The Parish Book Club meeting will meet Tuesday, April 4 at the St. Agnes Church lower level, Center Ave, Atlantic Highlands, and invites all readers or those interested in hearing about books to attend.
The Club meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., will include discussion of this month’s selection, “Rome Sweet Home,” a true story by Scott and Kimberly Hahn relating to the agreements, controversies and struggles including three generations of their family as they ponder over the decision of abandoning their religion to accept Catholicism.
Attendees will also selected the book for next month’s read.
Persons wishing further information or needing a ride to attend the meeting can contact group leader Joe Bullwinkel at 732-291-8804
Former legendary Henry Hudson Regional sports coach Vinnie Whitehead has filed for election as a Republican to one of the two council seats to be decided in the November election. in Atlantic Highlands, running on the ticket with incumbent Councilman James Murphy running for Mayor for the first time, and community activist and army veteran Ellen O’Dwyer.
This is a story I wrote for the Monmouth Journal three years ago when the school where Whitehead coached for 44 years named its gym after him in a ceremony that brought generations of the same families he had coached to honor him.
HIGHLANDS — (January 31, 2020) – The Henry Hudson Regional School gym was officially renamed the Coach Vinnie Whitehead Gym in a festive and moving ceremony Wednesday night that brought faculty, administration, students, alumni, family and scores of well-wishers and admirers to their feet numerous times for standing ovations for the retired coach.
Coach Vinnie retired last year after 44 years at the 7th through 12 regional school. But in that time, he racked up 64 years of coaching athletes and teaching teenagers how to live better lives. He coached 28 years of cross country, 20 of basketball, 10 of baseball, four of field hockey and two years of softball. In fact, he took on cross country as his second sport to coach for the specific reason of getting his basketball players in the best shape possible for their upcoming season.
The dedication program preceded the scheduled basketball game between the Admirals and the Keansburg High School Titans, all of whom sat quietly awaiting the start of the game, but in support and admiration for the retired coach.
With a series of speakers seated at the podium each to offer accolades to Whitehead and his wife, Maria, and speak of how the coach impacted their own lives as well as that of thousands of students, the honored guest and his family were each escorted beneath a tower of pompoms and parade of cheerleaders to thunderous applause from a crowded gym to seats at the podium.
Among the speakers in praise of the coach was alumnus and Atlantic Highlands Councilman James Murphy, who referred to Whitehead as a myth and a legend, and spoke on how he was inspired and, motivated by the man who helped create the foundation on which he lives his life. Current basketball coach Drew Eldridge, who attended Hudson for two years before transferring to Mater Dei to play football for the Seraphs, spoke of how Whitehead, “Let a lot of us live out our dreams.”
Eldridge also praised the Keansburg Titans as “a class team.”
Vincent Esposito, Dean of Studies and Athletics, who headed the program, admired Whitehead as his own mentor and leader. Principal Lenore Kingsmore presented Whitehouse. Superintendent of School Dr. Susan Compton cited the positive differences she observed in students and faculty alike because of Whitehead’s wisdom and guidance.
And the accolades and thunderous applause continued when Board of Education president Gail Woods presented Whitehead with a 1970 photo of the coach when he was a student at Christian Brothers Academy, and praised his energy, and passion. Woods also presented Whitehead with a plaque and read the resolution from the Board of Education honoring him for his 44 years at Henry Hudson and unanimously approving the dedication of the gym in his honor.
Whitehead, thanked the crowd, the faculty, his coworkers, students and alumni for the roles they have played in t he lives of him and his wife, Maria, as well as their daughter, Ashley. He praised and thanked his brother-in-law, Joe Nappo, who, like Whitehead’s wife, graduated from Henry Hudson and who came back to coach field hockey, co-coaching with Whitehead for four years and bringing the Admirals to four winning seasons, four Shore Conferences and four state tournaments during that time. But Whitehead said the greatest trophy for him has been “ the living, breathing, heart beating boys and girls I have been privileged to coach.”
