the state of the district - john a carusi middle...

THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT

CHERRY HILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2017

Nineteen schools devoted to a singular vision of excellence. WE are the Cherry Hill Public Schools.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

A Message from the Superintendent ____________________________________________________________________ 1

Who We Are ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2

Points of Pride ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3

Budget Fast Facts ________________________________________________________________________________________ 11

Our Graduates ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 12

Cherry Hill Board of Education 2017

Dr. J. Barry Dickinson, President

Mr. Eric Goodwin, Vice President

Mrs. Kathy Judge

Mrs. Carol Matlack

Mrs. Lisa Saidel

Mrs. Jane Scarpellino

Mrs. Ruth Schultz

Mr. Ken Tomlinson

Dr. Edward Wang

Mr. Steve Robbins (Term ended Dec. 31, 2016)

Mr. Elliott Roth (Term ended Dec. 31, 2016)

Cherry Hill Public Schools Administration

Dr. Joseph Meloche, Superintendent

Mrs. Lynn Shugars, Assistant Superintendent/Business

Dr. Joseph Campisi, Assistant Superintendent/K-12

Dr. Farrah Mahan, Director of Curriculum

Mrs. LaCoyya Weathington, Director of Pupil Services

Ms. Nancy Adrian, Director of Human Resources

Mr. Anthony Saporito, Director of Security

Mrs. Barbara Wilson, Public Information Officer


1 | P a g e

To Our Stakeholders

The Cherry Hill Public School District is a wonderfully diverse community of families who

send talented and curious children to our classrooms every day. We employ a talented and

dedicated group of professionals and support staff members who choose to focus their

careers on student success, as they nurture an inclusive environment where all children

belong.

The Cherry Hill Public School District includes more than 350 acres of land and more than

1.7 million square feet of building space. As the primary source of formalized education for

members of the community, and one of the largest community employers, the district is

central to the township of Cherry Hill and its identity.

The township has grown and changed dramatically since the “newest” school in the district

opened in 1970. The demographic changes and growth have enhanced the community and

impacted the school district in dramatic fashion. In order for the district to successfully

employ a continuous improvement model, the community has been invited to engage in

our growth and success conversations.

Keep in touch with the district, follow us on social media, attend athletic, theatrical, and

music events at our schools, volunteer, become a mentor, attend board meetings and share

your voice.

We are one community.

I look forward to seeing you at a school or district event, please be sure to introduce

yourself!

Joseph Meloche, Ed.D.

Superintendent, Cherry Hill Public Schools

June 13, 2017


2 | P a g e

Who WE Are

Our Employees

The Cherry Hill School District is one of the largest

employers in the region.

Total number of employees: 1,651.4

Teachers and other certificated staff: 1009.3

Total number of Administrators: 48

Educational Assistants: 331

Beginning teacher salary: $48,377

Median teacher salary: $62,953

Number of teacher workdays: 187

Our Students

Cherry Hill is the 11th largest public school district

in the state.

Enrollments

Total number of students, May 2017: 11,307

Pre K-5: 4,913

6-8: 2,670

9-12: 3,571

Out-of-district placements: 153

Approximate number of families: 6,800

Ethnic Distribution of Students

White: 61%

Asian: 17%

Hispanic: 10%

African American: 8%

Two or More Races: 4%

Cultural Diversity

Native languages spoken by CHPS students: 57

Number of bilingual students: 2,164

Number of ELL students: 267

Socioeconomic Diversity

Students eligible for free or reduced lunch: 20%

Diverse Student Needs

Students eligible for special education services

(includes speech-only services): 18%

Our Indicators of Success

% of 2016 grads continuing their

education: 94%

2016 Average SAT Score

District: Critical Reading, 525; Math, 545;

Writing, 524

State: Critical Reading, 500; Math, 521;

Writing, 499

Class of 2016 Student dropout rate: 1%

AP courses offered: 21

National Merit Recognition (Class of 2017):

