District News

Delays Expected on Haddonfield-Berlin Road through Mid-June 2018

Haddonfield-Berlin Road (Route 561) between Ashbrook Road and South Mansfield Blvd will be down to ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION daily from 9 am through 3 pm starting Tuesday, 4/17/18, and lasting for approximately two months, for underground PSE&G gas main replacement work.

This work means traffic will flow in both directions using the northbound lanes – one lane moving in each direction. The work will start at Ashbrook Rd/Haddontowne Ct and will slowly progress north toward Brace Rd, with the altered traffic lanes following the work crews as they move up the road. Police will be on location and will assist motorists with local detours or turning into/from intersections as the work progresses around and through them. Additional details and customer service inquiries/communications may be obtained through the PSE&G information line, 800-436-PSEG (7734).

This area experiences heavy traffic congestion during normal weekdays, and this change in traffic pattern will create additional congestion and delays. Please seek alternate routes around this area if at all possible, utilizing Route 70 or the White Horse Pike (Rt 30) for access to I-295 and crossing over the NJ Turnpike.

2018 PARCC Assessment Modified Schedule Now Available

The recently modified 2018 PARCC assessment schedule is now set. Assessments will begin Monday, April 16, 2018 with high school testing. Middle school testing will begin Friday, April 20, and elementary school testing will begin Thursday, May 3. Middle school will test one unit per day. The elementary school schedule has been extended for two days.

A full schedule, including make-up dates, details the subjects tested on each day. Additionally, high school graduation assessment requirements for the classes of 2016 through 2021 and beyond, as well as a general calendar for all assessments, are now available.

Board of Education Adopts Resolution on Underfunding in State Aid to Schools

The Board of Education on March 13, 2018 adopted a Resolution calling for New Jersey Commissioner of Education Dr. Lamont Repollet and New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy either to put forth a spending plan that fully funds the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) or, in the event the SFRA cannot be fully funded, make sure the funds available for state aid to schools be fairly and proportionally divided per the SFRA. The resolution further resolved that if full redistribution is not possible this year, that sufficient additional monies be allocated to Underadequacy Aid to close the adequacy gap. A copy of the resolution has been present to the New Jersey Commissioner of Education, the Governor of New Jersey, the State Senator and the State Assemblypersons from Legislative District 6, and the Mayor and Council President of Cherry Hill.

Sharp Elementary and Mann Elementary Kindergarten Registration Rescheduled

Due to the snow day on March 8, kindergarten registration for Sharp Elementary School has been rescheduled for April 17, 2018 in the Malberg Administration Building at 45 Ranoldo Terrace. Kindergarten registration for Mann Elementary has been rescheduled for April 11, same location.

Kindergarten and First Grade Pre-registration to Begin February 1, 2018

Kindergarten and first grade pre-registration, for children entering public school for the first time, begins February 1, 2018 for the 2018-2019 school year. Students currently enrolled in the Cherry Hill Public Schools, including the Barclay Early Childhood Center, do not need to re-register. Details about pre-registration, including dates and times for the school in which you are registering, are now available.

CHPS Named to 8th Annual AP Honor Roll

The Cherry Hill Public Schools is one of 447 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 8th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 8th Annual Honor Roll, the Cherry Hill School District had to, since 2015, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

"As a district, we continually strive to improve in all areas," said Dr. Joseph Meloche, Superintendent of the Cherry Hill Public Schools. "I am pleased by this recognition and by the efforts of our administrators, staff and students in achieving this distinction."

Inclusion in the 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2015 to 2017, looking across 38 AP Exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used, requiring that a district must:

  • Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
  • Increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
  • Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2017 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2015 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.

"Congratulations to all the educators and administrators in this district who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to participate and succeed in AP," said Trevor Packer, head of AP and Instruction. "These educators and administrators are fostering a culture in their schools and classrooms that allows students to face new challenges and build the confidence to succeed."

CHPS Seeks Community Input on Website Accessibility

Cherry Hill Public Schools is committed to ensuring that our websites are accessible to everyone and we are working toward full ADA compliance by January 2018. We encourage our community to assist us by filling out an Accessibility Issue Form, should you encounter an area of our site that is not accessible while using assistive technology.

CHPS Earns Recognition as NJ 2017 District of Character

The New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional and Character Development (NJASECD) has named the Cherry Hill Public Schools a 2017 New Jersey District of Character. The District will maintain this status for three years, through 2019. The District will be honored at a recognition ceremony during the NJASECD Conference in May at Rider University. The District application now will be forwarded to character.org for consideration as a 2017 National District of Character.

Congratulations to District of Character Committee Chair Dr. Kirk Rickansrud and his team for a job well done in assembling the lengthy and detailed application to earn this prestigious designation.