Cliffside Park superintendent outlines new life-skills curriculum, trips and assessment follow-up
Summary
The superintendent reported the district is finalizing a K–12 life-skills curriculum (including supports for students with autism), announced professional-development and recognition plans tied to NJSLA results, and described planned high-school field trips and athletic updates.
The Cliffside Park School District superintendent provided an opening report at the Sept. 17 board meeting, announcing the district is finalizing a K–12 life-skills curriculum intended to support students — including those with autism — as they progress from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The superintendent said staff members Mister O'Hanlon, Missus Roe, Missus Canales and Missus Pinto helped develop the curriculum and that the district plans to present the materials to the board at the October meeting. Parents were urged to contact teachers, principals or counselors with questions about assessment results and supports.
The report also noted the district mailed NJSLA score letters this week. The superintendent explained NJSLA assessments cover English language arts, mathematics and, for some grades, science. Perfect-score students received phone calls and letters and have been invited to the board meeting next month for recognition.
On staffing and professional development, the superintendent said most positions are filled for the year, with temporary maternity and medical-leave coverage in place. He announced a district professional-development day on Sept. 30 (no students that day) to align NJSLA results with Renaissance STAR assessment data and to identify priority standards and instructional strategies.
Extracurricular and trip planning were also discussed. The superintendent cited a 14–6 homecoming football victory and praised Coach Mandel and student performers. He outlined high-school travel opportunities: two European field trips (one to Italy; one to France and Spain), a planned 2027 trip to London, and a spring-training baseball trip to Orlando in March. Student leaders presented a proposal for a school festival to highlight clubs and partner with local businesses; the superintendent said the principal supports the idea and encouraged coordination with staff for permits and volunteer hour tracking.
The superintendent emphasized the district’s intention to use assessment data to guide instruction and said the upcoming PD day will allow content specialists, supervisors and the child study team to align supports for AP, honors, multilingual and special-needs students.
