The Reds Tale
October 10, 2019
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 the High School Principal-Mr. Tom Roote
Part of my morning routine at NHS is to make my way outside and to eventually return to the school via a back door to the cafeteria. Ms. Ross, Mr. Dentel and I work hard to make our AM routines repeatable as we want students to know our flow so much so that if something bubbled up overnight they can easily access one of us for supports.
I consider our effort as a best practice that ensures that student minds are ready to soak up new learning upon entry into the classroom. Our effort is replicated throughout the building, in many different ways. For example, we provide 200 students a meal upon entry into the building. Take a look at the picture above-right. It shows our cafeteria at 7:15 am. What a great example of our food service staff led by Mr. Warren Bushart and Ms. Michelle Backus readying students to learn.
A web based article from Edutopia unpacks this a bit further. From
Bringing the Science of Learning Into Classrooms, "Integrate practices that explicitly address belonging and safety: We now know that when schools are safe, supportive places that affirm individual identity, create paths for belonging for every student, and intentionally build strong, long-lasting relationships, they open the opportunity for greater intellectual learning because our brains are more responsive and open to learning in safe environments.
Both pedagogical and social strategies can be integrated into classrooms and school systems in ways that are consistent with the emerging science. According to a 2018 study, starting the day off with a simple relationship-building activity—welcoming students at the door—can increase academic engagement by 20 percentage points while decreasing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points. And at King Middle School in Maine, for example, eighth-grade English language arts teacher Catherine Paul teaches talk moves—short sentence starters such as 'I disagree because...' to build a culture of tolerance and respect while maintaining rigorous academic standards. 'I do talk moves because, in order to have a great discussion, everyone has to feel like they’re a part of it, and valued,' Paul explains. “And when they walk away, they really have bridged a gap with someone that maybe they wouldn’t necessarily have talked to, or talked to on that level.”
Contact me at thomas.roote@newarkcsd.org or 315-332-3250.
From the Desk of the Assistant Principal-Mrs. Robyn Ross
One of our primary objectives in the main office is to hold students accountable when they violate the code of conduct for the purpose of reducing behaviors that disrupt student learning. Over the summer the District worked in different venues to fine tune some of our systems and collect data that inform and support changing student behaviors. The data below shows a reduction in the number of behavioral incidents when comparing September of 2018 and 2019.
The top three behavioral incidents for September, 2018 were class cut, failure to comply with electronics, tardy to class and for September, 2019 include class cut, failure to comply with the electronics and insubordination. Insubordination is an area we always have our eye on as it is essential for our students to comply with reasonable adult requests. There are some areas where we have made changes to that may be contributing to student success. The implementation of the classroom matrix with our 4 expectations: Respectful, Responsible, Safe and A Community. I think that the visual reminder and the fact that staff are using consistent language to support student management is beneficial to our mission. In addition, our Tier 1 PRIDE team has implemented a few interventions behaviorally. Furthermore, the main office has committed to working with the counseling office and families to use restorative approaches when possible to change student behavior. Lastly, the addition of Mr. Dentel to our team has significantly helped our efficiency in responding to student discipline issues. My hope is that we keep improving.
Contact me at robyn.ross@newarkcsd.org or 315-332-3270.
From the Desk of the Administrative Intern-Mr. Jason Dentel
In the past few weeks, I have seen the core value of being "A Community" throughout NHS. I sat with a freshman English class and participated in a community circle. The circle was an opportunity for some class reflection. They discussed their class expectations and areas of strength and areas to improve on. In my travels, I also came across a similar circle out in our hallways. The initial focus of this circle was relationship building. As educators, the use of a community circle gives voice to each member of your community. These circles can be used as formative assessments within instruction. If staff want assistance in utilizing this community-building tool, there are many experts throughout the building.
We are also utilizing restorative circles to help staff/students and student/student restore relationships after there have been some behavioral issues. These circles are not a replacement for consequences but are instead a venue to restore relationships moving forward. If staff are interested in helping facilitate some of these circles, please reach out to Jason or Robyn.
As a final Community Pride shout out - The Girls Varsity Soccer Team won its first league title in 27 years. GO REDS!
Contact me at jason.dentel@newarkcsd.org or 315-332-3255.
