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Welcome to the Office for Student Affairs! At the Haledon School, we are committed to providing a challenging, standard-based instructional program that focuses on critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. The goal is to expand knowledge and develop skills necessary for students to become responsible and resilient learners in a quickly changing and demanding world.
Below, I selected a short excerpt from The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. This excerpt sums up what I believe education should be about.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“Our culture has truckled to the times, - to the senses. It is not man worthy. If the vast and the spiritual are omitted, so are the practical and the moral. It does not make us brave or free. We teach boys/girls to be such men/women as we are. We do not teach them to aspire to be all they can. We do not give them training as if we believed in their noble nature. We scarce educate their bodies. We do not train the eye and the hand. We exercise their understandings to the apprehension and comparison of some facts, to a skill in numbers, in words; we aim to make accountants, attorneys, engineers, but not to make able, earnest, greathearted men and women. The great object of education should be commensurate with the object of life. It should be a moral one; to teach self-trust: to inspire the youthful man and woman with an interest in himself/herself; with a curiosity touching his/her own nature; to acquaint him/her with the resources of his/her mind, and to teach him/her that there is all his/her strength, and to inflame him/her with a piety towards the grand mind in which he/she lives…”
Emerson’s challenge is to look from within. At the Haledon School, we encourage students to strive towards this ideal by being an example. Students have the opportunity to learn from the teacher, from one another, from independent practice, from groups and from life experience. Through dialogue and support from parents, faculty, staff and the community; students and teachers are challenged to look from within.
I look forward to working with you and if I can be of assistance in anyway, please contact me.
Respectfully,
Darren Petersen, Ed. D.
Vice Principal for Student Affairs
Code of Conduct
Discipline
- Administrative Detention: Students who fail to adhere to the Haledon Public School Code of Conduct can be assigned administrative detention at the discretion of the vice principal and classroom teacher. Detention runs daily from 2:55 –3:25 p.m. in room 104.
- Saturday School: Students that demonstrate an inability to follow the Haledon Public School Code of Conduct can be required to attend the Haledon Character Education Program. These Character Education class convene on Saturday mornings from 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. in the Haledon Public School Library/Media Center.
- Suspension: Students that demonstrate a sustained inability to adhere to the Haledon Public School Code of Conduct can be subject to Out-of-School suspension at the discretion of the district administration.
Character Education:
In a sustained effort to educate the whole child, students are fully engaged in the district’s Character Education Program. The program is directly infused into the daily academic curriculum. In addition, the district sponsors daily whole-school journal writes and classroom discussions focusing directly on desired character traits.
Free and Reduced Lunch
The State of New Jersey requires that all students must fill out a family lunch application, regardless of whether they intend to apply for free or reduced lunch status. The lunch application is confidential. Additional verification of financial status may be needed.
Assemblies and Class Trips
Throughout the year, various assembly programs and field trips are arranged to enhance the academic curriculum and classroom activities. Students are afforded many opportunities to participate in these educationally sound and age-appropriate programs; however, these activities are considered to be privileges. As such, students that demonstrate an inability to adhere to the district’s behavioral and character expectations may be restricted from participating in these programs. It is the responsibility of each student to fulfill the district’s expectations in order to reap the benefits of the many privileges afforded to our student body.
Student of the Month
Each marking period outstanding students are recognized as Students of the Month. Faculty members take academic records, behavior, and attendance into consideration when choosing these high performing students. This program is an excellent way to recognize and reward our many exceptional students.
Resources for Struggling Students
There are several options to support students who may need assistance beyond the regular curriculum:
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Basic Skills Instruction: Students whose annual test results are below proficient are placed into the Basic Skills Instruction (BSI) program. These students receive additional academic support from Basic Skills teachers, the MASH program, and Summer School.
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Intervention & Referral Services: The I&RS committee is comprised of teachers, administrators, and other professional educators who are available to assist any staff member who requests assistance in supporting a student, whether academically, socially, or physically.
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504 Plan: A 504 plan may be implemented for students with documented physical difficulties that impact their learning potential. A 504 plan is written for each student's individual circumstance and may be modified as needed.
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Guidance Office: The Guidance Office is staffed with two professional counselors who are available to all students, staff, and parents throughout the school day.
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Child Study Team: Children with exceptional learning difficulties may be evaluated by the Child Study Team specialists in order to determine whether an Individual Education Plan is needed.
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