Shore Conference Unified Basketball competition was showcased at High School South on Feb. 9, as Middletown's cooperative program featuring student-athletes from High School North and South hosted Neptune Township High School.

Launched in 2016 as a cooperative venture between the Shore Conference of High Schools, the Middletown Township Public School District, and the New Jersey Chapter of the Special Olympics, unified sports is dedicated to providing all students with authentic competitive experiences. The program allows students with special needs and typically developing students to collaborate in a safe, fun and competitive environment. The experience helps students develop crucial life skills and physical attributes that will serve them well beyond their time as a student in Middletown schools.

Unified Sports is available to all high school students. Learn more about Unified Sports by visiting the MTPS Course Offerings Website, or contact the MTPS Department of Athletics.

High School North senior Chrysana Cabrera recently completed a mural dedicated to the MTPS Arts Academy, one of the focused educational tracks available to our high school students. Chrysana displayed incredible leadership, vision, action and creativity to spearhead the creation of this beautiful art piece. Thank you to Chrysana for brightening our school community and shedding light on the MTPS Arts Academy. Visit the district's course selection website to learn more about the MTPS Arts Academy.

During a recent learning session, Sedona, a Middletown Village Elementary School third grade student, was recognized by her teacher, Ms. Kara Markiewicz, for providing her peers with a sense of love, community, and inspiration.

Each week, Ms. Markiewicz's class is given an inspirational quote that helps direct their learning journey and guide their classroom behavior.

This week's quote, the MTPS Quote of the Week, comes from late, revered, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who said:

"To make life a little better for those less fortunate than you; that's what I think a meaningful life is. One lives not just for oneself, but for one's community."

Thanks to Sedona for her efforts and actions to create such a fun and positive educational culture in Ms. Markiewicz's room!

Earlier this week, Thorne Middle School students in Mrs. Kristyn Corace's class visited the No Limits Cafe, a lunch cafe and non-profit organization committed to training and employing adults with intellectual disabilities.

The students met with Middletown Township Public School alumni who are currently employed by No Limits Cafe, received a tour of food preparation areas in the kitchen, practiced ordering their own lunch in a restaurant setting, and learned about the different employment opportunities made available by the eatery.

Thank you to the No Limits Cafe for hosting our students and for continuing to be a wonderful community partner. Learn more about the organization by visiting the No Limits Cafe website.

Across Monmouth County are locations that make the Revolutionary War, and the subsequent founding of our country, tangible. Throughout the school year this living history often serves as the foundation of educational lessons that create an authentic learning experience for our students.

Less than a mile from New Monmouth Elementary School is Kings Highway, a municipal roadway lined with road signs marking retreat routes and the sites of campgrounds utilized by British soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

Our local revolutionary history recently inspired New Monmouth Elementary School students in Mrs. Brittany Horton's class to develop short stage plays that allowed them to embody some of the key figures of the time period. Students were tasked with conducting research about key moments of the revolution, like the drafting and signing of Declaration of Independence, The Boston Tea Party, and Paul Revere's midnight ride. Students were then asked to formulate arguments, choosing to support the opinion of the colonial loyalists or the American revolutionaries, and present their stance in a small group stage play.

Keep up the great work!

Before entering professional football and developing into one of the National Football League's premier long snappers, Rick Lovato got his start at High School South, grinding out victories with Eagles on the offensive and defensive lines.

This Sunday, Lovato will join the Philadelphia Eagles on the NFL's biggest stage, where he and the NFC Champions will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona.

Lovato is making a return trip to the Super Bowl after helping the Eagles to a 41-33 victory in 2018 over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Following his time at High School South, Lovato played at the NCAA Division I level with Old Dominion University. After college, Lovato was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2015, and later that year joined the Green Bay Packers. The following season Lovato was signed by the Eagles, and has been a mainstay at long snapper ever since, landing NFL Pro Bowl honors in 2019.

Congratulations to Rick on all of his success. We can't wait to see him on Sunday and all of his future successes.

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 Public School district is interested in your feedback regarding social-emotional learning and mental health services available to students. Please take a moment to complete the MTPS Social-Emotional Wellness Survey you received in your email earlier this week. The window for responses will be open through Monday, Feb. 13. Thank you in advance for your time and participation.