District Newsletter
Mark Your Calendars
The next Board meeting is July 25, 2024.
All Board meetings are at 7 p.m. in the Haddonfield Memorial High School library and are open to the public. Board meetings are live-streamed as well, and saved on the district's YouTube channel.
Link to Live-Streamed Meetings
Presentations from Recent Board Meetings:
Superintendent's Message
Greetings!
As I reflect on the close of another successful school year, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have created a positive and productive school environment here in Haddonfield. This includes our teachers, administration, support staff, Board of Education members, outstanding students, and supportive families who drive what we do.
Over the next two months, the administrative team will be working to prepare for the 2024–2025 school year. A significant part of this preparation will be working with the Board of Education to finalize the scope of our December 10 referendum. During the June 20th Board of Education meeting, I outlined the generalized scope of work submitted to the Department of Education.
This presentation focused on how we approached meeting the areas of need in our District. There was no focus on the financial aspects of the referendum because we have yet to receive Preliminary Estimated Costs (PECs) from the Department of Education. We expect to receive those numbers in late summer. At that time, we will work with our bond counsel to develop a referendum question defining the finalized scope and cost of the projects. Our community members must know and be aware of the nature of our discussion and how we intend to approach meeting our areas of need.
We categorized our needs into six specific areas:
Accessibility
Additional Classroom Space
Athletics and Auditoriums
Building Maintenance and Safety
Early Childhood Education
Specialized Learning Spaces and Media Centers
The text below presents a snapshot of several projects. You can view the video of the entire presentation here (time stamp 1:18:33) and the slide deck here.
Ultimately, our goal is to satisfy all these areas of needs while being fiscally responsible. Working with our architect at LAN Associates, we have developed a plan that would make all instructional areas of the district accessible except for one single room. This includes poured-in-place surfaces on all playgrounds, a new elevator at Elizabeth Haddon, school parking, and the stadium.
Plans would increase the number of classrooms in each elementary building to 23 instructional rooms, providing enough space for full-day kindergarten and flexible classrooms that can be used for areas such as science or world language as well as room for future growth.
Both the middle and high school auditoriums, which are antiquated and in disrepair, will see significant renovations. The need for additional athletic space for both district and community use will be addressed. Plans for a new full-sized competition gym with a new wrestling room, placed on the Hopkins parcel, have been developed, as well as lighting for a new turf field that will be constructed using our current capital funds.
There will be a significant investment in maintenance and safety upgrades of each building in the District, including several roofs, windows at the high school, new fire alarm systems, and removal of the mercury-containing floors in the three APRs and high school A-Gym.
As noted above, additional classroom space will allow the district to offer full-day kindergarten. The plans for specialized learning spaces include small group instruction areas, speech, and OT/PT rooms. We will also invest in renovating the middle and high school media centers. Elizabeth Haddon and J.F. Tatem will benefit from additions replacing their undersized and outdated media centers with modern, more functional spaces.
There is still a way to go in this process. Once we receive the Preliminary Estimated Costs, a final scope of work will be created and shared at board meetings, Back-to-School nights, and a town hall meeting in October. There will also be several smaller gatherings where information can be shared and questions answered.
Until then, I want to wish everyone a relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating summer. Thank you for your continued support of the important work we do as a community of learners.
Chuck Klaus, Superintendent of Schools
DISTRICT NEWS
Summer Office Hours
Haddonfield School District buildings will operate on the following schedule during the summer months:
June 20-June 28: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday to Friday
Fourth of July will be observed Thursday, July 4 (offices closed)
July 1-August 15: 7:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Monday to Thursday
August 19-August 23: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday to Friday
Building hours return to the normal schedule – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – on August 26. School starts September 3. 2024-25 calendars are here.
Summer Programs
The HSD Summer Enrichment and Summer Intervention programs begin on Monday, July 8.
The Enrichment Program runs Monday-Thursday, 8:30-11:30.
- Session A: Monday, July 8-Thursday July 18
- Session B: Monday, July 22-Thursday, August 1
Those students in grades K-5 taking advantage of Summer Intervention should have received their schedules. If parents have any questions, they should contact Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gino Priolo.
Registration is Open for 2024-25 Before- and After-School Care
AlphaBEST Childcare has posted its registration information for the 2024-25 school year. Before- and after-school care is available for students in grades K-8.
Explore the AlphaBEST website here.
HMS Students Presented STEM Fair at Central Elementary
The HMS SeaPerch robotics team hosted a STEM fair for Central fifth-graders on June 11 and 12. The student-run event engaged the younger students in fun activities that illustrated and tested scientific theories and facts related to speed, friction, mass, buoyancy, aerodynamics, and more. The fair was a community service project for the middle-school students and an opportunity for them to share their love of science and discovery with their younger peers.
