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Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certification Report

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This is the Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certification Report of Long Branch High School (Monmouth), a Sustainable Jersey for Schools silver certified applicant.

Long Branch High School (Monmouth) was certified on August 24, 2021 with 435 points. Listed below is information regarding Long Branch High School (Monmouth)’s Sustainable Jersey for Schools efforts and materials associated with the applicant’s certified actions.

Contact Information

The designated Sustainable Jersey for Schools contact for Long Branch High School (Monmouth) is:

Name:Ann Degnan
Title/Position:Facilities Director / Facilities Department
Address:540 Broadway
Long Branch, NJ 07740
Phone:732-571-2868 x 40710

Actions Implemented

Each approved action and supporting documentation for which Long Branch High School (Monmouth) was approved for in 2021 appears below. Note: Standards for the actions below may have changed and the documentation listed may no longer satisfy requirements for that action.

  • Board Leadership & Planning

    District Sustainability Policy

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: The board of education recognizes that responsible environmental stewardship is an integral part of its mission in ensuring that schools are well run. The board supports conservation and sustainable planning and operations, and shall endeavor to implement green initiatives in all day-to-day district operations. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present while not compromising the future. The board recognizes that sustainability through the adoption of green initiatives in all day-to-day district operations will only succeed with the cooperation and support of the board, the students, the parents/guardians and the community. The district shall endeavor to engage all members of the school community in the conservation and green initiatives of the district. The board directs the chief school administrator or his or her designee(s) to oversee the districts programs for conservation and green initiative including but not limited energy efficient practices, recycling, sustainable programs and business practices within the district, environmental assessments, green construction within school facilities, and education and training programs for students, staff and the community.

    Professional Development for Sustainability

    20 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority School District

    Program Summary: The Long Branch Public Schools Summit is an Annual Professional Development event designed to kick-off our Sustainability, Social Emotional Learning, and Future Ready programs. During the 3-hour gathering, close to 100 attendees from our schools and community learn about ways LBPS is fostering sustainability and adopting an innovator's mindset to serve our schools. The event includes opening presentations from various staff members and students, a keynote address, and finally various small group workshop options from outside speakers on related topics. In addition to in-house PD, the district encourages employees to attend outside opportunities like the Monmouth County Master Gardeners’ annual school garden conference. Green Team members from each school also independently attend other sustainability-related training opportunities including the many Sustainable Jersey webinars throughout the year.

    School Community Asset Mapping

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The Long Branch Public Schools District with the help of students, teachers, administrators, and community partners have developed a community asset map to identify community places that make our city a great place to live, work and play. The asset map was shared with the community and staff via social media, e-mail and posted on the district website under the district's sustainability tab. Students will continue to grow and develop this map to include additional places of interest in our community. Access our map here: https://sites.google.com/longbranch.k12.nj.us/gardens/community-map

  • Climate Mitigation & Renewable Energy

    Buy Renewable Energy

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools are a NEW participate in the ACES consortium of purchasing renewable energy is such a positive action for the school district. First, it is a more efficient way to utilize the public school purchasing power for electricity which for a small up-charge per kWh allows the school to reduce its carbon footprint by not using fossil fuel generated electricity and we are expected to have as much as 40% renewable energy provided to us. This is another example of how the NJ Sustainable for Schools is making a difference. We are excited to see the percentage increase from 25% to 40% this year!

    Onsite Renewable Generation System - Geothermal

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The Geothermal system at the Long Branch High Schools was installed at the time the HS was built by the NJSDA in 2005. The wells are located under the parking areas and ball fields adjacent to the building. The system has been fully operational since 2007 when we opened the school. GEOTHERMAL INFORMATION Number of Wells 256 Well Depth 500 ft. ea.; (128,000 ft. tot.) Number of Well Circuits - 32 Number of Wells per Circuit 8 Geothermal Pipe Size Well Size (in.) 1-1/4" Branch Size (in.) 3”;2” S & R Main Size (in.) 12" Manifold Size (in.) 12" Geothermal Pipe Material Well Pipe: SDR 11 Polyethylene Branch Pipe: SDR 11 Polyethlyene S & R Main Pipe: SDR 11 Polyethylene Manifold Pipe SDR 17 Polyethylene Insulation (Above Grade&in Pit) ¾” Rubatex R-180-FS Fluid Information Fluid: Environol 2000 (23%) By Wt.) Flow (GPM): 2850 Well Field Press. Drop (ft. HD): Approximately 60 Maximum Entering Water Temp. 100°F Insulation ( Above Grade&in Pit) 3/4" Rubatex R-180-FS Minimum Entering Water Temp. 30°

