District News

The Somerset Hills School District partnered with the community at large to host another successful event welcoming students and families back to school! On September 6th, in nearby Kiwanis Park,  it was dubbed a “one-stop shop” for the Spanish speaking community. This family friendly event was attended by well over 100 people. Parents were able to get information, resources, and all of their questions answered by staff and translators. The Technology Department helped with Genesis, the Transportation Department assisted with busing, and the ESL/Bilingual Department helped with forms and questions about curriculum, to name just a few.

The event has been going on for more than a decade, although after 2020 it moved from inside to outside, a change everyone appreciated more. “Being in a public space enhances the fun atmosphere; children can run and play, lunch is served in the fresh air, and the school and community are able to mingle,” shared Michael Catelli, the district Director of Multilingual Education and chief event organizer from the district. While he worked to connect with organizations and get the word out to the families, continuing to create wonderful partnerships year after year, the help he received from three local churches was instrumental.  Working on the logistics were Somerset Hills Lutheran Church, Camino De Fe Church and St. Bernard's Episcopal Church. Other organizations giving of their time were the following: Bernardsville Library, Bernardsville Police Department, Somerset Hills YMCA, Preschool Advantage, Community in Crisis, Grupo Cajola, Bernards Health Department and NJFood4JKids.

A huge and heartfelt thanks goes to the following SHSD staff members who shared their weekend hours with the school community: Jasmine Akauola, Rickey Saez, Chris Griffith, Manuel Delapaz, Tatiana Gutierrez, Sarah Roth, Stephan Mirando, Derek Boudreau, Salome Escobar-Chaffee, Amy Hart, Grindy Lopez, Janet Garay, Ed Maldonado, Indira Gonzalez, Dr. Coleen Butler and Michael Catelli.