tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20371754872766080002024-03-13T13:31:41.997-04:00Superintendent's CornerNo problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
-Albert EinsteinSuperintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-70942297861245090232016-08-31T15:27:00.000-04:002016-08-31T15:39:25.102-04:00Welcome Back Staff Letter 2016Dear Colleagues:<br />
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It is my pleasure to welcome you back to the Somerville Public Schools for the 2016-2017 school year. It is my hope that you were able to find time to rest and relax this summer. You certainly deserve the break with all of the dedication, diligence, and hard work that you provide during the school year. Teaching children is the most important profession and the sacrifices that you make in the Ville are very much appreciated.<br />
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This past spring, I had the opportunity to serve as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVkSEPxlF4" target="_blank">keynote speaker for the American Reading Company Summit</a> where I used the opportunity to boast about the tremendous talents of the Ville staff and community. The title of the presentation was <i>Don’t Focus on the Falls</i>. Too often society focuses on the falls rather than the steps. I gave the comparison (wonderfully provided to me by Dave Gustavsen) of a child taking his/her first steps. We do not admonish the child for the falls, but rather praise them for the steps. We don’t say, “When is my kid going to get this right?” or “I am tired of my child falling!” We praise our children for the steps similar to the way each of you praise our children for their successes. We focus on promoting the steps in the Ville!<br />
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It is this optimism that guides our organization; a sense of hope. I am reminded of a quote from Emily Dickinson. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the human soul.” Your precious gifts of knowledge, love of our students, belief in our students’ abilities, and hope to make this world a better place give the Ville its strength. It is this optimism that must captain our ship during turbulent times. Regardless of societal impact or ignorance of the profession, educators and employees that interact with our children are the bedrock of society. I need your help to ensure that the viral negativity does not unearth the very underpinnings of the foundation we have toiled to create. <a href="http://www.trevorgblake.com/" target="_blank">Trevor Blake, author of Three Simple Steps</a> says, “If you are pinned in a corner for too long listening to someone be negative, than you’re more likely to behave that way as well.” My challenge to you, dear friends and colleagues, is to get involved. If you see something that you would like to change, ask to be part of the change process. Tom Ziglar says, “Change starts with you, but it doesn’t start until you do.” As our building leaders forge new pathways for our new school year, ask to get involved. We offer employee involvement on many levels: staff incentives, <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2012/08/personnel-committee.html" target="_blank">Personnel Committee</a>, <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2012/02/formation-of-district-calendar.html" target="_blank">District At-A-Glance Calendar Committee</a>, Trauma Sensitive Task Force, Mosaic Mentoring Program, and many more. Whatever your interest, please make it known to your building leaders. Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter) is quoted as saying, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” Let’s be united, with a purpose; to make the Ville a great place to live, learn, and grow!<br />
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We will continue to recognize these efforts and the support of our community stakeholders through our #allin4theVille stakeholder awards, BOE meetings, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolSupMedia" target="_blank">podcasts</a>, blogposts, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SchoolSup" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Nominations for #allin4theVille stakeholder awards are accepted via the <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/somervilleschools.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGIRkRx4kl7r3mmdsqzgybgmQ32rx_6mjeSj3jToNIgFNVNA/viewform?c=0&w=1" target="_blank">district homepage</a>. I encourage you to recommend a colleague or community member for the award and to share the incredible work that you are doing with our community by tweeting with the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?vertical=default&q=allin4theVille&src=typd" target="_blank">#allin4theVille</a>. Dr. McDonald, Ms. McEntee, and Mrs. Sung will continue the monthly district Ville(age), Innovation, and Best Practice Awards. These awards are announced via email and posted on Twitter! We continually value your contributions to our school community and applaud your efforts.<br />
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Last year the district passed the QSAC monitoring process. Officials from the County Office were extremely impressed with the level of engagement and instructional practices observed during the site visitation. Our successes have reached, not only national recognition with the National District of Distinction Award, but have garnered international attention with a visit from a Denmark official during the 2015-2016 school year. The Digital Data Wall program (<a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2013/12/assess-analyze-achieve.html" target="_blank">Assess Analyze Achieve</a>), under the direction of Mr. Teehan, is designed to compile student performance data so that it is readily accessible as a tool to identify student needs and provide a direction for individualized instruction differentiated to meet identified student needs. The shared electronic student data collections continue to evolve based on teacher and principal feedback. All of this data provides teachers with valuable information that can be used to improve student performance outcomes, which will produce well-prepared Somerville students who are ready for college and careers. <br />
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The New Jersey Department of Education has been busy working on the state guidelines for the implementation of the <a href="http://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn" target="_blank">Every Student Succeeds Act</a> (ESSA), signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. The Act will be promulgated for the 2017-2018 school year. ESSA provides more flexibility to state departments in contrast to its 2002 predecessor, No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Prior to this significant signing, districts were left to implement an outdated NCLB (earmarked for revision in 2007). Many of these changes have addressed the resounding concerns from educators and parents nationwide. My hope is that the NJDOE will restore local control on the effectiveness measures and reduce the weight and burden of standardized tests on teacher evaluation.<br />
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In the Ville, our Core Beliefs (developed out of our VISION2020 strategic plan) remain at the center of our mission to provide the highest quality education through an environment that promotes individual excellence. </div>
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We believe that children learn best in a challenging, motivating, safe, secure, nurturing, encouraging, and respectful environment that fosters a love of lifelong learning. <br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We believe in providing learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of each individual child. <br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We believe that the mosaic of every child includes the fine arts, STEAM, and extracurricular activities. <br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We believe that professional development is essential to the fabric of the teaching profession allowing teachers to build on current practices and constantly improve instruction. <br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We believe in a collaborative approach to learning and engagement that includes students, district employees, parents, community members, and community partnerships.<br />
