Berkeley Heights students return to class Tuesday, Sept. 1, under a new statewide ban on personal devices during the school day.
Superintendent Kim Feltre outlined the changes in a welcome-back letter to families dated Aug. 27. The biggest shift: cell phones, smartwatches and smartglasses are now banned bell to bell at every school in the district, as required by New Jersey law.
Feltre noted that K-8 schools in the district have been phone-free for years. Governor Livingston High School already had a phones-away-during-instruction rule. The new mandate extends the restriction to all personal internet-enabled devices at every building, all day.
Construction and security upgrades
Referendum-funded construction kicked off over the summer. Crews updated PA systems, clocks and cabling for security cameras. Feltre said updated camera installations should be complete at the elementary schools by the Sept. 1 opening. Camera upgrades at Columbia Middle School and Governor Livingston High School are scheduled for completion by the end of September.
Design work on media centers, the Governor Livingston TV studio and one Columbia Middle School science lab will continue this fall. Construction on those projects is planned for next summer.
New five-year strategic plan
The district is launching a five-year strategic plan that shifts instruction from teacher-delivered lessons to what Feltre called "student-owned inquiry." Administrators completed relational leadership training over the summer as part of the plan's first year.
The plan has three goals: whole-child development focused on executive functioning, academic redesign through Universal Design for Learning (a framework for making lessons accessible to all students) and stronger family engagement. A fall survey on communication preferences is planned, though no date has been set.
Transportation and what's next
Feltre warned families to expect heavier traffic and bus delays in the opening days. Families with questions can email [email protected].
The district plans "Coffee with the Superintendent" sessions throughout the year and said the fall edition of the BHPS Buzz newsletter would be available by the end of September. No specific dates for either have been released.
