School information at your fingertips
By AUBRIE GEORGE
The Cherry Hill Sun
8/14/2009

In this day and age, we need information and we need it now.

This is especially true when it comes to kids and especially when it comes to their education.

Lucky for Cherry Hill residents, information about their child’s public school education is right at their fingertips any hour of the day or night.

The Cherry Hill K-12 Public School Web site offers up-to-date information to keep parents and other visitors informed about what’s going on in the academic, athletic and extra-curricular spectrums of Cherry Hill elementary, middle school and high school students’ education.

Right away, visitors to the district Web site are presented with a list of recent school- and district-wide happenings that are compiled in an “e-newsletter” and displayed on the homepage. Several brief summaries of newsworthy events and topics can be clicked on and visitors are taken to a page that offers in-depth information on that specific topic.

Further down the homepage, news and information is broken down by categories. Links lead visitors to a community Q and A that answers questions about what’s going on in the district, a district map, information about polling places and a district calendar detailing important dates and events. Here, visitors will also find details about policies and procedures, information about the district’s TV station and school closing information.

To the left-hand side of the homepage, visitors can access links to pertinent information including links to school Web sites where viewers will find information, events and announcements specific and unique to each school.

Visitors will find a link to information about district curriculum, assistance and assessment including a curriculum overview, information about standards and benchmarks for each grade and subject, teacher evaluation instructions and forms.

Get to know district Superintendent of Schools David Campbell through a page that displays an extensive bio about his education, professional accomplishments and personal life. Need to contact Campbell? Easy. Just follow the link that says, “Contact us” where visitors will find Campbell’s contact information along with other administrative contacts in the district. On the same page are directions for anyone who might need to pay a visit to the Malberg Administration Building.

Information about each of the district’s departments is also accessible through the homepage. Visitors who click on this section will find information for important contacts in each department as well as newsworthy items and links to view important documents specific to each department. Some links, such as the link for the School Age Child Care (SACC) program, will take you to a separate Web page designed by the department containing everything you need to know and who to contact with questions.

Extensive information about the Board of Education is available through the district Web site. A link serves visitors with information about the current board members, the board’s goals, visions and their mission statement. If parents or interested residents miss a meeting, they can easily access notes and minutes that offer a brief overview of presentations, discussions, and action taken at BOE meetings and work sessions. The notes are updated often with minutes from the most recent meetings and archived minutes that date back to 2006.

The Web site’s budget section gives visitors an overview of the current district budget and also gives information about voting during school elections.

To see how their tax dollars are being used, visitors can access a user-friendly budget, a budget Q and A and information from meetings leading up to the adopted budget.

During the election races, visitors can access information about BOE candidates, be informed about important election dates and voting information and can even follow a link in order to register to vote in the next election.

Another link offers notices to bidders, bid packages, request for proposal packages, addendums or instructions related to quotes bids or RFPs for upcoming district projects.

Anyone seeking employment within the district will find a link to a list of open positions as well as a link to an electronic application.

Links to organizations outside of, but related to, the district are reachable through the Web site.

Information about the Cherry Hill Education Association, the Cherry Hill Education Foundation, the Utility Conservation Corps, the Zone PTA, the township, the township library, the fire department and Sustainable Cherry Hill is all just a click away.

Can’t find exactly what you’re looking for?

A search engine at the top of the page allows visitors to type in keywords to find and access the information they need.

Questions and comments about the Web site can be submitted easily if visitors click on a link and fill out an electronic form that is sent directly to the district’s public information officer, Susan Bastnagel.

To see all of this for yourself, access the Cherry Hill Public School District Web site by visiting www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us.