MTSD Monthly Staff News
May 2019
Message from the Superintendent's Office:
National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6th - May10th.
While teachers teach students academics, as the quotes below indicates you do so much more. The first poem shares how you are viewed from the point of view of a student and the second poem is a favorite of mine.
Many of us can probably remember a teacher that we had in the past that inspired us, challenged us, and made learning in his or her class fun. Every one of you influence a child in some way. I am so proud to be able to say I work with you!
You’re the Best Teacher
Thank you for sharing,
your wisdom with me every day.
Thank you for your style,
that helped in every way.
You make it fun,
and help them smile.
And build our futures,
all the while.
You spark our interest,
make us think
To help us find,
the missing link.
Building minds alone,
is not an easy mission.
And needs someone special,
for this unique position.
How you do it is not a guess.
You simply are the very best.
A Teacher for All Seasons
A teacher is like Spring,
Who nurtures new green sprouts,
Encourages and leads them,
Whenever they have doubts.
A teacher is like Summer,
Whose sunny temperament
Makes studying a pleasure,
Preventing discontent.
A teacher is like Fall,
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.
A teacher is like Winter,
While it's snowing hard outside,
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.
Teacher, you do all these things,
With a pleasant attitude;
You're a teacher for all seasons,
And you have our gratitude!
From the MTSD Community and Administrative Team:
By Stacy Cullari:
By the Business Office:
Shout out to Fred, Alan, and the Buildings & Grounds crew for the landscaping in front of the building and the laying of the bricks in front of the school. It looks amazing!
We would also like to thank Dr. Joan Saylor for her many contributions to the district during her time here. She will be missed!
May Celebrations
May 1 - Ashley Averack
May 5 - Charissa Burger
May 9 - Elizabeth Janney
May 12 - Jessica Winters
May 13 - Amanda James
May 14 - Paul Craft
May 16 - Teresa Thomas
May 27 - Anthony Bifulco
May 27 - Stacy Brophy
May 27 - Shannon Feeley
May 27 - Aurelia Ragnacci
May 28 - Kristine Patton
May 31 - Diane Mack
2018-2019 Strategic Plan: Where are we going?
Goal 1:
- 5 year plan for new technology
- Strengthen enrichment programs
- Explore Innovative District-Wide STEM programs
- Create PLC meetings for staff
- Offering More Differentiated High Quality PD
- Communicate Grade Level Topics
- Exploring Google Classroom
- Develop a framework for risk taking, critical thinking and problem solving
- Integrate 1:1 lessons at home
- Offer Google Trainings
- Create opportunities for students to participate in competitions
- Streamlining communications - Use of Google Calendar
Goal 2: Facilities
- Upgrade building LED fixtures
- Upgrade the energy management at JHES
- Upgrade building automatization systems at JHES & MTES
- Install emergency generator at JHES
- District network capability for wireless classroom devices
- Increase the ability for staff to communicate during an emergency event.
- MTPD co-facilitate the annual Crisis Training with staff
- Implement best practices of security throughout the district
- Reassess playground equipment; remove and add equipment as needed
- Review visitor process
Goal 3: Developing the Whole Child
- Grade 2 and 6 students meet Guidance Counselor every marking period
- Develop MTES halls/lobby committee
Goal 4: Culture & Diversity
- Conduct survey for community
- Create peer schedule
- Revise interview committee to include a parent
- Research implementing digital information to community
- Lessen paper being sent home
- Be aware of posting the various ethnicities on our social media
- Publicly celebrate an administrator, teacher and students' success in effort to build culture
- Design TV studio
- Advertise job vacancies on NJHire, Jobspot and NJschooljobs.com
- Incorporate holidays in lesson plans
- No homework to be assigned on holidays
- Develop meetings for holidays
- No after-school meetings on holidays
Twitter Challenge
Common Planning
April 29-May 6- Grade Level Meetings
May 7-14- End of Year Benchmark Scoring
May 15-22- End of Year Benchmark Scoring or Grade Level Meeting (if needed)
May 23-June 4- End of Year Benchmark Scoring- Data Due June 3rd.
Important Instructional Dates
End of Year Assessment Reminders:
- Please see Internal Curriculum Website for administration guidelines for all end of year assessments. When in doubt, please ask!
- Be sure all students have a white F&P folder and a blue folder for math and writing. If you need one, please let me know.
