Shhh! Don’t tell the kids, but it’s back to school for Weehawken students on Wednesday, Sept. 8. Although students will be back in the classroom, a number of changes have been made, including a new information processing system for third- through eighth-graders, and a brand new cafeteria at the high school.
Class begins with a half-day, a one-session day which allows teachers and students an easier transition into the upcoming school year, said superintendent Kevin McLellan.
“We find half-days are easier on the kids the first couple of days,” he said. “That’s a common practice in many districts. Teachers are still setting up the classrooms and have a lot of paper work to get done.”
“It allows us to analyze student strengths and weaknesses.” – Kevin McLellan
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McLellan’s goal for this year is straightforward. “We always pass the state monitoring as a high-performance school district, and we’re going to continue to offer our students the ability to meet their maximum potential.”
New construction
The new $635,000 high school cafeteria will be ready when the first school bell rings on Sept. 8. According to district officials, the cafeteria will be able to accommodate all of the students at the school, something that was impossible with the original cafeteria.
“What we did now was to centralize student meals in one location,” McLellan said. He said that the new cafeteria can also host “small dances and student ceremonies” that would have usually been held outside the school district.
In addition to a larger cafeteria, the new digs also offer students a larger variety of meals, and foods that are healthier for the diners, like a salad bar.
The cafeteria was the last construction project to be completed in conjunction with the state-issued bond referendum passed in April of 2008. The state paid for 40 per cent of the $7.5 million venture, which covered upgrades to all three Weehawken schools, including roof repairs at the high school, new science classrooms and computers.
Although the students will still be able to leave for lunch, now they have the option to stay on school grounds. “We’re encouraging students to stay,” McLellan said. “They’re going to be quite pleased.”
Learning to learn
In grades 3 through 8, the school district is introducing a new information technology system, which allows administrators to better track student progress. Called Learnia, the system documents student test grades and class performance through online tests given throughout the year.
Learnia tracks student skills that will be assessed on the NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, an elementary-level test used to identify students who need additional instruction. The system is available on any computer with internet access.
“It allows us to analyze student strengths and weaknesses,” McLellan said.
The system is a prerequisite for a “Race to the Top” grant from a U.S. Department of Education fund. But New Jersey was recently not awarded the grant because of a clerical error on the state’s application. The state would have received $400 million in funding.
“Unfortunately we didn’t receive the grant, which would have really helped our students,” McLellan said. “But we will be applying again when the time comes.”
Weehawken officials said the new information system was fully paid for by the state.
“I’m hoping to be able to more effectively track student’s academic progress,” McLellan said. “And concentrate on resolving student weaknesses.”
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com