Our School

Our school proudly employs dedicated and passionate staff members who view their students’ academic success as a priority of foremost importance. Our highly qualified teachers and administrators are ready to partner with you in your child’s education.

Our Mission Statement

The mission of Tenakill Middle School, in partnership with families and the community, is to develop intellectually curious, lifelong learners who possess strong character and values and the skills necessary to be responsible and productive world citizens of the 21st century. The school will provide diverse and challenging educational programs, which aim to meet each child's academic, social, emotional, aesthetic, and physical needs in a nurturing and supportive environment.

We are committed to establishing a meaningful partnership of parents, children, teachers, administrators, and community members who encourage active participation in the learning process.

Our Code of Conduct

Parents and students can find an overview of the Tenakill Middle School Student Code of Conduct, adopted in 1997, below. For the full version of our Code of Conduct, please see our student handbook.

Philosophy

At Tenakill Middle School, we believe it is essential to help students realize that their own attitudes and acts are directly related to their school experiences and that of their classmates. All students can behave in ways that improve the social relationships of the school and facilitate learning.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Safety is a constitutional right. Students, teachers, school staff, and parents need to work together to see that everybody in our school district maintains and obeys these rights. The rights and responsibilities of Tenakill Middle School students are described as follows:

Students have the right to:

  • A free public education
  • Equal protection under school policies and regulations
  • A safe and orderly school environment in which to learn

Students have the responsibility to:

  • Obey school policies and procedures and the school authorities who enforce them
  • Respect one another
  • Treat school property and the property of others with respect
  • Act in a way that does not interfere with the rights of others and is not harmful to the health and safety of others

Anti-Bullying

We will not tolerate bullying and expect every student and staff member to treat each other with civility and respect. We believe that a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Harassment, intimidation, or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate its students in a safe environment.

“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying” is defined as any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication*, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that takes place on school grounds, at any school sponsored function or on a school bus, or off school grounds, in accordance with law, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students, and that:

  • a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property;
  • has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students; or
  • creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with the student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student.

*“Electronic communication” means a communication that is transmitted by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to a telephone, cellular phone, computer, or pager.

School Anti-Bullying Specialists:

Alexandra Earle
Tenakill Middle School
275 High Street, Closter, NJ 07624
(201) 768-1332 ext. 42214

Callie Stabile
Tenakill Middle School
275 High Street, Closter, NJ 07624
(201) 768-1332 ext. 42699

District Anti-Bullying Coordinator:

Keith M. McElroy
Tenakill Middle School
275 High Street, Closter, NJ 07624
(201) 768-1332 ext. 42211