While attending my annual FIEL (Fellowship for the Improvement of Educational Leadership) conference, I received a call from the board president of the Netcong, New Jersey Public School District. I was honored to hear that I would be appointed as Interim Superintendent/Principal in the school district. I am greatly looking forward to assuming this role and I hope to offer the community a time period of public service towards school children, parents, citizens and the board. I will be using blogs to enhance communication with my office.
My thanks to the school board and the current administrative staff! I pledge to work hard during the interim period of service.
Art DiBenedetto
31 comments:
Hello, and welcome to Netcong Mr. D!!!
Hello –
I am currently a working parent and resident of Netcong and was wondering if there is a possibility that an aftercare program will be offered by Netcong School anytime soon? Not that it's financially feasible, but my son is currently enrolled in a private school for the simple reason that I work and need aftercare. I would love to be able to switch him to the public school system, but do not have the resources needed for his care when school is out for the day.
My family grew up in Netcong, and I love that I am now a resident myself. The only thing that bothers me is that I cannot take advantage of the public school system because there is no aftercare program.
I know that years ago (maybe 10) there was a brief time in which aftercare was offered, but it didn't work out. I would be curious to know if that need has changed given the timespan.
I have found out that Kiddie Academy offers before and aftercare and will transport the children, but my interest, and preference, would be to have something within the school so busing would not come into play. Kiddie Academy is a reasonable offer, but it might be even be more financially appealing if offered on site.
Would you please let me know if there is any chance this may happen?
Thank you!
Aftercare, one of the main difficulties for working parents, is something that I have had extensive experience in organizing, both by outside providers and in-school programs. Whereas in the past, there was an option provided to parents, and it was not utilized enough to make it a working program, and whereas this was some time ago, I will discuss this topic with the board of education with the hope that I can follow-up with an outreach effort towards working parents to ascertain needs at the present time. Anyone who has an opinion on this is welcome to comment.
I look forward to what your follow-up results look like.
I, too, am curious to find out if any other Netcong parents feel that an aftercare program would be beneficial.
First Impressions - Having been at work as Interim Superintendent/Principal since August 1st, I thought that this was a good time to share first impressions of the Netcong Elementary School. At a time when there is great pressure for small districts to consolidate and regionalize, my first few weeks here have demonstrated the strength and educational value of the small school. The most overwhelming impression is that this is a great place for youngsters to be educated in because there seems to be a very dedicated and professional staff serving them. Whether it is a custodian, a secretary, a board member or a teacher, I have met people who are dedicated to children and to the Netcong community.Even in early August I witnessed a flurry of activity as teachers began setting up classrooms and preparing for the upcoming opening of school. Additionally, I have met a coterie of experienced and seasoned veterans, mixed in with a growing group of younger teachers all of whom have children at the forefront of their efforts. Finally I have begun to meet parents and students who have taken advantage of an open door policy that allows them instant access to the administrative team, as small as it may be. Whereas I champion a philosophy of servant leadership, it is obvious that my predecessor, Mr. Grube has similiarly championed the same concept. I look forward to the opening of school and to meeting all parents, students and staff. Thank you. Art DiBenedetto
I am pleased to follow-up on the posting related to aftercare. I brought the topic up to the board at our Monday meeting and the members agreed that updating input on the need for a possible aftercare program in the school was a timely thing to do. I will use the month of September to let parents know that we are going to study the situation. At Back to School night on September 27th, I will announce that a single issue meeting will take place during the first week of October for this specific purpose. More to follow!
Art DiBenedetto
Hi Mr. Di.
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Kindergarten orientation last week. We are excited about the full day K program. We too are working parents and were wondering why Netcong doesn't offer before and/or aftercare. I am a long time resident of Netcong, former member of the board of education and it amazed me that this was not an issue at the time (90's). Please keep us posted.
Maria and Tom Patamia
Hello again Mr. D.
