Clinton Township Newsletter

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 check out our new website: www.ctsdnj.org I N O U R S C H O O L S : Su R Scho This past November brought a presidential election for Americans, and while students didn't vote for our new president, students at Spruce Run School did have the opportunity to practice voting on something important to them - what will be served for school lunch. The winning selection (by a very large margin), Breakfast for Lunch, will be served in the Spruce Run cafeteria on December 13. Our "word of the month" for December at Spruce Run School is "generosity." Students at Spruce Run School are encouraged to show generosity and are provided with opportunities to be generous and help others, not only in their daily interactions with students and teachers, but also within larger communities, as well. Service projects provide our students with opportunities to work together, learn to solve problems and make decisions that will contribute to their community. In December, students at Spruce Run will join the other Clinton Township School District schools in participating in the Camden Collections Project once again this year to donate holiday items to children in need at a school in Camden, NJ. Families who participate in this project will donate a new item to be wrapped by our students and parent volunteers, and gifts will delivered to the school in Camden in December. Spruce Run students are collecting coloring books and crayons. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn the value of sharing with others! Thank you to our families and staff for all of your support in providing these wonderful learning opportunities for our Spruce Run students. The New Jersey Department of Education is in the process of transitioning from the Common Core State Standards to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). In May 2016, the State Board of Education adopted the new learning standards with the expectation that districts will begin to implement them in curricula for September 2017. The NJSLS include the Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards as well as the K-12 standards in nine areas. A detailed description of the NJSLS can be found at http://www.nj.gov/education/cccs/. Each standard has its own link to information connected to that content area. The state website includes curricular crosswalks, frameworks, resources, and assessment information. In order to help parents, guardians and community members become familiar with the standards, a brief description of each standard area can be found below. This overview was compiled from information available on the state website and is meant only as a cursory view of each standard. For more information, those interested are encouraged to visit the NJSLS web page. Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards: This set of standards outlines information connected to preschool education including home, school and community partnerships as well as creating an age- appropriate learning environment. Within the document, information is available related to the standards in various content areas (many of which overlap with the K-12 standards), social-emotional development, family and life skills, and approaches to learning. 21st Century Life ad Careers: This standard is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to engage in a global society. Twelve career-ready practices are included in this standard. They are designed to outline the skills necessary to be flexible, thoughtful, and active in ones approach to life and career. Personal Financial Literacy; Career Awareness, Exploration and Preparation. Career and Technical Education are included in this standard. Comprehensive Health and Physical Education: All students are required to participate in a comprehensive program related to health, wellness and physical education with a focus on life-long healthy lifestyles and decision-making. Updates to these standards include compliance with the New Jersey Statute on dating violence education for students in grades 7-12 and helping students to become aware of national and international public health and safety issues. English Language Arts (ELA): The ELA standards were revised in 2016 based on recommendations from teams of educators, administrators, parents and stakeholders. The standards outline the importance of literature and informational (non-fiction) text for students. The focus is on using evidence, completing research, developing vocabulary and building foundational skills in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking to help each student develop the skills necessary to compete in our global society. Mathematics: The mathematics standards were created around overarching themes including equity, curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment and technology. Equity can be found in high expectations as well as support for all students. Curriculum is focused on the connection of the standards to mathematical ideas and is articulated within and between grade levels. Teaching is related to the instruction of the curriculum in a way that challenges and supports students. Learning is about the student building a knowledge base from new and prior experiences and then using that knowledge to solve different problems. Assessment is a measurement of student learning and quality teaching. Information from assessments should be used to inform instruction. Finally, technology in mathematics should be used as tool for students, not a replacement for mathematics understanding. Science: Science standards stress the importance of an understanding of scientific principles and practices to help students learn about science and engineering. The implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) helps students explore connections between life science, physical science, earth and space science, and engineering design. The NGSS allows students to participate in a model of inquiry while learning science concepts and developing skills. Social Studies: Social Studies standards have allowed our students to develop skills and perspectives related to participation in various groups connected to a global society. These standards allow students to assess situations and make decisions from multiple viewpoints. The use of technology has allowed students to expand their learning base from the classroom to locations around the world, including historical sites that they may not otherwise visit. Technology: Technology is essential for our students to be successful in our society. Students must learn how to use technology to their advantage to solve problems and participate in daily activities. Technology skills are important for school and the workplace. The technology standards focus on educational technology as well as engineering, design, and computational thinking. Visual and Performing Arts (VPA): The VPA standards include instruction in the visual and performing arts related to The Creative Process, the History of the Arts and Culture, Performing, and Aesthetic Responses and Critique Methodologies. The state standards take into consideration information from the National Coalition of Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) National Arts Standards. World Languages: The world languages standards support linguistic proficiency connected to students communicating in more than one language. The frequency and duration of language instruction is directly connected to acquired proficiency in a language. In the State of New Jersey, students have regular language instruction beginning in kindergarten and continuing through the grades culminating in at least one year of language instruction at the high school level. Curriculum connected to standards is an important part of our work for students. Our school district staff began updating our curriculum documents to align with the NJSLS this past summer. Work will continue throughout the school year and into the summer of 2017 to ensure compliance with the state standards by September 2017. Our goal is t o c ont inually provide solid educational opportunities to best serve our students. We will accomplish this by continued work on curriculum, instruction and assessment as it relates to updated standards and best practice in education. Thank you, Ga M. Vi Gina M. Villani, Ed.D, Superintendent of Schools A L e t t e r f r o m Gina M. Villani, Ed.D, Superintendent of Schools Dear Clinton Township Community Members:

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