Superintendent’s Report

Dr. Johanna Ruberto, Interim Superintendent

Volume 12 Issue 2

October 9, 2025

 

19 Seniors Commended by Merit Scholar Program

Congratulations to 19 Piscataway High School seniors who earned Commended Student status in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program! Commended Students are recognized for their exceptional academic promise and are among the top 50,000 students nationwide in their performance on the qualifying test used for program entry. This honor is well-deserved recognition for these students’ hard work as well as the continuing tradition of academic excellence at PHS. Visit the News page of our disrict website to see a full list of Commended Students from PHS.

 

Preschool Teacher Uses Art and Tech to Build Main Street

Children’s Corner Preschool teacher Amalia Berrocal used her artistic talents and technological know-how to transform a second-floor hallway at the Old New Brunswick Road building into CCPK Main Street. Ms. Berrocal led a team of teachers in creating a whimsical, coloring-book-style mural to brighten up the hallway and spark children’s imagination. CCPK Main Street features a house, a store, a restaurant, a hospital, a pet store, a firehouse, and preschool, and a campground. It invites student interaction by mirroring the community mainstays that students learn about in class. Berrocal blended technology with art by first creating the design on a tablet, then using Meta Quest AR Goggles to paint the design precisely onto the wall. She led a dedicated team of teachers – Brenda Reyes, Brianna Berrocal, and Shruti Ramchandra-Kulkarni – in creating the mural. Supplies were paid for by the Children’s Corner PTO.

 

Pway Staff Enjoys Blackout Thanks to RU Generosity

Over 100 of our staff members were at SHI Stadium on Friday, Sept. 19, to cheer on Rutgers Football at their annual Blackout Game. Great thanks go to Rutgers Athletics for sharing complimentary tickets with our educators as part of their R Heroes program, which recognizes and rewards local organizations who give back to their community. Rutgers sent Piscataway Township Schools over 400 tickets in total, allowing our staff members to enjoy a great night with family and friends cheering for the Scarlet Knights.

 

Families Have Pep in Their Step for Walk to School Day

Our four elementary school celebrated Walk Our Children to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 1.  Students learned about pedestrian safety, got some fresh air and exercise, and came together as a community with their families and friends. Thanks to the Piscataway Township Police Department for arranging the walks and ensuring everyone stayed safe.

 

Coming Up

Oct. 10: Interim Reports available in Genesis Parent Module

Oct. 16: PHS Broadway Caberet, 7 pm

Oct. 21: Diwali – No school for students, teacher in-service day

Nov. 4: Election Day – Schools Closed

Nov. 6-7: NJEA Convention – Schools Closed

Nov. 6: Policy/Legislative Committee meeting, 6:30 pm

Nov. 12: Fiscal Planning & Operations Committee Meeting, 7 pm

Nov: 13: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 pm

Nov. 13-15: PHS Fall Play, “She Kills Monsters,” 7 pm

 

Piscataway Elks Donate 160

Thank you to the Piscataway Elks for their generous donation of 160 backpacks. The bags will be distributed to our principals to give to families who need them. From left are Piscataway Elks member and Quibbletown Middle School Principal William Gonzalez, Piscataway Elks member and Executive Assistant to our Director of Human Resources Christina Buchek, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Glenn Lottmann, Piscataway Elks Exalted Ruler Peter Namen, and Elks members Jan Schmidt and Valerie Johnson.

 

United Way Aids Preschool

Thank you to the United Way for their generous donation of backpacks and school supplies to Children’s Corner Preschool. Pictured are Children’s Corner teacher Amalia Berrocal and Community Parent Involvement Specialist Harry Vanderburg, along with students Asaad Burwell, Yasmin Abubaker, and Hailey Ellington, who helped to get the backpacks ready, and gave them the thumbs up to be handed out at Children’s Corner Family Engagement Night on Oct. 15. Mr. Vanderburg also assists preschool families who need help and hosts a weekly Parent Resource Center. The backpacks will contribute toward those efforts as well.

