[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6669791,"mediaKeyId","2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b","parentId",2173387,"title","Watchung School highlights Great Kindness Challenge; student rep describes CKLA curriculum and Middlesex High cadaver lab visit","audioSeconds",1602,"startMs",132000,"endMs",1734000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b&start=132&end=1734","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b/thumbnail_132000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6669791/New-Jersey/Watchung-School-highlights-Great-Kindness-Challenge-student-rep-describes-CKLA-curriculum-and-Middlesex-High-cadaver-lab-visit","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6669791-f24b741f63068c4b4df00102566a51a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146846&Signature=YiaVAEnQ0OdcgLikxPGWAnBTNfSjVH64WIho5ovJCpQh3SWduoJwZ9GvTEk-tEJhyk8iWum0WNQVJEYkkPdPkkRtWPwYvy6e~jVM1n5QseR-lB6Q2uZqS~AY2hnq1cjkUmExpzvwa8g0taSFExOz0Bz1tLTBpJ448lUzTQM1oBq0BPFyURWI14WDj~jIIbsHAq1bq8y-MYWznm4GeSYh01mR6jPSNJqYJgZ-hwY3sT9GIU2JyrQNcGss0PWcPw-BTfVHun9TYFTxU~hj0COo95waUScGvXr1MkRkpx1NPEsboU49mVbhsZpFH8H7Z5Ae6DAR5q3djGDOlnuGljItrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Middlesex Borough School District","date","2025-01-24T06:13:11.737Z","article","At the district’s January meeting, Missus Karen Dudley, principal of Watchung School, presented a school spotlight on the Great Kindness Challenge and urged a district focus on social-emotional practices to support academic success.

“I wanted to spend some time tonight to focus on kindness as opposed to our physical academic focus,” Dudley said, describing the Great Kindness Challenge as a weeklong program in late January with a school- and home-focused checklist of kindness acts. Dudley said Watchung School uses daily themes, videos, and counselor-led activities; she credited the school counselor, Missus Hoffman, with coordinating classroom resources and videos for staff. Dudley described themed dress days planned for the week (spirit day, pajama day, team-up day, camo/animal-print day and a fitness-themed day) and outlined examples of student activities such as complimenting classmates, holding doors, and performing simple acts of kindness.

Student representative Harshie Parmar gave a separate presentation on curricular and extracurricular experiences. Parmar explained that “CKLA program stands for Core Knowledge, Language, and Literacy,” saying the program divides instruction into language comprehension and word recognition and is designed to build vocabulary, knowledge and reading skills when taught daily by trained teachers. Parmar also described a recent Middlesex High School field trip: a visit to the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School cadaver lab, attended by AP Biology students. Parmar said Middlesex High School has participated in the program for 11 years and described the experience as an opportunity for seniors to explore anatomy and medical careers.

Dudley and Parmar emphasized social-emotional supports and experiential learning as complements to academics. The presentations did not trigger board action but were recognized by the board during the meeting’s spotlight and student liaison segments.

(End)","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular BOE Meeting January 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board heard a school spotlight on the Great Kindness Challenge from Watchung School Principal Karen Dudley and a student representative described the CKLA literacy program and a Middlesex High School cadaver lab visit to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.","taxTitle","Middlesex Borough School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",38827,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6669795,"Parents, staff and union representatives press board on contracts, transparency and alleged misconduct",308,2483000,2791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b&start=2483&end=2791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b/thumbnail_2483000.jpg","/articles/6669795/New-Jersey/Parents-staff-and-union-representatives-press-board-on-contracts-transparency-and-alleged-misconduct","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6669795-c3f656f8984bc0577034bc35f7ffaa39/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146846&Signature=JubtjpQJY7jfBnDmlXC8DduUrvnnd330JxsLQBagnIqdHZA-8iEr0vx5asdb7JEiRE9NHXfu18T6fJootJlQgmeKSNRGEGYrM~~37WkEGnxgw9o-cLOJlGccms1c82EVejAl4-HROKbw8wWGBz8Oqwj0AFJtStv5LzaCg626jCve~gE1IgqCDHpx3dFLMcdO4eceIr~oT3eHsw~iKzX-xebScWwgxCYnYu0ypedApPWNZCNGE7ZIqOsqh6EcK~B8FMJdHYXrwM04s-LKkQeqyJRGqNUKzz24f3Ta8~RpQ~~0lWpNMkRiPAytq2GRBziMGVUxbYXhi56xTZESsFOtMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers during both public-comment periods raised multiple concerns about contract negotiations, transparency for posted financial documents and minutes, supports for school events and a parent complaint alleging mistreatment by a school administrator.