Whitehead said that he was the fourth coach at the high school and has worked under many different principals and administrators during his more than four decades at the school. Then, as no surprise to anyone, he turned to the students and advised them to “be fierce, always respect, try your best, listen to your teachers and your parents and grandparents, and live life to the fullest.”
After the ceremony and before the game got underway, scores of well-wishers accepted the invitation to sign a piece of the former floor of the gym, which was recently renovated and improved, and leave a message for Coach Whitehead as a memento for him of t he lives he has impacted during his career at “the little school at the top of the hill.”
The retired coach grew up in Wall Township, attended St. Rose Grammar School in Belmar and Christian Brothers Academy before attending Brookdale College. He earned a baseball scholarship to Furman University in Greenville, SC and earned his degree in physical education and health. He met his wife while both were coaching at Henry Hudson and the couple has been married for 38 years.
The only sad news of the night was Keansburg’s 49-30 loss to the Titans, but even that isn’t enough to crush the spirit of the smallest school in the Shore Conference. They face Keyport tonight (Jan. 31) at Keyport.
“This is an egregious violation….we don’t have any control. You do! This consistent process of delaying the process going forward is very disturbing.”In a soft, but firm, determined yet sad and well controlled voice, Sea Bright Councilman Erwin Bieber politely but courteously scolded the Atlantic Highlands Council for not stepping up to the plate to take some action.
Bieber pointed out Henry Hudson Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams told the state Commissioner of Education she had the full collaboration of the towns, including Sea Bright, and the three school boards, when she presented a petition seeking authorization from the Department of Education for a referendum in the November general election
The petition Beams submitted, in which she said she had the full collaboration of everyone, is different from the petition the three boards had agreed upon, Bieber told the governing body, and is certainly not one that Sea Bright even knew about, let alone participated in submitting … like Beams said in her undated letter.
Earlier, a resident said she had spoken with Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and she also had never authorized Beams to represent Highlands. When questioned by that resident, no one on council said they knew of the letter and administrator Robert Ferragina said he was not aware they were made aware of, nor was he aware any member of council had authorized it…
The petition as submitted by Beams, without permission from any of the three governing bodies, does not include Sea Bright but rather reads an expansion of the current regional School district serving two boroughs to add the two elementary schools to create an all-purpose PKK-12 school district.
The letter, which is undated, but signed by Beams, said the petition also seeks to enlarge the district to include Sea Bright but only “if its withdrawal from the Oceanport and Shore Regional districts is approved by the state and the voters of all three towns.
The councilman asked the local officials how they thought the state Commissioner would react, seeing the petition that was submitted with the accordance of the three municipalities and now seeing another that is different and also purports to be the petition the three towns and boards agreed in letter not coming from any of the attorneys involved, but coming from the educator saying now it was she making the presentation “with full collaboration” of everyone.
Bieber reminded the elected officials that Sea Bright was never consulted in this and if they believe Beams is accurate “you’re missing something”. He asked “what the heck is going on? If this happened ii Sea Bright, we would certainly be taking action.”
Council had said minutes earlier in response to a question from a resident they were not aware of the Beams letter, although Bieber had confirmation it was presented to attorneys for all three municipalities. Mayor Loretta Gluckstein then stated, “I want to see that letter.” However, when a resident held it up and said “Do you want to see it now?” she quickly answered “No!” then added I’ll see it later on” and declined to take the letter.
Continuing to explain the history of the regionalization quest, which he said he has been involved in for years, Bieber made it clear he does not have any children in the school, but added “But I care for the children in our schools.” and reminded the council the state law that would enable Sea Bright to join a new regional district was put in place specifically for Sea Bright and similar towns to take best advantage of state education funds and to enable other districts to secure more state educational funding.
He spoke of conversations and meetings he and the borough administrator had had when both felt the issues that had to be overcome to get the question on the ballot could be resolved in three months in time for last year’s election ballot. He spoke of how the decision to regionalize was made after both the state and boroughs paid for separate experts who all agreed moving quickly and consolidating all three towns was the best thing to do and should be done as soon as possible.
