TUPS It’s All About U is our monthly newsletter highlighting the
people, programs, technology, and stories that make the
Township of Union Public Schools such a special community.
Did you know?
90% of a student's brain development happens by the age of 18.
Being in school helps build a stronger future.
We Care About U. Show Up All Day, Every Day.
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This October, we’re celebrating the incredible principals who lead, support, and inspire our TUPS school communities every day!
📸 Help us celebrate! Send us a favorite photo of you or your child with your principal, along with a short shout-out if you’d like. Staff shout out your Principal!! We’ll be sharing photos throughout the month as we recognize the amazing leaders behind our schools.
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Help us celebrate the amazing custodians who keep our
TUPS schools shining every day!
Send us a photo of your school’s custodian by messaging us or
We appreciate U!
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A message from the Superintendent, Dr. Benaquista.
I am incredibly proud of the continued progress our students are making across the district. This year’s NJSLA results reflect the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our families. As we celebrate these gains, we remain focused on continuing to grow, improve, and rise together. Every Student, Every Day.
A full review of our districtwide assessment scores will be presented at the
November 17 Board of Education meeting.
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❤️💛 We Care About U. Show Up All Day, Every Day!
Congratulations to the grade level with the highest attendance in each TUPS school for September!
🎉 Here’s how our building winners ranked across the district:
🥇 Washington School: 4th Grade | 98.36%
🥈 Connecticut Farms School: 5th Grade | 97.87%
🥉 Kawameeh Middle School: 7th Grade | 97.834%
⭐ Jefferson School: 3rd Grade | 97.63%
⭐ Hannah Caldwell School: Kindergarten | 97.57%
⭐ Livingston School: 4th Grade | 97.54%
⭐ Battle Hill School: 3rd Grade | 97.33%
⭐ Burnet Middle School: 6th Grade | 96.98%
⭐ Union High School: 9th Grade | 96.96%
⭐ TUPS Pre-K: 94.91%
🏆 SEPTEMBER’S DISTRICT-WIDE WINNER: WASHINGTON SCHOOL’S 4TH GRADE!
With an incredible 98.355% attendance rate, Washington School’s 4th Grade earned the highest attendance of any grade level across TUPS for September! ❤️💛
Congratulations to all of our building winners! Now the challenge is on.
Who will take the top spot in October? 👀
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Kawameeh students and staff came together in red, white, and blue to honor the lives lost on September 11 and show that love unites us.❤️🤍💙 |
Hannah Caldwell celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated garden with a ribbon-cutting!
Following the school’s closure last year, the outdoor space needed some extra care. Thanks to our community partners, students once again have a beautiful place to explore, learn, play, and grow.
We thank Sgt. Michael Loguidice and the Union Police Community Policing Division for connecting the school with Lowe’s, and head custodian Gracie Sobrosa for helping coordinate the work.
Our kindergarten students enjoyed a sneak peek, created thank-you cards for our partners, and are already eager to plant flowers of their own. Thank U to everyone who helped bring this beloved space back to life!🌱
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Students, families, staff, district leaders, and community partners came together to celebrate an exciting new chapter for Jefferson Elementary School. A special thank you to Jen Wahler and the Pomptonian Food Service for their generosity and support for this community event.
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Battle Hill Elementary 3rd -5th grade students gathered for a special assembly honoring Patriots' Day. Students listened to the eyewitness accounts of September 11, 2001, from David and Greg Hoyt, the father and brother of Battle Hill Principal Mark Hoyt. The assembly focused on themes of courage, community support, and civic unity. It provided students with an age-appropriate look at one of the most defining moments in modern American history.
"Because our current students were born long after 2001, 9/11 is history to them in the same way past generations viewed other major national events. Having my father and brother share their personal experiences helped transform a date on the calendar into a meaningful lesson about community, resilience, and the bravery of first responders."
said Principal Mark Hoyt.
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We are excited to announce that the Township of Union Public Schools has been selected to participate in Systems for Tiered Reading and Ongoing Growth in Early Reading (STRONG-ER)
for the 2026–2027 school year.
Through this statewide opportunity, district leaders and educators will participate in New Jersey Tiered System of Supports for Early Reading (NJTSS-ER) Leadership Team Training and Coaching.
