Kenilworth Public Schools

On July 26th, the Kenilworth Board of Education accepted the resignation of Superintendent Thomas Tramaglini. The Board immediately began a search for an acting/interim superintendent.

The Kenilworth School District would like to congratulate Mrs. Jessica Esposito, Mrs. Megan Harrison, Mr. Ryan Jayne, Mr. Jaime Lugo, Ms. Caitlin Martin, Mrs. Jill Minarik and Mrs. Edit Ostrom for meeting all of the requirements in achieving tenure during the 2017-2018 school year. These staff members are the epitome of class and dedication to the children of Kenilworth and we are proud to have them as part of “Kenilworth Community.”

We are pleased to announce that in September, we will be implementing a new building schedule for the 2018-19 school year at David Brearley Middle-High School.

April 9, 2018 [Kenilworth] On Monday April 9, 2018, the Kenilworth Board of Education recognized their four teachers/educators of the year. The four educators recognized for their outstanding service were: Karen Goger – Second Grade Teacher - Harding Elementary School Kristen Jeans – Guidance Counselor, Harding Elementary Candace Grimaldi – Science Teacher, David Brearley Middle School Amy Efchak – Health and Physical Education Teacher, David Brearley High School Dr. Thomas Tramaglini, Superintendent of Schools said, “Each of our educators of the year were selected because of their contributions to our community, schools and our children. It is an honor to work with each of these colleagues and see what they do for our students each day. In many cases, these members of the Kenilworth Public Schools go beyond their typical job duties to influence student performance. I applaud these women for making our schools special.” Each year, schools across the nation honor their finest educators. In New Jersey, schools nominate staff members to be recognized by through the Governor’s Educator of the Year program. Teachers and educators who are nominated go through committee review and are selected based on the following criteria: • Be an exceptionally skilled and dedicated licensed classroom teacher (pre-K through grade 12 in a public or charter school) where teaching is the primary responsibility • Must have achieved a 2016-17 summative rating of at least Effective • Be a dedicated and skilled leader who anticipates actively continuing in his/her teaching career for at least five (5) more years • Be an expert in the field who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn • Actively collaborates with colleagues, students, and families to create a strong culture of respect and success • Demonstrate leadership and innovation in educational activities at the school, district, and/or state and national level that take place both within or outside the school setting • Have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues • Demonstrate poise, eloquence, and the ability to maintain a demanding schedule • Have not earned the title of school-level Teacher of the Year for the past five (5) years

For the past two seasons, a trip to the regionals was so close that Rebecca Pizutocould taste it, but consecutive losses in the third-place match derailed those hopes. That all changed Saturday at the NJSIAA District 14 wrestling tournament at South Plainfield, when the Brearley senior placed second at the 113 pounds and became one of the few female wresters in state history to punch a ticket to a region tournament. It was generally believed that a Pizuto victory would have made her the first girl in state history to win a district title, but she was still pleased to have come so close. “It feels pretty good,” said Pizuto, who was one of three qualifiers at 113 for the Region 4 tournament next week. “I’ve been working for four years doing this. I’m pretty happy that in my last year I was able to do it.” In 2016, she lost a 6-0 decision to Cranford’s Conor Halpin, and in 2017, she fell, 9-2, to Xavier Laracuente from Woodbridge. Both bouts were in the 106-pound weight class. With her final year remaining, Pizuto knew there was work to be done. “I worked a lot harder in the room,” said Pizuto, who was announced at the tournament as the first girls qualifier in state history in Region 4. “I also worked in the offseason to try and build up my critique of moves. I think implementing more things helped me pull it off this year.” She started the day with a bye and win via forfeit to set up a quarterfinal bout against Cranford’s Will Fernandez. Pizuto pinned Fernandez in 94 seconds for the historic win. “We had a goal in the beginning of the year that she wanted to make regions,” Brearley coach David Nichols said. “It couldn’t have happened to a better person. She deserves to make it. She’s a good person, a good wrestler and she deserves to have something like this happen to her.” That kind of support day in and day out has meant a lot to Pizuto. “My coaches and teammates have been great,” she said. “They push me every day in the room and make sure I get better every day. I’m really thankful for them.” In the 113-pound final bout, Pizuto dropped a close 4-1 decision to Ken Beck of Middlesex/Dunellen. “I was trying to work the head a little bit,” she explained. “I got a front headlock and thought I had it on the outside, but I didn’t. I was on top and couldn’t hold him down. I tried my bars, which is what I like to do, but I just couldn’t hold off. On the edge I thought I had it and I didn’t. Just little things I have to work on.” Pizuto knows she has to quickly hit the reset button and work on a few things as she heads to the regions for the first time. “First thing I’m going to do is watch videos to see what I did wrong,” she said. “After that I’m just going to work to move on. I can’t dwell on that. A loss is a loss. I can always come back from this.” • For the 34th consecutive season, South Plainfield reigns supreme in the district tournament. Anthony White won his first title at 106 with a 5-1 decision, which was one of nine individual title by the Tigers on the day as the group finished with a 256 points overall. Joe Heilmann finished his fourth district tournament with his fourth district title and also took home the Outstanding Wrestler award. He had two pins on the day, first in the semifinals in 40 seconds and the last coming in the final against Woodbridge’s Jaden Catalano in 1:08. Alex Amato avenged a loss in the 113 final a year ago with a win over Gov. Livingston’s Gregory Friedenber in the 138 final.

