Volume 1, Issue 1
August 2025
A Message from the Board President
North Hanover Township School District Community:
Welcome to the first issue of the North Hanover Herald, the official newsletter of the North Hanover Township School District. We are launching this newsletter to regularly share district news and strengthen communications with members of the North Hanover Township and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst communities we serve. The newsletter will be published quarterly in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
For the inaugural issue, we are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael B. Maschi as superintendent of the district. Dr. Maschi was hired after a comprehensive search, and we are excited to welcome him to the district. He will begin on December 22. I encourage you to read more about Dr. Maschi in this issue.
With Dr. Maschi’s appointment, the Board of Education would like to thank Dr. James Sarruda, who has served as interim superintendent since July. Dr. Sarruda, who previously served as superintendent of the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, stepped in during a time of transition and has done an outstanding job of leading the district during these past few months, including kicking off the 2025-26 school year.
Our commitment to create high levels of learning for all students, ensuring that they are resilient, lifelong learners who achieve excellence and engage as twenty-first century citizens, is stronger than ever. The parents of our students and the members of the communities we serve are vital partners in that process, and we look forward to working with you and keeping you informed of how we are achieving our mission across the district.
Sincerely,
Bryan Reading,
President, Board of Education
A Message from the Incoming Superintendent
Dear North Hanover Community,
I am honored and excited to join the North Hanover Township School District as your next Superintendent of Schools. From the very beginning of this process, it was clear to me that North Hanover is a special place, defined by its strong sense of community, pride, and dedication to its students. I feel truly fortunate to be a part of it.
Throughout my career, I have believed that the strength of a district rests in its people—our educators, support staff, families, and community partners who come together to ensure student success. Over the years, I have served in many capacities across different types of districts—including two preschool–12th grade school systems, a kindergarten–8th grade district, and a high school district. Having observed student outcomes at every level, I bring with me a broad perspective that informs both my practice and my worldview as an educational leader.
While I will officially begin December 22, I plan to be present in the district as much as possible during this transition period. My goal is to listen, learn, and engage with staff, students, families, and community members so that I am prepared to hit the ground running when I officially begin.
I am excited for the journey ahead and confident that, together, we will continue to build on North Hanover’s strong foundation of excellence. Thank you for welcoming me into this remarkable community—I look forward to working with you to ensure the very best for our students.
With enthusiasm,
Dr. Michael B. Maschi
Incoming Superintendent of Schools
(For more information on Dr. Maschi, please see the news release announcing his appointment as Superintendent on the district website.)
Staff sharpen their skills during LETRS training
The 2025-26 school year welcomed an exciting opportunity for many of our Pre-K-3 teachers who are participating in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training, a nationally recognized professional development program designed to deepen educators’ understanding of how children learn to read. Grounded in decades of research known as the Science of Reading, LETRS equips teachers with the knowledge and tools to provide effective, evidence-based literacy instruction to all students.
This important professional learning opportunity is being funded through one of the district’s most recent Department of Defense Education Activity grants—U.S. MIL: Utilizing Strategies for Maximum Impact on Literacy. Through this initiative, we are investing in our educators’ expertise to ensure every student receives high-quality, research-aligned instruction.
Binding together UFLI and Heggerty programs for staff and students
To strengthen early literacy instruction, the North Hanover Township School District has also implemented two powerful, research-based programs—Heggerty and UFLI. The Heggerty program provides daily, systematic lessons that help students hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words.
Alongside this, the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) Foundations program delivers explicit and systematic phonics instruction, guiding students as they connect sounds to letters and apply these skills to actual reading and writing. Together, Heggerty and UFLI complement our teachers’ LETRS training by ensuring consistent, evidence-based practices are being used across classrooms to support every child’s journey toward becoming a confident, fluent reader.
Applying fun throughout the ST Math program
Our schools are building excitement around Spatial-Temporal (ST) Math, a game-based program that helps students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a fun, visual way. To boost engagement, teachers and support staff have created schoolwide challenges that recognize classrooms for their progress. Students are energized, motivated, and loving the opportunity to celebrate their math successes together!
Supporting our academic curriculum – before, during and after school!
To support students’ individual learning needs, the North Hanover Township School District offers multiple after-school programs in both math and literacy throughout the year. These opportunities provide targeted instruction and enrichment, helping students build skills, gain confidence, and elevate achievement beyond the regular school day.
Families and students are encouraged to take advantage of these programs, and we invite everyone to be on the lookout for our next STEAM Night on Monday, November 24 and Literacy Night on Wednesday, March 11, where students can show off their skills and dive into hands-on, interactive activities that make their learning truly come alive.
It is an exciting time at C.B. Lamb Elementary School as construction is now underway for the $14.1 million renovation and new construction project that will pave the future for students and continue to provide them with the tools and skills to become lifelong learners. The project is scheduled to be completed in the 2026-27 school year.
The North Hanover Township School District awarded the construction bid in May 2025 to Vanas Construction. The scope of the project includes a 22,000-square-foot addition and renovation to part of the existing school building.
The scope of the addition includes:
Four new classrooms, two small-group instructional rooms and restrooms
New gymnasium and support areas
Renovations to the existing building include:
Replacement of 10,000 sq. feet of shingle roofing with a new standing seam metal roof
Renovation of six existing toilet rooms; construction of two new restrooms in existing classrooms
Reconfiguration of two existing classrooms into a small-group instructional room with dedicated staff offices
The district coordinates everyday with our architect, civil engineer, construction manager and general contractor to oversee the construction, manage a timely schedule and minimize disruption to learning to ensure that students and staff remain unencumbered.
With construction underway, the latest progress updates include:
- Clearing of the addition site
Full installation of erosion control provisions and stormwater basin
Ongoing progress with stormwater lines
Completion of sanitary connections
Completion of roof replacement in the existing building, including gutters and downspouts
Other projects, such as selective demolition at the addition’s connection points and temporary emergency egress for the 2025-26 school, are complete.
We look forward to keeping our community informed regarding the latest construction updates. Please stay tuned!
Rendering of new C.B. Lamb gymnasium
Rendering of C.B. Lamb corridor exergaming area
One of the best ways to become engaged in your child’s education is to get involved in a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Each of the North Hanover Township School District’s three schools has its own PTO.
PTOs are volunteer groups of parents, teachers and support staff who work together to support education at their schools through fundraisers for school resources and events throughout the year.
Explore the PTO for your child’s school and become involved!
C.B. Lamb Elementary School PTO
Email: cblambpto@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/695029390575445
Endeavour Elementary School PTO
Email: ptoendeavourschool@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EndeavourSchoolPTO
Upper Elementary School PTO
Email: nhuespto@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nhuespto/