Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Awards Sports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glen Ridge board honors educators, recognizes girls basketball sectional champions
Summary
At its regular meeting the Glen Ridge Public School District recognized teachers and staff with district- and state-level awards and celebrated the high school girls basketball team’s first New Jersey state sectional title.
The Glen Ridge Public School District Board of Education opened its regular meeting with a series of recognitions, honoring teachers, educational service professionals and the Glen Ridge High School girls basketball team for achievements this school year.
The board and district leadership presented district and statewide awards to multiple staff members. Principal speakers highlighted Lindsey Batica as the district recipient of the Governor’s Educator of the Year award and Franchesca (Francesca) Roselli as the Governor’s Educational Service Professional award recipient for Central School. Other honorees included Pat Swantek (paraprofessional), Jody Schneck (Linden Avenue School teacher), Lauren Hertz (Forest Avenue teacher), Manuel Hoagland (school psychologist, Educational Services Professional of the Year) and Dave Majewski (Glen Ridge High School Teacher of the Year). Several awardees were not present; the board read citations and invited applause.
Board members and building principals described classroom practices and programs tied to the awards. Presentations noted Batica’s work with students with special needs and Roselli’s occupational-therapy services supporting mobility, sensory processing and executive-function skills. Speakers praised Swantek and Schneck for direct classroom support and creative projects, and described Hoagland’s role supporting IEPs and crisis intervention. The high school recognized Majewski for classroom engagement, student council advising, a history club and an academic team traveling to competitions.
The meeting also celebrated the Glen Ridge High School girls basketball team, the first in school history to win a New Jersey state sectional championship. District remarks said the team finished the season 23–9, advanced to the Essex County tournament semifinals, and lost to West Orange (identified as an eventual county and state champion). The district cited a state ranking published on NJ.com that listed Glen Ridge among the top 20 programs and noted Christina Danella as Super Essex Conference Coach of the Year, as reported by NJ.com. The board presented NJSIAA championship certificates to players and thanked the community for support.
Student performers — the high school varsity and concert chorus and band — opened and contributed musical selections to the ceremony; the chorus included an arrangement by Amy Majewski.
The board closed the report by inviting the public to a “coffee and conversations” session at Central School the following Thursday at 6 p.m.
The recognitions occupied an extended portion of the meeting’s regular agenda and included multiple speakers from district administration and the schools. No formal board action was taken on the awards themselves; they were presented as ceremonial recognitions.