Semifinalists: 12

National Merit Commended Students: 29

State District of Character 2017

National Schools of Character: A. Russell Knight

Elementary School (2017); Clara Barton

Elementary School (2016); Carusi Middle School

(2016 & 2011);Thomas Paine Elementary School

(2015); Cherry Hill Alternative High School

(2014); Beck Middle School (2013); Stockton

Elementary School (2012 & 2017); Rosa Middle

School (2008 & 2017)

All 19 schools, and CHPS as a whole, are

Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certified in

recognition of their efforts toward sustainability –

18 schools certified at Bronze Level; 1 school (Bret

Harte Elementary) certified at Silver Level.


3 | P a g e

Point of Pride

WE are not only Cherry Hill High School West and Cherry Hill High School East, but an Early Childhood

Center, 12 elementary schools, three middle schools and an alternative high school – WE are supportive,

collaborative and innovative. Examples of our advancements and accomplishments in the 2016-2017

school year include…

At Clara Barton Elementary School: The work of our Notre Dame STEM team and the Family STEM

Night they led at our school ♦ The development of reading, math and ELL after school clubs that served

as great academic supports for our students ♦ Our PTA’s Multicultural Night ♦ Barton's ever growing

connections with other district schools – Kingston for Google Hangout PLC, High School West Broadcast

class for their help with our monthly video newsletter.


4 | P a g e

At Horace Mann Elementary School: Our faculty

focused on reflecting on learning and using

friendly controversy in the classroom. Students

worked on self-reflection in the areas of content,

skills, behavior effort and/or participation. This

process has helped students realize how they

impact their own learning. ♦ We developed a new

positive behavioral support program this school

year called the Eagle Eye. Students earned Eagle

Eye tickets for acting responsible, respectful and

being a good citizen. The character education

committee developed a new Eagle Eye pledge for

the entire building to recite each day during

morning announcement: As an Eagle of Horace

Mann, I pledge to be all that I can. Each day I’ll do

my best, and won’t do any less! RESPECT,

RESPONSIBILITY, CITIZENSHIP...Our Eagle Spirit

soars above the rest!

At the Barclay Early Childhood Center: For our

3rd annual MLK Day of Service, students created

Valentines Day cards for troops ♦ We participated

in the JDRF Walk ♦ Our PTA has begun a drive to

obtain funding for substantial improvements to

our playground ♦ A Grant was obtained through

the Cherry Hill Education Foundation to purchase

scooters and tricycles for our playground area.

At J.F. Cooper Elementary School: Our Math

Mania Club, made up of ten 5th graders placed 1st

in the Perennial Math Tournament and Qualified

for the National tournament. ♦ We encourage the

entire school community to use all wasteless

reusable materials for lunch on Wednesdays. ♦

During The Great Kindness challenge, more than

100 acts of kindness were displayed by Cooper

students and staff members.

At Bret Harte Elementary: Our second grade

teachers planned two Parent Math Homework

Nights after school. After exploring a variety of

Common Core “new” strategies as a group, parents

viewed samples of work in which their own

children efficiently implemented these strategies.

Experiencing these strategies themselves helps

parents assist their children at home. Materials

from the evening were sent home to those parents

who were unable to attend the event. We plan to

expand this initiative next year to other disciplines

and grades. ♦ STEM Night for grades 3-5 ♦ Science

Fair for grades K-5 featuring Chemistry, Biology,

Zoology, Physics, Space, Oceanography, Botany,

Robotics and Earth Science.

At James Johnson Elementary: Grades 1-5

collaborated to improve the level of questioning

and the incorporation of higher order questioning

in each classroom. Working with both their grade

level and building colleagues, teachers discussed

and analyzed questioning throughout the year to

improve questioning techniques. ♦ We held

multiple parent information nights for our ESL

parents as well as having a multi-week English

course for parents to learn English taught by our

ESL teachers (afternoon and evening). ♦ The

creation of a wildflower meadow decreased the

amount of grass that needs to be mowed. ♦

Students created recyclable art projects to

improve awareness of sustainability and recycling.