After the Sea Bright Council Member finished his comments and sat down, it was only Councilman Jon Crowley who challenged him citing several instances where he said Bieber was wrong and repeating several times on separate issues that Bieber was not correct. Standing again Bieber took each of Crowley’s accusations individually and presented factual information, citing specific laws and regulations that supported his statements.
Neither the Mayor nor any member of council gave any indication or made any motion that they intend to investigate the matter further or find out why they did not receive, as they said, copies of the letter that Bieber said was sent from Trenton to each of the three attorneys involved, including Atlantic Highlands attorney, Matthew Giacobbe.
Later in the meeting resident Mark Fisher also said council members made an error when they said they were unaware of the letter, noting he had e-mailed it to each of them as well as the borough administrator and borough clerk several hours before this meeting.
After repeated denials throughout the meeting by the Borough Attorney, the Business Administrator, the Mayor, and a number of Council Members regarding the existence of this unauthorized letter sent by Dr. Breams, and only after Mr. Fisher confronted the Council did Council Member Jon Crowley finally admitted that he did in fact receive the letter, although “I didn’t read the entirety of the letter”
This admission opened a flood gate of recollections by other Council Members. James Murphy inferred that he was aware of the letter, but did not read it due to his conflict with the entire matter in which he recluses his self from. Council Woman Hohenleitner also indicated she received it. Sometimes it is hard to get a straight answer … even when you ask a direct question.
While Dr. Tara Beams is busy writing aletter to the state Commissioner of Education and seemingly outright lying that she is representing all three boroughs and their boards of education involved in the school regionalization issue, parents of children in all three schools in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands are still highly dissatisfied with how Dr. Beams oversees the education as superintendent and fearful nothing is being done to address their concerns.
Parents are also fearful of making their concerns public, so more and more of them are writing VenividiScripto and asking for help in making public their belief. Beams is definitely not the right person to provide the best education for their children.
Kris Frazier is one concerned parent who not only has written to the board of education but also shared her letter with VeniVidiScripto as a last resort effort to have someone address their concerns she has for education in the local system. Some of those concerns were included in an earlier story.
Ms. Frazier, in trying to follow the new rules put in place that all concerns have to go through channels before they reach the board, directed a letter to Dr. Beams and, dissatisfied with having to write the very person she was criticizing then wrote a second letter to the board expanding on her original letter for which she had never received any formal response.
In this letter, Mrs. Frazier accepted that the board could only respond to some of her concerns and while Dr. Beams did respond to a letter Mrs. Frazier sent, Mrs. Frazier pointed out having the superintendent answer the letter complaining about herself “is a non-biased review of what’s happening in the school.”
Stressing information she is still seeking, the parent said “It is a fact our community is unique …- this school and this district are special.” But, she pointed out, “there is no emphasis put on the school environment and the perception of that environment for current and future parents.”
As examples of her concern, she wrote that programs have been removed, teachers are leaving and her fear that in the Atlantic Highlands elementary school, students will not be prepared for middle school.” She hastened to add that fact “is not by any fault of the teachers” stressing it is rather “because of the system put in place with the current leadership.” The explanation that the problem is definitely at the very top of the level, and the teachers are not to blame nor are they inferior. That has been the hallmark of almost every letter VeniVidiScripto has received form parents in the local schools.
Mrs. Frazier described the system as “choking the air out of a school that was soaring.” She added that the reason parents are ” pulling their children from the district is because we know what is possible here and we don’t see it returning.”
Expressing further concerns, to the board of education, Mrs. Frazier added in her letter that “no programs have been added that make this district competitive for high school…you’ve taken away the programs at the elementary school level that did enable children to be challenged.” She continued “You’ve taken away our programs in theater and art. We shouldn’t be taking programs away because students leave. We should be adding more programs to make it possible for them to stay.”