    Onsite Renewable Generation System - Solar

    30 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools installed a canopy & fix-tilt, roof mounted 965.38 kWDC photovoltaic (solar) energy generation system, operating exclusively as a Net Metering Photovoltaic Solar Electric Facility (SEF). The rooftop Solar Electric Facility is comprised of one hundred and eighty-two (182) strings each with thirteen (13) Motech MTPVp-235-MSC poly-crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules in series with a maximum nominal voltage of 600 VDC. These strings are fed through eight (8) combiner boxes with 200 amp, 600 volt integrated DC disconnects and to one (1) PVPowered 260kW, two (2) 100 kW and two (2) 35kW three-phase 480 VAC inverters. The Canopy Solar Electric Facility is comprised of one hundred and thirty-three (13) strings each with thirteen (13) Motech MTPVp-235-MSC poly-crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules in series with a maximum nominal voltage of 600 VDC. These strings are fed through twelve (12) combines boxes with 200 amp, 600 volt integrated DC disconnects and to one (1) PVPowered 260 kW and one (1) 100 kW three-phase 480 VAC inverters. There are seven (7) PVPowered inverter systems. Each inverter system consists of an Inverter Control Switch, a DC Disconnect, a PVPowered inverter, and an AC Disconnect. The three-phase AC output from each inverter is fed through three-phase 480 VAC isolation transformer within the inverter, and the output is connected to the line side of an existing Customer distribution panel via two (2) 400 amp 480 volt AC breakers, three (3) 150 amp 480 volt AC breakers and two (2) 60 amp 480 volt AC breakers through one (1) 1600 amp 480 volt AC Maine Breaker. Power from this new metering system is connected on the Customer side of a JCP&L revenue grade electric meter. The annual percentage of the school building's energy use offset by solar was 35%.

  • Digital Learning Leadership

    Community Engagement

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The process used to create or revise a communications plan that integrates the district’s digital learning vision includes bridging literacy gaps by empowering students and community members with the skills required to succeed. Our mission is to meet the changing needs of a changing society and this will happen through digital literacy. This digital learning vision incorporates innovation through opportunity, digital support (equitably supporting diverse learners with digital tools), and using the best digital tools and resources. The Long Branch School District provides equitable access through guidance, opportunity, and access. We are committed to sustaining a thriving community for future generations. Examples of this are seen with our partnership with Monmouth Medical Center and other community engagement strategies used.

    District Commitment to Digital Learning

    15 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: Long Branch School District has a very strong commitment to Digital Learning. The district has a diverse team of stakeholders that makes up their Executive Committee that meets monthly. In addition, each school has a team. Other artifacts uploaded for this action include support provided to our children and families with digital learning during remote learning. They include Useful Resources During School Shutdown, a survey to assess technology needs, and a schedule to prepare for remote learning. We live in a digital society, all manner of preparation for the world, work and life is our priority. Long Branch Public Schools is committed to providing all of the tools and opportunities to maximize student and educator success. This includes equitable access for our diverse population to ensure academic student growth through their virtual learning experiences. These digital learning experiences also offer social emotional learning strategies that support students, teachers and parents. Our goal is to ensure that students have access to the digital devices and tools in order to be successful both in school and at home. Flexible learning is possible through technological resources as students, staff and the community engage in authentic and personalized learning experiences

    District Professional Development Plan *Retires 10/31/23*

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: The Chief Academic Officer organized a district professional development committee to formulate the 3 year 2019-2022 district professional development plan. The diverse committee met several times to collaborate on this document. The committee created 3 year goals which included activities for implementation based upon research evidence. The areas addressed in the 3 year PDP plan include but are not limited to: school safety, security, and code of student conduct, health, interscholastic athletics, educator evaluation, equity and affirmative action, special education, prevention, reading, preschool, and mentoring. Since 2017, our EdTech specialists have provided district, school-level, department-level, and personalized professional learning opportunities. In order to make this meaningful and reach all stakeholders, they have created a district-wide technology survey to assess each professional’s and student’s needs. Professional learning has been provided through written documents, emails, in-person, video conferencing, and recorded tutorials. Professionals are able to contact the EdTechs through email, chat, helpdesk, and phone. In addition to internally provided professional learning, outside opportunities such as those provided by New Jersey Institute of Technology, Kiker Learning, and Pear Deck are made available to staff.

