Superintendent's Corner
March 2024 NRESC Updates from Dr. Vancheri
We have MARCH-ed forward. April here we come!
“April is a reminder that life is a beautiful, ever-renewing cycle.”
— E.E. Cummings
Great things continue to happen at the NRESC. Support is being provided for the rest of this school year while 2024-2025 planning has already begun.
- Additional day habilitation centers are being explored.
- New partnerships are blossoming.
- Summer school and extended school year (ESY) planning is in full swing.
- Therapists are providing services and completing evaluations all throughout the region.
- Students in alternative settings are in the process of meeting graduation requirements when long ago they did not think this was possible.
- Transportation is bustling with spring sports and field trip requests.
- Technology is doing everything from installing software to rebuilding networks.
- The business office is looking to expand our reach regarding substitute services.
- Childcare locations may need to increase due to anticipated enrollment.
March has been a great month and we are sure that April will be even better!
Onward!!!
Dr. Nicholas V. Vancheri
NRESC Superintendent of Schools
Happy Birthday Nicholas!
On a personal note, my wife Kathleen and I celebrated our amazing son's 10th birthday on March 27! Happy Birthday to Nicholas, "The Voice of the NRESC Snow Day!"
It's a Girl!
Welcome to the world Taya Rae Burns, born March 14, 2024 at 2:09pm. Taya is the daughter of Kalli Lota Burns, a Commission speech therapist assigned to the Paterson Public Schools. Best wishes to all!
New Items are Available & All Program/School Logos are Now Customizable
Keep shopping and showing off your NRESC spirit! As a reminder, 12% of all purchases on the website go back to the programs! In addition, there are always FLASH SALES so check in regularly!
https://apparelnow.com/northern-region-esc-apparel
Whether you need a Childcare hoodie, a Phoenix Center lunch bag, a Hope Academy pair of shorts, an Ascend hat, or Second Home leggings, we now have it all! We have even expanded our options for kids so feel free to get the students to wear NRESC clothing or dress your kids up in these cozy items!
Partnerships! Partnerships! Partnerships!
Montclair and the NRESC Looking to Make a Difference
Since January of 2024, meetings have taken place between NRESC and Montclair State University staff regarding a number of potential collaborations. Further details to come in the next few months; however, Montclair and the NRESC are committed to providing high quality individuals in as many capacities as possible in our schools.
Passaic County Commissioners & the Mayor of Paterson Visited Second Home
Navigating the Transition to Adult Services
The Commission in Action!
JP Holland Gives Back to Second Home
March kicked off our partnership with JP Holland Charter School students! Our visitors helped our clients with their crafts and activities as a part of a community service project. We are excited to keep hosting this kind and respectful bunch as helpers and we are open to other local schools visiting as well!
Strong Women at Second Home!
Second Home kicked off Women's History Month with an awesome shot of the great women who work and participate in its halls on a daily basis. You rock!
Engineering at Phoenix
Phoenix students acted as ride engineers after reading about the various engineering positions at a theme park. This activity linked to a weekly article about Morgan’s Wonderland Theme Park.
Dr. Vancheri Brings Babe Ruth to Pompton Lakes Daycare
March was “Guest Reader Month” at PLDC. Dr. Vancheri had the pleasure of bringing one of his favorite books as a kid, "Mighty Babe Ruth". Dr. Vancheri was also sure to wear Yankees attire during his visit!
Building Bridges at Hope
Rainbows at the Paterson YMCA!
Related services ended on a sweet note this month as our speech therapist, Tamar Eskenazi, had learners at the Paterson YMCA create cereal rainbows with a pot of gold at the end.
We are Always Planning!
Summer School in Clifton, Wayne, and Harrison (NEW)!
The Northern Region Educational Services Commission (NRESC) will host summer schools in Clifton, Wayne, and Harrison during July of 2024. Summer credit recovery is available for students in grades 6-12 at all locations. This service allows students to stay on track to ensure that they graduate on time, eliminates and/or eases the need for students to double up on courses during the school year, and ensures that class sizes are reasonable.
Feel free to contact the Commission if you would like to explore offering a summer program within your school district.
Extended School Year Programs throughout the Region!
The Commission will continue to operate ESY programs in Ringwood and Wayne, as well as provide staff to numerous district-run ESY programs throughout the region.
Expansion of Substitute Services!
The teacher shortage is real and the substitute ranks are also operating with a limited pool of candidates. The Commission is looking to partner with outside substitute service agencies to significantly increase the number of high quality subs available to our partner school districts. Further details to follow soon!
Congrats to Danielle Casolaro, NJACP Honoree!
Congrats to Danielle Casolaro, NRESC Supervisor of Adult Special Services, for being honored for her leadership of Second Home at the NJACP annual conference in March! Thank you for all that you do for the participants and staff at Second Home.
An Unsung Hero at Hope Academy!
On March 11, the Passaic County Commissioners honored "Unsung Heroes" throughout the county schools. The NRESC is very proud of Emanuel Reyes, a student at Hope Academy, who brought home this great award!. We are so proud of who you are and what you bring to the halls of Hope! Congratulations to you and all of your fellow nominees.
Relationship Building with Dr. Vancheri
Dr. Vancheri is very excited to present on May 9 on the importance of relationship building in our schools! This session will be beneficial to both current and aspiring school leaders!
School/Program Newsletters for This Month
Click on the links below for the monthly newsletters from each specific school, program, or department:
Soar Academy at the Phoenix Center
Childcare (Pompton Lakes & Riverdale)
Friendly Reminders
All payroll questions and inquiries can be sent to Mr. Gregory Barrington-Smith and Mr. Benito Squillaro at payroll@nresc.org.
Calendar Reminders
- Friday, March 29- Friday, April 5: The NRESC central office, as well as its schools and programs, will be CLOSED for spring break! The central office will be open on Tuesday, April 2, and Wednesday, April 3, for staff members needing assistance.
- Wednesday, April 10: The NRESC central office, as well as its schools and programs, will be CLOSED for Eid al-Fitr.
- The 2024-2025 NRESC calendar was board approved at the March 8, 2024 meeting. You can access it by clicking on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PIESMar9XUPaoKRwcGxdGlsKx18UN-v9/view
Evaluation Season is Upon Us!
- All certificated staff will complete their SGOs/PGOs/admin goals by April 26, regardless of tenure status.
- All certificated staff will receive their third round observation by April 26 (non-tenured) OR May 3 (tenured).
- All certificated staff will receive their summative evaluations by May 3 (non-tenured) OR May 10 (tenured).
- All non-certificated staff and individuals being evaluated outside of TEACHNJ/ACHIEVENJ will receive their summative evaluations by May 31.
Join Our Family!
If you or someone you know is interested in any of our available positions, resumes can be sent to jobs@nresc.org . Retirees are welcome to apply for part-time and full-time positions!
Happy Holidays to All Those Who Observe!
Follow us on Instagram!
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter)!
@DrV_NRESC
@PhoenixNRESC
@TechnologyNRESC
@HopeNRESC
@AscendNRESC
@SecondHomeNRESC
@ChildcareNRESC
@NRESCShared