Studies show that physical activity before a test can help improve focus and performance—and Mrs. Walter’s history students put that theory into practice! ☀️📚

Before their final exam, students headed out to the field during lunch for some fresh air and exercise. Mrs. Walter reminds us that success doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of effort, planning, and showing up ready to do your best. Good luck on finals, Panthers!

Congratulations to our Glen Rock High School nominees for the 2026 North Jersey High School Sports Awards! NorthJersey.com and The Record will recognize the top high school athletes from Bergen and Passaic counties at this year’s awards ceremony, presented by HSS. We are proud to celebrate an impressive six Glen Rock student-athletes who have been nominated for Player of the Year honors in their respective sports: 🏆 Sean Spitaleri, Senior – Baseball�🏆 Mia Vergel de Dios, Senior – Girls Basketball�🏆 Evan Yuzon, Junior – Boys Indoor Track & Field�🏆 Isabella Flaccavento, Junior – Girls Lacrosse�🏆 Riley Scarpelli, Junior – Girls Lacrosse�🏆 Iza Samu, Senior – Girls Track & Field The 2026 North Jersey High School Sports Awards show is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26, at Passaic County Technical Institute, where the region’s top athletes will be honored for their outstanding achievements! These nominations reflect the hard work, dedication, talent, and sportsmanship each of these athletes have demonstrated throughout their careers. Your commitment to excellence continues to make the entire Glen Rock community proud. LET’S GO ROCK! ❤️🏆⚾️🏀🏃🥍🪨 https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/high-school/2026/06/11/north-jersey-high-school-sports-awards-2026-nominees/90424960007/?fbclid=IwdGRleASZdJtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEePvnf36UJx_u5KPLUPXEIJjqhpaywfVVQVnctcwa2eEKU9bSsvbOqBA3MlhE_aem_gJMrmUVkEBRT4O636Qy-Tw

As they celebrate the final days of their journey together at GRHS, members of the Class of 2026 enjoyed an afternoon of friendly competition, pizza, and ice cream at Senior Field Day! Organized by the Class of 2026 Officers and Advisors, seniors returned to their roots by competing as teams representing their elementary schools. From Pickleball and Flag Football to Bananagrams and a Water Balloon Toss, students made lasting memories while showing off their school spirit. Congratulations to Central School, which claimed the title in this year's Battle of the Elementary Schools! A special thank you to the staff members who volunteered their time to referee events and help make the day such a success. 🐾🪨🍦🏈 Photos courtesy of Alexis Holman '26, Madison Weimer '27, Isabella Barletta '27, and Grace Yetter '27

The Wellness Center hosted “Chalk the Walk” at GRMS/HS, bringing students and staff together to spread positivity, encouragement, and messages of support. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped create a colorful reminder that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference! ☺️🫶🪨❤️

Glen 6 students enjoyed a fantastic Field Day on Monday, June 8, filled with laughter, teamwork, friendly competition, and plenty of sunshine. From exciting games and activities to making memories with friends, it was a great day to celebrate the end of another successful school year. Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and everyone who helped make the day such a success! ☀️🕶️👟⚽️

The Wellness Department was fortunate to welcome Sean and Gary from INHABIT back to work with our students in grades 9–11 as they prepare for final exams next week. The INHABIT method integrates breathwork, meditation, mental performance strategies, exercise, and self-care practices to help students feel their best and perform at their highest potential. As students head into finals, we encourage them to remember one of INHABIT's core messages: Breathe well! Pictured from left to right in group photo: Sean Pritchard, Dr. Daniell, Gary Pritchard, and Ms. Batelli.

GRHS seniors had the opportunity to hear from burn survivors and fire safety educators Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons through the After the Fire program. Their powerful presentation shared personal stories of resilience and recovery. Through their message rooted in prevention, they challenged our students to make safe, responsible choices as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives. Thank you to Alvaro and Shawn, pictured with Mr. Moran and Mr. Klump, for sharing your experiences and for making such a meaningful impact on our seniors.

