For a group of young men from Cherokee High School, 2013 will be a year that will live on forever.
As part of the high school’s presentation of its accomplishments in 2013 at the Lenape Regional High School District’s Board of Education meeting last week, the football team was honored for winning the South Jersey Group V championship on Dec. 6 over Eastern High School.
All of the seniors from that championship team were in attendance. Each received a certificate from the board.
“These kids are great kids,” Head Coach P.J. Mehigan said. “You would be proud of these
kids both on the field and in the classroom.”
Mehigan said the team was successful not just because they loved football, but also because they all cared about one another.
The football team was just one highlight for Cherokee at the meeting. The high school gave its annual presentation that recapped the 2012–13 school year.
Highlighted in the presentation was a combination of academic and community service accomplishments. The high school’s senior class from 2013 received a combined $140,000 in college scholarships and had six National Merit Scholarship students.
Outside the classroom, the class of 2013 had 545 students participate in the Senior Day of Service. The program is a way for the senior class to volunteer time in their school and local community.
In other news:
• The Lenape District completed its Chris Herren assemblies two weeks ago, with Shawnee and Seneca High School hosting him in the first week of December.
Superintendent Carol Birnbohm spoke about the incredibly positive reaction that students from the district had to Herren’s assemblies.
The board prepared a packet with reaction and photos from students who were moved by Herren’s speech. She said many students took to Twitter following the assemblies with their reaction.
“There’s a photo of a wall in one of the schools with purple squares,” Birnbohm said. “Those are all students who pledged their allegiance to Project Purple (Herren’s initiative against substance abuse).”
Birnbohm said another student took a message outside of the drug and alcohol theme and said that Herren also spoke about not judging others and treating everyone fairly, tying in with the district’s Defy the Issue message.
• Active shooter drills will be conducted at Cherokee High School during the winter break by the Evesham Police Department. Even though classes won’t be in session, athletes will still utilize the school during these days. Birnbohm informed the board that the sports teams and police will not interfere with each other’s activities.
• The Board of Education reviewed and approved the district’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the 2012–13 fiscal year at its meeting last week.
The report, which was prepared by Kevin Frenia of Holman Frenia Allison, revealed that all is in order with the district’s finances as has been the case in past years.
“Our surplus is under the limit,” Business Administrator James Hager said.
The school district’s fund balance decreased from the beginning of the 2013 fiscal year. The district began that year with a balance of $11,268,155 in July of 2012 and finished the year with $10,255,594 in June of 2013.
• The Board of Education will hold its reorganization meeting on Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the district’s building in Shamong.
