Keeping Our Children and Schools Safe…At the May 14 Zone PTA meeting, Dr. Maureen Reusche shared with our PTA Presidents some of the recommendations of the security assessments that were conducted by district staff and members of the Cherry Hill Police Department. Click HERE to view the video of Dr. Reusche’s message. As a result of the security assessments, and after consultation with the building principals, the district will be implementing a series of recommendations to enhance the safety and security of our schools.  Some of the changes will be implemented in September 2013, but some – which involve changes in behaviors of staff and parents – will be implemented after the Memorial Day holiday. Click HERE for a summary of the changes.  Many thanks to the officers of the Cherry Hill Police Department for their assistance and professional expertise in conducting the security assessments and developing the recommendations.

Congratulations to Beck Middle School, a 2013 National School of Character! Beck underwent a site visit in April and was notified by the Character Education Partnership of its selection on May 8. Stay tuned for details! Way to go Beck!

Click HERE for photos from the Environmental Showcase, which preceded the Board of Education meeting on May 14.  The showcase featured exhibits by the school Green Teams and environmental clubs;  many of the exhibits had been included in Sustainable Cherry Hill’s Earth Festival on April 27!  Administration and the Board of Education enjoyed the opportunity to acknowledge each school’s sustainability efforts, as well as the PTA leaders who have helped to blend the sustainability component into our district’s character education work. 

Two of our Cherry Hill teachers are recognized in this month’s SJ Magazine as our region’s top teachers!  Grand Prize winner in the magazine’s third annual “Top Teachers” contest is Colleen Girgenti, third grade teacher at Johnson Elementary School, who was nominated by student Catherine Williams.  Kingston fourth grade teacher, Jackie DeCola, was a runner up in the contest; Jackie was nominated by former student Alex Dudley.  Click HERE to read the nominating essays submitted by the students. Congratulations to Colleen and Jackie – and to the students they’ve inspired!

The annual testing report, presented at the December 18 action meeting, shows that Cherry Hill students continue to perform well on state assessments, scoring at or above the averages of schools in the district’s wealth category—District Factor Group (DFG) GH  – in 100% of the testing areas.  Click HERE to view the presentation by District Coordinator of Research and Assessment Valerie Sadwin - including a summary of testing highlights to celebrate and challenges that the district faces. Click HERE to view the complete testing report.

The next "Community Conversation" with Dr. Reusche will be held on Thursday, May 30, from 12-1 pm at the Malberg Administration Building.  Bring your lunch and your questions to this casual conversation!

The New Jersey Biology Competency Test will be administered on May 21 and 22 to any student enrolled in an introductory level Biology course (H,A,R) for the 2012-2013 school year.  Biology AP and Biology II students DO NOT have to participate in this assessment.   Click HERE for a letter from our high school principals regarding the Biology Competency test administration schedule.

Congratulations to the Cherry Hill Education Foundation for another successful Dancing with the Cherry Hill Stars!  Funds from this annual event are used to support grant initiatives in our schools! CHEF has posted a highlights video on YouTube; click HERE to view (or check it out on the CHEF Facebook page.  Bravo to the students, teachers, parents, and administrators who participated in the group production number “Dancing in the Streets” and to the student musicians from the Cherry Hill East Jazz Standards Group and the Carusi Jazz Band who shared their remarkable talents for the show.  And, finally, a special shout out to our colleagues Marta Audino, Michelle Smith, Jodi Raditz, Cindy O’Reilly, Heather Esposito, and Deborah Jacobs, and to our students Molly McGee and Madison Girgenti, who competed as dancers in the show!  You were ALL awesome!

Congratulations to Kilmer Elementary School, winners of the 9th Annual Volley for Support!  Click HERE for lots of photos! Thanks to Steve and Kim Redfearn and the Volley for Support Committee for another successful event!  This year's event raised approximately $15,200 for Progeria Research and Team Nathan and Bennett!  Save the date for the 10th Annual Volley for Support - Friday, April 4, 2014, at Cherry Hill East!

Are you interested in running for the Cherry Hill Board of Education?  Cherry Hill voters will elect three Board of Education members on Tuesday, November 5; nomination petitions (click HERE) must be returned to the County Clerk’s office by 4 pm on Tuesday, June 4. 