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The VISION2020 strategic themes, <span style="color: red;"><b>Building Cultural Competence</b></span>, <span style="color: orange;"><b>Preparing for College and Career</b></span>, and <span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Growing Professional Development Opportunities</span></b> </span>continue for the 2nd year of our Strategic Plan. Updates on progress towards each of these strategic themes and the school Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) can be found on the district website or district app and are updated periodically throughout the year. As a reminder, the strategic themes were developed by the Board of Education after a community-wide Needs Assessment (previously available in both Spanish and English) and my Context Map input sessions with all staff and community members during the 2014-2015 school year.<br />
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In an effort to build <b><span style="color: red;">Cultural Competence</span></b>, a team of staff members attended training session with Susan Craig and Janis Bozowski. A Trauma Sensitive Task Force (representing staff members from each school, administration, and a BOE member/parent) analyzed and identified trends and patterns in our district data. The Task Force presented their findings with recommendations for the 2016-2017 school year at the June 14, 2016 Board of Education meeting. The district will implement these recommendations for the 2016-2017 school year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ehv98siRywvCH_kMyf4K2snEa-MjqgrkXMQrQ3EET149xz7quiFFF_A00YWk7WrvlZA6xvS_dsWCX-HrXfp9EWvNCi_jiiQ_If8DUZxDDWEdzILHvwtiQLwMaPOEP0GPuUgbGdU3lOFG/s1600/Direction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ehv98siRywvCH_kMyf4K2snEa-MjqgrkXMQrQ3EET149xz7quiFFF_A00YWk7WrvlZA6xvS_dsWCX-HrXfp9EWvNCi_jiiQ_If8DUZxDDWEdzILHvwtiQLwMaPOEP0GPuUgbGdU3lOFG/s200/Direction.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
The district launched a new non-traditional high school last year under the direction of Mr. Hade and Dr. McDonald. The extremely successful <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/cms/lib5/NJ01001815/Centricity/Domain/4/Maps1.m4v" target="_blank">M.A.P.S. program</a> served as the impetus of the <b><span style="color: orange;">Preparing for College and Career</span></b> goal. This year, the district will examine trends and patterns in post-Somerville data to determine career and college preparation levels. Data collected from this study will be made available to the community through the district website. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05MnUK7tdwMAyR0uDHbvoG2PLSlYX99so18NjVrfeG5GUv2v_WBQLDrOoc_zxpO6yiwm8AXDyt9T0BJAU1MhcZrLjJsihz65KbeczsyMMeh8dtOp4usFm_UM6SYFVQbk0ce-VsuhVcDGa/s1600/PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05MnUK7tdwMAyR0uDHbvoG2PLSlYX99so18NjVrfeG5GUv2v_WBQLDrOoc_zxpO6yiwm8AXDyt9T0BJAU1MhcZrLjJsihz65KbeczsyMMeh8dtOp4usFm_UM6SYFVQbk0ce-VsuhVcDGa/s200/PD.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
Last year, under the direction of Ms. McEntee, the district expanded video resources for <span style="color: yellow;"><b>Growing Professional Development Opportunities</b></span> to educators through the three dimensional professional development (<a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2015/09/3dpd-best-practice-repository.html" target="_blank">3DPD</a>) best practice repository. The private video channel provides resources to district educators and staff with over 135 uploaded videos that highlight district best practices, model lessons, strategies, and tips to improve instruction and student learning. The homegrown repository provides teachers with on-demand opportunities to select personalized learning paths based on their individual needs. This year, the district will concentrate efforts on professional development opportunities for parents regarding the social and emotional development of children. <br />
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The VISION2020 strategic plan also drives the annual budget goals. Under the direction of Mr. Boyce, our budget planning process involves careful attention to improving student achievement and ensuring curriculum and instruction is designed and delivered to meet our students' needs. We want to provide you with the support and resources so that you can provide the optimal learning experience for our children. Student performance data is studied and programs and services evaluated on an ongoing basis so that the budget reflects updated instructional priorities. All of the staff additions, professional development opportunities and technology availability noted in this letter are a result of our deliberate budget process. Last year, my Executive Student Council (comprised of students from each school building) introduced our budget priorities at the Annual Budget Public Hearing. What a way to center our decisions on our students! The Board will also continue to have two student representatives (i.e. one from Branchburg and one from Somerville).<br />
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The district thought partners (vendors) and community partnerships serve as the backbone and strength of our district. We recognized these partners at our <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2016/05/supers-bowl-community-event.html" target="_blank">5th Annual Supers Bowl event</a> as they provide resources and experiences that enrich the learning experiences for our children. This year, we are launching a new SHS partnership with <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2016/05/larue-pr-academy.html" target="_blank">LaRue PR</a>. We are entering the second year of our <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2015/04/somerville-medical-sciences-academy.html" target="_blank">Robert Wood Johnson/Somerville Medical Sciences Academy</a>, third year of RVCC’s Workforce Skills and Employability Program (non-college bound students exposed to retail, hospitality, public service, and childcare), third year of AT&T’s Young Science Achievers Program, and fourth year of our <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2013/03/transforming-high-school-experience.html" target="_blank">RVCC’s Academy of Liberal Arts</a>. Upon completion of this year, we will have 11 students receive their Associates Degree in May, prior to their high school diploma. This spring, we will host our 4th Annual Student Achievement and Data Summit and 7th <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2014/04/kindergarten-summit.html" target="_blank">Annual Kindergarten Summit</a>, which provide free learning opportunities and best practice sharing of instructional strategies with statewide professionals and local area providers.<br />
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We will continue our unfailing commitment to meet the needs of all learners and to foster a safe environment for them to be successful. Dr. McDonald and her team will continue to promote the collaborative classroom model through professional development and a video series that highlights best practices in this area. The series will be uploaded onto the district’s <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2015/09/3dpd-best-practice-repository.html" target="_blank">3DPD</a> channel.<br />
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We continue to drive <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/domain/726" target="_blank">21st Century</a> change in the Ville. The 1:1 Chromebook initiative successfully launched at SHS last year and enters into phase three with the expansion to all students in grades 3-5 and Instructional Assistants. All K-2 classrooms will also have sets of 6 MacBooks to utilize in the classroom. Coding has reached new levels with the third year of our Mobile App Development program and middle and elementary school STEM/Coding classes. The VDV and SMS libraries are being transformed into maker spaces to support student creativity and innovation. Additionally, Ms. McEntee and her team have been busy implementing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) capabilities for all office staff and students enrolled in SHS STEM classes. <br />
