District celebrates opening
of Memorial middle school
By jeanette M. eng
Staff Writer
PHOTOSBY VERONICA YANKOWSKI Marlboro Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Abbott addresses guests at the Marlboro Memorial Middle School, Nolan Road, during dedication ceremonies of the $34 million building on April 3.
MARLBORO — Community members laughed and cried together as they celebrated the "birth" of their "153,000-square-foot baby," as Superintendent of Schools Dr. David C. Abbott affectionately called the Marlboro Memorial Middle School at its dedication ceremony on April 3.
The new school, constructed at a cost of $34 million on Nolan Road in the northern end of the community, opened its doors to 540 seventh- and eighth-graders on March 17. The addition of sixth-graders in September will complete the school’s enrollment.
Prior to entering the new school, the Marlboro Memorial Middle School student body had been attending the Marlboro Middle School, Route 520. Although the students were reluctant to leave their peers, their feelings changed once they entered the new school.
"This is a really nice school and it’s better because it was really crowded before," seventh-grader Jennifer Ross said.
Eric Conceicao listens to the remarks of a speaker before performing with his fellow students at the dedication ceremonies of the Marlboro Memorial Middle School.
"We’ve turned it from a hospital into a home," seventh-grader Melissa Parsowith said, explaining how everyone decorated the school’s bare white walls to make things more "homey."
Melissa’s mother, Melanie, was happy to say the new school "looks beautiful."
The excitement was shared among the hundreds of people who gathered in the auditorium for the evening ceremony. Board of Education members took turns recounting the events of the past two years and thanking everyone involved in the effort.
"I’m thrilled to be in this spectacular and awesome place," said board member Cynthia Green, who chaired the construction committee. "For the past two years, I’ve seen this project transform from uncleared land to chaotic construction site to the wonder you see tonight."
Although construction may not have finished on time [the school was scheduled to open in January], it did finish comfortably under budget, Green said. She credited the construction committee, which met extensively on the project.
"Looking back, I found that the committee met 18 times in a year during the construction of the Marlboro Early Learning Center [at Tennent and Harbor roads]," Green said. "We met 18 times in only the last few months during the construction of the Marlboro Memorial Middle School."
Green called the realization of the middle school "much more than a journey; it has been an adventure" and said it was bold vision which required extensive planning and the acceptance of risks.
"It has been an unusual, exciting, rewarding and totally remarkable learning experience," Green said. "Please, enjoy."
Board of Education President Terry Spilken presented Green with two plaques. One plaque, from the board on behalf of the community, read "… to express our enormous debt of gratitude to you for shepherding the opening of the new middle school through to successful completion."
The other plaque, from the construction committee, read "… in grateful recognition of your service as chair for six years, from 1997 to 2003."
Green joined the construction committee as chairwoman in 1997, amidst construction projects on four elementary schools and one middle school and a $42 million referendum, Spilken said.
"She has shown her unflagging commitment to our district’s most valuable resource … our students," the board president said.
Spilken also shared a plaque from Gov.James E. McGreevey dedicated to the new middle school.
Spilken named the K-8 school district’s business administrator Cindy Barr-Rague as "the heart of the construction project" as she was able to get both schools [the Marlboro Early Learning Center and the Marlboro Memorial Middle School] opened and handle a $60 million budget as well.
"I could not have done my job without her," Abbott said.
Barr-Rague dabbed at tears as everyone stood to applaud her efforts.
Spilken also thanked school district public information officer Sharon Witchel, former board members, Mayor Matthew Scannapieco, Township Council members, police officers, municipal officials, teachers, librarians, bus drivers, counselors, residents who supported the construction referendum, custodians and students for their efforts.
"The students have had to pack up, change schools, adjust, figure out where they’re going and figure out new schedules," Spilken said. "They have adjusted just like the staff and have rolled with the bumps in the road."
Head custodian Jim Higley, who also received applause, said he couldn’t wait to come to the new middle school and called the facility "wonderful."
Scannapieco recalled that his primary concern when his family moved to Marlboro years ago was education.
"Marlboro Township has an excellent education system," the mayor said. "Good staff, good administration and good facilities equal a quality education."
Township Council president Ellen Karcher quoted Will Rogers, saying that "Schools ain’t what they used to be."
"I never went to a school like this," Karcher said. "Our schools have been stretching at the seams and I thank Dr. Spilken and the board for their hard work."
State Sen. John O. Bennett recalled his childhood years of attending kindergarten in the Marlboro firehouse and commented that things have "come a long way to see a facility such as this."
"Now we move forward into an era of magnificent facilities, where students can leave with their heads held high and a quality education under their belts," he said.
Memorial middle school Principal Joanmarie Penney reiterated the motto of the school, that it is a place "where every student is an honored student."
"This can only happen with the dedication of a staff like Marlboro Memorial Middle School’s," she said.
Guests were entertained with performances by the Marlboro Middle School and Marlboro Memorial Middle School orchestras and the Marlboro Memorial Middle School dance club and eighth grade chorus.
Following the dedication, guests toured the school and saw its three computer labs, two gymnasiums, seven science rooms, greenhouse, two home economics labs, fully equipped with washers, dryer and a wall of computers, two art rooms and endless other features.
"There are two dedicated industrial arts rooms equipped with 18 different stations," Spilken said. "Each station is equipped with unique equipment and computer software specific to the subjects of rocketry, aerodynamics, video editing, filmmaking and others.
"This building was well thought out and not only looks impressive and more importantly, functions on the educational level," Spilken said proudly. "But moreover, we are fortunate to have such quality educators to deliver the education in this state-of-the-art facility."