Looking at local school district history, Mrs. Frazier pointed out the district has not been elevated in its academic platform the last two years but rather an environment was created that leaves no space for parents, teachers or students to have input into moving the district in the right direction.
She pointed out that when she expressed these concerns to Dr. Beams, the answer was it is entirely the teacher’s responsibility to provide differentiated instruction, though in the past it was supported by programs at the school.
She can blame the former superintendent, Mrs Frazier said, but pointed out to board members ” it is uniquely Dr Beam’s responsibility to understand the standard and spirit of the district she works for. And to respect it and push it forward. ” She said the superintendent explained that the focus on gifted students is inappropriate, teachers have a lack of specialized teaching certificates, staff scheduling has gaps are the reasons for the structure change in the 5th and 6th grades.
“All I hear as a parent are inadequate explanations.”
This week, VeniVidiScripto also heard from parents of students in the Highlands elementary school reiterating the same complaints. One parent wrote “the same holds true at Highlands,” citing the math curriculum is horrendous, science is treated as special, and even worse, “history would be non existent except for a handful of resourceful teachers”
That parent agree that “the children are capable of so much more, the teachers are as well, if given the chance.”
In addition to blaming the boards and the superintendent a Highlands parent added her belief that “if the state Department of Education were not such a bureaucratic machine, we parents would be heard.”
The administrative leadership of the district is too heavy-handed, the parent wrote, and as a result, the teachers are suffocated, the very capable principals in the school cannot run their schools to the best of their ability, and in the end, it is the children who are suffering and looking towards a dismal future, should Dr. Beams continue as superintendent.”
It could have been Thomas Jefferson applauding and cheering the decision, but in the end, the people who attend Atlantic Highlands council meetings learned that they can now enjoy the rights guaranteed to all Americans under the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights…they’re allowed to speak and ask QUESTIONS at a council meeting.
The decision of the Mayor and Council was not made by resolution. Nor was there a vote taken. It was simply the borough attorney, Peg Schaffer, reading a statement following an executive session saying that’s what the governing body told her to say.
Still, it did not end with Ms. Schaffer’s reading of her prepared statement, one presumably readied even before that executive session. Mayor Loretta Gluckstein said she didn’t want to beat a dead horse. But she did anyway.
The mayor wanted to repeat what the attorney said the governing body agreed to, again, though no vote was ever taken, that the public does have the right to ask questions at a meeting.
That wasn’t enough for the mayor to say. She wanted to add an unnecessary definition of what the lengthy statement from the attorney said., “That does not mean that if you don’t like the answer you get, you are allowed to badger ME or any member of the council,” she said. Hopefully the word “Badger” doesn’t become overly subjective …
No other member from council spoke, though on the official recording of the meeting you can hear one councilman saying, “it’s all downhill now.” That makes me wonder about the adage “there’s a grain of truth in every joke.”
Schaeffer’s statement included a reminder to the public that the council does not restrict the length of time a resident might take at the podium during a public meeting. But she did not also remind residents that that right only came about after an earlier request and earlier repetitious requests from the public years ago before it was actually approved by a vote and formal resolution.
In her prepared statement, Schaffer cautioned the public that anyone who “fails to keep to the subject” or is “repetitious” will still be halted from continuing. She read that disruption of meetings “is a substantive evil.”
There do not seem to be any instances under this or the previous administration when police, who are present for every meeting, have ever removed anyone for being disruptive
The attorney concluded her statement with “the bottom line is, we will answer questions,” including herself in the statement.
Later, during the first few minutes of the public portion of meeting, there was one instance when Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner, possibly observing something in the back of the room, called out “Scott! Scott!” referring to the Police Chief. That was followed by someone else also yelling “Scott.” Someone said “Boracchia,” a former councilman who had just made a statement about regionalization during the meeting, followed by someone in the back of the room saying he “should leave.” There was no interruption of the meeting other than Ms. Hohenleitner yelling out, and the public continued with the public portion.
National Medal of Honor Day. Saturday, March 25, wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for each of the men buried there.
