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Schools

Mountainside Introduces New Curriciuum Supervisor

Newcomer Joy Blom hopes to enhance the learning of the students

At the last Board of Education meeting of the year this past Tuesday, the Mountainside school district welcomed a new face to its community. Superintendent Dr. Nancy Lubarski introduced the new school curriculum supervisor Joy Blom, who will begin her term Jan.3.

Dr. Lubarski said her strong background in Language Arts, school administration, working in a high performance district and numerous years in the education field made her a strong choice for the new curriculum. The Superintendent said she looks forward to working with Blom and furthering the education of the students in Mountainside.  

Blom, who has been an educator for 14 years, said she is excited for the opportunity. She was an adjunct professor at Montclair State University in the English Department, an English Supervisor at Wallkill Valley Regional High School, the Assistant Principal at Sussex Middle School and Interim Curriculum/Test Coordinator (Maternity Leave Replacement) at Upper Saddle River School District.

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“I am looking forward to working at Mountainside School District,” Blom said. “I share with my fellow administrators, faculty, staff, and parents that we must work together to provide the best education for our students at Beechwood School and Deerfield School.”

As curriculum supervisor, Blom will oversee the curriculum, observe classes, and be the test coordinator for the NJ ASK test which is given to grades 3 through 8. She will also be the daily supervisor of grades Kindergarten through 2 at Beechwood Elementary where she will be able to get to know the students very well.  

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Blom’s desire to educate traces back to her mother, who has been a teacher for 38 years. Blom said her mother instilled the commitment, dedication and drive that she has in her today.

“I am what I am because of my mom,” she said.

She said she is not nervous about her new district because the transition to a small town with high academic expectations is quite similar to her previous town, Upper Saddle River. The opportunity to create new strategies to assist students with their education is one of the best parts of the job, Blom said.

Although she has experience, she admitted there is a lot of work to accomplish and getting acclimated to all of the students, parents and teachers will take time.

“The biggest challenge is really meeting everyone’s demands at once,” she said.

Being an educator at the elementary level is important because it is where education begins, Blom said. People need to realize an education is a gift and it should not be taken for granted, she said. Her mother always told her “what you do with that gift is what becomes of you.”

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