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October Newsletter: Office of the Superintendent
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER Dear School Community, The first two months of the school year, September and October, are now complete , and November, I guarantee, will fly by just as quickly. This is the perfect moment to pause and reflect on your child's progress in school: Academic Performance: How are they performing on classroom assessments and assignments? Social & Emotional Growth: How are they navigating school in general and building relationships? Attendance: How consistent has their attendance been? (This remains a primary focus for us this year, as consistent attendance is vital for success.) Sometimes my own children will complain about school and how hard and stressful school is. I listen, but I also know that the struggle should be part of the growing process. Over the past decade, research has increasingly focused on the attributes that truly drive long-term success. One particular study found that intelligence and natural talent were not the greatest indicators of achievement. Instead, grit was identified as the key trait. Grit is the mental toughness and perseverance that allows an individual to stick with challenges and long-term goals. While modern education often incorporates new approaches, we must never forget the long-lasting value of hard work and conscientiousness. A core part of our teachers' mission is to help students build this determination and stamina—major components of grit. When children develop grit it gives them the resilience they need to handle setbacks and achieve long term success. In fact, building these traits may be the most important part of the learning process. For our teachers to be effective in instilling these important attributes, students must be in school as much as possible. Please make every effort to get your child(ren) to school on time, every day. Especially in November, when we have 5 ½ days off already, attendance becomes even more important. Below you will read about many of the happenings in the District over the past month. As you will see we have been very busy at all our schools - there is a lot to be proud of. As always, your support is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Peter Galasso Superintendent of Schools DISTRICT NEWS District Calendar Adjustment (2025-2026) The District Calendar, which outlines our in-session days and recesses, has been adjusted to accommodate the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 . Since three of our school buildings—Gibbs, Berkley, and David E. Owens—serve as polling locations, and based on our experience with last year’s primary, we have determined that closing school is necessary. After consulting with Borough officials and the Police Department, we concluded that fully segregating the election area from the rest of the school, or even moving the polling locations, was unfortunately not feasible at this time. Therefore, please note that all district schools will be closed on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, for the Primary Election. The revised 2025-2026 District Calendar is provided below for your reference. 2025-2026 New Milford Public School District Calendar (Revised 10.21.25) Critical Link Between Attendance and Early Literacy: Consistent attendance is foundational to a child's educational journey and is essential for achieving academic success. The latest data released by the state highlights the profound impact of early chronic absenteeism: Kindergartners who are chronically absent (missing 18 or more days per school year) face an 81% chance of reading below grade level by the third grade. Chronic absenteeism could mean missing just two days of school per month. The " Attendance Awareness " timeline linked below further illustrates the potential long-term effects of chronic non-attendance as students progress through their schooling. We urge all parents to partner with us by setting and monitoring monthly attendance goals with your children to ensure they do not miss more than one day per month. Attendance Awareness Timeline (NJDOE) Sports and Co-Curricular: NMHS Boys Soccer - Division Champions: New Milford High School's Boys Varsity Soccer Team won their division in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference (NJIC) this past week, which means they took first place. Congratulations to the players, their head coach Mr. Thomas Corizzi, and the assistant coaches. Their team will be recognized on the banner in the High School gymnasium. Their next stop is competing in the state playoffs against Wallkill Valley this week. Cross Country - Sets an NMHS 'Best Time': The Boys Cross Country team, under the leadership of Coach Kelly, earned a NMHS best time at the Garrett Mountain course on their way to a 2nd place finish at State Sectionals. Their performance has earned them a well-deserved trip to the State Group Championship in Holmdel next Saturday. We are very proud of their accomplishments and wish them luck. This is a great send off for Coach Kelly who is retiring this winter. Girls Soccer - State Playoffs: The girls soccer team is wrapping up there season as they get ready to play in the state playoffs against Waldwick this week. The girls soccer team has worked hard all season under Coach O'Sullivan. NMHS Cheerleading: The New Milford High School cheerleading team, under Head Coach Mrs. Aufiero, has been supporting the NMHS Football team all season as they prepare for the 2nd round of the state playoffs against Butler this coming Friday. Volleyball - School History: During an overtime win against league rival Lyndhurst, senior libero Nicole Morales reached 1000 digs. She is the first player in NMHS Volleyball history to achieve the feat! The NMHS Girls Volleyball team, 11-4 on the season, will also compete in the state playoffs against Passaic Charter this week in a home match. North Jersey Band Festival: The New Milford High School Marching Knights gave a fantastic performance on Sunday at the North Jersey Band Festival! The band represented our community with pride, energy, and spirit as they took the field alongside some of the best bands in the region. Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork truly shone through, and we are so proud of their outstanding performance! Video of the Performance can be found here: NMHS Marching Band Video Knights Football defeats Bogota: Under Head Coach Bill Straub the New Milford Knights defeated the Bogota Bucs last Friday to advance to the 2nd round of the state playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year. Kobe St. Hilaire rushed for 200 yards on 34 carries while Jake Johnson and the defense held a potent passing offense to just 14 points. The Knights (6-4) will travel to face top-seeded Butler in the semifinals on Friday. Butler defeated New Milford 28-14 in an Oct. 11 regular season game that was very exciting. Inside Our Schools Gibbs School Playground Expansion For the last several years, the Gibbs Elementary School PTO engaged the school community in successful fundraising efforts to support a playground expansion. The newly expanded playground, which now features a ropes course, a seesaw, a spinner, and swings, was officially unveiled last week. The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special visit from the Mayor, who even tackled the ropes obstacle (pictured left). Student voices were integral to the design: persuasive essays written by the students strongly identified swings as the most desired structure. More importantly, the new equipment is designed to be accessible to students of all abilities, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. Thank-you to all who supported the effort. This is a project that will serve a generation of students. Thank-you again to the PTO, especially Ms. Burns, Mrs. Block, and Mrs. Devereaux, who worked closely with Mrs. Torre to complete the project. New Milford High School Programs Tri-M and Art Honor Society Inductees: Congratulations to the new members of the National Art Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society on their induction ceremony! I had the pleasure of viewing their beautiful artwork and hearing some incredible performances at the induction ceremony. Thank you to the music and art officers who assisted with the induction, and to the dedicated teachers in the Art and Music Departments for making this event such a success. NMHS students will sit on the Bergen County Chorus: High school students recently auditioned for the Bergen County Chorus, an honors choir that features outstanding vocalists from schools across the county. We are proud to share that four students from our school have been accepted into this prestigious ensemble; Vince Urmita (#1 Bass 1 spot); Rayna Viera (#8 Alto 1); Jorge Salazar and Christian Dionisio. We commend these talented students for their dedication, hard work, and musical excellence. French Honor Society Visits Gibbs: The students from the French Honor Society, under teacher Ms. Wasserman, were very excited to read French books to 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students during a visit to B.F. Gibbs. The high school students had a great time interacting with the younger students and even taught them some French words! This was a very successful activity, thank you to Ms. Torre for welcoming them to your school! 2D Design Student Presentation: Sophomore, Jillian Conforti, impressed the High School's Intro to 2D Design students with an inspiring presentation on her banner design business and creative process. A special thank-you to Ms. Morel for fostering student-led learning and providing Jillian the opportunity to share her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit with her classmates. NMHS Students of the Month: Congratulations to the NMHS Students of the Month! Nominated by faculty and staff and chosen by a dedicated committee, these students embody the best of our community. They have all represented their school, family, and community with exemplary respect and dedication. Savannah Best (Grade 12) -- Anthony Medina (Grade 11) -- Brianna Maye (Grade 10) -- Isabella Anlocotan Lopez (Grade 9) David E. Owens Middle School David E. Owens MS is consistently seeking out opportunities and programs that broaden students' perspectives beyond the school environment. Throughout the month of October, DEO actively supported healthy student choices by organizing community service opportunities and implementing drug-free campaigns. The Service Learning Club held the annual school-wide Pinkout, which raised over $400 for Breast Cancer research. DEO held a Disney Day: The Happiest Place on Earth is Drug Free for red Ribbon Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is an annual alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention campaign in the United States observed every October. The 8th Grade experienced a HIT (High Intensity Talks) presentation: DEO students had the opportunity to hear from an