Director's Message

September 1, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians,
On behalf of the Child Study Team and the Special Education Department, I would like to welcome all students and their families to the 2020-2021 school-year!  This year we welcome an additional Part-time School Psychologist, Dawn Reilly, to our team. I remain eager to begin my 10th year as the Director of Special Education for the Haddon Heights School District. I am proud of our team and their commitment to the students.
As we start the school-year remotely, we want you to know that we are committed to providing you and the students with the support needed to be successful. We will continue to work to identify ways to overcome new challenges and celebrate successes! Please log on to PowerSchool to identify the Case Manager/s for your child/children. The Case Manager is listed under your address at the top, left side of the screen. We are here to help!
The district continues to strengthen the Special Education Parent Advocacy Group (SEPAG) and the relationship with the Haddon Heights, Barrington, Lawnside, and Merchantville communities. I invite you to join us for a meeting and/or to celebrate an event. All are always welcome! On the district website, Ability Awareness Events and the SEPAG meeting dates are updated as events are organized, under the Child Study Team, Parent Advisory Tab.
We will begin scheduling Child Study Team evaluations in an effort to identify initial and continued eligibility for special education. Your child’s case manager and/or evaluator/s will be reaching out to you in order to schedule your child’s evaluation session(s). Your flexibility in scheduling evaluations is appreciated.
Below you will find the safety protocols and procedures for in-person testing.  
All evaluations will take place at the Child Study Team Office located at 316-B Seventh Avenue in Haddon Heights.
Evaluations will be conducted with the evaluator and child only.  Parents/Guardians will be asked to wait in their cars or will be given a return time for pick-up.
Once parents/guardians and students arrive at the CST, they should remain in their vehicle until the room and evaluator are ready and call the office at (856) 547-1322 X2000 to let us know they have arrived.
Once ready, the team member will notify you to proceed to the entrance. No other guests are permitted in the building.
You will be greeted by the evaluator who will take your child’s temperature using a temporal scanner thermometer. If the temperature is above 100.4 your child’s evaluation will be rescheduled. 
You will be asked to review a self-checklist upon arrival. Please see questions below:
1) Do you have a fever?
2) Is your temperature above 100.4?
3) Have you lost your sense of taste or smell?
4) Muscle Ache?
5) Throat sore?
6) Cough?
7) Shortness of Breath?
8) Chills?
9) Headache?
10) Nasal congestion?
11) Fatigue?
12) Have you experienced any GI symptoms such as nausea/vomiting/diarrhea/loss of appetite?
13) Have you, or anyone you have been in close contact with, been diagnosed with COVID-19, or been placed in quarantine for possible contact with COVID-19?
If you answer “yes” to any of the posed questions, your evaluation will be rescheduled.
Face coverings are required for the evaluator and child.
A distance of 6 feet apart will be maintained during evaluations (to the extent possible). During speech evaluations, your student may be asked to lower their mask and use a face shield (supplied by the district), if needed. 
Hand sanitizer will be provided and used at arrival and throughout the evaluation process as needed. 
The space and materials used during the evaluations will be wiped down after each session.
Thank you for continuing to share your encouragement and support of the Child Study Team and Special Education Department. The team wants you to know that we, more than ever, are here for you and your child/children!
Sincerely, 

Jocqueline Renner


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