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Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) partners with the community to fund innovation and ensure equitable access to high-quality public education for all students. MFEE generates funding and community support to enhance the educational experience for all of Montclair’s public school students.

MFEE Executive Director Masiel Rodriquez-Vars was honored to participate in the President's Community Spotlight Panel du...
10/08/2026

MFEE Executive Director Masiel Rodriquez-Vars was honored to participate in the President's Community Spotlight Panel during the Montclair State University Community Advisory Board Meeting earlier this week. It was a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion about how educational support, mental health, and community engagement connect to strengthen student well-being and partnerships.

From providing field placements in MFEE programs for future educators, graduate students in speech therapy and music therapy, to collaborating with CLASE on our Rise Up showcase, and exploring science professional development with PRISM, MFEE's partnerships with Montclair State create meaningful opportunities for students, educators, and faculty to learn and grow together.

Thanks to MSU President Jonathan Koppell for inviting us to share the stage with such a wonderful group of local education professionals.

To every volunteer, teacher, mentor, family, student, donor, and partner who shows up for Sabor Montclair: You are not j...
10/08/2026

To every volunteer, teacher, mentor, family, student, donor, and partner who shows up for Sabor Montclair: You are not just supporting MFEE. You are part of it.

Join us on Saturday, Oct. 10, for Sabor Montclair, our annual fundraiser supporting the programs and relationships that help multilingual learners and their families find connection, opportunity, and belonging.

Reserve a meal or donate: https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026 (link in bio).

Have you ordered your Sabor Montclair meal for this Saturday, Oct. 10? Hurry before we sell out! Each takeout dinner inc...
10/07/2026

Have you ordered your Sabor Montclair meal for this Saturday, Oct. 10? Hurry before we sell out! Each takeout dinner includes one tasting platter featuring all of these delicious dishes:

Two Tacos de Pernil — slow-roasted, marinated pork with pico de gallo and our famous green salsa
Pupusas de Frijol con Queso — cornmeal griddle cakes with beans and cheese
Gallo Pinto — seasoned beans and rice
Mexican Cinnamon Cookies

Reserve or donate: https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026 (link in bio).

Dana Spagnuolo—affectionately known as Ms. Spags—“is pure middle school magic.” This is how parents and students at Rena...
10/07/2026

Dana Spagnuolo—affectionately known as Ms. Spags—“is pure middle school magic.”

This is how parents and students at Renaissance Middle School wrote about this band teacher in their nomination letters for the Weston Award. Here's more:

“She takes students, many of whom have little to no musical experience, and turns them into performers who will stand in front of an audience and go for it. In her program, everyone gets a chance to shine,” one wrote. “A turning point for my son in middle school came when Ms. Spagnuolo pulled him aside and asked him to learn additional songs to support other student groups. It sounds like a small moment, but to him, it was huge. He came home absolutely lit up. That moment of being noticed, chosen, and trusted changed how he saw himself. From then on, her room became his safe place.”

Read more about Ms. Spagnuolo, who now teaches at Buzz Aldrin Middle School, on our blog: https://www.mfee.org/post/weston-awards-dana-spagnuolo

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This is the final installment in our series spotlighting the 2026 winners of the Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching. Thank you for helping us celebrate the impact these educators are making in the Montclair Public Schools.

Have you tried Sabor Montclair's famous green sauce?! It's made with tree tomatoes, a South American fruit also known as...
10/06/2026

Have you tried Sabor Montclair's famous green sauce?! It's made with tree tomatoes, a South American fruit also known as tamarillos.

Each Sabor dinner comes with a portion, but food writer and MFEE volunteer Elisa Ung thinks you just might want to put it on everything.

So buy a meal, buy a whole jar of sauce, and see what makes the flavors of this event so special. Proceeds fuel excellence and equity in our public schools all year long.

Read more about the Sabor Montclair food in the Montclair Local: https://montclairlocal.news/2026/09/sabor-montclair-family-recipes-global-flavors/

Reserve a meal or donate: https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026

💡 Montclair educators, apply for a grant in one of four categories! Each year, MFEE awards between $50,000-$75,000 to fu...
10/06/2026

💡 Montclair educators, apply for a grant in one of four categories! Each year, MFEE awards between $50,000-$75,000 to fund teachers' big ideas. What's yours?

Our grant application window is now open. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1. Learn more about our grants, including this year's IdeaLab focus -- "Teach Your Passion" -- at MFEE.org/blog (link in bio).

We're excited to see MFEE's name in lights in the Montclair Film Festival program! It's a five-star lineup of films and ...
10/05/2026

We're excited to see MFEE's name in lights in the Montclair Film Festival program! It's a five-star lineup of films and local organizations supporting this annual celebration of storytelling, art, and community. We're grateful to Cranetown Media for their ongoing generosity and helping to shine a spotlight on our work. Together, we fuel excellence in education in the Montclair Public Schools - NJ! 🎬 ✨

10/04/2026

🌶️ What’s your flavor?

We asked our multilingual learners—and got answers as unique as they are! 🌎✨

Our community has many cultures, perspectives, experiences, and personalities. That’s our flavor.

Many flavors. One unique sabor. Montclair. 💛

Support Sabor Montclair and help our community keep thriving!

Get tickets before meals sell out! https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026

Last night, MFEE brought together newcomers, students and families, volunteers, educators, donors, funders, and communit...
10/02/2026

Last night, MFEE brought together newcomers, students and families, volunteers, educators, donors, funders, and community partners for "Welcoming Newcomers: Connection and Gratitude"—an evening celebrating the power of neighbors helping neighbors.

We were especially grateful to have 10 Montclair Public Schools staff members and Board of Education members with us, reflecting their care for multilingual learners and their commitment to welcoming newcomers into our schools and community. We were also grateful for the local leaders and community partners who joined us.

A special thank you to our long-term funders—Partners for Health, The Schumann Fund for New Jersey, and the Montclair Fund for Women—and to transformational supporters Alixon Collazos Gill and Brendan Gill. Your belief in this work makes these connections possible.

And to every volunteer, teacher, mentor, family, student, donor, and partner who shows up: you are not just supporting this work. You are part of it. That's what we celebrated—a community where someone who arrives needing a hand can, in time, become the person reaching out a hand to someone else.

Join us on Saturday, Oct. 10, for Sabor Montclair, our annual fundraiser supporting the programs and relationships that help multilingual learners and their families find connection, opportunity, and belonging. Because this is how a community grows: not through one person doing everything, but through all of us doing something.

https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026 (link in bio)

10/02/2026

🌶️ What’s your flavor?

We asked our multilingual learners—and got answers as unique as they are! 🌎✨

Our community has many cultures, perspectives, experiences, and personalities. That’s our flavor.

Many flavors. One unique sabor. Montclair. 💛

Support Sabor Montclair and help our community keep thriving!

Get tickets before meals sell out: https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2026

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100 Chestnut Street
Montclair, NJ
07042

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