www.eastside-online.org
Vol. 48 No. 1
Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
October 2013
East welcomes Dr. Lawyer Chapman ■ By Jenna Wilson (‘15)
Eastside News/Features Editor
forward to doing,” Chapman said. Being with students is one thing that drew Chapman back to the job. “There’s a lot of data that says that when students feel they have relationships with adults at school that they do better, that they achieve more. I want students to
towards success. “I want everyone to get off to a good day. I want to find some way to motivate students and staff. That’s my way of motivating people. I feel if people are motivated that they will work harder,” he said. Chapman often stresses the importance of a solid work ethic. “If you work hard, put a lot of effort into your work and at all times give 110%, you are going to be successful. If you fail, try again and try again. But you will
While it may seem like a daunting goal to know the name of every student and faculty member at Cherry Hill East, interim principal Dr. Lawyer Chapman is up for the challenge. “I have a strong desire to have a relationship with each and every student, staff member and family,” Chapman said. “I want to get to know every single student, and I want every single student to get to know me.” Chapman has already made headway on his goal; he speaks with students on a daily basis. Students and staff will not find him locked in his office or with meeting after meeting scheduled—instead, he roams the halls, stopping to talk with students and staff, asking them about their day, giving them encouragement and making conversation. “I have really been very impressed, very pleased with the reception, so I feel so comfortable here,” Chapman said. Before coming to East, Chapman served as an assistant superintendent of Cherry Hill Public Schools for nine years. While he never worked directly in the building, part of his job as an assistant superintendent required him to supervise East. Chapman is no stranger to being a principal—he was principal at Thomas Paine Elementary School in Cherry Hill and Jordan Stein (‘14)/ Eastside Photo Editor William Penn High School in PhiladelDr. Chapman has over 56 years of experience in education. phia. He also served as an assistant printhing that I can to make all cipal at Cherry Hill High see me, know that I am apbe successful,” he said. students be successful here School West. Chapman has proachable, know that I Chapman said he wishes at East. That’s very imporover 56 years of experience want to talk to them, know to inspire the students of tant, for all students to feel in education. that I care very much about East to work as hard as they successful, so I am willing “When I was asked by the them and that I am here for can and to learn as much as to do whatever necessary in superintendent if I would them, whatever their needs they can. order to make that happen,” come and be the principal are. I am there to meet those He said, “I often talk said Chapman. here, I jumped at the noneeds,” he said. about East being a comOne way he attempts to tion that I could do that. Chapman emphasizes munity of scholars. I truly inspire success is to start I know that East is a wonthat his main goal for his believe that. And I want to every day off with an anderful school, an outstandtime at East is to help stumake that a part of how stunouncement at 7:30 a.m. as ing school, and the oppordents be successful. dents feel about themselves. a way to motivate the stutunity for me to work here “I really care about [the I really want them to feel dents and faculty to work was something that I looked students], I want to do everythat they are scholars.”
Inside This Issue
Faculty hits stage News/Features, Pg. 2
JT still shines Entertainment, Pg. 8
Students voice their opinions of Dr. Lawyer Chapman:
“He’s a good principal. He’s well-spoken and he knows what he’s doing. He’s a great leader.” - Eric Landis (‘17) “I feel as if he’s investing himself in the East community, showing us he really cares about the students and the school.” - Aaron Molotsky (‘15) “He’s putting in a lot of effort to make the school better. He’s getting students more motivated. He’s very enthusiastic about supporting East.” - Emily Lewis (‘15) “I think that when he gets on the loudspeaker and gives us a motivational talk, it really builds my confidence for the rest of the day and it’s a positive start to my day.” - Cheyanna Baker (‘14) “He makes a really good impact on people and he makes people remember him.” - Arisa Komatsu (‘14) “He really gets involved and he’s really trying to get involved with the students.” - Megan Sooy (‘14) “He’s very focused on having his students be scholarly and he’s very enthusastic about having us be educationally advanced.” - Katia Bennett (‘16)
Soccer enters new era Sports, Pg. 12