MTPS Unified Sports Basketball Program Plays for Conference Crown
On Wednesday, Feb. 19th the Middletown Township Public Schools Unified Sports Basketball Program met Neptune in the Shore Conference Unified Sports Basketball Championship.

In December, District Director of Athletics, Rich Carroll announced the launch of the MTPS Unified Sports Program. The program brings together high school-age athletes with and without disabilities, placing them on the same team, and in equal and meaningful roles on that team.

Beginning in the spring, the MTPS Unified Sports Program will introduce a track and field offering. To participate in any Unified Sports activities, students must have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian, as well as an updated physical exam. Any questions about the MTPS Unified Sports Program can be directed to Rich Carroll at carrollr@middletownk12.org .
Dr. George Announces Proposed Consolidation
of New Monmouth & Port Monmouth
On Tuesday, Feb. 18th, Superintendent of Schools, William O. George III, Ed. D., proposed the consolidation of the Port Monmouth and New Monmouth Elementary Schools beginning in September of the 2020-2021 school year.

Although declining enrollment and a reduction in state aid have created the opportunity for the consolidation of these two schools, budgetary benefits are a positive byproduct of a proposal driven by the educational, social and emotional well-being of all students involved. For more information about the proposal, please review the materials and public meeting dates below, and visit www.middletownk12.org/consolidation .
Proposal Materials
  • Monday, Feb. 24th - Dr. George will be at New Monmouth Elementary School during p.m. pickup hours.

  • Monday, Feb. 24th - School Consolidation Public Presentation, 7 p.m. at High School North.

  • Wednesday, Feb. 26th - School Consolidation Proposal at Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m. at High School North

  • Wednesday, March 4th - BOE action on consolidation proposal at Board of Education Budget Meeting, 7 p.m. at High School North.
Nut Swamp Earns National
Wildlife Federation Certification
In February, Nut Swamp Elementary School joined more than 6,000 schools across all 50 states, and others abroad, when it was named a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation's "Garden for Wildlife" program.

Nut Swamp students, parents, teachers, and administrators have worked to transform the school campus into a sanctuary that supports the health and well-being of birds, butterflies, bees, frogs, and other local wildlife. Nut Swamp has preserved a portion of its passive recreational green space for this effort, outfitting the area with bird feeders and bird houses, as well as benches and swing chair hammocks for bird watching.
Students have also positioned a tank to collect rain that helps to water the school garden, a compost site, and a walking path specifically for the safety of lady bugs. For more information please follow the link .
New Monmouth Surpasses Last
Year's Mark With Blessing Bag Brigade
Earlier this month, the New Monmouth Elementary School community welcomed the Blessing Bag Brigade to campus, where students, parents, and volunteers with the nonprofit organization assembled toiletry bags for donation to those in need across the state.

The New Monmouth community compiled 250 blessing bags with items they collected over the previous month. The 2020 total surpassed the 200 bags students produced from the previous year. New Monmouth Principal Matthew Ferri said he hopes his school can deliver 300 bags next year.

For more information about the Blessing Bag Brigade, please visit www.blessingbagbrigadenj.org .
Strategic Planning
Forum 3B Video Available
On Wednesday, Feb. 12th the District Administrative Team, Board of Education, and Schoolhouse Strategies met with community stakeholders at High School South for Strategic Planning Public Forum #3B. Please review the meeting by following the video link to the right, and find more important Strategic Planning information below. You can also visit www.middletownk12.org/StrategicPlanning .
Whitsons Brings JBJ Soul Kitchen Chefs to High School North
District food service partner, Whitsons School Nutrition, teamed up with the Red Bank and Toms River-based Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) Soul Kitchen for a special guest chef event at High School North on Feb. 18th.

JBJ Soul Kitchen Executive Chef, Wendy Escobedo, and Head Chef, Joshua Wiggins, were on hand Monday where they worked with students to create nutritious and tasty lunch offerings for the school community.

Escobedo has served as Front of House Manager and Executive Chef at the JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank branch since 2017, where she hosts cooking demonstrations, private events, and creates and executes bi-weekly menus. Wiggins also joined the JBJ Soul Kitchen family in 2017 following an appearance on Food Network's "Chopped" and two consecutive gold medals at the NJ State Culinary Competition.

