• January 8, 2019

     

    Greetings to the Tenafly Community,

    Welcome to the 2019 portion of our school year!  I hope this finds you relaxed and refreshed, holding holiday memories in your heart from the 2018 season, with an energetic spirit to move boldly and excitedly into this new year.

    This month, we take time to recognize our Tenafly Board of Education Trustees, and all those who serve on school boards throughout NJ.  We thank each and every one of them for their time, advocacy, communication, accountability, commitment, dedication and voluntary service on behalf of Tenafly’s students.  

    As we reorganize for this calendar year, we welcome our current trustees:

    • Mark Aronson
    • Sam Bruno
    • Patti Flynn
    • Janet Horan
    • Ed Salaski
    • Jocelyn Schwarz

    Our re-elected incumbents,:

    • Natalie Barbanel and
    • Jane Juhng

    And our newly elected trustee:

    • Inbal Israeli Miller

    Our abbreviated week to kick off the new year was a successful one.  Students arrived on time ready to work, and our fantastic staff returned energized and refreshed.  

    We had the pleasure of formally welcoming Dr. Mamman, our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, to our administrative team on January 2nd.  She arrived with sleeves rolled up and jumped right in to join the momentum of our team.  She is meeting with district personnel and reviewing district documents, policies, procedures and practices in order to familiarize herself with the curriculum and instruction throughout Tenafly’s schools in an effort to compose a formal action plan for the remainder of the year and beyond.  Since her approval, Dr. Mamman has served as a committed asset to our team and we are grateful and fortunate to have her officially onboard, especially as we approach our first major stop: QSAC monitoring!

    Speaking of QSAC, I am beyond pleased to report that 2/3rds of the facility portion of our QSAC monitoring was conducted on December 14th and we received positive feedback from the county official.  Our thanks to the TMS and THS principals, administrators,  

    Mr. Tommy Lepore, Mr. Yas Usami and all of the faculty and staff who contributed to the success of these walk-throughs which took place at THS and TMS.

    Although our children are the digital natives that we are not, we truly remain the strongest force in helping them to manage the technology in their daily lives. One look at what is on display at CES 2019, the Consumer Technology Association event deemed “the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace,” reminds us that technology is growing more rapidly and becoming more available than ever before, entering even the most private of spaces (yes, even a Smart Toilet that adds Alexa to one’s bathroom routine!)

    We will continue to do our part in communicating internet safety to students and we ask all parents/caregivers for their cooperation in doing the same at home.  Parents and caregivers at all levels:  Please engage in conversations with your children not only about where they go when they “go out” but also where they “go” when they are on their technological devices.  Ask them to show you the games they play, the apps they use to interact, and the means by which they use technology to retrieve information.  Continue to closely monitor your children on all of the devices to which they have access, and stress the importance of sharing with you anything they may see that is inappropriate or that makes them feel uneasy, be it online, in a message or posting, in a game, or via another technological medium.  Thank you for joining us in our commitment to keeping the children of Tenafly safe, happy, engaged and successful in our schools.

    Parents and students are reminded that on Monday, January 14th, we will conduct an early dismissal day so that our staff may engage collaboratively in professional development activities so they, too, may continue to learn, grow and explore.  Schools and offices are closed on January 21 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

    In closing, I ask you to read the Attendance posting on our website, which is easily accessible through the following link: https://www.tenaflyschools.org/cms/lib/NJ02210482/Centricity/domain/4/announcement%20homepage/2018-2019/attendance%20letter.pdf  Although a robust communication, it outlines our district’s responsibility to attendance recording.  Additionally, it serves as a reminder to keep your children home when they are not healthy enough to be here, and be sure to have them in attendance on all other school days.  If you ever experience difficulty with your child’s interest in attending school, you are urged to reach out to his/her guidance counselor or principal for assistance. 

     

    Here’s to a great January, with hopes for mild weather and smooth sailing.

     

    Very Truly Yours,

    Shauna C. DeMarco
    Superintendent
    Tenafly Public Schools

    Ph:  201.816.4502

    sdemarco@tenafly.k12.nj.us