 

Generosity for Eisenhower

Thank you to our generous neighbors at Sampled, a biotech company based in Piscataway, for donating backpacks and school supplies to Eisenhower Elementary School. Representatives of the company met with school administrators on Wednesday, Sept. 10, to deliver the backpacks, notebooks, marker, rulers, and more. From left are Sampled Human Resources Manager Vickie Braswell, Piscataway Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Glenn Lottmann, Eisenhower Assistant Principal Diane Mosko, Eisenhower Principal Vincenzo Stio, Sampled CEO and Chairman John DelliSanti, Sampled Executive Assistant Gracie Zamorski, and Sampled Project Manager Susan Bartko.

 

46^th Annual Superchiefs Band Festival

Congratulations to the PHS Superchiefs Marching Band on their 46th Annual Band Festival. On Saturday, Oct. 4, the student musicians hosted 13 bands from across the state in competition, then capped off the show with their own exhibition. The event was a huge success thanks to band director Ken Zampella and the Superchief staff, the Band Parents Association, and volunteers.

 

PHS SADD Spreads Message of Safety at Bike Tour

The Piscataway High School Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) continued to bring their message of safety to the community by volunteering for the Piscataway Bike Tour on Saturday, Sept. 27! The worked alongside the Piscataway Police Department and Recreation Department, signing in riders, giving out shirts, talking with residents about their safe-driving campaign, and passing out “Pway You Know: Drive Safe, Drive Slow” lawn signs. They then cheered on riders as they began their 8-mile bike tour around town.

 

TV Students Focus a Critical Eye Toward Popular Shows

Is it a hit or a dud? Get the scoop on TV shows and movies from Piscataway High School students in the introduction and advanced TV classes. Students in Megan Hensinger’s classes have begun writing reviews of the shows and movies they are watching on their own time, with the goal of thinking critically about the content they are consuming as well as the video production they do in class. The class created their own “What Are They Watching?” website, where students can choose to share either signed or anonymous reviews with their family, friends, and the school community.

 

Quibbletown Students and Parents Sparkle at Car Wash

Thanks to everyone in the community who came out to support the Quibbletown Middle School PTG annual car wash and came away with a sparkling vehicle! Parents and students pitched in to make the Sept. 20 event a success. Thanks to Kim Robak for creating beautiful new signs to attract customers. All funds raised by the car wash with go toward supporting grade-level field trips.

 

Ice Cream Social Brings Day of Cool Fun to Knollwood

Students and families at Knollwood Elementary School had a super cool time at their Ice Cream Social on Friday, Sept. 12. Thank you to the Knollwood PTO for bring everyone together for a fun night.

 

Grandview Wall of Fame Celebrates Losing a Tooth

Welcome to the Grandview Elementary School Tooth Wall of Fame! Every student who loses a tooth gets to go up on the Wall of Fame for the school year. They get a tooth sticker from Nurse Kate Flannery and write their name on it for all to see and celebrate. There were a lot of visits from the Tooth Fairy in the 2024-2025 school year, and Nurse Flannary will be creating a new Tooth Wall of Fame soon for 2025-2026 for all the teeth that are currently loosening up at Grandview.aries in Action is a digital series of stories that aim to shed light, inspire, and invite deep thought and conversation about school growth and transformative practices in education.
 

Join the Piscataway Choral Collective

Join the Piscataway Choral Collective to raise your voice and celebrate community. This is an adult choir for members of our community whose goal is to build community through a shared love. There are no auditions and membership is free. The group meets twice per month with a concert in early April. No experience necessary. New members are welcome to email PwayChoralCollective@gmail.com.

 

Schor Gets a Sweet Preview of Myriad Club Opportunities

Schor Middle School students got to enjoy frozen treats while learning about some of the opportunities available to them through school clubs! The school hosted an Ice Cream Social on Friday, Sept. 26, to introduce students to the wide variety of after-school activities available this year. Students enjoyed their choice of a Good Humor ice cream bar, cone, or ice pop while learning about the different clubs. A video slideshow highlighted each club as members shared information and experiences. Schor’s first official club day kicked off Wednesday, Oct. 1, with excellent student participation and enthusiasm.

 

Randolphville Assembly Teaches Value of Respect

Randolphville Elementary School kicked off the school-year with an informative and entertaining assembly to teach students about the character trait of respect. School psychologist Claudia Emmanuel and kindergarten teacher Rajvi Kamdar taught students about being respectful toward their peers, teachers, and selves. Students participated in activities, followed lessons, and watched videos teaching them about being respectful classmates. Students even engaged in a yoga lesson and meditative sound bath practice using singing bowls.

