June 2026

Old Tappan Public Schools

The Core is the monthly newsletter for families of the

Old Tappan Public School District.

Community  |  Curiosity  |  Courage |  Creativity  |  Commitmentt

Message from the Superintendent

 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

 

On behalf of the Board of Education and the faculty and staff, thank you for your unwavering support and trust in our work with your child(ren). The successes of the 2025-2026 school year have been due, in large part, to our sense of shared responsibility and our strong partnership.

 

Our District has been featured in The Education Magazine, in its edition titled "The 10 Elite School Districts Shaping Education in 2026." Here is the digital version of the magazine -- see our feature article on pages 20-25. Here is the digital version of the article, featuring Old Tappan Schools. 

 

Ms. Boyce, Ms. Santa, Mr. Lee, and I are already busy planning for next school year. By late July, you will receive notification that our Online Summer Packet has been released for the 2026-2027 school year. Until then, I wish you and your family a wonderful start to the summer season!

 

Respectfully, 

Danielle M. Da Giau, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools
Old Tappan Public School District

COMMUNITY

Your Voice Matters! District Survey

 

Our District is conducting its annual “Your Voice Matters” surveys to gather input from our families, our students (Grades 2-8), and our staff regarding their experiences this past school year. This practice is aimed at keeping us fresh and in tune with stakeholder feedback. 

 

Please take the time to let me know your thoughts about our schools. Your voice is important to me! These surveys will close at 11:59 PM on 30 June 2026.

 

Your Voice Matters – Family Survey Link

Your Voice Matters – Student Survey Link for Students Exiting Grades 2-8: Please complete this survey with your child(ren) and/or direct your child(ren) to the link. Please note that CDW students are able to access the Student Survey independently through Dr. Sullivan’s Google Classroom.

 

Highlights of the findings from the “Your Voice Matters” surveys will be posted to our website for your perusal during the summer. The results will be used to anchor our practices, as appropriate, and to continue to improve our schools.        

CURIOSITY

Congratulations, Class of 2026

 

Our eighth-grade class celebrated their middle school growth, involvement, and accomplishments on Thursday, 18 June 2026, in the Northern Valley Regional High School Auditorium at Old Tappan. Eighth graders addressed their classmates and shared words of wisdom as they departed from CDW to embark on their high school journeys.

 

Grade 8 Award Winners

All of our graduating students have gifts and interests. The following students received special recognition at the Commencement Exercise:

 

Academic Excellence Awards for Highest GPA:

Kyurim Jung and Hayul Kim

Sponsored by OT Board of Education

 

Citizenship Awards:

Owen August Anderson and Lizzie Fang

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization and the Bhatia Family

 

Principal’s Award:

Emma Dyer

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization 

                    

Student Involvement Award:

Teyla Q. Nguyen

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization

 

Student Progress Award:

Carlo Frank Bartolomeo   

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization

 

Academic Growth Award:

Giuliana Lago                    

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization

 

Student Perseverance Award:

Hailey Hyorin Yoo   

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization

 

Student Leadership Award:

Joseph S. Jin        

Sponsored by CDW Student Government

 

Academic Achievement Award:

Victoria Priya Sekhri

Sponsored by Women’s Club of OT

 

Volunteer Awards:

Avery Kang and Elaine M. Lee   

Sponsored by OT Fire Department

 

Community Service Award:

Jimin Jamie Kwon                 

Sponsored by OT Parent-Teacher Organization

 

Achievement Award:

Tyler Mehdi Ebrahimi                 

Sponsored by Women’s Club of OT

 

Athletic Awards:

Adriana Maria D'Andrea and Daniel Kwon

Sponsored by CDW Student Government

 

STEM Award:

Hailey Hyorin Yoo                           

Sponsored by Women’s Club of OT

 

Broadcasting Award:

Jordan Jacob Lee                     

Sponsored by OT Education Association

 

Vocal Music Award:

Dylan Pearson

Sponsored by CDW Student Government

 

Instrumental Music Award:

Maximilian Maio

Sponsored by CDW Student Government

 

Physical Education Awards:

Mia Ellison and Zachary Elias Ziemba

Sponsored by the Rosica Family and Women’s Club of OT

 

Art Awards:

Tyler Mehdi Ebrahimi and Galina Magdalene Fajardo      Sponsored by OT Education Association and CDW Student Government

 

Multicultural Appreciation Award:

Lina Kim   

Sponsored by the Jansen Family

 

Spanish Award:

Ella Candullo                              

Sponsored by the OT Education Association

 

Social Studies Awards:

Jungwoo Seo and Isabelle Sheridan

Sponsored by the OT Education Association

 

Science Awards:

Kareen Khan and Maria Park   

Sponsored by Women’s Club of OT and OT Education Association

 

Math Awards:

Seojung Ellie Han, Lina Kim, and Jungwoo Seo                  Sponsored by Women’s Club of OT

 

English Awards:

Vivienne Hyun Ju Lee and Ayein Yoo

Sponsored by OT Republican Club and OT Education Association

COURAGE

Crossing Over from TBD to CDW

 

The fourth-grade students and their families excitedly filled the gymnasium on 23 June 2026 to celebrate the culmination of their elementary years at TBD. At their Crossing Over ceremony, the students were reminded to take their elementary school lessons to middle school.