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Many of our staff members were busy this summer writing curriculum, teaching our enrichment and at-risk programs, attending professional development offerings and presenting at our annual Collaborative Professional Development Academy. We would like to thank them for providing for our students, sharing their talents and continuing to improve their pedagogy. We welcome three new members to the curriculum team. At the Van Derveer School, Mr. Brennen Thompson will support the instructional staff by demonstrating and modeling best practice strategies as an instructional coach. Mrs. Valentina Carleo will work with the Van Derveer School and Somerville Middle School staff to provide curriculum and instructional support as a curriculum supervisor. Mrs. Carolyn Ross will join the Somerville High School community as an instructional coach to provide support and demonstrate best instructional practices. In collaboration with staff, school community, and administration, the curriculum team will provide instructional support to create authentic and meaningful learning experiences for all students!<br />
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I would also like to especially welcome our 35 new staff members. New staff, you have made a wise decision in selecting a school community that values education and diversity. Be an advocate for your students and create classrooms where it is safe to fail as well as succeed. I wish you tremendous success in the Ville! I owe a debt of gratitude to our <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2012/08/personnel-committee.html" target="_blank">personnel committee</a> for their countless hours of work selecting our new teachers. The personnel committee is composed of teaching and support staff members. They complete all first and second round interviews and recommend 4-8 candidates to our principals for demonstration lessons. During the demonstration lesson phase, a member of the personnel committee remains on as a liaison to the process. <br />
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On September 6th and 7th, you will have an opportunity to meet with your principal to discuss school happenings, initiatives, and building Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). As in previous years, progress towards WIGs will be measured using the <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/domain/732" target="_blank">Dashboard community stakeholder “scorecard.”</a> The Dashboard, posted on the district homepage, also contains links to each WIG rubric of assessment. Supervisors will continue to track the progress towards WIGs through <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2014/02/purpose-driven-walkthroughs.html" target="_blank">Purpose Driven Walkthroughs™</a>. As a reminder, Purpose Driven Walkthroughs™ are walkthroughs with a focus on achieving what is critical to building leaders. Staff members provided input into their building WIGs through last year’s “whirlwind” exercises.<br />
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My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Louisiana. It is hard to believe that it has been four years since the devastation of <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2012/11/state-of-schools-post-sandy.html" target="_blank">Superstorm Sandy</a>. How will you be #allin4theVille this year? I am ALL IN for our children and the Ville community. I will continue to maintain an open door policy. Stakeholders, can access me through Twitter, email, my “<a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org//cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=164" target="_blank">Talk with Tim</a>” initiative and monthly <a href="http://drpurnell.blogspot.com/2012/08/brown-bag-lunches.html" target="_blank">brown bag lunch sessions</a>. <br />
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Coffee and refreshments will be available in the middle school cafeteria at 8:00 am and the In-Service Day Program will begin at 8:30 am in the middle school auditorium. I thank you for your continued dedication and service to our entire school community. I look forward to a successful school year and seeing you on September 6th. <br />
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My best for the coming year,<br />
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Timothy Purnell, Ed.D.<br />
Superintendent of Schools<br />
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-5275413629315236272016-05-31T15:33:00.000-04:002016-05-31T15:33:27.458-04:00LaRue PR AcademyI am pleased to announce the launch of a Public Relations Academy for the 2016-2017 school year. This Academy represents a district initiative to establish local partnerships to enhance the educational opportunities for students. The goal of the program will be to provide real-world application skills while stimulating interest in public relations.<br />
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Academy students will learn first hand about public relations and have the opportunity to complete exclusive internship hours at LaRue PR. Students will be exposed to brand development and marketing, multi-faceted publicity campaigns, media outreach, social media marketing, and celebrity product placement. This tremendous opportunity will allow students to gain valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences in the public relations field that cannot be duplicated in a traditional classroom.<br />
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<a href="http://theeverygirl.com/meet-the-pr-leader-who-launched-and-sold-her-first-business-before-age-27" target="_blank">Jessy Fofana</a>, Founder/CEO of LaRue PR, is a leader in the industry and a Somerville parent. Jessy has developed an innovative company that helps clients reach their full potential and achieve success. Her firm is involved with the Manhattan Vintage Show and represents an impressive list of well-known fashion and lifestyle retailers.<br />
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Interested students may complete an online application that includes a video submission. Consideration will be given to students who can demonstrate creativity and innovation in the video. There are no GPA requirements for this Academy. There are a limited number of openings for the program and therefore applicants will be screened through a selection process. A complete list of the courses for the program can be seen in the link below. Interested students can apply to be part of the program by clicking <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/somervilleschools.org/forms/d/1PVsmS9-K2vYk_Gwfl0vlvesL2rvOvU8BpVUcgCkak0Q/edit?usp=drive_web" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-24290847088869034322016-05-19T13:09:00.001-04:002016-06-01T08:52:05.329-04:00Super's Bowl Community Event<div>
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The fifth annual Super’s Bowl will be hosted at Brooks Field at the Gus Vanderbeek Athletic Complex on Friday, June 3, 2016 at 6 pm (no rain date). The Super’s Bowl is a flag football competition between the three district schools played by employees. As in previous years, the event is free to the community.<br />
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Be a part of the school district’s history and sign a puzzle piece to be #allin4theVille! Upon arrival, attendees can sign a puzzle piece that will ultimately be displayed in the Board of Education conference room. The puzzle will represent the #allin4theVille partnerships that make the Ville a great place to learn and work!<br />
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Albert Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” In the Ville, we believe in a collaborative approach to learning and engagement that includes students, district employees, parents, community members, and community partnerships. This year's Super’s Bowl theme is partnerships. We want to use this opportunity to celebrate ALL of the community providers, organizations, and companies that assist in the learning process of our children. Without your efforts and contributions, our impact would be marginalized. We are <b><a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23allin4theVille&src=typd">#allin4theVille</a></b>!</div>
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The Super’s Bowl event is a friendraiser community event. This year, contributions will be donated to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital. The Hospital has served and will continue to serve as a wonderful resource to our children and school community. Please join us in supporting the Hospital.<br />
