After 44 years, Mrs. Jane Jones, teacher of Physical Education and Health at both Morris Hills and Knolls, has decided to retire at the end of this school year. Students know her as the 10th and 11th grade health teacher at Morris Knolls and the 10th grade physical education teacher at Morris Hills, but her ties to the Morris Hills Regional District run much deeper.

A graduate of Morris Knolls, Mrs. Jones went on to receive an elementary K-8 degree, a physical education and health K-12 degree, a driver’s education degree and a supervision degree, as well as CPR and AED certification. She attended Rowan University for her bachelor’s degree, New Jersey City University for her supervision degree, William Paterson University for her elementary degree, and Gratz University in Philadelphia for her Masters in the Arts in instruction. Mrs. Jones also received a certification that allowed her to teach an English class focused on test preparation  during the 1992-1993 school year. 

Mrs. Jones’ impact on the Morris Hills and Morris Knolls community goes beyond her work as a health and physical education teacher. She has coached for 44 seasons in sports such as field hockey, swimming, fencing, softball, and tennis. In fact, she was the person who established the Morris Knolls girls’ tennis team in 1978. Mrs. Jones also took the lead in building the ropes course, reasoning that such equipment would benefit the students who were not interested in just doing team sports in gym class.

When asked what was one accomplishment or moment that she is most proud of, Mrs. Jones identified her creation of the district Health Fair. Established 15 years ago, she sought to help students “know where their resources are” by inviting mental health and other organizations to speak at the health fair. With her leadership at the past health fair, there were 35 stations, including students from both schools. The fact that students took initiative to present was something that Mrs. Jones takes pride in, and hopes the fair will continue to expand in its size and outreach.

Mrs. Jones has a bond with this district. Mrs. Jones herself is a graduate of Morris Knolls, as are her three children, while her husband is a graduate of Morris Hills. “We are Morris Hills District through and through,” Mrs. Jones said.

Despite calling Morris Knolls and Morris Hills home for so long, Mrs. Jones believes that it is time to move on to spend more time with her family. She has six grandchildren, one of whom was born in February. The ending of her teaching career is “bittersweet,” as she puts it.

The Hilltopper congratulates Mrs. Jones on a wonderful career, and wishes her the best in retirement.