Northeast News April 17, 2015 Updates from the Principal’s Desk

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

Our School Pledge: I will be Respectful, Kind, and Safe. T = Trustworthy R = Respectful E = Encouraging E = Enthusiastic S = Students

Northeast School Mission Statement The Northeast community promotes, inspires, and instructs all students to achieve academic excellence by building a

solid foundation in the English Language Arts and Mathematics, to meet the challenges of middle school. Our mission fosters social responsibility and a lifelong love of learning, enabling all students to thrive in a global and diverse world.

April Book of the Month – The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry Theme: Celebrate Earth Day!

Dear Northeast Families:

Enjoy spring break! J

Thank you to all of the families for joining us at Smashburger on April 15th to support one of our fifth grade fundraisers! It was a huge hit!

A special thank you to Ms. Hermida, global studies teacher, Mr. Shawn Dey, music teacher, Mr. Jorge Larrea, art teacher, and Mrs. Joan Malone, one of our parents from Kikoko Village, for working so hard with our students teaching them about Kikoko Village in Kenya, Africa. Our students performed a magnificent demonstration of their learning about Kikoko for their peers. They also learned some Swahili words from Mrs. Malone, practiced cultural dances, and created traditional dance bracelets using recycled bottle caps to wear as part of their costume. We are rich in cultural experiences at Northeast School, and we appreciate our parents getting involved with teaching and learning experiences.

A special thank you to Kristen Kenney, Health and Wellness committee, for setting up the positive behavior table in the hallway, having positive discussions with our students during lunchtime, and promoting and encouraging all of our students to “Take the Positive Behavior Pledge”, which is connected to our Book of the Month themes. Please stop by and read all of the wonderful statements our students add randomly to the positive posters near the main office. Kudos to our students for taking the pledge!

Congratulations to our talented students! Kindergarten presentations were held this week about the continent of North America, specifically focused on Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. The presentations performed by all of the kindergarten classes were very special! The students worked really hard to memorize their parts, songs, and dances, and it showed throughout each class performance. All of the kindergartners did a great job speaking with expression, dressed in colorful costumes with the help of our marvelous parent volunteers, and sang and danced to lively Caribbean songs with movement. Kudos to all of their amazing teachers, student teachers, teaching assistants, and parent volunteers!

We celebrated and delivered our first round of Accelerated Reader balloon prizes this past week to Jeremiah Bauer (5th grade), Max Myers (5th grade), and Eleanor Fitzgerald (3rd grade). Nancy Franklin, lead teacher for AR, announced their success as the top three AR students as of April 10, 2015. Max is currently in first place with 560 points, Eleanor is in second place with 475 points, and Jeremiah is in third place with 462 points. Congratulations to

our students for all of their hard work!

Staff Announcement Mrs. Kristen McCann, our technology teacher, will be on maternity leave beginning May 4, 2015 through November 30, 2015. Congratulations to Mrs. McCann and her family! J

Mr. Andrew English, a former fifth grade ELA student teacher at Northeast School that worked under the supervision of Ms. Deb Maher (5th grade ELA teacher), will be joining our school community in Mrs. McCann’s absence. Mr. English has a strong background and familiarity with technology, and our current systems at Northeast School. He will start on April 29, 2015 to transition with Mrs. McCann prior to her departure. Please join me in welcoming Mr. English to the Northeast School community!

In addition, please join me in welcoming Mrs. Donna McGowan, Nishuane’s technology teacher, to Northeast School during May testing periods coming soon. She will be the designated PARCC Grades 3-5 Technology Coordinator in Mrs. McCann’s absence. Mrs. McGowan previously attended the PARCC district training sessions, and she partnered with Mrs. McCann during the March PBA testing sessions in order to support our school in May (EOY sessions). We look forward to working with Mrs. McGowan.

PARCC Testing Grades 3-5 Students…IMPORTANT CALENDAR UPDATES

***The PARCC testing schedule has been updated for all elementary schools.

*The updated May EOY (End of Year) Grades 3-5 PARCC testing dates are listed in the calendar at the end of the newsletter. ü 1 Day ELA & 2 Days Math Grades 3-5 ü Estimated time on task = 50 minutes/Time given = 75 minutes ü Unlimited time for students with accommodations

Completed in March 2015: Performance-based assessments (PBA) in ELA/literacy and mathematics. All students were administered this summative test in March to show what they know. PBAs in math focused on reasoning and modeling, and included questions that required both short and extended responses. In ELA/literacy, the PBAs focused on both reading comprehension and writing when analyzing texts.

Scheduled for May 2015: End-of-Year assessments (EOY) in ELA/literacy and mathematics. All students will take the EOY in May. The results will be combined with the performance-based assessment (PBA) to produce a student’s summative assessment score. The ELA/literacy EOY will focus on reading comprehension. The mathematics EOY will ask students to demonstrate solid understanding of math concepts and demonstrate mathematical fluency.

*Spring  2015  NJASK  Science  Testing  –  Grade  4:    May  27-­‐28,  2015 Safety Reminders! Thank you for your cooperation regarding morning arrival and dismissal. Please continue to adhere to the safety signs and procedures each morning and afternoon. We appreciate your support!

