March 28 Elizabeth Board of Education Business Meeting
The March 28 Elizabeth Board of Education business meeting at Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center School No. 51 opened with a moment of silence for Lorna M. Walker, retired Nicholas Murray Butler School No. 23 Annex Food Service Worker, Ronald “Ron” Kelly, retired Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy Guidance Counselor and EHS Boys Basketball Head Coach, and Maria Irene Sanchez, former Robert Morris School No. 18 Food Service Worker.
Elizabeth Public Schools Superintendent Olga Hugelmeyer presented the student representative to the Board for the January meeting, senior Alondra Calva Giron of John E. Dwyer Technology Academy. Calva Giron is currently the valedictorian for her senior class and hopes to help students achieve their goals. She is the president of the student government and recently had the honor of receiving the Princeton Prize Award in Race Relations for helping advance racial equity in Elizabeth. Calva Giron is a Student Success Center Fellow for the Student Success Center from Make the Road NJ, in which she assists fellow peers in completing college and financial aid applications. After school, she is a Youth Power Project Leader for the Youth Power Project, a group of high school students who fight for equity in their community. In the future, she plans to attend Johns Hopkins University to pursue a career in education, made possible through her support systems at Dwyer.
After Calva Giron came forward to join the other members of the Board, Board President Charlene Bathelus Dorgely presented a video spotlighting Board member Maria Carvalho who during the month of March is sponsoring the Women’s History Month initiative. Throughout the month of March, Elizabeth Public Schools is promoting the extraordinary achievements of women throughout history as well as the increasingly significant roles they are taking on to affect prominent issues that our society faces. Students will be engaged through lessons, activities, events, and performances honoring the women of our community and around the globe whose contributions are making a difference in our world and our daily lives.
Following the Board Member spotlight video, Bathelus Dorgely recognized women members of central administration for their outstanding contributions to the district in honor of Women's History Month.
Hugelmeyer presented a video honoring all of Elizabeth Public Schools’ social workers for their exceptional efforts not only in serving and supporting our 29,000 students throughout the year, but also in contributing to the health and success of our school district, followed by the community updates for March.