Maya Angelou in speaking about reading and books said, “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”
We are so excited to share this year's summer reading book lists. It is a terrific collection. As in the past, all students will receive a physical, not electronic, book. These books allow the reader opportunities to reflect on one's self and to peer into the lives of others and learn.
Here is the link to the summer reading flyers. Please begin to build excitement about these titles by sharing this information with your students. Books will be sent directly to schools. They should be arriving at the beginning of June.
Additionally, here is a link to professional development offerings for this summer with links to sign up. We hope you will join us in the summer for more learning.
The school calendar has been revised for this school year with the last day of school for students and all 10-month employees on June 25, 2021. Graduation ceremonies will take place no earlier than June 25, 2021. Dismissal time for all other students on the last day of school is noted on the calendar as 1 pm. If you can close-out by that time, then you will also be dismissed at 1 pm.
The revised school calendar needs to be distributed to families and students.
The Newark Board of Education 2021 Math Olympics will take place virtually this year June 3rd for grades 6-12 . All students must register to compete in this year's Math Olympics. Students should complete the registration form below for the categories of Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Statistics/Probability no later than June 2, 2021. Prizes and fame will be awarded!
This competition is open to only students who are currently enrolled in a Newark Board of Education School.
Dear Teachers, Nurses, or Academic Interventionist:
As per District policy, in order to be reimbursed in the amount of $300.00 for items that supplemented and affected your work with pupils this school year and COVID-19 related expenses, you will be asked to complete and submit a District Discretionary Fund Certification.
All individuals requesting reimbursement will be required to scan and upload a copy of their 2020-2021 discretionary receipts as supporting documentation no later than June 1, 2021. Please see the attached memorandum for further instructions and to access the link.
Contact: Margaret El, Visual & Performing Arts Email: mel@nps.k12.nj.us
The Road Safety Art Contest is open to students in grades K-12. This contest invites students to use their creativity to raise awareness of how to stay safe on the road, particularly when driving, biking, or walking around large commercial motor vehicles. Entries can be hand-drawn, digital art, animated and live videos, crafts, or photos. The contest is open until June 4th. One GRAND PRIZE, one HONORABLE MENTION, and one PEOPLE’S CHOICE winner will be awarded in four categories (k-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11-12).
Contest entry form and submission guidelines here.
Contact: Margaret El, Visual & Performing Arts Email: mel@nps.k12.nj.us
The Arts Office looks to support the artistic growth of students through expanded Summer Arts Enrichment Programs located at Arts High School. Share the appropriate flyer with students/families and encourage enrollment for this fun and engaging arts enrichment program.
• Middle School Summer Visual and Performing Arts Academy-current grades 5-7 only (dance, instrumental music, vocal music, theatre and visual art) • High School Musical Theatre-current grades 8-11 only (singing, acting, dancing, stage design and lighting) • High School Visual Arts-current grades 8-11 only (art studio atmosphere)
The May New Teacher Development session will take place on Tuesday, May 18th, from 3:30 - 5:30pm. Teachers who are new to Newark (regardless of previous experience) are expected to attend 6 of the 10 monthly sessions. The Educator Effectiveness Team will facilitate this session.
Beginning this year as part of Priority 3-Strategy 3.1, students, parents/caregivers, and staff are to complete a culture and climate survey. Data from this survey will be shared with principals in June. This data will drive the creation of each school’s culture and climate plan for the 21-22 school year.
Please share the links and deadlines with your school community, here.
Self-care may be defined by the term itself – caring for yourself. Self-care includes anything you do to keep yourself healthy – physically, mentally and spiritually. Although prioritizing self-care may sound like common sense, especially if you’re considering longevity, it’s often the first thing to go when we find ourselves in challenging situations, whether because of bad health, a financial crisis, job loss, divorce or, in our current situation, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please use this link to access Self-Care articles, resources and support.
Due to the District being immersed in virtual learning for most of school year, Pre-K4 students at Contracted Pre-K Provider locations may not have the opportunity to visit feeder school locations for Kindergarten tours. To that end, The Office of Early Childhood is again requesting short video clips from Kindergarten Teachers to welcome rising Kindergarteners and provide a glimpse of a “day in the life” of a Kindergarten student. This is a monumental educational milestone to be celebrated, and we’d appreciate representation from teachers.
We hope that you and family are continuing to remain safe and healthy. This is a reminder for those enrolled in the Escrow Program that the deductions will be ending on Friday, May 28, 2021. The refund dates are as follows:
>>>One Check Option – issued in one (1) lump sum on Friday, June 11, 2021 >>>Four Check Option – issued in four (4) equal installments on July 9th, 23rd, August 6th and August 20, 2021.
