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Message from the Office of the SuperintendentDear Teachers and Instructional Staff, As we approach winter recess, we want to encourage you to take a moment to reflect on all that has been accomplished so far this school year. You and your students have put in unwavering effort, and your students’ progress is a testament to your commitment and dedication. Additionally, please be mindful that the new year provides us with an opportunity to reset and reground ourselves in what is most important to the success and well-being of our students. As shared during District Staff Convocation 2025 in August, please be reminded that January 2, 2026 is an Administrative Day for all District staff. On behalf of everyone here at the District, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes to you and your families. May your holidays be joyful and the new year bring continued growth and blessings. Warm regards,
Superintendent León, Deputy Superintendent Severe, and Assistant Superintendent Esteves |
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Program Assessments - ECERS and TPOTContact: Victoria Dampare, Office of Early Childhood
Email: vdampare@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Early Childhood would like to inform you that the Preschool Teacher Coach and PIRS assigned to your school will be conducting Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales (ECERS) and Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) program quality and environmental assessments in your Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. These assessments began on Monday, October 20, 2025 and continue through Friday, March 13, 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out to the supervisor assigned to your location. |
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District ALL CITY YOUNG ARTISTS Accepting SubmissionsContact: Antonia Germanos, Office of Visual and Performing Arts
Email: agermanos@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Visual and Performing Arts is NOW accepting artwork submissions for the District All City YOUNG ARTISTS Annual Visual Art Exhibition. NBOE Visual Art Educators, submit the strongest student visual artworks aligning with the theme "JOY" to proudly represent your school in this year's adjudicated District-Wide exhibition. Participation Guidelines Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qrtz-wv5_MrnO3EH66zFCn1_40QfUHfS?usp=sharing Submission Deadline January 28, 2026 |
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NBOE Science Fair 2026Contact: Kathleen Tierney, Office of Science
Email: ktierney@nps.k12.nj.us  We are excited to announce that the theme for NBOE's Science Fair 2026 is Chemistry in Our Every Day Lives.
All K-8 schools should hold their own science fairs the week of March 23rd and award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the following grade bands: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Judges from Central Office will visit schools the week of March 30th to evaluate science fair projects for overall District winners. Please use this link to get more information about project requirements and rubrics: |
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District ALL CITY TEEN ARTS Accepting SubmissionsContact: Antonia Germanos, Office of Visual and Performing Arts
Email: agermanos@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Visual and Performing Arts is NOW accepting artwork submissions for the District All City TEEN ARTS Annual Visual Art Exhibition. NBOE Visual Art Educators, submit the strongest student visual artworks aligning with the theme "JOY" to proudly represent your school in this year's adjudicated District-Wide exhibition.
Participation Guidelines Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ru1cTTInYE0_Qq1BShKpv2FKk8KdZcNpRa5H459iPQ4/edit?usp=sharing Submission Deadline January 28, 2026 |
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Cycle 2 Progress Reports - Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026 (New)Contact: Esther Lewars, OPPET - Student Information Services
Email: elewars@nps.k12.nj.us The Q2 progress reports will be delivered on Tuesday, January 6. In PowerTeacher Pro, update each student’s Q2 final grade with a comment. Comments should include the student’s current level of achievement, and the teacher should have data to support the statement. Comments are limited to 1000 characters due to space limitations.
To view all comments entered, select: Reports → Final Grade Report → Select classes → Select Comments → Run Report |
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Getting Started with Pear Assessment (New)Contact: Michael Padilla, Office of Instructional Technology
Email: m4padilla@nps.k12.nj.us Interested in learning how to utilize Pear Assessment to easily administer quick, high-quality assessments? Join us on Thursday, January 8th for virtual PD from 3:15 - 4:15 PM. This session is designed for anyone new to Pear Assessment. This training provides users with comprehensive knowledge to effectively navigate and utilize the platform. Email Michael Padilla (m4padilla@nps.k12.nj.us) with any questions. |
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Using Read&Write as a Literacy Support Tool (New)Contact: Michael Padilla, Office of Instructional Technology
Email: m4padilla@nps.k12.nj.us  Read&Write is a literacy support tool that helps with reading, writing, and studying by offering features like text-to-speech, word prediction, dictionaries, and research tools. All students and teachers in our District have access to this useful tool.
