The Reds Tale
October 17, 2019
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 the High School Principal-Mr. Tom Roote
Conversations have been plentiful of late regarding the habits of mind necessary when looking to overcome a school challenge. A few students are encountering frustrations with classroom cell phone expectations where the desired behavior is to have students focused on teaching and learning and not text messages and social media. Some students struggle with the concept of sharing their thinking in small groups or with the entire class. Finally, we have a handful of students navigating a dip in grades as they work in an environment where rigor is placed at a premium. As I work with students on these challenges and others, I am reminded of the importance of grit and persistence. From, What Are The Habits Of Mind? by Teach Thought Staff, "Habits of Mind are dispositions that are skillfully and mindfully employed by characteristically intelligent, successful people when they are confronted with problems, the solutions to which are not immediately apparent. When we draw upon these mental resources, the results are more powerful, of higher quality, and of greater significance than if we fail to employ those habits." The habits of mind include:
- Persisting
- Managing Impulsivity
- Listening with Understanding and Empathy
- Thinking Flexibly
- Thinking about Thinking
- Striving for Accuracy
- Questioning and Posing Problems
- Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
- Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
- Gathering Data Through All Senses
- Creating, Imagining, Innovating
- Responding with Wonderment and Awe
- Taking Responsible Risks
- Finding Humor
- Thinking Interdependently
- Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
As I work with teenagers on a daily basis to overcome real or perceived barriers I remain drawn to persistence and grit. Grit is stick-to-it-ness, it’s backbone, it’s perseverance. Someone with grit has a certain amount of optimism, a sense of the possible, a sense of self-efficacy! I will close with this question: What are you saying/doing to reinforce that grit and persistence should rule out when faced with a challenge? What are you doing to promote a challenge as possible as opposed to impossible?
Contact me at thomas.roote@newarkcsd.org or 315-332-3250.
From the Desk of the Assistant Principal-Mrs. Robyn Ross
From the Desk of the Administrative Intern-Mr. Jason Dentel
Mash Up
From Mr. Roote, "On January 28, 1986 at 11:38 am the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded soon after liftoff. Early on the afternoon of April 20, 1999 a mass shooting took place at Columbine High School. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the deliberate acts that would eventually topple the World Trade Centers and damage the Pentagon were set in motion. These three events shaped who I am as a person today as they all occurred while I sat in a classroom. They are unforgettable to me and despite the care I have taken to move on from each event, they invoke feelings of worry, wonder and grief. While we have yet to come up with a clear explanation for the tragedies occurring around us, and often occurring while those we love the most sit in classrooms, we have developed a heightened sense of awareness. Sadly, the pace of our increased awareness is pushed by continually occurring tragedies. In fact, since I was a middle school student back in 1984, a gap whereby a young person would be unaffected by a national tragedy while in school has not occurred. Next week is Safety Week: As a result, we will be digging one or two layers deeper into the safety and security protocols that we have established. Our hope is that with a heightened sense of awareness, we can mitigate the tragic events that occur in schools and while we are in school! While being very sensitive to reducing fear and anxiety among the Newark High School community, we will conduct daily safety and security drills throughout the week. Some of the drills will include a short narrative that will further contextualize the drill so that discussions can occur in classrooms. For example, instead of simply going into a lockout drill, we will identify that we are in a drill and that there is an unidentified person in the student parking lot attempting to enter vehicles. The suspicious individual is wearing a mask. The goal of the added narrative is to prompt deeper discussion among students and staff that can inform our protocols and better decision making moving ahead. I should reassure you that we will NOT physically add anything to the drills. We will only verbalize some added detail in order to meet the overall objectives of Safety Week."
Thanks to Ms. Brenda Pittman NHS is getting some great press:
REPRINT: As part of our ongoing efforts to make our schools as safe as possible for students, Newark High School will hold safety drills the week of October 21. Throughout the week, students will learn and practice emergency safety drills. We practice these drills to refine our safety and emergency response practices to help us be as prepared as possible in the event of an actual emergency, as well as help our students develop awareness on important safety procedures. We thank you and our students for your patience during these important drills.
The Reds Tale will be off October 31 and November 7.
REPRINT: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of violence. Pay attention all this month for messages, activities and other events that support the idea that everyone deserves a healthy relationship.