♦ We increased and improved our vegetable

garden with the assistance of a Cherry Hill East


5 | P a g e

student who earned his Eagle Scout honor through

completing the project.

At Joyce Kilmer Elementary School: Students in

grade 5 participated in a 1:1 technology initiative,

participating in Google Classroom to conduct

research, compose and submit assignments

electronically in all subject areas, and receive

feedback in real time from their teachers and

peers. In addition, students utilized Skype

technology to participate in Virtual Field Trips. ♦

The Cultural Proficiency Team at Kilmer worked

with students in grades 4 and 5 on projects for

Black History Month and Women’s History

Month. ♦ The 11th Annual Alex’s Lemonade Stand

(ALS) was held on May 26th. This service-learning

project begins each year with student education

and research on the challenges for families whose

children are affected by cancer. The 5th grade

students plan, set-up and manage the Alex’s

Lemonade Stand each year with the support of the

5th Grade Teachers.

At Kingston Elementary School: We hosted two

literacy night programs to share excitement about

reading. Our early elementary program (K-2)

included crafts, cookies & milk and a

story. Students came in pajamas and left with a

copy of the book which had been read to

them. The second event focusing on older

students (3-5) was a “book tasting,” students were

given the opportunity to sample a variety of books

from a wide range of genre. ♦ More than 100

students from all grade levels participated in the

annual science fair and expo this school

year. Projects were included topics in biology,

chemistry, physics and earth science. We had an

evening event for families and a daytime event for

the entire school. ♦ Throughout the “Year of

Happiness” at Kingston Elementary School, our

staff engaged in an academic study of happiness,

how to cultivate it in ourselves and in our students,

and we are smiling more as a result of this work.

At A. Russell Knight Elementary School: Our 4th

Grade initiated a Colonization Unit Celebration

♦ We held the 26th of our consistently successful

African American Read-in Chain ♦ Our Annual 2nd

Grade Musical, Celebrating and Embracing

Differences, delivered a strong character

education message. ♦ Student Led Service

Learning Projects included: Red Nose Day — Fight

Against Poverty, Food Drive — Donations to the

Cherry Hill Food Pantry ♦ Paper towel and water

bottle drive — Cathedral Kitchen ♦ Book Drive —

We collected more than 1,000 books and donated

them to a local elementary school.


6 | P a g e

At Thomas Paine Elementary School: 200

people, almost 100% of our families participated

in our Elephant and Piggy Literacy Night/One

Book One School Night. The event centered on the

chosen book, The One and Only Ivan, making

banana splits, raising funds for endangered

species, and discussing reciprocal teaching

strategies. This gives our parents in K-1 strategies

to read and discuss books with their children. ♦ We

started Tiger Family Teams (TFT) once a month,

which include one student from every class and in

every grade. Each TFT is led by at least 2 staff

members and an educational assistant. Students,

staff and parents focus on inclusive lessons.

At Joseph D. Sharp Elementary School: We

instituted a Focus on Reading Fluency throughout

grades K –5: This year we focused on continuing

strengthening our students’ reading fluency in

grades 3-5. We view this as an essential

component on the journey to stronger reading

comprehension. ♦ All Kindergarten students

recognized their letter sounds by January 15,

which is a year-long goal. ♦ Patriot’s Day Assembly

that focuses on writing in the upper

elementary grades. ♦ Our students

walked/ran/jogged/skipped approximately 2,000

miles this year during our weekly Bulldog

Walk/Run Club. ♦ We had our “first” annual School

Beautification Day - We look Sharp! ♦ Our

Character Attitude Assemblies are student driven

and presented monthly to the school.

At Richard Stockton Elementary School: We

have instituted iReady, targeting the students’

individualized levels in Math and in Language Arts.

