hosting the inaugural Jimmy Griffin Classic.

The event featured a full day of games from a cross section of top softball programs in the Monmouth and Ocean County area.

All of the proceeds from the event, including admission and tournament fees, will be used to create the Jimmy Griffin Scholarship, which will support graduating softball players who demonstrate how they have maintained a positive outlook on life while overcoming adversity.

The scholarship criteria is a recognition of the qualities exhibited by Griffin, a former Middletown resident who was a Middletown High School Hall of Fame athlete, before serving in the Middletown Township Public School District as a physical education teacher. Griffin would later become a Middletown Township police officer.

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

The Middletown Township Police Department invites the community to participate in National Police Week, an annual event taking place May 15-21.

During the week, tours of the Middletown Police Department are available to students, scouts, senior citizens and any other interested member of the Middletown community. If interested in a tour, residents and group leaders may call 732-615-2039 to schedule a time.

Police Week will include a Friday, May 20 memorial service at 11 a.m. near the Middletown Police Memorial, located at the corner of Kings Highway and Route 35. This event is open to the public and will include a performance of taps by High School North trumpeter Ty Boehler.

The Middletown Township Board of Education and District Administration would like extend their sincere gratitude to the Middletown Township Police Department and Chief R. Craig Weber for their positive interactions with our students and staff throughout the academic year, and for helping to maintain a safe learning environment for our entire school community.

For more information about National Police Week please visit the Middletown Township website.

On Monday, May 9 the Middletown Township Board of Education and District Administration invited members of the public to the High School North media center for an ongoing series of parent/guardian workshops developed to address the mental health and wellbeing of our students.

Monday's workshop, the second workshop in this series, featured an introductory presentation about the Trauma-Attuned Model of support by Laine Whitaker, the Director of Professional Learning for district partner Effective School Solutions. You can watch the full presentation by following the video link below.

At the heart of our Middletown Township Public School District is an expansive community of professionals with varying skill sets, passions and methods of positively impacting the day-to-day lives of students, parents, guardians and their own colleagues.

Each academic year, during April and the opening week of May, on campuses across the country teachers (May 3), principals (May 1), administrative professionals (April 27) and paraprofessionals (April 6) are recognized and celebrated for maintaining and enhancing the welcoming learning environments presented throughout the district.

Though we honor your efforts each spring, our community is appreciative of the creativity, innovation and professionalism you exhibit every day. Thank you for all that you do!

High School North and South will be well represented at the 2022 Basie Awards after the 2022 nominations list revealed well-deserved recognition for actors, directors, designers and full ensemble performances alike.

The Count Basie Center for the Arts' annual Basie Awards is modeled after Broadway's Tony Awards. The program honors excellence in high school theater in Monmouth County and nominations are submitted by an evaluation committee composed of theater enthusiasts, performers and educators who review more than 50 local productions each academic year.

Nominations are awarded across 25 categories focusing on acting, directing, design, choreography, lighting and orchestra performance.

The program culminates on May 25 when a capacity audience will be invited to the historic Count Basie Center for the Arts for an evening of performances and celebration of the nominees and winners. Our district will recognize the MTPS nominees and award winners at the May 31 Board of Education meeting.

The full list of MTPS Basie Award Nominees and additional information about the 17th Annual Basie Awards is available now.

Congratulations to all of our nominees on their incredible work and achievement.

In mid-April, Thompson Middle School seventh grade student Kaitlyn Pappagallo made her philanthropic vision a reality when the student council class representative organized and led an Autism Awareness Walkathon

Pappagallo cast a wide net with her outreach efforts, communicating with peers through their physical education classes. The strategy was an overwhelming success, with the event raising more than $3000 for the New Jersey nonprofit organization Parents of Autistic Children (POAC).

POAC presents hundreds of events throughout the year across the state that offer training for parents, guardians and educators who support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The organization also offers recreational activities and various other support services for autistic individuals and their families. Additionally, POAC offers training for police, fire and EMS personnel about how to respond in life-saving situations concerning autistic individuals.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn on the success of her event, and thank you for supporting such a wonderful cause.

Earlier this week Bayshore Middle School students invited peers, parents, guardians and school community members to their Leonardo campus for a spring art and music showcase featuring inspiring visual pieces and astounding ensemble performances.

Congratulations to all of Bayshore's talented artists on the success of their event. Keep up the great work!

Three Navesink Elementary School poets from Ms. Luell's fourth grade class and one sixth grade Bayshore Middle School bard were recently recognized by the Monmouth County Superior Court and Monmouth Bar Association for their submissions to the Superior Courts Law Day poetry contest.

The three Navesink Elementary students included first place winner Molly Black, second place recipient Olive Sperber and third place finisher Michael Andrews. Bayshore Middle School student Jeff Jiju earned first place in the sixth grade category. These students were recognized earlier this week during an award ceremony hosted by the Bar Association.

We are excited to offer a variety of summer learning experiences for MTPS students! Please complete the MTPS Summer Learning 2022 Survey by May 13 to help us determine the most appropriate method of delivery for programs that were delivered virtually in 2020 and 2021. Look for registration forms for all programs in the PowerSchool Parent Portal after May 16.

Advanced Placement Summer Start-Up 

A number of affordable internet access options are currently available to Middletown Township Public School District students from vendors in or located near our community.

Determining your student's eligibility can be achieved by completing a brief application.

Learn more by visiting MTPS Technology Department webpage.