District Newsletter
Mark Your Calendars
The next Board meeting is June 29, 2023.
All Board meetings are at 7 p.m. in the Haddonfield Memorial High School library and are open to the public. There are no limits to the number of people who may attend in person, and masks are optional.
Board meetings will continue to be live-streamed as well,
but there will be no call-in comments or questions.
Link to Live-Streamed Meetings
Presentations from Recent Board Meetings:
MESSAGE from the SUPERINTENDENT
Greetings!
One revealing characteristic of a flourishing community is that members of that community take regular temperature checks. How are we doing? Do our actions reflect our goals? Do our goals reflect the values of our membership?
A significant guidepost for the Haddonfield School District community is our mission statement and its supporting goals. It is particularly important to revisit the mission statement because it can neither flap in the wind nor be cast in stone; it must reflect both the times we live in and certain steadfast core values.
Our current mission statement was created as part of a Long Range Strategic Plan in 2019. Typically, mission statements are reviewed/revised/rewritten every three to five years. As we are now in year four, it is time to take another look.
As the first step toward writing a new mission statement (or revising the current one), we seek input from all stakeholders: students, staff, parents and community members. To accomplish this, we will send you a brief survey on Friday asking you to share your opinions about what we value as a school district. Please take a few minutes to complete and submit this survey.
The data received from the survey will serve as the starting point of a conversation at this summer‘s Board retreat. The review of our current mission statement – whether we refresh, modify or overhaul it – will be informed by the results of this survey, feedback from administration and staff, and a review of current educational trends.
A new mission statement will then enable the District to establish goals for the upcoming year. Broadly speaking, a new mission statement will help direct our thought processes about the future of the district, including the scope of the upcoming bond referendum.
Thank you. I sincerely appreciate the support and participation of all members of our school district family.
Chuck Klaus,
Superintendent of Schools
DISTRICT NEWS
Update on the TIP Program
Last spring, Director of Special Education Dr. Carmen Henderson introduced a proposal for a new TIP (Transition Instructional Program). This program was designed for Haddonfield learners ages 18-21 with developmental or multiple disabilities. These are students who have finished 12th grade and satisfied all graduation requirements, but who will not officially receive their diplomas because they are eligible to attend public school until age 21.
Before Dr. Henderson made this proposal, an outside organization managed an educational program for Haddonfield students in this group. Generally, students were placed in pre-established job sites with little or no say in the decision.
"The former approach suggested that all of our 18-to-21-year-old students are passive participants rather than active learners," Henderson explained. “I knew there was a better alternative.”
HSD’s Transition Instructional Program was approved, and two HSD students were the first TIP students for 2022-23. (Photo above, student EDL practices restaurant etiquette.)
Our TIP works in partnership with Camden County College (CCC) Garden State Pathways Post Secondary Transition Program. Students attend classes on the CCC campus and are supported by staff such as a reading specialist, a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist, a registered behavior technician, a job coach, and a case manager, but they are given agency to pursue their goals for adulthood.
A schedule for the current TIP students may include Consumer Math, Life Skills, Pathways to Reading and Writing, Introduction to Careers, and Vocational Practicum. The staff work very hard to create a schedule that works for the individual students enrolled at that time, and academic content is modified to their particular skill-sets. When other students enroll in the future, their courses will not necessarily mirror the current program.
In fact, at this point in time, Henderson anticipates that there could be eight TIP students in the 2023-24 school year.
“TIP is optional, and some families decide that their students will complete their education at age 18 with a high school diploma,” she added. “But others will take advantage of the additional (up to three) years at CCC, especially with such positive reports from this year’s staff and students.”
The feedback so far has been excellent. Students are making friends and growing in confidence. Support staff are helping them to use their down time wisely, focus on handing in assignments, and navigate the campus.
“The ultimate goal of the TIP is for students to optimize their skills so that they can find a job that goes beyond just being a helper,” Henderson added. “I have been very proud to watch them make social connections and improve their ability to work with more independence. My hope is that – as we learn, try new things, make adjustments – the TIP will become more efficient at supporting this deserving segment of our student body.”
Board Announces New Administrators
On May 25th, Board members announced the hiring of three administrators, including two familiar faces.
Dana Blair, Ed.D. will be the district’s Director of Special Education on/before July 26.
Matthew DiDonato will be the Supervisor of Math and Science beginning July 1.
Katy Roussos will be the Supervisor for English/Language Arts and Social Studies beginning July 1.
