Message from the Superintendent

Dear Teachers and Instructional Staff,

I am so honored and proud to congratulate the following students, schools, teachers, departments, and staff for these accomplishments:

STEM Week
The Office of Science would like to recognize the over 2,800 middle school students across 26 schools who participated in our annual STEM Week activities. It was great to see how teachers and students made the topics of Building a Lunar Colony, Urban Farming, and Surgical Techniques come alive in their classrooms.

Teacher of the Year 
On June 12th, the District celebrated each school's Teacher of the Year and announced our District Teacher of the Year: Mr. Mario Banks from Science Park High School.

True greatness in teaching is achieved by those who go the extra mile every single day. We are extremely proud of these educators' hard work and dedication as they exemplify instructional leadership and unwavering commitment to student success. Congratulations to each Teacher of the Year recipient. Thank you for being powerful examples of what is possible in education and for the positive impact you make in our students' lives every day.

Night at the Museum 
The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) extends a heartfelt thank you to the over 1,000 students and families who joined us for the spectacular 13th Annual Night at the Museum event on Friday, June 13, 2025. This unforgettable evening was filled with wonder, joy, and hands-on learning as students dove into engaging, interactive activities led by passionate educators. Families were welcomed with gift bags and take-home resource booklets to continue the fun and learning beyond the event. From the inspiring planetarium show, high-energy Zumba and yoga sessions, to an epic life-sized Candy Land game adventure, the museum was alive with excitement at every turn. Thanks to the beautiful weather, the garden transformed into a lively carnival complete with games, popcorn, snow cones, and chances to win fantastic prizes. Two lucky attendees even walked away with raffle gift baskets! Our amazing community partners were also on hand, offering valuable resources and connecting with families throughout the night. It was a magical celebration of curiosity, connection, and community, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Newark Games 
The Office of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics proudly congratulates the more than 2,500 students from Pre-K through 12th grade who participated in the inaugural Newark Games—a District-wide event that brought together 64 schools representing 16 countries in a powerful display of athleticism, teamwork, and cultural pride.

After a day of spirited competition and camaraderie, we are excited to announce the winning teams:

Gold	Silver	Bronze (Tie)
Team Haiti (Central, Mount Vernon, Oliver Street, Ridge Street)	Team China (Data Science & Information Technology, Louise A. Spencer, McKinley, Nelson Mandela)	Team Ecuador (Barringer, Camden Street, Peshine Avenue) Team Egypt (Avon Avenue, Michelle Obama, Roberto Clemente, University)

Sportsmanship Award	Spirit Award
Team USA (American History, Franklin, Grover Cleveland, Harriet Tubman)	Team Morocco (Global Studies, Ironbound Academy, Salomé Ureña, Wilson Avenue)

We commend all students, staff, and schools for making this inaugural event a success and look forward to continuing this new tradition of unity and excellence!

Tomorrow, the District will celebrate Commencement Exercises throughout the City. We are so proud of our seniors and a big thank you to their parents, families, friends, teachers, school administrators, and staff. To the 8th graders, we are so proud of you. We see you too and are honored that you are coming to our High Schools. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

To close out the last newsletter of the year, I want to thank you for your ongoing commitment and unwavering support. I join you in celebration of the major accomplishments of this school year and wish you a restful summer.

We look forward to your return on August 26 and seeing you at District Staff Convocation 2025 at the Prudential Arena on August 28.

With gratitude,
Superintendent León

SY 24-25 Pre-K Transition Portfolio Guidance

Contact: Victoria Dampare, Office of Early Childhood
Email: vdampare@nps.k12.nj.us

The Office of Early Childhood is providing essential annual guidance to Preschool Teachers for compiling the Preschool Transition Portfolios. All students in Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 must have a transition portfolio.

You can access the guidance and all necessary components of the portfolio through this link.

Dodge Poetry in the Community 2025 Youth Poetry Workshops

Contact: Jermaine Blount, Student Support Services - Office of Mentoring Services
Email: j2blount@nps.k12.nj.us

Mentor Newark is hosting the Dodge Poetry in the Community 2025 Youth Poetry Workshops. Free for ages 13-18.

Please share with interested students and families. Dates and times in the Registration Link.

Inspire Science Grades 9-12 Initial Training

Contact: Tracy Cummings, Office of Science
Email: tcummings@nps.k12.nj.us

Science Summer Professional Development
Educators will engage in learning opportunities to enhance their understanding and instructional delivery of the Inspire Science curriculum. This will include building knowledge of the components used, building a basic understanding of the digital teacher and student center, and an overview of the module and lesson structure.

Each session is:

• 2 hours
• Conducted by a McGraw-Hill Curriculum Specialist

The registration details are linked here. Upon completing the session, participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Curriculum Survey: Your Voice Matters! (New)

Contact: Sylvia Esteves, Office of Teaching & Learning
Email: sesteves@nps.k12.nj.us

The Curriculum Committee — made up of members from the Office of Teaching & Learning, City Association of Supervisors & Administrators (CASA), and Newark Teachers Union (NTU) — has created a short survey to hear directly from you.