On that same day, at Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant, SC, there will be Medal of Honor Storytelling tours and a special Medal of Honor Visitors Experience.
These two events, as others across the country, honor National Medal of Honor Day, celebrated each year on March 25 since it was first established by Congress to foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.
Each of the 3516 recipients of the nation’s highest military award is specially honored on the date that the first Medal of Honor was issued to 19 military men known as Andrew’s Raiders at the Civil War battle known as the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862.
The wreaths laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers are in remembrance that each of the Unknowns is a recipient of the Medal of Honor. The wreaths are laid by living recipients of the Medal of Honor in their recognition of the sacrifices of those we served alongside and those who came before them.
The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum offers four exclusive tours that day featuring places and artifacts symbolizing America’s heroes, including a special behind-the-scenes experience and a commemorative item for all tour participants.
The story telling tours feature docents stationed at Medal of Honor Informational Checkpoints around the Museum to share the stories of America’s greatest military heroes next to the artifacts that illustrate their stories. This is the only day of the year where the two special events are conducted.
Jacob Parrott was the first service member to receive the Medal of Honor. He was a member of Andrew’s Raiders during the Civil War. Each of the Raiders received the Medal of Honor from Secretary of War Edwin Stanton on March 25, 1863, for” for their volunteering and participation during an American Civil War raid in April of 1862.
General Ormsby Mitchel was commanding officer of Union troops in Tennessee and planned to capture a water and railway junction necessary to the Confederates at Chattanooga, Tennessee, depriving the South access to the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys.
Such action, however, would be met with strong Confederate reinforcements from Georgia and create havoc and great loss of Union lives.
James J. Andrews was a civilian scout traveling with Mitchel and suggested using a small group of volunteers to destroy the railroad, thereby cutting off the Confederate ability to move either supplies or reinforcements. Mitchell approved, and Andrews Raiders conducted the Great Locomotive Chase. Andrews’ Raiders was instituted.
The Raiders plan included stealing a train, stopping several places along their rail ride to destroy tracks, bridges, switches, and telegraph lines behind them, then rejoining Mitchill as he headed to Chattanooga, and rejoin.
Traveling in groups of twos and threes and dressed as civilians to avoid suspicion, Andrews, another civilian William Hunter Campbell, and 22 volunteer soldiers, Parrott among them all arrived in Marietta, Georgia.
Moving to Big Shanty, the volunteers took over a steam locomotive, the General, along with three boxcars, and continued to Chattanooga, damaging the tracks and switches behind them along the way. Because of delays along the way due to Southern rail trains moving in the opposite direction, and other incidents that almost betrayed their secrecy , the Confederates were able to catch up with a train of their own, and begin chase with their own locomotive, the William R Smith.
Having a locomotive enabled Confederate General Fuller to keep pace until he was stopped by missing track, track that Andrews and his men had pulled out. Undaunted, Fuller and his men resumed the chase on foot until they were past the destroyed sections of track.
Just 18 miles outside of Chattanooga, the raiders abandoned the General and scattered. All were captured within two weeks, and in the end, Andrew’s raiders failed in their attempt. They were tried in military courts and found guilty of “acts of unlawful belligerency.” Andrews and seven others were hanged.
Fearing the same, Parrott and the remaining raiders managed to escape; he and five others failed, eight succeeded. Parrott was taken as a prisoner of war, and beaten numerous times in an effort to have him divulge more information about the raiders’ intention but refused each time. Eventually all the POWs were released in a prisoner exchange.
Parrott died Dec. 22, 1908 at his home in Kenton, Ohio and is buried in Grove Cemetery in Kenton, Ohio on the road named for him as Jacob Parrott Boulevard.
The hijacked locomotive, General, is on display at The Southern Museum in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Texas, the locomotive used by the Confederacy, in the chase, is on display.
Residents and attendees on ZOOM got to see and hear both an alleged lie by the Superintendent of the tri-district schools wrote to the Commissioner of Education as well as apparent lies from their own governing body when they indicated they never saw the letter in which Dr. Tara Beams inferred that she represented not only them, but the mayors and councils of Highlands and Sea Bright before the state education commissioner.
