April 19 Elizabeth Board of Education Meeting at Elmora No.12
The April 19 Elizabeth Board of Education meeting at Elmora School No. 12 opened with a moment of silence for the passing of Juan Pablo Duarte-José Julián Martí School No. 28 student Alisson Kristal Cardoza, retired Elizabeth Public Schools teacher Chessie Dentley Roberts,
retired John E. Dwyer Technology Academy House Director Frederick Chesky, and retired Elizabeth High School Cooperative Industrial Arts Education teacher Stephen Di Donato. Resolutions were read by members of the Board in honor of Chessie Dentley Roberts (read by Board Vice President Charlene Bathelus Dorgely) and Frederick Chesky (read by Board Member Stephanie Goncalves Pestana).
Several performances by students and team members of School No. 12 took place before the official start of the meeting in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, including “Infinity Sign / I Believe” and “Not So Different” performed by School No. 12 Afterschool Enrichment and Academic Program students, “A Thousand Years” performed by School No. 12 Pre-K and Kindergarten students and team members, “The World Needs All Kinds of Minds” performed by School No. 12 7th and 8th grade After School Enrichment Program and 6th and 7th grade AVID students, “Our ‘Why’" performed by School No. 12 students, honorees, teachers, and assistants, "I am Unique", written by Aileen Montilla and read by Juan Landaverde, and "Rainbow", written by Giselle Enriquez Vivar and read by Sadiel Gonzalez.
The Board also recognized students and team members from School No. 12 prior to the start of the meeting, including:
Elmora School No. 12 Special Education and Autism Teachers
- Kathleen Amy Carlson, Teacher-Resource Center
- Stephanie M. Cuccio, Teacher Kindergarten Special Education
- Nicole A. Johnson, Teacher-Autism
- Nicole Matos Rodrigues, Teacher-Resource Center
- Fredericka Marilyn Poyotte, Teacher-Autism
- Karen Fennell- ESS Special Education Substitute Teacher
Elmora School No. 12 Assistants
- Sama Alserreya
- Leidys Asusje
- Yaniet Barrero
- Sonia Benavente
- Ramonita Carbone
- Roszita M. Fields
- Ruben Francois
- Jeffrey Jamar Hall
- Sama Alserreya
- Leidys Asusje
- Yaniet Barrero
- Sonia Benavente
- Ramonita Carbone
- Roszita M. Fields
- Ruben Francois
- Jeffrey Jamar Hall
The Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce attended the meeting to present a scholarship award in the amount of $1,500 to Nathalia Lopez, a senior at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy.
During the meeting, the student representative of the Board from Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy, Jahziyah Staraj Denene Carter, was presented by school vice principal Roberto Cerbone. Carter is currently ranked No. 2 in her graduating class and will be attending college this coming fall. She is the senior class president and was voted the school’s Homecoming Queen earlier this school year. Carter is currently enrolled in commercial baking, having developed skills that she uses to operate her own cupcake business that she aspires to operate through her college career. She is a great leader who is always willing to go above and beyond and her dedication to her school community and to academic success makes her an excellent person to serve as the student representative to the Board on behalf of Edison Career and Technical Academy.