Clinton Township Newsletter

1 2 O c t O b e r 2 0 1 5 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com I N O U R S C H O O L S : C L I N T O N T O W N S H I P S C H O O L N E W S www.ctsd.k12.nj.us A L e t t e r f r o m Dr. Drucilla Clark, Superintendent of Schools Dear Members of the Clinton Township Community: As we begin a new school year, I have received many questions regarding the Common Core State Standards. I would like to share a little bit about them and the thought behind these changes. I am aware there is some controversy about them and they are certainly not perfect, but in my opinion they are better than what we had previously. Colleges have complained that students were entering without the necessary skills for success and this was also motivated by what business was sharing with those colleges about graduates not being fully prepared for the workforce. This activated concern and change that has trickled down to our youngest students. The concept was to raise standards. The Common Core State Standards describe the knowledge and skills that students need by the end of each school year and when they graduate from high school. This transition in our schools started when New Jersey adopted them in 2010. Each school district adapts this curriculum to their needs and the needs of the community. Our teachers have worked on refining and supporting the Common Core specific to Clinton Township classrooms. According to the NJ Department of Education website, the Common Core sets clear and consistent learning goals for every student; utilizes the knowledge and experience of teachers, the higher learning and business communities, academic experts, leading education researchers and the public. The focus is on developing critical thinking skills and solving real-world problems. In the area of English Language Arts, children will strengthen knowledge in writing, reading, speaking, presenting ideas, listening and understanding. Students will learn from all different types of literature and will have opportunities to express their work in creative ways. The focus is to build effective communication skills. Math begins with a strong base in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals. We want students to learn and apply more demanding math concepts and procedures as they move through higher grades. We want them to think and reason mathematically and build skills from year to year. These standards are not easy and provide some challenges to changing the way we teach and learn; however our world is changing. Tomorrow's jobs will be different and we need to develop a strong workforce with skills in resolving challenges and real world problems. When we hear that the SAT and ACT boards found that three-fourths of our students entering college were not sufficiently prepared, we need to listen and make changes. I believe we need to do more and this is a start, imperfect as it may be. If you are interested in learning more about these standards and the state testing process, please watch our district website for Parent Universities on the topic. Join the conversation and learn about the changes and how are district is helping our students and families navigate growth. As always, with appreciation for a great community, Dr. Drucilla Clark Su R Scho We have had a fabulous first month of school at Spruce Run School! Our students are excited and eager to learn and our families are involved with our schools. Thank you so much for such a great start to the 2015-2016 school year. Students are learning about "Planting the Seeds of Friendship" through our words of the month and the friendship theme each month. In October, our SRS children will learn about respect and being a friend. Spruce Run School is truly a special place to be! Our dedicated staff is working to promote a warm, welcoming and positive school environment in helping our students to learn and utilize our three school rules, "Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Others and Take Care of the Environment." Thank you to our parents and to our community for your collaborative efforts in supporting our positive school environment! Reminder that we are celebrating 60 years of learning at SRS during the 2015-2016 school year. If you lived in Clinton Township in 1955 and have something to share with our students, we would love to hear from you. Perhaps you attended Spruce Run School in 1955 or remember childhood activities. We are also looking for memorabilia. If you have photos or know of anyone with a classic 1955 car, please contact us. Mrs. Sidbury, our Enrichment Teacher, is coordinating activities. She can be reached at esidbury@ ctsd.k12.nj.us or by phone at 908.735.7916 Press 9, then ext. 124. We look forward to hearing from you! Patrick McGaheran School Second Grade: We launched science in second grade with our students tracking the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. Fresh milkweed leaves filled our rooms while we observed hungry caterpillars eating the plant leaves. Next they split their skins up to five times while forming the chrysalis. The tiny gold stripes and spots on the green chrysalis actually glittered, making it clear to students why these butterflies are called Monarchs. After days of watching, the students were excited to see the butterflies emerge. The stages of the Monarch Butterfly life cycle were easily detected by each of our own second grade scientists! Once the butterflies emerged, students used identifying marks to determine whether the butterflies were male or female. It was bittersweet to release the butterflies back into the wild. We know some of them will migrate all the way to Mexico. Students recorded their observations in a Monarch Journal and used the website, Journey North, to follow the butterflies' migration. Keep an eye out this Spring for Monarchs migrating back North! Third Grade: Third grade students at PMG have been learning about communities as part of the social studies curriculum. In September, students explored the features of urban, suburban and rural communities. Students then brainstormed a list of buildings and facilities that are found in each type of community. Each student created a shoebox size model of a building found in either an urban, suburban or rural community. All seven classes displayed their buildings and students had the opportunity to walk around and view each other's work. This fun, culminating activity also helped to build community among our third grade students who thoroughly enjoyed being a part of "Kidsville." St. Barnabas Fire Safety House: Third graders at PMG experienced fire safety in the mobile Fire Safety House in the school parking lot on September 29 and 30. The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas and the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation are dedicated to prevention. Burn injuries are often life-altering, but are extremely avoidable if you know how to protect yourself and your loved ones. The St. Barnabas Fire Safety House is a mobile trailer that recreates a home environment which

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