The Reds Tale
November 8, 2018
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
With Veterans Day upon us (observed Monday, November 12) I want to remind you of the elevation, insight, pride and connection we place upon our veterans. As I type I am reminded of the red carpet welcome we offer our alumni when they visit us in uniform. Our recruiters get a bit of special attention when looking to share the details of their service branch with students. We have a few rituals embedded into our graduation ceremony that recognizes veterans as well as new recruits. Finally, we dedicate several moments of our annual awards ceremony to connecting new recruits with recognition and scholarship money. Think about what you can do to honor our veterans in the days ahead of us. At the very least, consider a simple, "Thank you for your service!".
In the spirit of the preceding, I want to thank NHS staff members who have dedicated themselves to serving our country. Thank you for your service Mr. Trevor Gage and Mr. Tim Scoon.
From the Desk of Ms. Ross
I read this book called, Learning by Heart by R.S. Barth. A central theme in the book focuses on reflection. Reflection is an important part in the professional life of an educator. In order to learn from experience, we must reflect on practices and find meaning in them. It is through reflection that we learn what works, what needs to be altered and what aids us in improving academic skills. Reflecting takes on two roles. One role is reflecting “in action”. In this role one reflects during the experience which can be thought of as ‘”thinking on your feet”. The other role is reflecting “on action”. One considers what happened, what worked, and what didn’t work; taking the time to reflect after the action. I find myself reflecting all the time.
There is a need to embrace the differences we come across on a daily basis, whether we like it or not. There are differences in social class, race, abilities, the role as a student, a teacher, as well as differences in learning styles and teaching styles. By taking these differences into consideration, when reflecting, will enable us to improve the culture of our school so it is open to change and to building a community of learners.
Without reflection, it is very difficult to have authentic learning. It is what links our application to our potential.
Mash Up
Thursday will be a bit of a glitchy day given SELF and the lunch block. We will run three lunches:
- 10:40-11:08 am
- 11:14-11:42 am
- 11:47-12:15 pm
Ms. Ross will assign teachers with a 5/6 or 6/7 class to one of the three lunches. Again, this will need to be assigned to balance out the lunches. Of special note is that ideally, PM WTCC kids will get a first or second lunch and AM kids will get a second or third lunch. Finally, announce to your students this week that on Thursday, after fourth period, they need to report to their 5/6 or 6/7 class. More SELF details to come under separate cover.
Teaching the Election, great resource!
The Tuesday Staff Meeting is being replaced with departmental plan for excellence meetings. See your department leader for details.
Be sure to get Ms. Hauf pictures to update the webpage etc.
We will run a typical bell schedule on the November 16 early release day.
Social Emotional Learning and the Plan for Excellence
Instructional Corner
As we continue diving into data driven decisions, the first step in formative assessment is being clear about what we want our students to learn, but also the typical student steps towards success. This knowledge is necessary because what the teacher is looking for is evidence of where students are on their journey toward demonstrating the learning target. This clarity begins as we share the learning target and success criteria for our lesson with our students throughout the class and we pair this with an assignment that embodies the learning. Teachers are likely to hold two common misconceptions about sharing a learning target:
- Misconception #1: Informing the student of the learning target by telling them what it is or by writing it on the board is sufficient. The assumption is that writing it on the board puts the learning inside the students’ head. Unfortunately, having students recall or recite is not enough for their understanding.
- Misconception #2: Giving a rubric to students will ensure they understand the success criteria. Sharing rubrics with students is a good start, but we need to check for understanding of what the success criteria mean. Some criteria are very straight forward (i.e. Identify three…) while other might be more abstract or require higher order thinking skills. Some students will need to be taught how to distinguish between the two.
As teachers, our students are best served when we are able to share learning targets and success criteria by showing our students or by having students discover for themselves. Strategies that center around discussion throughout our lessons about the learning target and success criteria can help students’ express the learning in their own words and students are able to gain a stronger understanding when they can see examples of the work.
Document Sharing Space
Calendar Share
Tuesday's in the LGI: December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7 and June 4. Staff Meetings. Contact: T Roote.
UPDATED: November 8 and 29, December 13, January 17 and 31, February 14, March 14 and April 2. SELF Days. Contact: T Roote.
Wednesday, November 14. College Wear Wednesday. Future College Wear Wednesdays are: 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 3/13, 4/10, 5/8, 6/12. Contact: Sue Gardner.
Friday, November 16. BEDS. All Staff must have their online forms completed. Contact: S Warren.
Friday, November 16 until 10:15 am. Half Day. Contact: T Roote.
Tuesday, November 27 at 1:45 pm in the afternoon in our auditorium. Jacy Good: Hang up and Drive. Contact: N Reinholtz
Band and Choir upcoming performance dates. Contact: Cynthia Briggs.
- Tuesday, November 6-Veterans Day Concert and Reception (Bands and Choirs)
- Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3-Jr. High Area All State (Bands and Choirs, select students at Wayne CSD)
- Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17-Sr. High Area All State (Bands and Choirs, select students at Webster)
- Friday, December 7-Eastview Performance (Bands and choirs)
- Monday, December 17- Winter Concert (Bands and Choirs)
- Friday, December December 21-Outlet Mall Performance (Bands and Choirs)
Tuesday, April 30. Capstone Day. Contact K Ganter or D Barry
Close Up/Share a Pic
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