For more information about the JBJ Soul Kitchen please follow the link .
Bayshore Band Student Overcomes
Adversity to Earn Statewide Award
On Feb. 4th during the All-Shore Band Concert at the Millstone Performing Arts Center, Bayshore Middle School student Ethan Seidler was presented with the Richard B. Frankle Award, an honor that recognizes a single New Jersey student that has participated in a school ensemble for three consecutive years, and who has demonstrated consistency in striving for excellence in musicianship.

Seidler was recognized after he pursued a position with the Bayshore band last year on the euphonium, but did not qualify for the instrument. Instead, Seidler answered an open call for the tuba and earned the selection. This winter, Seidler returned to the band and earned the first chair position on euphonium.

To learn more about Ethan's honor, please follow the link for coverage in the Middletown Patch.
MTPS Community Calendar
Important Dates

  • Feb. 24 - School Consolidation Presentation, 7 p.m. at High School North
  • Feb. 26 - BOE Workshop/Voting Meeting (School Consolidation Proposal)
  • March 3 - Parent Information Committee Meeting
  • March 4 - Public Budget Meeting (BOE Action on School Consolidation Proposal)
  • March 18 - BOE Workshop/Voting Meeting


High school athletics schedules can be viewed at www.shoreconferencenj.org

Middle school athletics schedules can be viewed at www.shoreconferencems.org
Upcoming Events at the
Middletown Township Public Library
Date Announced for Upcoming MCGDA Trade and Jobs Fair in Freehold
The Monmouth County Guidance Directors Association is a professional non-profit organization composed of guidance directors from public and private schools across the county.

The organization invites students to its Trade and Jobs Fair on Feb. 27th from 6-8 p.m. at the Freehold Career Center to meet more than 50 representatives from trade schools, unions, employers, and the United States Military.

For more information on the event please email jpalumbo@kpsdschools.org

For further details about the Monmouth County Guidance Directors Association please visit the organization website www.mcgda.org
Middletown Friends Of diverse Learners to Host Special Film Screening
Middletown Township Friends Of diverse Learners (MTFOdL) invites the community to join them on Wednesday, May 20th in the High School South auditorium for a special screening of the celebrated film My Beautiful Stutter . The Paul Rudd and George Springer-produced documentary follows five kids, ages nine to 18, who enter an experimental and interactive arts-based program provided by The Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY), a New York City organization.
Description: After a lifetime of bullying and stigmatization, some have found themselves close to suicide, others enter withdrawn and fearful, exhausted and defeated from fluency training and the pressure to not stutter or remain silent. Over the course of a year of SAY events, workshops and camp, we witness firsthand the incredible transformation that happens when these young people of wildly different backgrounds experience for the first time the revolutionary idea at the heart of SAY: it's okay to stutter.

Before attending the screening, watch the trailer by following the link to the right.
YMCA Offers Services to all District Students
The Community YMCA of Greater Monmouth County
is currently providing a multitude of services for district students.

Enrollment in the
YMCA Y-Kids before and after school program is serving more than 1,000 students daily at each
of the District's 12 elementary schools.

The YMCA also offers various school-based counseling programs and social services, and is currently serving more than 100 district students. As of January 2020, these
services are being offered district-wide.

For additional information about YMCA services,
please follow the links
below.


NJ State Elks Association College
Scholarship For Students with Disabilities
Each year the New Jersey State Elks Association's Special Children's Committee awards two scholarships, $10,000 in total, to graduating high school seniors (one male and one female), and two more $4,000 scholarships for the purpose of assisting students with disabilities in obtaining a college education.

The scholarship is awarded in the form of tuition payments in an annual amount not to exceed $2,500. For more information on the scholarship, and to review the application, please follow the link.
Fairview 4th Grader Uses MTPS SPARK Project to Tackle Big Issues
Jeff is a fourth grader at Fairview Elementary School, and earlier this week he launched the first episode of his Small Big Call YouTube channel.

This video blog allows Jeff to pursue his passion for public speaking, and an interest in address global concerns by educating members of his own community.
Jeff's Small Big Call channel is a product of the MTPS SPARK ( S tudent P athways to A utonomy R elevance and K nowledge) initiative, an effort to increase personalized learning opportunities for students.

SPARK was launched to generate greater student engagement in their studies by placing one's passions at the center of the learning process. To learn more about MTPS SPARK, please follow the link .

