JACKSON - School teachers from the Jackson School District stepped up to the plate and presented 100 in-service day workshops to their colleagues on Sept. 5.

Assistant superintendents Lu Anne Meinders and Mark DeMareo summarized the Sept. 5 event for the Board of Education at a recent meeting. The workshops had the theme "Preparing for the Future Within the Ever-Shifting Realm of Education"

"A most remarkable event took place on Sept. 5, but it was not the mere occurrence of the district in-service [day] that was so special, as that has taken place each year for several decades. It was the knowledge, passion and spirit of the people who participated in it that made it so extraordinary," Meinders said.

More than 1,000 certified staff members participated in the district in-service, during which they were scheduled into four workshops lasting from one to four hours in length, she said. There were more than 100 workshops offered.

"The most remarkable fact to remember is that these 100 workshops were offered by our own staff members," Meinders said. "This is the largest number of selections the Jackson School District has ever provided from in-house staff members. It is indeed an indicator of the professionalism of our educational team members who responded to a call for help in a time of a defeated budget, when funds were limited for outside consultants. Ultimately, it was our staff who made this a remarkable day and I would like to personally thank them for it."

Every workshop was devoted to achieving curricular excellence, she said.

There were workshops for certification of Adventure Bound, Microsoft 2007, promoting inclusion, implementing a new literacy series, addressing the needs of disaffected and depressed learners, and promoting differentiated instructional methodologies, to name only a few.

In addition to the workshops, a video was crafted and personalized by technology teacher Harry Ferone from a YouTube Internet site originally created by a group of Colorado educators.

"This video was the kickoff for our inservice day and served as a thought-provoking catalyst for every educator charged with the responsibility of preparing our children for the future," Meinders said. "Showing it sparked conversations among staff members throughout the day and, I believe, introduced an appreciation for how the world of education is ever-changing and ever-shifting.

Meinders said the video showed an appreciation for the role educators all play in making sure the district's students are prepared for whatever their futures hold.

DeMareo told the board, "10 media assistants, six interpreters and 150 paraprofessionals participated in a very well received support staff in-service day held at the Goetz Middle School. "The workshops were presented by Dr. Ankur Desai, Susan Burger and Mark Benedictis."

DeMareo said Desai works part-time at a community mental health agency in Red Bank and manages his own private practice in Freehold. A large part of his practice is in school consultation. The Jackson School District began using his services last year.

Burger, a curriculum specialist with the Bergen County Special Services School District, supports educational staff with implementing curriculum in the classroom, curriculum alignment and revision, as well as curriculum modification and adaption.

Benedictis is a tech specialist, also with the Bergen County Special Service School District. His expertise deals with staff training, as well as working with people who have physical and cognitive disabilities.

Desai's workshop focused on diagnostic assessment of mental health disorders in children and adolescents.

DeMareo said Desai was able to present a lot of the diagnoses in laymen's terms and provide a better understanding to the staff members who work with the children. Burger's presentation focused on positive behavior, while Benedictis gave a presentation on building student independence.

"Workshops were designed to assist the support staff in areas in which the special education department clearly identified a need," DeMareo said. "Workshop participants were asked to evaluate the workshops they attended."

The support staff in-service day proved to be a stimulating and valuable in-service focusing on serving the needs of the children in the Jackson School District, DeMareo said.