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The festivities begin at 5:30 pm with the opening of our Snack Shack. Proceeds from the Snack Shack will benefit the Somerville High School Music Booster Association. Our teachers and administrators will take the field to warm-up for the games, with Pep Band performing at 6 pm. Students, parents and community members are encouraged to attend and demonstrate their school spirit and cheer on their staff and schools.<br />
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If you cannot join in person, be sure to follow along with the Twitter hashtag #supersbowl. The Pioneer Studios will be filming the event this year. Highlights will be posted on my YouTube channel. </div>
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<b>Tentative Schedule for the June 3, 2016 Super’s Bowl event</b>:<br />
5:30 pm. Free Admission (Snack Shack will be open) and School Teams Warm Up<br />
6:00 pm. SHS Pep Band Performance<br />
6:05 pm. National Anthem sung by the Shirley Tempos (SHS Students)<br />
6:10 pm. 5th Annual Super's Bowl (VDV versus SMS) <br />
6:50 pm. YMCA Performs a Gymnastics Half-Time Show<br />
7:00 pm. Halftime Fun for Student Attendees<br />
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7:15 pm. Super's Bowl Championship Game (SHS versus the winning team)</div>
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<b><u>Community Stakeholder Partnerships</u></b>:</div>
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Somerville Education Foundation</div>
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Branchburg Education Foundation</div>
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Somerville Parent Teacher Organizations</div>
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Branchburg Parent Teacher Organization</div>
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Raritan Valley Community College</div>
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Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Somerset</div>
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Somerville Hall of Fame/Team Green</div>
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Somerville High School Booster Associations</div>
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Somerville Middle School Booster Associations</div>
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Somerville Borough Council and Mayor</div>
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Somerville Police Department</div>
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Somerville Fire Department</div>
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Somerville Emergency Medical Services</div>
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Somerville Public Library</div>
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Somerville YMCA</div>
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Somerville Recreation</div>
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Branchburg Recreation</div>
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Downtown Somerville Alliance</div>
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AT&T (Young Science Achievers Program)</div>
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United Way</div>
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Middle Earth</div>
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RideWise</div>
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Municipal Alliance</div>
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Somerset County Educational Services Commission</div>
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Boy Scouts of America</div>
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Girl Scouts of America</div>
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Somerset County Youth Services Commission</div>
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Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)</div>
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Tri County Care Management Organization</div>
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Somerset County Food Bank</div>
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Somerset Patriots</div>
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Somerset Civic League</div>
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Somerset County Business Partnership</div>
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Somerville/Bridgewater Rotary Club</div>
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Branchburg Rotary Club</div>
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Somerville Elks Lodge<br />
Kiwanis<br />
American Legion</div>
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Zufall Health Center</div>
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Resource Center of Somerset</div>
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Safe Communities Coalition</div>
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LaRue PR</div>
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Fairleigh Dickinson University</div>
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Bridgewater Sports Arena<br />
Branchburg Sports Complex</div>
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Joetta Clark-Diggs<br />
New York Jets</div>
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<b><u>Contributors:</u></b></div>
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Air Liquide</div>
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Alfonso’s<br />
American Reading Company<br />
Apex Learning</div>
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Applebees</div>
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Central Pizza</div>
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Chipolte Grill</div>
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Discovery Education</div>
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Dunkin Donuts</div>
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Costco</div>
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myON</div>
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Origins</div>
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Quick Check</div>
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Reading Cinema</div>
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Signarama North Plainfield</div>
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Staples</div>
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Target</div>
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UK Elite</div>
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Verve</div>
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Wegmans</div>
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Yutaka<br />
...and the multiple contributors for awards and scholarships</div>
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<b><i>Previous Super’s Bowl Award Recipients </i></b></div>
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Super’s Bowl I (2012) – VDV, MVP – Brennen Thompson</div>
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Super’s Bowl II (2013) – VDV, MVP – Nicholas Diaz</div>
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Super’s Bowl III (2014) – SMS, MVP – Freddie Shaker </div>
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Super’s Bowl IV (2015) – SHS, MVP – John Hoehn</div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-43296573176227670292015-09-30T09:13:00.000-04:002015-09-30T11:54:48.921-04:003DPD: A Best Practice Repository<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgp-B4zQXSr8eQOvTXru90xsoBibRyOvtzEqPPRxm_E6rjfeUMswSEsliv3MCxag_JzCQKzI3zEMqs-JHd_pCUySDvsEbydUz-gvrJLooBJCaPghmYUilfKQQiWOl8NNhCg5RE6jqm-FY/s1600/teachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgp-B4zQXSr8eQOvTXru90xsoBibRyOvtzEqPPRxm_E6rjfeUMswSEsliv3MCxag_JzCQKzI3zEMqs-JHd_pCUySDvsEbydUz-gvrJLooBJCaPghmYUilfKQQiWOl8NNhCg5RE6jqm-FY/s320/teachers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last year, the district launched 3DPD* (Three Dimensional Professional Development) which allows educators to differentiate their own professional development through an online "best practice" repository. Teachers record instructional segments or full lessons using a Swivl camera in their classroom. These recorded clips are uploaded into a private YouTube channel where colleagues can access the content 24/7 and collaborate about the viewed practices. Although teachers have the latitude to observe colleagues in action, the online repository reduces the need for teachers to have substitutes cover classes for peer observations and enables them to spend more time in the classroom with their students.</div>
