School Day

The Cherry Hill Board of Education unanimously ratified a contract with the district's teachers Monday night that will extend the school day for middle and high school students. The Cherry Hill Education Association voted last week to accept the two-year pact, which is retroactive to July 1. The average salary increase is 3.36 percent during the current academic year and 2.93 percent in 2013-14. In addition, the school day will begin 30 minutes earlier for secondary students and teachers, starting in the fall.

Public schools may not bar student religious clubs from meeting during student-activity periods held during the school day, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled unanimously that the Punxsutawney Area School District in Western Pennsylvania violated the federal Equal Access Act of 1984 by requiring Melissa Donovan and her Bible club to meet before the school day rather than during the school-wide free activity period first thing each morning.

The Haddon Township school system opens its after-school child-care program tomorrow. The program, designed to be self-supporting, will provide supervised activities for children in first through sixth grades at the township's five elementary schools. Dennis St. John, the township's community activities coordinator, said a survey conducted in the spring showed that 150 families needed after-school child-care services. "We are trying to meet that need," St. John said. Early last week, 45 children were registered for the program, but St. John said he hoped to sign up 40 more.

Upper Darby school board member Rosalie Gallo has resigned her seat because she is moving from the area. Gallo is near the end of her second four-year term on the board. At the board's meeting Tuesday, board Vice President John H. Nawn announced that applications would be accepted to fill the vacancy. Gallo's term expires during the first week in December. Gallo did not run for re-election this year. Board member Walter Senkow suggested that Mary Alice Boyle, who won both the Republican and Democratic nominations for the school board in the spring, be named to fill the vacancy.

If the Pennsylvania Department of Education sends just one message, it should be that excellence in schools starts with the same roll-up-your-sleeves attitude that made this country great. Dedication, long hours, and hard work must be a vital part of any plan to maximize students' potential. Unfortunately, the department sent a far different message last month when it told eight school districts - including Philadelphia, the state's largest - that there is no need to make up all of the days missed due to February's snowstorms.

During a meeting that was disrupted by shouting and arguments, the Bristol Borough school board voted, 5-3, to change the starting and dismissal times for the district's instructional day. At a meeting on Thursday, the board decided that the school day would begin at 7:55 a.m. and end at 2:10 p.m. Previously, the day began at 8:15 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m. Voting against the motion were Joseph Genco, Louis Persichetti and Kiki Rosado....

Usually at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning, Sister Margaret Eileen is busy teaching the fifth grade at St. Barnabas elementary school in Southwest Philadelphia. But yesterday at that time, she and 234 other students and teachers from the school were sitting in Section V at the First Union Spectrum having a grand time. The St. Barnabas group was among 16,713 fans who showed up to watch the Kixx take on the Harrisburg Heat in the third annual School Day Game. For Sister Eileen, the excursion was both fun and educational.

At least once this year, Shaunta Hohney came dangerously close to skipping school. It was a snowy day, and the mile-long walk from her home in the Cramer Hill section of Camden to Woodrow Wilson High School stretched before her like an obstacle course. It would have been a perfect day to sleep late. But Hohney, a freshman who has not missed a day of school in five years, got dressed as usual and showed up for class. Hohney is one of scores of students who have resisted various temptations and made it to class every day. But until recently, the chronic truants were the ones who drew all the attention.

Darkness hugs the streets outside the Pennypacker Elementary School in East Mount Airy on this late autumn afternoon, so that the large and looming building looks even more imposing. The grilled doors are shut tight. Inside, hallways accustomed to the shouts and sizzle of students are keeping their secrets. But down in the basement, the school has a voice. Many voices, actually. The first graders are excitedly showing off their bubble gum inventions. The second and third graders are learning about Alexander Graham Bell on new computers, with the gentle encouragement of a roving aide.

This is not a leap year, but the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District plans to add days to February nonetheless. At a special meeting scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. at the Educational Services Center in Berwyn, the board will consider eliminating this month's previously scheduled holidays. The goal is to make up for some of the 10 days missed in January because of inclement weather. The district had four days allotted in its calendar. The board will consider making Feb. 18 and 21 full days of instruction.