Superintendent's Corner
Bernard F. Bragen, Jr. October 1, 2015
Schools Open!
As the summer fades to fall and the days grow shorter and cooler, there is no denying that the school year is now in full swing. I am happy to report that we had a very successful opening at each of our eight schools. This is a testament to the preparation and hard work of all our staff members and administrators.
As we embark on a new year in our education journey there are many exciting and innovating things occurring in each of our classrooms. Please visit your child’s school website and teachers’ homepages for updated and accurate information pertaining to homework, assignments and class happenings. As always, working together with our parent community, we can provide an optimal educational program for our students.
SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
іHola from Señora Rada at Cove Road School!
Do you want to get better grades in school? Do you want to be more creative? Would you like to make twice as many friends? Would you like to land an awesome job one day? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then learning a second language is for you!
All Cove Road students are having fun recalling and utilizing the Spanish they have acquired in addition to learning different themes for their new grade level this year. All learning is done in a student-centered, positive way while having fun and developing a love of language learning. Each student is unique and learns differently so Spanish language instruction is geared to all of the students’ multiple intelligences. One new theme that Grade 5 students will be learning about is clothing and fashion in the Spanish language. Students in Grade 6 will be able to tell time in Spanish and will “travel” to and learn about all the Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Both 5th and 6th grades will have grade appropriate and culturally relevant lessons regarding Hispanic Heritage Month noting those Americans from Latino heritage who have positively impacted our country. In addition, all students will be learning about “El Día de los Muertos,” a holiday celebrated in several Spanish speaking countries that many confuse with our Halloween. Grade 6 students will be working hard to earn a much anticipated and fun culminating activity at the end of the Spanish cycle…a “Fiesta” in which they can sample foods and beverages from the diverse and beautiful Spanish speaking countries. As you can see, learning Spanish is good for you all around!
One to One Chromebook Initiative at Raritan High School
This summer, Raritan High School embarked on a new One-to-One Chromebook initiative. As part of this initiative, every student and faculty member in the high school was issued a Chromebook, a portable personal computer that runs on a Google operating system. Staff members were issued Chromebooks at the conclusion of the 2014-15 school year and were encouraged to become familiar with the devices over the summer. Professional development workshops were held in August, allowing each staff member the opportunity to develop familiarity with the device. National Honor Society students volunteered to assist RHS administrators in distributing over 975 devices to RHS students in late August. In preparation for the arrival of the One-to-One initiative, bandwidth was significantly increased in the high school, and a dedicated wireless network was established for the devices while in school. The initiative is a notable example of Hazlet Township Public Schools’ efforts to equip our students for 21st century college and career readiness.
Global Collaboration Day at Hazlet Middle School
On September 17, 2015, HMS students participated in Global Collaboration Day, a day of learning for students worldwide, which developed from the Global Education Conference for teachers. At HMS, Mrs. Toal's art classes participated in the Global Drawing Experience, an activity that had students follow a specific set of instructions to create a drawing using simple shapes. The students will post their drawings to a collaborative Google Slides file and will be able to view drawings from other student artists all over the world. While the students all follow the same directions to include a large circle, five squares whose corners touch, straight lines and a triangle, their individual perceptions and creativity cause them to produce unique works of art! Teachers at HMS are focusing on increased student collaboration, and Global Collaboration Day was a great step in supporting our goal.
Hazlet Township Public Schools
Email: bbragen@hazlet.org
Website: www.hazlet.org
Location: 421 Middle Road, Hazlet, NJ, United States
Phone: 732-264-8401 . 1101
Twitter: @hazletsupt