May 31, 2024-- In April of last year, Intermediate East won a $10k grant from Sustainable Jersey for Schools to create the Rocket Retreat Room, a space reserved for students to achieve optimal mental health by allowing them to connect with mentors to make better decisions, unwind, play, reset, and grow. In May of last year, the district earned another $10k Sustainable Jersey grant for the proposed Rising Tides, Rising Sounds project, let by two Intermediate East music teachers. On Wednesday, both programs were celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Intermediate East teacher Mike Roskey led the Retreat Room project, while Marilyn Osmundsen and Jill Lovinfosse led the Rising Tides, Rising Sounds effort. They were on hand to celebrate the occasion along with Supervisor Tiffany Lucey (the author of both grant applications), Supervisor Christy Downs, teacher Josh Melson, Sustainable Jersey's Chris Grillo, and IE students and high school mentors.

"I want thank Sustainable Jersey for all you have done for our school district," said Lucey. "This year's funding experiences exceeded my wildest dreams."

The Rocket Retreat Room is indeed a remarkable space-- warm and inviting and outfitted with bean bags, foosball, pop-a-shot, a billiards table, a ping-pong table, and so much more. It turned out exactly as intended-- a place to work, learn, play, and grow.

Rising Tides, Rising Sounds was an amazing, cross-curricular, and unique effort to study climate change data through music. Pictograph data inspired the school’s chorus led by Melson, and John Lovinfosse composed an orchestral piece about local waters, which was performed by a select 68 district musicians. That piece debuted on the district’s new risers purchased with the grant funding at the TR Excellence Expo and Township Green Fair. It was again performed at Intermediate East spring concert series.  

All of the outstanding photos featured here are courtesy of High School East's Allison Goodwin.