As the nights become cooler and shorter, summer begins to say its farewells.
The Cherry Hill School District has been active all summer to provide a welcoming atmosphere as students again shuffle through the doors, to their lockers and, ultimately, to their classrooms.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 marks the commencement of school year 2012–2013 for students.
There will be a 1 p.m. dismissal for students in grades one through five and elementary special education classes, and a full day for students in grades 6 through 12 on that day.
“The schedule for the morning kindergarten session will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while the afternoon kindergarten session will be from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kindergarten enrichment classes at Title I schools (Barton, Johnson, Kilmer, Kingston, and Paine) will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” explained Superintendent Dr. Maureen Reusche.
Curriculum changes
To align with the Common Core Standards, there have been some changes made to the English Language Arts curriculum at the schools.
“For example, parents of students at every grade may note an increased emphasis on non-fiction reading, including both short texts and books,” said Reusche. “We will also be completing the last phase of implementation of the Common Core Standards for mathematics at Grades 3–5.”
In turn, the entire district, from kindergarten to grade 12, will reach full implantation of the Common Core Standards in the field of mathematics.
Scheduling alterations
Cherry Hill High Schools West and East will begin a new schedule this September.
“The new schedule will allow all students to have lunch during the day; to take eight classes; to receive extended periods of instructional time in all academic areas; and to be instructed in a collegiately based environment,” said Reusche. “Our high school principals and teachers are excited about the new schedule and the potential for creating better learning opportunities for all of our students.”
There have been several information sessions in regards to the schedule since 2011, she explained, but a PowerPoint presentation for those unfamiliar is available at http://www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us/departments/publicinfo/files/HighSchoolSchedulePresentation.pdf.
Maintenance work performed
There is always more work to do in a large district like Cherry Hill, said Reusche.
“Some of our summer projects include HVAC piping work at Barton; classroom subdivisions at Beck; roof repair/replacement at Barton, Paine, Rosa, and East; Kilmer exterior canopy replacement; bus loop reconstruction at Woodcrest and East; curtain wall replacement at Rosa; toilet room renovations at West; and cafeteria modifications at East and West (to support the new high school schedule),” she said.
The district has invested $23 million in facilities projects over the past three years, Reusche explained, when including current projects and those projected to be completed prior to the end of the calendar year.
“Some of these projects were funded through the capital budget, while others were made possible through concerted cost containment efforts to free up funding for facility improvements,” she said. “The projects have included improvements to our athletic fields and locker rooms, boiler repairs, HVAC improvements, door replacements, roof repairs and replacements, Smart Board installations and electrical upgrades, and maintenance, repair, or replacement of every exhaust fan in the district.”
“Despite past challenges, we are making real progress in improving our facilities.”
Cherry Hill, she said, has 19 schools, 1.7 million square feet of building space and 354 acres of grounds.
“Our Board of Education Strategic Planning Committee has been assessing facility needs, analyzing student enrollment projections, and exploring opportunities for improvement — stay tuned for more information as it becomes available,” Reusche said.
Getting involved
There are plenty of ways to stay involved with your child’s school life.
Attend Back to School Night. Check for the date at www.chclc.org. Join the PTA. Attend school events. Read your school’s newsletter. During the school year, stay in communication with your child’s school, expressed Reusche.
“Take advantage of the elementary and middle school conferences in early December to learn more about your child’s academic progress,” she added.
To sign up for the district’s electronic newsletter and video messages, click the “sign up” tool at the bottom of the district website or email the Public Information Office at [email protected].
For those tweeters out there, follow the district at @chpstweets to learn about important events, news and school closing alerts.
“If you’re interested in a more ‘macro’ level of involvement, attend a Board of Education committee meeting, work session, or action meeting. The schedule of BOE meetings is posted on the district website and CHPS TV,” Reusche said. “Except for meetings of the Human Resources Committee, all BOE meetings are open to the public.”
“You can also view the live webstream of BOE action meetings from our website or access the video for later viewing.”
Environmental initiatives
Cherry Hill as one of the districts selected to participate in the N.J. Sustainable School Project, explained Reusche, which is a three-year research project on sustainability and its impact on schools, financially and academically.
“The project is a collaboration among K-12 schools, education organizations, green industry experts, and other groups,” she said. “This summer, members of one of our district Green Teams attended the Green Schools Leadership Institute. The team developed a green mission statement, green strategic plan, measurable objectives, action steps, and lesson plans, and also identified the resources necessary to implement the plan.”
The projects are designed with the goal of replacing older, inefficient systems with efficient technology to reduce utility costs.
“The start of a new school year is an exciting time for all of us,” said Reusche. “Our teachers, administrators, and staff are looking forward to the return of students and to another year of working with parents toward our common goal: helping our children succeed in our schools, our community, and beyond.”
Superintendent Dr. Maureen Reusche shares about how the changes on the state level affect Cherry Hill’s schools.
Changes at the state level will be impacting how N.J. districts report student performance on state assessments. In February, New Jersey received a waiver from certain provisions of NCLB. As a result, the state will no longer be monitoring and reporting on schools’ Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP). Instead, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has developed categories of schools based on a three-year average of growth and proficiency. “Priority Schools” are among the lowest performing schools in the state (with an average proficiency rate of 31.6 percent or lower.) “Focus Schools” have low graduation rates, the largest within-school proficiency gaps, and/or the lowest combined subgroup proficiency rates in the state. The DOE will invest heavily in Priority Schools and provide targeted supports to Focus Schools to ensure all N.J. students are on track for college and career readiness. A third category — Reward Schools — are the highest-performing in the state in terms of school-wide proficiency, subgroup proficiency, and graduation rates, or have demonstrated the highest levels of student growth over time.
As we proudly announced in April, Cherry Hill High School East was designated a Reward School; also, no Cherry Hill schools were designated as Priority or Focus Schools. In fact, most of New Jersey’s 2,500 schools are not categorized. For these schools, according to the DOE, districts will have “autonomy over the necessary investments and supports to sustain strong performance or strengthen areas for improvement.”
New Jersey’s transition to the Common Core Standards is also driving a transition to a new assessment system, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC), for the 2014–2015 school year. Much like the MAP tests, which Cherry Hill introduced last year and will administer to students in Grades K-9 in 2012–2013, the PARCC assessment system features multiple tests administered online throughout the school year, allowing for timely and individualized interventions.
Through our website, video messages, PTA presentations and board committee meetings we will be sharing more information about this new age of school accountability in New Jersey and what it means for our Cherry Hill Public Schools.