Escrow Open Enrollment –May through July 15th of each year, if you are interested in enrolling, switching options or discontinuing from the Escrow Program we ask that you do so through ESS (Employee Self Service). We are excited to introduce our ESS (Employee Self Service) way of enrolling in our Escrow Program this year!! Please see attachment quick reference on how- to- enroll “Enrolling in the Escrow Program through ESS”.
The Office of Mathematics is hosting weekly, one-hour sessions in which unit overviews from curriculum guides will be reviewed with emphasis on students’ conceptual understanding and resources for student engagement.
The session will be divided into two parts: first, the Summaries of Key Learnings will be reviewed and, second, teachers and coaches will have an opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session. Join us Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. See the attached flyer for details.
Earn While You Learn! SEL Rethink Training - Cohort 3
Contact: Deborah Jennings, Office of Federal Programs & Grants Email: djennings@nps.k12.nj.us
Registration is now open for the Rethink Social Emotional Learning Training – Cohort 3. This series of SEL topics is offered to teachers, social workers, counselors, and nurses. The 8 sessions will be from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm, twice a week beginning Tuesday, May 5 through Thursday, June 3 (no sessions the week of May 24).
Two different topics will be offered each week. Participants will receive supplemental pay. You can register through Whetstone or via the attached SEL Calendar that lists the session titles and dates.
The Office of Science will be hosting a Science Olympics competition in June for students in Grades 6-12. Middle school students will have the opportunity to showcase their science knowledge by competing against schools across the district in a quiz bowl team competition. High school students will compose and present science-related content in a spoken word format.
For more information, including registration links, join the 2021 NBOE Science Olympics google classroom- the class code is twjfk36.
As we continue to build various pipelines, we know there are teachers and other instructional personnel with master’s degrees from accredited colleges/universities who hold NJ Principal certification or a Certificate of Eligibility. Individuals in that category who have not submitted their principal certification information to HRS can do so by sending an email to certifications@nps.k12.nj.us.
Additionally, so that we may provide you with some important information and resources, we ask that you complete the Principal Certification Survey linked below:
We also know that some of you are currently enrolled in a master’s program at an accredited college/university that will lead to a NJ Principal Certificate of Eligibility. If this describes you, please complete the survey below so we can share some important information with you.
The Office of Mathematics is hosting it's first lecture titled, Aligning Neuroscientific and Mathematics Education Research to Understand Rational Number Cognition. All school administrators and teachers at all levels are encouraged to attend. Presenters include:
Arthur B. Powell – Rutgers University – Newark - USA Miriam Rosenberg-Lee - – Rutgers University – Newark - USA Roberto Abreu-Mendoza – Rutgers University – Newark - USA Rogéria Viol Ferreira Toledo – IFMG - Brazil Maria Alice Veiga Ferreira de Souza – IFES - Brazil
The district is establishing a committee to join a growing movement to add the FAFSA as a graduation requirement. This committee will examine the policies of states that have made the completion of the FAFSA a graduation requirement and make policy recommendations to the Superintendent for Board approval. Committee meetings will be on May 10th from 2:50pm-3:50pm.
The Office of Science is excited to present: What’s Your Evidence? (Poster Competition)
We encourage teachers and students to get creative with the CER framework and enter our poster competition.
Theme: “Plants Are Our World” Showcase your grade level specific investigable question provided or create your own investigable question based on the theme: “Plants Are Our World”
Posters can be made by hand or using a computer.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR JUDGING, ALL POSTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY, June 4, 2021.
The Office of Science is offering a free professional development experience for a select group of middle school science teachers interested in exploring how to use the tools provided by the NGSS to best support students. Please see the attached flyer for additional information. Anyone interested in this opportunity should submit the google form linked below. Once individuals have been selected, the Office of Science will complete the registration process for the district to attend the NGSS Summer Institute.
Do you know an amazing BILINGUAL or ESL Teacher who would be a perfect match for the Newark Board of Education? If you are a current employee and you refer someone who gets hired as a full-time Bilingual or ESL teacher for the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school year you can earn $1000 per hire. Find out more about this opportunity here.
The Newark Board of Education will be opening three additional schools for the 2021-2022 School Year. The district will also be creating additional grade levels in eight schools! With the additional schools and grade expansions, there will be a multitude of positions that will be available for hire. WE NEED YOU!
The applications for the various titles are NOW LIVE! Interviews will be scheduled and held virtually. We are looking for dynamic candidates that will personify the culture of each of our new schools. If you know someone who is ready to join our growing district, share this announcement.
Take a look at the schools’ overview below and Apply Today!
The district's NPS Mobile App is now available for download for both Apple iOS and Android. With this app you, can:
• Receive Push Notifications when there is inclement weather and school closings
• Track news feeds (powered by your school web site, Facebook and Twitter accounts) at the district and school level
• Look up commonly-sought information directly from the mobile app
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