Outgoing board of education members Corrien Elmore Stratton (left) and Jenn Fleisher (right) were recognized for their contributions during the course of their time on the Cherry Hill Board of Education at the Dec. 19 meeting.
At the Dec. 19 board of education meeting, the board said farewell to two board members, Corrien Elmore Stratton and Jenn Fleisher.
For Fleisher, board members praised her for her kindness and for being a steady voice on the Policy and Legislation committee.
“Thank you for your service on how to evaluate issues and problems, you’ve been a huge part of some of the amazing successes this board and this school district has had for students,” said Board Vice President Joel Mayer. ” … Your support, insights and expertise will be truly missed.”
For Elmore Stratton, board members praised her for her expertise, depth and perspective that she brought to the board.
Board member Dr. Ben Rood lamented the fact that Elmore Stratton was not re-elected and acknowledged the different ways that she has served the board like with HR committee meetings and how the community building she has done.
“The perspective that you bring and it’s absolutely unique on this board and it’s absolutely special,” he said.
In January, Renee Cherfane will be sworn in to fill Elmore Stratton’s seat, and the process for finding another member to serve in Fleisher’s place is underway. The term for that seat will expire on Jan. 2, 2025.
The board also heard two presentations, one on student safety data by Anthony Saporito and another on restorative practices taking place throughout the district. Both are available for viewing on the district’s YouTube page.
Neil Burti, Carusi Middle School’s principal, explained what they meant by restorative practices.
“One of the things that I hear typically in my work is that restorative practice is a sort of code word for removing or reducing code of conduct and that just simply is not the case,” he said. “Actually, restorative practices exist in concert with the code of conduct, as do positive behavioral supports.”
It is not about removing discipline but as described by practitioners, restorative practices “encompass a wide array of activities designed to repair harm when conflict occurs and to improve relationships proactively so that misbehavior is less common.”
At all three levels, restorative practices seek to repair and improve relationships, both peer to peer, student to staff and staff to staff. This looks like finding ways to come together after an offense occurs, if it is okay with the person who was harmed, and helping them express how they are feeling and what they need.
These practices do not take away from the disciplinary code of conduct, but they seek to improve the community at each school.
At the Alternative High School, some of the guiding questions to help with restorative practices include “Do I have a relationship with each student? Have I co-created an inclusive classroom community with defined agreements based in mutual respect? How am I maintaining the boundaries and agreements within the community rather than managing behaviors?”
The presentation was met with excitement from community members who applauded the work during public comment and also by the board.
Board member Gina Winters testified to how she has seen restorative practices work well and improve the lives of her kids who attend school in the district.
“I have seen the difference that it makes in those school communities,” Winters said. “It’s not just about reacting when an incident happens, it’s about building a climate together where we have those things in place to create a positive culture where our students feel safe and can talk to each other and can resolve conflict productively and create empathy and understanding.”
In other news;
- Beck Middle School Girls Soccer was recognized for an undefeated season with South Jersey Soccer League’s championship
- Carusi Middle School’s Field Hockey team was also recognized for their championship season
The next organization meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. The policy committee previously scheduled for the same date has been cancelled.
