District says goodbye to staffers

MILLSTONE – Four staff members are retiring from the Millstone Township School District this year.

Jerue Irons has been a member of the Millstone Township teaching staff for 32 years. He has taught third-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade social studies and reading. He also served as principal of the Millstone Township Middle School for five years.

Irons started the school’s geography bee in 1984. The geography bee is now an annual event, and its most recent winner is eighth-grader Justin Shane.

Before joining the full-time teaching staff in 1979, Susan Beaton was a substitute teacher in Millstone for almost 10 years. The third-grade teacher has taught many subjects and has worked to develop cross-curricula activities.

Among Beaton’s more unique teaching devices are her class puppet show.

For the puppet shows, her students wrote scripts, designed puppets and performed vignettes.

Bruce Kroog left the school district in December. The seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher joined the Millstone district in 1974.

Before becoming a teacher, Kroog worked for a publishing company writing science textbooks. He incorporated the knowledge he gained during that career into the classroom curriculum.

The school district’s public relations officer, Michele Mueller, is also retiring from her position. Mueller joined the district in 1994.

Mueller has been the author and editor of the Millstoner, a monthly newsletter with stories about school events and achievements.

She has published more than 60 issues of the Millstoner and has composed several calendars, brochures and promotional items for the school. Mueller has won five School Public Relations Awards from the New Jersey School Boards Association.