DiDonato and Roussos are familiar faces in HSD. DiDonato has served as an HMHS faculty member for 11 years. In that time, he has taught physics, math, and theater. He introduced computer science to the district, and served as the director of the theater program for 10 years. Roussos has 23 years of teaching experience in Haddonfield. For the past 10 years she has been the Language Arts Specialist at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School, providing professional development, coaching, and training to teachers and literacy interventions to students. Prior to that, she served as a special education teacher, co-teaching in grades K-5 for 13 years. Roussos was the fifth-grade team facilitator for three years and was named Elizabeth Haddon's Educator of the Year in 2022.
Blair replaces Dr. Carmen Henderson who announced her resignation earlier this spring. Director of Special Education in Marlboro Township since 2018, Blair earned her Doctor of Education at Northeastern University and is actively pursuing her Juris Doctor at Rutgers Law School. Her background includes serving as a vice principal and a middle school language arts teacher as well as in numerous leadership roles in county and school-based mental health organizations.
DiDonato (math and science) and Roussos (ELA and social studies) have been hired to fill two of three newly created supervisory positions. Superintendent Klaus wrote about these new content-area supervisors in his newsletter message last month. These administrators will be responsible for curriculum oversight, teacher evaluation, coaching, and professional development. Their additional support will allow building administrators to spend more time and engage with greater focus on oversight and operations.
The third content-area supervisory position, World Language/PE/Health, is still open.
District Recognizes Special Milestones and Retirees
On Thursday, June 1st, Haddonfield School District will honor staff members who have reached milestones of 25, 30 or 35 years of service. They will also celebrate those who are retiring at the end of this school year.
The names of those being recognized are listed below. We appreciate these faithful, talented and caring individuals who contributed/are still contributing to an educational environment of which we all can be proud!
RETIREES
Marianne Barr, Central Elementary School/HMS educational assistant
Jennifer Gallogly, Central School first-grade teacher
Beth Herrera, Tatem Elementary School nurse
Sandra Horwitz, District Anti-Bullying Coordinator, School Safety Specialist, Standardized Test Coordinator
Linda Micciche, HMS one-to-one educational assistant
Julia Smart, HMHS English teacher
Dr. John Sohn, HMHS science teacher
35 YEARS OF SERVICE
Michael Busarello, HMHS social studies teacher
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
Dana Selbach, Central Elementary School kindergarten teacher
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
Darlene Carlton, Central Elementary School administrative assistant
Seth Friedlander, HMHS social studies teacher
Linda Micciche, HMS one-to-one educational assistant
REMINDER: Spring SEL Surveys Administered this Week
On May 18th, Assistant Superintendent Gino Priolo communicated with all parents and guardians about the upcoming spring Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys.
To learn more about student experiences in Haddonfield and to measure the impact of current SEL initiatives, we will ask for your student’s feedback (grades 3-12 only) via an online survey that will be completed at school in late May and early June. The survey will be administered in two sessions; each shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. This is the same/similar survey administered annually since 2019; we aim to measure the impact of the district’s SEL initiatives at the individual student and whole-school levels. You may view previous results here.
To help improve feedback and engagement, we have added a parent component to this year's survey. The parent topics will cover the following areas:
- School Climate
- School Fit
- School Safety
- Roles and Responsibilities
The parent survey was emailed to you yesterday, May 30.
Thank you for your participation! To reread Dr. Priolo's original message, click here.
Enjoy these photo albums!
HMS National Junior Honor Society Students Community Service
HSD Students Performing in Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall May 13
HMHS Memorial Day Assembly May 26
HMHS Walt Whitman Poetry Contest Winners (photo below)
- Read their poems here!
Resources Shared from May 3rd Mental Health Information Session
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the district held a free information session for guardians/parents of students in fourth through 12th grades on May 3. Student Assistance Counselor Holly Penna made a presentation, answered questions, and shared resources. If you missed this workshop, we are sharing the resources here.
HMHS Environmental Science Club Tip
Environmentally Friendly Weeding
As summer approaches you may find yourself with weeds in the garden, and the most eco-friendly way to reduce the presence of weeds is to pull them by hand. Good exercise and good eco practice! Remember that commercial pesticides have harmful effects on bees, amphibians and other species, including people!
BOROUGH NEWS
Lions Club Contest Seeks Iconic Haddonfield Photo
The Haddonfield Lions Club is seeking an iconic photo for the cover of a book they will publish, "Haddonfield’s Citizens of the Year: The First 50 Years (1973 to 2022)."
