Glen Ridge Schools Bid Farewell to Six Retirees, Honor Educators of the Year at Final Meeting of the Year

The Glen Ridge Board of Education closed out the 2022-2023 school year at its June 6 meeting by accepting the retirements of six longtime district employees. School nurse Charlene Reilly, who has served Forest Avenue School for 28 years, was remembered as "the caretaker of the entire school community." Linden Avenue School said goodbye to two longtime aides: RoseMarie Cancelliere, a first- and second-grade building aide with the district for more than 26 years, and Carol Mayer, a pre-kindergarten aide who joined the district in 2009. At Glen Ridge High School, mathematics teacher Dr. Cluny Mendez, who has taught since 1999 and is retiring to Florida, and paraprofessional Arleen Zalewski, with the high school since 2003, are also stepping down. Business office employee Cindy Short is retiring after years in accounts payable; Business Administrator Barbara Murphy said Short "quietly pays all the invoices of our $40 million budget." The board separately accepted the resignations of two permanent substitute teachers, Sandra Light at Ridgewood Avenue School and Jody Walsh at Forest Avenue School, both effective June 16.

On the financial side, the board approved $258,873.75 in bills and claims and ratified $1,897,492.81 in payroll and related payments, along with $151,979.11 in open purchase orders for the 2022-2023 school year. Members also authorized transferring up to $1 million in unanticipated year-end revenue into the district's Capital Reserve account and up to $500,000 into its Maintenance Reserve account, and renewed the district's student accident insurance policy with Philadelphia Insurance Company for a total of $16,585 covering July 2023 through July 2024.

The board also voted on six separate Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying investigation reports covering incidents at Glen Ridge High School and Ridgewood Avenue School, accepting the superintendent's recommendation in each case that the allegations were not substantiated. Board member Tricia Akinwande abstained on all six votes.

Much of the evening was devoted to honoring the district's 2023 Educators of the Year: Elizabeth Murach and Paula Horton at Central School, Lisa Petruzzi and Marie Chesney at Forest Avenue School, Paula Horton and Debbie Travisano at Linden Avenue School, Shannon Lekas at Ridgewood Avenue School, and Smita Ganatra and Erin Follet at Glen Ridge High School. Colleagues credited Lekas, a 29-year teaching veteran, with introducing the district's use of stability balls in the classroom -- an idea once written up on NJ.com -- and praised Ganatra for founding the high school's Writers Club and its annual Shakespeare competition. Outgoing student representative Colin Pennington gave his final report to the board before heading to Notre Dame in the fall, recounting a busy spring that included two golfers and a tennis player advancing to individual state tournaments, a girls lacrosse team that fell 17-7 in a sectional final, eight track and field qualifiers headed to the group state meet, and two students, Jasmine Shaver and George Frazier, earning the state's Seal of Biliteracy in three languages. Home and School Associations at Ridgewood Avenue, Linden Avenue and Forest Avenue schools all reported electing new slates of officers, with Linden Avenue noting its recent book fair raised more than $4,500, netting $2,800 for the school.

The board also approved a new Lead IT-Technician position for the coming school year, appointed John DeWitt as the district's Anti-Bullying Coordinator, and heard from its Personnel and Policy Committee, which has been reviewing the district's before- and after-care policy and its school calendar policy.

No members of the public spoke during either of the meeting's two public comment periods; board members noted the audience, made up largely of the evening's honorees and their families, had thinned by the meeting's second half.

Action items

• Approved $258,873.75 in bills and claims and ratified $1,897,492.81 in payroll payments, plus $151,979.11 in open purchase orders
• Authorized transferring up to $1 million into the Capital Reserve account and up to $500,000 into the Maintenance Reserve account at year-end
• Renewed student accident insurance with Philadelphia Insurance Company for $16,585
• Accepted the retirements of six staff members, including 28-year school nurse Charlene Reilly, and the resignations of two permanent substitute teachers
• Found none of six Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying complaints substantiated, covering incidents at the high school and Ridgewood Avenue School
• Approved a new Lead IT-Technician position for 2023-2024 and appointed John DeWitt as District Anti-Bullying Coordinator

Watch key moments

• 37:54 — Colleagues joke that retiring Linden Avenue aide RoseMarie Cancelliere "can make a cake better than Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss," dubbing her "the queen of cakes."
• 51:46 — Retiring math teacher Dr. Cluny Mendez is fondly needled as the staff member "who stands at the end of the parking lot and prevents our parents from zipping through" each morning.
• 59:14 — Outgoing student representative Colin Pennington thanks the board in an emotional farewell before heading to Notre Dame in the fall.