What is the likelihood that Netcong BOE will post board minutes on their web page. It certainly would help us stay in the loop now that our child will be entering Netcong School this year.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Maria Patamia
I am pleased that the Kindergarten Orientation sessions went well and that I had a chance to meet youngsters and parents. The orientation session led to another posting about aftercare potential for working parents. As stated, September will see a number of initiatives designed to spread the word about our early October single issue meeting on that topic. More to follow! art dibenedetto
Hello Mr. D,
I love this new blog spot. Great idea! We are new to the school but have lived in Netcong for 10 years. I hope to work with you, the PTA and the school board soon on Netcong's recently awarded Safe Routes to School grant from NJ Dept. of Transportation. I worked with Mr. Grube and Mayor Nametko to submit an application last December and we were awarded funding for new sidewalks and around $7,000 for educational and encouragement programs. If you don't have it, I will email you the application taht was submitted and the award announcement. For an introduction to Safe Routes to School programs see
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/
resources/marketing_videos.cfm
I am also very interested in aftercare. Also, where do Netcong students sign up for sports teams like soccer and little league?
Thanks, Leigh Ann
Good Afternoon: Never thought I would have the time to answer a question during the first day of school but it has been a GREAT day and I have a few minutes before my next responsibility. I am very familiar with the grant referred to by Leigh Ann. The board has accepted the grant that applies to education and will be following up on this when meetings with the police and town take place. As for recreation activities in the town, the school receives ample copies of each announcement and distributes them to students to be taken home. I am glad that the blog is becoming more popular. Spread the word about its existence!!! Thank you. art dibenedetto
The month of September is going by quickly and there is much to report. Recently, the Netcong Board of Education had a retreat to establish goals for the school year. One such goal is to enhance community relations through comunication, hence the district website will see some additional components in the near future. This will include publishing board meeting minutes as soon as they are approved at the following meeting. This was suggested in an early posting on this blog and I am happy to see that the request will be honored. art dibenedetto
Hello -
Just wanted to leave a note that there we are another family interested in the after care school program as both my husband and I are full time working parents with 2 kids at Netcong School. We use Kiddie Academy and are not happy at all. Hoping for a change!!
Thanks
A short note to let parents know that on Tuesday evening, October 2nd, in the library, there will be a meeting for working parents and any other interested citizens. The single issue meeting will concentrate on needs of working parents and what can be done to satisfy those needs. There will be an announcement on this meeting and other related items on Friday when the weekly newsletter is sent home. Thank you. art dibenedetto
I was unable to attend meeting, however just wanted to express my interest and show support. My only suggestion would be that if for some reason there was not enough interest to warrant an aftercare program at Netcong, maybe you could work jointly with St. Michael's aftercare program. They could potentially provide busing. This would help both the church as well as the Netcong School parents.
I really like the fact that the school has a website and that parents can email teachers as needed. Was wondering if there was any thought to teachers posting their daily classwork/homework assignments so that if a child was out sick, you could go to the website to see what he/she missed and be able to work on it without falling behind? A friend of mine had a child in the Mt. Olive middle school and told me how the teachers had posted their lesson plans online through the website. This became a great use to her if her son ever forgot to write his homework assignment down, they could go to the website and see what it was. I thought that was a great idea. I wondered if anyone else thought about posting this sort of information as well. Thank you for your consideration.
October 3, 2007
Last evening, Mrs. Flach Bammer and I hosted a meeting for working parents. It was well attended and we discovered some of the opinions and needs of Netcong parents who are working in relation to their school aged children and child care. To me, this was simply an exciting evening because it opened up a new opportunity for service to the community. Parents described some difficult circumstances i terms of child care, including expense, inflexibility, physical conditions of sites and activities for children in those sites. Some local programs received praise for efforts with child care activities, however the general consensus was as follows.
1. The expense for our working parents is heavy to bear.
2. Parents often pay weekly fees regardless of how many hours a child is actually in child care.
3. Some parents find themselves losing work hours to ensure that a child is picked up on time.
4. Having a child care program at the school would simplify often complex travel and pick-up arrangements.
5. The school setting offers an array of different locations within the building for academics, recreation and play activities not often seen in commercial day care centers.
