The Borough commissioners will hold work sessions on Monday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 6.
The May 4 meeting, to be held through Zoom at 7pm, will be closed. The commissioners will conduct interviews for an Affordable Housing developer.
The May 6 meeting, at 3pm, will be accessible to members of the public on GoToMeeting. Link HERE. The webinar ID is 559-612-083.
Henry Burk Sullivan, a former longtime Haddonfield resident and member of Christ the King Church, died on April 20, 2020 from complications of coronavirus COVID-19. He was age 90 and had lived in Collingswood for some years.
Click HERE to link to obituary.
Following Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement on Wednesday that state parks will reopen on Saturday, May 2, the Borough commissioners announced on Friday that the walking path and wooded area of Crows Woods will be open for public use from 6am on Saturday.
The park will close at 6pm each day. Parking will be limited to the lot next to the concession stand.
All other fields, playgounds, concession stands, bathrooms, and pavilions in Haddonfield will remain closed.
In their statement, the commissioners noted: “Visitors must practice social distancing and stay six (6) feet apart from others (social distancing is not required for immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners). No organized group activities, activities involving contact with others, or sports are permitted. If residents & visitors do not abide by these restrictions, the Commissioners may be forced to close the path and wooded area once again, so we ask for your cooperation and thank you for your understanding. All dogs must be on leash.”
OFFICIAL from Haddonfield School District on May 1, 2020
Haddonfield School District Selects AlphaBEST Education to Deliver Before- and After-School Child Care
After careful consideration, the Haddonfield School District (HSD) voted to end its contract for before- and after-school care with Haddonfield Child Care, a local non-profit organization that has served our community for many years. The community, building leaders, administration, and Board of Education (BOE) are very grateful for their service to our children and greatly appreciate the contribution they have made to the Haddonfield community. As difficult as the decision to change providers is, we must consider multiple factors when making an informed decision, especially during such unprecedented times, such as efficiency of offering, quality and consistency of programming across the district, and the ability to meet the unique needs of all students. The BOE and administration have held ongoing discussions with HCC for several months since the Request for Proposals began.
After a thorough search process, including reviews of proposals, in-person interviews, reference checks, and careful deliberation by a committee of ten members, the District has chosen to award the contract to AlphaBEST Education. AlphaBEST has received exemplary reviews from other contracted districts. They have a well-designed curriculum developed to give students the opportunity for enrichment, with no additional cost to families, as well as the flexibility to enjoy downtime in a safe, relaxed environment.
AlphaBEST’s staff training program is extensive and ensures consistency in programs designed to meet the individual needs of our children. Additionally, they offer the same affordable rates our families are accustomed to while guaranteeing the district a minimum of $55,000 for the use of facilities. In the past, the district has not received any funding for the use of facilities for the child care program. Along with providing better programming at equal or lower cost to families using child care, taxpayers greatly benefit from the expertise and the cost-sharing contract of a national organization that runs child care programs for schools across the nation, including New Jersey. Further, we are pleased that AlphaBEST is committed to hiring staff from our current child care program, HCC, to help make the transition for our children seamless. AlphaBEST, HSD and the BOE are all dedicated to maintaining the strong community connections Haddonfield values while ensuring fiscal responsibility and quality of services.
“We are excited to be working with the Haddonfield community and families,” said Judy Nee, CEO of AlphaBEST. “We also know how difficult change can be, and we are committed to working closely with the school district and community to make this a smooth transition. Our New Jersey locations are some of our most successful sites, according to our families – a tribute to the level of expectation and support our dedicated local teams receive. We will be surveying Haddonfield families soon to learn more about needs, ideas and suggestions.”
Like all changes, the transition to the new before and after-care program will be an adjustment, but we are hopeful and confident that this change will enrich the lives of our students and benefit our families.
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DOCUMENTS
OFFICIAL from Haddonfield School District on May 1, 2020
On Thursday, April 30, 2020, the Haddonfield Board of Education approved a $37.4M budget for the 2020-2021 academic year.
