Commissioner’s Education Across New Jersey Tour
Warren Township Public Schools
The New Jersey Department of Education Acting Commissioner of Education, Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, has kicked off an Education Across New Jersey Tour and selected Warren Township Schools as her second stop along her journey.
On Friday, December 10, 2021, Allen-McMillan was joined by NJ Assemblywoman, Nancy Munoz, and Executive County Superintendent, Roger Jinks, during her visit to the Warren Township School district.
The tour began at Central School where Allen-McMillan, Munoz, and Jinks were greeted by Board of Education President Marc Franco, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Mingle, Director of Curriculum William Kimmick, Business Administrator Christopher Heagele, Supervisor of Special Services Melissa Smolenski, Central School Principal Alison Tugya, and fifth-grade students Isabella Lofling, Dominic Cocuzza, and Krish Dave.
In order to become better acquainted with each other, Lofling, Cocuzza, and Dave demonstrated a Morning Meeting activity for the Commissioner and visitors, then initiated participation from the entire group.
Next, Tugya proudly walked the group around the school stopping in the classrooms of Fifth-Grade Teacher Lauren Farrell, Resource Room Teacher Celeste Ostry, Physical Education Teacher Laura Lamson, First-Grade Teacher Sarah Caldwell, and Fourth-Grade Teacher MaryBeth LeBlond so that the Commissioner, Assemblywoman, and Executive County Superintendent could witness first-hand the amazing efforts the students and staff give on a daily basis. The visitors were able to see math lessons, writing, reading, and even participated in physical education class.
The Commissioner introduced herself to the students along the tour while also engaging in conversations with the children. Allen-McMillan frequently stopped at students’ desks to admire their work and praised entire groups for being able to remain focused on their assignments even with visitors in their classroom. The Commissioner also asked the students for their feedback on topics, such as participating in school while wearing a mask. The students provided helpful and insightful comments.
Tugya was grateful to have visitors come to Central School. “It was such an honor to have Commissioner Allen-McMillan, Assemblywoman Munoz, and Executive County Superintendent Jinks visit our school. It’s always a privilege to highlight the phenomenal work of our students and staff; having the Commissioner and guests authentically engage with students and teachers and participate in our classes made this visit especially fulfilling.”
Following the Central School Tour, the group traveled over to Warren Middle School (WMS) to give the esteemed visitors a look at a different age group and environment. WMS Principal, George Villar, and WMS Assistant Principal, Maria Mensinger, invited everyone into the classroom of Jennifer Ronkiewicz to experience the amazing artwork produced by the middle school students.
The group continued on to the library where teachers Jennifer Benn, Karen Balich, and Myranda Shimko were working on a group lesson with their students on social studies research. Without hesitation, the Commissioner, Assemblywoman, and Executive County Superintendent participated in the lesson and got involved by talking directly with the students and staff.
The final room tour of the day took the group to the classroom of David Arnold and Josephine Brasile. As the group approached the classroom, the students’ energy was seeping into the hallway through sounds of music, laughter, and student participation. Allen-McMillan, Munoz, and Jinks were eager to find that the students were taking a group interactive assessment through Quizlet in teams about a lesson they had previously studied.
Villar was delighted to have the Commissioner and visitors at Warren Middle School. “The WMS family was honored and delighted to host NJDOE Acting-Commissioner Dr. Allen McMillian and NJ Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz. It was a pleasure to share the experiences of our staff and students with members of our community who support and lead education within the state.”
Before the busy Commissioner moved on to the next township along the Education Across New Jersey Tour, she invited Warren’s district leaders to have an open dialogue about any questions, concerns, or suggestions that they might have for her. Mingle spoke up to thank the Commissioner, Assemblywoman, and Executive County Superintendent for touring the district and also to suggest a “test to stay” option for individuals who are considered to be close contacts to someone with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, at least in districts, like Warren, that have the resources already in place to perform this service. “Districts across the state are working day and night to keep the doors open and students learning in school facilities. It was wonderful to share a bit of our story with the Commissioner and to advocate for more flexibility so that we have all the tools at our disposal. The willingness of the Commissioner and Assemblywoman to hear and understand our challenges was very much appreciated,” Mingle stated.
Franco, Heagele, Kimmick, and Villar also provided the Commissioner and Assemblywoman with suggestions on bus driver shortages, substitute teacher shortages, mask mandates, and school bus safety.
The district felt extremely lucky to have been a part of the special day and was happy to later read on the NJ Department of Education’s official Twitter page how the Commissioner felt about her visit to Warren. “Today we visited two phenomenal schools in Warren Township! It truly was a joyous and insightful trip. Thank you to Central School and Warren Middle School for the incredible hospitality. The work you are doing is simply remarkable.”
Photos by Warren Township Public Schools
