LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ – School No. 10 became a hub of innovation and collaboration as educators, technology leaders, and Apple representatives gathered for an 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁—an event designed to spotlight how technology is reshaping the learning experience for students in Linden Public Schools.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁-𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. 𝗔𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗣𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀—𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

“At Linden Public Schools, our partnership with Apple goes beyond just having cutting-edge technology—it’s about building a culture of innovation, collaboration, and student-centered learning,” said𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗬. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀. “We are a family of educators dedicated to ensuring that these resources don’t just exist in our classrooms but are actively transforming the way students engage, create, and grow. Events like today’s visit showcase how technology, when used intentionally, can inspire curiosity, enhance critical thinking, and prepare our students for the future.”

The March 13 site visit was the district’s second major technology showcase in just a few weeks, following a similar event at School No. 8 on February 19. While that event focused on the synergy between Apple technology and Seesaw, the School No. 10 visit took a deeper dive into Apple’s ecosystem, demonstrating how iPads and other digital tools are empowering students, streamlining instruction, and redefining 21st-century education.

𝗔 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆’𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺

The event kicked off with a moment of nostalgia as elementary technology teacher Kim Kefalas stepped forward holding a vintage 𝗶𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗚𝟯 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗽—a bold, blueberry-colored relic from Apple’s early days.

“I’m this old,” Kefalas quipped, playing into a viral social media trend as attendees laughed. The curvy, translucent Mac was more than just a laptop—it represented Apple’s early vision of making technology engaging, accessible, and, most importantly, fun.

Having spent 29 years teaching at School No. 10, Kefalas reflected on how Apple’s evolution in education has mirrored her own journey in instructional technology. Her enthusiasm was contagious as she introduced the school’s student tech team, a group of fourth and fifth graders who act as digital ambassadors—troubleshooting devices, assisting teachers, and leading technology initiatives in the school.

“These students applied for the role, went through a selection process, and now serve as in-house tech support,” Kefalas explained. “They help classmates troubleshoot, assist with classroom projects, and even lead training sessions for teachers.”

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗣𝗮𝗱𝘀: 𝗔 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

The visit reinforced a powerful message: technology alone does not drive innovation—how it’s used makes all the difference.

“A lot of people have Apple devices, but that doesn’t mean they’re innovative,” Kefalas shared. “It’s about how you use the tools to enhance learning and push students to think beyond the screen.”

As visiting educators toured classrooms, they observed students using Apple technology in interactive and creative ways—from multimedia storytelling and coding exercises to collaborative problem-solving and student-led digital projects. The experience demonstrated how Linden Public Schools is setting a standard for integrating technology in ways that enhance engagement and deepen learning.

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Linden Public Schools’ recognition as an Apple Distinguished School district is a testament to its long-term vision for instructional technology. Since launching its 1:1 technology integration in 2013, the district has worked closely with Apple to develop best practices in digital learning—a commitment that continues to evolve with new strategies, tools, and innovative teaching approaches.

“We pride ourselves on being a leader in instructional technology,” said School No. 10 Principal Wayne Happel. “Seeing how far we’ve come—and where we’re headed—is truly inspiring.”

𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

The event was more than a showcase—it was a space for shared learning. Leaders from multiple school districts, Apple Education experts, and instructional technology specialists came together to exchange ideas, discuss best practices, and explore new ways to bring technology-driven learning to life.

Among the distinguished attendees were:

Linden Public Schools Apple Education Team:

Howard Schultz-McManus, Russell Marchicia-Soehl, Angelo Monaco-Soehl, Michael Mastriano-Soehl, Mark Decastro-Soehl, June McIntyre-Soehl, Steven Rosener (IT), and Latonya Brown (IT).

Linden Public Schools District Leadership:

Superintendent Dr. Atiya Perkins

Assistant Superintendent for Academics David Walker

Principal of School No. 10 Wayne Happel

Director of Technology Peter Ormon

Supervisor of Instructional Technology Joseph Scaldino

Representatives from Edison, Englewood, Northern Valley Regional, Springfield, Union, and Trenton school districts, bringing unique insights into instructional technology:

Edison Public Schools: Ashley Young (Teacher), Christina Barilka (Instructional Coach), Nicole Carmena (Teacher).

Englewood Public Schools: Theresa Manziano (Instructional Coach), Cindy Quinones (Preschool Instructional Coach).

Northern Valley Regional High School: Marc Cicchino (Director of Innovation).

Springfield Public Schools: Chihui Seo-Alfaro (Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education).

Township of Union: Craig Wojcik (Director of Instructional Technology).

Trenton Public Schools: Kelly Stabile (Teacher of Innovation and Technology).

Apple and Seesaw Representatives: Phil Terra (Seesaw Manager of Sales and Partnerships).

With continued collaboration between educators, technology specialists, and Apple, the future of digital learning in Linden—and beyond—looks brighter than ever.