District Newsletter

Next Board Meeting: September 21, 2023 7:00 p.m.

Board meetings 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:

Posted on our website

• The first school day for students is Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Both September 5th and 6th are half days.
• SIGN UP FOR PARENT SQUARE, the district's communication platform. Take advantage of the ability to customize your notification settings. (New parents and any unregistered parents received electronic invitations on August 30.)
• Check email often for important information from your principals.
• Check supply lists.
• Central Elementary
• Elizabeth Haddon Elementary
• Tatem Elementary
• Haddonfield Middle School
• Review your contact information and sign forms in the Genesis Parent Portal.
• Familiarize yourself with our website. Bookmark the website for your particular school(s).
• Review the yearlong calendars.
• Under CONTACT US, locate the place where you can ask a question or review communication protocol.
• Our 1:1 Chromebook program has expanded down to grade 3 and up to grade 12. You will see a form in Genesis, required even if you use your own device. Here is more information about Chromebooks.

• Central Elementary
• Elizabeth Haddon Elementary
• J.F. Tatem Elementary
• Haddonfield Middle School
• Haddonfield Memorial High School

Ron Smith, Haddonfield Memorial High School Environmental Science teacher, was named Camden County Educator of the Year!

For over two decades, Smith has led the environmental education program for the Haddonfield School District. With Pinelands Preservation Alliance, he established the Life Science Field Training Institute, a week-long program that trains teachers in field study methods. He is the Director of the Drexel University Environmental Science Leadership Academy for high school students. This program brings together students from across the country to study field-based environmental science in preparation for university study and professional careers in science.

Smith is an environmental science educator, naturalist, and community science project leader from Merchantville, N.J. With 30 years of Project- and Place-Based Learning experience, he leads community science adventures for children and adults alike. Collaborating with various conservation organizations and scientists from universities and state agencies, he has initiated community science projects ranging from Horseshoe Crab Rescues to Frog Surveys.

Smith documented and shared these projects in his book “Adventures in Community Science” published by Schiffer Publishing. His environmental science class is designed to be one of discoveries and experiences. His HMHS classroom activities are matched with field work making the education an emersion in authentic science practice.

Smith is leading a curriculum initiative in HSD to integrate newly adopted Climate Change standards into the K-12 curriculum.

This is the second time in four years that a Haddonfield educator has earned this honor; HMHS English teacher Kim Dickstein Hughes won the award in 2019 and was later named the New Jersey Teacher of the Year.

In more exciting news this summer, Central Elementary, Tatem Elementary and Haddonfield Middle School were notified that they have earned designation as 2022-24 National PTA Schools of Excellence. They are among only 368 PTAs and schools nationwide to be recognized as such!

The School of Excellence program is designed for individual and local PTA units to make a direct impact at their schools. Between October and May, PTA leadership teams may apply for this honor, gathering community input and submitting an application. Honorees were announced in August, celebrating the joint commitment of our PTA and administrative teams to work together to welcome all families, communicate effectively, support student success, speak up for every child, share power and collaborate with the community.

The award recognizes the school's commitment to building an inclusive and welcoming school-community where all families contribute to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Well done!

Learn more about and get involved in one of our school-based PTAs:

Central https://centralschoolpta.memberhub.com/

Elizabeth Haddon https://elizabeth.haddonfieldschools.org/elizabeth-haddon-pta-board/

Tatem https://jftatempta.memberhub.com/

Haddonfield Middle School https://haddonfieldmiddle.memberhub.com/

Read more about this program online.

Read about the PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnership.

School Psychologist Alice Lee was nominated as a finalist for Care Solace’s "Care Hero of the Year." While she did not win the title, a representative of Care Solace reached out to her to collaborate on a post for their blog.

Read her post on "mentorship" and learn more about Alice here.

REMINDER: Haddonfield School District has partnered with Care Solace to better connect students, staff, and families to mental health and substance abuse treatment options. Care Solace is optional and is provided at no cost to you by Haddonfield School District. Learn more here.

In May, elementary parents and staff were surveyed about the parent-teacher conferences held in the fall. As a result of the opinions gathered, it is the administration's recommendation to the Board of Education that elementary conferences be moved from December to November, 2023.

Pending approval from the Board of Education, elementary calendars will be changed and shared with you! Stay tuned; the schedule will be announced shortly.

Bookmark the district calendars here.

We are looking for midday aides at all three elementary schools! These important staff members assist on the playgrounds, in the cafeteria and in the auditorium.

Please take a look at the Playground Ambassadors flyer posted on our website. The flyer includes all information you need as well as an "apply here" link.

These are part time, paid positions that follow the district calendar so parents and their children can be in school on the same schedule. Thank you for your consideration.

A collaboration between the Haddonfield Memorial High School and the Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project (PBHHP) organizing committee was the topic of a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, August 23.

The PBHHP is a sub-committee of the Haddonfield Alumni Society (HAS) and was founded by several people with a shared interest. C. Adrienne Rhodes, a semi-retired media and public affairs executive who received the HAS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 transformed the idea a long-overlooked community into the PBHHP with four components: an anthology, a celebration event/community forum, a walking tour, and historical markers program.

HMHS teacher Stacey Brown-Downham was a key part of anthology II, and her students and their interviewees were the subject of the Inquirer article.

Interviews for the next edition of the anthology are currently being conducted by members of a new club advised by Brown-Downham. The club format has allowed a more diverse group of students to participate in the project in partnership with the HMHS Black Student Union, led by seniors Lexi and Chloe Gwaku. The interviews are being filmed in partnership with Camden County College and Gradwell House Recording Studio for The Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project.

Learn more about the PBHHP here.

Read the entire news story here.

HMHS College Fair is September 13

The Haddonfield Memorial High School College Fair is Wednesday, September 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the B-Gym. Representatives from nearly 100 organizations (colleges, universities, technical schools, training facilities and branches of the military) will be in attendance. This event is open to all high school students from any area school. Please use the Sylvan Lake Avenue entrance. (You may view a list of all attending organizations on a poster here.)

HMS Band to Play at Phillies Game September 21

On September 21, the HMS Band students will be one of several South Jersey schools performing at the Phillies-Mets game at Citizen's Bank Park. The students are excited to play and to meet the Phillie Phanatic. Mark your calendar to watch in person or on TV. Go Phils!

Tatem's Tiny Tiger Playground Ribbon-Cutting is September 8

The completion of the Tiny Tiger Playground project is just around the corner!! We will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 8 at 3:15pm. Thank you to the always supportive PTA and the entire community.

We encourage parents to consider applying for Free or Reduced-Price lunch. This document explains why and provides further information.

We encourage all parents to become familiar with the Food Services website .

District Twitter: @HaddonSchools

District Facebook: @HaddonfieldSchoolDistrict

SAC Corner: the September issue includes helpful information from our SAC = Student Assistance Counselor, Holly Penna. She creates a newsletter monthly.

Look for your school's Twitter feed.

Your student's team or club may also tweet.

SEE YOU TUESDAY!