Please join us on Tuesday, January 13th for virtual PD from 3:15 - 4:15 PM. Email Michael Padilla (m4padilla@nps.k12.nj.us) with any questions. |
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Teach STEM in a Nonpublic School (New)Contact: Kathleen Tierney, Office of Science
Email: ktierney@nps.k12.nj.us Teachers that are interested in teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math classes in nonpublic schools (outside of their NBOE contractual duties) and who meet eligibility requirements are encouraged to complete the survey linked below. Interested teachers should submit their contact information via this survey no later than January 15, 2026. |
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Attend the Newark/MSU Pipeline Information Session (New)Contact: Dr. Nicole Bethea, Staff Development
Email: NBethea@nps.k12.nj.us Aspiring school/district leaders are encouraged to attend the Newark/Montclair Leadership Pipeline Program Information Session on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. At this session, participants will learn about this Master's in Educational Leadership program and the process to apply to be a member of Cohort 7 which will begin study in the fall of 2026. Registration is required via the QR Code on the attached flyer: |
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McKinney-Vento MANDATORY Essential Staff Training: Due 12/22/25 (New)Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Office of Student Life McKinney Vento
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us All essential staff are required to complete McKinney-Vento Homeless Education training to help identify and support students experiencing homelessness. The training is free, takes about 25 minutes, and includes role-specific content. Suggested staff to participate in this training includes: - McKinney-Vento Points of Contact
- School Counselors
- School Social Workers
- Main Office Clerks
- Individuals who register new incoming students
- Parent Liaisons
- SST Members
Staff assigned to complete this professional development can access the training by following the registration process below: Please be advised that this training needs to be completed and certificate uploaded by Monday, December 22, 2025.
For additional questions or concerns, contact Ana Osoria, NBOE McKinney-Vento Liaison, directly at a1osoria@nps.k12.nj.us. |
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Afterschool Assessments for Child Study Team Members (New)Contact: Candice Wells, Office of Special Education
Email: c1wells@nps.k12.nj.us Child Study Team members are eligible to conduct evaluations/re-evaluations and IEPs at a rate of $350.00 per evaluation/IEP. The Office of Special Education will provide additional guidance regarding selection of staff in a subsequent memorandum. |
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Virus Season Fall/Winter 2025-2026 (New)Contact: Samuel G Carruth MD., Office of Health Services
Email: scarruth@nps.k12.nj.us  Help prevent the spread of seasonal viruses and other seasonal infective agents.
Handwashing: - Teach and encourage proper handwashing.
- Hand washing before entering the cafeteria and frequently during the day.
- Hand sanitizers are less effective against certain viruses.
- Handwashing with soapy, warm running water for twenty (20) seconds remains an effective technique to reduce the spread of viruses.
