The Reds Tale
March 23, 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
- The Usual Suspects: One of the most surprising endings in the history of movies, the reveal in the last few minutes that "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey) is actually the legendary crime lord Keyser Söze is a twist that may never be duplicated.
- A Few Good Men: "You can't handle the truth!" Need I say more?
- Raiders of the Lost Ark: After getting the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazis, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) brings it back to the US, where he's told sternly that the Ark will now be studied by "top men." But in a final shot, director Steven Spielberg shows the Ark boxed up and wheeled off in a warehouse among thousands of other boxed secrets.
- The ShawShank Redemption: After being the first man ever to successfully escape Shawshank, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) sends a message to friend "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) on how to find him once he is paroled. This leads to a powerfully touching reunion on a beach.
- I will start with the last second Villanova win over North Carolina last year. Unbelievable because I was still awake for it!
- 2014 Round of 64: (12) Stephen F. Austin vs. VCU (5) Don’t foul. That’s all VCU had to do with a four-point lead and less than five seconds left, and they would be on their way to the Round of 32. Unfortunately for VCU, this game wouldn't end in traditional fashion. Stephen F. Austin’s Desmond Haymond got open for a three, drilled it and was fouled on the late closeout from VCU. The Lumberjacks then took the game in overtime, but not before VCU’s JeQuan Lewis took a possible game-winning 3 with five seconds left. It was an incredible win for Stephen F. Austin and surely one of the most haunting defeats in VCU history.
- 2014 Elite Eight: (8) Kentucky vs. (2) Michigan: Aaron Harrison’s performance in the 2014 NCAA tournament will go down as the stuff of legends. The 6-6 guard hit clutch shot after clutch shot to help his “underdog” Wildcats advance to the national championship game as a No. 8 seed. One of his biggest shots came in the Elite Eight, when he drilled a well-contested game-winning 3 against Michigan. Harrison created just enough space for himself, and bang, the Wildcats headed to the Final Four.
- 2014 Final Four: (8) Kentucky vs. (1) Wisconsin: This one had it all. The craziness, the high stakes and the big-time plays. With Wisconsin leading by two, Harrison knocked home another deep 3 from a spot close to his game-winner against Michigan. Jackson had a great look at a game-winning jumper as time expired, but he missed and the legend of Aaron Harrison continued to grow.
- 2015 Round of 64: (14) Georgia State vs. (3) Baylor: The best upset, best buzzer beater and most heartwarming moment of the 2015 NCAA tournament rolled into one. No. 14 seeded Georgia State trailed Baylor by two with seconds left, before R.J. Hunter, son of Georgia State coach Ron Hunter, nailed a three-pointer from the parking lot to give the Panthers the win.
- 2015 Elite Eight: (1) Kentucky vs. (3) Notre Dame: The game came down to a Grant 3-point attempt at the buzzer while down two that went long, giving Kentucky the win. It was an awesome game, and the intensity of the final few minutes was truly something to behold.
This brings us to what I predict will be the most memorable moment in Newark High School graduation history. Coming up, we will get a chance to sit with students of all shape, size, race, color and creed. Each will carry within them a different story. Through their effort to achieve the Capstone graduation requirement you will have a chance to "absorb" a small piece of their story. I encourage you to set your humility aside and to boast and be prideful about what you see, feel and hear on April 4. The Capstone experience, and your role in it is something to cherish, not unlike other memorable finishes in history.
From the Desk of Mr. Wagner
Learning is the Reward: I saw this title come through my twitter feed from Eric Sheninger’s blog and was immediately intrigued as I have been thinking about the reality that most students feel that the grade is the reward, rather than the learning. I thought back to my days in high school and realized that grades motivated me more than the learning. However, now when I find something interesting and I am not being graded, I research it; I find value in the learning experience.
I do want to reflect on the concept of grades though. A couple key points in Reflections of a Principal resonated with me. Sheninger points out some key issues with grading as he states, “After an analysis of several research studies, Alfie Kohn (2011) concluded the following:
- Grades tend to diminish students’ interest in whatever they’re learning.
- Grades create a preference for the easiest possible task.
- Grades tend to reduce the quality of students’ thinking.”
In thinking about my experiences as a teacher, I can connect many specific examples to the three points above. I thought about the challenges in differentiating an assignment to provide more advanced students with opportunities to do higher level thinking. If given a choice, students would rarely choose the more challenging assignment. Why? Because they can complete an easier assignment in less time and have a better chance at getting a higher grade. To me, this is one of the best examples that demonstrates that students are working for grades rather than learning. Earlier this year, I wrote a Reds Tale about the process of learning through failure, and trial and error. Getting a low grade is concerning for students and is therefore a barrier to the true process of learning. I am not saying that we don’t need grades. However, I am wondering if there is a way to shift our grading practices to motivate students to learn for the value of learning. For example, formative assessments could be evaluated with written and verbal feedback, rather than a number grade. Students can be provided with the opportunity to demonstrate an understanding in the areas they are deficient in to master the content or skill. I won’t pretend to have an answer as this is a challenging issue in education. I would like us to reflect on the question: How do we get students to see that learning is the reward?