Registration is open for the Cherry Hill School District's Summer Arts Enrichment Program 2013.  Classes will be held from June 24 - July 25 in the following areas: Mixed Media Art, Beginning Band, Beginning Orchestra, Intermediate Band, Intermediate Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Elementary Chorus, and Secondary Chorus. Click HERE for details, including fees, schedule, and registration form.

Support the "Donations for Soldiers" initiative sponsored by the Patriot Club at Cherry Hill High School West. The club’s officers made a presentation to the Board of Education at the March Action Meeting and outlined their goals for 2013, which include sending 200 “Care Boxes” to U.S. soldiers serving overseas. Collections begin next week! Click HERE to view the presentation.

The Board of Education on March 21 approved a budget for 2013-2014 of $173,991,752.  The budget is 1.6% higher than the current budget and just 1.77% higher than the 2008-2009 budget.  The average annual growth in expenditures since 2008-2009 is just 0.35%.  The board also approved a local tax levy of $152,433,328, an increase of 2% over 2012-2013. The average annual growth in the levy since 2008-2009 is just 1.17%. (Inflation over the same period was 9.1%, or 1.76% annualized.) For links to the budget presentation, User-Friendly budget, and more, click HERE. 

The Cherry Hill School District operates a tuition-supported Extended Day Child Care program for kindergarten students. The program operates each day that school is in session. EDCC's trained professional staff provides a safe and stimulating program of kindergarten enrichment activities (playtime, arts, crafts, games, nature, science, music and movement activities). Click HERE and select EDCC Registration for more information.

2013-2014 School Calendar...At the February 26 action meeting, the BOE approved the calendar for the 2013-2014 school year.  Students will return on Tuesday, September 3.  Click HERE to view the full year!

Cherry Hill High School West and the Alternative High School have been designated as 2013 New Jersey Schools of Character! They will now be considered by the Character Education Partnership (CEP) in the National Schools of Character program. Beck Middle School is also moving forward for national consideration, based on its NJSOC designation in 2011. Woodcrest Elementary School (a 2008 NJ School of Character) received an “Honorable Mention” from the NJSOC, and Russell Knight Elementary School has been designated an “Emerging School of Character.”  The schools will be honored on March 18 at the annual conference of the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development (NJASECD) – and at an upcoming Board of Education meeting! Congratulations to all!

Registration is now open for the Cherry Hill School District's Summer 2013 Enrichment Camp Program. Click HERE for camp information and forms or contact 856-429-6564 Ext.2.  The tuition-based program is open 11 hours a day Monday through Friday, from June 24,  2013 through August 16,  2013 (closed July 4th).  This fun program includes field trips, swim club activities, as well as interactive programs brought to the school site.  Camp is held at the Woodcrest Elementary School for students who are residents of Cherry Hill and will enter grades 1st through 6th in September 2013.  Children prepare to become successful and happy young people with opportunities in the expanded learning environment, youth development, friendship building, positive social interaction, character education, recreation, swimming, athletics, the arts, and pineland nature.

Click HERE for a video about the new standards-based Report Card for students in Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade. The video provides background information about the philosophy of the new report cards, the format of the new report cards, and most importantly, how to use and interpret the new report cards. Any questions? Click HERE for an FAQ with more information!

What’s for lunch?  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is driving the first major changes in school meals in 15 years. Developed to help ensure a healthier generation of children, key provisions of the United States Department of Agriculture Final Rule went into effect on July 1, 2012.  Some highlights: Meals offered to students must have five components: Grain, Meat/Meat Alternate, Fruit, Vegetable, and Fluid Milk and students MUST take at least 1/2 cup of fruit OR vegetable for a reimbursable meal.  ARAMARK, the district's food services provider, has created a brochure to help parents understand the changes; click HERE to view.

Free and reduced lunch applications...Please note that a new free/reduced lunch application must be submitted each year! Unless you received a letter indicating that your child has been directly certified, you must complete a free/reduced lunch application for the 2012-2013 school year, even if your child was eligible in 2011-2012.  Students who were eligible in 2011-2012 but have not yet submitted an application reverted to paid status in mid-October and will not be eligible for free or reduced lunch until a new application is submitted. Applications are accessible on the district website by clicking HERE.