 

Video Offers Happy Greeting at Grandview Back to School

Staff members at Grandview Elementary School had great fun creating a lively video to introduce themselves to families at Back to School Night. The video showed off teachers from different grade levels and special areas, as well as administration, support and office staff, and custodians with a lively soundtrack.

 

Quibbletown Engineers Get Creative with 3D Printing

Engineering students at Quibbletown High School are doing amazing things with their new Prusa XL 3D Printer! Students in George Batalas’ class are learning the fundamentals of Computer Aided Design while developing their spatial awareness, and their test prints are amazingly detailed. This is just the beginning, as Mr. Batalas is building two more 3D printers to complete the Quibbletown print farm.

 

Actress and Author Sends Greeting to Arbor Students

Arbor Intermediate School literacy teacher Neal Bennington was excited to get actress and comedian Kate McKinnon to sign a copy of her new book to for his class! McKinnon, best known for her work on Saturday Night Live, has a new book series for young adults. She signed a copy of “Secrets of the Purple Pearl (The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science, 2)” when Mr. Bennington met her at Books & Greetings in Northvale, NJ.

 

M.L. King Fundraisers Draw Enthusiasm from Students

Martin Luther King Intermediate School kicked off two of its biggest fundraisers of the year in September! The Kastle Favorites fundraiser – featuring fun foods and treats for sale – launched  mid-September to high levels of student enthusiasm. Later in the month, the Book Fair kicked off with a beautiful Under the Sea setup from the MLK PTO. Students had fun browsing the wide range of books and toys, while countless volunteers offered help with the Book Fair.

 

PHS Celebrates Chiefs Football Icon Kyle Wilson

The PHS football program honored one of its most accomplished alumni on Friday night, Oct. 3, when it celebrated 2005 graduate Kyle Wilson at halftime of their game against Sayreville. Wilson, who went on to excel in college at Boise State University and became a first-round NFL draft pick of the New York Jets, was surrounded on the field by family members, Piscataway Township Schools officials and Board of Education members, and the PHS cheerleaders, who held up a banner of his No. 22 jersey and broke into a spontaneous cheer of “We are proud of you!” The Chiefs’ record while Wilson played was 33-3, as he helped the team win three consecutive state sectional championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004. “Pway Nation, stand up for Kyle Wilson!” Hall of Fame PHS head football coach Dan Higgins exhorted the crowd during the ceremony.

 

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Video Series Highlights Modernization of Schools

Learn about the fresh new upgrades being made to modernize our schools with the district’s new video series “Building for the Future.” The first video features our principals and teachers and can be seen on our @PwaySchools YouTube channel. It highlights the ongoing installations of interactive Promethean boards across the district, as well as the corresponding new paint jobs in classrooms, gyms, hallways, and other spaces of our schools. Upcoming videos will highlight modernization of kitchens in seven schools and extensive upgrades to the Media Center and Anthony Gym at Piscataway High School. These upgrades to our facilities and learning environments benefit our students and staff, and in the long run, the entire community.

 

Conackamack Embodies Spirit of Hispanic Heritage

Conackamack Middle School students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by researching Hispanic people who made significant contributions to history, culture, science, sports, and the arts! Altagracia Petela’s Pathways Spanish classes dressed up and shared what they learned and highlighted that individual’s impact on history and culture. This activity encouraged cultural awareness, appreciation for diversity, and strong research and presentation skills. Through this project, students gained a deeper understanding of Hispanic heritage and the importance of representation in shaping our world.

 

King Gets into College Spirit

Martin Luther King Intermediate School celebrated College Spirit Day on Sept. 26! Many students and staff took the opportunity to show off their college spirit, with many representing local NJ colleges and universities – particularly Rutgers.

 

Knollwood Models Respect

Knollwood Elementary School students were welcomed back to school with a fun and interactive assembly modeling positive behavior. The assembly with behaviorist Heather Basmagy and Assistant Principal Megan Messina introduced the first Character Education Pillar of the year: Respect. Through stories, examples, and participation, students learned how respect shapes the way we treat ourselves, our classmates, and our school community. The energy and excitement in the room set a positive tone for the year.