    Equitable Access to Digital Learning

    15 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: With the recent increase in virtual learning, Long Branch Public Schools became more aware of the differences in access to technology resources. In order to support our learners and our staff, we gathered information about access to technologies including devices and network connections. Going into August of 2020, we learned that 7% of our students did not have Wi-Fi at home and almost 22% of students did not have access to computing devices like a Chromebook, laptop, or desktop computer. Additionally, we assessed our students academic progress in order to identify learning gaps through various systems including i-Ready and LinkIt! Spring benchmark assessments will be given to identify gaps in learning from the 2020-2021 school year. Curriculum teams will be assembled to review student assessment data and progress toward the learning standards at each grade level. Teacher teams will work with the prerequisite skill and concept documents available through the NJDOE to develop a scope and sequence for 2021-2022 that will best meet the needs of the students. The scope and sequence will specifically address learning loss and provide teachers with resources to help students who are continuing to struggle. In order to assist us in addressing the technology gaps, LBPS partnered with T-Mobile to provide wireless access points for families in need. Prior to the pandemic, LBPS maintained the fleet of Chromebooks on campus. In order to meet the computing needs of students, LBPS planned and executed safe and secure technology pick up days. Families in need were able to obtain Chromebooks. Additionally, LBPS partnered with HP to provide seniors with laptops. As new students arrive, their needs are determined and met with technology provided by the district thereby preventing the creation of a digital divide.

  • Digital Learning Practices

    Digital Citizenship

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: As we continue to integrate more technology into our schools, the Long Branch School District recognizes the importance of teaching and instilling good Digital Citizenship. Teachers/Media Specialists use the curriculum from Common Sense Media, as well as Google’s iKeepSafe program. In addition, the ISTE standards for Digital Citizenship is an important guide that is reviewed often by both administrators and educators. These resources combined, allow our educators to guide our students to make sound choices and to develop a positive digital footprint. Virtual PD on Digital Citizenship has been offered to the entire staff, and a more personalized PD on how to become a Common Sense Educator has been provided to all the Media Specialists in our district. Our Media Specialists and our EdTech Specialists work together to reach out to as many students and teachers by providing lessons for grades K-12, updating the Digital Citizenship page on our district’s EdTech site, and through ongoing conversations.

    Professional Growth and Collaboration

    15 Points
    School

    Program Summary: This year’s professional learning focused on social-emotional learning and self-care in a remote/hybrid setting. Each time staff met for development, the content was in the area of Student/Self care, social and emotional learning, or technology in the classroom like Classlink, Trello, Pear Deck, and Nearpod. Weekly content area PLCs, department meetings, academy meetings, staff meetings, training, and programs incorporated wellness and/or mindfulness into the time spent. Teachers were also trained on digital citizenship and some received a certificate for being a Common Sense Educator in the field of digital citizenship.

  • Digital Technology Access

    Data Safety and Security Policy

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools has created several committees in key areas which include board members, administrators and specifically identified personnel. (Note: In this case, as it pertains to Data Safety and Security, the Technology Team is involved in identifying and explaining pertinent aspects.) To properly address policy, the Governance Committee meets quarterly to write, remove and/or revise the policies for the district. Once a structure has been created and agreed upon, drafts are released to the Leadership Team for further input and review. Once the verbiage is decided upon, the policy is presented to the district's attorneys for approval. Upon completion, the policy is adopted into board policy at a board meeting and presented to the staff. Long Branch Public Schools has several key factors in place to assure our digital information is protected... The district has 2 firewalls in place that assure all internal data is protected from outside sources. The district has 2 Proxy Filters in place that assure all staff and students are filtered while browsing the Internet in accordance with our district policy. The district installs and maintains a full Enterprise Endpoint Solution for Antivirus on all servers and computers. The district maintains extensive network and user policies to assure users only have access to data that they are permitted to see. The district maintains strict password policies that have a set length/strength with a time period for password changes. If LBPS uses a vendor to house data, i.e. a cloud based program for student information, a formal review and questionnaire is provided to assure the company properly protects our data and follows guidelines to keep it private. Additionally, we have provided opportunities for leadership and staff to participate in data safety/security simulations. Attached is a simulation that we modified from https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/ to make relevant to various offices and departments.