The Holiday SACC program provides child care when school is closed.  You do not have to attend SACC to come to Holiday SACC.  The program is held at the Rosa School from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm for elementary students.  Tuition is $40 per day. Program activities this fall range from instruction from sports coaches, a trip to roller skate, a look at live sea creatures, a science show, and a theater show. Call (856) 429-6564, ext. 2 or go on the web site to Department Information - Child Care SACC – Holiday SACC.

Attention Parents of Students in Grades 6-12: This year, you have the option of paying student activities fees online! The PayPal option for paying student activities fee is now operational; click HERE to access the option for your student’s school. And, for details about the student activities fee policy, a list of activities that are subject to the fee, and more, click HERE.

Rosa International Middle School and Cherry Hill High School East had seven teams competing in the NJ National History Day State Finals on Saturday, May 4 at William Paterson University. The students presented in the Junior Group Documentary, Junior Group Exhibit and Senior Individual Exhibit categories with entries based on this year's theme: Turning Points in History.  Each group did an amazing job in the fierce competition against approximately 400 other competitors from across the state.  East freshman Samantha Stein won the alternate position in the National Competition for her Senior Individual Exhibit, The Belmont Report: An Ethical Clarification for Medical Experimentation. Team Saratoga's Melissa Abrams, Rachel Allen, Elizabeth Hallinan, and Jennifer Pacitti will advance to the National Competition in June with their documentary From Tyranny to Triumph: Turning the Tides at Saratoga.  In addition, this group won the Special Prize for Best Revolutionary War Topic from the New Jersey Revolutionary War Round Table. Christy Marrella, Rosa 8th grade teacher, guided the Cherry Hill students through the competition process, inspiring the students to become historians while instilling in them the importance of teamwork and good character.  This will be Christy's sixth year advancing with groups to the National Competition.  Congratulations and good luck!

Congratulations to the Cherry Hill East Drama Program! At the Mainstage Center for the Arts One-Act Play Festival on April 27, East won the following awards: Best Play, Best Ensemble Performance - “The Other Half Of Andrew's Brain;" and Excellence in Acting Awards - Jack Tremper and Jamie Ackerman.  Then, at the 46^th Bucks County Playhouse High School Theatre Festival, East won the following: Best Play - "Letters from a Wallflower;"  Best Director - "Crushed," Michal Kortsarts; Best Ensemble - "Crushed;” Best Actor - Andrew Zaleski; Best Actress - Patricia Irwin; Best Solo Performance - Alexandra Maresh; Adjudicator's Award For Excellence in Adaptation and Direction - Damian Stuchko; Adjudicator's Award for  Acting - Anthony Cornazter. Kudos to all and to their teacher/adviser Tom Weaver!

For the first time ever, East's Casual Harmony and The Key of She combined this year to create a mixed gender a cappella group called “Stay Tuned.”  This proved to be a great decision, as they have had a wildly successful year!  Click HERE for details – and pictures!

Students in Sharp Elementary School's Talented and Gifted program learned about bridge design recently from Jim Quiqley, an engineer from Pennoni Associates. Click HERE for a press release from the engineering firm with highlights from the visit.

Congratulations to the following Cherry Hill High School East students who placed into the 2013-2014 All-State Chorus: Juliet Bender, Patricia Irwin, Sarah Kahn, Hannah Kim, Amrita Mitra, Elisabeth Siegel, and Abigayle Stoetzer.

The West Music Department traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, during the weekend of April 25-28 to compete in a Festivals of Music competition.  The results were as follows:  Symphonic Choir: 1st place with a Superior Rating in Mixed Choir Competition; West Singers: 2nd Place with a Superior Rating in Concert Choir Competition;  Chamber Singers: 1st Place with a Superior Rating in Concert Choir Competition and BEST OVERALL CONCERT CHOIR AWARD; Men of Note: 1st Place with an Excellent Rating in Men' Chorus Competition; Fermata: 1st Place with a Superior Rating in Women's Chorus Competition and THE BEST OVERALL CHOIR AWARD; Wind Ensemble: 3rd place with an Excellent Rating in Concert Band Competition; String Orchestra: 2nd Place with an Excellent Rating in Orchestra Competition; Jazz Ensemble: 1st place with a Superior Rating in High School AA Competition, Best Section Award (Rhythm Section), Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award (Ryan Thieke (11) Drums) and BEST OVERALL HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE AWARD.  Congratulations to West's student musicians!