Social Emotional Learning and the Plan for Excellence
Instructional Corner
Our classroom teaching matrix is a tool that will help a teacher specify explicit rules that reflect behavior expectations in their classroom. In order to best support our students, we need to apply the rules in the context of the classroom activities and routines. It is this application that helps students be more successful in their environment. Teachers can use key strategies to encourage and remind students to follow the rules:
- Connect children’s behavior to the rules: Although a student might be able to recite one of the classroom rules (e.g., listen to the speaker), the teacher might need to provide support to help the student understand how to use the rule in practice and connect the relationship between his or her behavior. For example, the teacher might say, “Isaac, you’re listening to the speaker while they share ideas. Thank you for turning your body to face the speaker!” By doing this, the teacher is linking the rule “listen to the speaker” with Isaac’s appropriate behavior.
- Provide precorrections: A precorrection involves reminding a student of appropriate behavior before the students can make an error. Precorrections can be given to groups or to an individual.
- Reference the rules: When students are having trouble following a rule, simply reminding them of the rule can be a powerful strategy for helping them understand how to use the rule in the classroom.
- Acknowledge when expectations and rules are met: Students should be acknowledged for following the rules during classroom routines and activities, as well as within other school locations (e.g., cafeteria, hallway, library). It is important that teachers and all adults to always be looking for opportunities to talk about the rules.
Document Sharing Space
Calendar Share
Safety Week is the week of Monday, October 21:
- Monday, October 21 at 8:15 am Mr. Roote to introduce Safety Week and the associated protocols
- Monday, October 21 at 9:25 am Secure Space. In this drill, a visitor to the building will experience a cardiac event in the NEC hallway (hall way from main foyer to freshman foyer).
- Monday, October 21 at 10:25 am Lockout. In this drill there is an unidentified person in the student lot attempting to enter vehicles. The suspicious individual is wearing a mask.
- Tuesday, October 22 at 12:55 pm Fire Drill/Evacuation. In this drill we will make our way to a re-unification site for attendance and additional directions.
- Wednesday, October 23 at 9:00 am Lockdown. In this drill an unidentified individual is breaking the glass in the display cases between the Athletic Office and the Main Office. The individual appears to be armed with a hatchet.
- Thursday, October 24 at 2:05 pm. Shelter in Place. In this drill a micro burst has blown the roof from the gym and auditorium. We will evacuate to a safer area of the building.
- Friday, October 25 at 9:00 am. Fire Alarm. In this drill we will evacuate five hundred feet from the building with a plan to navigate a blocked exit by room 159.
- Friday, October 25 at 2:15 pm. Early Dismissal.
October 28-November 1. Red Ribbon Week. Contact K Cline or K Crawford.
Wednesday, November 13, December 11, January 15, February 12, March 11, April 15, May 13 and June 10. College Wear Wednesday. Contact S Gardner.
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 22 at NHS, from 5:30-7:40 pm. Open House. Contact T Roote
First Tuesday of each month. Staff Meeting. Contact T Roote
Thursday, April 30. Capstone Day. Contact D Barry, K Ganter or R Ross
TBD. NHS Program/No WTCC Program. Contact R Ross
College Planning. Contact D McGavisk:
- Individual senior meetings with counselors-September 16-30
- Rochester Area Colleges visit-September 26 from 10:15 -11:00 am
Upcoming Field Trips
- Wednesday, March 4: Monroe County Math League meet. 7:30-3:00 pm. Contact: Lori Reed.
- Wednesday, March 18: Child Psycology Class to Roosevelt Children's Center 7:50am-10:50am
- Monday, May 18. Physics Day at Darien Lake 9:00 am-6:30 pm. Contact Aaron Harrington.
- Tuesday, October 15. Drama Club- Genessee Community College Theatre 4:00 pm-9:15 pm. Contact: Emily Howard
Monday, November 18 and Tuesday , November 19: Global 9 Multiple Faith Locations Field Trip. Contact: Dan Micciche.
Wednesday, January 8: Rochester Museum & Science Center 9:00 am-2:30 pm. Contact Aaron Harrington.
- October 10,15,17, 22, 24, 29 and 31. Advanced Child Psych to Perkins School 10:00-10:45 am. Contact: Nicole Favreau.
Close Up/Share a Pic
BitMoji of the Week: Who is it?
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, Respectful and A Community.
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