Christmastime always feels like the halfway point in a school year, mostly because teachers, students and administrators normally get their longest extended break of the year. In reality, the holiday break comes a little more than a third of the way through the school year.
While that may come off as sad news for kids already eager for summer break, that math is welcome to Deptford Township School District officials eager to continue to aim for the goals they set back in September. Among them: keeping a strong and healthy relationship with the school district community at large and supporting students and educators alike with new and updated technology and facility initiatives.
The start of 2019 and the holiday break allows everyone to take a step back and examine the big picture. On behalf of the school board, Kevin Kanauss, the school district’s chief academic officer, traded emails with The Sun regarding what’s ahead in 2019.
“We are always looking to grow as educators to increase our students’ achievement through innovative instructional strategies and professional development,” Kanauss wrote regarding the challenges the school district faces on the backend of the school year. “Boosting our student-based technology for daily instruction and more efficiency with taking the computer-based state assessments. Maximizing our instructional and technology resources for teachers and students while working within the allocated budget.”
Prior to the holiday break, the school district crossed one relatively big item off its checklist: It announced the hiring of Al Orio as the head coach of Deptford Township High School’s football team. Orio, a Deptford alum who previously led the Spartans to three South Jersey championships during his first go-around as coach (1998-2010), replaces Steve Scuderi, who resigned after the team’s best season in a dozen years.
Obviously the school board’s agenda in 2019 goes beyond the athletic fields.
Among the highlights in the coming months is the introduction of more advanced technology to enhance to education environment in schools. Kanauss listed the addition of new laptops among specific areas the district and school board are honing in on in ’19.
“Infusing more technology into our elementary, middle, and high schools with Chromebooks for our students,” Kanauss wrote. “We are also installing Promethean ActivBoards in many of our classrooms. We’re continuing to target and individualize instruction for all of our students and provide our teachers with effective professional development to meet their professional learning goals and to grow as innovative educators. We’re continuing our enhanced partnership with Rowan College of Gloucester County with more offerings for college credits through dual credit courses at our high school and courses on campus in the fall. Growing our high school plus program with Camden County College with dual credit offerings through our AP and approved college courses.”
Perhaps the most exciting additions on the way (for 2019-20) in Deptford Township’s school district are the openings of two academies for students. The Spartan School of Carpentry and The Spartan School of Music (vocal and instrumental) will be welcome additions to students hoping to specialize in a specific trade or the arts, or at the very least, an introduction of both to those students.
And looking even further ahead, Kanauss wrote about two other initiatives that should keep Deptford on the cutting edge of technology in (and out of) schools as well as preparation for college, too.
“Our teachers are piloting the learning management system Canvas, with the intention of full rollout over the next three school years. This will also allow us the opportunity and possibility to explore virtual school days in place of snow days,” Kanauss wrote of the special projects underway. “(And) our guidance counselors are piloting Naviance, a college and career readiness program that assists students in aligning their strengths and interests to careers and other postsecondary plans. The goal is to be fully implemented by the 2019-2020 school year.”
