New Kindergarten, District Goals In Summit

SUMMIT, NJ - The new school year is fast approaching and Summit Superintendent of Schools June Chang is telling parents to prepare for the changes when classes start on Sept. 3.

Chang's remarks follow:

"Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year. I am excited for the school year to begin and for all to return to the district. Throughout the summer, our staff and administrative team have been working diligently to have our buildings and instructional spaces ready to welcome our students. We are all looking forward to the first full day of classes on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

I'd like to share some information before school begins.

Superintendent’s Vision and Mission

Vision: To provide the best for the best.

Mission: To empower all of our students with a well-rounded academic experience so that they are prepared for success in a changing global landscape.

Snapshot of Initiatives

Over the past several years, we have had numerous accomplishments to celebrate due to the effort and teamwork of our administrators, educators, and staff. Our goal is to have our students meet the demands of an ever-changing global society by continuing to create innovative programming. We have shown our commitment to developing our S.T.E.A.M. initiatives such as our annual S.T.E.A.M. Carnival and recently implemented K-12 Robotics and Coding programs. In partnership with the Summit Educational Foundation, the district expanded its Chromebook initiative for students in grades 3-12, providing more access to an evolving digital environment. We revamped curriculum to establish more interactive lessons for the students throughout grades K-12 and added additional cycle classes at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School. To provide more opportunities and optionality for our students, we also included additional levels of science classes at Summit High School. A new culinary arts program was implemented, with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen. In addition to finalizing the Summit High School Pathways initiative, we piloted an internship program for our senior class. The district continues to enhance our award-winning Fine and Performing Arts program as well as Athletics, where our turf fields, gym floors, and fan bleachers have been newly updated. Our district is active in offering many building-based and district-wide initiatives that enrich the learning experience for our students. These are just some examples of what has made Summit an exceptional learning environment. Although we are proud to be recognized as a premier school district, we remain forward-thinking in our strategic planning for ways to grow, excite, and excel.

Kindergarten

The district will be offering Universal Kindergarten beginning this fall. In about two weeks, 240 of our youngest learners will be walking through the doors of the Primary Centers to experience the exceptional education that Summit has to offer. Our custodial team, secretarial staff, and dedicated teachers have been busy throughout the summer, preparing for their arrival, and they are eager to welcome them to the 2019-2020 school year.

Board of Education Information

Congratulations to Ms. Vanessa Primack, our new Board of Education President and to Mrs. Donna Miller, our new Board Vice President.

In April 2018, the Board of Education approved the 2018-2021 Focus Areas which you can review on our website at https://www.summit.k12.nj.us/district/focus-areas-goals.

Please note that the finalization of the District Goals for 2019-2020 will be posted by September 13th, once approved by the Board.

Staff

At this time we have over 45 new staff joining the Summit Public Schools for the upcoming school year. In addition to teachers and support staff, we have three administrators joining our team. In our Board Office, the new Director of Human Resources is Robert Gardella and the new Assistant Director of Education is Tanya Lopez. At Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School, the new Assistant Principal is Laura Muller.

Policies

We are required by state law and board policy to make the district’s policies accessible to you on an annual basis. You can review policies at any time on our website at https://www.summit.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/policies.

Forms

Many district forms are now available on the website including the Free and Reduced Lunch application. You can visit https://www.summit.k12.nj.us/resources/forms.

Highlights

We are proud to highlight our curriculum, programs, and events and to share the accomplishments of our students throughout the schools and Summit community. Remember to check out our website for news and information, as well as our social media platforms:

Instagram @summitschoolsnj

Facebook: @SummitSchoolDistrict

Twitter: @SummitSchoolsNJ

I look forward to seeing all of the students on September 3rd!

Sincerely,

June Chang

Superintendent of Schools"

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