"The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue."
Edward R. Murrow

We are proud to welcome you to the Mount Laurel Township Schools' website. As a district, we have long recognized the World Wide Web as a valuable communications tool. In fact, our first site appeared in 1991, before commercialization of the medium began. A website's worth, however, is only as valuable as the information it shares.

Mount Laurel's Board of Education and Administration have established policies and procedures that dictate transparency in all aspects of our operation. You will find board of education meeting agendas, exhibits and minutes posted here each month. Our annual district budget, guides to the curriculum used in our programs and our complete district policy manual are also posted.

But, as Edward R. Murrow noted long before the advent of the Internet, misinformation often travels swiftly. We hope that our website opens the door to conversation with those who use it. If ever you come to this site to confirm information you have heard and are unable to find that validation, please use this link to contact us and pose the question directly. As partners in the education of the children of Mount Laurel, it is incumbent upon each of us to make intelligent use of the tools we have at our disposal.

"We are ecstatic to receive this news," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Antoinette Rath. "We started our STEM Program last year at grades five, seven and eight. The Sallie Mae Fund Grant will allow us to extend this exciting educational opportunity to our sixth-graders next year also.

"Utilizing Lego MindStorm Robotics, Mount Laurel's sixth-graders will experience mechanical design, construction, programming and teamwork skills in the new curriculum. Students will build robots and program them via computer to move, react and make sounds to solve challenges. Local, regional, national and international robotics competitions," said Dr. Rath, "will allow students to test their product and their knowledge in a wider arena."

The Sallie Mae Fund is a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. Its mission - to increase college access for America's students - is achieved by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education. The Fund supports communities where Sallie Mae employees live and work, and has contributed more than $123 million in grants since its inception.  

"It is well documented," said Dr. Rath, "that students exposed to engineering and computer sciences at an early age are more likely to follow this track throughout high school and pursue STEM-based college degrees. Since the inception of our program last year, we have witnessed tremendous interest on the part of students.  

"Offering four years of STEM education prior to high school gives our students the added exposure necessary," she added, "to compete in the workforce of the future. This expansion would not have been possible without the generosity of The Sallie Mae Fund. We are very grateful."

Any student who is currently attending a private kindergarten but will be coming to our first-grade classes in September should also be registered during this special week. Full Roundup details found here.