♦ Students receive daily engagement in PARCC

look-alike opportunities targeting

exposure and readiness for the PARCC exam. ♦

Student evidence binders allow for student

reflection toward targeted learning goals. ♦ We

formed the League of Kindness Heroes,

encouraging our students to foster kindness,

responsibility, and leadership as they engaged in

acts of kindness toward peers, staff, and family

members. ♦ We reconvened our School Leadership

Council.

At Woodcrest Elementary School: Authentic

Science and STEM Integration – in addition to the

PTA’s annual Science Day (a photomontage is

linked below), we arranged two visits from Cherry

Hill High School East’s National Science Honor

Society. Thirty members came in to conduct

experiments and provide mini-science lessons on

a host of aligned topics for our 2nd and 3rd grade

students. ♦ We conducted a Character Education

Reboot – this includes monthly student-centered,

student-led themed assemblies, starting with the

Great Kindness Challenge Kick-Off Assembly.


7 | P a g e

At Henry C. Beck Middle School: Fifteen of our

6th graders participated in the Perennial Math

Tournament at Rowan University. Beck dominated

the individual competition, taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd

place. Beck also won the group competition with a

perfect score.

♦ We hosted our first “Family STEM Night” with

more than 20 different Science- and STEM-based

activities. ♦ During February, our school

participated in a “Kindness Challenge.” Each day,

students were challenged to perform an act of

kindness to make our school a more positive place.

♦ Beck participated in the Governor’s Educator of

the Year Program, winning Teacher of the Year:

Mrs. Leah Dryden; Education Services

Professional of the Year: Barbara Kase-Avner.

At John A. Carusi Middle School: We created a

Mathcounts Team to celebrate our students’

growth in the area of Mathematics. The team was

recognized in the competition as “Best New

School”. ♦ We used Newsela to promote cross-

content reading of informational texts. More than

83% of our 8th grade students demonstrated

proficiency when determining author's point of

view, as measured by our district assessment.

♦ Our Word Ninjas kept students’ spirits high by

surprising us with inspiring quotes and well

wishes throughout the year. This was in formats

that targeted ALL students by leaving notes on

lockers, painting sayings on walls, and creatively

adding inspiration with floor tape. ♦ Carusi was

recognized as by the Camden County 8th Grade

School of Character Honorable Mention for

programs including our Challenges Achievement

Teamwork Carusi Homeroom (CATCH) program,

which inspired students to solve school,

community, and world problems creatively by

using investigation skills.

At Rosa International Middle School: Our Math

Counts team were South Jersey winners. ♦ Our

National History Day teams earned spots in the

state and national competitions. ♦ In the

Geography Bee, a Rosa student is going to

Nationals. ♦ Penn Museum of Archaeology is our

Collaboration Partner. ♦ Our Boys’ Basketball

Team celebrated an undefeated season. ♦ We

instituted a Robotics Club. ♦ Rowan University’s

Association of Women in Engineering and “Think

Like a Girl” put on an interactive presentation for

our 8th grade female students.


8 | P a g e

At The Alternative High School: The 40 students

in our high school are making great strides. We are

proud of our students who earned honor roll

status. For the three marking periods this

academic year: Marking Period One – 7 students,

Marking Period Two – 3 students, Marking Period

Three – 7 students. ♦ We are also proud of our

seniors, as they make the transition from high

school to post high school. Our graduating class

consists of 10 seniors: five will be transitioning to

college and the others into other institutions of

learning or into the field of work. ♦ In November,

we held our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon in the

school’s gymnasium. The students hosted the

central office administrators and staff and their

teachers and staff. Students, administrators and

staff sat together at tables and enjoyed the

wonderful luncheon and conversations. ♦ Our

students continue their work on our courtyard

vegetable garden, learning about the science of plants

and the value of collaborative work. Our harvest each

year is donated in person by our students to the

Cherry Hill Food Pantry. ♦ Spirit Week activities and

contests

included a scavenger hunt to look for the Golden

tickets with Core Values on them, Business Attire

Day, and Field Day with a school-wide ice cream

party,

At Cherry Hill High School East: The turf field

opened for use this year. This joint project

between the district and the township will benefit

athletes and students for years to come. ♦ Eastside,

our school newspaper, received Most Outstanding

High School Newspaper in America by the

American Scholastic Press Association for the

second year in a row.

