The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education approved a motion to appoint Jennifer Levas to fill the Medford Township vacancy at the board’s Aug. 26 meeting. Levas filled a vacancy in 2022 and ran for election that November for a three-year term. Medford resident Amanda Fitchett filled the seat before she resigned earlier this year.
“Ms. Levas brings valuable experience to the role,” said board president Samuel Green.
Earlier remarks from LRHSD Superintendent Matthew Webb highlighted quite a few surprises. This past summer the district received a designation letter from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an anti-hate organization founded in 1913 to protect Jewish people. The ADL protects, advocates and educates through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology. This is the 14th consecutive year that the district has been designated as a ‘no place for hate.’
“For each school to earn that designation – and all four of our high schools did – each school has to come up with three projects designed to foster appreciation for our differences and respect with the potential to reduce bullying.”
It’s a point of pride, Webb noted. While the program has grown through the mid-Atlantic region, the current designation letter from the ADL is also a reminder that the district was the first in the mid-Atlantic region to be a full ‘no place for hate’ district, Webb added. And make no mistake about it, the district will be pursuing their 15th consecutive year this year as a ‘no place for hate’ school district.
It was a busy summer for the teachers and students. Nineteen first-year teachers participated in a class focused on teaching strategies under Research for Better Teaching (RBT), a professional development organization that has been a part of the district’s teacher training program for more than 20 years. For nearly five decades, RBT has partnered with educators to translate the knowledge base of effective teaching into practical frameworks, shared language and professional learning that strengthen teaching, instructional leadership and student learning. Thirteen second-year teachers for the district took the RBT’s Investigating Obstacles for Achievement class. Thirty-one teachers participated in professional development in AI. Also, over the summer, 194 students dedicated time for enrichment classes including algebra, geometry, algebra II, language arts, SAT prep and college essay writing.
All four schools have been making great efforts with orientations for the class of 2030, Webb shared. Last month, 323 incoming freshmen participated in Lenape’s orientation program, Camp Lenape, a three-day orientation at the high school where freshmen receive their academic schedule, a tour of the school and an opportunity to learn from Lenape leaders – both faculty and students. Just as impressively, Lenape had 56 upperclassmen volunteer to help out. Shawnee’s Jump Start orientation program hosted 150 incoming freshmen, and Cherokee’s Prepare to be a Chief orientation featured 500. Seneca’s freshmen orientation was also a packed house last month for new faces. Approximately 60% of the district’s students are participating in fall sports, all of which are well underway.
“It’s been a very busy summer, but we’re ready,” Webb said.