In a meeting made even more dramatic when it had to be halted for a brief medical emergency, and a firm exchange of information between Sea Bright Councilman Erwin Bieber and this borough’s councilman Jon Crowley, residents also learned that in spite of the borough attorney’s declaration at previous meetings, the public does have the right to ask questions during public portions of the meeting.
In response to a question from a resident as to whether the governing body gave Beams authority to represent it in the ongoing discussions and actions on the question of school regionalization, Mayor Loretta Gluckstein said she had not seen the letter and no other member of the governing body admitted they had.
It was only after resident Mark Fisher said during the public portion, he had e-mailed each of them, as well as the borough clerk and administrator, the March 17 letter Beams sent to state Education Commissioner Allen-McMillan that the public learned their elected officials were either lying or did not read e-mails directed to their official e-mail addresses in spite of being at Borough Hall for several hours before the meeting.
After repeated questions, Council Member Jon Crowley eventually admitted that he did in fact receive the Beams letter.
Nor did council take any action on a request from another resident that the elected officials take immediate action with at least some sort of censure of the schools chief for lying to the commissioner when she sent a petition to the state Commissioner “submitted with full collaboration by the Boards of Education of Henry Hudson Regional School District, Atlantic Highlands School District, Highlands Borough School District and the Boroughs of Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright.
Mayor Gluckstein said after the meeting that council members all had to be at borough hall from 4 p.m. the afternoon of the meeting to go over borough business and she had not had time to look at any e-mails addressed to her in her borough file. She did not say whether the clerk or the administrator had advised the elected officials they too received the letter.
Earlier in the day, Highlands Mayor Carolyn Beams confirmed she had received the letter Beams wrote to the state almost immediately after their attorney in the regionalization matter had received it from the state commissioner. Sea Bright Councilman Bieber confirmed at the meeting that Sea Bright’s officials had also received the letter the Atlantic Highlands council members denied knowing about and that the letter had been sent to all three boroughs.
Although Gluckstein refused to accept a copy of the letter during the meeting, she did say she would like a copy, which she received from a resident after the meeting. This was a bit strange. When another resident was speaking on another subject … not only did the new Borough Attorney want a copy of a document he was speaking from … she actually asked for the document.
VeniVidiScripto will also have separate and more complete stories on Councilman Bieber’s comprehensive and thorough comments to the governing body as well as the reversed opinion of the attorney that conceding the public does have the right to ask questions at a meeting
Don’t know if there is a connection or not, but shortly after Mark Fisher posted a long involved message on his well-read and very popular page, the agenda for tonight’s council meeting was amended to include another item , a discussion on OPMA, which is the Open Public Meetings Act.
Here’s the irony of the amended agenda item: discussion of the OPEN public meetings act will be in executive or CLOSED, session!
That’s all well and good, because it is within the law. But it does seem kind of silly that talking about being OPEN has to be done in EXECUTIVE or CLOSED session.
The state law is specific on what can be talked about in executive or closed sessions. It’s ok if the matter being discussed is one “in which the public body is or may become a party” or “matters falling within the attorney-client privilege,” or “if confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise his ethical duties as a lawyer.”
That last part sounds a bit ironic as well. Does that mean that an attorney can only exercise his ethical duties as a lawyer” if it is kept confidential?
In the final analysis, it does make you wonder … Is the new Borough Attorney going to enter into the Executive Session to defend this new Orwellian rule of “Ask No Questions”
It seems there are several parents, particularly those with children in the Atlantic Highlands elementary and Henry Hudson schools, that are terribly disturbed about what’s being taught or not taught to their children.
But parents are afraid to talk out! Parents … adults with jobs, mortgages, housekeeping, and many other issues and concerns are afraid to speak out in defense of their children’s education.
