Three newly elected school board members were sworn into office at the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education’s annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 7 in the Lawrence High School library.
Business Administrator Thomas Eldridge administered the oath of office to Jonathan Dauber, Pepper Evans and Michelle King, all of whom were reelected in the November general election.
School board member Kevin Van Hise was reelected to serve as the school board president, and school board member Dana Drake was reelected to be the school board vice president.
As is customary, the school board members each read aloud the code of ethics.
Once the reorganizational tasks were completed, Superintendent of Schools Ross Kasun stated that January is School Board Recognition Month. Kasun then thanked the school board members for their many hours of work.
In acknowledgment of School Board Recognition Month, students from the Ben Franklin Elementary School performed a dance routine for the school board at the meeting.
New Jersey’s local boards of education play an essential role in students’ lives, said Ben Franklin Elementary School Principal Jay Billy. They set the policies for the school district and also make decisions affecting curriculum, finances and staffing.
In New Jersey, the school boards oversee 581 school districts which, in turn, operate about 2,500 public schools and provide educational services to nearly 1.4 million students, Billy said.
“January is the annual School Board Recognition Month, which is a time to raise public awareness of the roles and responsibilities of local boards of education and to thank you for your service,” Billy said.
“We would like to recognize and celebrate the work that these volunteers do in making our schools places of love and learning. Thank you for all your support and for all you do for us as educators,” Billy said.
“Each year, one of our schools gets the opportunity to be part of this recognition. This year, it is the Ben Franklin Elementary School’s turn,” he said.
On cue from Billy and guided by art teacher Jennifer Skorupa and music teacher Colleen LaFlamme, the students thanked the school board members and performed for them. Each child wore a cape that proclaimed their “super power.”
Those super powers can be anything from “I am kind” to “I can help people” to “I am hard working” or “I have perseverance,” Billy said. It is part of the school district’s social emotional learning, which helps students to step out of their comfort zone, he said.
After the students finished their dance routine, they walked up to each school board member and presented them a small box. Inside each box was a hand-made “super power” cape, just like the ones the students were wearing.
And in the spirit of the evening, each school board member put on the cape.
