District Administration
Superintendent: Dr. Rene T. Rovtar
Information About.......
THE SCHOOLS
The Gillette School serves Kindergarten and first grade students and also houses programs for autistic and pre-school special needs children. The Millington School serves grades two, three, four and five. The Central School houses grades six, seven and eight. All three schools have a self contained special education classroom for learning disabled children as well as a continuum of services for handicapping conditions. The district is planning action which will serve a growing number of students in the future. The following section attempts to provide answers to some common questions. Remember that your child’s teacher and the principal are the best resources for information. Also refer to Schools FAQs .
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NEW STUDENTS
Kindergarten Registration
- Registration for students whose last names are between A and L will be from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on January 9, 2012 at Gillette School. Those with last names between M and Z should register there from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on January 10, 2012 at Gillette School.
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Children who will be 5 years old on or before October 1, 2012 may register. Parents should be prepared to present the following:
- Child's birth certificate (with raised seal)
- Official documentation from either a physician or public health department of your child's immunization dates
- Proof of residence in Long Hill Township (valid driver's license with current address and recent credit card bill or vehicle insurance card with current address)
Your child does not need to be present at registration. Residents who have a neighbor or friend with a kindergarten-aged child, are asked to share this school registration information with them. Anyone wishing further information can call the Gillette School office at (908) 647-2313 ext. 1124.
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TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
The district transports over nine hundred students, one hundred eighty days per year, plus field trips and sporting events. The district continues to provide courtesy transportation to many students who live close to school and who are not covered by laws requiring transportation. Attempts to keep costs down mean that the length of routes may be considered to be long for a township of this size. The Department of Education rates districts on route efficiency and to maintain a positive rating, buses must be filled to capacity, hence longer lasting routes. Also refer to Transportation FAQs .
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HEALTH SERVICES
Specific information about individual expectations from each school are available in parent handouts. Please review them carefully.
A licensed nurse is available to students in each school. If a child becomes ill or is injured, the nurse will contact parents. Working parents are required to leave a number for the workplace. Additional information is also helpful and may be requested so as to ensure proper care in emergency circumstances.
The nurses are involved in vision, hearing and Scoliosis screening and assist the designated school doctor in his services to the district. They react to emergencies, provide care as needed, serve as resource people for referrals and communicate significant information to doctors, parents and agencies.
All incoming children in grades K, 3 and 7 receive physical examinations. Transfer-in students also receive a physical. Parents are contacted about results.
The school nurses have a significant record keeping responsibility for all children.
Gillette School - Mrs. Bawarshi, ext.1123
Millington School - Mrs. Freeman, ext. 2119
Central School - Mrs. Givens, ext. 4004
- Please do not send to school, a child who, upon awakening, feels ill.
- If you are notified that your child has become ill at school, please be timely in picking that child up from the building.
- If your child is likely to be absent from school for three or more days, please notify the school.
- Please provide your child with a note of explanation upon return from an absence.
State law requires immunization for all students entering district schools. This includes shots for D.P.T., polio, mumps, and rubella. The Mantoux Intradermal Test must be administered to all students entering district schools from another state or country who have not had this test in the previous six months.
There are specific procedures from each school to follow in cases where students need to have medication on a scheduled basis. Please follow all directives of the school nurse.
Any student participating in a school sport or intramural activity, must have a physical exam.
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AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Mr. John Esposito, School Business Administrator/Board Secretary, is the district Affirmative Action Officer. He is the district resource person on items such as affirmative action, sexual harassment issues, equity plans and related items. He would be the hearing officer in any complaint or grievance about equal access to programs, discrimination due to gender or sexual preference, charges involving racial or ethnic slurs etc.
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HORIZON PROGRAM
The mission of the Long Hill Township Academic Horizon Curriculum is to nurture and strengthen the use of critical thinking, decision-making and problem solving skills in all of its students and to provide gifted learners with the necessary learning environments to hone and strengthen these abilities.
For more details, click here .
