March 3, 2025

Message from the Office of Teaching and Learning

Dear Teachers and Instructional Staff,

Happy Read Across America Week!

This week, we proudly join schools across the nation in celebrating the joy of reading and the power of storytelling. Read Across America is a wonderful opportunity to inspire our students to explore new worlds, expand their imaginations, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

As we celebrate, I encourage you to promote independent reading as a way to increase endurance and comprehension skills. Research shows that independent reading not only enhances students' reading fluency but also fosters a deeper understanding of texts. According to the National Reading Panel (2000), students who engage in regular independent reading demonstrate improved vocabulary, comprehension, and overall academic performance. Additionally, a study by Krashen (2004) highlights that self-selected reading significantly contributes to literacy development and motivation. By allowing students to choose their own grade-level appropriate books based on their interests, we can help them build stamina and confidence in their reading abilities.

I am thrilled to share that I have been invited to be a Guest Reader at several schools across our District this week. I am truly excited to engage with our students, share in the magic of storytelling, and see their eyes light up as they journey through the pages of a good book.

Let’s make this week unforgettable by creating vibrant reading experiences and continuing to cultivate a culture of literacy in Newark.

Thank you for your passion, creativity, and commitment to nurturing the minds of our young readers.

Together, let’s inspire our students to read, dream, and achieve!

With excitement and gratitude,
Assistant Superintendent Esteves

New Items

Enter Intuit Hour Finance Challenge for a Chance to Win Chromebooks (New)

Contact: Carynne Conover, Office of Social Studies
Email: cconover@nps.k12.nj.us

In celebration of Financial Literacy Month, Intuit for Education is challenging schools to spend at least one hour learning about budgeting. Schools can compete to win prizes from Intuit.

• National champions: Top three middle and high school winners will be recognized and receive Chromebooks for their schools.
• State-level champions: Each state winner will be recognized and receive a trophy.

Here is the link to review the challenge information and registration.

New Items

#SELDay 2025 (New)

Contact: LaTonya D. White, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: ldwhite@nps.k12.nj.us

This year's National SEL Week kicks off with International #SEL Day on Monday, March 3, 2025. The National Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Week is March 3 - 7, 2025.

We will unite across the District to showcase SEL in our schools, promote SEL to our students and parents, and advocate SEL with our policymakers in a week-long celebration of advocacy for National SEL Week, March 3 - 7, 2025.

The THEME for 2025 is "Skills for Success, Ready for the Future".

Resources:

• https://selday.org/
• https://selday.org/toolkits/

March Culture & Climate Activities (New)

Contact: Rania Sawaged, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: rsawaged@nps.k12.nj.us

Take a look at the March Suggested Activities document for some great activities you can introduce in your classroom or school to promote awareness for:

• Women's History Month
• International SEL Day (3/3)

March is National Social Worker Month (New)

Contact: Jessica Silva-Olmo, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: jsilva@nps.k12.nj.us

March begins National Social Work Awareness Month (March 1-31). Social Work Month in March is a time to celebrate the great profession of social work. The theme for the National Association of Social Workers is Compassion + Action.

During Social Work Month, take time to teach others (students, teachers, and parents) about the many positive contributions of the profession. You may inspire someone to want to become a Social Worker and/or go back to school to go into the profession. Additionally, be sure to acknowledge the great work of all our District school social workers. Attached, please print and post their well deserved proclamation:

• 2025-03-Social-Worker-Proclamation.pdf

NJDOE Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABR) Webinar Series: POSTPONED (New)

Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABR) webinar series scheduled for February 10-April 7, 2025 has been POSTPONED due to several scheduling conflicts. I appreciate your understanding and patience as the NJDOE works to resolve all conflicts associated with their webinar training series. 

Special Education Resources and Updates (New)

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

The Office of Special Education is excited to announce its 3rd annual Special Education Conference, taking place on March 5, 2025 from 8:00 AM to 3:05 PM at Newark Vocational High School. This year's theme, Innovate, Adapt, Inspire: Achieving Excellence in Special Education, will highlight key strategies to support the academic and functional needs of students with disabilities.

