Somerset Hills School District

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October 4, 2024

BOE NEWS 2024 - 2025

BOE NEWS

Updates from the 9/25 Public Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us and participated in our meeting on the evening of September 25th. Dr. Brotschul and the board recognized the retirement, career and contributions of educator David Brothers. We wish him well in his retirement which will be effective as of July 1, 2025 

Included in the superintendent's report was a report of the Spring 2024 NJSLA results by Dr. Edgerton and Ms. Barna and a presentation of Access 2.0 data by Mr. Catelli. Also included was information on celebrations taking place in the district for Hispanic Heritage month and results from the VOCES 2024 student surveys. If you have not yet had the opportunity to view that report, it can be found by clicking here. Also included in the report were the numerous ways in which students, staff and the district have been featured in the news. We invite you to view these articles by clicking here.

Our next regularly scheduled public board meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 16th at 7:30pm in the BHS Community Room. A full list of meeting dates can be found by clicking here. BOE meeting recordings can be found by clicking here.

Updates from the 9/16 Special Board Meeting

On Monday evening The BOE unanimously voted to authorize our attorneys and administration to apply to appear before the Bernardsville Borough Planning Board for a courtesy review of our plans for installing permanent LED lights on Olcott field. The Board also put revisions to our policy regarding the Use of Facilities into first reading.

Pathways to Success District Newsletter

All previous issues of the Pathways to Success newsletter can be found on the district website and the next issue will be under development as the school year gets underway. We invite all members of the school community to enjoy reading about the developments and accomplishments taking place across the district by clicking here.

Board Policies Put into First Reading at the September 25th Public Meeting

P2200 - Curriculum Content (M)

P3160 & P3160 - Physical Examination (M)

P4160 & R4160 - Physical Examination (M)

R5200 - Attendance (M)

P5337 - Service Animals

P5350 - Student Suicide Prevention (M)

P8420 - Emergency and Crisis Situations (M)

P8467 & R8467 - Firearms and Weapons (M)

P9181 - Volunteer Athletic Coaches and Co-Curricular Activity Advisors/Assistants

P7510 - Use of School Facilities

P0764.6 - Remote Public Board Meeting During a Declared Emergency (M) Abolished

P7231 - Gifts from Vendors (Abolished)

P7481 - Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS also known as DRONES)

*To view these policies in their entirety please visit the BOE page of the district website (more information below)

**(M) indicates a mandated policy or revision

Board Policy Put into First Reading at the September 16th Special Board Meeting

P7510 - Use of School Facilities 

*To view this policy which is in first reading please click here.

Links to All Board Policies & Regulations

All district policies and regulations can be found on the BOE page of the district website. You simply select the BOE tab at the top of the page and then click on "Policies and Goals" from the drop down menu. The "search" icon will allow you to look for policies by keywords or number or you can select the "home" icon for policies or regulations to see them listed by section. If you would like to view all student policies you select 5000 in the policy section and they will all appear listed below in the District Policy section. You can access the Policies and Goals page directly by clicking here.

Board Operations Information

For anyone looking for more information regarding the roles and responsibilities of the board of education we invite you to visit the About section of the BOE page of the district website. You will find a wealth of information here and links to additional resources as well. You can access that information directly by clicking here.

We are pleased to present the October 2024 edition of the “HEALTH MATTERS” E-Newsletter from the Bernards Township Health Department. Some important highlights include..

• Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin Chili
• October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Children’s Health Month – Please be sure to follow our social media for more posts regarding both important topics!
• Trust Your Instinct: Andrea’s Story of Survival – A story of breast cancer survival from our own staff member, Andrea Huber
• Understanding Your Risk of Breast Cancer – 10/17 email [email protected] to register
• QPR Suicide Prevention Training – 10/17 register here, 11/13 register here
• 2024 Flu Shot Schedule – Our flu clinics kick off on Wed, Oct 9^th!
• COVID-19 Booster Shot Clinics – 11/4 in Chester, 11/13 in Long Hill – registration will open 30 days prior to clinic date
• DEA Rx Takeback Day – Sat, Oct 26^th 10 am – 2 pm, find a participating drop box location here
• Upcoming LOCAL and COMMUNITY health programs

…. And more!

BONUS: Remember, you can order FREE at-home COVID-19 test kits now at https://faq.usps.com/s/article/At-Home-COVID-19-Test-Kits

Follow Us on Social Media - Bernards Township Health Department – Facebook/Instagram

You can view the newsletter click the button below

The Bernards Township Health Department is the contractual health agency for Bernards Township, Bernardsville Borough, Chester Borough, Long Hill Township, Mendham Borough, and Peapack and Gladstone Borough.

10/17/24

The Bernards Township Health Department and Lynne Tamburrino, APN from Atlantic Breast Associates present: Understanding Your Risk of Breast Cancer

The program will take place at:

Bernards Township Library

32 S. Maple Ave.

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 

Call 908-204-3069 or email [email protected] to register.

10/26/24

Please join us for the events we have planned to celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week. Click the button below for more information.

BHS Tricky Tray - November 16th

The BHS Class of 2025 Project Graduation Tricky Tray fundraiser will be held on Saturday, November 16th at 7pm in the BHS cafeteria. Join us for a fun-filled evening of basket raffles, premium baskets, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle! All proceeds support this year's Last Blast, a drug- and alcohol-free graduation celebration. Visit https://bhshsa.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/146659805 to purchase tickets online. Tickets are on sale now, so don't miss out! Seats are limited and sell out quickly. For more information and details, email [email protected].

