A Message from the Superintendent, Mr. Dennis Mack

Welcome back to the start of a new school year!  The 2007/2008 school year is now officially underway.

As Superintendent of Schools, I am dedicated to the task that our schools provide the highest quality education for all our students.  We, at Roxbury Public Schools, have a mission to educate every child who walks through our doors.

Our teachers work very hard every day to prepare the students for their tomorrows and understand that their hard work has a profound and lasting effect on the lives of their students.  Our staff continually looks for ways to improve themselves professionally to meet the diverse needs of each child.  This summer, staff training took place in Differentiated Instruction and Project Read, a district initiative that will deliver the curriculum in diverse ways.  Our teachers and administrators will make a difference in the lives of approximately 4,550 students entering our schools this fall.

We have also been active this summer working on the second year of our newly formed Strategic Plan, a plan that will help guide the district for the next three years.  Four major areas of focus of the plan are:

ü      Student achievement

ü      To enhance the social and emotional growth of students

ü      Progressive education by looking at alternative funding and by being pro-active with cutting-edge educational opportunities

ü      Communication – the increasing awareness of events and successes in all domains of the school district.

Communicating with our parents as well as our community members is an objective that we will focus on again this year.  Information will be provided on-line regarding grade level educational goals and helpful hints on helping the children achieve.  We will also provide fall registration material for enrolling in our Community School which provides a wealth of courses and activities for both adults and children.  This summer, we had 875 students participate in our programs which enriched their school experience and sharpened their skills for the upcoming year.  We encourage you to take advantage of the courses that are being offered in the fall through the Roxbury Community School.  Visit our website at www.roxbury.org/communityschool for more information on how to register.

We have created a strong relationship with the Town Council and through our Shared Services Committee will be working to renovate the Berkshire Valley School which we anticipate will open for the 2008/2009 school year.  This school will offer students with disabilities an opportunity to stay in the district, thus benefiting both the students and the taxpayers in years to come.

The school district will also be going through state monitoring this year.  This new evaluation system is called New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) and will focus on monitoring the school district in five key factors:

ü      Instruction and Program

ü      Personnel

ü      Fiscal Management

ü      Operations

ü      Governance

I look forward to a great year and with your help, I am sure we will be able to accomplish great things.  Please stay connected through our website, www.roxbury.org.