Perhaps the reason is retaliation, perhaps it’s a ‘social’ thing because they do not want to be tagged as complainers. Perhaps it’s because they differ with their friends and don’t want to lose a friendship over it. Perhaps it’s just a case of “what good will it do? They won’t listen to me anyway.”
There is one parent, however, who is not afraid to speak, to go public, to have her name in VeniVidiScripto which circulates all over the world. She’s not afraid of losing a friendship, being mocked, criticized, or thought poorly of.
Kris Frazier is scared to death of how her kids are going to grow up, proceed to college or elsewhere and make highly successful citizens in their adult lives because of inferior education.
She’s scared because she sees things being done wrong, she sees things she doesn’t like, she sees things for her younger kids so different from when her older kids were in elementary school. And she already sees results she doesn’t like.
So, as a deeply concerned parent, Kris Frazier is speaking out, publicly no matter what it costs herself. She’s a devoted mother who simply wants the best for her kids.
Kris, as other parents have also indicated, had a lot of concerns about the change in the educational system since Dr. Tara Beams became the superintendent of the Tri-District, which also includes the Highlands elementary school.
She wrote a letter to the Atlantic Highlands Board of Education, where the majority of her concerns are focused, with copies to each one of the 26 members of all the boards. She got two responses, one each from members of two different boards.
But since the responses were from board members, all they could say was they received her letter, or they would bring it up at a meeting.
Absent any official answer or acknowledgement her letter was received, Kris decided to write Dr. Beams herself, even though that’s about whom she was complaining.
In her early morning letter, Kris wrote the superintendent that she was “concerned that the students in the 4-6th grades will be unprepared to test into a higher level math in middle school.” She pointed out the accelerated math class has been discontinued and the children are not receiving any individualized math instruction. She pointed out that the students “could be learning at a faster pace but are not.”
Then the concerned parent asked why the change? Why is the teacher who is familiar with and trained in the range of past math curriculum not teaching all the 5th and 6th grade students’ math? And the more fearful questions, “How are you setting these students up to be eligible ..for the more challenging classes at Henry Hudson?”
Dr Beams is far quicker and far more responsive than the Board of Education. She answered Kris minutes later with a highly detailed e-mail.
She was passing the letter on to another educator who would follow up with the mother on her child’s progress and classroom instruction, she wrote. She recommended Kris reach out to the teachers to discuss how they are “differentiating instruction to meet students’ needs, and gave her the contact she should make if the needs are not being met.
Dr. Beams followed that advice with several paragraphs on the Challenge program phased out before she got here two years ago and said the 6th grade students “were the final cohort to complete the program.” Since she wasn’t in the decision making process she could not address that, she said, .’”However, tracking just one academic group in elementary school causes significant inequities”
The superintendent then explained the truth of the challenge program contrary to what was being circulated…she did not say where or how it was being circulated, and why it has not been corrected….. then went on to explain the necessary certifications for teaching with few exceptions, she said the teachers “are providing instruction in the appropriate areas.”
There was another paragraph explaining all the certifications the staff has, the training and personal development they have, and the “differentiated instruction they should be providing based on their performance levels and need. “ As a final reminder to Kris, Dr. Beams told her the contact who could “review student performance data and look into instruction in the classroom.”
That’s a lot of explanations in general but little independent attention paid to Kris’ concerns early in the morning. And no answer to her questions in the first place.
But that was not the end of the letter. Dr. Beams wanted to address this parents concerns about Henry Hudson, which she did, talking about departmentalization being implemented, slowly dismantled, causing significant gaps in staff schedules and a few other problems for staff. Before saying “We are confident that are staff are adequately preparing our students for HHRS and the pre-algebra or accelerated ELA options that are now offered.” Dr. Beams expressed hope she had answered the questions, assured Kris she would speak with the educator and invited a meeting she would be happy to set up when the youngster begins in the new school. With the new program.
Unhappy, dissatisfied with the response, and continuing to be frustrated, Kris decided to once again try a letter to the Board of Education.
That’s when she learned there’s a new policy in place.
