On November 6, voters in Merchantville NJ will choose from among two balloted candidates for three open seats on the Borough Board of Education. NJ Pen invited them to tell voters about themselves, their priorities, and their views of the current state of the Merchantville School. Incumbent BOE member Elliot Honigfeld did not reply. Here's how candidate, Marc Carcanague responded. In addition to declared candidates, Elliot Honingfeld and Marc Carcanague, there are two (2) write-in candidates for seats on Merchantville's Board of Education: Caroline Feliciano-Waters and Daniel Licata, an Assistant Principal in Riverside, NJ since 2017.

Caroline Waters has worked for Rutgers Camden for 26 years and holds a masters degree in Public Administration. She's a consultant for the Department of Higher Education where she provides workshops to students and parents in middle school and high school concerning Financial Aid. She's an active member of Merchantville PTA and sits on the Diversity Committee at Haddon Heights high school where we address various issues concerning ethnicity and gender diversity. "The reason I want to be on the board is because I strongly believe that the board should represent the student body. There are cultural and ethnic issues that can only be addressed by individuals who understand the culture." Carolyn has attended board meetings in the past and voiced concerns that the faculty is not representative of the student body. "I am very interested in children who attend Merchantville to see themselves in the faculty and administration. Merchanrvillle has come a long way and the community has become a melting pot. This is a good thing for the town and for our children." She has spoken to many parents with similar concerns and hopes to be part of a good change on the Merchantville board. 

Daniel Licata has been an Assistant Principal in Riverside High School, NJ since 2017. "As a Merchantville resident for the last six years, it is inspiring to see our cozy town receive increased attention from local and state news outlets. My wife and I enjoy walking our dog down the “Merchantville Mile” and greeting both new and familiar neighbors. Merchantville is certainly a great place to live and grow." Professionally, Dan has spent the last ten years working in public education, the first eight of which were spent as a social studies teacher at Palmyra High School. In his role as a school administrator, he focuses on addressing chronic absenteeism, school safety, bullying prevention, and student-centered instruction. "If elected to the Merchantville Board of Education, I will work with the other board members, district staff and administration to ensure that our school district is exceeding the expectations of our community. By keeping the students as the focus of our goals and initiatives, we can continue to be proud of our charming school district." If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dan through Facebook or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Merchantville School celebrated the students that completed multiple reading logs over the summer. Why is summer reading so important? Have you heard of the "Summer Slide"? Research has shown that over the summer, students who stop reading can lose up to two months of reading achievement. Due to the summer slide, some students start the new school year behind where they finished the last year. Reading during the summer can help prevent this and even help children improve reading levels. These student readers had a pizza luncheon with the principal to thank them for keeping up with their reading over the summer. Great job kids! Keep on reading.

From October 9th - October 19th the Merchantville National Junior Honor Society will be running a costume drive. We are collecting new or lightly used Halloween costumes for kids who may not have any to wear this year. Halloween can be full of memories, but unfortunately, some children cannot afford a costume. Please consider donating to this cause. There is a collection box in the main office at the school. 

The first Monday of every October is World Day of Bullying Prevention. Whether you wear the STOMP Out Bullying "2018 Limited Edition" Blue Shirt or wear your own blue shirt, you'll be using your voice and sending a message that this is the day that bullying prevention is heard around the world.

Hello families! The long-awaited schedules are active in the Real Time Parent Portal!https://www.fridayparentportal.com/portal/security/login.cfm. Log in using the codes sent in the summer mailing to find out your children’s teachers. Don’t forget to submit a room parent request if you would like to be considered for a Room Parent position for the coming year! Visit the PTA website to submit an online form.