This dollar amount represents a $735,000 or 2% increase from last year. Haddonfield residents living in a home valued at $500,000 will see an annual increase to their property taxes of $62.
Board Secretary Michael Catalano made a presentation that highlighted, among other things, additions to instructional staff due to projected enrollments; supplies and training for the new AP Capstone Program; professional development for math instruction in grades K-8; the expansion of the district’s 1:1 Chromebook program to include grades 5 and 11; new classroom furniture that will support flexible learning environments; staff training for project-based learning; and capital improvements such as the new C-wing Air-Handling Unit addition.
“Creating the annual budget is a difficult balancing act for Board members,” said Adam Sangillo, Board President. “We try to be mindful of the community’s heavy tax burden and yet we must provide appropriate funding so that our students can thrive and achieve.”
Catalano went into some detail about numerous expenditures in the area of Safety and Security. The district will continue to fund a Student Resource Officer at Haddonfield Memorial High School (HMHS) as well as the Raptor Visitor Management System that was installed in all school buildings last year. In progress are security projects including new secure vestibules in Tatem and Elizabeth Haddon Elementary Schools; window covers for all interior classroom doors; and the RULER emotional intelligence program initiated last fall to support the district’s Social-Emotional Learning goals.
“RULER stands for recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions,” said Dr. Gino Priolo, Director of Special Education and Co-Chair of the Social-Emotional Learning Committee. “Teaching the adults and students in our schools how to recognize and manage emotions is equally important to the physical plant hardening plans that the district has undertaken over the past two years. When we improve school climate and address our social and emotional skills, we can identify mental health issues more readily and ultimately make our schools safer places to teach and learn.”
New Security expenditures include a digital floor-mapping system for first responders navigating our buildings in a crisis; security cameras throughout our district; and a new Student Assistance Coordinator/Crisis Counselor (SAC) who will work with students who are identified as being at risk, again for the purpose of identification and intervention before problems can occur.
“The new full time SAC position replaces a part-time social worker position,” said HMHS Principal Tammy McHale. “This person will offer staff training, will develop procedures for various crisis situations, will design programs and will provide counseling for students and parents.”
“We are completely aware that the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic could change state funding drastically,” said Sangillo. “We are going to be hyper-vigilant in our planning over the next few years as we see how the intermediate and long term impacts of this unprecedented time unfold.”
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DOCUMENTS
OFFICIAL from Haddonfield School District on May 1, 2020
On Thursday, April 30, 2020, Charles Klaus was approved to become the Superintendent of Schools for the Haddonfield School District. He will assume that role on July 1, 2020.
Klaus became the Acting Assistant Superintendent in June 2018, when then-Assistant Superintendent Michael Wilson took a medical leave. Klaus served under Dr. Lawrence
Mussoline, becoming Assistant Superintendent in May 2019 upon Wilson’s retirement. Last month, on March 12, Mussoline announced his resignation, and the Board posted the Superintendent’s job internally.
“Chuck Klaus has served as Assistant Superintendent for two years,” said Board President Adam Sangillo. “The Board got to know him not only as a hard worker but also as someone who shares our vision of the future. We are confident that Chuck will lead us in the right direction to best serve our students, families, faculty, and staff.”
Klaus came to Haddonfield as an English teacher in August of 1994 after teaching for seven years in Maple Shade. He advanced to English department facilitator in 2004, and became the high school’s Assistant Principal in 2008. After a one-year post as Principal of Central Elementary School, Klaus returned to the Haddonfield Memorial High School (HMHS) as Principal in 2011.
“I had the pleasure of working with Chuck for one year as the Dean of Students,” said HMHS Principal Tammy McHale. “He is extremely knowledgeable and practical, and he has an innate ability to always put students first. I was extremely lucky to have him as a mentor and even luckier to consider him a friend.”
