On Monday night, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education recognized student and staff achievements, listened to a presentation, and discussed agenda items.

From Pascack Hills, the following students were recognized for receiving awards in the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair (TNJSF). The science fair competition is for high school students in 10 counties of Northern New Jersey. 

• Olivia Ge and Suhani Mahale: 1st Place Environmental Science, Ernstons Make a Difference Award, USAID Science Champion Award
• Zoe Green: Animal Science – 1st Place ISEF Finalist
• Nicole Golub: 2nd Place – Animal Science
• Hyunjun (Fred) Lim: Computing Machinery Award
• Ari Hirshfield and Stephen Huang: NASA Earth System Science Project Award
• Leah Behar and Logan Litt: Advanced to Phase II
• Dylan Cochin and Aastha Shukla: Advanced to Phase II

Dr. Martin Edelberg, Hills Science Teacher, was recognized for receiving the Partners in Science Award – Second Alternate. This allows him to choose one student in grade 10 or 11 to participate in the Partners in Science Program run by Liberty Science Center. 

Several students were also recognized for their awards in the Annual Sister Rose Thering Essay Competition. 

• Junior Jillian Fleishman: First Place
• Senior Casey McKay: Honorable Mention
• Freshman Asiya Crandall: Honorable Mention

Lastly, junior Olivia Ge was recognized for her acceptance into the New Jersey All-State Orchestra for violin. 

The BOE listened to the final presentation in a series of updates over the last few weeks. At this meeting, they listened to presentations from the Regional Curriculum Office, Special Programs, and Art and Music departments.

English supervisor Valerie Mattessich discussed field trips and the annual Pascack Hills Art Festival. She mentioned the recent increase in students taking arts courses. 

“While the state had noted us for not having enough students taking art classes, we’ve definitely gone in the complete other direction…we’re beyond capacity at this point, and students are really engaging in all of our arts offerings,” she said. 

World Language and Music  Department Supervisor Argine Safari discussed student recognitions and upcoming events. She also discussed the success of the following new course offerings: Keyboarding, Modern Rock Band, and Music Technology. 

“If I could summarize what’s been happening in the music department, so to speak, is that we’ve gotten [the] community involved and it’s very inclusive,” she said.

Special Programs Supervisor Tara Flannery discussed updates in the special education program. She mentioned community partnerships, new courses through the LLD Program, the Unified Bowling Team, and the Hills Grind. 

Alyssa Merritt, Regional Instruction and Curriculum Coordinator, concluded the presentation by discussing caregiver programs, the Regional Curriculum Office, and instructional wellness. 

Dr. Barry Bachenheimer, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, concluded the presentation by thanking the BOE for their continued support. 

“It’s a high level of talent amongst our students, it’s a high level of talent amongst our faculty and our supervision staff making all of these pieces happen,” he said. 

Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Sarah Bilotti gave her monthly report. She discussed the recent music festival for the sending districts and thanked the presenters for their updates.

Bilotti recognized Hills English Teacher Heather Lutz for her work on a state committee to rewrite curriculum for the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. She also recognized English Teacher Dr. Alexandra Pfleging for her article published in the National Council of Teachers of English, a national peer-reviewed journal for high school English teachers. 

The BOE approved the resignation of Deborah Alt, Part-Time Nurse at Hills, and the appointment of Charleen Schwartzman as Pascack Hills Golf Assistant Coach.

At the end of the meeting, the BOE briefly discussed finance items and old business. 

BOE President Joseph Blundo clarified an education item regarding issues with prior construction found unsatisfactory at the Pascack Hills track. According to Blundo, all records are public. 

In relation to future construction, BOE member Michael Weaver asked about the timeline of the work and the impact on fall athletics. Business Administrator Yas Usami clarified that construction would potentially take place the following summer and would not interfere with this year’s graduation. 

President Blundo and Weaver concluded the meeting by commending Dr. Barry Bachenheimer for his work with the district and the recent presentations. 

“At the end of the day, we’re about educating and inspiring young lives,” Blundo said.