Curriculum Corner
Robbinsville's Quarterly Curriculum Newsletter
Welcome Spring!
This spring the district has been busy hosting a variety of community and parent events. In the blurbs below, you'll hear about our Read Across America/Dr. Seuss Night sponsored by the NJEA, our middle school parent series, our Crucial Conversations night around drug awareness, and our county-wide Mercer County Call to Action Event "How to Raise an Adult." We have enjoyed partnering and learning with you at all of these events!
I also encourage you to attend our Summer Reading Kick-Off Celebration on Monday, May 13th from 5-8pm at the Hamilton Marketplace Barnes and Noble. You can view more details at the bottom of the newsletter. I wish you and your children a fantastic finish to the school year and a wonderful summer!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Tew, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction
Read Across America-Dr. Seuss Night
Read Across America Program
Activities in the Commons
Dr. Seuss Trivia
Middle School Parent Series
Universally, navigating middle school has always been an undertaking (for students and parents alike). In that light, Pond Road Middle School sponsored a series of parent programs designed specifically to address some of the more challenging aspects of middle school life.
We kicked off our middle school series with Keith Deltano. Keith served and worked with youth as a public school teacher, private counselor, and US Army Airborne Military Police Officer. On March 4th, Keith spoke to middle school parents and addressed the content of NJ law in regards to bullying as well as important topics for middle school students including labeling, encouragement, and student behavior. The following day, Keith spoke to students and he addressed the same topics as the parent night while making them developmentally appropriate for our unique 5-8 configuration. Keith’s passion, knowledge, and great sense of humor made for enjoyable and informative sessions for all.
The second part of our series featured Mr. George Scott. George is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist known throughout New Jersey as an energetic and engaging speaker. His expertise helps bring professional staff and parents to a greater understanding of their role in raising healthy children. George believes, “All adults have the power within them to improve the lives of children.”
On April 1st George met with the parents of 7th and 8th grade students. He stressed the importance of social and emotional well-being for students and parents. He also proposed the crucial idea that everyone wants and needs safe people in their lives so as to make everyone more able to identify the need for help and where to go once that essential need is identified. The following morning, Mr. Scott met with 8th grade students and stressed the same ideals. Additionally, counselors and administrators from Pond and RHS did breakout sessions with all 8th grade students, helping them to identify said safe places/people in their lives. George’s in-depth knowledge and rich experience with adolescents manifested in presentations that rang true and were undeniably powerful.
On May 15th (right around the corner!), the Robbinsville Police Department, in conjunction with the PRMS administration, will host a parent night focus on the ongoing and growing problem of social media and drug use. Topics include global challenges in these areas for parents, identified local trends, and student challenges. The following morning, on May 16th, we will speak to the student body about the same topics as we endeavor to educate our community regarding the pitfalls and dangers of these prevalent and disturbing trends.
Crucial Conversations at Robbinsville High School
The event then offered student and parent informational break-out sessions with Carol Rickard, CEO and Founder of WellYouniversity, Dr. Victor Almeida, Emergency Department Physician of Monmouth Medical Center, Mercer County Detectives Brian Kiely and Joseph Paglione, and Anna Hernandez, RHS Student Assistant Counselor. We appreciate their support as we work with our Robbinsville community to build awareness of student drug abuse as well as strategies that support a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.