Voorhees Middle School students brought a lesson in remembrance, empathy and hope to the Voorhees Township Board of Education during its Sept. 23 meeting.
Students joined sixth-grade social studies teacher Jamie Bagnell to present the Butterfly Project, an international Holocaust education initiative that uses handmade butterflies to memorialize the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.
Bagnell pursued the project after learning about grant opportunities available to district lead teachers. She received funding through a Holocaust education foundation earlier this year, allowing sixth-grade students to participate in the project.
During the presentation, students explained how butterflies became symbols of hope, peace and freedom for those who experienced the Holocaust. They also discussed how the project uses individual stories to teach about the consequences of prejudice, racism, bullying and stereotyping while encouraging empathy and social responsibility.
Each student received a clay butterfly paired with a biography card identifying a child who was killed during the Holocaust. Students painted their butterflies and reflected on the person they were memorializing, as well as what they could do in the present to help create a more peaceful future.
The result is a display of 350 butterflies at Voorhees Middle School, representing the work of the entire sixth grade.
“The kids did an amazing job,” Bagnell said. “Three hundred and fifty of them. Amazing. So every single one is so very different.”
The meeting also included several updates as the district begins the 2026-’27 school year. Board Vice President Julie Kettover, who led the meeting, thanked the district’s 514 employees for helping provide a successful opening to the school year despite what she described as a few minor transportation issues.
Superintendent Dr. Neely Hackett similarly thanked staff, parents and students for their roles in the opening weeks. Hackett also recognized Osage Elementary School special-education teacher Angela Scott, who was selected to participate on an English language arts content development and review committee for New Jersey’s statewide assessments.
The board also unanimously approved personnel items that included the appointment of an interim assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.
The newly appointed administrator told the board he previously served as a Burlington County superintendent for more than a decade before retiring last year. He said he particularly enjoyed working on instructional programs, visiting classrooms and collaborating with teachers and students, and looked forward to continuing that work in Voorhees.
He also noted that the district is entering a transitional year as Hackett prepares to retire and the board works to establish new leadership.
Among other business, the board approved policy items after its policy committee reviewed several measures, including a new athlete participation policy related to student-athlete safety. The committee also recommended clarifying district regulations on student use of internet-enabled devices to reflect the middle school’s practice of having students store devices in their lockers during the school day.
During public comment, longtime Voorhees resident and substitute teacher Brenda Falenstein asked the board to examine the district’s substitute-teacher pay rates.
Falenstein said the district’s per-diem substitute rate increased from $105 to $135 several years ago but has remained at $135 since then. She asked the board to consider both daily substitute and long-term leave-replacement rates and to compare Voorhees with surrounding districts.
Falenstein emphasized the role substitutes play in maintaining instruction, supporting students and ensuring schools continue operating when regular staff members are absent.
“We are dedicated people who are flexible and hardworking,” she told the board. “We create a safe and secure environment for our students.”
The board’s next meeting is a special meeting scheduled for Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