OSE will host a follow-up Training for School-Based Administrators in Autism Programs on March 12, 2025.

Please see attached the full March PD opportunities per the Office of Special Education:

• 3-3-25-Teacher-Talk.pdf

Parent Institute Newsletter (New)

Contact: Jill Budinich, Office of Federal Programs & Grants
Email: jbudinich@nps.k12.nj.us

The Parent Institute newsletters provide practical information and tips for families on many school topics in a user-friendly format. The newsletters are broken down by grade span:

• Elementary level (K-5)
• Middle school (6-8)
• High school (9-12)

This publication is available in English and Spanish. This resource is a tool to empower families to help their children develop educational and social-emotional skills to achieve school success. Currently, there are highlighted topics being discussed within our school communities. We encourage you to share with your parents and share your feedback.

America250 Opens Submissions for Nationwide Student Contest: ‘America’s Field Trip’ (New)

America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Semiquincentennial, in collaboration with BNY, kicked off the second installment of “America’s Field Trip” — a nationwide scholastic contest where students have the opportunity to earn a special behind-the-scenes experience at an iconic American historical and cultural site. America’s Field Trip invites students in grades 3-12 to submit artwork or writing that reflects on what America means to them.

Watch this video to learn more about the America’s Field Trip contest and see some of the incredible places awardees visited this summer.

For more information, visit america250.org/FieldTrip, and note the deadline is April 16, 2025.

Previous Items

Observance of Ramadan

Please note that Ramadan is being observed from February 28, 2025 to March 29, 2025.

In our continued effort to be mindful and respectful, please review the Ramadan Infographic.

See the Summer Program 2025 Timelines

Contact: Matthew Brewster, Office of Staff Development
Email: MBrewster@nps.k12.nj.us

Please see the following timelines for Summer 2025:

• Parents, families and schools notified of mandatory registration - February 13, 2025
• Staff job announcements posted - March 3, 2025 
• Program brochure and application launch - April 1, 2025
• Program registration ends - May 16, 2025
• Parent/Student notification of enrollment - June 2, 2025
• Summer Staff Orientation and Organization Days -  June 25 and 26, 2025
• Summer Program Dates - June 30, 2025 through August 1, 2025

For more information, visit our website at https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/summerprograms/.

Summer Quest Interest Meeting

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

Winter may be in full swing, but the Office of Extended Learning is already setting the stage for an unforgettable 2025 Summer Quest program!

Summer Quest provides recreation and enrichment activities from 1-6 pm for students currently in grades K-7 at various elementary locations from June 30 to August 1, 2025. Teachers are needed to lead sports, recreation, visual and performing arts, book club, games, STEM, and other activities!

Curious to learn more? We will be holding an information/interest session soon. Please fill out the Summer 2025 Quest Interest Form to receive an invitation!

Parent University – Prudential Financial Literacy Workshop

Contact: Natasha Rouse, Office of Federal Programs & Grants
Email: nrouse@nps.k12.nj.us

Newark Board of Education is partnering with Prudential Pathways to offer financial wellness educational seminars hosted by industry experts. Prudential Pathways aims to make building financial planning strategies less intimidating and more empowering through easy-to-understand educational programs. Please share the flyer with families so they can register. All sessions are FREE!

• Prudential-Pathways-Financial-Wellness-Series.pdf
• March-3-Part-Financial-Wellness-Series.pdf

SY 25-26 School Social Worker 2 Intern Request Form: NOW

Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, OSL - Student Support Services
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us

The Office of Student Life is now accepting applications for School Social Worker 2 Internships for the 2025-2026 school year. If your school is interested in hosting an intern, please read the following requirements:

• Principal/Administrator must authorize permission to host intern(s).
• NBOE schools must have a SW2 who is in good standing and is highly qualified to supervise intern(s).
• The SW2 must complete the following Google Request form by 5/23/25.