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SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE CHILD STUDY TEAM
The district offers a full continuum of services for special education children. The district philosophy is to educate local children in local schools whenever possible, despite the handicapping condition of the child. This is not always possible.
In-class support, Resource Center, self-contained classes for learning disabled children as well as a full course of related services are offered in all schools. There is also a program for Pre-School Special Needs children and Autistic children. Both are housed at Gillette.
A full Child Study Team is housed at the Millington School.
There are many questions involved in the consideration of a child’s educational program that is influenced by a learning or physical disability. Whereas some conditions are apparent at a very early age, early intervention efforts provide a resource and base for the efforts of the public school, where services usually begin at the age of three. Other conditions are not as apparent and will result in a referral which takes place when the child has already started her/his formal education.
Formal procedures govern the referral, the evaluation and the programming of a child who has a classifiable condition. Any child who is classified has a document known as an Individual Educational Plan. Parents and school representatives mutually develop this living document.
If you have concerns about a child please note the following suggestions:
- talk to your child’s teacher who is in a good position to discuss comparability and individual circumstances.
- call the Child Study Team 647-1202. You can talk to a School Psychologist, a School Social Worker or a Learning Disability Teacher Consultant. Each of these professionals have specific training which may assist you.
If your questions are of an administrative nature, and this is especially so for transfer-in students or for students with more challenging conditions, Ms. Munson or Mr. DiBenedetto should be contacted directly.
The Child Study Team has a significant amount of resource information available.
CHILD STUDY TEAM - SPECIAL EDUCATION QUESTIONS
1. Can the process of an evaluation for special education be explained in simple terms?
In all honesty, due to the significant influence of federal law and state regulations which govern the process, there is no simple manner of explanation for a special education procedure. This becomes especially frustrating in a circumstance where a parent becomes, or has been made aware, of a difficulty with a child. The understandable reaction to this is to want to do something immediately. Therein lies the difficulty. The process is not accomplished in a few days.
An understanding of terms is important. The Child Study Team is a group of school employees who have earned certification that allows them to make judgments about conditions which challenge a child and the programs which are designed to assist them. A referral is a document which identifies an initial cause for concern about a child. It can be generated from a teacher observation, a parent opinion or a physician. It sets forth a pattern of action by Child Study Team personnel which include observation, compilation of input from teachers and discussion with parents. The referral may lead to evaluation of a child. This may include the following evaluations: a physical completed by a doctor, an evaluation done by the school psychologist, educational testing completed by the Learning Disability Teacher Consultant, a social case history, a speech evaluation and additional evaluations done outside of the school district if appropriate to the child’s condition. The evaluation may lead to classification . This means that a child has a disability which influences his/her educational program. It now becomes the responsibility of the Child Study Team, parent and others to develop an Individual Educational Plan. The IEP governs the educational program of the child. It includes interventions which will assist the child in overcoming those disabilities previously mentioned. The interventions may include different therapies, placement in small group or self contained classes, special assistance from aides or teachers, assistive devices, etc. The IEP must be implemented in the Least Restrictive Environment . This means that the child be placed with her/his non-handicapped peers as much as possible.
There are specific time limits attached to the completion of all of the above.
2. If a child is classified, how is his/her progress tracked?
A classified child still gets report cards from regular and special education teachers. Additionally, there is a conference known as the annual review which compiles input from all those involved in the education of the child and changes the IEP as appropriate.
3. What is the best document for a total review of information related to the above?
By law, the district distributes a constantly updated PRISE document which specifies laws, timelines and parental rights. This is available in the Child Study Team office.
Also refer to Special Services FAQs .
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BEFORE / AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAMS
The district offers before and after school care at the Gillette and Millington Schools. After school care is not currently available at Central Middle School. A Kindergarten wrap around program is available at Gillette School. The childcare programs are provided through the Work Family Connection at Gillette and at Millington School. Registration information on the Gillette and Central programs is available at www.theworkfamilyconnection.org.