As a result of the meeting and the input gained, Mrs. Flach Bammer and I will be sending out a survey to all parents about a potential in-school program. We will put this on fast track and after compiling the data received via the survey,we will host a second meeting.
In the meantime we will begin surveying staff members to ascertain if there is any interest in working in an after-care environment. More to follow!
I thoroughly enjoyed this meeting last night.
While I understand that there is more to be done to firmly establish the aftercare program at Netcong School, I walked away from the meeting last night feeling very positive.
I thought that the input from all parents was pertinent and very well-received by all. This should be a wonderful program if it comes to fruition.
I am very thankful to Mr. D and Mrs. Flach Bammer. They are to be commended for their genuine concern for the kids and the parents' needs.
Can't wait to see the progress on this!!
At times, things are quiet! During other times, there is a great amount of interest being expressed in numerous items. This is one such time.Please allow me to answer a number of queries that have been posted.
I am attempting to get the website enhanced so that minutes of board meetings can be published after approval.
Just last week, I notified the staff about schoolnotes.com, a web address that allows teachers to post assignments, expectations and details about projects. I am arranging for training to accomplish this for interested teachers.
If necessary, I will contact the local parochial school about a shared after care, but I am feeling confident that will not be necessary. I saw a great amount of spirit and determination on the part of parents last evening and that is "catchy" to me. Mrs. Flach Bammer and I will have a survey drawn up immediately and get it out to all parents. That is the next step.
Thanks for blogging and thanks for your interest. art dibenedetto
Hello Mr. D. -
Is there any update as to the status of the aftercare that you could provide?
Would you be able to share whether or not the results of the take home survey were positive?
Just interested.
Good Morning: Registration for the Netcong School Aftercare program will take place during the week of October 29, 2007. Registration forms will be sent home on Friday, (10/26) afternoon with students and will be available in the school office. Returned forms will indicate a committment to the aftercare program which will start the week before Thanksgiving. (Nov. 19)More information will be issued in the near future. art dibenedetto
On this, the first day of November, at a time when a culmination of a good deal of work should be taking place, I am posting a message of concern related to the aftercare program. At the information meeting held on the topic and after a survey of all parents was taken, there seemed to be a significant need for the program. Thus I went ahead researching procedures and advertised for staff.
Enrollment forms went out last week and as of today, I do not have enough students registered to run the program. Although I have a few parents who called to state that registration forms would be in soon, I need at least a half dozen additional enrollees to run the program. As you may tell, I am somewhat surprised at this situation because I recived so much positive feedback on the immediate need for the program. Please spread the word to remind anyone who might need the services of this initiative to call or e-mail. Thank you. art dibenedetto
Hi,
Dr. D.,
Don't give up on the after care program. Many start out with only a few students but eventually grow as word spreads -- especially if it's a good program. Have you sent out flyers, put a notice in the local paper, etc.? You may have to cut down the number of staff until you build up your enrollment, but be patient. If there's a need, it will grow.
Good luck!
-- an experienced outside supporter.
I agree! It's important to remember that for so long the residents of Netcong who were working parents had to make other arrangements. This is all new to them and it's going to take a little bit of time to catch on. I would hate to have to make other arrangements. I truly believe that this can work.
This week I will send confirmation letters out to those parents who have enrolled their children in this program. Because I must have two adults present each day and because the enrollment is not sufficient to pay the salaries of two people, I will hire a person who currently works as an aide, someone who has significant experience in this type of undertaking. I will volunteer to be the second adult present until such time that enrollment grows and I can hire the two people necessary. art dibenedetto
Good Morning Mr. D....that is quite generous of you to volunteer yourself as one of the attending aftercare workers. My early evaluation of you...for this and other reasons...is that you are quite outstanding! And I'm hearing the same from other parents. Thank you.