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Under the direction of the Director of 21st Century Education, the channel allows teachers to tag lessons by pedagogical topics. This enables the viewer to search the database for interested areas in a relatively quick manner. The Director approves, manages the channel, and ensures that footage is tagged and uploaded properly. </div>
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This is yet another way that we celebrate and highlight excellent classroom pedagogy in the Ville! We are fortunate to have so many "best practice" models in the Ville exemplified by our outstanding educators. 3DPD is another piece of evidence that our educators are #allin4theVille and dedicated to perfecting their craft.<br />
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<i>*Special thanks to Melissa McCooley for coining the phrase "3DPD."</i></div>
Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-44586780825241324342015-08-22T10:13:00.000-04:002015-08-22T10:35:04.866-04:00Acceptance Speech (#getoffyourisland)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is a tremendous honor to serve as the New Jersey State Superintendent of the Year for 2015. Below is a copy of my acceptance speech, delivered at the May 14, 2015 NJASA Spring Conference. Special thanks to <a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/jhnmarcellus">@<span class="u-linkComplex-target">jhnmarcellus</span></a> for the Twitter hashtag reference.<br />
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<i>I am fortunate to have colleagues that are extremely supportive. At my roundtable, we have vulnerable conversations and share experiences that reveal potential solutions to problems we are facing.. That was not always the case for me though. When I first became superintendent at the age of 32, I was surrounded by AWESOMENESS. I became wired to hide my insecurities. I believed that you don't want others to see your weaknesses. </i><br />
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<i>That thinking could not be less constructive. When I became a member and eventually the president of the Somerset County Roundtable, I opened up to my colleagues. I realized that people aren't drawn to AWESOMENESS. They are interested in genuine conversations. They are engaged by people who show vulnerability and that's what makes my county such a close group of superintendents.</i><br />
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<i>David Brooks, NY Times, speaks of the difference between resume and eulogy virtues. He says that “no person can achieve self-mastery on his or her own. Individual will, reason, and compassion are not strong enough to consistently defeat selfishness, pride, and self-deception. We all need redemptive assistance from outside.” We NEED each other!</i><br />
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<i>I'm looking around the room here today and I see a lot of superintendents with less experience than me. I urge you to ask your colleagues questions. We have a lot of talented superintendents in this state that can offer you outstanding advice if you just ask. Don't make the same mistake that I made. Cal Ripken advises us "to expose your weaknesses and ask questions." For me, it has paid dividends. Being a superintendent doesn't have to be “working on an island” or in isolation. It may be lonely in your office, but a colleague is a phone call away.</i><br />
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<i>I also fell prey to the notion that the more you say, the more you open yourself up to public scrutiny. Heck, it is easier to keep a low profile by not saying anything. But is it the right thing to do? Have we become marred by public judgment? Being a young superintendent, it’s easy to fall into that mentality.</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.daleadershipinstitute.com/content/joseph-scherer" target="_blank">Joseph Scherer</a>, executive director of the superintendents' national dialogue, says that the greatest deficit in education is not finances, but rather LEADERSHIP. Everywhere we go, people seem to know more about education than us, the educators. It's gotten to the point, Scherer says, that the "public doesn't miss educators from the discussions about education."</i><br />
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<i>Be a strong leader! Weather the storm! Hope that people will recognize the benefits of courageous decisions that outweigh the special interest outcries! We need to amplify our voice. Meet with your legislators and invite them to do a coin flip at a football game (as Dr. Bozza suggests). Make suggestions to the DOE when they issue a call for comments. Speak out against the wrongs and for the rights. I have read some incredible ideas, thoughts, and opinions on Twitter. We need to unite these voices and build a strong refrain. We need more conversations! Look around the room. Imagine the radical change we can foster in the state of New Jersey, just with the people in this room!</i><br />
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<i>Thank you again for this privilege to represent our state. And for our new superintendents, ask for help and don't be afraid to be vocal about what you believe in! Your district hired you to have a voice.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-4227763321118277232015-04-28T10:27:00.001-04:002015-04-28T14:04:31.910-04:00Somerville Medical Sciences Academy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am pleased to announce the Somerville Medical Sciences Academy (SMSA), an exciting joint venture between Somerville Public Schools and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (RWJ). RWJ's recent acquisition of Somerset Medical Center afforded this unique opportunity for our high school students.<br />
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Students enrolled in the SMSA will learn first hand about the many health care careers available and gain valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences in a hospital setting that cannot be duplicated in a traditional high school classroom. SMSA students will receive an exclusive opportunity to shadow hospital professionals during the first portion of their day in a "field experience" at RWJ. For the remainder of their day, SMSA students will attend traditional classes, eat lunch, and participate in extracurricular activities on the Somerville High School campus. The goal of the program will be to challenge students academically while stimulating interest in health related professions and to motivate students with an aptitude for math and science to pursue post-secondary education.<br />
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There are a limited number of openings for the program and therefore applicants will be screened through a selection process. The SMSA has a limit of 15 students per cohort, per year. A complete list of the courses for the program can be seen in the link below. Interested 8th grade students from Somerville and Branchburg can apply to be a part of the SMSA through the district homepage or by clicking <a href="http://somervillemedicalscienceacademy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-1759372574272086422014-12-01T11:29:00.000-05:002014-12-01T14:27:10.635-05:00#FutureReady in the Ville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On November 19, 2014, I had the honor of joining President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for the signing of the <a href="http://tech.ed.gov/futurereadypledge/" target="_blank">#FutureReady pledge</a>, along with 100 other superintendents from across the nation. Hopefully you were able to follow my tweets <a href="https://twitter.com/SchoolSup" target="_blank">@SchoolSup</a>. While honored to attend, my selection was in much part due to the efforts of the Ville staff, Board of Education, and students.</div>