We were one of 17 schools this year to earn that

distinction. We scored a 970 out of 1,000 on the

ASPA rubric, so we won First Place with Special

Merit as well. Our "50 Years" pages throughout

the year earned Eastside the distinction of "Best

Special Content." Twenty student staff members

were named to the National Scholastic Press

Association Journalism Honor Roll. ♦ Our Jazz

Band earned a first place win in state


9 | P a g e

competition. ♦ The student organization, Latinos and

Amigos at East, celebrated their first Noche Latina

celebration this year. Students, parents, teachers, and

administrators attended this cultural event that

included food, music, and conversation. ♦ Our vocal

music groups performed at the White House for

former President Barack Obama. ♦ Our Girls’ and

Boys’ Swim Teams, Girls’ Tennis, Girls’ Volleyball,

and Girls’ Track Teams all had championship

seasons. ♦ The East Chess Team was undefeated in

the regular season (again). In fact, of the 35

varsity games played, we only lost 2 individual

games. An East student (Maryia Oreshko) won the

Blitz Tournament. She also won the Individual

Tournament. ♦ The library would like to celebrate

a trip to the Barclay Early Childhood Center for

Read Across America. Students in grades 9-12

visited Barclay to share favorite children’s stories

with the Barclay preschoolers. ♦ Our Theatre

Program won Music

Theater International’s Courage in Theater Award

“for its perseverance and dedication to the arts in

the face of adversity.” It was only the third time

that the New York-based licensing agency has

given the award since it was established in 2007.

At Cherry Hill High School West: This year a

group of students served as interns at the Virtua

facilities in Marlton. The students participated in

rotations throughout many departments within

the organization. The partnership offered valuable

experiential learning for our students. ♦

The School Store Project achieved the highest level

of success: one student took 1st place overall and

two students took 4th place overall in NJ at the

State Conference and qualified to compete at

Nationals in Anaheim, CA. Our Chapter President

was selected to serve as the Southern Region Vice

President of NJ DECA, our Chapter Community

Service Project was awarded two leadership spots

at ICDC for the highest level of achievement. ♦ Our

JROTC students won 2nd Place for their Oral

Academic Presentation in NJ Drill Competition;

AFJROTC Honor Flight. ♦ Spanish 4AP and 5AP

classes participated in a pilot program doing

community service learning through AP with

We.org. A trip to Spain and Cuba Libre really gave

students the opportunity to experience not just

the language but the culture. ♦ Grade 10 English

teachers and students hosted the first Unsung

Heroes event to recognize and thank special

people in their lives. ♦ Grade 11 English teachers

created a mandatory service learning project for

all juniors; they have done some wonderful things

both in our community at the elementary schools,

and through the animal orphanage. ♦The West

Boys’ Soccer Team proved to have an inspirational

season this year, as did the Girls’ Lacrosse Team.


10 | P a g e

Our Football Team captivated the entire Cherry

Hill community in winning eight games after

opening our new turf field. ♦ An alumni

gathering/reception was held at the East/West

football game, honoring alumni athletes from both

high schools’ championship football teams during

the past 50 years. ♦ The Peer Leaders have done a

great job in assisting in the transition of our 9th

grade students. The Peer Leaders Retreat was a

great opportunity for bonding, collegiality, and

collaboration. ♦ The Hawaiian Luau (Special

Education Dance) was a major success.

♦ The Vegan Club and Environmental Club were

invited to display their "living" display at Whole

Foods for a week.