Note: If a college/university contacts you regarding internship placement, please direct all inquiries to Mrs. Stacy Pelham-Hale, Supervisor at s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us.

Mandatory Affirmative Action Training

Contact: Nichola Camacho, HRS - Affirmative Action
Email: ncamacho@nps.k12.nj.us

Board policy requires all employees to complete annual Affirmative Action training. All training courses launched on February 19, 2025. You will receive an email from the Newark Board of Education containing a link to log in to Vector Solutions using your District email and password. Each training course includes an assessment that must be completed. A certificate can be saved or printed after successfully completing each assigned training course. You must complete all required courses by May 30, 2025.

2024-2025  NBOE Annual Affirmative Action Training Courses

• FILE-CODE-4111142111-NON-DISCRIMINATION-POLICY.pdf
• 2024-2025-Sexual-Harassment-Staff-to-Staff-Training.pdf
• 2024-2025-Discrimination-Awareness-in-the-Workplace-Training.pdf

Teacher Transfer Period

Contact: Eboni Woolridge, HRS - Instructional Staffing
Email: ewoolridge@nps.k12.nj.us

If you are interested in transferring to one of our AMAZING schools, please apply on Frontline between April 7th and April 17th. You will be provided a notification by HRS when your request is reviewed and approved by Hiring Managers and Leadership.

**Check out the fantastic opportunities at the elementary and high school level by reviewing the following links: NBOE High School Profiles or NBOE Elementary School Profiles. For more information about our academies at the high school level, please visit: https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/academies/ **

2024 W-2s and ACA 1095C Electronic Consent

Contact: Jennifer Medina, Payroll and Benefit Services
Email: j1medina@nps.k12.nj.us

Save a tree and avoid your 2024 W-2 and 1095 form getting lost in the mail or wasting a stamp! Those are just a few good reasons to complete the consent form.

W-2s and the ACA 1095 forms are available in Employee Self Service. Update your consent now to avoid receiving paper W2s next year. You can download your W2 now and your 1095 will be available by February 28, 2025, with hard copies being mailed by March 3, 2025.

Additional details about ACA 1095 are posted at https://nboehrs.com/aca-1095/.

Schoology Training Plan

Contact: Abdullah Ansari, Division of Information Technology
Email: aansari@nps.k12.nj.us

The District has adopted a multi-phase and multi-source training plan for the migration to the new Schoology Learning Management System (LMS). This plan consists of an initial in-person hands-on training conducted by professional trainers from PowerSchool covering 30% of teachers and administrators in each school. The District has conducted four phases of the initial training since November 2024. Each phase has been conducted monthly over a 3-day period with 6 three-hour sessions per day. The objective of this training is to train key school personnel so they can lead the migration effort in their respective schools. The fifth and final phase of this training will be conducted in March 2025.

Another form of Schoology training offered to teachers and administrators is via the self-paced online OTIS for Educators training platform. Teachers and administrators can access this platform using the following URL, https://otis.teq.com/, and can login to the platform via Google or Clever. The platform contains over 20 different sessions on Schoology and is available 24x7x365.

The third form of Schoology training offered by the District is an in-person training provided by trainers from Teq. This training is offered to schools that have received the initial training and are in the process of migrating to Schoology. The objective of this training is to offer additional assistance to schools with their migration and address their needs and concerns. Each school will receive a 3-hour in-person training at the school building conducted by a professional trainer versed in both Google Classroom and Schoology platforms. Schools in phase 1 and 2 of the migration plan have already scheduled their in-person training with Teq. Schools in phase 3 and 4 that recently received their initial training will be contacted by Teq the week of February 17, 2025 to schedule their final in-person training. Schools are encouraged to inform Teq of the manner in which they wish to use their training session so the trainer can tailor the session to their needs.

