Dear Parents,
As we all know, these are very challenging economic times. Our schools face the unique challenge of providing an optimum education for the students while being very mindful of the cost to our community. For the last three years, we have been pleased to present a budget with a zero percent increase in school taxes to the taxpayers of Dover. We have aggressively pursued a variety of grants and aid from public and private sources to offset our expenses. Despite our financial frugality, we have been expanding programs and services to offer the most comprehensive program in our history, one which affords our staff tools and resources far beyond what is available in many other districts. We welcome this opportunity to share the many innovations and improvements that will greet our students this fall.
The Dover Public School District remains committed to strengthening the academic rigor of all programs at all grade levels. Innovative programs aimed at increasing student achievement have been designed and will be implemented as the new school year commences. Dover High School will offer a variety of new courses this year. We have constructed a new lab for a course entitled Digital Animation. This course will offer our students an opportunity to learn about animation, incorporating concepts from Art, English and Technology. Students will work with industry standard software and acquire entry level skills upon completion of the course. Another new High School opportunity will consist of a split-year course. One half of the year will focus on the area of Personal Finance, and the other half of the year will feature a Writing Workshop. Another course has been designed to prepare our students for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Special emphasis will be given to essay writing, vocabulary enrichment, mathematical reasoning, and test taking strategies.
This summer represented a variety of programs focused on creating new partnerships between home and school. Our new parent symposium brought in guest speakers covering the following topics:
1. Language Arts: How Can a Parent Help at Home?
2. Overcoming Obstacles: Featuring NFL player Roman Oben
3. Bullying and Sports Violence: Featuring Dr. Rob Gilbert
4. How to Do the Impossible: Featuring Dr. Rob Gilbert
5. Effective Communication with Children and Significant Others: Featuring Scott Chesney.
Due to popular request, Mr. Richard Johnston will continue his new program for Parents entitled Guiding Good Choices. All workshops are presented in English and Spanish (either through dual workshops or employing the use of headsets and the translation by a staff member). We welcome all who have an interest to attend these informative parent sessions. Upcoming events will be posted on the websites and included on the weekly menu-grams.
The Dover Public School District endeavors to remain at the forefront in the areas of technology acquisition and integration. Thirty-five additional Interactive boards are being installed in classrooms throughout the district. When installation is completed, every classroom in the district, from Pre-K to 12, will have an interactive board, LCD projector, speakers and a laptop computer. Each elementary building in the district will also benefit from the acquisition of a new iPod Touch computer cart which will be used to deliver the Study Island Web-based Program with an intent of increasing student performance in the revised State Testing program. Technology, as a tool, gives our staff enhanced opportunities to meet the needs of our students by improving the content and delivery of daily lessons.
Our gifted and talented programs throughout the district continue to grow. Students in grades 2 through 8 who have demonstrated an academic penchant for learning will participate in an enhanced academic program offered during the school day. Through a partnership with the County College of Morris, Dover High School students will earn up to 14 transcripted college credits by completing General Biology I & II and English Composition I & II. These courses will be offered at Dover High School during the school day by high school teachers who have been appointed CCM adjunct professors.
As part of a partnership between Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and the district, the Sally Ride Science Club will continue in Grades 6, 7 and 8. Each week the club members will engage in challenging hands-on activities that will foster an interest in, and appreciation for, science, mathematics and technology. Our first year was marked by three teams being selected to participate in the National Finals in Arlington, Virginia. The district strives to enhance student growth and achievement by providing professional development opportunities for teachers that are sustained, meaningful and standards-based. The district will employ new job-embedded professional development opportunities, building on programs instituted this summer in our extended school year program for students in Grades 1-12. Content specialists in the areas of language arts, mathematics and technology will work with teachers and students in the classroom and at district-wide staff meetings throughout the course of the school year on student-centered problem-solving activities aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.
The soccer and baseball fields at Dover High School have been renovated and will provide our students with a spacious and safe athletic venue . Hamilton Field, Home of the Dover Tiger Football team since 1929, has been upgraded with new sod and a new sprinkler system. This long overdue field upgrade will be utilized as we begin participation in our new athletic conference. We have been successful in applying for, and receiving, additional funding for a window replacement project at Dover High School. This grant, from the State of New Jersey, will cover 66% of the total cost of replacement. The current single pane windows, purchased when oil was 10cents per gallon, will be replaced with double pained, insulated windows that will save a great deal of energy and provide a greater level of comfort. We have also received a grant to replace the roof at Academy Street School.
We are proud of the many new programs and initiatives and opportunities that will await our students for the 2009-2010 academic year. We welcome your kind participation and involvement as we work today to build our childrens future. Thank you for your kind support!