    Digital Device Life Cycle Management

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: As more and more technology entered into schools, Long Branch Public Schools identified a need for properly managing not only in production technology but end-of-life / end-of-usability technology as well. As such, the Technology Team deployed software to track our equipment and worked closely with the Business Department to develop specific criteria that would trigger disposal of equipment that was no longer is use. Using these criteria as our guiding factor, equipment is evaluated regularly and discussed bi-weekly at Operations Meetings with administration as well as quarterly with the Operations Committee which has board members included. Inventory is of utmost importance. Keeping track of, and being able to manage software, laptops, tablets, Chromebooks, etc. is a huge priority to assure we can properly manage and maintain all of our equipment. Using a suite that PDQ offers, we currently run PDQ Inventory and PDQ Deploy. These 2 pieces of software allow for us to both track our networked computers, laptops etc. as well as deploy software to them through pushes & schedules on an individual and/or mass basis. It also allows us to pull detailed information on any device. Again, thinking progressively and adapting to the rigorous demands of the Technology field, Long Branch Public Schools has created a position for an Inventory Technician. While having a full technical skillset with the ability to perform daily break/fix duties, this technician has been in the field and understands the needs of our department. Pairing him with an office area inside of Tech center has allowed us to use this amazing resource to gather quotes and keep track of inventory such as projector bulbs, solid state drives, network wires, etc. (things that are not connected to the network). We have a full suite which houses most of our employees (the network team has a separate office a few doors down) that has personal space, locked storage, shelving units and filing cabinets. The person in this position keeps the storage areas clean and organized so our techs can quickly and efficiently find anything that is needed. Designated areas are always labeled and stocked appropriately. The resources are reviewed by the inventory technician on a daily basis and he contacts various vendors to supply the Head of Technical Services with the lowest quotes. The quotes are then reviewed and submitted to the Technology Director with written explanations for purchasing.

    Infrastructure

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: For FY2022 we will be replacing our 2 district firewalls and our 2 district web gateways. A perfect example of our process is shown by the measures we took before deciding upon the equipment to purchase. A direct call to a manufacturer, which involved a representative and an engineer, allowed us to choose the proper firewalls for our environment. With their recommendation after an extensive conversation being a direct upgrade of our current equipment, it was apparent there was no need to look elsewhere as it is a proven solution without any benefit to changing the product line and/or brand. On the other hand, while we were evaluating our web gateways, we addressed a few of issues and concerns of our current product by involving multiple vendors and demoing their product and/or speaking with Technology Departments of other school districts. After extensive research and conversations, it was decided that a full hardware replacement would best suit our needs while maintaining the same manufacturer of the software but upgrading to a newer version.

  • Diversity & Equity

    Accessible Communications

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The Long Branch Public School District is committed to providing on-going communication to both our schools and the local community. It is our priority to provide all communications based on our dynamic demographics by using a variety of methods and ALWAYS in multiple languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). Throughout the school year, we invite families and community members to attend a variety of extra-curricular, sports, and academic events. We also use many platforms to communicate important information to our school community. Our district webpage has the option for visitors to view its contents in their native language. We also provide district-level video updates to families in our community, these video updates are posted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our YouTube channel has over 1,100 subscribers, this platform allows us to upload a transcript for each video update - - providing parents with Spanish and Portuguese captions. We also have created a short tutorial showing parents how to enable video captions. Emails, flyers, phone calls, invitations (via. US Mail), auto-dial calls through Blackboard connect, and applications such as, Class Dojo or Remind, are also provided in all three languages. The district has several policies helping to ensure effective communication including # 9200 Parent communication and #5420 Reporting of pupil progress. With every student registration packet, we include a guide to help parents navigate the various levels of our school system. Our "School to Home Communication" options menu is a place where we display the various methods of communication available to parents, allowing them to choose which one works for them. Finally, the district is constantly putting additional communication items in place on an ‘as-needed basis.’ An example of this is our District COVID-19 Dashboard which provides transparency about our school community health data, as well, as our Covid-19 Video Updates Playlist, and information about ‘GRAB and GO’ school meals, all which can be found on our District Homepage.

