Montville Public Schools launches first district logo/motto

EDUCATE. INSPIRE. EMPOWER. Montville Township Public Schools officially launches a district-wide logo and motto on Thursday, January 11, 2018. The system of trademarked images both unifies the district’s seven schools and defines the individual identities of each school. The new brand represents the first time in the district’s history that a logo and motto will represent the educational unity of the entire Montville Township Public Schools community.

Students, faculty and community will be introduced to the district’s logo and motto through a video produced by Skye Design Studios. Skye Dillon, Principal and Owner of SDS, designed the trademarked image for Montville Township Public Schools. In doing so, he also strengthened, updated and designed images for all seven of the district’s schools; including the Montville Township High School Mustangs. Dillon produced the launch video so all members of the Montville Township Public Schools community will have an opportunity to learn about the history and tradition, as well as the inspiration and goals for the future, that each detail of the new MTPS logo and motto represents.

Montville Township Public Schools partnered with Skye Design Studios in spring of 2017 to create its new, district-wide identity system. SDS is a full-service branding agency based in Florham Park, New Jersey (www.sdsbranding.com).

"During the discovery phase of the project,” Dillon said. “We conducted interviews with students, faculty, parents, district officials, and community members representing all seven schools, as well as the three towns within the district, to gain as comprehensive an understanding as possible of what made MTPS unique. Our goal was to then distill those key findings into a singular icon and corresponding logo system that encapsulated the essence of the district in a timeless and authentic manner."

“The branding process for Montville Township Public Schools was more than just a search for a logo or slogan,” added former Montville Township Public Schools Board of Education Member, Michael Johnson. “The process of developing a brand has been an effort to formally encapsulate the spirit and unified vision of our district into an identity of its own and a banner that each of our schools, students, families, faculty and staff can rally under.”

Johnson, a 2009 Montville Township High School graduate, is also a member of the district’s Branding Committee.

“The committee put a tremendous amount of thought and research into the branding process,” said Superintendent Dr. René Rovtar. “They revisited and rewrote the district’s mission statement, and added a vision statement to that mission. The process provided a strong foundation not only for our branding initiative, but for all of the goals and priorities that have been implemented over the past year.”

By surveying students, parents, administrators, faculty and the community at large, the Branding Committee was able to identify strengths and goals throughout the district.

“In developing the district logo, two objectives were paramount,” noted Johnson. “We wanted to pay tribute to the past while also bringing the district identity into the modern age.”

The need to incorporate existing images and perspectives found in individual schools, while developing a logo that unites and looks to the future, proved to be one of the most challenging aspects to the development of a logo and motto for Montville Township Public Schools as a district.

To help review and balance those needs the Branding Committee also formed a Branding BrainTrust of more than 60 community members with an interest in developing a district-wide brand while still acknowledging the uniqueness of each individual school.

"Since the district is composed of students spanning the elementary, middle, and high school levels, the identity system needed to feel academic and unified while also being flexible and fun,” Dillon explained. “Likewise, we ultimately positioned the district under an icon that integrated a unique academic shield, 'M', and natural landscape of the township, as those were symbols applicable to all seven schools. This approach then enabled us to create school-specific marks featuring each respective mascot interacting with the icon."

Mountains, an ‘M’, a book, green and white, a sunrise with rays representing Montville, Pine Brook and Towaco, an academic shield, seven distinct elements for seven distinct schools, and the gold standard of excellence are among the many images that represent Montville Township Public Schools in the new logo. EDUCATE. INSPIRE. EMPOWER. represents the mission of Montville Township Public Schools.

This logo launch will bring to a close the district’s 18-month-long initiative to identify an artistic graphic that reflects Montville Township Public Schools. The search for a district logo and motto included the participation of hundreds of students, faculty, parents, administrators, coaches and community members.

The first ever logo initiative for the township’s public schools coincided with Montville Township’s 150th Anniversary in 2017. Montville Township includes Montville, Pine Brook, and Towaco.

"As enjoyable as it was to execute the creative, our true fulfillment came from engaging with those within the district throughout this project,” Dillon said. “Montville Township Public Schools is an exceptional district, and it was a privilege to help bring their vision to life."

The new logo and motto have resulted in a unified and coordinated system of images and a Brand Style Guide which will be posted on Montville.net in the coming days. More than 100 standardized images including MTHS mascot and academic images, as well as individual school images, social media images and templates for stationery, e-mail signatures and business cards were developed during the branding process. On September 5, 2017, the Montville Township Board of Education approved the district shield design and motto which form the basis of the district-wide system of trademarked images.

In addition to MTHS (Mustangs), Montville Township Public Schools includes: Robert R. Lazar Middle School (Mustangs), Cedar Hill Elementary (Bulldogs), Hilldale Elementary (Huskies), Valley View Elementary (Pandas), William Mason Elementary (Cougars), and Woodmont Elementary (Wildcats).