Voorhees Township Public Schools are all ready to go for the first day of school, beginning Sept. 8 for all students.
At the Voorhees Township Public Schools’ Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26, there was discussion of the new school year, as well as reports on the Basic Skills Improvement Program, the district’s Annual Special Education Plan and the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights- School Self Assessment.
“We’re ready to go and ready for another great year,” Business Administrator/Board Secretary Frank T. DeBerardinis said.
All schools begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8 after Labor Day with a full day. The schools will have off the usual holidays, and spring break will be March 25 through April 1. The last day for all students is planned for June 20 with an early dismissal.
“This year is a little unique. Labor Day just happened to fall on the seventh. We have the full day for students on Sept. 8; it is not the usual half session. Just wanted everyone to remember that,” Superintendent Raymond J. Brosel Jr. said.
With transportation, the district has a new software system called Transfinder that will work with the schools’ student data system, allowing for no more bus passes.
Also new is the digital math program that was piloted in January and was approved to be used for all students in grades seven and eight starting this year. The name of the program is Discovery Education’s “Math Techbook,” an online digital course that supplements the current math curriculum while also being aligned with the state common core standards and containing problems that mimic those on the annual PARCC assessments.
PARCC this year will have a change in the timeframe of the test. Previously, PARCC was presented in two testing windows; this year it will be one. Testing procedures remain the same as of now.
“I think the best thing the PARCC people did for next year is to make the one testing session … that is really going to help people out,” Director of Program Development Daniel Mattie said.
Mattie also gave the presentation on the Basic Skills Improvement report. According to Mattie, the district is running the same programs as previous years, and its Title 1 funding increased $6,000 this year from $241,859 last year, allowing the district to keep some basic skills teachers and the extended day program.
Elaine Hill, director of special services, gave a report on the district’s Annual Special Education Plan. She said the school district hired a new school psychologist to replace the social worker who was at the Voorhees Middle School. It chose a school psychologist because that person can wear more hats and provide more services in the role.
According to Hill, there has been a decrease in staff over the past five years due to the fewer number of special education positions needed at the elementary level, but the middle school level has remained the same. Special education has been down 30 percent, and Hill attributed this to the students needing special education growing older, fewer preschool students and transfer students needing special education coming in, and students declassified from special education. Though the number of referrals for assessment of students has increased, those actually classified has dropped to 11.8 percent.
“The goal is to get those students who are on the cusp into the proficient range,” Hill said.
District Anti-Bullying Coordinator Susan Donnelly gave the results of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights School Self Assessment. For July 1, 2014 to June 30, there were 28 reported incidents, six of which were confirmed.
For more information on back to school, go to www.voorhees.k12.nj.us.
Back to School Nights:
-E.T. Hamilton School — Sept. 17. Grades K/1–6 p.m. Grades 2/3–7 p.m. Grades 4/5–8 p.m.
-Kresson School — Sept. 17. Grades K/1–6:30 p.m. Grades 2 /3–7:15 p.m. Grades 4/5–8 p.m.
-Osage School — Sept. 17. Grades K/1–6:30 p.m. Grades 2 /3–7:15 p.m. Grades 4/5–8 p.m.
-Signal Hill School — Sept. 17. Pre-School/Grades K/1–6:30 p.m. Grades 2/3–7:15 p.m. Grades 4/5–8 p.m.
-Voorhees Middle School — Sept. 18. Grade 6- 6:30 p.m.
-Voorhees Middle School- Oct. 2. Grade 7- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Grade 8- 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Special Education and Specialists- 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
