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Board of Commissioners meeting

The Board of Commissioners will hold their scheduled June 9, 2020 meeting via video, beginning at 7:30pm.

Members of the public who register HERE may watch, and participate at appropriate times. Those who register will receive instructions and a personal link by email. Instructions also will be provided for those who prefer to listen by phone.

Those intending to ask questions or make comments are asked to email Sharon McCullough, the borough administrator, in advance, at [email protected]. Include name and street name for the record.

The webinar ID is 268-123-851.

One new COVID-19 case

A female in her 20s was added today to the list of Haddonfield residents who have contracted the coronavirus.

The tally now stands at 50 cases and 5 fatalities.

Statistics for Haddonfield, Camden County, and New Jersey are updated on Haddonfield[dot]Today each week day, under the COVID-19 header.

NOTE: Prior to today (June 8), the most recent update was on June 2. Severe storms on June 3 caused power and Internet outages that prevented us from updating this site, until now.

Retail, outdoor dining can reopen on June 15

Governor Phil Murphy announced today that New Jersey will enter Stage Two of its restart and recovery plan on June 15, 2020. (Read the plan HERE.)

That stage provides for the reopening of non-essential retail businesses. Barber shops and salons will be able to reopen on June 22.

Here is the major portion of the statement released today be the governor’s office:

Guided by strict protocols from the New Jersey Department of Health, as well as input from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission and complementary Advisory Councils, Stage Two will include outdoor dining for restaurants and indoor, non-essential retail as of June 15th. Beginning on June 22nd, barber shops and salons will be able to reopen. In the period to follow, New Jersey will work toward the gradual opening of personal care, gyms, and health clubs, at reduced capacities as the stage progresses. All of these activities will be allowed pursuant to strict health and safety guidelines that will be issued in the coming days. New Jersey ended maximum restrictions and moved to Stage One on May 18, 2020.

“As we move through Stage One of our strategic restart and recovery process, public health data continues to demonstrate our collective success in flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” said Governor Murphy. “It is with these favorable metrics, coupled with expanded testing capacity and contact tracing, that we can responsibly enter Stage Two of our multi-stage approach to recovery. Our economic restart must instill confidence among our residents and visitors that their safety, and that of their families, is our number one priority. I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue their vigilance in keeping themselves and their communities safe by social distancing, wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, and limiting gatherings.”

STAGE 2: Restrictions are relaxed on activities that can be easily safeguarded.

Phased-in businesses and activities, with adherence to safeguarding and modification guidelines, include:

  • Outdoor dining (beginning on June 15th)
  • Limited in-person retail (beginning on June 15th)
  • Hair salons and barber shops (beginning on June 22nd)
  • Youth summer programs (beginning on July 6th)
  • In-person clinical research/labs
  • Limited fitness/gyms
  • Limited in-person government services (e.g. – Motor Vehicle Commission)
  • Museums/libraries

All workers who can work from home should continue to work from home.

Precautions that apply across all stages include:

  • Clinically high-risk individuals who can stay at home should continue to do so.
  • All residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:
  • Wash hands
  • Wear masks in public
  • Respect social distancing
  • Minimize gatherings
  • Disinfect workplace and businesses
  • Minimize gatherings 
  • No mass gatherings

New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

  • Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use;
  • Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity;
  • Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce;
  • Widespread safeguarding of workplaces;
  • Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and mass transit;
  • Continued public compliance.

If public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey will be prepared to move back to more restrictive stages as well.

Two new COVID-19 cases

A male in his 70s and a female in her 60s were added today to the list of Haddonfield residents who have contracted the coronavirus.

The tally now stands at 49 cases and 5 fatalities.

Statistics for Haddonfield, Camden County, and New Jersey are updated on Haddonfield[dot]Today each week day, under the COVID-19 header.

Police statement on racial conflict

The following message, from Police Chief Jason Cutler and Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich (Director of Public Safety) was posted on the Police Department’s Facebook page on Saturday, May 31:

This week, the Haddonfield Police Department was deeply saddened and disturbed by the murder of George Floyd. Over the past few months, as we also mourned the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, we have sought to process these horrific crimes and confront the racial injustice that motivates similar actions in communities throughout our country. We do not condone the actions or omissions of the officers involved in these events. Instead, we condemn them.