Marbles the Clown visited the Barclay Early Childhood Center recently to thank the Barclay students and staff for their efforts to raise funds to purchase books for the school.  Marbles (aka Bill Marble, Barclay Principal) demonstrated his skills on a unicycle. Click HERE for a video extra from Marbles' visit.

Carusi Middle School is excited to host an artist-in-residency program to install a mosaic mural in the school’s front lobby.  Artist Jessica Liddell, of the Perkins Center for the Arts, is working with Carusi students and art teacher Carmella Tomasetti, to create and install a mosaic mural that celebrates diversity. Ms. Liddel, a mosaic artist with a studio in Philadelphia, has been commissioned to create and install many public works of art.

Congratulations to the Cherry Hill East Symphony Orchestra and Cherry Hill East String Quartet. The groups were selected as exemplary quartet and orchestra at the East Brunswick/New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Festival. This sweep earned both ensembles the privilege of performing the opening for the New Jersey Symphony Concert at the East Brunswick Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 26. Also, at the Pennsbury High School 1st Annual Symphony Orchestra Festival on May 3, the Cherry Hill East Symphony Orchestra received the following: Superior Rating; Best Violin 1 Section Award; Best Violin 2 Section Award; Best Woodwind Section Award; and Best Percussion Section Award.  Ian Murphy won the Outstanding Musician Award and Alex Kim won the Outstanding Soloist Award.  Congratulations to all!

In March, the third graders at A. Russell Knight Elementary School opened their first annual Living Wax Museum.  Students researched famous individuals and then brought their characters to life using creative costumes. They wrote a report and memorized a speech to share with visitors of the "museum."  Each speech ended with an inspirational quote by their famous person.  A broad range of famous individuals were chosen including  the ancient mathematician Archimedes, chef Julia Child, and composer Beethoven. Click HERE for more pictures. The entire ARK school and over 200 parents attended this exciting event.  As Benjamin Franklin said: "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

Spencer Levy, a 6th grade student at Beck Middle School, recently completed his 6th Annual Cookies for Kids bake sale.  He received orders from people in his neighborhood as well as the Cherry Hill school community.   By the time all of the baking and delivering was done, Spencer raised $1,382 for the Children's Hopsital of Philadelphia. Since he began Cookies for Kids in 2008, Spencer has donated $4,587 to CHOP.  Spencer received support from Shop Rite and BJ’s Wholesale Club in the form of gift cards that he used to help buy supplies.  Way to go Spencer and thanks to all of his supporters! 

Kingston Elementary School celebrated its second annual school-wide Science Fair Expo on April 25 with more than 150 kid scientists participating, exhibiting 101 projects based on the scientific process.  Click HERE for pictures.  The Kingston APR was standing room only…Way to go Kingston!

The Cherry Hill East Robotics Team has received the Vex Robotics Teamwork Award in their division at the 2013 Vex Robotics World Championships held in Anaheim California. Two East teams competed at the event: Black Tie Robotics 2616 B, represented by Max Bliss, Conrad Kramer, Jeremy Welsh, and Iftikhaar Ali, and Frightening Lightning 2616 F, represented by Mike Borinski, Dana Chafetz, and Jason Fisch. This is the second year that Black Tie Robotics has qualified for the World championships. Congratulations!

Two Rosa teachers, Cathe Fargo and Sarina Hoell, have been accepted by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), to present at AMLE’s annual national conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in November.  Their topic is “Using Virtual Reality to Teach Social Communication to Students with Disabilities.”  Cathe is Rosa’s 8th grade ATL CAPSS teacher and Sarina is our Speech Therapist.

Congratulations to Jenna Wilson, a sophomore at Cherry Hill East; Jenna’s blog, which she started as a research project for Journalism II, has tied for third best in the nation in the National Quill and Scroll Society’s blogging contest! The society has also announced that three East seniors are finalists in three categories for work published in the past year: senior Sherin Nassar for sports; senior Jack Braunstein for feature writing, and senior Joel Greenspan for editorial cartooning.  Also, the National Scholastic Press Association has recently placed seniors Danielle Fox and Sherin Nassar on its National Journalism Honor Roll for their commitment to academics and journalism. Congratulations to all!  And finally, the American Scholastic Press Association has ranked Eastside first in the nation for artwork and illustrations. This is the first time that Eastside has won this prestigious award.  Congratulations to the Eastside Art Department, which is led by art directors Zoe Greenhall and Joel Greenspan.

