The Reds Tale
January 12, 2017
Newark High School
Email: thomas.roote@newarkcsd.org
Website: http://newarkcsd.org/Domain/84
Location: 625 Peirson Avenue, Newark, NY, United States
Phone: 315-332-3240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nhsreds
Twitter: @Newark_HS
From the Desk of Mr. Roote
Last night (Monday night), as is custom in the Roote household, Jack, Ava, Allyson and I recited a "canned" blessing before eating. After the blessing we went around the table and each of us shared an original special intention. Here is how it went last night:
- Ava: Thank you for a great day at school today and thank you for having daddy at dinner with us tonight even though he isn't eating (I was holding off for the college championship).
- Jack: Thank you for the time talking with Hudson over the computer while he opened his presents (Hudson is Jack's cousin that lives in Massachusetts).
- Allyson: Please watch over those that don't have as much as we do.
- Tom: Please bless Mr. Meath's journey.
- Ava: Who is Mr. Meath?
- Tom: Our courier.
- Jack: What happened?
- Tom: He passed away in his sleep.
- Ava: What is a Korea?
- Tom: I said a courier.
- Jack: How did he die?
- Tom: Not sure.
- Jack: Can we find out?
- Ava: What does a courier do?
When I am lucky enough to make it for dinner and even luckier to hit the 6:00 pm deadline for our dinner prayer I am notorious for throwing out a zinger or two that at first blush may sound like a complete and total derailing of the prayer. Instead, my goal is to bring my family into the fold of what we consume here at Newark High School. Last night it was John, prior to that I have mentioned Ron, field trips out of State, your personal struggles, students with cancer, homelessness etc. I bring this up because we share a very powerful connection here at NHS. This connection is formed through the stories that unfold around us. I believe that unlike Xerox and Dolomite where my brothers work, the Bath VA where my sister works and the accounting firm where Allyson works, the stories around us are less gossipy and rumor based and instead are stories of joy and celebration. Yesterday, as I shared news of John's passing I was one of the lucky ones because while initial responses consisted of grief, they were quickly overshadowed by a story or two. Take for example one of our colleagues understanding of John's bag-piping abilities. She came across an article highlighting the harmful effects of mold commonly left to incubate in bag-pipes. She shared the article and later a chuckle with John when he reassured her that his "pipes" are kept mold free. Another colleague shared how robotic John was in repairing a bleacher many years ago. He had started his repair at the most unlikely of times and was vulnerable to an attacker's shot on goal during PE class. Stories like those flowed freely yesterday and were even included in Mr. Cook's announcement to us.
When chatting with you at the staff meeting in the LGI yesterday afternoon I mentioned that it is the opening of your hearts and your generosity when faced with tragedy that I admire. In addition to that, it is your stories, shared as we explore our feelings of grief that are so appreciated. As you go about your days here at NHS, share a story if you have one about John. More importantly, look for opportunities to stash a story away in your mind should the opportunity to share it in a time of grief emerge.
Click here for arrangement for Mr. Meath.
From the Desk of Mr. Wagner
Promoting growth mindsets: In Cultivating Curiosity in K-12 classrooms, Wendy Ostroff writes, “Something we don’t typically hear about is the fact that creative geniuses – people like Albert Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci – have actually had extraordinary failure rates. In fact, there is little evidence that creative geniuses have a higher success rate than any of the rest of us. What often sets them apart is the sheer number of attempts they make.”
What resonates most with me is the number of attempts needed to achieve success. I recently installed a storm door in my house and it took me somewhere between an hour or two. I was reluctant to change the door because my first experience with replacing a door on my old house was frustrating. I failed multiple times during the process and it took me about four to five hours to complete. So, why was I more efficient the second time? I was able to make mistakes and take the time to think about my mistakes. That process stuck in my head five years later when installing my new storm door. One question to consider as we reach mid-year: How can I develop a process or learning experience designed to allow students to really examine the mistakes they make on their midterm exam? Ultimately, in any course, students are expected to meet specific learning standards by the end of the year. Some students will take longer to meet or master the standards, and some will need more attempts. The growth mindset is something we want to instill in all of our students – the idea they have the support and ability to grow as learners throughout the year. This seems obvious, but many of our students feel that when they fail, there is no point of relearning the information. The grade becomes more powerful than the learning process. We want our students to develop a mentality that learning is a year-long process and even more so, a life-long process.
Mash Up
Social Emotional Learning and the Plan for Excellence
We are not sure who they were but security cameras picked up a pair of men with brushes wandering around the parking lot during the sleet storm. Please share information with a principal on these two shady characters pictured below. One of them stunk of coffee and carried a stained fox mug with him. The other had a neck tatoo that read Nora.
Calendar Share
Wednesday, January 18 from 3:00-4:00 pm. After School PD Hour. Contact: R Uvegas.
Friday, February 3 from 1:00-2:00 pm in our auditorium. Merry Go Round Theatre. Contact: A Lannon
By 3:00 pm on February 14, March 22 and May 2. ↓65 Infinite Campus Grade Reports. Contact: T Roote.
Friday, May 12 at NRW. Special Olympics.
The Newark High School Mission, Vision and Values
The Newark High School Mission: We are a school community with deeply held hometown pride, committed to readying young people to be life-long learners with experiences aimed at continuously motivating us to hone our skills in the complex tasks of teaching and learning. Our community is devoted to providing supports for the aspirations of our adolescents as they mature into adults with ambitious plans for college and careers.
The Newark High School Vision: Staff embody the school values and impart confidence while providing an inviting classroom environment with clear expectations and specific academic and behavioral goals. Students embody the school values through intellectual and emotional perseverance. Families embody the school values while remaining actively involved as advocates for their children and supporters of the school programs and staff.
The Newark High School Values: Safe, Responsible, Trustworthy, and Respectful.
Email: thomas.roote@newarkcsd.org
Website: http://newarkcsd.org/Domain/84
Location: 625 Peirson Avenue, Newark, NY, United States
Phone: 315-332-3240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nhsreds
Twitter: @Newark_HS