Jackson School District

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of a true giant in our school community. Bernie Reider was one in a million, and he inspired many of us with his energy, humor, and true love for students and colleagues.

Bernie’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of Jackson Township Schools. His remarkable 40-year career with the district began in September 1963 and touched virtually every corner of our educational community. Over four decades, Bernie served as an 8th-grade math and science teacher, high school math teacher, high school guidance counselor, assistant principal, athletic director, and principal of adult education and after-school childcare. In 1997, he was appointed principal of Jackson Memorial High School, leading the school until 2001 before serving as the district’s Director of Community Services until his retirement in January 2003.

Beyond the classroom and administrative offices, Bernie made a monumental impact on Jackson athletics. In 1966, he founded the wrestling program at Jackson Memorial High School. With the support of Athletic Director Don Connor and long-time assistant Mike Costa, he built the program from the ground up, establishing youth and middle school wrestling programs across the district to foster talent early on. Under his leadership through 1981, JMHS wrestlers achieved extraordinary success, including four NJSIAA State Titles.

For his extraordinary contributions, Bernie was inducted into the Shore Conference Wrestling Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame, the Jackson Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Jackson Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2013, he received national recognition with his induction into the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for a lifetime of service to the sport. He also represented our district proudly for years on the Shore Conference Executive Committee.

Upon his retirement in 2003, the Board of Education honored his decades of devotion by dedicating the original building at JMHS as "Bernie Reider Hall," a permanent reminder of the leader, mentor, and advocate he was to generations of students and staff. Even in retirement, Bernie continued to serve Jackson as a trustee for both the Jackson Alumni and JMHS Athletic Hall of Fame committees.

We extend our deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers to Bernie’s family, friends, and the countless former students and colleagues whose lives he shaped.

We thought it would be nice to share the words that are on the plaque we put up at the former Jackson Memorial High School when we dedicated a wing of that school to him in 2003. We are so proud to have this lasting testament to the positive impact he had on our district and community. He will be missed, but never forgotten.

Dedication Plaque that Hangs in the Front of Bernie Reider Hall - Dedication Ceremony - January 2003

"This wing of Jackson Memorial High School is named for Bernard “Bernie’’ Reider, who dedicated 40 years to the Jackson School District from 1963 to 2003.

As a mathematics teacher, guidance counselor, coach, athletic director, vice principal and principal at Jackson Memorial High School and Director of Community Services for the district, Mr. Reider gave the students and staff of Jackson his heart and soul.

His love for students, his passion for coaching and athletics (especially wrestling), his inspiring spirit and energy and his unwavering support of students and athletes even after his retirement will always be remembered. He truly is “Mr. Jackson.’’

The halls of Jackson Memorial High School were blessed with Bernie Reider for 40 years. The Jackson Board of Education, in turn, is proud to have this wing of the school bear his name forever."

An obituary and details of services can be found at: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/bernard-reider-obituary?id=62039571

☀️ School's back in session... at least for some of our amazing students! Today we welcomed students for the first day of our Extended School Year (ESY) program, and our classrooms were filled with smiles, excitement, and plenty of learning!

Our ESY program provides eligible students with continued special education and related services during the summer, helping them maintain important skills and continue making progress toward the goals in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Here's to a wonderful first day and an even better summer of learning, growth, and fun for our ESY students, caring teachers and support staff! We can't wait to see all they accomplish this summer.

Need child care for the coming school year? Starting tomorrow, July 1st - you can register for the Jackson School District's Child Care Academy. See https://www.jacksonchildcareacademy.com/ for forms and rates.

Registration is open July 1 to July 30th - or until spots are filled (spots are limited).

The first graduating class of the newly united Jackson Township High School crossed the stage yesterday, and what a beautiful moment it was. ❤️

As you look through these photos, we hope you'll also take a few moments to watch the ceremony video (link below) and listen to the words shared by our student speakers, valedictorian, salutatorian, and school leaders. Their messages captured something truly special: That while this year began with change, it ends with one class, one school, and one community united with pride, purpose, and hope for the future.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. You will forever be the first, and Jackson will forever be proud of you. ❤️🖤

Link to JTV Video of Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/live/sOKLyTNQW34?si=4aVe4xKrGj4XhC7s&t=674

Yesterday afternoon, we proudly celebrated the very first 8th Grade class of our newly united Jackson Township Middle School. Congratulations to the JTMS Class of 2026 - and the future JTHS Class of 2030! We can't wait to see all that you'll accomplish as you begin your journey at Jackson Township High School! ❤️🐆🖤

One year ago, our district began a new chapter. Faced with financial circumstances beyond our control, we made difficult decisions and embraced meaningful change. We knew that if we didn't, we risked losing many of the programs, opportunities, and experiences that make Jackson special. Today, we have so much to be proud of. Because our students, staff, families, and community came together with a shared purpose, we didn't just preserve what we love about this district - we created new opportunities for learning and connection.