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After several levels of security clearance, the superintendents were ushered into an auditorium and briefed on the day's events. The highlight of the morning was indeed the actual signing of the #FutureReady pledge (seen in the video link below). You can also view the President's entire speech by clicking <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/19/remarks-president-connected-superintendents-summit" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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After the #FutureReady signing, I had the opportunity to boast about the great things that are taking place in the Ville. Each of the attendees had the opportunity to share and network over lunch breakout sessions. I found the exchange of information in the sessions to be extremely valuable. After lunch, we went back to the auditorium for panel discussions and various presentations from Department officials. The day ended with a Question and Answer session and photo with Secretary Duncan.<br />
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In his speech, the President referenced the digital divide. While we have made tremendous progress in the Ville (SmartBoards district-wide, iPad and laptop carts, 1:1 SMS Chromebook initiative, SHS mobile app development course, middle school "scratch" club, "best practice" lesson repository, and additional devices for VDV and SHS), we still have students going home without device and no Internet.<br />
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To address this divide, I am forming a special task force to explore avenues to better prepare our students to be #FutureReady. I welcome stakeholder involvement. Should you have an interest in being involved in the task force or would like to provide input, please send me an email at superintendent@somervilleschools.org, tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/SchoolSup" target="_blank">@SchoolSup</a>, comment on this blog, or fill out a <i><a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org//cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=164" target="_blank">Talk with Tim</a></i> with your information and/or comments.<br />
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We have a plethora of local organizations that have a vested interest in education. With partnerships and grants, I am confident that we can bridge the digital divide in the Ville! Coincidentally, the FCC recently <a href="http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/fccs-wheeler-proposes-increasing-e-rate-program-cap-39-billion/2014-11-17" target="_blank">proposed increasing the E-Rate program cap to $3.9 billion</a>. As stated in the article, "the proposed plan will go to vote from the entire commission on Dec. 11." This pending program cap adjustment sends a message of sustainability in eRate funding.<br />
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I am charged and eager to be #FutureReady in the Ville. Let's continue the conversation and I welcome your input and involvement as we attempt to bridge this gap and make equal access for all children a #reality!<br />
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<br />Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-9625673323301298362014-10-31T15:45:00.001-04:002016-09-27T16:08:45.501-04:00#allin4theVille Awards<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Is there a staff member that you would like to recognize? Someone that went the extra distance for you or your child? </span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://goo.gl/forms/zH2fgFLS7s" target="_blank">Nominate her/him for an #allin4theVille award!</a></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The district recognizes staff members (bus drivers, custodians, security/attendance officers, secretaries, aides, teachers, counselors, CST, support staff, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">and administrators) for their outstanding efforts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Several staff members will be recognized periodically throughout the school year! Click </span><a href="http://goo.gl/forms/zH2fgFLS7s" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> to nominate a staff member.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b><u>#allin4theVille Award Recipients</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Van Derveer P-2</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Eileen Barist (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Staci Delese (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Johann Derflinger (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Holly Ehrnman (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Kerry Foote (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lindsay Frevert (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yolima Vasquez (15-16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Van Derveer 3-5</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Michael Guilarte (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Joelle Kessler (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meghan Royack (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Charlene Tackvic (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Brennen Thompson (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dora Underwood (15-16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Somerville Middle School</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew DeBlock (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lindsey Kulis (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Stephen Loreti (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Allison Parajon (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Freddie Shaker (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rodney Weems (14-15)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Somerville High School</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">David Damaschke (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Angela Goff (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew Krempasky (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Laura Manziano (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Joseph Pugh (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Michael Skomba (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Karen Stephenson (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Shawn Temple (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vern Underwood (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Aida Wahba (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Danielle Zurawiecki (14-15)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>District</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sheila Deck (15-16)<br />Marietta Gamba (14-15)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lisa Mulhearn (15-16)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Joan Thorne (14-15)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Community Stakeholders</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jeffrey Vanderbeek (15-16)</span></div>
Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-35222965207668590732014-10-14T18:11:00.000-04:002014-10-14T18:19:22.948-04:00VISION 2020 & Communicating Progress<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In July
2014, the Somerville Board of Education revised the district Mission Statement
and formulated the inaugural Core Values/Belief Statements listed below with
stakeholder input through a community survey.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">These Core Values/Belief Statements will serve as the framework for the
development of the new district Strategic Plan 2015-20 Vision 2020.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Revised Mission Statement</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Somerville
Schools provide the highest quality education through an environment that promotes
individual excellence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Core Values/Beliefs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We believe that children learn best in a challenging, motivating, safe,
secure, nurturing, encouraging, and respectful environment that fosters a love
of lifelong learning.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We believe in providing learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs
of each individual child.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We believe that the mosaic of every child includes the fine arts, STEAM,