Mash Up
Newark in France travel blog.
A reminder from the staff handbook, "Field trips are encouraged assuming that budget, supervisory and time constraints allow for the planning and scheduling of the trip. When allocating funds towards a field trip one must always consider the overall impact of each individual absence on the academic program of each student. As a result, trip dates and students attending should be proposed through supervisory channels to open dialogue relevant to scheduling the trip. To allow for the distraction-free vetting of guests to the building, trip departures should occur via the freshman foyer and not the main entrance. As a general rule assume field trips (this includes in house activities) will end at the close of school on the Friday of the first full week in May.
April 13 assembly schedule:
- Period 1 7:30-8:08 am
Announcements 8:08-8:16 am
- Period 2 8:19-8:57 am
- Period 3 9:00-9:38 am
- Period 4 9:41-10:19 am
- Lunch 5 10:22-10:52 am
- Period 6/7 10:55-11:33 pm
- Period 8/9 11:36-12:14 pm
- Period 5/6 10:22-11:00 am
- Lunch 7 11:03-11:33 am
- Period 8/9 11:36-12:14 pm
- Period 5/6 10:22-11:00 am
- Period 7/8 11:03-11:41 am
- Lunch 9 11:44-12:14 pm
- Period 10 12:17-12:37 pm
- Period 11 12:40-1:00 pm
- Interact Assembly in auditorium 1:00-1:45 pm
- Pep Assembly in gymnasium 1:45-2:30 pm
From Interact Board of Directors: Kat Barrett, Joe Goodman, Kaitlyn Lockwood, Amanda Hutteman, Jillian Blodgett, Tiffany Gilligan, Grace Kreuser and Emily Reinhardt, "April 13, Interact Lip Sync Contest! This year several of our Interact members attended a Newark Rotary meeting where a presentation on Honor Flight Trips for veterans was given. Needless to say they were deeply moved. The officers decided that they would like to attend a Welcome Home Event for one of the Honor Flights. On Sunday, April 9, 2017 we will be attending that Welcome Home event. On April 13, Mr. Roote has allowed us to have Honor Flight come and give a presentation to the entire school. The presentation will also include what Interact members experienced at the Welcome Home on April 9. We would like to present them with a check for their program. So with no further ado we are happy to announce Interacts Lip Sync Contest. We are asking for solo individuals or groups who would be willing to possibly perform at the assembly on April 13. Our fundraiser will begin on April 3 and end on April 7. From April 3-7, students at Newark High School will vote for what group they would like to see perform. Each vote will cost .25 cents or $1 for five votes. For every vote, the voter’s name will be placed in a drawing for a gift basket that will include gift cards and lots of candy. Voting will take place in the cafeteria during lunch periods. There will be a poster for each group on display. Students will be given stickers to put on the posters to vote for the group they want to see perform. The group with the most votes will perform at the school-wide assembly on April 13 where a presentation by Honor Flight will be given. If you would like to be a performer, please e-mail Holly Kreuser at hkreuser@gmail.com by Friday, March 24. Please include the name of the group, the members of the group, and the song you will be performing. We are welcoming an unlimited amount of groups to be part of the contest. For more information on Honor Flights, visit the website www.honorflightrochester.org."
- Period 1: 7:30-8:07 am
- Homeroom: 8:07-8:15 am
- Period 2: 8:18-8:55 am
- Period 3: 8:58-9:35 am
- Period 5/6, 6/7: 9:38-10:15 am
Social Emotional Learning and the Plan for Excellence
Calendar Share
Wednesday, March 22 in the afternoon. Tom Out. Contact: R Wagner.
By 3:00 pm on March 22 and May 2. ↓65 Infinite Campus Grade Reports. Contact: T Roote.
Thursday, March 23 from 5:30-8:30 pm at WTCC. Career and College Fair/WTCC Open House. Contact: C Logan.
Friday, March 31 in the AM. Tom Out for Regional Principals. Contact: T Roote.
Friday, March 31 at 10:00 am at Nye Road office. Wayne County Suicide Prevention Coalition Stakeholder Kick-Off Meeting. Contact: N Reinholtz.
Monday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 5-6. Tom and/or Ryan Out for Teacher Recruitment Road Trip. Contact: T Roote.
Tuesday, April 4 in the afternoon. Capstone Presentations. Contact: K Ganter.
Thursday, April 13 in the afternoon (see schedule in Mash Up). Interact Assembly/Pep Assembly. Contact: T Roote.
Friday, May 5 at 3:00 pm. Field Trip Blackout Begins. 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