Recess Reminder Spring is here! J Please make sure your children wear spring jackets, etc. on cooler days. Thank you!

Academic Links: Please visit our district website link to the Academic Office at www.montclair.k12.nj.us to review our updated District Curricula in Math and English Language Arts, and other content areas. Click on the “Academic Office”, and then click on “District Curricula” to peruse the various curriculum guides, which outline all of the learning goals by marking period (3 trimesters).

SATP Projects: Updates Yesenia Cruz-Troy & Itewari Bryan, Co-chairs Sabra Scott (Dean), School Liaison

*Please refer to the district website links to Northeast School and the PTA/SATP for full calendar dates, and other resources at www.montclair.k12.nj.us.

Please come to our next meeting on Tuesday evening, April 28, 2015 from 6:00-7:00 pm in the library. Hope to see you there! J

Two SATP Goals - Discussed on March 31, 2015: School Improvement Plan Goal #3: Effective Communications and Parent Engagement

• Objectives: By June 2015, 2-3 outcome-based strategies for engaging families will be developed, implemented and evaluated for effectiveness led by the SATP.

• Goal #1: “Calling all Dads” project to encourage fathers to form a dad’s group • Goals #2: Assigned grade level information liaisons K-5 (all classrooms)

*We will also focus on updating school-wide PTA, SATP, and administration communication tools.

School  Action  Team  for  Partnerships  Meeting  Schedule:  • Tuesday,  4/28/15   6:00-­‐7:00  pm  • Tuesday,  5/26/15       6:00-­‐7:00  pm  • Tuesday,  6/9/15           8:45-­‐9:45  am  

Classroom Pen Pal Project (Grade Level Continent Study): Our students are so excited to meet new friends and learn about their families and communities. Pen pals are so much fun! J

• Kindergarten (North America) - Pearl Creek Elementary, Alaska • Grade 1 (South America) – St. Nicholas School, Argentina • Grade 2 (Africa) - Montessori International School, Nigeria & International Community School of Abidjan, Ivory

Coast • Grade 3 (Australia) - Subiaco Primary School, Australia • Grade 4 (Asia) – Hongyeon Elementary School, South Korea • Grade 5 (Europe) - American Section, Lycee International, France (Adding Denmark!)

Current Project: • Hit the Books: *Sunday, June 14 @ 2:05 pm- Jackals Game Day…Save the date!

Family flyer eblast: New this year, Northeast Elementary School graders will be participating in Hit the Books sponsored by the New Jersey Jackals baseball team. The program began on April 6, 2015 and ends on June 1, 2015. Description of the program: The New Jersey Jackals' Hit the Books Reading Program is a fun and unique incentive-based program. It is designed to encourage students to achieve higher grades and make learning fun! Students who read four (4) books and complete a reading assignment slip will earn the prizes described below. All slips will be collected in their respective homeroom classes. The prizes are as follows: 1st book: Single: One free public skate pass for Floyd Hall Arena 2nd book: Double: NJ Jackals wristband 3rd book: Triple: Free hot dog & soda ticket to be used at any 2015 Jackals game 4th book: Home Run: Two free tickets for the Jackals game below… Hit the Books Jackals Game: Sunday, June 14 at 2:05 PM

Mark your Calendar ü April 6-June 1: K-5 Hit the Books Challenge Continues (Liaison – Ms. Scott) ü April 20-24: Schools Closed, Spring Break ü April 28: SATP Meeting 6-7 pm Looking Ahead ü May 2: May in Montclair…Watchung Plaza 12:30 pm (Mr. Dey & Students) ü May 4-6: EOY PARCC Grade 5 ELA/Math ü May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week ü May 7-8, 11: EOY PARCC Grade 4 ELA/Math ü May 12-14: EOY PARCC Grade 3 ELA/Math ü Until May 21: PARCC Make ups (as needed) ü May 6: National Walk/Bike to School Day! ü May 26: SATP Meeting 6-7 pm ü May 27-29: NJASK Science Testing/Make ups - Grade 4 Only

*June 8...EOY PTA Meeting/Volunteer Breakfast 9:00 – 10:00 am

*June 9...EOY SATP Meeting 8:45-9:45 am    

ELEMENTARY  MARKING  PERIODS

MARKING PERIOD START DATE END DATE REPORT CARD DATE 1 Thursday

Sept. 4, 2014 Friday

Dec. 5, 2014 Monday

Dec. 15, 2014 2 Monday

Dec. 8, 2014 Friday

March 13, 2015 Friday

March 27, 2015 3 Monday

March 16, 2015 Tuesday

June 16, 2015 Monday

June 22, 2015

Reminder: Skyward Family Access is available on the district website. Please log on at https://skyward.montclair.k12.nj.us, create an account, and “opt in’’ to the program to update your family contact information throughout the school year. We are “green believers”, so you will receive Northeast School e-blast communication through your current family emails listed in Skyward.

Thank you PTA, SATP, families, and staff for your continued positive support this year!

Warm regards, Mrs. Cenithia Bilal, Principal cbilal@montclair.k12.nj.us