A Snapshot of the McKeown School

The Marian E. McKeown Elementary School has been carefully placed on the charming landscape of northwestern Sussex County. The instructional and support staff of our school number just over seventy-two strong, and they provide direct instruction to 390 students from pre-school to sixth grade every day. The instructional staff are highly trained professionals who offer a high quality educational program under the direction of strong curriculum guidelines that have been developed by educators from around the Kittatinny sending region and custom made to match the students and educational beliefs of the Hampton Township community.

Students at the McKeown Elementary School are exposed to an outstanding array of academic programs that are constantly updated and aligned with the Core Curriculum Content Standards as set forth by the New Jersey State Department of Education. Our programs include the most up-to-date instruction available for elementary students in mathematics, reading, language arts, social studies, technology, science, physical education, health, performing arts, world language, special education programs as well as a gifted and talented or better described as an “Enrichment Program”. Many of our staff have been trained in the Wilson Reading Program. Over the past five years the Hampton School District has offered, a full day kindergarten program with many successful and noteworthy student accomplishments. Each year, our staff works on the development and/or revision of our school curriculum.

In 2009, the Hampton Township School District was monitored by the New Jersey Department of Education for Special Education and received a letter of certification with no recommended improvements. In December of 2010, the New Jersey State Department of Education returned to McKeown to review the full school program and facilities under the state monitoring regulations called the New Jersey Single Accountability Continuum. McKeown Elementary School again successfully passed all monitoring regulations. Each year, the New Jersey State Police under the direction of the Governor inspects the McKeown School’s security plans. The McKeown administration received updated training at the State Police’s Homeland Security Facility. In turn, training is provided to all in-house staff.

Students enjoy a wide range of programs from kindergarten to sixth grade. Our performing arts program continues to involve over 140 students annually in each of the instrumental and vocal music programs. Our library media center is fully automated and second to none in the elementary field with 25,945 volumes. In addition, our students enjoy a host of after school clubs including stamp club, robotics, cooking club, science and ski club. Our students enjoy a wide variety of field trips ranging from stage performances to a three-day environmental program at Fairview Lakes Campground for sixth graders. Our staff and students annually recognize our nation’s veterans with presentations for both Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The student Honor Roll recognizes students in grades 5 and 6 for their academic performance.

Our philosophy is to recognize those who perform well academically and are a real role model for the younger students. This year, Courtney Brennan is our sixth grade Roundtable Award Recipient. In February of 2011, the Hampton Township Board of Education did award the following students with the Enthusiastic Readers Award: Grade 1: Gabriella Cortezano,

Grade 2: Lauren Wrigley, Grade 3: Natalie Oliveira, Grade 4: Rayna Butler, Grade 5: Hayley Stoll

Grade 6: Emily Principe

The instructional staff has organized a parent volunteer program called the “Page Turners.” Community members, parents and grandparents volunteer for one semester at a time. The volunteers arrive at the school and read to students who have been selected by our instructional staff. The goal is to encourage the lifelong “Love of Reading.” Also for a first time this year, students from the Honor Society at KRHS tutored several of our students in the field of math.

As a school district, Hampton truly appreciates the extraordinary efforts of our PTA under the direction of Mrs. Michelle Valentine, President of the McKeown PTA. The PTA actively raises funds for a host of student activities, author visits and assemblies.

Our current Board of Education members are: Mrs. Joyce Anderson, Mr. Ernie Lodgsdon, Mr. Scott Valentine, Mr. Barry Johnson, Mr. John Wohlleber, Ms. Eleanore Shaffer, Janet Lucas and Mrs. Deidre Metzger. The Board’s Vice President is Mr. Barry Johnson and the President is Dr. Joseph Santora.

The Hampton Township School District has three administrators, and they are:

Mr. Everett C. Burns Superintendent

Mr. Dominic Festante Principal

Mrs. Kerry Murphy School Business Administrator

We are extremely proud of our staff. Many of our staff have received outstanding awards and recognition over the years. Each year, the President of the United States recognizes outstanding mathematics and science teachers by bestowing upon them the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House. Two of our staff have earned Presidential Awards and traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive them at White House Ceremonies. In 1992, Carol Tremper, now retired, earned the award in mathematics and in 1999, Daniel Weissman earned the award in science. The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program is designed to introduce participants to Japanese culture and education. Two staff members have earned these grants to travel to Japan for study with follow-up projects at McKeown. These projects were developed and submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education where they received “Best Practice” Awards. Mrs. Carol Tremper received a Best Practice Award in mathematics in May 2001 for her project entitled “Math in a Japanese Garden.” In the spring of 2002, Mr. Lewis Ayers received a Best Practice Award in social studies for his project entitled, “Spinning a Better World with Clay.” During the summer of 2007, Mrs. Kristen Grzymko, a fifth grade teacher, was awarded a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Earthwatch Fellowship to work with a research team in Idaho to identify the “Wildlife Trails of the American West.” In 2011, Mrs. Grzymko was honored by being appointed to the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is a professional honorary society of women educators that promotes professional and personal growth of its members and excellence in education.

Over the last four years, the entire school community of Hampton has worked diligently to produce a “Look into the Future” through the development of a “Strategic Plan”. The plan takes an in-depth look at the future needs in the areas of curriculum, personnel, and facilities. You may want to scroll down further on our web page and read more about the details of this study.

We hope that you find this information helpful. Our staff and community continues to uphold its pledge to support the quest for a quality education in a safe and nurturing environment.

Respectfully submitted,

Everett C. Burns

Superintendent