Teacher Feature – Click HERE to view another in our occasional videos highlighting veteran educators in the Cherry Hill Public School.  This episode features Diane Oesau, the Librarian/Media Specialist at Horace Mann Elementary; Diane is in her 26^th year with the district. Enjoy!

Fifty Fabulous Years! On Thursday, April 11, Horace Mann Elementary School celebrated its 50th Anniversary! Click HERE for a video with scenes from the celebration (and background music provided by the Mann 5th Grade Chorus). The celebration included recognition of the following retirees: Mary Bargerhuff, teacher; Claire Bauman, crossing guard; Lorraine Boris, Educational assistant; Maryann Dunn, secretary and yearbook designer; Jeanne Gallo, educational assistant; James Lowden, teacher and library volunteer; Robert Sweeney, Principal; and Joan Wilson, teacher. Congratulations to current and former Horace Mann students, staff, and parents! Here's to the next 50!

More news about the National Latin Exam... at Cherry Hill East, 48% of the students who took the exam earned an award – including 12 Gold Summa Cum Laude awards!  Click HERE for all of the East results.  Well done!

Congratulations to Kingston Elementary School!  Kingston is a top 20 finalist in the Grade 3-5 category of the 2013 Albert M. Greenfield Foundation UNLESS contest, sponsored by the Outreach and Family Programs of the Philadelphia Zoo. The students’ project, “Saving Animals of the World,” was a collaboration between the school’s Environmental Club and the 5th grade TAG students, who entered the contest as they were studying Sustainability. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on May 29.  Good luck!

Kudos to Beck Middle School’s Rose Ni! As part of an extra credit opportunity for her 7^th Grade Humanities class, Rose created a map of Croatia for Junior Scholastic magazine’s annual "Can You Find Mapman?" contest. Rose’s map was chosen as the grand prize winner from more than 5,000 entries nationwide and abroad! Rose won a Wii System and $250, and will be pictured with her winning map in the May edition of Junior Scholastic. Congratulations!

Click HERE for an Inquirer article about East Principal John O'Breza, who will retire this summer after 45 years with the Cherry Hill Public Schools.

Nearly 500 students, staff, and parents from Kingston Elementary School gathered on the playground on Tuesday, April 2, to celebrate World Autism Day...by blowing bubbles! “The bubbles represent a powerful metaphor about children with autism,” said Meg Kobb, a Kingston PTA member and coordinator of the event. “Each bubble looks the same. Each one is beautiful. And, given a little wind, each one can soar.”  Tuesday's activities at Kingston also included a school-wide read-in of My Brother Charlie and discussions about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click HERE for an article and pictures from the Courier-Post.

Cherry Hill West teams participating in the Coriell Science Fair on March 23 took home first, second, and third place honors, as well as an Honorable Mention! Winning first place were Mavish Khan, Vivienne Lee, and Kirsten Janney; second place winners were Amanda Doto and Emily Buckman; third place winners were David Truscott, David Ly, and Garett Quigley; and honorable mention went to Uriah Sun and Kevin Fuentes. The first, second, and third place winners qualified to participate in the Delaware Valley Science Fair in Oaks, PA on April 2-4.  Congratulations to all!

Lucy He, a 10th grader at Cherry Hill East, earned national recognition in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2013. Lucy won a Gold Medal and The Best In Grade Award for her painting, View from the Inside. Lucy has been identified by panels of creative professionals as one of the most talented young artists in the nation. This year, 230,000 works of art and writing were submitted. Only the top 1% were recognized at the national level. These students have been invited to attend a ceremony at Carnegie Hall on Friday, May 31. Congratulations!

