Jalovick bidding farewell to West Freehold School

Jalovick bidding farewell
to West Freehold School
Janet Creech named

Judith Jalovick

principal; to assume post when school reopens Jan. 5

BY LINDA DeNICOLA

Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — There will be some principal changes in the township’s school district after the holiday break.

Judith Jalovick, the principal of the West Freehold School, is retiring after 25 years. Janet Creech, the principal of the Joseph J. Catena School, will be moving to West Freehold to replace Jalovick. Greg McFann will join the K-8 district and take Creech’s position at Catena.

According to Superintendent of Schools Catherine Snyder, McFann comes to the district as an experienced principal from Ohio. She said although parents and students at the Catena School were very fond of Creech, she believes McFann will work out nicely.

Jalovick said she met McFann at the Catena School and was impressed with his demeanor.

"You can just see people gravitating toward him," she said.

West Freehold pupils, staff members and parents bid farewell to Jalovick on Dec. 23 when the school held its annual holiday sing-along. That was her last day at the school; she will handle some district duties until her official retirement date of June 30.

Creech will be in the building when school reopens on Jan. 5.

Jalovick said she believes the timing is right for her to leave, especially with the new West Freehold School scheduled to open in September.

The new school is under construction off Route 537 near Wemrock Road. The present West Freehold School, Stillwells Corner Road, has slightly more than 200 pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade; the new school will have almost 600 pupils in the same grades.

"I’d been thinking about it for a couple of years. I know this is the time that I need to pass the torch on to someone who can take West Freehold School from where we are at this point into the next phase," Jalovick said. "The new school is a new beginning. It was just perfect timing."

Jalovick, who has been an educator since she started teaching in 1966, said her career and the years she spent in the Freehold Township school district has been a tremendous learning experience.

"I hope that I have contributed to the education of the children and the professional growth of the teachers that I’ve had the privilege to work with. Hopefully, I’m leaving the school with a stronger academic program and teaching staff than when I started 25 years ago," Jalovick said.

She credited Snyder and the previous superintendent, Peter Bastardo, with continuing to foster the district’s commitment to excellence.

"Wonderful things have been happening in terms of curriculum and instruction," she said.

Jalovick, who was a student in the West Freehold School herself, finds it is fitting that Creech will take over her position. Creech was a young teacher in the school during Jalovick’s early years as principal.

For four years, they attended, along with four other teachers, the academy of teaching and management training classes.

"Janet was so good at it that when we decided to bring the program to the dis­trict, she became the staff development leader. She was so good at that, that years later she was named principal of the Catena School," Jalovick said.

The retiring principal said she has not thought too far ahead about what lies in her future.

"I’m hoping to get more involved in my church’s music program and practice the piano. I love music. It’s another aspect of my life. I’m just taking it step by step and waiting to see what opportunities un­fold," she said.