​Beach Haven School Highlighted As “Back-To-School Success Story”

BEACH HAVEN, NJ — The Beach Haven Elementary School was declared a “back-to-school success story” by the U.S. Department of Education.

The district is one of 75 schools across the country, and the only school in New Jersey, that was recognized for maintaining in-person learning since the school year began.

Since the school building reopened in September, its 87 students have not had to transition to hybrid or virtual learning, according to Superintendent Christopher Meyrick. The school will celebrate their 100th day of uninterrupted in-person learning on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

“It was organically orchestrated through our staff to be able to create this learning environment that has allowed us to stay in person for as long as it has been,” Meyrick said.

The department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education contacted the district in October to find out which strategies were implemented that allowed the district to avoid pivoting from in-person instruction.

Meyrick said faculty developed a variety of creative teaching methods that provided students with safe and engaging learning experiences.

During the fall, faculty moved classroom lessons outside to the school’s courtyard and the beach. They found safe ways for students to socialize with outdoor book club meetings in the fall and then through a live Google Doc in the winter.

Another teacher's outdoor classroom featured a large whiteboard and socially distant chairs arranged beneath a retractable awning.

“Obviously things could change in an instant, but it was so reassuring in a sense that we had a good plan in place," Meyrick said.

Meyrick acknowledged that the relatively low number of students enrolled in the school plays a factor in the achievement. However, the school's 87-student population is the highest the district has had in recent years.

The school saw a 33 percent increase in enrollment leading into the fall of 2020, according to Meyrick.

“A lot of people in secondary homes saw the success we were having and actually enrolled their kids here,” Meyrick said.

Meyrick added that several parents who initially planned to stay for one year amid the pandemic have decided to keep their children enrolled for the remainder of their elementary school education.

To celebrate their 100th day of in-person learning, the school is encouraging students to dress as their favorite celebrities.

“A lot of people do dress like you’re 100, but we wanted to do a different spin on it,” Meyrick said. “This is something we’re going to celebrate because it’s definitely a milestone.”

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