At the 38th annual Arts 4 Teens Festival at Rutgers-Camden, Cherry Hill West seniors Deidre Lightman and Gianna Nguyen won Best of Camden County awards for their portraits.  West students Emma Scott, Dylan Coverdale, Paige Yizzi, and Anthony Ibarronda won Honorable Mention awards at the festival.  Beck Middle School students won seven awards – their best showing in Beck’s four years of participation.  Best of Show winners were Sam Brenner for his plaster sculpture, Federica Sul for her Kusudama paper flower sculpture, and Lauren Hurley for her watercolor. Honorable Mention awards went to Omri Bar and Rachel Lim for their clay work and Emma Parker and Adia Rummel for their paintings.  Congratulations to these students, their teachers, and all the Cherry Hill students who participated in this year’s festival!

The Woodcrest Green Team has started a Pencil Project Initiative to help the school become more environmentally conscientious.  Each student has been assigned a pencil and the goal is to use that one pencil for the duration of the project.  When the pencil is smaller than four inches, a student can exchange it for a new pencil.  The small pencils will be used for a school-wide art project.  Great work, Woodcrest!  Keep us posted on Woodcrest’s journey to reduce, reuse, recycle!

Congratulations to Cherry Hill East instrumental music students selected by audition to the following: All Eastern United States Band: Hyerin Kim, flute; All State Orchestra: Abigail Hong and Hannah Lam, violin; Region III All South Jersey Jazz Band: Peter Frank and Peyton Pleninger, saxophones; Region III All South Jersey Junior High Band: Nathan Hengy, trombone; Ben Turner, guitar; and Noah Vineberg, saxophone. 

More East instrumental music news… Hannah Germaine (jazz bass) won the soloist $1000 scholarship award at the Jazz At Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Regional Jazz Festival hosted by Temple University.  Seanna McCall (jazz vocal) won the soloist honorable mention award.

And finally…The Cherry Hill East Jazz Band earned a Superior Rating at the Cavalcade of Bands Jazz Festival at Council Rock North High School. The band won the Best Saxophone Section award. Hannah Germaine won Best Soloist medal for her jazz bass and Seanna McCall won Best Soloist honorable mention for jazz vocal. Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to the Latin teams from Cherry Hill High School West for their success in the regional Certamen competition at Princeton University last month.  Hundreds of New Jersey Latin students representing 36 schools participated in Certamen, an academic contest with questions on ancient Rome’s language, history, mythology, literature, and daily life. The Latin I team of Jeff Cave, Kiran Kaur, Simon Mwape, Natalie Tran, and Karen Therrien (team captain), placed second in South Jersey. The Latin II team of Alex King, Khoa Nguyen, Zach Onorato, Eric Shaw, and Jeff Pham (team captain), placed fourth. The upper-level team of Christine Nguyen, Valerie Sydorenko, William Young, and Kevin Schmalbach and C. J. Schweikert (team captains), placed second. Kudos to all for continuing West's tradition of excellence in Certamen competition!

Congratulations to West students Max Matez and Edward Dunn; their script for a Public Service Announcement earned second runner-up honors in New Jersey’s recent “Proms and Alcohol Don’t Mix” contest! Congratulations also East student Damian Stuchko, whose script won Honorable Mention.  The Cherry Hill students' entries were among 49 PSA scripts submitted by high schools throughout New Jersey. The students will be recognized at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting.

Cooper Elementary School held its first-ever Science Fair on Thursday, March 21!  From Kindergartners to fifth graders, participants from every grade level worked hard to prepare science projects that showcased their talents! Nearly 50 projects created by Cooper students were on display, exploring topics such as Electricity, Food Science, Chemistry, Physics, Life Science, and even Music!  Said Cooper Principal Erica Price, “Our girls and boys stood proudly in front of their projects and clearly explained to spectators the purpose of their experiment, their procedures, and their conclusions.  The Cooper Community could not be more proud of them!  The projects we saw tonight are evidence that we have some future scientists in our midst at COOPER!” Mrs. Price also thanked the Cooper PTA for their support in making the Science Fair possible. Click HERE for a few pictures...Way to go, Jaguars!

Congratulations to West jazz musicians Carmelo Villegas (11^th grade, Trumpet), Jon Abesh (11^th grade, baritone sax), and R.C. Rossell (11^th grade, guitar) for their successful auditions into the Region III (All-South Jersey) Jazz Organizations.  Carmelo had the top score of all trumpets auditioning and will be playing the lead part with the Region III Jazz Ensemble at the concert on April 14 at Shawnee High School.  The group will be directed by local jazz artist and Rowan Professor Denis DiBlasio.