and extracurricular activities.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We believe that professional development is essential to the fabric of
the teaching profession allowing teachers to build on current practices and <br />
constantly improve instruction.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We believe in a collaborative approach to learning and engagement that <br />
includes students, district employees, parents, community members, and
community partnerships.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Needs Assessment Goals for the
Strategic Plan 2015-20: Vision 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The needs
assessment goals are to collect and analyze data in an effort to create a
strategy to bridge the gap between the district’s current conditions and
desired conditions. Additional desired
outcomes of the process include increasing organizational trust through
stakeholder engagement, celebrating successes, and identifying new initiatives
for consideration. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Charting
Course for Vision 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">This year, as superintendent, I am meeting with stakeholders
in both Somerville and Branchburg to collect information for the development of
our new Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. Please
feel free to provide me with input through my “Talk with Tim” initiative by
clicking on the logo below. You can also
tweet me @SchoolSup with the hashtag #Ville2020. If you would rather meet in person, kindly
contact my assistant, Joni Thorne, at (908)218-4100 to set up a convenient time
to meet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org//cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=164" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mEo2kZkZIlfsZooN9Nqs4TOg5uzPWXghmva45jdgIL5xZ8XP7owABMO91Y00sUuHMHLlzvf73gurnt-_TT9adRco9NlDqNhp4HJIf8V3a4YBTzObYHdKLgV3cnH8ktMvRxk2jiNlpl6N/s1600/TalkwithTim.png" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Communicating
Progress<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year, we launched the newly developed District Dashboard
to keep the community apprised of progress towards the district strategic
plan.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">This year</span><s style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #c00000;"> </span></s><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">we are using the District Dashboard
to chart progress towards each school’s WIG (Wildly Important Goal).</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Annual WIGs are developed at our summer
administrative workshop and provide focus areas for each building.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We were introduced to this concept through an
administrative book study entitled </span><i style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Four
Disciplines of Execution</i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> (written by McChesney, Covey, and Huling).</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">School WIG progress is assessed through a
rubric (provided via a hyperlink from the District Dashboard).</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I also conduct monthly </span><a href="http://www.drpurnell.blogspot.com/2014/02/purpose-driven-walkthroughs.html" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">purpose-driven walkthroughs</a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> alongside of the principal of each
building.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">These walkthroughs concentrate
on monitoring progress towards building WIG achievement and improving classroom
instruction.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We will update the District Dashboard four times throughout
the course of the school year based on interim assessments (November, February,
and May) and a summative evaluation (June).
You can view the District Dashboard and progress by clicking <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/Page/4508" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As a reminder, I encourage stakeholders to logon to my
YouTube channel to view various aspects of our educational programs, follow me
on Twitter @SchoolSup, logon to and comment on my blog at </span><a href="http://www.drpurnell.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">www.drpurnell.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">, and/or
download the district app <i>Somerville PS</i>. I am here to serve the communities of
Somerville and Branchburg, and look forward to your input into Vision 2020!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-88433647996782492702014-08-26T17:04:00.001-04:002014-08-26T17:11:43.965-04:00Welcome Back Staff Letter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Colleagues:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is my
pleasure to welcome you back to the Somerville Public Schools for the 2014-15
school year. It is my hope that you were
able to find time to rest and relax this summer. You certainly deserve the break with all of
the dedication, diligence, and hard work that you provide during the school
year. Teaching children is the most
important profession and the sacrifices that you make in the Ville are very
much appreciated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year we
experienced quite a bit of turbulent waters due to the plethora of initiatives
from the Department of Education. In my
opinion, these initiatives have catapulted change to an extent that we have not
experienced in education since the aftermath of Sputnik. I strongly believe that we should not float
through these rough waters of change. Radical
change, without local district buy-in, will result in catastrophic
failure. Rather than wait for the
Titanic to sink, I met with our local assembly representatives regarding
delaying the changes. To this end (and
certainly not due to my sole efforts), our legislators have deferred the
implementation effects of TEACHNJ and have modified the formula for measuring
the effectiveness of educators. This is
a small victory, but still one that should be celebrated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately,
these changes have resulted in the early retirement of outstanding veteran
teachers statewide. The Ville has not
been an exception to this consequence. My
hope is that these sudden, drastic changes are an anomaly to the profession and
that we will experience calmer waters in the years ahead (wishful
thinking). Regardless, we will continue
to make every attempt to shield you from the viral negativity that has been
surrounding these initiatives so that you can do what you do best in the
classroom!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simon Sinek believes
that successful organizations “start with why” and “stay true” to their purpose
or beliefs. The Board of Education spent
considerable time this summer devising “the why” through the formation of
district core values/beliefs and revision of the district mission
statement. Data from the community
survey (over 450 respondents) provided the Board with insight into the most
important values possessed by the various stakeholders in our community. Board President, Linda Olson, will share these
recently adopted core values/beliefs and our recently revised mission statement
at our opening staff meeting on Tuesday, September 2<sup>nd</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the core
values/beliefs as a framework, I will be completing a needs assessment this year
to use in the formation of a new strategic plan for the 2015-2016 school
year. As part of this needs assessment,
I will be spending extensive time in each of our school buildings collecting
data. I plan to meet with every staff member
and also solicit the input of students, parents, community members and
organizations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Students will
have an opportunity to meet with me monthly to discuss district initiatives and
happenings through my newly instituted Executive Student Council. The Council will be comprised of students
from each school building. In addition,
the Board will continue to seat two high school student representatives (one
from Branchburg and one from Somerville) on the Board of Education.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you have a
desire to mentor an at-risk child this year?