  • Energy Efficiency

    Energy Efficiency for School Facilities

    30 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority School District

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools engaged in an Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP) costing nearly $10 Million dollars. The project completed in June 2019 so we submitted comparison data from 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. Due to change of schedules with COVID we are not submitting data from 2020-2021 since the schools were used less during that time. The project involved lighting and HVAC activities. The first level was to replace every light fixture and upgrade to an LED bulb or fixture across all buildings. The HVAC work was much more involved. At Morris Ave we replaced original unit ventilators, boilers and a 15 year old Chiller and added Building Mgt controls. At, Lenna Conrow we replaced two boilers including one steam boiler and original unit ventilators and added building management controls. At Audrey W Clark School we replaced original boilers and unit ventilators and added building management controls. At JMF we replaced some Roof Top Units (RTU). And finally, the HS saw a 33% decrease in costs by replacing the RTUS at the Gyms, Auditorium, and cafeteria at a cost of nearly $1 MM. The High School School has experienced a 33.8% reduction in utility costs. As demonstrated in the EUI spreadsheet, the district as a whole achieved 16.6% energy savings.

    Energy Tracking & Management

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Energy Tracking & Management: Long Branch Public Schools has been involved with Energy Tracking for over 7 years. The program has matured into a daily routine of checking systems and usage of Energy. Our Energy Mgr. also supervises our Buildings and Grounds Department that directly maintains our system of their peak efficiency of operation. He also actively tracks and monitors utility usage at every building. Part of that program includes tracking With EnergyCAP, you can track any energy or non-energy commodity and any type of bill detail. He enters bills manually using bill entry templates. EnergyCAP provides two different views-finances and facilities-so you can view and report both data types separately. The two data hierarchies are also hyperlinked, which makes it easy to jump between accounts, buildings, and meters. By helping you correlate cost and consumption information, EnergyCAP provides granular and summary level data from both perspectives for powerful analytics that yield actionable insights. EnergyCAP PowerViews and reports provide a clear picture of each account/meter's cost and consumption history for months or years in graphical or tabular format. IN the 7+ years of the program we have been able to save over 5 MM dollars district wide.

  • Food & Nutrition

    Promote Locally Grown Foods

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Our Food service program is committed to providing and promoting locally grown foods. We provide locally grown food samples on a monthly basis to students during lunch time with special recipes. We also promote quarterly chef competitions with healthy recipes and recently, our elementary winner was selected to have her healthy salad recipe shared nationally. Long Branch purchases local foods though the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and our efforts to provide the most nutritious foods to our students along with food education and awareness has been recognized at both the national and local level. The Long Branch Schools contracts with Sodexo for our food programs in the schools. The attached invoices show the locally sourced produce purchased by them and delivered to our Middle School, (Sodexo's main location in our district). The produce is then taken to all our schools: LWC, MA, JMF, Gregory, Anastasia, GLC, Middle School, High School and the Alternative Academy (AWC School). As seen in the attached school menus, we have also began to indicate which menu items are sourced locally.

  • Green Cleaning

    Green Cleaning Supplies

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools started only purchasing green cleaning supplies in July of 2015. Our cleaning products are green and our paper products support our sustainability efforts. The Green Cleaning and purchasing efforts have shown a difference with the staff through cleaning - as they are simpler and easier to utilize. IN the past we ordered different cleaners for various surfaces . The staff needed more time to clean in order to change product and were inefficient. Product would sit on a shelf because there were too many items to track. The new system has two main items for cleaning thereby eliminating waste. We are utilizing the remaining supplies in one of the buildings until they are depleted, then the entire district will be cleaned with green supplies. As we progress, we add more and more purchases to our Green Cleaning List!

  • Green Purchasing

    Green Purchasing Policy

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: The Long Branch School District is dedicated to decreasing our footprint while increasing our sustainability and community awareness of conservation. A large step for this goal is to include the awareness of sustainability and conservation in all aspects of the district including purchasing. In June of 2015 the board adopted a green initiatives policy that includes green purchasing considerations whenever fiscally responsibility allows. When the board adopts the policy, the policy is posted in the board minutes for everyone to read. All District policies are also posted on the school website in a searchable database providing access to all staff and the community. Finally - We are already purchasing sustainable and energy smart appliances and equipment throughout the district!

