Klaus Praises Haddonfield Community For Pandemic Perseverance

HADDONFIELD, NJ — Haddonfield Superintendent of Schools Chuck Klaus thanked what he called “several outstanding groups” that have helped the school district navigate its way through the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am proud of the work that has been done – day after day, week by week over the course of 15 months – to complete an incredibly challenging school year while always maintaining high-quality educational standards,” Klaus said in a statement to the community. “We never took our eyes off the goal of increasing in-person learning-and-teaching time whenever possible, but also always maintained an awareness of health and safety measures.”

The statement came out on Wednesday, as the district prepares to wrap up the 2020-21 academic year.

“First, we benefited from the dedication, focus, talent and flexibility of our amazing teaching staff and educational support staff,” Klaus said. “There is simply no way for any of us to exaggerate their good spirits and perseverance as they served our students in the classroom and online. Standing alongside the faculty were our intrepid nurses, whose crucial and continuous support allowed us to attend to the educational aspects of our days. Additionally, the behind-the-scenes support of our maintenance and grounds crew and cleaning staff made sure our indoor and outdoor spaces were safe, were set up appropriately and were effective, useful areas for families, students and staff. And let us not forget that, as in all times, the secretarial and office staff were key cogs in keeping our schools running smoothly.”

He praised the Board of Education for its “consistent, intelligent, collaborative support.”

“They actively participated on committees that made some of the most complex and onerous decisions, they jumped in when help was needed, and they cheered us on when times were especially tough,” Klaus said. “Additionally, I acknowledge the invaluable partnership of our students and families. Although we all had to tolerate the exasperation of frequently changing mandates and recommendations, our parents and students created classrooms in their kitchens, became experts in educational technology, worked hard in isolation and cooperated with day-to-day inconveniences in support of the health and success of the entire community.”

He also thanked the district’s administrative team.

“This group – building-level principals, district administrators and the staff of the central office – rose to the challenge of moving this district forward again and again. Their efforts were time-consuming, stressful and prolonged,” Klaus said. “The administrators came to work on vacation days, nights and weekends. It was not uncommon for Sunday afternoons to be spent contact-tracing so that students and their families could be alerted before school on Monday morning. Administrators put together plans, reviewed them, revised them, and sometimes threw them out, just to start from the beginning again, all to ensure the best possible result.

“The administrators did a spectacular job communicating to our staff and families, sharing information at a higher level and greater frequency than had been required in the past. Compared to other area school districts, the quality of our communications and the detail and the speed with which we informed our community were second-to-none.

“But what I am most proud of is that, while all this was happening, there was not one word of complaint, not one remark wondering ‘why I have to give up my Sunday.’ Their thoughts always centered on what was best for our students, families and staff. Their consistent, driving passion provided all the tools needed to safely and effectively accomplish our educational goals.

“I am confident that everyone in the Greater Haddonfield community shares my profound gratitude for our extraordinary administration, board, faculty, families, students and staff. Here’s to a successful completion of the 2020-2021 school year.”