February 6, 2018 - [Kenilworth] On February 5, 2018 Harding School kicked off it's Read Across America Celebration. Harding School was selected to receive a special visit from NJEA's CAT IN THE HAT. The assembly program began with Mrs. Bedford reading aloud the "CAT IN THE HAT" to Pre-K through Second grade. As the book was read aloud, The CAT entered the auditorium for a surprise visit bringing along Thing 1 & Thing 2 (Mrs. Griffin and Ms. Higgins) to act it out. The children were able to hi five, hug, and take pictures with The Cat. The Cat had a message for the children, 'READ, READ,READ." It was an amazing experience, enjoyed by all!

January 4, 2018 [Kenilworth, NJ] – On January 4, 2018 the Kenilworth Board of Education held its reorganization meeting at David Brearley Middle / High School. During the meeting, the results of the November Board Elections were certified by Board of Education Secretary Mr. Vincent Gonnella, and elected Board Members were sworn in for their new terms. The following Board of Education members were sworn in: Unexpired two-year term expiring in December 31, 2018: Genean Braun Three (3) Year Terms expiring in December 31, 2020: Gregg David Ryan Haberthur and, Nancy Zimmerman Following the new Board members taking their oaths of office, the Board unanimously elected Nancy Zimmerman as Board President and Mark Jankiewicz Vice President. Mrs. Zimmerman shared some brief remarks and shared that she is looking forward continuing the work that the district has been doing which she believes is moving in the right direction. Dr. Thomas Tramaglini, Superintendent of Schools said that the entire school community appreciates the continual support and leadership of the Kenilworth Board of Education and he is also looking forward to continuing to move the district forward during the next year and beyond.

Kenilworth Public Schools Awarded $20,000 Grant by New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN) January 4, 2018 [Kenilworth, NJ] – Late in December, Dr. Thomas Tramaglini was notified by the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN) that the grant application the district developed seeking $20,000 from the Community Grants Program of the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network was approved. Mrs. Suzie Crincoli, a parent and doctoral student at Rutgers, as well as a nurse co-wrote the grant with Dr. Thomas Tramaglini. The Executive Summary of the Grant noted the following: The Kenilworth Public School District is dedicated to creating adaptable life-long learners who are responsible citizens. The district expects high achievement in academics and beyond. The district believes in educating the whole child by ensuring that our students are safe, healthy, supported, and engaged, all while being challenged. We aim to connect all learning opportunities in our schools to impact our community and beyond. The intent of our work in attaining this grant is to engage our students with our community in healthy living. We know that establishing healthy behaviors at a young age will have a lifelong impact. Unfortunately, while we have an ever important need to developing healthy individuals, ever diminishing funding is allocated towards curriculum that is tested for school accountability purposes. By procuring this grant, we hope to develop a sustainable model for school accountability which is a model for other schools. The proposal included three lenses: inter-curricular, extra-curricular, and community. First, within our schools (inter-curricular) we will utilize grant funds to develop a fit camp program for our students (K-12) that enhances our curriculum and is based on healthy choices, specifically targeting food. Staff will be trained (in areas that we typically do not have an opportunity to do) and a curriculum will be developed for replication in other schools. Second, we will partner with Kenilworth Recreation to establish a community garden program where our students serve as garden ambassadors. The garden will support an afterschool healthy snacks program where we will grow snacks and take advantage of the education involved in such a project. Finally, a third lens will target building relationships with local businesses in our community. David Brearley is currently working to expand an open-campus project where upperclassmen would be able to leave the building for lunch. The grant would support the establishment of a school-community committee which would facilitate the development of healthy options in local delis and restaurants. The grant will begin later in January and will last for two yea