- Please complete the Class Task Analysis for the Math End of Year (form A) Assessment. Please turn in to me when completed.
Record Me!
May 8, 2019
Autism Day at SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE Jackson, NJ
Six Flags will transform Great Adventure into a sensory-friendly environment where individuals on the spectrum, and their families and friends, can enjoy a full day in the park without worry.
Business Office
Notes From Our Office...
Open Enrollment will begin in May. All Open Enrollment information (rates, applications, plan comparisons, etc.) will be distributed to staff via email. Open Enrollment allows employees to make general changes (adding or deleting dependents, changing coverage levels, etc.) or to enroll in a different medical or dental plan. All changes to coverage made during this Open Enrollment period will be effective on July 1, 2019. All employees who wish to waive coverage for the 2019/2020 school year must submit a completed Waiver Form along with proof of benefits.
Purchasing for the 2019/2020 school year will open at the end of May. An email will be sent to staff with specific information.
From The Principal's Desk
MTES
Summative Evaluations
Upcoming Events
May 2: PARCC ELA begins for 5th and 6th graders
May 3: Core Value Assembly
May 6: BOE meeting
May 7: Staff Appreciation Luncheon
May 15: Faculty Meeting & CHAS meeting
May 23: 4th grade field trip
May 24: Field Day, Volunteer Breakfast, and Early Dismissal
May 27: Memorial Day
May 30: 6th grade Field Day at Northern
JHES
The Health and Wellness Committee Presents.....The JHES STEPS Challenge
Please see the attached document if you wish to sign up to participate.
Green Week Celebration at JHES
School Garden
Recycling Assembly
Signs Around the School
Ms. Gallagher and Mrs. Schawartzberg's Class
Ms. Lovenduski's Class
Ms. Lovenduski's Class
Swinging Into Kindergarten!
We are excited to introduce a theme to our Preview Day this year. We are celebrating our love for America's greatest pastime- baseball! All participating staff members are encouraged to wear their favorite baseball tees on this day. Our incoming Kindergarten students will be receiving special VIP name badges to wear! There will be a photo booth area to take pictures to remember the special day and other surprises along the way!
We are excited to welcome our newest students to JHES!
1. Counting days turned the end of the school year into a “sentence” in which I was just biding my time.
Instead of getting up each day with the intention of enjoying my kids, I was just going through the motions and waiting for time to pass.
2. Counting days drained my sense of purpose, which made the school year feel even longer.
Because I was overly focused on the countdown, time seemed to pass even more slowly. I wasn’t focused on helping my students learn anymore, and without that sense of purpose and corresponding accomplishment to motivate me, it felt like I spent all my time on tedious paperwork and assessment tasks. I also had more behavioral problems to deal with, since the kids picked up on my vibe and they, too, assumed no more learning was going to take place. No wonder it seemed like the year was never going to end!
3. Counting days tricked me into believing the time I had left with the kids was insignificant.
Eh, there’s only 24 days of school left, why bother trying something new and innovative with the kids? What’s the point of helping a student understand something I’ve already explained a hundred times—he hasn’t gotten it in the last 156 days, why would he get it now? If I’d dug a little deeper, I would have recalled the times I’d seen huge learning gains or socio-emotional breakthroughs in the course of a single lesson. But instead, I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything worthwhile in the dozens of hours I had left with my students. I let exhaustion shake my belief in my effectiveness as a teacher and my students’ ability to learn and simply gave up.
4. Counting days caused me to miss some of the best opportunities to enjoy my kids.
The end of the school year can actually be a really special chance to connect with students since testing is done and some of the pressure is lessened. I always had a few fun activities planned, but often had a hard time being present with my students because I was so focused on the number of days I had left to get administrative things done. I was mentally checked out and so I missed out on making some awesome memories with my students.
5. Counting days is based on the presumption that today cannot be as good as the future will be.
Because I “couldn’t wait” until the last day of school, I wasn’t focused on what I could have been enjoying or experiencing on the current day. And yet the truth is this: all we have is the present moment. The day we’re hoping for may not arrive, or we might find that our life circumstances are tremendously different when it does, and the carefree fun times we had envisioned never come to pass. Who can afford to waste the time we have right now by wishing for an unpromised tomorrow? Every single day is a chance to do something meaningful and looks for ways to enjoy doing it.