From what this parent knows, though it does not appear to have happened by any vote at any board meeting, the new procedure said letters of concern should first be addressed to the principal, then the superintendent, and only then to the elected officials. That, Kris thinks, gives the superintendent the opportunity to intervene before any complaints actually reach the board. She wonders if that is appropriate, especially since the board is in the process of deciding whether they want to renew Dr. Beams’ contract, and would they do it for five years rather than the current three?
All of which preceded the letter Kris planned for the Board this week. But with the new directive apparently in place, she’s following the rules and sending it to the principal first.
Any parents with concerns should follow the example of Kris … voice your concerns
Reading the news of the fights, drunken brawls and injuries during Spring Break among local college students today, it made me think of the teenagers in the Bayshore who lived through and very close to a war. Here are a few recollections from Middletown High School students a month after the war ended in Europe.
In 1945, four graduating students from Middletown High School each wrote about the military and the impact it had on everyone in the Bayshore. and had to read their essays at their graduation exercises. Dick Wacker spoke of the soldiers and sailors they knew who were in service. Virginia Trotter described the home-front efforts Middletown offered as part of the war effort. John Nelson highlighted the parts played by “the project which is peculiarly our own…the Navy and army ammunition-loading pier at Leonardo.” He also highlighted the ramifications of the base at Earle, with its headquarters 12 to 15 miles southwest of Leonardo.
That all preceded Nancy R. Meeker writing and speaking about Earle’s pier in Leonardo. In presenting her talk, the very articulate graduate reminded her audience that “this project is peculiarly our own. How else could I speak of it, when the pier, the very lifeblood of the project, starts within a mile of this auditorium where we are?”
Nancy went on to explain how the spot in little known Leonardo was selected by the military, from its proximity to New York to the navigable bay and the railway and highway transportation already in the area.
She spoke of the ten thousand acres of scrub pine land “such a common sight to those of us who live in central Monmouth County,” and how ground was broken in October of 1943 and seven months later, military were moved into the administration building and Earle began to function.
She described the ammunition magazines “resembling igloos” and placed “several hundred feet apart for safety in case an explosion should occur.”
The student spoke of the army railroad spurs, barricaded by concrete abutments explaining that should there be an explosion, “these reinforced barricades would send the force of any explosion straight up into the air and probably prevent it from spreading to other spurs.”
The graduate described the pier in Leonardo, the city in Colts Neck where Navy and Army families were living on that portion of the base on streets named for the battles our military had fought….Saipan, Lungo, Tulagi, Oran, Munda, Coral, Wake, Midway and more..
She described the joint enterprise of all branches of the military serving as “a constant example of the cooperation and teamwork needed in winning a war. She spoke of personnel..Army and Navy staffs, colored and white , ordnance men and Marines, civilian employees, and overseas veterans working here while undergoing rehabilitation.
She praised Capt. Gilbert C. Hoover, the CO and his aide, Lt. H.D. Leuin, told the range of work the Earle team does and what they accomplished from the Normandy landings through V.E.Day.
Then student then asked,” What part will Earle now play since V.E Day is an accomplished fact?” And she answered her own question. “We can be certain that it will continue its operations full speed for the duration of the war with Japan…It will also continue, in the years of peace which will follow victory over Japan, to be a storage and loading center for ammunition for both the Navy and the army. It is a permanent project” She added that “we citizens of Middletown Township have played a definite part in the success of Earle, one that has not been without cost. “The leisurely calm of a summer resort has been replaced by the feverish activity of a wartime ammunition pier that has helped and is helping to win the war. We are content’
After thanking the Board of Education, the principal Mr. Megill and the entire staff for advice and training, this teenager concluded with “We are glad to have the knowledge which we have gained, but we are thankful for the memory of these four happy years, a memory which will remain after many of thr facts we have learned are forgotten.
Then this teenage who came through four years of a nation at war said “the last word is the best, but tonight I do not enjoy saying it, for the last word, from the class of 1945, is farewell!”
Read the Story about the man whom the Base is named after Here