Pictured below is HMS science teacher and SeaPerch advisor Kevin Kozak observing students as they design a buoyant raft.
Calder Unit in Elementary Schools Engaged Students
This spring, for six weeks, every classroom at Tatem, Central, and Elizabeth Haddon from preschool through fifth grade and special areas studied artist Alexander Calder. An artist study creates a common learning experience across our schools and allows us to integrate curriculum across multiple areas, strengthening student learning, engagement, expression, and creativity.
Each grade completed a different project during art class based on Calder’s work. In general education classes, students learned about Calder’s life through read-alouds, videos, and interactive learning. In music, students created songs about Calder. After reading the picture book "Sandy’s Circus," the National Circus Project visited our schools for three days, conducting a school-wide assembly followed by smaller workshops in Physical Education classes where students could learn and practice various circus acts.
— from Kristin Kimmell, faculty, Elizabeth Haddon
Tatem Celebrated 100th Anniversary
On June 14, the J.F. Tatem Elementary community celebrated its 100th anniversary. Special guest Connie Reeves spoke to the children and answered their questions. Mrs. Reeves, age 98, taught second grade at Tatem from 1970-1991. Best Self and other student awards were handed out, and students sang the school song. Parent Andrea Elson created a slide show highlighting the history of J.F. Tatem Elementary. Additionally, the PTA commissioned a painting celebrating the centenary and presented it to the community.
The hilarious conclusion was a no-hands cake-eating contest starring staff members Bethany Kirk, Rebecca Capizzi, Jessica Plesniak, Alison Murphy, and Michael Difillippis. Ms. Kirk was victorius. Enjoy photos from this special event here.
Watch the TV 29 news story about the Flag Day ceremony and 100th anniversary here.
Music Department Held Instrument Petting Zoo
The district's music department held an "instrument petting zoo" on June 13, at 6:30 p.m. Approximately 150 students in grades 2-7 and their parents came to the APR at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School to touch, play and learn about various musical instruments. They were treated to performances from the HMHS orchestra and jazz band, met our music teachers, and had an opportunity to speak to the instrument rental vendors. Middle and high school students were present to demonstrate, explaining how the instruments are played and how they sound. Many students made a decision, chose an instrument, and enrolled in the program for September. It was an exciting evening for everyone and signified continued enthusiasm for Haddonfield's award-winning music program!
Parents of all rising third- through eighth-graders should have received an email from their student's school on how to register in case they were not able to attend the instrument petting zoo. Parents, if you have any questions, please reach out to one of the following teachers:
- Mike Hecker, HMS Band and Orchestra Director
- Maya Norton, Central, Elizabeth Haddon and Tatem Orchestra Director
- Matthieu Maier, Central, Elizabeth Haddon and Tatem Orchestra Director
Follow-Up to HMS Steam Tank Competition
On June 3, the N.J. School Boards Association made semi-final selections for first, second and third place in the middle school category for the state-wide STEAM Tank competition. Congratulations to eighth-graders Avery Hazlett, Lia Cottrell, and Margaret McGrath whose presentation was named the alternate or fourth-place entry. As alternates, they may be included in the final competition in October. Their product was "The Touch-Up Brush," an eco-friendly bamboo hair brush that is equipped with a make-up palette and a beauty blender for a person's on-the-go beauty needs!
Read more about the competition here. Read the original story in last month's district newsletter.
END-OF-YEAR PHOTOS & VIDEOS
Elementary School Links
Central
Elizabeth Haddon
J.F. Tatem
Haddonfield Middle School Ceremony
Take Advantage of ParentSquare, our School and District Communications App
Parents, we use the app ParentSquare to communicate with you via text or email.
We encourage you to download the app and register with ParentSquare so that you can take advantage of settings such as how and when you will receive school communications. For example, you may choose to receive them immediately or late in the day when you have time to digest the message.
Here are some helpful tips and instructions:
Click here to download the mobile app.
Click here for instructions how to register for PS from the app.
Watch the "getting started" video here.
Manage PS account settings here.
Thank you!
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IN THE LOOP / IN THE NEWS
District Facebook: @HaddonfieldSchoolDistrict
District Instagram: haddonfieldschooldistrict
District Twitter: @HaddonSchools
SAC Corner the June issue (SAC = Student Assistance Counselor)
The latest HMHS Bulldawg Bulletin
The June issue of Tiger Times, J.F. Tatem's student newspaper.
Look for your school's Twitter feed. Your student's team or club may also tweet or use Instagram.