Congratulations to the Glen Rock High School Boys Tennis Team on capturing the 2026 Group 1 State Championship with a 4-1 victory over West Deptford in the finals! This marks the team’s first Group 1 state title in five years and is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and perseverance throughout the season along with the leadership from coach, Ms. Rebecca Stadlin. Adding to an incredible year for Glen Rock Tennis, both the Boys and Girls Tennis teams brought home state championships this school year!

Please click to read the June 1, 2026 BOE Meeting Highlights in our enewsletter, The Glen Rock Board Brief: https://app.smore.com/n/vghsy

Innovation was in action at the June 1 Board of Education meeting, as members of Glen Rock High School’s Robotics & Engineering Club showcased their impressive work and demonstrated their robots for attendees. Under the guidance of advisors Mr. Robert Lockatell and Mr. Timothy Mure, the program has experienced tremendous growth over the past five years, expanding to more than 50 student participants across two competitive teams: Galactic Pigeon and Cosmic Goose.

Both teams enjoyed outstanding seasons and have established themselves as dominant competitors, demonstrating exceptional teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and engineering skills.

Congratulations to our Robotics Team members: Alex Abova '26, Miguel Acero '27, Nirvaan Aditya '29, Ariz Ahmed '29, Siddhant Aich '28, Aarav Belani '31, Dima Ceres '28, Daivik Chhaya '30, Noreen Chu '27, Selina Feng '27, Anbo Feng '31, Caden Foley '29, Anand Gandhi '30, Kakeru Haraguchi '26, Tamara Inbar '26, Aarav Jain '32, Mia Kawai '27, John Kilar '28, Katelynn Kim '26, Andrew Kim '27, Dylan Lee '27, Hannah Liner '31, Alexander Maguire '27, Grady McInerney '31, Tanvi Mehta '29, Eammon Mulligan '27, Benjamin Natalizio '30, Adam Pak '31, Anderson Pifer '29, Sara Quiroz '27, Jacob Sasunov '26, Logan Seo '29, Shahar Shav '30, Shira Shav '26, Luke Tojima-Gresh '31, Vedant Vadakkan '26, Tobey Yang '29, Joseph Yoo '26, Bryan Youngberg '27, Brayden Youngberg '30, and Adhithya Yuvaraj'27.

At the June 1 Board of Education meeting, the district and BOE proudly recognized the 2026 Teachers and Educational Specialists of the Year. The dedication, passion, and commitment of these educators make a lasting impact on our students every day. Presented by Dr. Damali Robinson, BOE president, and Mr. Gregory Van Nest, Acting Superintendent, congratulations are extended to: 🏆 Byrd School – Mrs. Lauren Carter, School Counselor 🏆 Central School – Mrs. Crissy Feifer, Special Education Teacher 🏆 Coleman School – Mrs. Susan Zisa, Reading Specialist 🏆 Hamilton School – Mrs. Jessica Falkenstern, School Counselor 🏆 Hamilton School – Mrs. Kimberly Castelli, School Nurse (Posthumous Honor) 🏆 Glen Rock Middle School – Ms. Lisa Limongelli, English Teacher 🏆 Glen Rock High School – Ms. Anna Lilikas, Choir and Orchestra Director 🏆 Glen Rock Middle/High School – Ms. Caelie Batelli, Wellness Counselor

At the June 1 Board of Education meeting, Glen Rock Public Schools proudly recognized 13 outstanding educators and staff members for 25 years of service to our students, schools, and community.

For a quarter century, these dedicated professionals have made a lasting impact through their commitment, compassion, and excellence in education. Their contributions have helped shape generations of Glen Rock students, and we are grateful for all they have done and continue to do.

