By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Students throughout Evesham Township will want to look away. Just put down the paper if you’re reading this article and walk out of the room. Maybe go outside and enjoy the dwindling days of your summer vacation, because it’s time to go back to school.
Evesham Township Public School District Superintendent John Scavelli said there are several exciting new initiatives in the school district in the 2011–2012 school year.
At the curriculum level, Scavelli said the board of education is finalizing several curriculum revisions for language arts and will have a continuation of curriculum revisions for mathematics, and completion of modified implementation resources for K-2 aligned to the National Common Core Standards.
Also, the district will finalize a full-day Kindergarten pilot and Middle School Autism program. Related arts electives at the middle school level will most likely be revised as well, Scavelli said.
Finally, a development of presentations on Bullying Prevention Strategies and the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights for turnkey training at the building level will occur for the 2011–2012 school year, he said.
As for class sizes, Scavelli said grades kindergarten through fifth will remain at the same level as last year. Unfortunately, grades six through eight will see an increase of several students due to the consolidation of district houses from five to four.
Students and faculty alike will see several buildings and ground improvements this year when they come back, he said. Partial roof replacements at Jaggard School, Rice School, and Evans School were conducted over the summer, he said, and the Marlton Middle School HVAC system received an upgrade.
While activity fees were enacted in the 2010–2011 school year and will continue this year, Scavelli said they will remain at the same level and will not increase.
As always, the district will strive to give Evesham Township children the best education available in Burlington County, he said.
“Our top goals for the coming school year remain consistent with our mission to prepare children for the challenges they will face in an every changing society. We will do this with less staff than what we had in the past so we will need to adjust ourselves accordingly,” Scavelli said. “Given the challenges that our budget presented us, our main goal is to help our teachers acclimate to new surroundings (in some instances) and do what they do best, teach!”
We consider it a privilege to educate the children of Evesham Township, he said, and we look forward to a productive year in the classroom and working together with our parents.
For more district information, visit www.evesham.k12.nj.us.