Attention Parents of Seniors: Each senior class family is asked to donate a gift basket to be raffled off at the Tricky Tray. Click here for more details and to sign up.

To Learn more please click the buttons below.

Mark Your Calendars 11/1/24: BHS Fall Play

Get ready for a whirlwind of misunderstandings and hilarious antics as Bernards High School launches its production of Rumors: A Farce this November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 

Set in New York City, playwright Neil Simon presents a tale of a group of friends gathered for a surprise anniversary party quickly spiraling into chaos. With mistaken identities and outrageous rumors, this play has something for everyone! The cast will feature both new faces and returning stars: Penny Christie as Chris, Daniel Christie as Ken, Arden Addeo as Claire, Nate DeNicola as Lenny, Rocco Parente as Ernie, Anakh Sawhney as Cookie, Nathan Brown as Glenn, Anna Topping as Cassie, Jake Melendez as Officer Welch, and Kristen Lee as Officer Pudney.

Sophomore Anakh Sawhney shared her anticipation for the rehearsals and bonding to come; “I’m so excited to get closer with this cast and make so many new memories!” Similarly, returning senior Arden Addeo is looking forward to the role of Claire. “I feel immensely privileged to be able to be in another production at BHS. I hope everyone will enjoy our show!” 

The cast and crew are delighted for the work ahead, and are busy preparing! Tickets will be available to purchase later this fall, but mark your calendars now for November 1st, 2nd or 3rd… and tell your friends!

10/6/24

The Environmental Education Center’s annual 1770s Festival on October 6th from 11:30am-4pm. This event is hosted on the grounds of Lord Stirling’s 18th century manor home. There will be live music, 18th century period re-enactors, colonial craft and trade demos, and so much more! The 1770s Festival is a fun-filled family event with a suggested donation of $5 per person. We hope your school community will travel back in time with us to explore and enjoy the history of the area and Colonial America!

10/11/24

SHM Cheer Movie Night Fundraiser at Bernardsville Cinema. Showing Zombies 2 at 5:30pm on Friday 10/11. Tickets $10 and all proceeds go directly to SHM cheer.

10/6/24

Calling All Artists! The Bernardsville Public Library is hosting a Tiny Art Show. Pick up your tiny canvas at the library soon - they are going fast! We want to see amazing art from everyone. All ages are welcome to submit a work of art, even adults!

For more info click the button below.

10/4/2024

The Stable is offering two types of hayrides to provide an all-inclusive experience. Join us for the family-friendly hayride where a tour guide will tell spooky ghost stories along the way. Looking for something a little more frightening? Join us for our truly haunting “jump scare” tour. This hayride is recommended for people 10 years and older.

10/27/2024

Join us for a “Barn Trick-or-Treat Event”. Included is a self-guided, trick-or-treat style barn tour, horses in costume, decorated stalls, horse costume contests, games and more. Stop by to vote for your favorite costume! Voting ends at 1pm. Awards will be announced at 1:30pm.

10/17/2024

10/20/24

You’re Invited to Our 2nd Annual Spelling Bee Competition!

Are you a 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student living in or attending school in Bernardsville? Get ready to showcase your spelling skills and take on the challenge at our Spelling Bee at the Library! Exciting prizes await the top spellers!

For more information and to register, please click the button below.

The Bernards Township Health Department is sponsoring two upcoming QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Trainings this fall in partnership with EmPoWER Somerset. The goal of QPR is to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. In three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Key components covered include How to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone who may be suicidal, How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide, the common causes of suicidal behavior, the warning signs of suicide, and how to get help for someone in crisis. This training is free to anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in learning suicide prevention techniques. Both trainings are the same, just in different formats on different days.

Thursday, October 17th–10 am – 12 pm - In-person at the Bernards Township Library (32 S Maple Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920)–View the flyer and register here

Wednesday, November 13th - 6:30 – 8:30 pm via Zoom - View the flyer and register here

10/31/24 The Bernards High School Green Team has joined the NexTrex challenge! The challenge is to collect at least 1,000 lbs of plastic film by October 31st to receive a free bench and keep plastic out of our landfills. So far 384 lbs have been collected! Help them reach their goal and make our community more eco-friendly. Drop off your clean plastic at the Bernardsville Library, Community in Crisis, or Bernardsville Police Station! 

The Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park located in Basking Ridge offers year-round programs for everyone! After-school drop off programs for kids ages 5-13 (day varies based on age group), programs geared for families to get out and explore together, and even programs for adults. No matter your interest, we have a program that can help you explore! To learn more, click the button below.

Nutcracker season is almost upon us and the Roxey Ballet Company would like to invite you and your school to our School Show Matinee Production of The Nutcracker. We are a non-profit 5013C organization!

The show is specially curated for students of all ages, uniting art and education in this magical experience. 

The performance will take place on Friday, December 6, 2024 at the Villa Victoria Theater, at 10:00 am. Tickets are on sale for $25 each and we want to pack the theater with students from every part of our community. Join us for a pre-show Q/A session and see magic come to life before your eyes! To reserve your seats, RSVP HERE or reply with the following information. 

School: 

School Address: 

Contact Person: 

Telephone Number: 

Email Address: 

Number of Tickets to Reserve: 

Additional Accommodations Needed: 

Please note that all payments must be made within 30 days of reserving. 

Please click on the buttons below for more information.