What are your thoughts–does counting down until the last day of school give you more energy or drain it away? What do you do to stay motivated at this time of year?
Buildings and Grounds Department
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
With the arrival of Spring comes the arrival of bugs and other pests; Spring is here with us but guess what, so are the bugs. The warmer weather and increased foliage provide just the right conditions for them to flourish. Many bugs such as bees, lady bugs, earth worms and praying mantis are beneficial to the environment but can be a nuisance indoors.
What is IPM?
Integrated pest management or 'IPM' means a sustainable approach to managing pests by using all appropriate technology and management practices in a way that minimizes health, environmental and economic risks. IPM includes, but is not limited to, monitoring pest populations, consumer education, and when needed cultivation practices, sanitation, solid waste management, structural maintenance, physical, mechanical, biological and chemical controls.
Why Practice IPM in Schools?
Besides the fact that state law is mandating IPM in New Jersey schools, there are a number of potential health and economic benefits to schools. Reducing the potential for pesticide exposure to children is the driving force behind the School IPM Act. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides than adults; the school environment is therefore an ideal place to reduce the potential for pesticide exposure through an IPM program. In addition, pests have their own set of acknowledged risks to personal health, property, and the food supply. An effective IPM program can manage the risks from both pesticide and pest, and protect human health by:
- Reducing student and staff exposure to pesticides
- Suppressing pests that may carry allergens or disease pathogens
- Reducing environmental pollution
Monitoring
Monitoring is key to an IPM program in order to determine what pests are present and their locations in the facilities. The use of sticky traps serve as 24/7 monitoring approach that will provide the pest management professional and the school's IPM coordinator information about pest type, location and population levels to allow for appropriate management approaches that may include sanitation and exclusion recommendations or the use of other management tools.
Inspections
Trained pest professionals do regular inspections in order to monitor and record data of pest populations. Pest professionals look for trends in the pest population of a particular institution and determine the best way to combat those problem areas. Thorough inspections are a vital aspect of an IPM program in order to properly identify the pest and problem areas in order to determine the best management approach.
Conducive Conditions
Dirt, grime, moisture, clutter and food: All provide conducive conditions for pests that attract pests. Dirt and grime is often a sign that an area has been undisturbed for some time, this lack of sanitation and activity in these areas give pests a place to call home. Leaky pipes provide an excellent water source for pests and these leaky pipes often go unnoticed allowing pests to thrive. An available food supply is a vital aspect to a pest population. Food sources as small as bread crumbs can sustain a pest population and allow those pests to take over a kitchen. By removing conducive conditions for pests, you reduce or eliminate the pest problem.
Sanitation
Cleanliness is a major aspect in a successful IPM program and for a healthy environment throughout a school and grounds. Pests are attracted to food debris and grease because they provide a food source and are often are a sign of little disturbance. Thorough cleaning and removal of food debris eliminates a pest’s source of food and the removal of clutter eliminates harborage for the pest. It is vital to maintain a clean building in order to reduce pest populations.
Exclusion
If you can see light under s doorway a cockroach can enter the building and if you can stick a No. 2 pencil in an opening a mouse can enter. Devices such as door sweeps are used to eliminate entry points for pests to come through. Filling in cracks with caulk prevents entry points as well and eliminates the pest’s access to the building.
Students and Staff
The first and most important pest management responsibility of students and staff is sanitation! Often, success in preventing and reducing pest infestations depends on whether or not food is left in classrooms, common areas like the teacher’s lounge, and student’s lockers. Whenever possible, any food that must be kept in a school should be sealed in a plastic container or stored in a container with a screw on lid. The second responsibility for students and staff is to help with pest monitoring. Students and staff can provide important information by reporting the presence of pests; what did you see, when did you see it, and where did you see it.
IMPORTANT
IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
ONLY LICENSED PESTICIDE APPLICATORS AND LICENSED PESTICIDE
OPERATORS WORKING UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A
LICENSED APPLICATOR MAY APPLY PESTICIDES IN SCHOOLS OR ON
SCHOOL PROPERTY
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Email: tmoutis@mansfieldschool.com
Website: www.mansfieldschool.com
Location: 200 Mansfield Road East, NJ, United States
Phone: 609-298-2037
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mansfield-School-District-1645020699105396/
Twitter: @mtes_jhes