The Shamong Township Public School District places a premium on professional development for our staff. Five staff development days are scheduled for this school year, where our staff will focus on curriculum mapping. Other professional development opportunities are provided outside the district for our staff. A site-based staff development professional coaches and works with elementary school teachers in the classroom on our staff development initiatives. Continuous life-long learning that enhances instruction is an ongoing goal for each staff member.
A Spanish I program is offered in grades 7 and 8 to qualifying students. The goal of this program is to allow students to complete Spanish I prior to entering high school. Pre-algebra is offered in grade 7 and Algebra is offered in grade 8. An exciting music program featuring Orff instruments is provided in the elementary school. Our middle school newspaper was nationally recognized by Time Magazine. Our children have attained honors and awards in several art and music endeavors.
The Home and School provides support to our educational programs through several fundraising events and purchases as well as through volunteer activity in our schools. This year, the HSA has funded the 3rd and 4th grade Study Island program and the purchase of classroom trade books to support guided reading and balanced literacy. Our HSA continues to be a vital cog in supporting our educational programs beyond our district budget.
The Shamong Foundation for Educational Excellence provides teachers with small grants for specific, creative, innovative classroom initiatives. Large grant programs have included the installation of a distance learning lab and the purchase of over $10,000 in Orff instruments.
The district's special education program is comprehensive and offers a full continuum of services to our children. Read 180, Fast Forword and Interactive Metronome are just a few of the unique programs offered to our classified children. Each program has been enormously successful in helping our special education children learn and improve their skills.
Shamong children are quite successful, as demonstrated by their achievement on standardized tests. On the New Jersey tests, over 90% of our children reach the proficient and advanced proficient levels in each of the tested areas. Specific scores on the New Jersey tests can be found in the New Jersey State Report Card and on our website Testing Report link.
Shamong is a wonderful place to live and work. It is the feeling of community and family that draws and keeps most folks in Shamong for many, many years. Do not hesitate to contact us should you seek additional information or have additional questions.