Our Department encourages open communication between officers & citizens in order to build and sustain community partnerships & trust. In upholding our mission, we strive to interact positively with our entire community, and create lasting relationships that enhance law enforcement, crime prevention & quality of life. This community policing philosophy means that in the coming days, weeks, and months, we will engage in more outreach and an ongoing dialogue about racial injustice, including the ways in which our own law enforcement officers can and will improve our capacity to recognize and respond to incidents of racial bias.

To those who are angry, frustrated, hopeless and in mourning, we hear you — and we are here for you. We encourage everyone in our Borough of Haddonfield to partner with us as we move forward.

Message from incoming superintendent Klaus

OFFICIAL from Haddonfield School District on May 29, 2020

We all have heard that “as one door opens, another closes.” This is something I am particularly aware of as we begin to close the 2019-20 school year. As I open the door to my new position as Superintendent of the Haddonfield School District on July 1, and as I close the door on my two-year service as Assistant Superintendent, I am proud to say we are also closing the door on our New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review.

As you are probably aware, NJQSAC is the New Jersey Department of Education’s monitoring and self-evaluation system designed to ensure that students are provided a high-quality education and safe learning environments while the district is fiscally responsible to the community. Many view NJQSAC as a “cross your i’s and dot your t’s” process; that is simply not true. The NJQSAC process requires districts to be evaluated in five areas: Program and Instruction, Governance, Finance, Operations, and Personnel. Generally, review occurs on a three-year cycle; however, Haddonfield had experienced a nearly 10-year exemption based on student performance scores. In the fall of 2018, Haddonfield School District (HSD) was found to be subpar in four of the five regulated areas, only passing Governance based on an appeal.

There were many questions as to how such a high achieving and successful school system could perform so poorly. In short, our five schools were siloed. Each school performed well based on focused students, dedicated staff, and supportive families. What was lacking were the systems in place to guarantee that the level of services provided to our students would continue and grow. The challenge, starting in the summer of 2019, was to put in place the systemic changes necessary. This would require the cooperation and efforts of all HSD staff members.

I am proud to say that, over the last 18 to 20 months, HSD staff members rose to the challenge. Central Administrative Office procedures were honed and corrected. Building-level administration and office staff developed systems that centralized data, curriculum, training, and record-monitoring. Teachers across the district revisited, rewrote, and published a rich and rigorous curriculum. All of this resulted in revised NJQSAC results with HSD passing in every area. This did not come easily. The focus and efforts of everyone in the organization was necessary for HSD to grow, improve, and impose systemic changes that will guarantee continued growth for the district. At the conclusion of this two-year process, I am happy to say HSD is ready for new challenges in the future.

An additional note. As we look to close the door on one school year and open the door on another, building principals have been working to create safe and efficient processes for the closure of school. Each principal has been developing plans to collect school-owned materials and return student materials left in school buildings, provide transitional support for grades five and eight, and to organize ceremonies to honor promotion from fifth grade and eighth grade as well as high school graduation.

Also it should be noted that, while we are still four months away from the opening of the new school year, we have already started to discuss ways in which we can support our students academically, emotionally, and socially as they return to school in the fall, whether that return is “in-person,” virtual, or a blended format.

The finish line for 2019-20 is in sight. We have three weeks of remote education left, and I am confident our staff, students and families will wrap up the year with as much energy, creativity and perseverance as they have demonstrated since March 17. I am proud to step into my new role and to work with all of you.

Rally to open local stores

Haddonfield business owners and residents are planning to hold a repeat of the Re-Open Haddonfield Rally held on Kings Highway at Haddon Ave recently.

Those attending that gathering, on Saturday, May 16, advocated for the re-opening of local businesses and churches.

The next rally is planned for Saturday, May 30, 

from 12n to 1pm, at Kings Highway and Haddonfield Avenue, outside Jay West and The Happy Hippo.