Good evening: It is late Friday afternoon and I have just finished a busy week. The Aftercare Program has begun and it is running well under the direction of Ms. Kim Snow. She works very well with the students and I have received positive feedback from parents about her efforts. I have been spending time with the students and Kim and have re-discovered getting through homework assignments and practice pages. I look forward to the future when I will be able to hire a second adult so I can wean myself from direct supervision.
The school year is progressing nicely and I am delighted with students, staff and parents. The Netcong School is a fine place to learn. Being here until 6pm every night causes me to notice how much the building is used by the community for sports, brownies and other activities. All of this is positive.
I have begun working on the school budget for next year. Please remember that the school budget is the only budget that is voted upon by citizens. I look forward to informing the community about budget plans for the 08-09 school year. Have a great weekend.
P.S. If any parents need some free time for holiday activities, we will accept drop-ins at the Aftercare Program. Simply call or e-mail me the day before you would like to leave the child. The cost is six dollars per hour. If there is a second child, the charge is nine dollars an hour for both children.
art dibenedetto
Parents: The Netcong Aftercare Program is open to drop-ins should you need some time for holiday tasks. Simply call the principal or e-mail to adibenedetto@netcongschool.org the day you would like to send a child. The cost is six dollars per hour. art dibenedetto
Principle DiBenedetto,
My Wife and I purchased a home in Netcong last Summer. We have a 4-year old son that currently attends Little Learner Academy. The main reason we enrolled him at LLA instead of the K4 in Netcong was difficulties scheduling the after care. We are very excited about the potential of having an after care program next year when our son starts K5 in Netcong.
Thank you.
I would like to provide Netcong citizens with some information on the school budget that is being prepared for the next school year.The needs of the school for next year are uncomplicated. It is necessary to begin replacing computers, many of which are five and six years old. It will also be necessary to increase services to students who are learning English as their second language as this population has been growing.Other than those two major items, most other budget lines will remain intact without any significant increases. The district has also been blessed with an increase in state aid and this should allow us to prepare a budget that has no tax increase to local property owners. Although that is not finalized, it is likely. As the budget election in April slowly gets closer, there will be ample opportunities for citizens to gain knowledge about the details of our school budget. In the meanwhile, it is my sincere hope that new residents will register to vote. More to follow. Thank you.
art dibenedetto
I have been remiss in posting to the Netcong School blog and would like to take the opportunity to catch up with those who may occasionally glance at the postings.
The Netcong Aftercare Program is beginning to turn the corner in terms of enrollment that allows us to operate at a break even-point. Yesterday we had eleven students in attendance and that broke our previous record of ten. I have been honored to work with Ms. Snow who has done a fine job with the children. Ms. Snow's talents have been recognized by another district and she will be starting a full time teaching job in September at a charter school.
That fact, coupled with another news item, creates a problem for the aftercare program for next year. Obviously, we will have to replace Ms. Snow with a new teacher. Secondly, because I will be spending part of my day in Stanhope as interim superintendent, it will not be possible for me to serve as one of the two necessary adults who work the program. This means that TWO people must be hired for September, and unless the program gains more use, the income will not be close to the need for pay for two people. (Ms. Snow is the only paid employee for NAP)
I do not believe these problems are insurmountable so stay tuned for future information on this.
On other items:
I am very grateful that the budget vote was successful. I will be working hard to minimalize future tax needs for the schools in both Netcong and Stanhope.
This year has gone by rather quickly and it has been a pleasure to work with the students, staff and parents of the community. My observations on the Netcong School can be summarized by the statement that there is a fine and dedicated staff of adults who work with students who tend to try their best toward being successful and that the parents and community are very supportive of the school's efforts.
I believe the school is well staffed and the budget allows for a thorough and efficient education. If I could fulfill one wish it would be to have a part time counselor available for students, some of whom have some significant needs for such an option. This is something for me to work on.
I will be starting a Stanhope blog quite soon, so if any of your friends are from Stanhope, please share that with them. Thank you. art
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