OnThursday, March 16th, Bayview Elementary School student Charlie Roder was honored by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners for his volunteerism and community service efforts.

Roder is a fifth grade student with a passion for helping those in need, and has worked collaboratively with his classmates to establish and grow Bayview Elementary School's Heroes Cafe. The Heroes Cafe is non-profit, student-operated mobile snack station that makes the rounds to Bayview classrooms taking and filling orders for staff members. Donations are collected by the Heroes Cafe and used to support other philanthropic organizations in our community, such as the No Limits Cafe, Monmouth County SPCA, Middletown Helps Its Own, Middletown Veterans Housing Project, Alex's Lemonade, and Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer.

Roder took on the role of Heroes Cafe Manager in 2021, and over the last two years has helped raised nearly $5,000.

"Through this nonprofit organization, Charlie enjoys showing kindness to our teachers and staff  by sorting order forms, preparing “ready to brew” cups, and delivering orders weekly to staff with a smile," said Bayview Elementary School Principal Tara Raspanti. "We are so proud of all that Charlie has accomplished. This recognition is well deserved."

"We are so proud of Charlie and the incredible leadership he has displayed," said Board of Education President Frank Capone. "His commitment to service is a shining example for our entire community. Keep up the great work Charlie!"

Middletown Township Public Schools (MTPS) is conducting a stakeholder survey to provide input for its FY24 ESEA programming and budgetary planning (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).

Your feedback as a district and/or community stakeholder is highly valued in assisting the district to identify priority areas of need. The district considers the survey findings along with various data points of student achievement and staff professional programming to develop an effective overall plan for the federal funding entitlement allocation.

Las Escuelas Públicas del Municipio de Middletown (MTPS, por sus siglas en inglés) están realizando una encuesta a las partes interesadas para proporcionar información para su planificación presupuestaria y de programación ESEA para el año fiscal 24 (1 de julio de 2023 - 30 de junio de 2024). Sus comentarios como parte interesada del distrito y/o de la comunidad son muy valiosos para ayudar al distrito a identificar las áreas prioritarias de necesidad. El distrito considera los resultados de la encuesta junto con varios puntos de datos de rendimiento estudiantil y programación profesional del personal para desarrollar un plan general efectivo para la asignación de derechos de financiación federal.

On March 17, members of the Bayshore Middle School Band joined the High School South marching band in Manhattan to perform in the annual New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Under the direction of Mr. Michael Raguseo, the Screaming Eagles Marching Band has remained a regular performer in this traditional Big Apple recognition of St. Patrick's Day. This year, the band invited a group of Bayshore musicians to collaborate in the performance, which was shown in part live on NBC4 News.

The New York St. Patrick's Day Parade is a celebration of Irish culture that predates the Revolutionary War. Founded in 1762, the parade regularly features approximately 150,000 participating marchers, and an estimated average of 2 million attendees.

Congratulations to our band members on a wonderful performance!

On March 22, Middletown Township Public School seniors Jack Kratz (High School North) and Sophia Luna (High School South) were honored by their respective guidance departments as the recipients of the 2023 Monmouth County Guidance Director's Association Caring Award.

Each year, high school guidance departments across the county are asked to select one senior student that has demonstrated exceptional caring and compassion to a particular cause, group or program during their high school careers. Recognized students are asked to prepare a 60-second to two-minute video that describes the focus of their efforts.

Congratulations to Jack and Sophia on this exceptional recognition. We are proud of their achievement, and positive example they have set through their commitment to service and leadership in our community.

You can watch Jack and Sophia's videos below.

Each year the All-Shore Band Director's Association recognizes a band director from the Shore Conference family of high schools who has given and/or served "above and beyond" their role. This year the Association has recognized High School North Band Director Beth Lyon with the honor.

"This is a truly exceptional honor and we are genuinely grateful for Mrs. Lyon's positive contributions and immeasurable influence throughout our school community," said High School North Principal Kevin Cullen.

Mrs. Lyon is the first Middletown Township Public School Band Director to receive the honor since the Association began awarding it in 2008. Congratulations to Mrs. Lyon on this incredible recognition.

In preparation for opening night, the High School North Performing Arts Program invited their peers from across the Middletown Township Public School District to campus for a special sensory-friendly performance of the classic Alain Boubill and Claude-Michael Schonberg musical Les Miserables.

Sensory-friendly performances of plays, musicals and other stage performances are hosted by theaters and playhouses around the world. The storied Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. describes sensory-friendly performances as those that "are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable arts experience for people with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other social, learning or cognitive disabilities."

A sensory-friendly performance like the one hosted by High School North can include a variety of modifications, including:

• Lower sound level, especially for startling or loud sounds
• Lighting remains on in the theater
• A reduction in strobe lighting
• Guests are free to talk and leave their seats during the performance
• The provision of designated quiet areas in the theater
• The provision of designated areas in the theater for movement

This weekend High School North and South will host traditional performances of their spring musicals. While North will perform Les Miserables, South is set to perform the John Kander and Fred Ebb production Chicago. To reserve your tickets please follow the links below.

• Email to Purchase tickets to Les Miserables (March 24-25)
• Purchase tickets to Chicago (March 23-25)

On March 21, Grace Gomez (High School North - Softball) and Amanda Paterno (High School South - Basketball) were selected to represent the Middletown Township Public School District at the Shore Conference of High Schools' Girls and Women in Sports Day event.

Observed annually on Feb. 7, National Girls and Women in Sports Day serves to celebrate the accomplishments of female athletes and recognize the positive influence of sports participation for women and girls.

Thank you to Grace and Amanda for their leadership and the positive influence they have on our school community.

On March 17, The Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey (AMTNJ) held its Spring “Connections Matter” Conference at Rutgers University. This event was attended by over 300 teachers, coaches, administrators, and education organizations from New Jersey and surrounding areas. Many Middletown Township Public School mathematics specialists and teachers made presentations. The demonstrations showcased the innovative and effective teaching practices that are implemented each day at all levels of learning in our school community. The full day learning event was focused on peer collaboration and the sharing of strategies that will help to further enhance instruction in Middletown and across the state.

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

Updates have been made to the NJ Parent Link website. These updates were made to highlight and prioritize content toward youth suicide, crisis and mental health lifelines, helplines, services and resources.

Youth Mental Health & School/Home Partnership Resources:

• NJ Parent Link Older Siblings, Teens and Young Adults
• NJ Parent Link Special Situations