Dr. Harry Groveman

 

Saddle Brook is a comprehensive K-12 district comprised of three K-6 elementary schools (Franklin, Long and Smith), Washington School, which houses a number of our early intervention special education programs, and Saddle Brook Middle/High School, which houses grades 7-12. Grades 7-8 are located in one wing of the building and operate independently from the high school.  Our student population continues to increase each year with our total population expected to be around 1850 total students during the 2009-2010 school year.  Based on that enrollment figure, Saddle Brook would still be considered a small suburban school district. 

 

During the 2008-2009 school year the Saddle Brook Public Schools underwent a new State Monitoring Program known as the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC). This program evaluated our school system in the areas of Operations, Governance, Fiscal Management, Instruction, and Program and Personnel. As a result of this review and assessment, the Saddle Brook School System was determined to be a high performing district in each of the five major areas examined. While we are proud of these results, we still feel that there is more room for improvement and to that end we are excited about the start of the new school year and the number of initiatives that are underway to help make our schools even better.

 

One of the best attributes of our school system, if not its best feature,  is the fact that the Saddle Brook Schools offers its students a comprehensive academic program in a small school environment that facilitates personalized attention and numerous opportunities. From clubs and programs that promote technological careers, civic responsibility, leadership, journalism and the fine and performing arts to a full compliment of interscholastic sports programs, Saddle Brook offers each student the opportunity to be an active partner in his/her own education. 

 

Some of the highlights of the 2008-2009 school year and new programs for 2009-2010 are as follows:

2008-2009 saw…

 

·        Our successful State Monitoring review conducted during the 2008-2009 school year and resulting in our classification as a “high performing district.”

·        The successful roll out of our new District Web Site: www.saddlebrookschools.org

·        Our initiation of a special faculty training program for all K-2 teachers in the use of Multi-sensory strategies in the instruction of reading, writing and spelling.

·        The successful infusion of our newly revised K-12 Health and Physical Education Curriculum

·        The continuation of two programs to enrich our elementary science and math curricula. “A World In Motion” for six graders and “Engineering is Elementary” for grades 3-5, both launched in 2007-2008, remain an important and valued part of our elementary program district wide.

·        The successful continuation of the State Department of Education’s “Learnia” program. A web-based formative assessment program that allows our faculty in grades 3-8 to evaluate and measure student achievement on a continual basis.

·        The introduction of the “Grade Book” component of our student information system at the middle school and high school, which enables us to open the Parent Portal so that parents could access their child’s class by class records and information.

·        The successful integration at the high school of our first annual College Fair and Career Fair.

·        The successful integration of Study Island a web-based student program designed to improve student knowledge in Core Curriculum Content areas at one of our three elementary schools.

·        93.3 % of the graduating class of 2009 attending post-secondary college programs this fall and as a class accepted over $1,361,000 in scholarship money.

 

2009-2010 will see…

·        The expansion of Study Island to each elementary school as well as the middle school.

·        The introduction of Virtual High School International which will allow high school students to enroll in an on-line for credit program with students from around the world.

·        The Learn and Serve America grant that enabled the Middle/High School Court-yard Project to convert our unused inner court-yard into a certified Wildlife Habitat has led to a new multi-year grant that will afford Saddle Brook Schools’ the opportunity to become a Regional Service Learning Center for Northern New Jersey.   

·        A technology upgrade that will allow wireless access throughout the Middle/High School.

·        The introduction of a number of new Advanced Placement courses at the High School, including: AP Physics, AP Spanish, AP Statistics, AP European History, AP Studio Art: 2D Design, AP English Language and Composition and AP Musical Theory

 

While there are many other achievements that can be listed for the 2008-2009 school year and even more expectations of what we are hoping to accomplish in 2009-2010, I would hope that you get the sense of how much excitement is on tap for this coming school year. Once again, with a dedicated faculty and the continued support of our community, we approach the 2009-2010 school year committed to the philosophy that all students deserve the right to achieve to their full potential.