Dear Parents and Students of Voorhees High School,
I hope that you are having a relaxing and rewarding summer. It has been a busy summer at Voorhees in on our preparation for the new school year. Enjoy the remaining weeks, and we look forward to seeing you.
Please take a moment to review the following information:
Opening of School
All students will report for a regular day of school on Thursday, August 24. Student schedules are now viewable in Aspen, our student information system.
Our guidance staff has made extraordinary efforts to personalize each student’s schedule. Long hours have been spent planning, assisting in course selections, and refining conflicts. This process should have effectively addressed any of your scheduling concerns. Please realize the amount of effort already expended and the constraints of course availability, class size, and room availability.
School Administration
Starting this year, Voorhees High School has moved to an assistant principal model for supervision of students and subject areas. The following are the areas of responsibility:
Mr. Simpson: Class of 2018, Business, Fine and Practical Arts, Social Studies, and World Language
Mr. Maslonka: Class of 2019, English and Math
Mrs. Hammerstone: Class of 2020, Guidance, Science, and STEM
Mrs. Kieffer: Class of 2021, Child Study Team and Special Education
Senior G.A.I.N. Time
Please note that with the new Rolling Drop-Block Schedule, during the lunch blocks, seniors will be assigned to a designated classroom for the study hall portion of the block. This study hall is not considered G.A.I.N. Time, and students must report to the designated classroom. This is because we cannot accommodate the entire senior class in the eating areas during the lunches. G.A.I.N. Time will be for the 55 minute regular block study halls.
Student Parking
Due to construction, only seniors will be considered for a parking spot.
Seniors, an e-mail was sent on August 9th regarding applying for a parking sticker.
TEACHNJ Act
One of the requirements of the TEACHNJ Act is that teachers, with approval from their principals, set Student Growth Objectives (SGOs) for their students at the start of the year and are assessed on whether those objectives are met at the end of the year. National, state, or district-developed assessments should be used where available to identify the measurable goals for each objective. Teachers also may use collaboratively-developed assessments for SGOs, including portfolios of student work. Teachers are required to set at least two SGOs for the 2017-2018 school year.
Please understand that due to these requirements our students may be given pre-assessments in their classes during the first weeks of school. These pre-assessments will be used as a formative tool to measure growth and will not affect the student’s grade.
Parent/Student Handbook
The Parent-Student Handbook and calendar is available on the Voorhees website. Most of the information disseminated to you will be online. If you do not have access to the Internet, please inform us so that we may make arrangements to mail materials to you. We encourage you to become familiar with the information contained in the handbook and mark the dates of important school events throughout the year. Some of the dates to note are listed below.
Required Summer Reading
All students will be assessed on their summer reading during the first week of school.
Important Dates
Last Day for Schedule Changes Friday, September 1
Meet the Teachers Night* Thursday, September 7
Fall College Night* Thursday, September 14
Mini College Fair 1 Thursday, October 5
P.S.A.T. Wednesday, October 11
Mini College Fair 2* Thursday, October 19
*All evening programs begin at 7:00 PM
Student Activities
One of the many strengths of Voorhees High School is the large number of students involved in co-curricular activities. Students who become involved in the school broaden their experiences and increase their enjoyment of high school. Whether it is athletics, theatre, music, clubs or student government, I encourage you to participate in one or more student activities. Not only will you find the experience to be rewarding, but you also help make Voorhees High School a better place.
I look forward to seeing you on August 24th.
Sincerely,
Ronald J. Peterson
Principal