At the District Level: We continue to work on

cultural proficiency training for our staff and

administrators, which in turn is incorporated into

our curriculum and character education

initiatives in all of our schools. ♦ Our

Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Meloche, continued

his Town Hall Meetings with student groups at

each of our middle and high schools, three times a

year. Students candidly share what’s going well in

their schools and what they would like to see

improve. ♦ New this year has been the

implementation of the Young Alumni Board, in

which graduates from 2014 through 2016 met

with Dr. Meloche to discuss what the Cherry Hill

Schools did right in preparing them for life

beyond high school, and what they wish the

schools had provided. Unanimously, students

agreed they were well prepared academically, but

lacking in life and social skills. The Board of

Education recently adopted a Mission Statement

and Goals directly to address the concerns raised

by the Young Alumni Board.

♦ To increase community outreach, the District

launched the “Online Lunch with the

Superintendent,” a live streaming broadcast in

which Dr. Meloche talks about what’s going on in

the District and answers questions from viewers

as they are submitted prior to and during the

broadcast. Community members who cannot

watch the broadcast live may view it on the CHPS

YouTube Channel, where all Online Lunch

broadcasts are archived.


11 | P a g e

Budget Fast Facts

The Cherry Hill Public Schools operates in 1.7 million square feet of building space on 354 acres of land. Our

oldest school was built in 1955; our youngest, in 1970. Ninety-one percent of our budget is funded by

taxpayers – the average burden on taxpayers in other New Jersey districts is roughly 65 percent.

FUND BUDGET: $194,085,006

CAPITAL RESERVE PROJECTS, 2017-2018

BARTON CRAWL SPACE - $500,000

ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS AT EAST - $200,000

GENERATOR REPLACEMENTS – KNIGHT & MANN - $700,000

EXTERIOR DOORS – DISTRICT - $255,000

HVAC AT KILMER, EAST - $345,000

ROOFING – DISTRICTWIDE - $140,000

CANOPY REPAIRS – MANN, EAST & MARLKRESS - $125,000

DRAINAGE, SITE & EXTERIOR REPAIRS – DISTRICTWIDE- $235,000

TOTAL CAPITAL RESERVE - $2,500,000

REGULAR EDUCATION

28%

SPECIAL EDUCATION

11%

BASIC SKILLS/BILINGUAL

2%EXTRA/ATHLETICS

1%TUITION

5%STUDENT SERVICES

8%

CURRICULUM & MEDIA

1%

ADMINISTRATION8%

FACILITIES & SECURITY

7%

TRANSPORTATION6%

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

21%

CAPITAL OUTLAY 2%


12 | P a g e

Our Graduates

Cherry Hill Public Schools students graduating in the Class of 2017 will be attending a variety of colleges

and universities, including:

Baylor University

Bucknell University

Burlington County Community College

Camden County College

DeSales University

Drexel University

Harvard University

Ithaca College

Montclair State University

Mount Holyoke College

Penn State University

Purdue University

Rowan University

Rutgers University

St. Joseph’s University

Stockton University

Temple University

Texas A&M University

The College of New Jersey

The U.S. Naval Academy

The University of Delaware

The University of Miami

The University of Michigan

The University of Pennsylvania

Villanova University


13 | P a g e

Looking Ahead

WE are a district dedicated to continued excellence and continued improvement. To that end, we have

implemented a long-range strategic plan, Cherry Hill Public Schools 2020: A clear vision for the future. This

plan is dedicated to taking our district into the future, focused on forward-thinking curriculum, policy,

staffing and facilities to guide our students to success. We encourage you to visit our web site,

www.chclc.org to view the CHPS 2020 plan as it evolves in the coming months.

In all of our endeavors, we follow our Mission Statement: We shall provide all children with an education that

develops open-minded thinkers with the strong academic and interpersonal skills to thrive in an ever-changing

world and make it a better place for all.

Contact Information

Cherry Hill Public Schools 45 Ranoldo Terrace

Tel (856) 429-5600

Fax (856) 616-9647

facebook.com/Cherry-Hill-Public-Schools @chpstweets chpsinsta Cherry Hill Public Schools

http://www.chclc.org/

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