Virus-Season-Guidelines-for-Suspected-Outbreaks.docx |
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Holiday Pay Periods - Pay Dates Reminder (New)Contact: Dimple Patel, HRS - Office of Payroll
Email: payrollcs@nps.k12.nj.us All timecards must be reviewed and approved by December 22, 2025 before the winter recess. As the holidays approach, the Payroll Team would like to remind you of the upcoming December 2025 and January 2026 pay dates, as posted on the district pay calendar on https://nboehrs.com/payroll/: - December 19, 2025
- January 2, 2026
- January 16, 2026
- January 30, 2026
Wishing you a great holiday season from the Newark Board of Education Payroll Team! |
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Updated January Date: New Teacher Induction Trainings (New)Contact: Jennifer Rodriguez, HRS - Office of Educator Effectiveness
Email: j20rodriguez@nps.k12.nj.us Our next New Teacher Induction training will be held virtually on Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Please note that the date has changed from January 8th. The registration link will be shared in the upcoming Teacher Talk newsletter. New Teacher Induction Training Dates: 1/8/2026 → 1/15/2026- 2/12/2026
- 3/12/2026
- 4/9/2026
- 5/14/2026
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Newark Accelerated Pathways Program (NAPP) Enhances Support! (New)Contact: Eboni Woolridge, HRS - Office of Staffing
Email: ewoolridge@nps.k12.nj.us Newark Accelerated Pathways Program (NAPP) continues to enhance support by hosting On-Site Staff Development and Premium Pop-Up Test Events through the Engage2Learn (E2L) partnership. Important Dates On-Site Staff Development - Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 3:45PM. 2026 Premium Pop-Up Test Events: - Saturday - February 21st
- Saturday - April 25rd
- Saturday - May 30th
Pathways teachers must complete the following link to register for testing events: All Career Pathways and NAPP teachers must upload their certification progress via the following link: |
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OSE Updates and ResourcesContact: LaPrice Weatherington, Office of Special Education
Email: lweatherington@nps.k12.nj.us Inclusive Schools Week was celebrated nationally from December 8-12, 2025. Please check out the NBOE website to see what occurred across the District. While we celebrate your support during the week of December 8th, please note that Inclusive Practices are an everyday occurrence. SAVE the DATE for the Third Annual Special Education Conference. See attached in order to submit your workshop proposal. Also see attached for this month's Professional Development Opportunities by OSE. |
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America’s Field Trip Contest for Grades 3 - 12 America’s Field Trip is a nationwide contest that invites students across the country in grades 3 - 12 to be part of our nation’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.
Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?” For more information, visit: https://america250.org/fieldtrip/
Note: the deadline is March 30, 2026. |
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Newark Enrolls & Children of NBOE StaffContact: Rochanda Jackson, OPPET
Email: rjackson@nps.k12.nj.us  Policy code 5111, previously approved by the Board, allows District staff who do not reside in Newark to enroll their children in our schools. The application launched on November 1, 2025 and will close on January 30, 2026.
Here is the link to the Newark Enrolls application: https://newarkenrolls.org/
If you have any questions, please reach out to Rochanda Jackson, Executive Director of the Office of Policy, Planning, Evaluation, and Testing at rjackson@NPS.K12.NJ.US. |
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Art Contest: 2026 AKC - NYC Meet the BreedsContact: Antonia Germanos, Office of Visual and Performing Arts
Email: agermanos@nps.k12.nj.us  Calling all teachers and parents of young artists!
American Kennel Club Public Education is hosting an art contest for students in grades K-12 in the NYC area! Art is due December 23, 2025, for the 2026 NYC Meet the Breeds Art Contest! Visit the American Kennel Club Public Education Contest Website for more information on how to submit: https://www.akc.org/public-education/akc-meet-the-breeds-art-contest/?sc_src=email_2486832&sc_lid=153182121&sc_uid=yDydhPcUhl&sc_llid=588&sc_eh=0545434560f810381 - The theme for the art contest is "400 Years of Dogs in NYC," celebrating New York City's 400th anniversary.
- Open to students in grades K-12.
- A winner will be selected from each category and will receive a prize (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Winning art will be displayed at the AKC Museum of the Dog in NYC!
- All finalists will receive two free tickets to the MTB NYC event.
- Entries are due by December 23, 2025.
Contact publiced@akc.org for more details! |
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HIB/Title IX Documentation Forms: 2025-2026 SYContact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us 
Click the link below to access the 2025-2026 SY HIB/Title IX Complete Documentation File Packet: Please be sure to complete the entire investigation packet when submitting forms for all HIB and Title IX matters. These materials are designed to facilitate thorough, consistent, and compliant documentation throughout the investigative process. |
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 | Teacher Talk is emailed every other Monday. The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. |
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Contact Us To support and encourage highly effective instruction, Teacher Talk synthesizes information and resources that will help NPS teachers meet the expectations of the framework for effective teaching. Please open the form with Firefox or Chrome in order to add attachments.
You may submit items for inclusion in the Teacher Talk newsletter via this form:
https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/departments/communications/teacher-talk-form/ The weekly submission deadline is Wednesday by 5:00 p.m. before Monday distribution. |
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