inmate about the choices they made and getting caught up in drug use and how this can effect one’s life. It was very powerful for our students and part of our Violence and Vandalism Week at DEO. Broadcasting and Podcasting: DEO preparing students for future career opportunities DEO is making significant advancements in exposing students to different types of media. The school's commitment to modern communication was highlighted by the Broadcasting Club, which successfully published its first-ever show (linked here: DEO Morning Show S1:E1 ). Additionally, students are collaborating to create engaging podcasts for the school newspaper. By using new technology and media, students are not only mastering diverse publishing methods but are also getting early exposure to potential future career paths in media and journalism. Thank-you to the NMEF for their support of this endeavor. Berkley School: A Well Deserved Citizen of the Month Recognition Berkley School celebrated a truly special Citizen of the Month this past October. The entire school recognized Mr. George, the custodian, in a heartwarming, school-wide assembly. Students also created projects, proudly displayed throughout the hallways, honoring Mr. George's unwavering commitment to Berkley School. Simply put, the school could not operate without him. Keeping Berkley clean and operational is not just a job for Mr. George, but a deep-seated passion. UPCOMING EVENTS: (visit the school webpages for more specific information) Upcoming Events November 3: Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences November 4: School's Closed - Election Day November 5: Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences November 6-7: School's Closed - Teacher Convention November 12 : BOE Work Session - 7:00pm November 18: BOE Regular Session November 26: Short Session - Thanksgiving Recess Begins Food Assistance Information & Links: https://www.nj.gov/food/get-food-this-week https://nj211.org/ https://nj211.org/resource-search/Food%20Pantries https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/njsnap/ COMMUNITY BACKPACK If you are interested in more upcoming events and happenings taking place in the New Milford Community please be on the lookout for the "Community Backpack" emails that are sent out through parent square weekly. Community Backpack Link (log in required)
Monday, Nov 03 2025
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Office of the Superintendent - New Milford School Di...
New Milford Public Schools Office of the Superintendent ----------------------------------------------------------------- October 13, 2025 Dear New Milford Parents and Guardians, I hope the school year has started off well. Every once in awhile situations present themselves which serve as a reminder about how important our procedures and protocols are to our schools. Earlier today, October 13th, a young man who is not a student of NMHS attempted to enter the school. His initial attempt to enter through an unauthorized back entrance was unsuccessful. He then tried to enter through the main vestibule, claiming to be a student. Thanks to the High School's well-defined security protocols, the administrative assistant and principal were immediately able to identify that he was not a student. Our School Resource Officer quickly secured the situation, and the New Milford Police Department took the individual into custody. The young man was unarmed, cooperated with law enforcement, and our students were safe at all times . While this type of event can be unsettling, it's a testament to the strength of our security procedures in the New Milford School District. We will always review these scenarios to see what went well and what we can improve as we strive to make all our buildings the safest they possibly can be. This is also a good opportunity to remind everyone of our key safety protocols at all of our buildings: All exterior doors must remain locked and closed at all times. Visitors must enter through the main vestibule and present proper identification. Always report any suspicious activity around the schools to the main office immediately. I know at times our school's security measures may be inconvenient for some, however these protocols are put in place to ensure our students and staff are safe and secure while in our buildings. I thank-you in advance for your continued cooperation in helping us keep our schools a safe place for everyone. Sincerely, Peter Galasso Superintendent New Milford Public School District
Tuesday, Oct 14 2025
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September Newsletter: Office of the Superintendent
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER Dear School Community, The 2025-2026 school year is in full swing! Students are back in classrooms, sports, chorus, cheer and band are all underway, and clubs will begin shortly. I hope you had a chance to attend Back-to-School Night and were pleased with your child’s teachers and our welcoming school community. I had the pleasure of attending each one and was grateful to see so many parents were in attendance. I actually saw some parents at 3 different Back to School Nights! Your willingness to attend, despite busy schedules is truly appreciated and important on so many levels. A common theme across our Back-to-School Nights was the importance of attendance , which will remain a focus throughout the year. Every administrator and teacher wants every student in school, every day. Not only do we enjoy having your children with us, but