Dana Barrows, who identified herself as vice president and negotiations chair of the Middlesex Education Association (MEA) and a district enrichment teacher, urged the board to reach “a robust and fair settlement” in upcoming mediation. Barrows said the MEA negotiation team is ready and asked the board’s negotiating team to complete a settlement that “reflects and respects the loyalty, dedication, and hard work that the staff provides on a daily basis.”

Several school employees also spoke about the effects of an unsettled contract. Kathleen Reagan, who said she has worked in the district for 26 years, asked the board to settle the contract on time and said the district’s reputation is affected when contracts remain unsettled. District library coordinator Leslie Wise announced a Maker’s Day funded through an MEA grant and said volunteers are fewer this year because of ongoing contract issues; she said the event is scheduled for March 21 and historically draws 150 to 200 community members.

Multiple public commenters sought clarity and documentation about district finances and posted minutes. Laura Thomas said she had reviewed the board bill list and had questions—citing duplicate payments and reimbursement entries that did not identify recipients—and asked how to get answers. Business Administrator Annette Giordano and other staff directed her to contact the business office and noted that minutes and BoardDocs are posted on the district website; attendees reported difficulty locating older minutes in BoardDocs and asked that changes to published agendas be flagged more visibly.

A parent, Michael Jones of 121 DeMarcus Road, used the public comment period to request a board review of administrative behavior toward his son. Jones said his son Maxwell was cleared of wrongdoing in an investigation that began in December and described the finding as “unfounded,” yet said an administrator, Dr. Kristofferson, continued disciplinary action and removed his son from a student leadership role. Jones said he had written to school administrators and provided copies of correspondence and the student code of conduct and asked the board to review the materials; the superintendent asked Jones to submit the copies to the superintendent’s office for review.

Board members and administrators responded to several public requests for follow-up. Annette Giordano guided a resident through locating BoardDocs on the district website; the superintendent asked that the parent submit his documentation directly to the superintendent’s office for review. Board members acknowledged public frustration about response timelines and explained they sometimes delay a response until they can provide verified information, citing ethics and accuracy concerns.

(End)","Several members of the public used the meeting's public-comment periods to press the board on contract negotiations, transparency for financial records and minutes, school volunteer support, and an allegation of administrator misconduct toward a student.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6669799,"Middlesex Borough Board approves routine minutes, personnel, education, policy and finance items; several abstentions recorded",290,1711000,2001000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b&start=1711&end=2001","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173387-b10bc9a0c1c237695da534647dd8096b/thumbnail_1711000.jpg","/articles/6669799/New-Jersey/Middlesex-Borough-Board-approves-routine-minutes-personnel-education-policy-and-finance-items-several-abstentions-recorded","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6669799-87d9ab491ecf93121e903fb678746c77/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146846&Signature=Bl5m-HlO55fnjHlbILBTaG5KyQscc~gEgIu-qT7UuHQfqA77-038JTii65pQIULglOoUF52huc~2bNwbEToH7jTSrSmtAE6q9dmv7rsciW4qiJaN8m8VFeNwtS5XS0SItqqYkxFglkUOKkfPFXcVWORieXez-s6hZHnHZ8TuAJMFWsSsO9Ssx4~POoBmc9rVD9Dna03Ivfbt1Mo3rWnKDxzJYFVhyXZl~5b0cJhu6Y4rmKgaFwHuLfcGpjkU9g2UQSyg1R1Cka2CeUIwlemgDj719wGhoecPwES78fJYWoPF2JUKYRFITXp1EOxdvSZfXVYxrV9eL6KM5mu0BpdMHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Middlesex Borough Board of Education approved a set of routine grouped action items at its January meeting, including minutes (items 5.01–5.02), personnel actions (9.1–9.12), education items (11.1–11.13), first readings of pilot policies and regulations (12.01–12.03), and facilities and finance items (14.01–14.13).

