BCSSSD Pioneer Press
Winter 2018, Edition #30
Editor: Mrs. Laura Geltch, Coordinator of Program and Community
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Thank you,
Laura Geltch
Instagram - @bcss_burlington
A Message from your Superintendent
February 2018
Dear BCSSSD Community:
This past week, school districts across the nation and residents of the US hold heavy hearts after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Fourteen students lost their lives, along with three brave staff. Lives were snuffed out due to a senseless act that cut short the bright futures of talented and vibrant young men and women as well as accomplished staff. We hold these families in our thoughts and give gratitude for the gift of our children and staff. We can only ask the question 'why?' This is the 19th school shooting within the past year. This begs the question, what are school districts doing across the county to assure the safety of our students, staff and visitors?
To this end, I wanted to take this time to share what both the BCIT and BCSS School Districts have done over the past 4 years to address the safety and security of our students, staff and visitors. The Board of Education has committed over $2 million to address building upgrades, procedures and the hire of security personnel to assure that there is a safe learning environment. The following is a list of some of key actions that have been taken over the past four years:
- Purchase of a visitor management system – kiosks at the entrance of the buildings
- Purchase of a comprehensive camera system in all buildings
- Hire of building security teams inclusive of former law enforcement officers and correctional staff
- We are fortunate to have school resource officers through a partnership with local law enforcement in each of the BCIT high schools and seasoned security in BCSS buildings
- All outside doors have been replaced and are part of a buzz-in identification and keyless entry system
- All outside windows near entrances have been equipped with 3M protective coating to absorb impact of any projectiles
- All classroom and other inside doors have had locks changed to keyless entry, which now allows those inside the room to lock the doors in the event of an emergency (not the case in Parkland, FL)
- All staff and students have been issued ID cards and staff issued proximity fobs to enter building and classrooms
- Administration engage at the beginning of each school year in security training for staff, inclusive of online exercises.
- Administration updated the student code of conduct
- Administration updated the emergency evacuation/response procedures in each building
- Administration runs monthly emergency drills including intruder and shelter in place
- As one of the 30 career majors at BCIT, the Law and Public Safety program includes as part of the curriculum a deep respect for the law and law enforcement while promoting appropriate training on personal and public safety
Though not an exhaustive list, the administration is constantly looking at upgrades to procedures or facilities based on what is learned from each unfortunate school tragedy. One thing is certain: we are grateful for our Board of Education, the students entrusted to us whose bright futures await them, the staff who are dedicated to their profession and our administration who assure the safety and physical and educational wellbeing of all in the buildings over which they have oversight.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Nagy
Superintendent of Schools
Click HERE for Dr. Nagy's BCSSSD web page and blog
BCSSSD 2017-18 District School Calendar
BCSSSD Board of Education Policies & Regulations
Click HERE for Board of Education Meeting Notes. Please review and reference pertinent policies as applicable.
Board of Education policies and regulations online link:
BoE recognized our Special Olympic Volleyball Team!
Athletes:
TJ LaBorn, Molly Kiss, Ben Miller, David Boone, Jessica Dugan, Ahziah Harvey, Sean Mecum, Sayirah Wilson and Ariel Lake
Congratulations to our 2017-18 Teachers of the Year!
Educational Services Unit:
Teacher of the Year - Rasheda Garcia
Education Services Professional - Caroline Welch
Transition Campus:
Teacher of the Year - Matthew Dennion
Teacher Assistant of the Year - Renee Kiczek
Westampton High School Campus:
Teacher of the Year - Lori Salmons
Education Services Professional - Jennifer Nizio
Teacher Assistant of the Year - Doris "Betty" Karr
Westampton Middle School Campus:
Teacher of the Year - Debra Karwoski
Education Services Professional - Jennifer Bergman
Teacher Assistant of the Year - Sara Stoeckel
Westampton Elementary Campus:
Teacher of the Year - Maureen Graven-Eells
Education Services Professional - Kathleen Nizio
Teacher Assistant of the Year - John Colona
Lumberton Campus:
Teacher of the Year - Barbara Yanoschak
Education Services Professional - Jay Rabinowitz
Teacher Assistant of the Year - Kristina Travaglione
Burlington County Alternative School (BCAS), Mt. Laurel Campus
BCSSSD Lumberton Campus Newsletter
Please click HERE to read the Lumberton Campus February 2018 Newsletter.
