When the summer sun finally sets in a few weeks, parents’ and students’ mindset and focus will be on the beginning of the school year Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Superintendent of schools Maureen Reusche is excited for the new school year.
“Every year is filled with exciting opportunities for students, staff and families — opportunities to learn, engage and get involved,” Reusche said.
“Our teachers, administrators and staff are looking forward to the return of students and to another year of working with parents toward our common goal: helping our children succeed in our schools, our community and beyond.”
Improvements
According to Reusche, repairs at various schools were completed over the summer.
“We wrapped up some facilities projects that began during the previous school year, including the wall replacement project at Rosa International Middle School,” Reusche said.
“We are currently wrapping up electrical and fire alarm projects at several schools; repairs at the High School West Jones Gym entrance; Kingston playground site drainage; removal of obsolete underground tanks at several schools; and, at Malberg, sanitary sewer ejector replacement and crawl space ventilation repairs.”
In addition, the district is completing security enhancements at a number of schools, including installation of door entry systems at both high schools, Mann, Kilmer, Woodcrest, Alternative High School and Malberg, as well as installation of a new security camera system at Cherry Hill High School West and repairs to public address systems at various schools.
Security
Safety was a priority for the district, keeping in mind the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.
“Following the events in Newtown, Conn., the district undertook a comprehensive security assessment at all of our schools,” Reusche said. “Representatives of the Cherry Hill Police Department assisted us in that effort and guided us in the development of action items.”
According to Reusche, a number of procedural changes have been made to maintain safety.
When students return in September, all Cherry Hill Public Schools will be secured by entrance monitoring systems throughout the school day. All visitors are asked to report to the main office upon entry to the school.
According to Reusche, all schools in New Jersey must practice monthly security drills in addition to fire drills.
“The law specifies the types of drills we must conduct. Two times each year, we are required to practice our procedures for four events: an active shooter, an evacuation other than fire, a bomb threat and a lock-down. Our staff discusses these drills with students in an age-appropriate context,” she said. “These important tests of our district’s emergency procedures, while crucial in terms of preparedness, are conducted in a non-threatening manner and are not intended to heighten alarm on the part of either students or staff.”
Additionally, the Cherry Hill Police Department and other emergency management officials have worked closely with the school district to plan and prepare for emergencies.
The CHPD has conducted active-shooter drills and tabletop exercises with the building administrators. The district director of security assists principals in developing scenarios for the monthly drills and provides support on security issues, Reusche said.
“In the wake of Newtown, the Cherry Hill Police Department has increased its presence at our facilities, visiting our schools during routine patrols,” she said.
In addition to the security changes, schedule changes have been implemented at the middle and high school levels.
Schedule
The high school day will be from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; the middle school day will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. this year.
“The elementary school student day will not change; students will be in school from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m. However, the workday for teachers at the elementary schools and the Barclay Early Childhood Center will increase by 30 minutes,” Reusche said. “The additional time will provide increased opportunities for student learning to ultimately impact student achievement.
“We believe strongly that additional instructional time is always beneficial for students, and that is why we are making this change.”
Technology
The district will be taking advantage of Bring Your Own Device, better known to the staff as BYOD.
The program is open for staff, students and guests of the district.
“The initiative is intended, in part, to enhance teaching and learning by increasing access to digital instructional resources. Parents and students will be hearing much more about this initiative, including BYOD guidelines for each instructional level,” Reusche said. “We will also be launching a mobile app that will enable students, parents and staff to access information from the smartphones and tablets.”
Reusche did not expand on the timeline for the mobile app or its full capabilities.
Events
“Our calendar is packed with events, from athletic events, concerts and plays to PTA-sponsored events and fundraisers,” Reusche said.
“Of course, for parents, back to school night is a highlight of the first months of the new school year.
“We encourage students and parents to check our district activities calendar, school and district websites, and CHPS TV bulletin board for dates and times of events.”
The new school year begins on Sept. 3.
For more information on the district, visit www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us.
If you’d like to add to The Sun’s calendar of events or submit a press release on sports, activities, fundraisers and other events taking place throughout the school year, please email [email protected].