Congratulations to Tom Michel, a junior and string bassist at Cherry Hill West.  Tom was accepted into the 2013 New Jersey All State Orchestra, placing sixth out of all the bassists that auditioned.  The group will perform in concert at the 2013 New Jersey Education Association’s Teacher Convention in Atlantic City and at a concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Second Marking Period Student Council Members at Woodcrest Elementary School wanted to help families who have been displaced from their homes because of Hurricane Sandy or other reasons.  They have partnered with Jersey Cares, an organization that manages projects in which volunteers assemble kits for transitional housing facilities, foster homes, and other agencies with transitional populations.  The Woodcrest SC members created a power point presentation to present at a SC Assembly, highlighting this service learning project for our school.  A collection has been ongoing for several weeks and all classes will be putting together these “First Night Kits.” Way to go Woodcrest!

Also at Woodcrest … The second grade sponsored a school-wide service learning project to benefit South Jersey Food Bank. Woodcrest's students donated items to those in need.  Second grade set a goal of 1,000 items – and happily surpassed their goal by collecting and donating 1,045 items to SJFB!

Cherry Hill West Senior Emilee Buckman participated in a cooking demonstration and tasting on Saturday, March 16 at Mirko's-A Taste of Europe, as part of the "Next Generation of Chefs" Preview of SJ Hot Chefs Restaurant Week. Emilee and Chef Mirko Loeffler served samplings of spaetzle with various sauces.  Next year, Emilee will be attending the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. Since early high school, she has been interested in cooking, especially pastry by baking and decorating cakes. She said, "I just want to make people happy through my baking. And, it makes me happy as well." Congratulations Emilee!

E-News Video Extra… Click HERE to view a brief video about Sharp Elementary School’s recent Family Art Night.  The event, the brainchild of Sharp art teacher Kerry Morlino, brought in nearly 90% of Sharp students and families, as well as teachers and guests, for an evening of creativity and fun.  Enjoy!

Kudos to the entire fifth grade class at Thomas Paine Elementary for their stellar performance of "Living the Dream," in recognition of African American History Month. With the support of Shirley Davis, Candace Keenan, Kate Fishman, Linda Brunetti, and Jody Santangelo the fifth graders acted, sang, danced, and role played (portraying famous black Americans such as President and Mrs. Obama). The show also included a re-enactment of an actual event described in Andrea Pinkney's book Sit-In:  How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down.  Many of the fifth graders also performed the show at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Moorestown on Sunday, February 24,  for West Jersey Reading Council’s  "African American Read-In."  The Thomas Paine students who participated in the Barnes & Noble event were: Kaya Strother, Cassie Gsell, Calvin Aliferov, Sarah Grout, Isabella Blanchard, Tyreke Huff, Joey Monterrosa, Duncan Williams, Griffen Martello, Dylan Marcus, Jack Begley, Harris Khan, Ryan West, Megan Nutt, Thomas Schillinger, Jose Rivera, Milan Toliver, Madison Girgenti, Alyssa Meter, Annabella Ortiz, Adelma Argueta, Jon Balagtas, and Nick Sylvester.

Congratulations to the 15 students from Cherry Hill High School East who have advanced to Finalist standing in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. The Finalists are: Juliet Brooks, Jennifer Cha, Alison Chen, Hao Chen, Hannah Germaine, Michael Hwang, Shriya Joshi, Sarah Kim, Derrick Lin, Ajay Nadig, Kieran O'Donnell, Arun Reddy, Angela Sun, Monica Wei, and Susanna Yu.  Winners of Merit Scholarship awards (Merit Scholar® designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments–without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. Selectors evaluate a variety of information, including the Finalist's academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay. Congratulations Finalists!

Teacher Feature...The Cherry Hill School District is fortunate to have a number of educators who have served our district for more than 25 years and continue to bring their passion and enthusiasm to school with them each and every day. We are introducing a video series featuring some of these veteran educators.  Our first featured teacher is Tom Weaver; in addition to having served as a teacher at Cherry Hill East for 36 years, Mr. Weaver is also the heart and soul of the East theater program.  Click HERE to view our Teacher Feature on Tom Weaver.