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WHO TO CALL IN A SITUATION OF NEED:
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- Bus discipline - School Principal
- Bus routing - District Office, 647-1200, ext. 1034, Mr. Esposito or Dr. Rovtar, ext. 1031
- School discipline - School Principal
- Appeal of a Principal’s decision - Dr. Rovtar
- Complaint about a teacher - Speak to the teacher before speaking to the Principal
- Need for finance information - Business Administrator, Mr. Esposito, ext. 1034
- Appeal of a Superintendent’s decision - Board of Education through Board President
- Complaint about sexual harassment - the School Principal
- Incidence of Child Abuse - School Nurse or School Principal. By law, any district personnel aware of a child abuse situation must call the Division of Youth and Family Services
- Curriculum questions - School Principal and Director of Curriculum
- Board of Ed. meeting agendas - Business Administrator, Mr. Esposito, ext. 1034
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GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
An adult may appeal any school decision made by a school official. There is a chain of command to follow and it begins with the teacher of the child. Parents should be aware of rationale behind decisions made by teaching staff members and, should they not be satisfied, an appeal to the principal can be made. It is likely that the principal will investigate, and that will include a meeting between those in disagreement. The principal will act on the basis of what has been learned through her/his efforts. The parent has the right to continue to appeal to the next level, which is the office of the superintendent. Further investigation will take place and a decision will be put forth by the superintendent. The next level of grievance is the Board of Education, via the board president, once district appeals are exhausted.
The grievant may call the Morris County Office of Education, Dr. Kathleen Serafino, Executive County Superintendent. ( 973) 285-8332.
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CRISIS MANAGEMENT
The district is constantly faced with children in crisis; therefore it must have a full set of services to assist families in the educational realm.
Jocelyn Merritt the district's School Psychologist. She has excellent experience and preparation in dealing with circumstances related to problems of children and adolescents. Mrs. Merritt can be reached at 647-1200 x 2228. Kimberly Puleo serves as the District Counselor.
Mrs. Jean Molendyke is the Central School Counselor. She can be reached at 647-2311, ext. 4042. She also possesses specific training in many of the above mentioned areas. She also serves as our counselor for substance abuse.
Each school has a Intervention and Referral Services Team comprised of teachers and special services personnel. The team meets as needed to discuss and develop strategies to provide various interventions and plans of action to address student needs prior to a referral to the Child Study Team.
The district has a strong and active committee for CRISIS MANAGEMENT. Hundreds of hours of preparation time have been spent in preparing for emergency circumstances and the prevention of the same. Regional resources for families in need have been prepared for response if necessary. Regular meetings are held between school personnel and the Long Hill Township personnel responsible for Emergency Management, Fire Prevention, Emergency Response, and Law Enforcement.
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WORKING PAPERS
Children between the ages of 14 through 18 need working papers to be employed. These are issued through the Watchung Hills Regional High School.
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EMERGENCY CLOSINGS
On rare occasions, school may not start on time but an emergency may cause an emergency closing.
The district has a ONE CALL system to alert parents of a snow closing or other district emeregency. It is important for parents to inform the school office if there is a change in phone numbers or parental contact information to ensure that this district database contains the correct information in the event the emergency call system needs to be activated.
In the event of an early dismissal, after school and child care programs are cancelled for the day. Parents would need to make arrangements to pick up their children at dismissal time on these days.
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DELAYED OPENINGS
When weather conditions make early travel hazardous, but there is a forecast for improving conditions, the district will open its doors two hours later than usual. You can learn about this:
Please remember that buses will be at regular stops two hours later than usual, except for P.M. Kindergarten which will meet at regular time.
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FOUR HOUR SESSIONS
When necessary, four hour sessions are utilized. Traditionally known as half days, these allow for parent conferences and pre-holiday considerations. First grade students, and students at Millington and Central will start the day at the regular time.
Parents of Kindergarten students must consult the Gillette School newsletter for specific information. Four hour session days are listed in the calendar.
Dismissal for Central students will be at 12:55 p.m.
Millington and Gillette first graders will be dismissed at 1:25 p.m.
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