District Newsletter
GREETINGS from the SUPERINTENDENT!
Over the past two years, we have had to face the myriad challenges associated with running a school system during a global pandemic. I am proud of the way our community has come together to address every issue along the way, but it is important that we do not make those issues the only focus of our work. As the new year begins, it is time for all of us to look forward to other challenges that must be addressed.
One of the most prevalent topics for the Haddonfield school system is that of our facilities. The Board is currently working on updating and revising the district's Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP); a subcommittee has been formed, and the work has begun. We are examining where we are, what we need, and what we aspire to.
Our last bond referendum (2016) addressed crucial improvements in building infrastructure, safety, and other practical projects such as multiple secure vestibules and structural reconstruction at Tatem. Our next referendum will look toward upgrading and modernizing our schools for contemporary education in contemporary learning spaces. The planning process will require future-looking and future-thinking.
Over the next six months, representatives of the Board of Education, administration, and our architect will meet with representative groups to listen to what they believe is important for the educational system of our future. These groups will include administration, faculty and staff, community members, parents, and students. As a team and a community, we will design a scope of work that we believe will help to move this district forward and keep it agile and progressive.
The primary topic that needs to be addressed in our buildings is space. Our buildings are crowded and often lack the space necessary to operate in the way we would like. Over the past years, our building-level administrators have been amazingly creative in maximizing the effective use of their available spaces, but this has resulted in the loss of music rooms, science labs, and other learning spaces. We also lack space in our buildings for individual student tutoring and support services. To that end, we are currently looking at options that could free up space by transferring operational functions and reallocating those spaces for student-centered uses.
Because these space issues are more urgent than all other aspects of improvement that the LRFP will examine, we are considering various options that would allow us to maximize student learning areas. For example, the Hopkins parcel at Bancroft will come to us as a “land swap” within the next few months, but any transformation of that area will require a bond referendum to be fully carried out. Additionally, we are looking at other available properties adjacent to our schools that may potentially be useful to us, such as two properties on Grove Street near Tatum. There are no finalized plans; however, we are brainstorming possible use of such spaces to relocate operational functions and offices and to free up space in our buildings for student-centered focus. We will consider pursuing these options only if we can develop a feasible plan.
More details and ideas will be presented at Board meetings in February. We invite the community to either join us in person or watch the meeting online to have a clear understanding of the thought processes.
Thank you for your continued interest and support as we continue to aim for excellence in the Haddonfield School District!
Chuck Klaus,
Superintendent of Schools
Stephanie Benecchi
Rachel Brown
Greg Esemplare
Meg Hollingworth
Senior is Selected for US Senate Youth Program
Haddonfield Memorial High School principal Tammy McHale announced that Lily Anne Cheatham (photo right with Superintendent Klaus) was one of only two New Jersey students chosen to be a part of the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). She will join Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Cory Booker in representing New Jersey during the 60th annual USSYP Washington Week, to be held online March 6 - 9, 2022.
Cheatham was selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the national student delegation who also will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.
Tatem Fourth-Graders Create Watercolor Dreams
In January, Tatem fourth-graders in Ms. Schneider's class read "My Brother Martin - A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Students brainstormed dreams they have for themselves, our community, and the world, and created beautiful watercolor displays of their dreams!
