Dear Parents and Residents:
Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year!
Many enhancing academic and facility modifications and initiative been have been put in place over the past two years, with support from Board of Education members, elected officials, parents, and residents. Of specific note, phase 2 of the SmartBoard initiative is nearly complete as another 71 boards were installed in our classrooms during the summer. We are also very proud of our football field initiative on Conant Street. The field is now ready for use by our school teams in the fall of 2010.
Our educational program’s philosophy is centered on the concept of Understanding by Design and supported with evidence based learning. Over the summer, our science department has been busy revising the curriculum to reflect our new philosophy. Be sure to check it out on our new website. The Hillside School District utilizes Guided Reading, Writers Workshop, Everyday Mathematics, and National Science Foundation endorsed programs. Hillside is part of the consortium for achievement in Mathematics and Science supported by Merck. To support these efforts our teachers participate in a continuing effort to master the most successful teaching strategies. This summer more than one hundred teachers and administrators were part of staff development. Our middle school math and science teachers also participated in 36 hours of training via a grant through the Martinson Foundation and Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Facilities are continuing to be updated. The Hurden Looker Elementary School construction project continues and we expect to have a new gym floor, entry way, and updated drainage system completed in early September. In the fall of 2010, we will complete the final phase of the physics lab refurbishment project. During the summer we continued to remove asbestos materials throughout the district. Safety equipment is being updated and general repairs to make the buildings safe and attractive are being completed.
Our maintenance crew is busy painting classrooms, replacing old lockers, and working on our district fields. With the help of student athlete volunteer groups, we started to revitalize the baseball/football field behind the high school. New goalposts and a backstop will be installed as well.
During the summer, a district committee comprised of Board Members, administration, staff, and parents met to discuss the long term facility needs of the district. As part of their district goals for 2010, the Hillside Board of Education will review suggestions from the committee and professionals in the field to determine how to proceed. Using budget economies and government grants, facilities can be upgraded and in some cases be expanded without any additional cost to taxpayers. The goals will be to provide Hillside with facilities they can be proud of, facilities that support educational programs, and facilities that will attract future home buyers and to do this without any additional cost to residents.
In 2010 we updated our website and will continue to utilize the Global Connect notification system. If your phone, cell or email numbers have changed, notify the building secretary of your child’s school. In the coming school year our goal is to increase communication with parents and the community. We will be working on projects that link parents directly to their child’s classroom, to their child’s state test scores, and their child’s college/career interests. Through parent involvement we can achieve a higher level of academic understanding for our children.
Best wishes to you and your families for a safe and healthy school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas M. Kane