STRONG-ER provides districts with specialized professional learning, coaching, and implementation support to strengthen comprehensive systems of early literacy instruction and intervention. The work emphasizes evidence-based structured literacy practices, effective use of student data, and a tiered system of supports designed to ensure students receive the right instruction and intervention at the right time.
Our participation in STRONG-ER will build upon the district’s ongoing commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction and creating coherent systems of support for all learners. Through collaboration, professional learning, and continuous improvement, our team will work to further align core instruction, assessment, intervention, and instructional decision-making across our elementary schools.
We are proud to have been selected for this opportunity and look forward to bringing
this work back to our schools, classrooms, educators, and students.
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The Township of Union Public Schools is proud to continue our partnership with Kean University as we explore new opportunities to connect university research with the needs of our students, educators, and community!
A $50,000 award will support the discovery and planning phase of an exciting project focused on emerging issues, including artificial intelligence (AI). Our Union educators will play an important role in helping shape the next steps.
As Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Assistant Superintendent, shared, “We have a major university in our backyard and one of our main focuses is to put students in college. Having partnerships with the University is extremely valuable because we can learn from each other.”
Dr. Gerald Benaquista, Superintendent, added, “We are thankful for Kean University’s continued collaboration with Union Public Schools. We are incredibly grateful for the many opportunities to partner with the outstanding leadership team at Kean.”
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Hello TUPS! My name is Mrs. Braxton-Wilson, and I am proud to serve as the librarian for Township of Union Public Schools. For the past 25 years, I have had the privilege of supporting our district’s teachers and students by serving as a resource for literacy, learning, and a lifelong love of reading.
Throughout my years in Union, I have worked to connect students and educators with engaging books, meaningful resources, and opportunities that encourage curiosity and a joy of reading. This year, I am excited to continue that work across our schools while expanding opportunities for collaboration and connection throughout the district.
In addition to supporting students and staff by bringing the “Library out of the Library”, I will be partnering with our schools’ organizations and collaborating with the Union Public Library to help strengthen the connection between our schools, families, and community. I look forward to finding new ways to celebrate reading, connect families with resources, and ensure that literacy remains an important and joyful part of the student experience in TUPS.
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That won't slow these 8th graders down.
Ms. Mongiovi’s 8th-grade CS students practiced key problem-solving skills by navigating puzzles with Indi Robots!
These Sphero Robots were purchased through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant. The robots are part of the hands-on learning offered through the Township of Union Public Schools’ 21st CCLC after-school programs at Burnet and Kawameeh Middle Schools.
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As part of our commitment to keeping families informed, we are sharing the Township of Union Public Schools’ 2026-27 Parental Notification for Standardized Assessments.
Throughout the school year, students participate in a variety of assessments that help our teachers and schools understand student learning, identify areas of strength and need, and monitor progress. Some assessments are required by the State of New Jersey, while others are selected by the district to support instruction and provide additional information about student learning.
The attached document provides an overview of the assessments planned for the 2026-27 school year, including the students and subjects involved, anticipated testing windows, estimated testing time, available accommodations, and additional information for families.
New Jersey law requires school districts to provide families with this information annually. We hope this resource makes it easier for you to understand the assessments your child may participate in throughout the year.
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We are proud to share that Union High School has been recognized as one of the Top 10 schools in the New York City area for Army ROTC scholarship applicants and scholarship wins over the past three years!
This recognition highlights the hard work and ambition of our students, as well as the support they receive from our staff, families, and community as they explore opportunities through Army ROTC, West Point, and the U.S. Army Reserve.
Congratulations to our students and everyone at UHS who helps guide and support them along the way!
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FREE Tutoring for ALL TUPS Students in Grades 5–8!
Need a little extra help with homework or want to build confidence in a subject? We've got U covered!
The Township of Union Public Schools is proud to partner with Knack Tutoring to offer FREE virtual tutoring in ANY subject area for all students in Grades 5–8!
Sessions are led by college students from Union College and Kean University, providing our students with personalized academic support right from home.
Parents and guardians: Register with Knack and schedule tutoring sessions at a time that works for your family!
Let's make this a great year of learning and success!
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We did it again! Thanks to our amazing families and staff, TUPS has reached 100% contactability through ParentSquare!
Help us keep the momentum going by having at least one parent or guardian in every household download the ParentSquare app so we can stay connected!
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