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February 2024 Update
From the Office of the Superintendent
To the members of the Oceanport School District Community,
As I write this last newsletter, I am overcome with some unexpected emotions. While my time in Oceanport has spanned only three years, I feel very connected and invested in the towns of Oceanport and Sea Bright. Over the past three years we emerged from a worldwide pandemic and worked together to improve our school facilities and provide new learning spaces for our children. We have sought ways to increase opportunities for children and ensured that learning was always at the forefront of what we do.
I am so excited for the bright future of the Oceanport School District. I have spent the last week working with the Interim Superintendent, Mr. John Russo, and I know he will ensure a smooth transition so that the many moving parts of our district continue without interruption.
I have greatly enjoyed working with the talented educational staff and administration of the district. The students in Oceanport are lucky to have such passionate, skilled, and hard working adults as their advocates each day. I will miss many aspects of my role here and am grateful to the Board of Education for the opportunity they afforded me as well as their trust in my leadership over the past three years.
Best,
Laura Godlesky, Ed.D.
Honorees at the February 28th Board of Education Meeting
At the February 28, 2024 Board of Education Meeting, multiple students from Maple Place Middle School were honored for their achievements.
Future City Student Winners: On January 13th, Maple Place Middle School entered six teams into the 32nd Annual Future City Competition at Rutgers University. We are proud of all of our teams, but two teams finished the day earning distinctions after the scores were tabulated. Team RaTufnut (RA-TUFF-NOOT) received a special award for Best Use of Energy Systems finishing in 14th place. Team Waitara (WHY-A-TARRA) finished in third place overall. Making the top 3 is a huge recognition as the team had to perform their presentation on stage in front of the entire crowd. Additionally, Mrs. Goldsmith was awarded with a $750 STEM grant for the third-place finish to support learning in this area at Maple Place School in which she has selected supplies to support instruction and growth in the area of STEM. Congratulations to all of you and to Mrs. Goldsmith for coaching the students' efforts and supporting their progress throughout.
Maple Place Student Council: Key members and officers of the newly formed Student Council at Maple Place under the guidance of Mrs. Renee Lisotto were recognized last night. The Student Leadership group has been an active group centered around service learning for many years at Maple Place. However, this year, Mrs. Lisotto formally registered the group as a Student Council in New Jersey, and have supported the students in changing the structure. As such, they have gone to leadership activities and even won an award for the service project of the year for their Anything But a Backpack campaign. The President (Miss Sheridan Taylor) and Vice President (Miss Carina Reginio) both spoke eloquently about the student council's work this year as well as their projects. Thank you Mrs. Lisotto for working with the students and helping them to develop their leadership. We look forward to what the student leaders of the Maple Place Student Council do for the school and their peers in the years to come.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
On February 7, 2024, we officially celebrated the recent renovations and Attic Expansion Project at Wolf Hill School with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. It was a great community event, and a way to share the investment made by the community with them. Our event was kicked off by Mr. Maglione, Principal of Wolf Hill School and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by former Nancy Mahoney Award recipient Michael White. Then, a number of fourth grade chorus members sang the Star Spangled Banner led by Mrs. Erica Bach. This was followed by remarks from Dr. Laura Godlesky, in which she detailed the specifics of this project, within the scope of the entire referendum. It was communicated what a total community celebration this was as gratitude was shared with the initial leadership team and Board of Education who passed the successful referendum, the Mayor, Town Council, Department of Public Works, Solution Architecture, the many contractors, and of course our current Board of Education, administrative team and staff who have been living through the many effects of construction over the past four years. As the projects come to fruition (one summer to go!), it's truly amazing what a transformation our schools have undergone and what a fantastic learning environment the current and future students of the Oceanport School District will experience.
Mr. Mark Patterson then provided closing remarks, thanking Dr. Godlesky for her work towards the completion of these projects, and dedicating a display case in the Wolf Hill Attic Expansion to her as she had saved historical artifacts from this renovation, and has them displayed here (with photos provided by the Oceanport Historical Committee). The event commenced with a Ribbon-Cutting by the Board of Education and cake reception.
The Oceanport and Sea Bright communities should be proud of the progress their schools have undergone in the past four years, and be confident in their affirmative referendum vote that they have positively impacted the current and future generations of students that do and will attend school here.
*COMING SOON* Maple Place Spring Musical!
The students at Maple Place have been hard at work under the direction of Mrs. Erica Bach and Mr. DJ Brown, preparing for their spring musical, Mean Girls, Jr. The spring musical is always fantastic, and this year will be no exception. Please take a look at the flyer below which contains information about show dates and times as well as the website to go to for ticket purchase. Tickets are not yet available, but will be soon!
Glitter and Glow Gift Auction: Get your tickets now!
The PTO has been working behind the scenes for months to once again host a gift auction second to none! This year's theme is Glitter and Glow and will be at Branches in West Long Branch on March 8th. This is a huge event for the Oceanport PTO as it funds many of the year's activities. What's better than a good cause and a great time? So, head directly to the PTO website for tickets.