District PEACE Committee
Our Name
The name of our district committee is South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. (Positively Empowering and Advocating for Change and Equity)
Our Mission
South Plainfield PEACE is dedicated to the advocacy of equity, inclusion, and representation in order to foster safe spaces for communication and cultivate a culture that empowers all to embrace and celebrate diversity both in education and across the community.
Committee Meeting Dates
October 27, 2022
December 20, 2022
February 28, 2023
April 25, 2023
June 13, 2023
Subcommittees
Cultural Consciousness, Dialogue, and Understanding
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to implementing a student-led safe space session designed to foster genuine, open dialogue to engage students in conversations focused on enhanced cultural awareness and understanding.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to providing ongoing professional development that educates our faculty and staff about cultural awareness and cultural bias to strengthen understanding of the students’ and school community’s collective experiences.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to evaluating student disciplinary referrals to ensure equitable consequences for all students across all situations so that faculty and staff are fairly addressing code of conduct matters in accordance with the rubrics outlined in school handbooks.
John Foscolo
Robert Goman
Noreen Lishak
Kayla Bryant-Khanutin
Casianne Guastella
Education and Curriculum
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E Committee is dedicated to reducing curricular bias to ensure authentic and accurate representations of diverse populations’ backgrounds across curricular areas.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E Committee is dedicated to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps for all students through a focus on equitable instructional practices within the classroom and educational spaces.
Barbara Pinelli
Shanti Murray
Rebecca Gross
Kiersten Bohl-Ravi
Mary Rodger
Kathy Simpson
Mental Health, Wellness, and Emotional Support
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to compiling a resource guide to support students, parents, and staff that includes mental health supports in the community and coping skill strategies.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to developing a Google Site Safe Space for students that provides them with links to resources and mental health supports.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. Committee is dedicated to introducing and implementing programming for K-12 students that focuses on experiential learning experiences highlighting empathy, self-esteem, and diversity.
Melissa Zurawiecki
Sam Fierra
Derryck White
Magdolen Sleman
Amy Horn
Erica Hapstak
Teresa Luck
Stephanie Tamborra
Mentorship and Representation in the Schools
(M) To create a district-wide mentorship system, in which students will be partnered
with peers of diverse students populations to guide students academically, extracurricularly, athletically, and socially.
(R) To diversify the recruitment practices of our district beyond our immediate geographic
area of South Plainfield to include diverse populations.
Miten Shah
Chrissy Briskin
Joretta Strayhorn
Leslie Ufondu
Rosaura Valarezo
Tamekia Grier-Dupiche
Garry Nelson
Professional Development
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. committee is dedicated to building a multi-year professional development plan that supports identified goals from other areas of the P.E.A.C.E. committee.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. committee is dedicated to providing meaningful embedded professional development to all district personnel on building equitable classrooms where all
students are welcome and given an equal opportunity to succeed and culturally responsive practices.
The South Plainfield P.E.A.C.E. committee is dedicated to seeking outside partnerships to ensure that curriculum and district growth in the focus area is meaningful and sustainable in practice and model.
Tammy Zurka
Patrick Sarullo
Mary Malyska
Andrea Garcia
Jessica Wilson
Andrew Brandon
Shannon Colucci