The superintendent presented each grouped packet and asked the board to approve “as presented.” Committee chairs reported each item had been reviewed in committee prior to public action. The board took separate roll-call votes for each grouped packet.

The record shows the following outcomes: minutes 5.01–5.02 were approved with at least one abstention recorded during the roll call; personnel items 9.1–9.12 were approved with abstentions noted specifically on item 9.05; education items 11.1–11.13 were approved by roll call; policy action items 12.01–12.03 (first readings) were approved; and facilities and finance items 14.01–14.13 were approved with at least one abstention recorded on 14.07.

Board members and the business administrator conducted three separate roll calls while voting. Several board members said explicitly on the record that they were abstaining from particular items (for example, a board member stated, “Abstain from 5.01,” during the minutes roll call; another said, “I need to abstain from 9.5 Gary Brenner,” during the personnel vote; and one board member said they would “Abstain from 14.07, number 6” during the facilities and finance vote). The board did not record any “no” votes in the portions of the transcript covering those approvals.

No motions, seconds, or formal amendments were read into the transcript for these grouped packets beyond the superintendent’s recommendation and the subsequent roll-call approval. Where a board member identified an abstention, the minutes packet and the board’s electronic record (BoardDocs) will reflect that abstention when minutes are posted.

The board also affirmed procedural context for agenda preparation: items placed on the public agenda had been reviewed by administration and by the relevant committee before being presented for a public vote.

The business administrator reiterated that minutes and posted documents are available on the district website and BoardDocs; board members and staff responded to public questions about how to locate posted minutes.

Votes at a glance
- Minutes (5.01–5.02): Approved by roll call; at least one abstention on 5.01 recorded in the roll call. Motion: “Superintendent recommends approval of action items 5.01 to 5.02 as presented.”
- Personnel (9.1–9.12): Approved by roll call; abstention recorded on item 9.05 (Gary Brenner). Motion: “Superintendent recommends approval of personnel action items 9.1 to 9.12 as presented.”
- Education (11.1–11.13): Approved by roll call. Motion: “Superintendent recommends approval of the education action items 11.1 through 11.13 as presented.”
- Policy (12.01–12.03): First readings approved by roll call. A board member noted an abstention related to workshop/travel items during discussion. Motion: “Superintendent recommends approval of policy action items 12.01 to 12.03 as presented.”
- Facilities & Finance (14.01–14.13): Approved by roll call; at least one abstention specifically on 14.07 was recorded. Motion: “Superintendent recommends approval of facilities and finance action items 14.01 through 14.13.”

Notes and next steps
- The board president and committee chairs reiterated that items on the public agenda were vetted in committee and with administration prior to the public meeting. The superintendent and business administrator indicated that posted minutes and BoardDocs links will be updated; members of the public who raised questions about specific line items were told to contact the business administrator for follow-up.

(End)","At its January meeting the Middlesex Borough Board of Education approved routine minutes and multiple grouped action items (personnel, education, policy first readings, and facilities/finance). Roll-call votes approved the superintendent's recommendations; the record shows a small number of abstentions on specific items.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Watchung School highlights Great Kindness Challenge; student rep describes CKLA curriculum and Middlesex High cadaver lab visit

Parents, staff and union representatives press board on contracts, transparency and alleged misconduct

Middlesex Borough Board approves routine minutes, personnel, education, policy and finance items; several abstentions recorded