  • Healthy School Environments

    Outdoor Air Quality Awareness Program

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Understanding the importance of breathing healthy air, the Long Branch Public School district has continued implementing the outdoor air quality program as modeled by www.airnow.gov in each of our 9 schools. At all schools, this program allows for both our students and staff to not only understand the importance of healthy air quality but the appropriate activities that are promoted for a healthy lifestyle in each of these air quality categories. Representative of the outdoor air quality, these flags set the standard for outdoor activity in each building. Administrators, staff, and students have learned about the importance of the program and the significance of each of the flag colors. The program influences each of our students though participation in Physical Education Classes and recess activities, as well as after school and athletic sports programs. Each building has set aside designated indoor areas when necessary to allow for the continuation of gross motor play and practice. Flags are coordinated daily based on the information displayed on the widget provided by airnow.gov displayed on our district webpage (widget is only compatible with Internet Explorer) and daily emails received by administrators, and educators in each building. Staff and students are made aware of these levels as they enter through lobbies in each building or walking by the flag poles. Due to pandemic photos have not been updated. Included is a letter ensuring that every building continues to announce air quality alerts for student sin the building on a on zoom meetings at home. Students are not able to gather for photos at this time. Thank you for your understanding.

    Radon Testing, Education and Mitigation

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Our district continues to test Radon as a condition of providing a healthy environment for our students and staff. We last performed our test in August of 2016. No radon remediation was required at Long Branch High School. All of our radon testing was completed by a company Radiation Data, from Skillman NJ. They are fully licensed and certified for testing as well as remediation. J. Keith Baicker was the tester for our sites We notified the staff and students with our webpage. The link below shows general information about Radon as well as a list of classrooms that were tested in each school. http://www.longbranch.k12.nj.us/Page/14962. We also received a grant from the DEP to help offset the testing costs. THis building is rather large, so the $2K grant covered most of the testing costs.

  • Innovation Projects

    Innovative Project #1

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: This year, the Long Branch Public School District has taken an innovative approach to Professional Development. In order to promote and adopt a culture of innovation and sustainability throughout the district, we have embraced an online based, peer-to-peer green approach to professional teaching and learning for all faculty and staff. Individualized learning has never been so exciting and readily available to our staff. By creating an online platform to house all our peer-to-peer sessions, the district has completed eliminated the need for paper handouts during PD days and we are now able to reach each staff member right in their classroom, office or home without the need for them to travel to another location. Now, nearly 1,000 staff members can learn remotely and have options and flexibility when it comes to their professional growth. The process begins by putting out a call for presenters to our staff. After submissions have been received, a selection committee comprised of teachers and administrators will review the proposed session and our approved presenters will begin creating their video sessions. The final result is a 15-20 min video that is made available to all staff members to watch during our dedicated PD days and of course, they can always revisit the material and explore other sessions at any time from anywhere! On Friday, January 26, 2018, we were able to kick off our Future Ready Virtual PD Summit with over 40 individual sessions to our staff! Our second virtual PD day took place on March 23, 2018 and brought a new round of presenters from every school and exciting all new sessions to explore. As a commitment to our innovative approach to individualized professional development, we are continuing the effort throughout the Summer with a virtual book study discussion held live through Zoom, a live video platform we’ve been using for the past 3 years for meetings and conferences. For more information on how our Virtual Summit PD days work, please review the attached emails, list of session offerings and screenshots.

  • Learning Environment

    Future Ready Schools - New Jersey Certification

    15 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Perhaps the greatest achievement of our Future Ready Schools journey was that it allowed us to examine our practices and work together to make changes that benefited our students, staff, and families due to the exploratory lens and mindset shift that came with the Future Ready vision. We supported one another and worked collaboratively not only in our school, but as a district - sharing ideas and best practices. We shifted our focus to student centered personalized learning. There were less teacher directed activities and more student led/driven activities. We explored all of the gears, but focused on the use of space and time, community partnerships, collaborative leadership, curriculum instruction & assessment, and personalized professional development. The frameworks helped us think strategically and plan for fine tuning our practices. It also allowed us to celebrate the practices that were already in place. The personalized professional development gear allowed our teachers to take the lead in their learning and focus on areas that they were interested in and that they felt they needed improvement in. The Future Ready Schools movement also allowed us the opportunity to explore more teacher-led professional development sessions, allowing us to utilize the talents and strengths of our staff members to help teach one another.

