Valley Road School ready for another great year

Stanhope — The 2016-2017 school year is off to another great start in Stanhope this year, as teachers and staff were welcomed back to school with a lollipop to signal “popping the top” off the beginning of the academic year.
Students, staff and visitors were greeted with some noticeable changes in the building, starting right in the main office, where school facilities staff worked hard over the summer to give the space a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting and a new layout. The look is accompanied by a new face as well. Mrs. Grace Schmiedhauser is the new main office administrative assistant, though she is not new to the school. She previously supported the Child Study Team, just down the hall. In addition to Mrs. Schmiedhauser, Valley Road School has welcomed new teaching staff: Mrs. Sara Beattie is the new STEM Teacher, returning to the leave replacement position she filled last Spring; Mrs. Kranz and Mr. Ruschmeyer are new special education teachers, Ms. Brianna Collinson is working with students as in-class counselor, and the new Art Teacher, Mr. Roberto Mendez is already showing off student artwork in the halls. Mr. Julio Picallo, also new to the school last Spring, returns to the expanded ESL program. The administration is very excited to welcome these new staff members to the community.
In addition, students and visitors noticed staff changes, as some of the school’s veteran teachers bring their experience to new assignments: Mrs. Hergert is now teaching First Grade; Mrs. Benedetto and Miss Ehrgott are teaching Third Grade students; Mrs. Finklea-DiCataldo is teaching Fourth Grade, and Ms. Pipher, now located in the back hallway, is teaching Fifth Grade.
Valley Road School’s teaching staff is supported by a number of classroom paraprofessionals, many of whom have been working at the school for many years, and some of whom are new this year. Finally, our Child Study Team welcomes Mrs. Miriam Arias-Ortega as the new administrative assistant.
Mr. Lalama, our Technology Coordinator, worked diligently over the summer to launch our new social media initiative! Neighbors and members of the community are encouraged to follow the school’s Instagram® and Twitter® feeds, at @StanhopeVRS.
Residents of the borough received information about school performance in their new tax bill mailed this summer. Highlighted in the letter was a summary of recent academic assessments including nearly 70% of 8th graders scoring proficient or advanced proficient on the PARCC language arts portion, over 50% of students qualifying for advanced mathematics study at Lenape Valley Regional High School, more than 97% of fourth grade students scoring proficient or advanced proficient on the NJ ASK Science test, and a 15% rise in NJASK scores for science in 8th grade.
The first big event of the school year was participation in National Walk and Bike to School Day on October 5. Scores of students met up with parent chaperones stationed throughout the borough and walked or rode bicycles to school.
Next up for the school is the annual Salute to Veterans to be held on Wednesday, November 9. Veterans from the community are welcome to attend to be recognized and appreciated for their service. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to cyonki@stanhopeschools.org.
Principal Steve Hagemann shared his thoughts on how things are going so far this year: “I am extremely excited to have our students and staff back for another great year. I am so proud of our students’ accomplishments and the commitment that our teachers and staff have made to making Valley Road a better school. This year, we are making a great effort to share all the wonderful things we are doing with the community, and I invite anyone to contact me if they wish to visit and see what we do first hand."
Mr. Timothy Nicinski, the superintendent, stated that he is “looking forward to expanding our partnerships with the community. As a part of that expansion, the district will collaborate with the municipality on grants and projects, the high school for shared programing, and the business community to support student preparation for college and career readiness.”
His plans for the school year include conducting a series of three Superintendent Forums to include parent professional development on school communication, transitions to high school and attendance initiatives in the district. The forums will focus on the use of social media and pre- and post-program surveys will be administered to evaluate progress. The forums will be held in the fall, winter, and spring of the school year. In addition, Mr. Hagemann plans to hold parent forums throughout the year, focusing on topics such as PARCC and programs to help parents better understand the technology that we use in school each day.