Check out the first episode of Jeff's Small Big Call video blog by following the link to the left.
River Plaza Celebrates Passion Projects
at SPARK Tank Education Fair
On Jan. 28, River Plaza Elementary School celebrated student passion projects with an education fair known as SPARK Tank.

The student showcase serves as an opportunity for fifth graders to display their SPARK initiatives.

The MTPS SPARK program is one that encourages students to research a topic of interest to them, document their learning journey, and design a product or plan of action to share with, and better, their surrounding community.

"It allows kids to be excited about what they learn, but most importantly, it gives the kids a chance to understand that, even though they are only 10 or 11 years old, they can be the change," said River Plaza Elementary Educator, Amanda Agresti.

For a video recap of the event please follow the link .

SPARK is an acronym that stands for Student Pathways to Autonomy, Relevance, and Knowledge, and is an extension of the District's focus on expanding Global Citizenship Education. Learn more about the District's Global Citizenship Education efforts by following the link .
Feb. 5th Public Budget Meeting Video Out Now
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Board of Education and District Administrative Team met at High School North for a public presentation of the 2020-2021 Budget Background and Process. You can review the presentation at the link below and watch the meeting to the right.

NEW Parent Information Committee Video
The Parent Information Committee met on Wednesday, Feb. 5th and a full video of that meeting is now available for review by following the link to the right.

For more information about the Parent Information Committee, including upcoming meeting dates, minutes, and agendas please visit www.middletownk12.org/PIC
This is a reminder that school parking is not permitted at locations like Normandy Park and Tindall Park, and violators are subject to ticketing.

This problem has existed for some time, but the Township agreed students would not be ticketed, allowing the District time to create additional parking spaces at High School South. Earlier this year, High School South collaborated with the Board of Education and District Administrative Teams to create more than 100 new parking spaces on campus.

After February 1, 2020, students who park at either Normandy or Tindall will be ticketed.

In past weeks, our High School administrative teams have made morning announcements, coordinated community email and phone call campaigns, and placed notices on their respective electronic marquees to notify students and community members that school parking at these sites is not permissible.

This parking regulation is a statewide mandate delivered by the New Jersey Green Acres program. Though these parks are Township recreation facilities, state parking regulations apply because of state funding that assists the municipality in the purchase land for parks, as well as for park enhancements and alterations. Therefore, use of park lands must be limited to recreational uses and users. Failing to observe this mandate could negatively impact future state aid for our park system.
The News Stand
Student Journalists at Work
On Jan. 22nd the District's 2020-2021 School Calendar was adopted. To view the calendar please visit  www.middletownk12.org/Calendar
On Jan. 17 Middletown Township announced that it is using Nixle as its sole emergency communications platform to provide immediate emergency alerts regarding severe weather conditions, traffic detours, criminal activity and public safety advisories.

Nixle enables “real time” notifications via text or email to registered users.

How to Register: To register for Middletown-specific alerts, please text "MiddletownNJ" (no spaces) to the number  "888-777" from your cell phone. You may also visit  www.middletownnj.org/nixle  to register for both mobile and email notifications.
2020-21 Kindergarten Enrollment Open Until Feb. 28
Kindergarten enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year will open Jan. 6th and close Feb. 28th.

Eligible students must be five (5) years of age on or before Oct. 1st, 2020.

Upon completion of the online enrollment process, parents will be prompted to schedule an appointment to meet with the District registrar.

For more information please follow the link below.

NOTE: A Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020 at 7 p.m. at High School North (Snow Date - Jan. 28, 2020). 
Interested In Employment
Opportunities with the District?

Throughout the year new employment opportunities arise for educators, paraprofessionals, and more.

Learn more about new openings by visiting www.middletownk12.org/JobPostings
District Honored at 2019 NJSBA Workshop
Educators across the District are engaging students in personalized learning opportunities that build the skills necessary to one day flourish during college studies, a trade school education or in a rapidly evolving global work environment.

The District was recognized for this forward-thinking approach on Sept. 16th during a ceremony at the 2019 New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop in Atlantic City. Read more at the District website.
Learn More About Substitute Teaching
If you are interested in a flexible employment option that fits your lifestyle, a substitute teaching position may fit well with your lifestyle.

If you would like to learn please connect with Middletown Township Public Schools District Manager Deanna Scanlon at dscanlon@ess.com
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