We became ONE Jackson, United for Excellence. And we are so proud to look back on our year together.

Check out this video, which was filmed and edited by JTV student Matt Garr!

One Jackson: A Year in Review Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

✨ A standing ovation for Jackson Township High School's Sabrina Tamayo!

We are thrilled to share that Sabrina earned a Silver Award at the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival in Vocal Musical Theater for her outstanding performance of "Astonishing" from Little Women.

This prestigious recognition reflects not only Sabrina's incredible talent, but also the dedication, passion, and hard work she brings to her craft every day. Her performance captivated audiences and judges alike, and we couldn't be more proud of this remarkable achievement.

Congratulations, Sabrina! 🌟 The future is bright for this amazingly talented young performer, and we can't wait to see where her journey takes her next.
https://jths.jacksonsd.org/~board/jths-news-announcements-jths-news-archive-12846/post/jths-student-sabrina-tamayo

🎬🏆 Congratulations to JTHS junior Daniel Dipierro on earning Third Place in the 2026 Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center's "Speak Truth to Power" Video Contest at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City!

His film explored the importance of food pantries and food banks in the midst of deep federal funding cuts, advocated for full funding of food banks, and showed people how they could help eliminate food insecurity by contacting their Congressional representatives and supporting food pantries.

LINK TO FILM - "Food For All": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qcnZQRLWcVQHPh1tMAI3l9ltcCcAQq8Z/view?usp=sharing

LINK TO PHOTOS:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k4xo2w10jBLFh1E8BUuIiJq8tApcHQmt?usp=sharing

Link to Video of Acceptance Speech:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rSlFUJP5G5M5ynWw1IlFE6ep19aEJFbb/view?usp=sharing

From Daniel Dipierro:
"To produce this video, I partnered with Freehold Area Open Door, a nonprofit food pantry and social services organization dedicated to serving those in need. Their Executive Director, Geralyn Fragetta-Drury (a JTHS parent!), actually attended the screening with us, and it was an incredible experience that I'm truly honored to have taken part in. The event was professionally executed and I even met Kerry Kennedy herself!

"Food for All" began as a class project in Mrs. Shedlebower's Honors English II class last year. This spring, I made some changes to the video as part of my Digital Media Academy Independent Study on non-fiction films with Mr. Noble to make it into a version appropriate for the contest and connected to a human right that Robert Kennedy fought for. What began as a class project has become so much more and took me all the way to the Tribeca Film Festival and a Kennedy HRC Contest award winner (here's their Instagram post!)! I am so grateful to my teachers, to JTHS, to the Digital Media Academy, and to the Jackson School District for giving me these opportunities to grow as a young filmmaker."

We need to "draw" attention to some amazing student artwork - and to students who went "all in" in their roles at the Jackson Township Middle School's America's 250th Celebration and Pep Rally.

As part of our festivities, several talented student artists created incredible works highlighting some of our nation's most iconic symbols and historic landmarks:

✨ Melania Helms – Artwork Showing Independence Hall
✨ Ashlee Alexander – Artwork Showing the Liberty Bell
✨ Emma Le – Statue of Liberty
✨ Nicholas Gajdzisz – Uncle Sam
✨ Vincent Doan – George Washington

Their creativity, enthusiasm, and school spirit reminded us that history isn't just something we learn about, it's something we can experience together.

🇺🇸 What a fantastic morning at Jackson Township Middle School as we celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence AND the first year of our united middle school, with a spirited Pep Rally and tribute to those who have served our nation!

Our students proudly welcomed local veterans, celebrated fire and police department personnel, and marched together for a celebration filled with patriotism, pride, and school spirit.

A special thank you to our local veterans for joining us and allowing us the opportunity to recognize your service and sacrifice. We were honored to have the Ocean County Sheriff's Department present the colors, while our Honors Chorus delivered beautiful performances of the National Anthem and God Bless America. Our band's rendition of America the Beautiful, an outstanding Dance Team performance, and a parade featuring veterans, military vehicles, and our JTMS spring athletes made for an unforgettable event.

The celebration concluded with plenty of laughter and school spirit during our pep rally games, bringing students and staff together in a truly memorable way.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible, especially Mr. Perino, Mr. Ippolito, Mr. McQuade, Mrs. Kunz, Mrs. Komanitsky, Mrs. Rivera, Mrs. Hay, our student performers, staff, volunteers, community partners, veterans, first responders, and all who participated.

As we celebrate 250 years of America, we are reminded of the values that unite us: freedom, service, perseverance, and community. 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙

For more photos and some videos - see this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Nh58Svbf50kVMQPFLWxwJeKMiwrsVLmU?usp=sharing

And JTV was there, so a great video capturing the event is coming soon!