New School Year Brings Familiar Faces to New Places

There'll be some familiar faces in new places when Haddonfield schools begin a new year Tuesday.

Three of the district's five schools have new principals. But all three are district veterans promoted into new positions.

Gino Priolo, PhD, will be the new principal of the middle school. He had been the principal of the Tatem School. He is replaced at Tatem by Karen-Joy Schultz, previously an elementary-school teacher in the district. Chuck Klaus is the new principal at the Central elementary school. Klaus was previously the assistant principal for teaching and learning at Haddonfield Memorial High School.  He replaces Sandra Horwitz, who will become an assistant principal at the middle school.

"I'm excited for Dr. Priolo, I'm excited for Ms. Schultz, and I'm excited for Tatem and the middle school," said Cindy Gaffney, PTA president at Tatem, who has come to know them both. "I think that these choices were not made in a flimsy fashion. I think they seem, so far, to be good matches and I'm excited for the two communities. Change is good."

With all the changes, it may be easy to forget Tuesday and Wednesday are half days for students throughout the district and Thursday and Friday begin full-day sessions. 

In addition to a new principal, the Central school also has a new card-swipe security system. Doors will be locked during the day and visitors will have to be buzzed in. The system was largely paid for by parents who wanted to increase security.

Police will also heighten no-parking regulations in front of the Central and middle schools along Lincoln Avenue by the end of the month. Enforcement could include a traffic officer with a handheld camera photographing license plates and mailing tickets to offenders. The goal is to keep traffic moving and prevent parking on either side of Lincoln Avenue during school. Officials have raised concerns about children darting between parked cars to cross the street.

Central and middle school parents are also advised to be aware of a new traffic pattern on Lincoln Avenue at the intersection of Potter and Ellis. Road improvements there have closed the intersection of Lincoln and Ellis. Eastbound traffic will be detoured to Walnut Street to reach Ellis. 

Growth in area schools is highlighted with enrollment at Tatem School, which has topped 500. Tatem will add second- and fifth-grade classes. The high school is welcoming students from 30 new families, the largest number in quite some time, Principal Mike Wilson said. 

The new high-school students mirror a 57-percent increase in revenue from tuition students this year, from $187,676 to $332,000. 

The population at Elizabeth Haddon elementary school has decreased, leading to the elimination of one first-grade class.

Districtwide initiatives include the state's new anti-bullying initiative, expansion of the Critical Thinking curricular strategies and the Digital Learner for the 21st Century program utilizing technology, intense professional development and technological support.