Those planning to attend are urged to bring American flags. Signs are welcome; some will be available. Face masks and social distancing are encouraged.

Town to salute HMHS seniors

The Civic Association is encouraging residents to make some noise at 6pm on Saturday, June 13 to salute the High School Class of 2020.

The Association is asking parents, friends,  neighbors, and grads to gather on sidewalks or in parked vehicles in front of their homes. (Grads are encouraged to wear caps and gowns.) A blast from the Fire Department’s horn at 6pm will signal the start of a four-minute celebration (one minute and one blast for each year of high school), Hoopin’ an’ hollerin’ an’ the bangin’ of pots an’ pans.

Don’t have a grad? Join in anyway! It’s a townwide salute. 

Register now for child care

During its meeting on April 30, the Board of Education awarded a contract for before- and after-school care to AlphaBEST Education Inc, a North Carolina-based company serving 45 districts (415 schools) in 13 states.

AlphaBEST will take over from Haddonfield Child Care on July 1.

Registration for before- and after-school child care during the 2020-21 school year will open on Monday, June 1.

The service is available to Haddonfield families with children in kindergaren through fourth grade.

Register at alphabest.org/haddonfieldnj.

Gino Priolo named assistant superintendent

During its meeting on Thursday, May 28, 2020, the Board of Education named Dr. Gino Priolo as Assistant Superintendent for the Haddonfield School District. He will assume the role on July 1, 2020.

The text below is from the statement released by the Board following its vote to approve Gino Priolo’s appoinement.

Priolo brings 25 years of educational experience to this position. Originally a special education teacher and then principal in the Cherry Hill School District, he first came to Haddonfield as principal of Tatem Elementary School in August 2005. In August of 2011, Priolo became the principal of Haddonfield Middle School, and in 2014 he became the Director of Special Education for the district.

“Over the past decade, I have worked with Dr. Priolo as a fellow administrator and have grown to admire his professionalism, thoughtfulness, and collaborative nature,” said Charles Klaus, incoming Superintendent of Schools. “He is a student-centered and experienced leader who understands the importance of visiting issues from the perspective of all stakeholders. He is not afraid to ask hard questions and is always willing to provide answers to those same questions.”

Priolo earned his bachelor’s degree from Rowan University (Teacher of the Handicapped) and his master’s from Temple University (Master of Education/Educational Administration). In 2010, he earned his Ed.D. in Educational Administration, also from Temple University.

During 16 years as an administrator in Haddonfield, Priolo has accomplished a great deal. Among many other achievements, he developed district-wide Response to Intervention (RTI) protocol, designed and implemented character-focused Community Meetings, created and implemented a district-wide formative assessment writing plan for students in grades K-5, created the area’s first course on ethical use of technology entitled Digital Citizenship, and earned (middle school) designation as a No Place for Hate School by the Anti-Defamation League. In 2014, Priolo was selected as a delegate to represent N.J. at the National Race to the Top summit in Washington, D.C., and also served on an advisory committee for the NJDOE AchieveNJ.

As Director of Special Education, Priolo developed and implemented K-12 intervention for reading and dyslexia support in both general and special education classes and implemented the initiative that resulted in 14 district teachers earning Wilson Level I Certification/Dyslexia
Specialists designation. He served as the district chairperson for the Strategic Plan for SocialEmotional Learning, leading the implemented of Yale’s RULER program, and he created Community-Based Instruction programming at elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Overseeing special education in a district known for its high rate of inclusivity (over 91% of students with special needs spend 80% or more of the school day in general education), Priolo was the 2019 recipient of the N.J. Coalition for Inclusive Schools Honors Award.

“Dr. Priolo has seen the district from many angles and has an excellent working relationship with the administrative team and staff,” said Adam Sangillo, Board president. “The Board is pleased with this choice, and we look forward to supporting our new administrative leadership team as we continue to strive for excellence in nurturing, inspiring and empowering every learner.”

Priolo resides in Hainesport, N.J. with his wife of 20 years, Dawn, and his four children, who range in ages from 17 to 5. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising, coaching youth sports and is an avid music lover.