Leadership Somerset deadline - October 31, 2022

If you live or work in Somerset County ... I was Leadership Somerset Class of 2017. This is a program first rank, a hidden gem in Somerset County. Application deadline: October 31, 2022 11:59 PM. Highly recommended.

www.leadershipsomerset.com

VFW Essay Contests

Reminder: VFW Patriot's Pen Essay Contest 2022-2023 Theme "My Pledge to Our Veterans" - Student Entry Deadline: October 31, 2022, Patriot's Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students enrolled in public, private or parochial schools. Home-schooled students are also eligible.

Dr. Carey and Dr. Trybulski sent emails to students earlier in October.

Entries may be submitted (along with the official entry form as the cover sheet) to Hillsborough Memorial VFW Post # 8371, 601 Route 206, Suite 26-228, Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Questions: www.vfw8371.org

Patriot Pen Application Form:

Voice of Democracy Application Form, grades 9-12:

Some thoughts on the BOE

The Board of Education is supposed to be comprised of dedicated people who care about education, are student focused, who review and discuss with fellow board members all available background information, and who ask the hard questions to ensure they are fully informed before they vote. Board members are also supposed to have a governance mindset - that means we share the community's aspirations for its public schools and empower the superintendent to make that happen. 

I believe it's important that the community have the utmost trust in its Board of Education and that all board members uphold a high level of ethics and decorum. I am invested in the success of Hillsborough's public schools as a parent, resident and taxpayer. I curate my own learning and am committed to continuous improvement as a board member. I thank Hillsborough and Millstone residents for giving me the opportunity to serve our students these last 6 years, and I ask for your vote to allow me to continue this good work. Thank you.

NJSBA Workshop - I'm the co-presenter!

Last year, I presented at NJSBA Virtual Workshop 2021 on "A Board Member's Personal Responsibility" where I tried to answer the question of how an individual board member can better understand the importance of their role through a lens of curiosity, connection and self-reflection. One of the audience heard the invitation to connect, and asked if I'd be interested in expanding on the topic to use empathy and curiosity to look at the board's role in equity and policy. I said yes, and today Paul Breda of Wharton BOE and I presented "Empathy, Equity and Policy" at NJSBA Workshop.

We encouraged the audience to ask questions to seek to understand the student experience, for example, what must it be like for a student who comes home while parents are working two or more jobs to make ends meet? Or, the student who experiences school only through the lens of people with whom they share little in common? By being curious, and by asking questions, the board can affect the student experience through policy.

Also, we emphasized that empathy is needed to respect and understand other board members' viewpoints.  Remember, the board member with whom you disagree believes they are doing what is best for kids, same as you. So how can we discuss a topic / policy with the intent of understanding where each person is coming from? This sense of curiosity and empathy is so important for board members to develop.

Early voting

Getting ready for the early voting period: October 29 - November 6

DIRT

Powerful show tonight for parents and the community by John Morello - DIRT

Thank you for coming out tonight to share in what your 9th grade students experienced during the day - find out more at: https://www.johnmorello.com/

Letter of support from Wayne board member (speaking as a private citizen)

Hillsborough Residents

I won’t pretend to know your community. What I will tell you is that I know Jean Trujillo and I believe you should absolutely reelect her to your Board of Education. As a Board member in another district, I have worked with Jean at the State level on several committees. She has been extremely vocal at the State level about how the funding formula is effecting your community. She is very well acquainted with where the issues lie and is not afraid to step up and face them head on for all of you. You have invested in her professional development as a Board member and you should now take full advantage of her knowledge of how to get things done. I can tell you that by the end of one term most Board members are just getting started. There is so much to learn. If your district is facing any sort of difficulty, Jean would be the one to know where to start and how to make changes to correct those problems. That is the benefit of experience. She is a woman of integrity and grit and is willing to keep fighting for your community. Please vote to reelect her. I am sure you will be happy you did. 

Catherine Kazan

Wayne, NJ

https://centraljersey.com/2022/10/18/board-member-in-another-school-district-supports-trujillo-for-hillsborough-boe/

ArtsEdNJ candidate survey

ArtsEdNJ Candidate Survey is live: https://www.artsednj.org/2022njsbcsresults/

Are you registered to vote?

Countdown to Election Day Tuesday, November 8, 2022 ... 22 days!

Reminder - tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18th is the last day to register to vote in the General Election!

Letter to the Editor: Hillsborough Beacon (print edition page 7A)

I am a member of the Hillsborough Township Board of Education. Opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of the Hillsborough Township Board of Education.

My name is Jean Trujillo and I am running for re-election because I care about doing what’s best for kids. I am a 20-year Hillsborough resident. My oldest child is a HHS Class of 2021 graduate and my younger children currently attend HHS (11th grade) and HMS (8th grade). I am an engineer by training and I do my homework to make educated decisions.

Communication is very important to me and I want residents to learn more about me and how I think. Please find more online at jeanforboe.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/jeanforboe. The two ideas that guide my thought process are:

1) All children can be successful; it’s our job to figure out what that is and how to help them achieve it.

2) At the end of the day, it’s about what’s in the best interest of the kids.

I would like to be the Hillsborough and Millstone communities’ voice on the school board and ask for your vote this November 8th. Your individual vote is important. Thank you.

Jean Trujillo

https://centraljersey.com/2022/10/12/communication-is-important-for-hillsborough-boe-candidate-running-for-re-election/