 

During the ceremony, each student was recognized, and the grade-level banner was unveiled. Resulting from student collaboration and idea-gathering, Ms. Stitz and the fourth graders decided on a theme that reflected their thinking. Reinforcing TBD’s Character Education lessons, rooted in kindness and respect, the banner’s inspirational phrase is: Follow Your Yellow Brick Road.

 

Learning how to use acrylic paints with Ms. Stitz, every child had a part in creating this banner. It will hang in the gym, along with the others from previous classes that have crossed over to the middle school. Thank you to the teachers, the Fourth-Grade Crossing Over Committee, and to all families for helping to make the Ceremony and the year-end activities so memorable!

CREATIVITY

  Retirements, Summer Projects, and Adult Learning

 

We bid farewell to this year’s retirees, who have served Old Tappan’s students proudly for many years: Ms. Gambuti (TBD, Grade 3 Teacher) and Mr. Kuizema (TBD, PE Teacher). We thank them and will miss their camaraderie and years of experience. Wishing Ms. Gambuti and Mr. Kuizema health and happiness, always!

 

Summertime is a busy two months in schools! We work on annual facilities projects and review programming. In addition to the regularly scheduled maintenance, TBD's Classroom Addition Project and Student Restroom and Boiler Room Renovation Project will begin.

 

Additionally, we will be facilitating professional learning with the District’s faculty. Faculty members from both schools work collaboratively throughout the summer months to continue to build school programs and to strengthen initiatives, such as phonics unit planning, school-wide literacy programs, mathematics programming, and design-thinking programs. Teachers participate in instructional workshops, hosted in our schools, that will support our work with students next school year. We are always learning!

COMMITMENT

Addition Project at TBD

 

As a means of providing you with regular communication about the TBD Addition Project, this section of The Core will include a monthly update. 

 

TBD Addition Project Details

Due to the increase in enrollment over the years, there is a need to add additional instructional space at TBD.

The TBD Addition Project will add four (4) full-size classrooms and two (2) small-group classrooms. Weaving together the existing interior and exterior aesthetic and architectural elements, this Addition Project will run parallel to the current first-grade wing; however, it will not run the full length of the existing wing. 

 

In addition to this project, two sets of student restrooms will be renovated, and the school boilers will be replaced inside TBD during the summer months. 

 

Click to see the renderings, the aerial view, and the material boards for both the addition and bathroom projects.

 

Project Timeline 

The TBD Addition Project was shared with the Old Tappan Planning Board in February and was approved by the Department of Education in March. The bid was awarded to the lowest, responsible bidder,  Vanas Construction Co., Inc., in May. The Board approved a construction management company, Epic Management, to work with us for the duration of this project. 

 

• Over the past two weeks, Vanas Construction successfully demolished the boiler room, preparing it for replacement. 

• After the school year ends this week, a construction fence will be erected around the construction site. Click to see the aerial view of the fence outline. Construction within the fenced-in area will then begin.

• All interior work, such as the restroom renovations and boiler room work, will be completed during the summer months.

• The full Addition Project will run from the summer of 2026, through the 2026-2027 school year, and through the summer of 2027. Completion is anticipated for Back-to-School in September of 2027.

 

Project Impact

Starting in September, certain classrooms will be assigned different dismissal doors other than their classroom exterior doors due to the construction area. If your child’s dismissal door will be affected, Ms. Boyce and the classroom teacher will let you know. 

 

On behalf of the Board of Education, faculty, staff, and students, thank you to our supportive community for your commitment to our schools!

 

 

INFORMATION & REMINDERS

Quick Links

 

• Parent Portal

• Contact Us

• Board of Ed

• Calendar

• TBD

• CDW

• PTO

Calendar

 

September 2

First Day of School

12:30PM Dismissal

 

September 7

No School

Labor Day

 

Back-to-School Night Dates will be announced soon!

Important  Reminders

Curriculum Questions? If you have specific or general questions about what your child(ren) will be learning next year, please do not hesitate to contact the school principal or Dr. Da Giau directly. We are happy to speak with you!

 

At-Home Summer Learning Booklet 

HERE are ideas for families to support learning at home during the summer months.