district highlights - Barnegat Township School District

Mr. Houser: You have got to wrap up because we are way, way over; we are like ten minutes
here.
Mr. Laufgas: That is why we need a clock up there. The last thing, as far as Mr. Cox, I came
over here to settle, but I was going to settle with you guys, an apology from him for stealing my
pizza and $1,000 but that is off the table because I am filing a suit against him and I am going to
his neighborhood and everyone of his neighbors is going to get a letter.
Mr. Houser: You can’t be talking about an employee and we need to move on, Mr. Laufgas.
Mr. Laufgas: OK, well, you have a nice day.
Mr. Houser: You too.
Ms. Jackie Ferrara, 62 Water Street: I want to say congratulations to the new Board members
and for your new positions and everything. I am here to recognize some children in our band
program, Amy Maloney, Matt Fitzmaurice, Jacquelyn Ferrara and David Ferrara are representing
Barnegat High School and they are playing in a band that is going overseas to Germany this year.
Last year, Jackie also went with this band to Italy. Mr. Gagnon nominates two children in his
class due to his professor from a college and that is how they are going. They are representing
our school and our country and they also play our patriotic music over in these other countries.
Also, my daughter was Barnegat High School’s first foreign exchange student and then we had
Francesco and Yanico come to the school. Well, the organization picked Jackie to her testimony
for their organization to go global that went to every home that was involved in AFS for her
experience and they acknowledged Madam Morris in this letter and they acknowledge all three
exchange students that have come to my home and Barnegat High School. So I just wanted the
Board to know that our school was acknowledged globally and the experiences they got from
Jackie when they wrote this letter were very good experiences and how teenagers like Great
Adventure and things like that. I just wanted the Board to know that Madam Morris in our life,
she has changed my family’s life by nominating Jackie, Jackie going overseas and then when
Mr. Gagon nominated Jackie again for music to go overseas, it was a lot easier to let her go, but
not only my family but I feel this high school was blessed the year that Yanic and Francesco
entered our school because it affected a lot of children in this school. My family is still in
contact with them and my children are going to be visiting them while they are over here and if
anybody comes to the Board or the Principal I am involved with AFS trying to find homes for
other students. That is it.
Mr. Houser: Thank you, and if you wouldn’t mind, if you could give us a copy of what you have
at the Board office, and also any other information you have regarding needing homes for other
students and things like that.
Mr. Ferrara: This letter that they used, Jackie’s testimony, is a fund raiser that went out, I did not
want to read it because I did not want anybody to think I am fund raising for the school, but I just
wanted Jackie to be acknowledged that her testimony went global and her school is represented
in that. I will give you copies and I have copies of the children who need homes.
Barnegat Township Board of Education Minutes - June 10, 2008 21