Mash Up
As part of our ongoing efforts to make our schools as safe as possible for students, Newark High School will hold safety drills the week of October 21. Throughout the week, students will learn and practice emergency safety drills. We practice these drills to refine our safety and emergency response practices to help us be as prepared as possible in the event of an actual emergency, as well as help our students develop awareness on important safety procedures. We thank you and our students for your patience during these important drills.
REPRINT: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of violence. Pay attention all this month for messages, activities and other events that support the idea that everyone deserves a healthy relationship.
Instructional Corner
We can use the Classroom Teaching Matrix to integrate social, emotional, and behavior examples into our classroom.
- Keep the number of rules manageable. After an initial draft, try to pick the top few rules for each expectation that have the biggest impact on your target outcomes
- Get student input on the established rules. Are they clear? What are examples and non-examples?
- Daily: Identify an Expectation and rule to match to the period’s academic learning in the lesson and post it as a prompt for what behavior to expect and reinforce that behavior throughout the lesson.
A well-designed Classroom Teaching Matrix creates consistency and predictability through clearly stated rules. Routines support regulation and can develop social-emotional competencies.
Document Sharing Space
Calendar Share
Safety Week is the week of Monday, October 21 (subject to change):
- Monday, October 21 at 8:15 am Mr. Roote to introduce Safety Week and the associated protocols
- Monday, October 21 at 9:25 am Secure Space. In this drill, a visitor to the building will experience a cardiac event in the NEC hallway (hall way from main foyer to freshman foyer).
- Monday, October 21 at 10:25 am Lockout. In this drill there is an unidentified person in the student lot attempting to enter vehicles. The suspicious individual is wearing a mask.
- Tuesday, October 22 at 12:55 pm Fire Drill/Evacuation. In this drill we will make our way to a re-unification site for attendance and additional directions.
- Wednesday, October 23 at 9:00 am Lockdown. In this drill an unidentified individual is breaking the glass in the display cases between the Athletic Office and the Main Office. The individual appears to be armed with a hatchet.
- Thursday, October 24 at 2:05 pm. Shelter in Place. In this drill a micro burst has blown the roof from the gym and auditorium. We will evacuate to a safer area of the building.
- Friday, October 25 at 9:00 am. Fire Alarm. In this drill we will evacuate five hundred feet from the building with a plan to navigate a blocked exit by room 159.
- Friday, October 25 at 2:15 pm. Early Dismissal.
Tuesday, October 22 at NHS, from 5:30-7:40 pm. Open House. Contact T Roote
October 28-November 1. Red Ribbon Week. Contact K Cline or K Crawford.
Wednesday, November 13, December 11, January 15, February 12, March 11, April 15, May 13 and June 10. College Wear Wednesday. Contact S Gardner.
First Tuesday of each month. Staff Meeting. Contact T Roote
Thursday, April 30. Capstone Day. Contact D Barry, K Ganter or R Ross
TBD. NHS Program/No WTCC Program. Contact R Ross
College Planning. Contact D McGavisk:
- PSAT Administration-All juniors: October 16 from 7:45-11:15 am
- FAFSA Filing Night: October 15 from 6:30-8:00 pm
- Individual senior meetings with counselors-September 16-30
- Rochester Area Colleges visit-September 26 from 10:15 -11:00 am
Upcoming Field Trips
- Wednesday, March 4: Monroe County Math League meet. 7:30-3:00 pm. Contact: Lori Reed.
- Wednesday, March 18: Child Psycology Class to Roosevelt Children's Center 7:50am-10:50am
- Monday, May 18. Physics Day at Darien Lake 9:00 am-6:30 pm. Contact Aaron Harrington.
- Tuesday, October 15. Drama Club- Genessee Community College Theatre 4:00 pm-9:15 pm. Contact: Emily Howard
Monday, November 18 and Tuesday , November 19: Global 9 Multiple Faith Locations Field Trip. Contact: Dan Micciche.
Wednesday, January 8: Rochester Museum & Science Center 9:00 am-2:30 pm. Contact Aaron Harrington.
- October 10,15,17, 22, 24, 29 and 31. Advanced Child Psych to Perkins School 10:00-10:45 am. Contact: Nicole Favreau.
BitMoji of the Week: Who is it?
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, Respectful and A Community.
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