Dear EWRSD Community:
It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the middle of August! Hopefully, you are finding ways to relax and rejuvenate this summer. This update will provide you with a sense of what has been happening in our district this summer. It also includes important reminders and information for the 2023-24 school year.
The summer has provided opportunities for students to participate in learning opportunities. Our summer programming serves as a bridge and sometimes a springboard of learning for students, as we look ahead to the fall. Our Extended School School Year or ESY program is designed to support the continued learning of our special education population. In addition, we offered content and skill reinforcement for students entering grades 1 thru 5. This also included our English Language Learners (ELL). In addition, we offered summer enrichment opportunities for middle school students who are advancing in math, humanities and science, and for high school students who enrolled in Honors and AP classes for the very first time. I would like to thank the teachers, administrators and support staff, who were responsible for making these summer learning experiences possible.
The summer has also provided time for our educators to engage in learning opportunities through workshop sessions that were planned and facilitated by the district’s curriculum supervisors. Some of the topics offered, to support teachers as they prepare for the year ahead, include classroom management, curriculum articulation, instructional decision-making, lesson structure, grading practices, small group instruction, and developing common unit assessments.
In an effort to ensure that our classrooms are staffed with effective educators, the district leadership team and Human Resources Dept. has worked diligently throughout the summer to recruit and hire approximately 60 certificated staff members. We look forward to welcoming them to the district during New Teacher Orientation at the end of this month.
The summer is also traditionally a time for the cleaning and refreshing of the district’s facilities. Our custodial team is in the process of meticulously preparing school buildings and classrooms as we approach a new year. Furthermore, in an effort to have physically and visually welcoming schools for students and staff, we have continued to use the summer as a time to complete ongoing facility upgrades. These environments also need to be mechanically efficient and effective. To that end, we have continued our commitment to update the flooring, lighting, paint, ceilings, and HVAC equipment in several schools this summer. Some of the facility related upgrades taking place this summer include the renovation of approximately 35 classrooms/educational spaces at GNR, MHK, WCB, and HHS. In addition, more than 80 rooms at GNR, MHK, and WCB, will receive updated and enhanced HVAC equipment this summer. The MHK parking lot is also being resurfaced and reconfigured, which should assist with the flow of traffic and enable the school to gain an additional 120 parking spaces.
Enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer. We are certainly excited about the upcoming school year and look forward to the return of students on Thursday, September 7, 2023!
Sincerely,
Mark Daniels
Superintendent of Schools
Lunch Program Announcement
Free/Reduced Meal Forms for the 2023-2024 school year will be available on August 21 through the parent portal. All families will receive the lunch application packet in the mail by the end of August. For more information about Chartwells, visit here.
Kidcare Extended Day Program is OPEN for Registration!
Registration for EWRSD’s Kidcare Extended Day Program is OPEN. The registration deadline is August 31, 2023, to begin the program on the first day of school, September 7, 2023. All students will need to register, even if your student was registered in a previous school year. More information can be found here.
Back to School Nights
Hightstown High School
September 13, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Walter C. Black Elementary School
September 14, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Ethel McKnight Elementary School
September 19, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Grace N. Rogers Elementary School
September 20, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Melvin H. Kreps Middle School
September 21, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Perry L. Drew Elementary School
September 27, 2023 - 6:30 p.m.
Welcome to East Windsor Regional School District!
At the July 17 Board of Education meeting, EWRSD approved three new administrators. Please join us in welcoming Jeffrey Soto, Monica Feliciano, and Carlos Gavilanes!
Mr. Jeffrey Soto is our new Assistant Principal in Hightstown High School. Mr. Soto, a former High School and Middle School Social Studies teacher, is joining us after 10 years in the classroom. His experiences include working with teachers on peer observations, creating interdisciplinary lessons and coaching students in soccer and extra curricular activities. He is very enthusiastic to join our team.
Ms. Monica Feliciano will be our Secondary Supervisor ESL/Bilingual/World Language. Ms. Feliciano comes to us after almost 10 years teaching in an ESL program in high school. In her current program, she works closely with students and families preparing them for post secondary experiences. She also works with parents and adults in ESL programs. Ms. Feliciano looks forward to meeting our staff, families and teams.
Mr. Carlos Gavilanes is our new Assistant Transportation Supervisor. Anyone who has contacted transportation in the past 24 years knows Mr. Gavilanes. He has been our driver and dispatcher, working closely with families and drivers to make the first experiences in the school day, riding the bus, a safe one. Mr. Gavilanes loves our community and is enthusiastic about continuing to support our families and drivers as they bring our students to and from school.
We are happy to welcome our new administrators to the EWRSD family.
Have you moved?
Have you moved to another home within the East Windsor Regional School District over the summer? If so, please visit our website here to change your address with Central Registration. Once the address has been changed, you will receive a confirmation email.