Please note that the implementation of Schoology as a contemporary Learning Management System is aligned with the District’s 10-year Strategic Plan (Priority 2.2). Schoology will also play a pivotal role in the District’s adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the area of Teaching and Learning. After the successful migration to Schoology, the District will implement PowerBuddy AI app within Schoology to assist students with homework assignments and help teachers with tasks such as lesson planning and assessments.

Register for the Panasonic Kid Witness News Program

Contact: Kathleen Tierney, Office of Science
Email: ktierney@nps.k12.nj.us

Kid Witness News is a FREE global student team video competition that is open to New Jersey students from ages 10-18. Student teams will create a video on a global social issue aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals identified by the United Nations.

Please see the link below for more information:

• https://www.fill.foundation/kwn/#resources

Sexual Health Education Professional Development

Contact: Jennifer Rodriguez, Office of Federal Programs & Grants
Email: j20rodriguez@nps.k12.nj.us

The NBOE has partnered with Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan NJ (PPMNJ) to provide after-school professional development sessions focused on the health services available for teens at the Newark Planned Parenthood locations and answering tough questions about sexual health. Registration is now open.

See the attached flyer for descriptions and Whetstone registration links:

• PPMNJ-April-2025-PDs.pdf

For more information, contact j20rodriguez@nps.k12.nj.us.

Retrieving Your PD Certificate from Whetstone

Contact: Dana Moore-Mishoe, HRS - Office of Educator Effectiveness
Email: evaluations@nps.k12.nj.us

This quick video tutorial will help you navigate to print your certificates from Professional Development trainings you registered for and signed into.  If, after reviewing your Schoolmint transcript, you believe something is missing, please contact the facilitator of that session. The Educator Effectiveness team will not have access to update that specific certificate.

HIB/Title IX Q&A Hour: Every First Friday

Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Office of Student Life: McKinney Vento
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us

Please join our HIB/Title IX Monthly Q&A Hour! We’ll be meeting every First Friday to provide an open space for questions, discussion, and guidance. This is a valuable opportunity to ensure we’re all aligned on best practices and have the support we need to address our students' needs. Our goal is to make these sessions collaborative and impactful, so come prepared with any cases, questions, or concerns you may want to address.

Certifications Yearly Reminders

Contact: Eboni Woolridge, Office of Staffing
Email: ewoolridge@nps.k12.nj.us

The Certification Team is hosting Virtual Office Hours and Certification Trainings throughout the 2024-2025 school year. 

Register for the Virtual Office Hours and the Trainings by using the following link: https://forms.gle/J9EmbPxAgG3eiM

Please check NJEdCert to ensure that your Instructional, Educational Services, and Administrator certificates (if applicable) are accurate and up to date.

Contact the Certifications team if you are awaiting the issuance of a Provisional or Standard license.

The Certifications Team can be reached via email at certifications@nps.k12.nj.us.

Connecting with NBOE HRS through Employee Self Service (ESS) and NBOEHRS.com

Contact: Randy Schrader, Employee Services
Email: mjwilliams@nps.k12.nj.us

Employee Services would like to encourage all staff to become familiar with the two online tools:

1. NBOEHRS.com: 24/7 source of information Benefits, Pension, Payroll, and much more. 

Employee Self Service (ESS): to complete numerous HR activities, including View Paycheck, update Direct Deposit or W-4, confirm and update Personal Information, and Submit Retirement and Resignation.

Culture & Climate Annual Calendar SY24-25

Contact: Rania Sawaged, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: rsawaged@nps.k12.nj.us

Review the Culture & Climate Calendar SY 2024-2025. This calendar is suggested to be utilized as a guide and reference when planning for required/suggested activities, service/community projects, and additional school events throughout the school year.

To streamline the artifact collection process, each month, the principal will designate one person from your school to be in charge of uploading pictures and artifacts to the relevant slide assigned to your school.

Please reference the due dates and directions.

Teacher Talk is emailed every other Monday.

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