Congratulations to:
⭐ Mrs. Lisa Brown, Special Education Teacher, GRHS
⭐ Ms. Dianne Carpenter, School Psychologist, GRHS
⭐ Mr. Kenneth Cavanagh, Health & Physical Education Teacher, GRMS
⭐ Mr. Anthony Cece, Special Education Teacher, GRMS
⭐ Mrs. Keri Holmgren, Grade 1 Teacher, Byrd School
⭐ Ms. Vanessa Hurley, Special Education Teacher, GRHS
⭐ Mr. Christopher Kelley, Latin Teacher, GRMS
⭐ Mr. James Kurz, Health & Physical Education Teacher, GRHS
⭐ Mrs. Cathleen Mitchell, Intervention Strategies Coach/BSI Math Teacher, Coleman School
⭐ Ms. Stephanie Nerney, School Nurse, GRMS
⭐ Ms. Susan Stevens, Preschool Teacher, Early Childhood Program
⭐ Ms. Tracy Tellis, Special Education Teacher, GRMS
⭐ Mrs. Elizabeth Wanagiel, Special Education Teacher, GRMS

Thank you for 25 years of supporting and empowering our students. Your dedication and care have helped make Glen Rock Public Schools the exceptional district it is today!

On Thursday, May 28, ALLIANCE proudly hosted its 10th Annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony in Hamilton Circle in recognition of Pride Month. The ceremony featured heartfelt speeches from senior club members and concluded with the raising of the Pride flag. Students, staff, and community members gathered to show their support and celebrate inclusion, acceptance, and belonging for all. It was a beautiful day to come together as a school community and honor the values that make Glen Rock Public Schools stronger.

Glen Rock High School students made history at RevNJ’s History Happened Here event! Uri Bashan, Maya Coskun, Andreea Irati, Anastasia Koval, Phoebe Martin, and Zachary Yona created history projects that were curated and accepted for display at the statewide event. Out of just 37 projects invited from across New Jersey, four projects from Glen Rock High School were selected. Pictured are the students who presented their projects alongside teacher, Mrs. Kathleen Walter; Dr. Dale Caldwell, NJ Lieutenant Governor; Will Krakower, Director of the Princeton Battlefield Trust; and Sara Cureton, Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission. Swipe to see highlights from the event and the students proudly presenting their outstanding work!

Congratulations to GRHS seniors Izabela Samu ’26 and Sean Spitaleri ’26 on being recognized at the NJIC Sportsmanship Luncheon on May 27!

These outstanding student-athletes were honored for demonstrating leadership, integrity, respect, and sportsmanship throughout their athletic careers at Glen Rock High School. The entire GRHS community is proud of the positive example they set both on and off the field.

On Friday, May 22, five seniors including (L-R) Leah Starcic, Annie Leonard, Emily Hochman, Maya Bickel, and Carolyn Piccinnini, and science teacher, Ms. Monica Hughes, attended the Rutgers School of Health Professions Senior Ceremony. At the event, seniors from all over New Jersey who are currently taking a Health Professions Dual Enrollment Course were honored for their hard work and dedication.

Emily and Carolyn both received an award of excellence for their academic achievements throughout the course this year. We also want to congratulate the other seniors who are currently enrolled in Dynamics of Healthcare, but were unable to attend.

GRMS 6th graders turned compassion into action during a recent Walkathon in support of UNICEF, inspired by the novel “Refugee” by Alan Gratz. With an original goal of $5,000, students went above and beyond, raising an incredible $8,939 to help children around the world. We are so proud of their hard work, generosity, and dedication to making a difference!

The Glen Rock Superintendent Search Online Stakeholder Input Survey closed on May 22, having garnered 330 participants.

Thanks to all who engaged in our in-person input sessions and completed the online survey. All outcomes will be compiled into an internal document which will guide our consultant, Ms. Helewa, and the Glen Rock Board of Education throughout the search process.

The information from our stakeholders will be of vital assistance in determining which candidates will be selected for interviews, and in the formulation of interview questions at each stage of the search (preliminary, first-round, second-round, and final interviews).

Please be advised that the results of the sessions and surveys will not be made public during the search, in order to ensure an authentic vetting and interview process.

Thank you for your support of the Glen Rock Board of Education during this process. Visit our Superintendent Search page for more updates: https://www.glenrocknj.org/o/grpsd/page/superintendent-search

Join us Thursday, May 28, from 6–8 p.m. for the GRHS/GRMS Art Show! Come celebrate the incredible creativity and talent of our middle and high school student artists. The evening will also include the NAHS Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m. in the Media Center. We hope to see you there!