On the docket to join other local New Jersey high schools that have competitive high school girls golf teams, after its recent board of education meeting, is Eastern Regional High School.
At its meeting Wednesday, May 15, the board voted unanimously to approve the proposal for the 2019-2020 school year.
According to Business Administrator Diana Schiraldi, the team needs at least 10 members to be official. The spring sport currently has several months to advertise and promote the new team and encourage girls to join.
Schiraldi said the proposed team plans to have another meeting before the end of the current school year, along with a trip to Voorhees Middle School to recruit incoming freshmen, before hosting more meetings during the fall and winter next school year in anticipation of the spring sport starting up.
“They need to do a little bit more work as far as advertising it,” said Schiraldi. “It’s a spring sport so we have plenty of time to get interest and recruit … we do have to hit a number in order to run the program, but this is a great first step.”
Also at the meeting, Director of Curriculum/Instruction/Professional Development Robert Cloutier discussed the school’s mentor plan for teachers helping guide new teachers. After a recommendation from current Eastern teachers, the mentor committee will find a way to create structures to continue to assist second-year teachers as they continue at Eastern.
Additionally, Cloutier also discussed the school’s Professional Development Plan.
“The new goal for next year is focused on social emotional learning, a very important topic,” said Cloutier.
Cloutier said multiple administrators at Eastern Regional have been working to bring in county initiatives to assist students with their emotional well-being, however an emphasis is also on the teachers as well.
“We want to make sure that our teachers are also being trained and given the best practices in social emotional learning concepts. The Professional Development Plan next year will focus on trauma-sensitive classroom strategies, trauma-sensitive school environments, and Susan Roth will lead professional development on those topics.”
On another note with teachers, Eastern will continue with its technology training this summer. Last summer, 25 teachers were trained to be Google Certified in level I and level II thanks to the help of a certified trainer. This summer, however, certified teachers from last summer’s training will teach new teachers, saving the school $8,000.
Also at the meeting, board member Veronica Parker pitched the idea of creating a new, liaison committee between Eastern Regional High School and send boards of the sending districts.
“The intention of it would be to enhance the capacity for communication and collaboration,” said Parker.
Parker says she hopes representatives of the separate boards would be able to meet to discuss events at each other’s meetings and keep up with what is happening with the other schools that all eventually funnel into Eastern.
According to board president Bob DeCicco, board members from Voorhees Township, Berlin Borough and Gibbsboro used to attend board meetings at Eastern and the sending districts, however conflicts over the years caused that to cease.
In other news:
- The board honored Kathleen Walton-Mills and Donna Gregory as retirees from Eastern Regional at the end of the school year.
- The board also honored Superintendent Harold Melleby Jr., who is retiring effective Thursday, Aug. 1. Melleby has served as the superintendent since 2005.
- After executive session, Kristen Borda was named to the position of director of academic programs and student performance, effective Aug. 1.
- The board was able to sell 139 Solar Renewable Energy Credits on
April 30 at a price of $231.50 each, for a total of $32,178.50. - The board approved a contract with World Class Vacations to provide trip planning/scheduling services for the 2020 Senior Class Trip to Florida. The trip is expected to cost $410,930.
- Eastern Regional had three HIB cases reported since its last board meeting, with two being unfounded.
- The board announced that Sheri Lattimer was selected as Camden County School Counselor of the Year. Lattimer has been with Eastern since 2003.
- Samantha Sawka was recognized as Scholar of the Month for May.
- Melleby said that the school is looking to hire two additional special education teachers with a preferred background in science, a school nurse, a world language teacher and other administrative positions by the beginning of next school year. According to Melleby, the board will attempt to fill as many of those positions by the end of June as possible.