consistent attendance makes learning more efficient and effective for everyone. Last year the state released the 2023-2024 attendance report. In 2023-2024 some of our schools narrowly evaded an action plan for attendance by less then 1%. Any school with a chronic absenteeism rate of 10% or over, must implement an action plan. This means over 9% of our students in some of our schools were absent 18 or more days in the 2023-2024 school year. Fortunately, our internal data from last year (2024-2025) looks much better. However, our goal is to achieve pre-covid attendance levels of below 5%. This is possible if we work together. Here is some helpful information regarding our attendance policies: Students are permitted only 16 unexcused absences by district policy. After 12 unexcused absences, a student is considered truant by the state. At this point, the district may take steps such as scheduling parent meetings or contacting the county truancy division to ensure regular school attendance. The state considers a student chronically absent after 18 absences, regardless of a doctor's note. If a student is absent for 18 days for any reason that means they were absent for 10% of the school year (1 out of every 10 days). So you are aware of your child(ren)'s attendance, schools will send home letters as your child accrues absences. Attendance information can also be found on Genesis. For more information related to the District's attendance expectations and procedures please see the following links: Policy 5200 - Attendance or Regulation 5200 - Attendance (more detailed information). Please remember, students rely on parental support to ensure they arrive to school on time, ready to learn. We understand that sometimes circumstances outside of your control can make this challenging, and we're here to work with you. If you ever have questions about attendance or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your child's school. Here's to a great school year! Sincerely, Peter Galasso Superintendent of Schools DISTRICT NEWS Bike Helmets Students riding a bicycle to school, especially a traditional bicycle, is not only healthy for children, but also convenient for parents and builds independence in our children. However, it is extremely important that students abide by the state and local helmet laws. As a reminder, all children 16 years of age and under must wear a properly strapped bike helmet. So, unless your child is 17 years or older , they should be wearing a bike helmet. Morning Drop Off Procedures Morning drop offs can be challenging, but this is the case for every school in Bergen County. Our four schools range from 450 - 600 students being dropped off in a 15-20 minute time span. Please use the outlined drop off procedures at your child(ren)'s respective school. Also, please obey the traffic laws including; posted no drop off zones and designated one way streets. Please do not K turn in driveways and on streets or block resident driveways while dropping off students. If everyone follows the rules, drop-offs will be more safe and more efficient. Please follow these simple guidelines to help make drop off more efficient: Pull all the way up in the drop off zone before letting your child(ren) out. This may not be directly in front of the entrance door, but your child can then walk to the point of entry, which is never too far. Have your child(ren) exit the vehicle on the sidewalk side (passenger side) so they are not opening the door into passing traffic. Please have your child(ren) ready with their bags and water bottles so they can exit the vehicle quickly. Stop-Drop--Go : Once stopped, quickly exchange goodbyes & let them go . Please have extended conversations during the car ride to school, not in the drop off line. Please be patient . The number one goal is a safe drop off. I would like to thank the New Milford Police Department for working so closely with our schools to help with drop off and pick up procedures. This year, the NMPD added a crossing guard to the back of David E. Owens Middle School, as well as very important signage to make the pick up/drop off safer for our students and more efficient for everyone. Their presence is also very much appreciated. Competing at the Collegiate level: NM athletes The New Milford Athletics Program offers many opportunities for our students, some of whom will play at the collegiate level. Last year we had 7 of our student athletes commit to playing their sport of choice in college; baseball, wrestling and volleyball. We look forward to this years student athletes who will have opportunities at the next level as well. Pictured Left to Right: Andy Aviles (King's College baseball), Liam Block (TCNJ baseball), Gio Nicodeme (Wesleyan University Football), Luis Placido Fana (Eastern University Baseball), Natalya Polkowski (Ramapo College Volleyball), Devin Ryan (West Point Wresting), Jerzey Ryan (Rider University Wrestling). New Milford High School Fall Teams (pictures above taken by NMHS student, Nicole Morales - grade 12) New Milford High School Athletic teams competing in the fall include; boys and girls soccer, football, girls tennis, girls volleyball, cross country, cheer, marching band and color guard. The Fall season has been filled with competitive contests, great wins, and yes, sometimes losses; it is all part of the experience. Even better than winning, are the bonds that are created while working together to accomplish a common goal . We would encourage any student who is interested in joining a team to speak to