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 as we are putting the finishing touches 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 28.  An upcoming email will be sent to inform you when you can print student schedules from ASPEN, our new student database system.  Additional copies will be distributed in front of the guidance office beginning at 7:30AM.  Students will then report to their homerooms where locker assignments and combinations will be distributed.

Our guidance office 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 your scheduling concerns.  Please realize the amount of effort already expended and the constraints of course availability, class size, and room availability.

TEACHNJ Act

On August 6, 2012, Governor Christie signed into law the TEACHNJ Act, which requires implementation of new educator evaluation systems beginning in 2013-14. Districts must comply with elements of TEACHNJ – as well as other statutory requirements.

One of the requirements 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 2014-2105 school year.

Please understand that due to these requirements our students will be given pre-assessments in most, if not all, of 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. 

Student Parking

Seniors who wish to drive to school will be assessed a $75 fee for a parking permit. All parents of students requesting a parking permit and the students themselves must attend a session of Alive at 25 if they have not already done so. Seniors will receive more information about parking during the first week of school.

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, you also help make Voorhees High School a better place.

Random Substance Testing

As a reminder, all students who participate in co-curricular activities not required for graduation will be subject to random substance testing.  Students must submit a consent form signed by a parent or guardian to be eligible for participation in athletics, clubs, and all other co-curricular activities – click here for form. If you have any questions, please call us at 638-6116.

Parent/Student Handbook

The Parent-Student Handbook will be available on the Voorhees website. This year, 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.

Calendar

A link to the district calendar is available on the Voorhees website.  For school event information, please visit “Today’s Activities” located on the Voorhees website on the right hand side.  We encourage you to mark the dates of important school events throughout the year.  Some of the dates to note are listed below:

Important Dates

Last Day for Schedule Changes                     Thursday, September 11

Meet the Teachers Night*                               Tuesday, September 9

Fall College Night*                                         Thursday, September 18

Mini College Fair 1*                                       Wednesday, October 1

Mini College Fair 2                                         Wednesday, October 22

*All evening programs begin at 7:00 PM

Required Summer Reading

All students will be assessed on their summer reading during the first week of school.

Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application

If your child qualifies for Free and Reduced Price School Meals, please click here to read the letter and access the application.  Completed applications should be returned to Mrs. Schaible in the main office.

I look forward to seeing you on August 28.

Sincerely,

Ronald J. Peterson

Principal

Please note:

In accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, 100% of our teachers meet the definition of Highly Qualified Teacher.  By law, parents have the right to inquire about the qualifications and highly qualified status of their child’s teacher.