In October 2025, during NJSBA’s annual Workshop, a select group of school staff members was honored during the third annual “Unsung Superheroes in Education Awards” ceremony. The award recognizes individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes, often without recognition, to ensure that New Jersey’s schools run smoothly and provide a safe and nurturing environment for students.
In a new spotlight feature, School Board Notes will recognize each 2025 Unsung Superhero recipient. This week, we are highlighting Cathleen “Nurse Cathy” Reardon, the 2025 Unsung Superhero in the nurse category.
Reardon never set out to become the heartbeat of Red Bank Primary School, but that’s what she’s become. This fall, her quiet dedication earned a very public spotlight when she received the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Unsung Superhero in Education Award at Workshop 2025 in Atlantic City. True to form, her first reaction was to assume the email was spam.
A 40-year career nurse, Reardon has spent 13 years caring for the school’s 440 PreK through third‑grade students. Before school nursing, she worked in pediatric oncology, but a stint as a substitute nurse in local schools opened her eyes to a different kind of impact. Now, she sees 35 to 40 students a day, tending to everything from medication administration to the needs of medically fragile children, all while juggling meetings and the steady stream of small crises that define a school nurse’s day.
Her path to nursing was non-traditional; she originally thought she wanted to be an accountant, but a few science classes changed everything. She went on to study at Marymount University in Virginia, completing rotations at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Memorial Sloan Kettering. What stayed constant was her instinct to care for the whole person, a philosophy she said now guides her work with students and families.
Reardon lives just next door in Little Silver, and she loves running into students at local stores and supporting them in their extracurricular activities. Those relationships fuel her creativity, inspiring initiatives that stretch beyond the nurse’s office.
After the pandemic, she began wearing kindness‑themed shirts to help students feel welcomed during their difficult transition back to school. The shirts stayed, and so did her commitment to building a culture of warmth. To that end, she has helped coordinate an award‑winning fresh fruit and vegetable program, launched garden activities and even supported community vaccine clinics. Each effort has nudged the school community toward healthier habits and stronger connections.
Colleagues describe her influence in ways that go beyond job descriptions. Superintendent Dr. Jared J. Rumage calls her the embodiment of the district’s spirit. Principal Maria Iozzi added, “Nurse Cathy’s impact reaches far beyond the nurse’s office. Her office is a safe haven, her smile is healing, and her commitment to the well-being of every child and family is unmatched.”
An unassuming Reardon shifts focus to the students and families she serves. “Most nurses just do their jobs. If you didn’t love it, you wouldn’t keep doing it.”
If she could change anything about the profession, she’d add more support and additional nursing staff to meet the rising needs of medically fragile students. Even so, she remains energized by the flexibility of her role and the chance to dream up new ways to help her students and their families thrive.
Red Bank Primary’s motto is “Dream BIG… We’ll Help You Get There!” With Nurse Reardon on the team, that promise feels a little more possible every day.
The NJSBA congratulates Cathleen Reardon on her achievement.
Nominations for the 2026 Unsung Superheroes in Education Awards are open! To shine a light on your district’s superhero, please complete a nomination form no later than June 30, 2026.
