Memorial middle school selected as grant recipient

MARLBORO - Marlboro Memorial Middle School, under the leadership of Principal Joanmarie Penney, Vice Principal Mark Edery and Vice Principal John Pacifico, has been awarded a $10,000 grant for the New Jersey Department of Education's Caring Schools Inclusion Project (CSIP), one of only 12 middle schools in the state that received this award.

According to information provided by the Marlboro K-8 School District, middle grades have been selected as the focus for the CSIP initiative because this is the period during which the psycho-social and moral development of young people is forged as they struggle with peer pressure and other stressors that can impact their attitudes and behavior through adolescence and young adulthood.

The goal of the initiative is to use an evidence-based character education intervention, Community of Caring, that provides opportunities for growth and development for all children and to improve engagement, social participation and a perceived sense of autonomy of children with disabilities.

Studies have shown that schools implementing the Community of Caring intervention have demonstrated a more open and positive environment with greater acceptance and understanding of all students and improved effectiveness of collaborative relationships between teachers and students and between teachers and administrators, according to the press release.

The Community of Caring intervention changes school culture through the school community by incorporating core ethical values of caring, respect, responsibility, trust, family and activities such as best buddies, student forums, peer mentoring and service learning into the fabric of the school. In turn, those changes promote more positive student attitudes and behavior.

The grant includes professional development for the school's staff; participation in two annual national conferences for three members of the school leadership team; opportunities to network with other participating middle schools within New Jersey and educators nationally devoted to positive school culture change, youth development and special needs students; sustained support for inclusion practices over the course of project involvement; and a $1,000 stipend each year for three years.

Edery said, "Receiving this award is a significant honor that recognizes Marlboro Memorial Middle School's commitment to character education and inclusion practices in our first five years and our ongoing pursuit of excellence into the future."

CSIP is a new initiative designed to increase the quality and success of a school's inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education program. It is being implemented by the state Department of Education in collaboration with the New Jersey Center for Character Education, located in the Center for Applied Psychology at Rutgers University. It is funded through a new award the Department of Education has received from the United States Department of Education under the Partnerships in Character Education grant, a program of the No Child Left Behind Act, according to the press release.