In addition to being a teacher and administrator, Klaus was the varsity wrestling coach from 1993 through 2009, winning numerous commendations including earning the “most wins by any coach in the school’s history” as well as being district 28 Coach of the Year four times. He was Assistant Director of Carl Adams summer wrestling camp for 27 years and also served as a coach for Haddonfield track and cross-country programs. For six years he served on the Executive Committee of the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) and was president for the 2017-18 school year. Klaus was inducted into the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.
“Chuck cares deeply about Haddonfield: our students, our staff, and our families,” said HMHS English teacher Corinne Welsh. “He knows how to navigate our systems, and he works carefully and creatively to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. I’m glad he will be at the helm during this challenging period.”
Currently a resident of Haddon Township, Klaus raised three children who attended Haddonfield Schools.
“My journey back and forth across the district to where I am now has caused me to view my responsibilities to my students with several different lenses,” Klaus said. “Although each step has moved me further from the joyous days of working side-by-side with students, I am grateful that my administrative roles allow me to impact the academic, social, and emotional growth of more and more Haddonfield students.”
Believing that it is a “best practice” for any organization to look at the changing landscape of offerings and evaluate service providers on a regular basis, the Board of Education to decided some months ago to explore options for before- and after-school child care programs in Haddonfield.
This is not something, it is believed, that has ever been undertaken with respect to Haddonfield’s child care program. The board saw it as a necessary step in offering the best options for students, families, and taxpayers.
Child care providers (including Haddonfield Child Care, the current provider) were invited to present proposals for the board to review. Seven companies submitted proposals and were interviewed on March 11 by a committee of three board members, four principals (elementary and middle), assistant superintendent Chuck Klaus, board secretary Mike Catalano, technology director John Miller, and superintendent Larry Mussoline.
After narrowing the field to two providers, members of the committee conducted reference checks. (Site visits were not possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic.)
During the board meeting on April 23, Chuck Klaus reviewed the selection process and recommended that the board contract with AlphaBEST Education Inc, a North Carolina-based company serving 45 districts (415 schools) in 13 states. New Jersey districts served include Hopatcong, Millburn, Mount Olive, Stanhope, and Warren.
During its meeting on April 30, the board voted to approve the proposed contract with AlphaBEST, effective July 1, 2020.
The Haddondfield Police Department has launched a program that enables residents to request assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program is intended to help alleviate hardships such as food insecurity, mobility/accessibility challenges, and isolation.
Residents may request assistance for themselves or on behalf of friends or neighbors.
Police officers will work in conjunction with Nancy McCrudden, the Senior Center Coordinator, to connect those seeking assistance with the appropriate social service agencies, volunteer organizations, Borough staff, or other sources of access and assistance.
To initiate a request for assistance, click HERE.
Alternatively, call the Police non-emergency number – 856-429-3000 – and mention the need for help due to the pandemic. As always, call 911 in case of emergency.
Twelve jets from the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds will fly over Haddonfield on Tuesday (April 28), to salute frontline COVID-19 workers.
The flight is one of two the flight demonstration squadrons will make during the day. The first, scheduled to start at 12n, will be in the region of Newark and New York City. The second, over Trenton and Philadelphia, is scheduled to begin at 1:45pm at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
A map of the proposed route shows the straight-line flight path from Center City Philadelphia curving to the left at I-295, crossing Route 30, and then — apparently — following Route 41 (Kings Highway, west to east) over Haddonfield, turning left again to cross Route 70, and back over the Delaware River to north Philadelphia.
The exact time of the Haddonfield-area flyover is not known, but it is likely to be between 2:00pm and 2:05pm.
The Navy and Air Force urge residents to “observe the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine and … refrain from traveling to see the flyover. Social distancing should be practiced at all times.”
The flyover concludes at about 2:15pm in the area of Wilmington DE.
The weather forecast for Tuesday is “mostly sunny,” with a high in “the low 60s.”