Lumberton Campus Celebrates Black History Month
Lumberton Campus celebrated Black History Month today with an art exhibit, culinary hors d'oeuvres, Pioneer Band Concert & a visit from their district liaison. Educators from several neighboring districts visited the campus today as well.
Lumberton's students prepared beverages, hors d'oeuvres and desserts for guests in addition to gift bags for their liaisons, filled with recipes from today's selections.
Students created artwork in commemoration of their heroes, both in history and in the classroom. Several Lumberton campus teachers were honored with portrait posters of praise.
BCSSSD Educational Foundation
Dear BCSSSD Community,
I hope you have the opportunity to attend BCSSSD's Resource Fair and Open House on the Westampton Campus on March 22nd. Last year, most of the attendees who approached our table were parents of children who have benefited from our Respite Program. Families encouraged us to continue the program that provides them with a day of freedom. They were also impressed with the "Functional Living Center" (FLC), which our Foundation has assisted in funding.
Please save the date for our annual Golf Outing on June 28, 2018 at the Burlington Country Club.
President
BCSSSD Educational Foundation
"Unleash Your Creativity" Oneder article on BCSSSD teacher, Matt Dennion
Excerpt from Oneder.com Article Link
After hours, Matthew writes about Atomic Rex’s Conquest of Chimera but during the day he’s conquering data. One of the issues experienced by transition programs, says Matthew, is that “when we looked at other [platforms], is that they didn’t have a solid data collection component. [Students] just go out there and come back, and mostly it was anecdotal records regarding how well the kids did. So what I suggested doing is we took a look at what the kids are doing, make a task analysis of it, and then we were able to put that into ONEder and record the data from there.” Collecting and analyzing data has saved Matthew “hundreds of hours” of paperwork, and more importantly has allowed him to observe even slight incremental changes in a student’s performance. Seeing these changes has helped him to make data-driven decisions, and set better goals in the long run. For teachers “more dynamic records is one thing, but a graph where you can show step by step how the students are progressing are a lot more helpful to [teachers], so then they can see where the students need to improve as well.”
Upcoming 2017-18 Events
BCSSSD Open House & Resource Fair
March 22, 2018
Westampton Campus, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Read Across America Interactive Exhibit & Guest Readers
March 22 & 23, 2018
Westampton Campus
April 27, 2018
Westampton Campus, 6 - 9 p.m.
Poster Presentation Research Symposium
May 24, 2018
Westampton Campus, 6 - 8 p.m.
BCSSSD Educational Foundation Golf Outing
June 28, 2018
Burlington Country Club
BCSSSD Open House & Resource Fair
Thursday, Mar 22, 2018, 05:30 PM
20 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ, United States
Annual Reunion Dance
Friday, Apr 27, 2018, 06:00 PM
20 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ, United States
Educational Services Annual Golf Outing
Thursday, Jun 28, 2018, 07:30 AM
Burlington Country Club, Burrs Road, Mount Holly, NJ, United States
BCSSSD In The News!
Special Olympics: Silver Medal for BCSSSD Pioneers
Congratulations to the Pioneers Volleyball Team for a wonderful victory in January during the Special Olympics NJ Winter games!
Our athletes really came together as a team and their hard work and perseverance earned them a Silver Medal!
Ms. Hogan's Graphic Design Black History Month Project
Sign Me A Story & Augmentative and Alternative Communication Events
Upcoming events: click HERE
BCPDI Training 2017-18
Burlington County Health Department Information: School-Aged Children Immunization Clinics
Click HERE for the link to the Burlington County Burlington County Health Department (BCHD) / School-Age Children Immunization Clinic.
Emergency Closing/Delayed Opening Procedures:
In the event of a campus emergency or inclement weather, staff members will be contacted via email, phone message, and text message. In addition, we will post a Special Alert Message on our website.
Staff Members, Help us Contact You.
Have you moved? Have you changed your phone number or email address? Please make sure to update your information with BCSSSD Personnel.
Employee Data Change Form: EDCF Form
Note: Staff are required to submit a signed EDCF when requesting changes to their personnel profile.
EDCF should be sent to personnel: bcsssdpersonnel@burlcoschools.org or BCITPersonnel@burlcoschools.org
Students will be contacted using information stored in Genesis, our electronic student database. Parents should be reminded to ensure their contact information is up-to-date. Any changes should be reported to the main office of the student's school.