Your feedback is vital to help us improve and strengthen curriculum across the District. This is a collaborative effort, and your input will directly inform next steps.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below:

• Curriculum Survey

Thank you in advance for lending your voice to this important work!

Tutoring Coordinators K-12: Closeout for Tutoring Programs

Contact: Dr. Julianne Bello, Office of Extended Learning
Email: jbello@nps.k12.nj.us

The last day for tutoring was June 13th.

Tutoring coordinators must ensure all student data has been entered in Powerschool by all tutors. 

All tutoring supplemental pay for the pay period of 6/7 to 6/20 must be submitted by the 6/23 payroll submission date.

You should run the PowerSchool report:

Start Page » sqlReports » Attendance » Tutoring Sessions for Selected Date Range

…and review with your principal to close out your program.

OSE Updates and PD Opportunities

Contact: LaPrice Weatherington, Office of Special Education
Email: lweatherington@nps.k12.nj.us

Please see enclosed the remaining OSE PD opportunities for this school year:

• 6-9-25-Teacher-Talk.pdf

ESY PD information will be sent by email to ESY teachers and ESY Paraprofessionals. OSE wishes everyone a great summer and looks forward to ESY 2025!

District Opportunity for Montclair State University’s Bilingual/Bicultural and ESL Programs

Contact: Claire Emmanuel, Human Resource Services
Email: cemmanuel@nps.k12.nj.us

Are you, or do you know a teacher who is interested in joining a Bilingual or ESL Program? The District is offering an opportunity to those who are interested or hold a CE in either content (ESL/Bilingual) to join our partnership with Montclair State University.

NOTE: Current NJ teacher certification is required to apply for these programs. (Teachers who do not hold a CEAS or Standard Instructional Certification MUST have completed an Alternate Route program in their primary certification area.)

Kindly complete the interest form below based on your desired program:

• MSU BILINGUAL INTEREST FORM
• MSU ESL INTEREST FORM

Summer Reading Launch - June 12th

Contact: Jazleen Othman, Office of English Language Arts
Email: jothman@nps.k12.nj.us

We kicked off Summer Reading 2025 on June 12th! On this day, all PreK–12 students received their summer reading book. Teachers led an engaging launch activity that provided students with an opportunity to learn more about their required readings.

Families also received a special letter from Superintendent León detailing Summer Reading on June 12, 2025.

Full details can be found here.

• 2025 Summer Reading Poster

ELA Residency Opportunities

Contact: Jazleen Othman, Office of English Language Arts
Email: jothman@nps.k12.nj.us

The Office of English Language Arts is offering a range of professional development residencies shaped by teacher feedback and student performance data. Insights from surveys and classroom trends helped identify areas where support is needed. Our goal is to provide meaningful, relevant learning experiences that enhance instructional practices and positively impact student outcomes.

For information regarding each opportunity, click here.

Cycle 4 24-25 Report Card Timeline and Requirements - Teachers

Contact: Darren Watsky, Student Information Services
Email: dwatsky@nps.k12.nj.us

All Cycle 4 grades and comments were finalized in PowerTeacher Pro by the end of the school day on Monday, June 16th.

Use the Cycle 4 Report Card Timeline and Requirements document to prepare for the storing of Cycle 4 grades. All subjects should have a grade and/or comment. For subjects not assessed this cycle, include a comment that the student is not in the class this grading period. Grade changes after June 20th require a grade change form submission. If you have questions, please consult with your administrator(s).

Teach Adult Education Classes

Contact: Andre Hollis, Adult Education
Email: a1hollis@nps.k12.nj.us

In partnership with Newark Public Library, the Newark Public Schools Adult Education department presents "Discover, Grow, and Thrive: Adult Education Summer Sessions - Enroll Now."

Dates: July 9, 2025 - August 9, 2025

• Wednesdays 5:45pm - 7:45pm
• Saturdays 11:00am - 1:00pm

Classes will be held at various library locations throughout the City of Newark.

• Springfield Branch - 50 Hayes Street (GED)
• Van Buren Branch - 140 Van Buren Street (ESL)
• Weequahic Branch - 355 Osbourne Terrace (GED)
• North End Branch - 722 Summer Avenue ( ESL)

Interested teachers should apply here and complete JobID: 1832

Escrow Program (Open Enrollment and Refund Dates)

Contact: Human Resource Services
Email: npscompensation@nps.k12.nj.us

• Escrow Open Enrollment for current and newly hired employees is May 1st through September 15th of each year!
• Employees who are 10-month and 11-month full time employees can now self-enroll, discontinue, and switch options in the Escrow Program.
• For more information about refund dates, view deduction selected through ESS (Employee Self Service), and instructions on how to enroll or initiate a refund, kindly visit our HRS Portal at https://nboehrs.com/es/#escrow or view attached:
  • Enrolling-in-the-Escrow-Program-through-ESS.revised2025.pdf

Teacher Talk is emailed every other Monday.

The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.