Clinton Township Newsletter

CLINTON TOWNSHIP SCHOOL NEWS www.ctsd.k12.nj.us C u r r i c u l u m P Dear Parents and Community Members: a n d r o g r a m L This past year we have seen many changes in the depth and breadth of the Common Core Curriculum Standards and how we teach language arts and mathematics. As many of you are aware, there has been a great deal of discussion about the children in the United States not being as competitive academically as we want them to be. In light of that, there was a national movement to raise the curriculum standards and New Jersey is part of those changes. A hot topic among fourth grade parents this past year was about all the differences in math instruction and how challenging it has become for students. This year, fourth and fifth grade parents will also see changes in the approach to reading and writing. We want to do and be better so that test scores and the skills we need to succeed in high school and beyond can soar. The bar has been raised and expectations are high for our Clinton Township students. You will note teachers talking about it on Back to School Night and you will hear more about Reading and Writing Workshops. All summer our fourth and fifth grade teachers have been reading and learning about helping our students build a better reading life. They have been studying best practices in high performing districts and the books of Lucy Calkins and Columbia University Teacher's College. Our goals are to build stamina, fluency and engagement. We will assess and make reading resolutions, we will choose "just right" texts, we will hold tight to meaning and awaken ourselves to text. We will share and partner and confer in small groups with our students. We will listen and retell and back everything with facts. We will speak and read and write. "When another person honors us by listening well, we actually hear ourselves. We unfold and grow." (Calkins & Nolan, 2010) It's so important for us to work together to encourage our children to read and write well. Children need to read for long stretches and talk about what they read. In our age of high-speed technology some things have been lost and the pure joy of a good story and then sharing that, could be one of those things. Please don't let it be lost for the children in our town! Give our children time to just be and quietly read. It is our example that will make the difference between progress and stagnation. We have learned that just logging pages won't do it; it takes more effort and detail. It takes the moments of quiet contemplation, not rushing off to the next thing. It will take the good teachers and parents and grandparents and citizens of Clinton Township to stop and encourage not just reading a page, but discussing it and analyzing and making sense of it to help us all become better learners. As Superintendent and an educational leader, I am challenging all of us to take the time to talk and listen to a student about their reading, their writing and their thoughts. Ask them to retell what they read and ask them questions. Make them back up what they say with facts. Challenge their minds and help us to help them build a better reading and writing life. It will make all the difference and we will all appreciate the effort. Thank you for being part of our team to make a difference in the lives of children and our world! Sincerely, Dr. Drucilla Clark, Superintendent of Schools, Clinton Township e t t e r f r o m Dr. Drucilla Clark, Superintendent of Schools The Board of Education Committees have been busy this summer working with administration on a number of projects. Finance and Facilities • Submitted a number of our school security projects to the State Department of Education in order to obtain special funding and approval for them under the new grant money released by the Governor this spring. • Worked with the Business Administrator and architect of record to bid out summer work such as the installation of additional security cameras, new locks and hardware for classroom doors and work on a new ADA compliant bathroom at Round Valley School. Landscaping work is also being completed to trim down areas for safety and security around the school grounds. New phone systems have been installed at Round Valley, Patrick McGaheran and Spruce Run to address outdated and failing equipment, as well as address safety and security issues. Curriculum Committee • The new teacher evaluation system is a major focus this year. Administration has been trained and has passed a special certification test on the Charlotte Danielson framework. Our teachers are focused on specific areas of instruction and program, classroom environment, planning and preparation and professional responsibilities. They are working to meet the highest levels of performance. Personnel Committee • Is currently in the negotiations process with the Teacher's Association. It has been a positive and thoughtful bargaining on all sides, however no final agreement has been reached at this time. • Administration has also been interviewing replacement teaching staff for retirements and resignations, as well as working with committees of staff, parents and administrators to hire a new Principal for Round Valley and replace the Supervisor of Instruction. Please note the biographies of the new staff at each of our schools as listed in this newsletter. • Congratulations to Mrs. Sue High, new Principal of Round Valley School! Mrs. High is an experienced teacher and administrator of over twenty years and has served as Vice Principal at RVS since 2010. She began her teaching career as a special educator, has taught third through eighth grade and served as Lead Teacher for Math and Science, Grades K-8. Mrs. High was honored in South Bound Brook as Teacher of the Year in 2001. She has demonstrated a great ability to work with our community and has a positive can-do attitude. She is working to create an atmosphere where all can achieve and everyone will feel welcome and part of the team at Round Valley. She earned her B.A. from William Paterson, a Masters in Teaching from Marygrove College and a Masters in Educational Administration from Rider University. • Congratulations to Mr. Tim Jaw, new Supervisor of Instruction, Data and Assessment! The Supervisor of Instruction position is not new, but has been reworked to meet the changing times and educational needs of our schools and students. It will be a position supporting instruction in the classroom and utilizing data and assessment to help teachers drive the best instructional practices. For all our students. Mr. Jaw brings a strong technology background, as well as a degree in mathematics and economics from Vassar and a Masters Degree in Teaching, as well as one in Leadership from the College of New Jersey. He has been a teacher in the district since 2006. • We are actively interviewing to replace the Vice Principal position and to hire a permanent Director of Special Services. C l i n t o n T o w n s h i p S c h o o l D i s t r i c t M i ss i o n S t a t e m e n t The Clinton Township School District, in partnership with the community, achieves excellence for each child by ensuring a meaningful and challenging educational experience in a supportive environment, developing life-long learners who are responsible and productive citizens. 1 0 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3

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