Mr. Ricciardelli, NMHS Athletic Director. If you are interested in performing in the Band or Color Guard, pictured below, please contact Mrs. Haderthauer, the marching Band Director. The Marching Band and Color Guard perform at Varsity Football games and will also perform at the North Jersey Band festival on October 26. Inside Our Schools NMHS Student Help With November 4th Elections For the second consecutive year, nearly forty New Milford High School students will collaborate with the borough and county election offices to assist with the general elections on November 4th. Following a training session conducted by the county this past week (pictured left), these students will be deployed to various polling locations throughout the borough assisting voters with technology and polling stations. For their service, each student can earn up to $350 depending on their age. While we believe that providing our students with opportunities to earn money is valuable, their involvement in the democratic process and civic engagement is of equal importance. Last year's feedback from the Mayor and Borough Administrator was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the students' excellent performance. We are delighted that the district can offer this valuable opportunity once again. Please remember to go out and vote this November 4th. Writing Competitions: opportunities for awards and scholarships The VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) is offering 2 opportunities for students of the New Milford High School and David E. Owens Middle School to complete for awards and scholarships. We would encourage our students to apply for this opportunity. Please see below: The Patriots Pen is an essay competition giving students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. This competition is open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 and students can receive an award ranging rom $500 to $5,000 for a winning essay. The deadline is October 31, 2025. This year's theme is "How are you showing Patriotism and Support for our Country?" For more information click the link below: Patriots Pen Entry Form - Awards up to $5000 Since 1947 the Voice of Democracy has been the VFW's premier scholarship program. Each year students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives. This years grand prize is $35,000. The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9 though 12 . The deadline for submission is October 31, 2025. This year's theme is "How are you showing Patriotism and Support for our Country?" For more information, please click the link below: Voice of Democracy Entry Form - Awards up to $35,000 DEO's - Broadcasting Studio With the help of a generous New Milford Education Foundation (NMEF) grant, David E. Owens Middle School has a brand new broadcasting studio with professional equipment and a green screen in the Media Center. Our newly established Broadcasting Club supervised by Mrs. Valente and Mr. Maloupis, will look to create a morning show produced by students and broadcasted to the the student body for announcements and school highlights. We hope this new program opens up doors for students interested in this field. A New Mural at the Berkley Street School Over the summer the Berkley PTO funded a mural project for both outside and inside the gymnasium. This will complete, for now, the Berkley gymnasium upgrades which included; removal of the folding wall tables, new cafeteria tables, installation of more safety matting, and installation of the Lu Projector for presentations and interactive play. The murals were created and painted by Paula Curtiss. They incorporate color and sports to make the space more inviting for students. We appreciate the PTO for working with the schools fund this endeavor. B.F. Gibbs Back to School Night B.F. Gibbs teachers and staff welcomed parents and guardians to Back to School Night on September 18. This was a great evening as the school and home connection is so important to our students' success! Pictured to the right is Ms. Belitz and Mrs. Wittreich using their interactive smartboard as they discuss ways 4th grade parents can help support their children's academics at home. We appreciate every parent who attended Back to School Night and look forward to working with the parents for the rest of the school year. UPCOMING EVENTS: (visit the school webpages for more specific information)October Upcoming Events October 1: Multi-Language Learner Family Night (5:30pm - Berkley School) October 2: School's Closed - Yom Kippur October 7: Financial Aide Night - 7:00pm (NMHS) October 15 : BOE Work Session - 7:00pm (NMHS) (State Assessment Presentation) October 20: School's Closed for students - Diwali Heur Night (Soccer Benefit) October 21: BOE Regular Session (HOSA Student Presentation) October 22: 7th Annual Domestic Violence Symp. (right) October 29: Nat'l Art Honor Society Induction-6:30pm October 31: 1/2 Day for Students / K-5 Halloween Parades November 3: K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences (1/2 Day for K-5 students only) November 4 : Schools Closed -Election Day November 5 : K-5 Parent Teacher Conferences (1/2 Day for K-5 students only) November 6-7: Schools Closed - NJEA Convention COMMUNITY BACKPACK If you are interested in more upcoming events and happenings taking place in the New Milford Community please be on the lookout for the "Community Backpack" emails that are sent out through parent square weekly. Community Backpack Link (log in required)
Wednesday, Oct 01 2025