Mr. Frank Vanalesti CSA
Dear Parents, Guardians and members of the Ocean Gate community:
Usually, at the beginning
of a new school year, your Superintendent of Schools opens with
a state of the school address that focuses on a reflection of
where we have been in our schools, where we are presently, and
then looks forward to where we are going with many issues or
initiatives. So as
it is prudent practice, I will briefly touch upon those items,
but when I discuss our present status, I think it is imperative
that we continue to celebrate what we have here in the
I would like to direct your attention back to the opening day staff in-service for the 2006 school year. I had asked the staff do an exercise using chart paper and magic markers where they had to draw pictures depicting how they felt the school district was in terms of general educational needs, facilities and community. Next they created another picture representing where they wanted to see the district go. As I recall, those drawings and the short, descriptive phrases that labeled them, described a school that was in need of many things. Folks wanted a safer and more secure facility for children, collaboration with administration and community, a more positive school climate and better morale. They seemed to be a little skeptical that it would ever happen and just wanted so much for the children. They were also tired of the raindrops that had fallen upon their heads (literally), through the leaky roof.
So, I ask you now to think about how far we have come in just two full years. Many great things have happened in our little school that truly have been a success story due to quality people, focusing on real needs, maintaining high expectations for excellence in education, strong collaboration and of course hard work. Some highlights include the return of programs for remedial intervention, greater emphasis on gifted and talented education, and passing a construction referendum followed by two succeeding school budgets. There has also been more activity for curriculum improvement and textbook adoption in the areas of Social Studies and Science, the addition of a full-time instructional technologist and, of course, sustained quality professional development that helped to yield high standardized achievement test scores. We had facilities improvements that were long overdue, such as a new roof, boilers, flooring and ,of course, the playground and field improvements. Our beloved and historic, one-room school house received a face lift and there were many other advances. This past summer we had additional improvements in classroom floor replacements, small construction projects in the grades one and two building and finally a new paint job in our multi-purpose room. Outside the building we installed more security cameras and a beautiful new paved front entrance area. There was also concrete replacement done in locations around the building.
On the curriculum and instruction end, this year we begin with expanding services for special education students, specifically a supplemental resource setting, addressing the needs of our maturing Autistic students and those with Individual Education Plans. Over the summer months, teachers worked on writing our new Pre-K through grade 6, Rosetta Stone, World Languages curriculum that is technology-based and more user friendly. This program will be piloted this fall. Looking back on all of the dreams and wishes of our staff, students and parents, I trust that many of those dreams have been fulfilled.
I would also like to take a moment to talk about the Ocean Gate Board of Education who has volunteered countless days and hours to support the needs of our students, our staff and the needs of the community. They have worked tirelessly to develop goals and objectives along side of your school administration to provide for our students the tools needed to get a thorough and efficient education in a safe, clean and collaborative environment. I thank them for all that they do and can honestly say that they are each child advocates who truly care. Last year they were honored and received recognition from the New Jersey School Boards Association for becoming “Certified” and they will now take on a most complex and difficult task known as NJQSAC, the States new monitoring system.
Now, I would like to mention another “Where we are now” issue. The phrase Ocean Gate Family is not one to be taken lightly around here. All the research shows that small schools are better for students who are more wholly nurtured and enriched, developmentally and instructionally, in the smaller school environment. Over the summer I spent three Saturday afternoons and evenings on the Ocean Gate Boardwalk where I had the opportunity to see our community teeming with local families and vacationers at the beach, enjoying the festivities on our town’s 90th Anniversary Founders Day Celebration. I spoke to one gentleman and his wife who said their children had gone through our school many years ago. His wife noticed all the children and parents coming up to me and she said, “Boy Mr. V, you know all of the children by name”, as one student wanted her birthday photo taken with her parents and I. It immediately occurred to me that this is due to my being an integral part of “The Ocean Gate Family”, and that the cohesiveness of our family extended to the people of the Borough of Ocean Gate and the children who were all celebrating that small town atmosphere. That appreciation for the idea that small is better permeates each day in the classrooms, offices and board room of our school district. We have an unwavering respect for each other; support one another in both subtle and demonstrative ways that are heart-felt. The phrase Ocean Gate Family is also an exemplary description of what folks do here, not only sharing in the internal family support atmosphere of each others lives, but also those of our students and their families. It is all done in the name of love for quality education and for the students. All the latest research also shows that family involvement, communication and small schools, structured with smaller class sizes, produce student achievement outcomes that are superior per demographic group to that of larger conglomerate schools.
When I describe our school, I sometimes
tell the story of a day I had to leave our district to go to
another larger district for a curriculum articulation meeting.
As I was leaving the building, our students were dismissing for
the day and as I walked to my car, I saw big smiles on the faces
of all of our students and faculty. It was evident to me that
they had all experienced a great day and it was as though they
had just come from a joyous celebration of learning. A short
while later I arrived at the neighboring districts large
Monmouth school that was also dismissing the students. As I
walked from the parking lot to the main entrance, it gave off
the aura of an office building and in contrast to our school; I
saw the looks on the children’s faces, many of whom were not
smiling. It appeared
as though they could not wait to get out of the
institutionalization rather than a family of learning. I
realized what a profound difference one school environment can
have on the daily lives of children.
Here at the
And so where else are we going? For today
and tomorrow, these strengths will continue to guide us. We face
the mandates of NJQSAC, state pressures, greater
responsibilities with achievement testing, and a myriad of other
tasks and requirements.
As always, our staff, administration and Board of
Education will rise to the occasion and handle it with interest,
professionalism, strength and teamwork.
By the power that guides the Ocean Gate Family, we will
continue to succeed for our students.
With this, I welcome you all back to another great year
here in the
Yours in Education,
Frank B. Vanalesti
Frank B. Vanalesti, Superintendent
REMINDER: For emergency school closings or emergency early dismissals please listen to the announcements on radio station WOBM 92.7 FM and Channel 12.
