The annual violence, vandalism, weapons and substance abuse report was presented at the Monday, Nov. 5 Cherry Hill Board of Education meeting for the 2011–2012 school year.
Mike Nuzzo, director of security, said that the annual report is part of a process mandated by the state Department of Education.
Cherry Hill administration submits a more comprehensive report, he said, with results from a five-year time period rather than just the one-year requirement.
In turn, the district is better able to track repeated incidents that occurred over an extended period of time, Nuzzo said.
There was a significant increase in reported violence due to the enactment of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) law that took effect at the commencement of last school year, he said.
There were a total of 235 incidents reported between the four categories.
In the violence category, there were 183 incidents reported, and 144 of which were related to HIB, which generally, he said, are more harassment than violence.
The remaining 39 include 15 incidents of simple assault, 12 threats, nine incidents of fighting and three sex offenses that were related to “inappropriate touching,” but were not sexual assaults.
There was an increase in threats, an uptick from three incidents in 2010–2011, and generally were inappropriate comments toward students and staff, Nuzzo said.
In the vandalism category, there were 17 incidents reported, including two arsons, seven accounts of property damage, which were primarily graffiti incidents, one fire alarm pulled, six thefts and one account of trespassing, which was a disruptive former student at one of the schools.
In the weapons category, there were nine incidents of possession of a folding knife.
There were no incidents involving a firearm.
There have been no assaults involving weapons reported in the district since the 2008–2009 school year, Nuzzo said.
“We take reporting these types of incidents and any types of incidents very seriously,” he said.
In the substance abuse category, there was a slight increase to 26 incidents from the 2010–2011 school year’s report of 23.
There were 17 incidents of substance use and nine of possession.
Community partnerships, such as local safety officials, PTA representatives, members of the community, school administrators, staff, campus officers, parents and students, make for a safe learning environment, Nuzzo said.
A plethora of safe school practices exist, from the Peer Mediation Program to the annual school security checklist to classroom presentations on bullying.
“No single initiative alone can promote a safe learning environment for a district,” Nuzzo said.
It’s the combination, he added.
Winning artist
East student Haruka Shoji was recognized at the meeting for her first-place selection in the United Nations 2012 Art for Peace Contest.
The competition, said District Spokeswoman Susan Bastnagel, consisted of 6,623 entries from 92 countries based on the theme of imagining a world free of nuclear weapons.
The works of art were judged on creativity, composition, theme and technique.
Her winning entry will be displayed in Malberg School, said Bastnagel.
“Haruka actually did this on the computer,” said her teacher, Bernadette Calnon-Buote, through a drawing tablet.
“This is very, very advanced to do,” she said. “We’re really proud of her.”
After Sandy
Days following Superstorm Sandy, the district was optimistic.
Officials sent their appreciation to all who helped through the storm preparation, damage and clean up.
Superintendent Dr. Maureen Reusche said that facility staff, many of whom spent the evening in buildings keeping watch, would be commended.
“We will be recognizing those individuals at a future meeting,” Reusche said.
Contingency plans are also in the making.
Malberg students spent class time at East while their school was powerless.
“That worked really well for us,” she said, however, it wouldn’t be possible to move West students to East if necessary.
West and East
Student representatives Christopher Blandy of West and Rebecca Fisher of East gave reports of student reactions to the storm during their regular reports.
According to Blandy, the atmosphere at West was “unordinary,” but student involvement was evident.
Students have participated in a Red Cross blood drive, were anticipating a veteran’s program in their classrooms and were keeping an eye on several sports teams as they advanced to the playoffs.
“Everyone has their fingers crossed,” Blandy said.
The school, he said, is moving into the second marking period.
According to Fisher, students recovered very well from the storm, with the many activities at East lending for “never a dull moment.”
Due to Sandy, the East music department cancelled the fall preview concert, she said, which is usually a survey of music groups to give a taste of what is to come in the department.
However, Fisher added, students are looking forward to winter concerts, while working diligently in academics and looking forward to Spirit Week, running through Wednesday, Nov. 21.
Stay up to date with district happenings by visiting www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us.
