What Makes Cherry Hill a Blue Ribbon School

From the Cherry Hill School Blue Ribbon School application, 1999.

"As we celebrate Fifty Years of Excellence in Education, at Cherry Hill School in River Edge, New Jersey, we joyfully reflect on our schools past accomplishments and energetically look to the future. Our vision is to develop knowledgeable, responsible and confident citizens. Meeting a diverse range of academic, cultural and social needs is reflected in all aspects of the Cherry Hill School experience. High academic standards and opportunities for involvement in innovative programs encourage each student to develop fundamental skills and thinking processes and enable them to be active participants in the learning process. A variety of enrichment programs and leadership opportunities encourage children to pursue their interests and apply learning in real-life situations.

An integral aspect of our schools curriculum involves authentic tasks which call for problem solving and critical thinking. A strong emphasis is placed on teaching basic subject skills along with strategies for learning and essential study skills. Teachers also employ a variety of programs and experiences to enrich and extend learning, while helping students transfer knowledge and skills to meaningful tasks. The Young Astronauts Club, school newspaper, and weather satellite imaging program are examples of these real-life learning opportunities. The fine arts instructors at Cherry Hill School have developed exemplary programs for elementary school students based on their collaborative spirit. A high level of student participation in extra-curricular activities in dance, music and the visual arts is a tribute to the energy and expertise of this team of arts professionals.

Our approach to assessment reflects the schools mission to provide all children with a program that ensures their maximum academic, personal and intellectual growth. We believe that to be meaningful, assessment must be on-going and closely linked t0 instruction. A comprehensive portfolio assessment program for primary grade students leads to an assessment approach for older students that combines standardized measures with collections of work samples and anecdotal notes. Report card benchmarks for every grade clearly communicate expectations to students and parents and ensure continuity of instruction.

Recognizing and responding to the developmental needs and varied learning styles of our students is essential to building strong self-esteem. Each child at Cherry Hill School is treated as an individual, with enrichment or remediation available whenever necessary. An exemplary English as a Second Language Program supports classroom learning, while emphasizing basic oral and written language skills. An active and effective school-based Pupil Assistance Committee works with teachers and parents to identify appropriate expectations and instructional approaches for individual students or to address behavioral and emotional difficulties. A climate of support and encouragement, of warmth and acceptance clearly exists. Diversity is respected and celebrated through special events, such as Multicultural Day, and through student programs, such as peer mediation, promoting positive interactions in classrooms and throughout the school community.

Shared leadership plays a key role in moving the school toward its mission. The principal serves as both instructional leader and daily administrator at the school. She interacts daily with students in classrooms and the lunchroom, as a Junior Great Books discussion leader and as advisor for the schools student newspaper. Each year, the principal reads to every class, leaving them with a message and, often, a project to complete related to that message. Last fall, every child and teacher planted a tulip bulb on school grounds after hearing Miss Rumphius message about the importance of everyone doing something to make the world more beautiful. The principal also seeks to actively involve others in management and curriculum decisions and tasks. Curriculum and program change has often been directly initiated by teachers and supported by the principal. A committee approach to decision-making allows interested teachers, parents, and community members to participate in revising curricula, establishing school procedures and organizing special events. Students have a strong voice in identifying and solving school-wide problems, supporting their schoolmates and planning student activities as Student Council members, Peer Mediators, Lunchtime Helpers, and Safety Patrol members.

Our mission statement places the nurturing of students academic, professional growth and personal fitness are essential to the success of our students. Through example, teachers model the importance of being lifelong learners for their students by participating in annual staff development courses that are closely linked to curriculum initiatives and school goals. Recent courses on topics such as Using the Internet in the Classroom, Literature Circles, Brain-Compatible Learning, Peer Mediation for implement effective programs for students. Many teachers also attend professional workshops and conferences each year to learn new techniques and to present workshops on specific curriculum initiatives such as Authentic Assessment, Multicultural Teaching Techniques, Discipline-Based Art Education, and Orff-Schulwerk Music Education Techniques.

Building personal responsibility and citizenship skills in our students is an on-going goal. Children at Cherry Hill School complete community service work and enjoy celebrating All-Prepared Days. Students in every class work together to establish routines that enable everyone to arrive at school on time and prepared for learning each day. Parents have actively supported this effort and significant improvement has been noted. Developing civic responsibility in our children is also a cooperative home-school effort. Teachers and students select class service projects and the Student Council engages all grades in other school-wide efforts. All students are encouraged to bring in donations for a local food pantry and collect telephone books for recycling. First graders regularly send holiday greetings and tray decorations to senior citizens who receive Meals-on-Wheels and third graders keep school grounds clean by organizing a litter patrol. Many students also help their neighbors and relatives by volunteering to rake leaves, shovel snow, run errands or complete other small household tasks for them. These children recognize that they can make a difference.

We believe that our goals can be achieved if there exists open communication and interaction among all members of the school community. A welcoming and warm atmosphere promotes community and parent participation in school activities. An active and creative PTO supports the educational program through fundraising and volunteerism. classrooms, library volunteers, Safety Committee members, and playground supervisors. Family involvement is encouraged through a series of workshops designed to promote cooperative learning and exploration. Family Math, Family Science and Family Tools and Technology are popular programs taught by district staff each year. We are always seeking to become involved in town projects and involve local citizens in school activities. Community members are invited into classrooms to share career information, enjoy special presentations by our students and serve as volunteers to support classroom activities. We have worked on annual recycling projects with the town and recently collaborated on an Arbor Day treeplanting event.

Our school is a place where students and teachers like to be. In early October, as our 50th Anniversary Parade marched through the streets of River Edge, spectators heard original songs and cheers and saw colorful banners that expressed the joy and excitement our students and teachers feel as members of the Cherry Hill School community. This event was a wonderful celebration of the warm and caring, challenging and supportive atmosphere that has evolved over these past 50 years. As we look to the future, we will work toward making our school even better by identifying and introducing new programs and policies focused on our mission of developing knowledgeable, responsible, confident citizens."