    Student Participation in the Arts

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: The overall goal of the VPA department is to provide a wide variety of experiences for our children. Courses include visual arts, dance, drama, vocal music, instrumental music, music technology, digital arts, TV & film. Creative thinking, problem solving and critical thinking skills are nurtured throughout each course. Our purpose is to enhance the strengths of the students while creating awareness, building self-esteem and fostering leadership skills. Students are afforded the greatest opportunity for success and the developmental level of each child is considered when selecting activities. Courses throughout the Visual & Performing Art department continue to stress the importance of sustainability and conserving our natural resources. Attached is a list of community activities the district was involved in with regards to the arts, letters from the Superintendent stating the courses and highly qualified teachers in our district, as well as the NJ School Report for the Visual & Performing Arts in our schools.

  • School Culture and Climate

    Social Emotional Learning Integrated Unit

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: In this unit, students begin to examine the ways that human activities cause feedback that create changes to other systems. Students understand the system interactions that control weather and climate, with a major emphasis on the mechanisms and implications of climate change. This unit will be taught through a series of project students will do to understand what climate change is, their impact on climate change, and how it affects them. Social and Emotional learning will be embedded throughout the unit in the forms of reflections, discussions, questionnaires, and self-assessments. There are four research projects in which the students will make a presentation about a natural disaster and its environmental impact, calculate their own carbon footprint, figure out ways to clean an oil spill, and debate as members of a community faced with the problem of coal power vs. nuclear power. These projects will all conclude with students reflecting on how they affect the environment and how the environment affects them. This unit was developed by the chemistry department based on the NGSS standards and delivered to each chemistry student in a hybrid setting. Zoom or Google Classroom was used to reach the remote learners while students in person were also on the platform so groups could be formed and work together while being socially distanced.

  • Student & Community Outreach

    Green Team

    10 Points
    Bronze Required Silver Required School District

    Program Summary: 03/26/21 WE ARE STILL WORKING ON UPDATING THIS ACTION AND OUR ANNUAL REPORT. The Long Branch Public School District Green Team is committed to environmental and digital education and developing a spirit of environmental stewardship in each of our schools. All schools in the district are represented on the team (see board approved list attached). During the past several years, we have promoted and participated in many sustainable practices and activities including environmental awareness, site clean­ups, energy savings & recycling programs, green cleaning, food & nutrition education, school gardens, and many others! As our school gardens and sustainable efforts expand, we continue to look for volunteers to join our Green Team and provide our current members with numerous professional development opportunities throughout the year.

    Green Fair

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The Long Branch Public Schools Annual Green Fair encourages sustainable lifestyle choices for our community, raises awareness regarding environmental issues, and demonstrates how our schools are reducing their impact on the planet. In light of COVID-19, this year the LBPS Green Team has created a virtual Green Fair experience to highlight our sustainability efforts and partnerships. On May 25, 2021, LBPS livestreamed the Virtual Green Fair to the community and the world on YouTube! In addition to highlighting a sustainability partner, each of our 9 schools contributed to the fair by creating short videos displaying sustainability projects and activities. Visit our Green Fair page to view our full green fair videos featuring all 9 of our schools: https://sites.google.com/longbranch.k12.nj.us/gardens/virtual-green-fair-2021

  • Student Learning

    Education for Sustainability Integrated Unit

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The purpose of the climate change unit is to allow students to understand and analyze the effects and the greater impact of climate change. Through out this unit students will explore the symptoms of climate change, such as acidification of the oceans, greenhouse effect, sea level rise, extreme weather, and increase of diseases. Each symptom shows the importance of solving the real issue of climate change. Through sustainable actions students will learn how to lessen the effects of climate change alleviating these symptoms. This unit can be given in person or virtually. It utilizes several virtual labs to showcase climate changes effects in a timeframe that is more reasonable for classroom activities.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Career and Technical Education

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The purpose of this research projects is to have students identify entrepreneurial opportunities in sustainable businesses and business practices and analyze the successes of eco-friendly business ventures. Finally students will be able to discuss the importance of sustainability in the twenty-first century and beyond. Each student and group will be given an article that highlights twelve successful start-up businesses that have all appeared on the show and are all classified as eco-friendly. At then end they will present to the class.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 English Language Arts

