Superintendent´s Corner
August 21, 2023
Dear Englewood Cliffs School Community,
I hope that you have enjoyed your summer break. On behalf of the Board of Education, the staff and I are very excited to welcome you back for the 2023-2024 school year! We have been working hard all summer updating and revising curriculum, undergoing construction projects, and hiring many new qualified staff. You will receive new staff biographies by early next week. We are ready for school to begin on Wednesday, September 6th and cannot wait to greet the students—both new and returning.
Construction projects have been occurring at both schools. I am proud to announce that Both Upper School Science Labs and the North Cliff Technology Room have undergone extensive renovations with an anticipated completion date at the end of summer or early fall. The new labs will have collaborative work areas for small groups, support multidisciplinary instruction, STEM, and include open Makerspace floor plans for students to engage in creating authentic, meaningful projects. Due to the diversity of the learning activities, there will be a variety of flexible furniture throughout the spaces to enable staff and students to adapt to different group sizes and tasks. I am tremendously proud of the significant improvements we have been able to make, and we will continue to make enhancements in the future to ensure that our staff and students have the best school facilities.
Communication is essential. However, in order for us to address your concerns in an appropriate and most beneficial manner, following the chain of command is pertinent. If you have a particular concern, please speak to your child’s teacher first before contacting administration. There have been instances in the past when teachers never received the opportunity to solve the issues.
Please remember that attendance matters. Even one day of missed school, excused or unexcused, can have negative academic consequences for your child. As noted in prior years, the Englewood Cliffs School District complies with the requirements for attendance set forth by the state and Department of Education regarding guidance for reporting student absences and calculating chronic absenteeism. Our policies are in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.6. State law and regulations require that the districts strive for a ninety percent daily student attendance rate; that the Board determines which categories of absences to excuse; and that the districts create and implement a system to identify and address patterns of unexcused absences. As an example, students cannot attend school fewer than 162 days, or this will have an impact on promotion to the next grade. Three tardies equal one absence. Please review policy and regulation 5200.
Furthermore, by next week at the latest, the school nurses will be sending out specific information on food and celebration guidelines. The guidelines promote foods of nutritional value, as indicated in Policy 8505 Wellness and Nutrition. All families must follow the suggested healthy snack list.
Please join me for a zoom meeting at any of the below dates and times to discuss and ask questions regarding the new school year. An agenda will be distributed prior to the meetings. One item on the agenda will be information regarding our newly state required Threat Assessment Team and anonymous reporting. If you cannot attend my meetings, please do not be concerned because a building administrator will be disseminating specific details. You will be required to sign off that you read this important information on Genesis prior to receiving access to your child/children’s schedules.
August 28, 2023 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
August 31, 2023 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
I am extremely eager for the start of the school year. The staff, students, and community are truly wonderful; and I am very proud to be superintendent in a district where everyone values education. As we all work together, the Englewood Cliffs School District will continue to soar to new heights. Thank you all for your support of our students at home and in the community. I look forward to seeing each of you soon.
Very Truly Yours,
Jennifer R. Brower, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Englewood Cliffs School District
201-567-6151 ext. 222