Members of the book committee are hoping that local shutterbugs – amateur and professional – will rise to the challenge of snapping the “iconic Haddonfield photograph,” a striking image that is instantly recognizable as being associated with Haddonfield.
One prize (a $100 Haddonfield gift card) will be awarded in each of three age groups: adult, high school, and middle/elementary school. There is no fee to enter, but there is a limit of three photographs per entrant.
The contest will be judged by Tom Gralish (a Pulitzer Prize-winning Philadelphia Inquirer photographer), Debbie Troy (a professional photographer and Lions Club member), and Bill Brown (the Lions Club president).
For contest rules and details, click here. Thank you!
WORTH REPEATING
School Lunch Reminder
Please bookmark the payment portal for school meals. It can be found on our websites under "PARENTS." Here is the link.
Also, please consider applying for free and reduced lunch. The application and information about qualifications can be found on our website here.
Tell a Friend about HSD Employment
SCHOOL STORIES
Central Students Dramatize an American Revolution Story
Fourth-grade students at Central Elementary have been studying the American Revolution this year, and last week Ms. Gregory's class dramatized the true story of Deborah Sampson, a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Patriot forces. The theme prompted discussion about how women’s roles and expectations have changed over time.
Using the script “The Secret Soldier” written by Mack Lewis, the students prepared a production that included costumes, props, narrators, and plenty of action. The students proudly shared their play with their first-grade buddies.
Lizzy Students Create Literary and Art Magazine
Elizabeth Haddon students are working on a Literary and Art Magazine for the 2022-23 school year. The goal is to share and celebrate student writing and art beyond the school walls.
Principal Bissinger and the students and faculty at Lizzy Haddon send a huge "thank you" to senior Moira Geiger who brought all of the text and graphic files together into such an attractive format.
Tatem Students Correspond with President Biden
Last week, two fifth-grade students at Tatem Elementary, Andrew H. and Brynn M., received mail from President Biden in response to letters they had sent to him regarding gun control and food waste. The students were honored that the President thought enough of their passionate messages to respond and proud that they used their own voices to try to affect change in the world.
"Wherever I looked, the news, social media, and even my school cafeteria, I saw lots of food being wasted," said Brynn. "I thought to myself, 'Why is nobody realizing how big of a deal this is?' Instead of just leaving everything up to the adults, I started researching and putting together my essay."
Their well-crafted letters include statistics, humor, personal opinions and their own experiences.
"Living in the city of Philadelphia on the weekends is an awesome experience, but it has also opened me up to the dangers that are in this world," added Andrew. "Shootings can happen at random anywhere, so I am dedicated to making a bright future, where families everywhere can always feel safe, wherever they are."
HMS Students Enter Steam Tank Finals
As part of Tina Papa’s middle school Gifted and Talented class assignment, eighth-grade students Hannah C. and Andrew C. accepted a challenge to “improve an already existing invention.” Their product, reflecting the concerns of many of today’s school-aged children, is “The Improved Bullet Staunch.”
Designed to be used during a school shooting, the staunch would be part of a wall-mounted device, similar to ubiquitous AED wall mounts. In addition to the staunch itself, the box would have an electronic mechanism that would communicate to local police to identify exactly which room was the site of a shooting.
Andrew and Hannah experimented with ways to make an improved, tampon-like item with more of the absorbent material so that it would be more effective in saving lives. They worked with a Steam Tank mentor and made a virtual presentation in front of a panel of engineers/judges, advancing to the finals that were held today, May 31. Stay tuned for the results!
HMHS Students Honored at State Celebration
On May 17, 12 HMHS students were recognized at the New Jersey State Board of Education's Annual Recognition ceremony held at the Burlington County Institute of Technology (Westampton). The state board recognizes students who "have made significant contributions to school, community, family or other groups." These students participated in an intergenerational project celebrating lives of senior citizens in Haddonfield.
This is the second year that students in teacher Holly Maiese's Accelerated Freshman English class worked with local senior citizens, getting to know them, listening to their life stories, and then writing their stories in the form of individual books.
IN THE LOOP / IN THE NEWS
Read about three HMHS students who wrote about their experiences using the Patricia Lennon Archives Center at the historical society when they researched the impact of World War II on the students, faculty, and principal of Haddonfield Memorial High School (in the May Newsletter for the Historical Society of Haddonfield pages 4 and 5).
District Twitter: @HaddonSchools
District Facebook: @HaddonfieldSchoolDistrict
SAC Corner the May issue (SAC = Student Assistance Counselor)
The latest HMHS Bulldawg Bulletin
Look for your school's Twitter feed. Your student's team or club may also tweet.