Cinnaminson Police Chief's Message To Students: Never Give Up

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson Police Chief Richard Calabrese has a positive message for students who may be struggling with remote learning amid the pandemic: you're not alone, and you should never give up.

“So many students are struggling with education online,” said Calabrese, who earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree by studying mostly online.

Students in the Cinnaminson Public School District are engaged in a mix of in-person and remote learning, or 100 percent remote learning, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here: Cinnaminson Schools To Offer In-Person, Remote Learning This Fall

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Calabrese’s message for students is to never give up and always try to further yourself. That’s what Calabrese is doing, even now. While serving as the chief of police for the last year, Calabrese was able to complete a Certified Public Manager (CPM) Certification course online through Rutgers University.

He will begin Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command in January. That’s a course that will last about five months, at 20-30 hours a week of commitment, according to the university’s website.

He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Individualized Studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2015, and his Master’s Degree in Administrative Science in 2016, also from Fairleigh. In 2016, he was a detective sergeant with the Cinnaminson Police Department, and enrolled in three master’s courses, which constituted a full-time commitment.

“Time management is the key,” Calabrese said. “You don’t have to try to knock everything out all at once. If you don’t have to be in front of the computer, spread it out.”

It’s good advice for adults and college students, but he has a message specifically aimed at younger children, who he says are taking classes now as though they are online college courses. He says they’re being robbed of being able to experience their childhood the same way their parents and even their older siblings did.

“Take a break, be a child,” Calabrese said. “They’re not getting the chance to really interact with each other. They just go from one online course to another. They don’t even see each other in the hallways and get a chance to say ‘how about that soccer game yesterday.’ They need time to be a kid. Managing time is important, and it’s important to know you’re not the only one who’s doing this. This is the new normal.”

He also had a message for the parents of the children in this new normal.

“Communication is key,” said Calabrese, who has two daughters in school right now. “My wife has to be on top of this like it’s a full-time job.”

Parents need to help their children as much as they can because online learning is harder than traditional in-person learning. But there’s value in both, as there is in working hard and continuing to learn.

“I think it is important for students both young and old to know that education never stops in life no matter what-even during a global pandemic,” Calabrese said. “Now, more than ever, students need to know that we are all in this together and never let go of their aspirations or dreams.”

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