The Reds Tale
December 15, 2016
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
A quick thanks to those that offered their appreciation for my column last week. As I enjoyed your feedback, I did wonder what it was about last week, compared to other weeks, that got your attention. I presume that my candid revelations that my family is as flawed as many of the families around us and our reactions are as real as theirs got your attention. I will be sure to pepper in the foibles of the Roote household whenever I can, as there are plenty! Take for example Sunday afternoon when the Christmas tree fell on me as I leaned back in my favorite barcalounger to watch the Bills get dismantled etc. etc.
This week, I will get into our plan for excellence a touch and make mention of our work at the staff meeting on December 1. First, I was impressed with the discussions occurring at each of the tables. I especially appreciated one colleague choosing to work backward from a quality assessment item and to illustrate for her group what it looked like to lessen the thinking in an assessment item. This was a creative approach to imparting knowledge. Good work there! Below are a handful of artifacts from the work that I thought you could benefit from....
From the Desk of Mr. Wagner
After Sunday dinner at my sister-in-law’s house, my 2 ½ year old daughter began playing with a Rubik’s Cube which was sitting on the coffee table. In no time, she somehow pried off two pieces of the cube which prompted me to try to fix it. As I began trying to put the pieces back in place, the cube completely fell apart. At this point, I realized this was a different type of Rubik’s Cube and after googling it found out it was the Rubik’s Cube 2.0. It immediately captured my attention and I began trying to reassemble the cube. About 45 minutes later, after much trial and error, I completed the task. Then, I began trying to solve the puzzle, which I did not complete as I ran out of time. I thought about my experience and how it could apply to engaging students. I then began to think about the beginning of last year when Mr. Roote presented on the perplexing work of Dan Meyer. One of the most difficult challenges we face with our students is to engage them in a deep-thinking process. Students are so eager to find the answer and complete the task, they often do not take the time to try different approaches and use trial and error. The article How to Get Students to Slow Down and Think offers an interesting perspective on problem solving. Take a look at the castle problem….it captured my attention. It is challenging to think of perplexing problems for students to engage in daily, but once every two-weeks might be doable and will benefit learners, as well as enhance student’s higher order thinking skills.
Mash Up
The Board of Education voted and chose the following winners for the Newark Community-Wide Red Ribbon Door Decorating Contest:
- The Nurses Office and Ms. Dentel’s Room (H.S. category)
- The Council on Alcoholism (Newark Business category)
- The McGavisk family (Newark Family Residence category)
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all who participated!!
Our maintenance department is now able to receive maintenance requests through School Dude. To submit a request:
- Click on the HelpDesk Request link in your Newark Apps folder
- Login to School Dude (your email and the password you created)
- Select the first tab that says Maint Request
- Complete the form
Written maintenance requests, emails, or voicemails will no longer be accepted. Also a reminder that your password to login to School Dude is not the password that is requested on the Help Desk request form; password is redfox
Our Find the Fox initiative will begin Friday. As you have heard, it is sponsored by the Student Advisory Cabinet and is designed to generate some positive buzz in the building around the fox, our symbol of school pride, and to contribute to our overall sense of belonging in the high school. You can play too (as long as the fox is not in your room)!
The contest is simple, look for the fox, hiding in plain sight in our halls and classrooms. Classrooms participating in the fun will have an index card sized fox logo hanging over their door. Please remove the card if we cannot use your room. When you find the fox turn it into the main office for a small prize. Since the contest will run from Friday to Thursday, all the daily winners will be invited to a pizza party with their friends after the New Year. Have fun!
December 22 assembly schedule:
- Period 1 7:30 AM-8:06 AM
- Announcements 8:06 AM-8:14 AM
- Period 2 8:17 AM-8:53 AM
- Period 3 8:56 AM-9:32 AM
- Period 4 9:35 AM-10:11 AM
- Lunch 5 10:14 AM-10:44 AM
- Period 6/7 10:47 AM-11:23 AM
- Period 8/9 11:26 AM-12:02 PM
- Period 5/6 10:14 AM-10:50 AM
- Lunch 7 10:53 AM-11:23 AM
- Period 8/9 11:26 AM-12:02 PM
- Period 5/6 10:14 AM-10:50 AM
- Period 7/8 10:53 AM-11:29 AM
- Lunch 9 11:32 AM-12:02 PM
- Period 10 12:05 PM-12:22 PM
- Period 11 12:25 PM-12:42 PM
- Concert 12:45 PM-1:42 PM
- Pep Assembly 1:45 PM-2:30 PM. Ms. Fellenz will be in room 193 "The non-pep rally room" for those not attending the pep rally. Please let Ms. Fellenz know who you will be sending and she will communicate with Ms. Acquista.
Social Emotional Learning and the Plan for Excellence
Reclaiming Disconnected Kids. The Path to Connecting with Kids “at-Risk” (Seita & Brendtro):
- Recast all problems as learning opportunities.
- Provide fail-safe positive relationships.
- Increase dosages of nurturance.
- Do not crowd.
- Forced success.
- Learn to decode the meaning of behavior.
- Be authoritative, not authoritarian.
- Model Respect to the disrespectful.
- Notice small things.
- Keep positive expectations alive.
- Give seeds time to grow
On Sunday a group of our colleagues went to Bass Pro Shop in Auburn and purchased 40 boys hats, 26 girls head band/ear warmers and 66 pairs of socks. Adam from Bass Pro Shop gave the group a 25% discount and a tour of the store with a promise to work with the new foundation (SHAK or Socks and Hats for Kids) here at Newark in the future. The three amigos would like to give as much credit as possible to Bass Pro Shop in Auburn for their generosity. I for one will continue to spend thousands there each year!
Calendar Share
Wednesday, December 14 from 1:30-4:30 pm BOCES Conference Center. Tom Out for Survey Analysis. Contact: T Roote.
Wednesday, December 14. College Wear Wednesday. Contact: S Gardner.
Thursday, December 15. Tom Out. Contact T Roote.
Friday, December 16 in the AM. Tom Out: Regional Principals. Contact: T Roote.
Thursday, December 22 at 12:45 pm. Pep Assembly/Holiday Concert. Contact T Roote.
By 3:00 pm on January 10, 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