A. Russell Knight Elementary School will celebrate its 50^th anniversary later this year! The ARK 50^th Anniversary Committee is seeking the input of former students, parents, and staff on how to celebrate this exciting milestone.  The committee has created a survey through which you can provide your feedback; click HERE and thanks for participating. 

Please join us for a fund raiser sponsored by Cherry Hill West Project Graduation at Five Guys (Route 70) on Wednesday May 22 from 5-8 pm.  Five Guys will generously donate a portion of all sales to PG.  Seniors-sign in for an extra raffle ticket the night of graduation.  Come enjoy some great burgers and make money for PG!

Joyce Kilmer School will hold its 7th Annual Alex's Lemonade Stand on Friday, May 24, from 9:30am to 3:30 pm. Over the past six years, Kilmer School has raised $21,328 for the cause! They will also have a hair stylist cutting hair to donate to the Children with Hair Loss Foundation. The event is run by the Kilmer 5th graders and is a large community event. Thanks to local sponsors Wegmans and Chick's Deli. Please stop by - or make a donation at www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/110546.

Please support Cherry Hill East’s Project Graduation Restaurant Night Fundraiser - Monday, February 11, 5-8 pm, at Champps, Marlton. 

Support the annual Staying Alive Walk on Sunday, June 2 at 10 am, at Challenge Grove Park. Rain or shine.  For more information about the walk, visit www.stayingalivewalk.org.

Friendship Grove is Blooming at the Library…The cherry trees are blooming and the warmer weather is inviting people to walk the Grove's path and sit on a bench or read or relax. The Friends of the Library made the initial contribution to establish Friendship Grove, but fundraising efforts are ongoing. A great way to donate is by purchasing a brick, which will have a permanent home in the Grove. Bricks are $75 each and make great gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations or to remember someone special. Click HERE to order bricks online; to pay by check, call Katie Hardesty at 856-903-1207 for an order form. In addition to the bricks, trees and benches are also available for naming. The next time you visit the Library, be sure to take a walk through Friendship Grove. It's a beautiful place to "Relax, Reflect and Restore."

Search hundreds of camp schedules and win a free week of summer camp!  ActivityHero.com is a free resource, designed by parents to help you find the best summer camps and classes for your kids. Search by age, date, location, activities and even extended care.  You can read reviews and use the calendar to create your summer plan and share with friends.  Enter the monthly giveaway for a free week of summer camp. Visit http://www.activityhero.com

We love our teachers!  Dr. Reusche sent a special video message to our teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week – with a little help from some of her friends throughout the district.  Click HERE to view! (Thanks to our PTA leaders and school staff who helped make this video happen!)

Host families are needed for 18 Spanish high school students visiting the United States this summer from June 27 - July 25.  Click HERE for a letter with details from West teacher Dan Herman.

The Cherry Hill School District joins the High School East community in mourning the loss of Charlie Musumeci, who died Saturday after a long illness.  “Moose” was a beloved teacher, coach, and supporter of the theater program at East for 38 years.   The family requests in lieu of flowers donations to the "Charles Musumeci Cherry Hill East Scholarship Fund" 1750 Kresson Rd. Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.

The school district is on Twitter...follow us @CHPSTweets!

New to Cherry Hill? All registration is conducted centrally at the Malberg Administration Building. Click HERE for information on registering your students in our great public schools.

"Kid-Friendly Programs" ... Click HERE for information (in English and Spanish) about the New Jersey programs that benefit children and families - NJ FamilyCare/Advantage; Vaccines for Children Program; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Services; NJ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and Free or Reduced School Lunch Program.

Support for Families from the NJDOE…Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf writes: "As parents or guardians, you want nothing more than an excellent education for your children. At the NJ Department of Education, we want nothing more than to help you achieve this!  The NJ DOE has created a family-focused web site at www.NJFamilies.com with resources to help you support your child's education, and navigate your school system. NJ DOE has also opened a "Help Desk" which can be reached through the parent menu option of our toll-free number: 877-900-6960.  Parents are encouraged to sign up for the NJ DOE’s mailing list; just go to http://www.state.nj.us/education and join the mailing list."