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The focus this week is for students to learn the vocabulary associated with the NYT article, "Chemicals in Your Popcorn". Each day we will concentrate on 4 paragraphs. Teacher provides photographs to represent each word according to the context of the article. Teacher models how to cite textual evidence when responding to critical thinking questions. To start off, we will view a few short videos about microwave popcorn and PFAS chemicals & take notes.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Health

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The focus this week is for students to learn how outdoor workout routines can help improve their school, work, and home environment. Students will develop their own routine then analyze its impact on their life. They will be required to keep a record of their workout and provide evidence of their actions. Finally students will work together through discussion to develop a better understanding of their chosen exercises.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Math

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Students were able to analyze data given from a graph and chart on sea level rise. Students calculated the linear regression and were able to predict what the change would be in 2050. Students were just asked the question "What does this graph tell you? And how can this affect you here along the Jersey shore?" A short discussion was held about all the possibilities that could occur. Students were able to articulate that if sea levels rise enough their town could be underwater. Then the students wrote letters to the local poloticians.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Science

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The purpose of the "Cookie Mining Lab" are for the students to understand and analyze the impact mining has on the surround environment. The students were able to simulate being a mining operation and purchased a cookie that would be their mind and purchased their equipment as well. Through this process the students were able to understand the economic part of mining as well. Students then mined and reclaimed their land and the ore to make the most profit possible. Students then answered questions based on the lab.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Social Studies

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: In AP Human Geography students learned about the need for sustainability in global growth in the unit called ‘Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes’. To understand this at a global scale we took an in depth look at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As a summative assignment students were asked to reflect on 1 of the 17 goals they felt passionately about and adapt it from a global to local scale in Long Branch, NJ. Students were tasked with developing an actionable plan and presentation for their chosen goal

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Technology

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The purpose of this lesson was to show students how to use technology to develop interest in areas of concern. Bringing to the foreground the problems such as wildlife conservation or sustainability is always difficult. This lesson shows students how to take the lessons they are learning from other classes and turn them into action. Students create a documentary photography project that can be categorized under one type of documentary photography we have gone over in class including, social, conservation, photo essay, and social landscape

  • Student and Staff Wellness

    Policies to Promote Physical Activity

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: Long Branch's quality Physical Education/wellness program is fundamental for our students. Why do children need a quality PE/wellness program? The simple answer is so that they will remain physically active throughout their lifetime and reap the benefits of doing so. Quality PE/wellness provides students with a multitude of important learning experiences that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Physical Education/wellness is that phase of education which is concerned with the teaching of skills, improving physical fitness, the reinforcement of other subjects, self-discipline, leadership and cooperation, enhancing self-efficacy, stress reduction, and strengthening peer relationships. Physical activity contributes much to the growth, development, and the general well-being of every individual. We believe that Long Branch Public Schools are; "Where Children Matter Most". With this philosophy in mind, we are certain that our Fitness Program s and Opportunities will teach continuous growth and achievement for all students, without exceptions.

    Staff Wellness Program

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The Long Branch Schools goes above and beyond to promote staff wellness. As part of our culture of sustainability, we have built our own Wellness Center at the Long Branch High School providing medical and wellness support for all staff and their family members 7 days a week. The Partnership Health Center Long Branch (PHCLB) addresses all members' basic wellness and medical needs under one roof of over 5000 sq.ft. The health center’s activities are centered around the theme of “Care for the Whole You”. Employees pay no co-pays or deductibles for any services or programs of the health center. It is open 7 days a week for 65 hours, opening weekdays from 7 AM to 6 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00-6:00 throughout the year. The wellness center is located centrally in the school district on school property, making it a convenient location to all work sites. The center provides monthly newsletters, diagnostic services, as well as nutrition, chiropractic care, physical therapy, yoga, and other programs targeting staff wellness and activities.

  • Student Safety

    Safe Routes to School District Policy

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: Long Branch Public Schools is committed to promoting the benefits of walking and bicycling to school. We have established the guideless and expectations for students and parents/guardians within our district policy adopted in January 2018. We regularly collaborate with our law enforcement, local organizations such as EZ Rides and other community agencies to plan, construct, and encourage the use of safe, accessible, and convenient pedestrian and bicycle routes to school. We host bike rodeos, bike and helmet safety assemblies and actively participate in the Annual Walk to School day in October. In addition, our District is very active in the NJ Safe Routes to School program and have been awarded Gold level recognition for two of our schools.