It’s the beginning of a new year, and that means a lot of new things on the horizon to look forward to in the township of Tabernacle.
Tabernacle Township
According to Mayor Stephen Lee IV, township committee is looking forward to continuing emergency services, being diligent on controlling vacant properties and continuing to work with the Tabernacle School District to consolidate services in 2017, maximizing taxpayer dollars.
“Right now, we are working with the school district to provide high speed Internet to all of Tabernacle because not all of Tabernacle has Internet access,” Lee said.
Township committee will begin the budget process soon, once again having a comprehensive review. Lee anticipates that process will begin in February. He wants to keep tax rates down, with a hopeful zero percent increase, while maintaining services.
“Whether we get there, we will see how things go,” Lee said.
He also said the township is looking at its assets, such as the community center and town hall, and will look into ways of improving all buildings and the uses of them, ensuring they serve the needs of the residents in efficient ways.
Tabernacle schools
Glenn Robbins just started in his new role as Tabernacle schools superintendent in November, and with the holidays, he hasn’t gotten to meet everyone in the district just yet.
In 2017, he is looking forward to getting to know everyone in the community, from kids to parents to staff to resident stakeholders.
Robbins said one of his big goals for the new year is to work on redesigning the Kenneth R. Olson MIddle School library and make it a central hub for Tabernacle. He feels the library could be a real creative and digital space for the district as well as a welcoming area for all. The possibility of changing the vocabulary for the space may be on the horizon as well; Robbins used the name digital playground as an example.
Another goal he would like to work on is to prepare children for their future, a future of technology. Noticing his son mastering technology quickly at the age of 4 and seeing automated cars being created, Robbins feels schools should be preparing students for their future at the kindergarten level.
With that, he is looking into digital playgrounds and maker spaces, improving the iSTEM rooms and 1-to-1 initiative in Tabernacle, and other ways to incorporate technology and learning. Robbins would like to collaborate with Seneca High School, and the surrounding towns whose children will eventually attend the high school, to look at curriculum and see what can or needs to be done so students will be better prepared as they move toward the future. He is working with the township to get high speed internet to all of Tabernacle.
For his other goals of 2017, Robbins would like to review some homework policies and look into building on events already at the schools and making them better.
In November, the negotiations between the Board of Education Negotiations Committee and the Tabernacle Education Association came to a standstill, and a state-appointed mediator was required. Robbins gave an update, saying a mediation is set for January, and he hopes this will help guide the process forward. Robbins is excited to build collaboration with the teachers and give them professional development so they can grow stronger in their job and make them feel appreciated.
LRHSD
For 2017, the Lenape Regional High School District is looking forward to the continuation of many programs. From new — such as the four day rotating schedule and the second Transition Services Awards Ceremony — to the traditional — such as prom and graduation — carrying on the LRHSD initiatives and events is something to be excited about.
“Our goals remain pretty consistent … which is to continue the high quality of programs associated with the LRHSD while remaining conscious to the ever-changing world of the 21st century,” Seneca High School Principal Jeffrey Spector said.
Superintendent Carol L. Birnbohm said she is looking forward to the continuation of the four-day rotating schedule, benefiting students and teachers with the opportunity to get extra help, make up missed work and meet with clubs. Spector looks forward to the ceremonial events such as prom and graduation.
Spector wanted to highlight the Prom House 110 Carranza and The Seneca Send Off. Prom House 110 Carranza, run by Seneca’s student council, and the Seneca Sendoff, run by the Seneca Parents Group, are drug- and alcohol-free events after prom and graduation.
“The highlight for me is the awarding of a car donated by Medford Ford to an attendee of our post-prom event. The support from Medford Ford is a large reason we have over 90 percent attendance at the post-prom party. The anticipation of the drawing and the incredibly strong message sent by Medford Ford is just great to see,” Spector said.
Each year, goals are made to achieve the LRHSD mission. One goal is to ensure the academic programs prepare all seniors for college and a career. That goal is supported by the “Two Graduations” initiative, emphasizing the importance of reaching a second graduation, with high school being the first of two. A new portion of the LRHSD website, which will be coming soon, will feature the “Two Graduations” initiatives in one location.
“We hope that this site will be informative to parents and students. But, most importantly, we hope that this site inspires all students, especially those who may be first-generation college-goers in their family,” Birnbohm said.
Birnbohm wanted to remind parents about changes in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers — New Jersey’s assessment for students in grades three to eight and high school — for this year that impacts the classes of 2020, 2021 and thereafter. To see the changes and more information about the PARCC test and graduation requirements, visit www.nj.gov/education/sca/parcc/.
“I encourage all parents to be aware of these changes, which we have communicated via email to parents and at parent meetings. Parents should also visit our ‘Requirements for Graduation’ website, www.lrhsd.org/page/715, which provides information about the testing requirements for each grade,” Birnbohm said.
This year, in each of the high schools, the driver’s education classroom was outfitted with eight new driving simulators for all students. The purpose of using the most current and modern simulation equipment with the LRHSD curriculum is to better provide real-life driver training experiences for students in a safe environment.
“While there are not many new events planned, I encourage and invite people to come catch an event like a sporting event, the art show, the LRHSD robotics tournament, a concert, the musical and so much more. I promise the students of Seneca High School will amaze you. A calendar of all these events can be found on our website or download the LRHSD App,” Spector said.
Birnbohm invites all members of the community to follow the LRHSD on Twitter, as well as club and sports pages.
“You can find a listing of all official Twitter pages at www.lrhsd.org/Page/6592. I encourage all students and their parents to select their school’s main Twitter account, as well as any of the other 69 official Twitter accounts that interest them. You can also follow me @cbeducator,” Birnbohm said.
For more information, visit the LRHSD website at www.lrhsd.org.
