Four District Schools Receive PBSIS Recognition | Toms River Regional School District

South Toms River Elementary School's team of Principal Dennis Holzapfel and Supervisor Nikole Mustica (left) as well as Silver Bay's Principal Mike Devita and Supervisor Courtney Norcross (above) lead two of the four schools receiving recognition for their efforts in PBSIS.

May 31, 2023-- Four district schools-- Joseph A. Citta, Silver Bay, and South Toms River elementary schools, as well as Intermediate East-- have achieved Implementation Fidelity for the 2022-2023 school year, a mark of distinction associated with New Jersey's PBSIS (positive behavior support in schools) initiative.

"Schools that achieved this recognition had four or more people complete the Benchmarks of Quality assessment, and achieved an overall score of 70 percent or higher," read the congratulatory message from Rutgers' Boggs Center, which leads the PBSIS initiative in partnership with the NJDOE and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

"The efforts acknowledged through this recognition are reflective of the commitment of the Intermediate East, Citta, Silver Bay, and South Toms River teams to promote positive behavior and citizenship," said Assistant Superintendent Patrick Thomas. "We thank and laud these schools and their leaders for going above and beyond."

Schools achieving implementation fidelity are now listed on the NJPBSIS.org website. The schools will also receive a certificate of recognition and an electronic badge to use in communications.

"To have four Toms River Regional Schools among the 86 that have achieved this distinction is a testament to our ongoing efforts to instill a positive school culture, and respond to students' social-emotional needs," said Superintendent Mike Citta. "I applaud these schools for their commitment to PBSIS, to their students, and to each other."

Intermediate East's (above) Christy Downs and Tiffany Lucey (supervisors), Bryan Madigan (principal), William Baxter and James Cleveland (assistant principals) join Joseph A. Citta Elementary's Principal Shannon Brown and Supervisor Tonya Rivera (below) as proud PBSIS Implementation Fidelity winners for the 2022-2023 school year.