We need your help! Under the
direction of Mrs. Susan Haynes, the district will launch a new mentoring
program entitled the <i>Mosaic Project</i>. Please contact Mrs. Haynes if you are
interested in mentoring a child for the school year or would like additional
information.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are
committed to the future of education with a continued commitment to our Leadership
Institute and acceptance of student teachers.
Members of Cohort I of the Leadership Institute will begin their second
year of classes and we are exploring the formation of a second cohort. In addition to student teachers from Fairleigh
Dickinson University, we will also honor the request of any former students
that attended the Ville.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Ville has
experienced many administrative changes for the coming year. We are launching our new administrative model
at Van Derveer School with two principals: Mrs. Haynes will be the principal
for preschool though grade 2 and Mr. Reavey will be the principal for grades 3
through 5. Mrs. Perruso (Assistant
Principal) and Ms. Atkins (Curriculum Supervisor) have joined the middle school
staff. Mr. Foley was officially
appointed as Somerville High School Principal and has reorganized the high
school administration with Mr. Hade as Assistant Principal, Mr. Mulligan as the
Director of Guidance, and Ms. Ditre as the Supervisor of Student Affairs and
Instruction. We are still working out
the details of the Athletic Director position and hope to have secured a
candidate by this fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Tanya
McDonald has been appointed to the position of Director of Special Services.
Her expertise and child advocacy will be a tremendous asset to the
department. Dr. McDonald will discuss
our new high school adaptive life skills course and newly implemented at-risk
programs (Young Science Achievers Program and our Workforce Skill Development
and Employability Program) with you on opening day. The Young Science Achievers Program provides
mentors from AT&T and exposes our at-risk students to STEM by working with
real scientists from their community.
The Workforce Skill Development and Employability Program (partnership
with RVCC) provides opportunities for non-college bound students to four career
tracks including retail, hospitality, public service (law enforcement), and
childcare. The program provides for
certification in CPR, ServeSafe Food Handlers, and ServeSafe Essentials.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am pleased
to announce the arrival of our new Director of 21<sup>st</sup> Century
Education Melissa McEntee. Ms. McEntee
was hired as a result of a stakeholder committee of students, teachers, and
administrators. She will use the coming
school year to assess our technology needs and provide a vision for technology
integration. She will speak about a new
web-based help desk and a few other exciting initiatives at our opening day
session. Please be sure to download the
new Somerville Public Schools app (if you have not already done so). New features will include the ability to
enter work requests and access the new online help desk. We continue to receive visitation requests
from other districts to observe our successful middle school Chromebook program. This year we are adding Chromebooks at the
high school. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We continue to
use data to drive instructional decisions.
Mr. Timothy Teehan, Academic Achievement Officer, will continue to
implement our <i>Assess, Analyze, and
Achieve</i> program. As part of this
program, Mr. Teehan compiles student achievement data using a multitude of data
sources for each individual child. These
interpretation sheets are shared with each of the students’ teachers. This year we will host our 2<sup>nd</sup>
annual Student Achievement and Data Summit; last year’s inaugural Summit had
over 180 participants from 41 different districts throughout the state.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Van Derveer
School has demonstrated tremendous growth on the school performance report and
reading levels school wide. In an effort
to maintain this growth, the building will implement a RTI (Response To
Intervention) block to assist in the differentiation of instruction for all
students this year. Qualifying at-risk
students will have the opportunity to attend a before school Title I program
through The American Reading Company and devices to utilize MyOn software. MyOn assesses student interest and reading
levels and provides students with a recommended reading list that matches their
assessed criteria. The program also has options
for teacher controls, Spanish translation and highlights/reads text as needed. In addition, the Board approved a before school
gifted and talented program that will be implemented for the coming year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Somerville
High School added a new College and Career Counselor (Mr. Jeremy Hudson) who
will assist our 8<sup>th</sup> grade students in Somerville and Branchburg with
the development of Individualized Student Learning Plans (ISLPs) through
Naviance. These ISLPs help in providing
a smooth transition into high school. Mr.
Hudson will also work to establish stronger relationships with college
admissions offices and local businesses assisting our non-college bound
students with getting jobs after high school.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second
cohort of students will enter the Somerville High School Academy of Liberal Arts. The program provides selected students with
the opportunity of earning their Associates Degree from Raritan Valley
Community College along with their High School Diploma. Students are afforded the opportunity to
enter Rutgers as a junior after completion of high school. The program is offered at a reduced rate to provide
families with this unique opportunity. We
have also added several new courses at the high school for the coming
year. Among the new offerings are Mobile
App Development, Marine Biology, Exploring Spanish Culture through
Communication, Human Conscience, and AP Physics 1 and 2. Our Pioneer Studios will continue to expand
with the addition of an assistant Pioneer Station advisor. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year the
district will host our fourth annual Kindergarten Summit. All surrounding preschool providers
(including Somerville preschool educators) visit our district Kindergarten classrooms
for a day of articulating, highlighting best practices, and sharing
Kindergarten expectations. The
Kindergarten Summit was highlighted as a “Best Practice” at last year’s New Jersey
School Boards Association Workshop. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Somerville
Board of Education is committed to providing safe and efficiently operating
buildings and to that end was awarded over $1.17 million in state construction
grants in 2013-2014 alone representing 45% funding of approved projects.
Over the summer, Somerville High School received upgrades to three sets of
student toilet rooms and a main lobby security vestibule. The vestibule
will serve as a physical barrier that will channel visitors into the main
office so their identity and purpose for entry can be verified. Van Derveer
School received a new staff parking lot that adds 50 much needed parking spaces
for the school. In addition, a replacement waterline was installed to
replace the existing 40+ year old water service into the building.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of our
staff members were busy this summer teaching our enrichment and at-risk
programs, attending professional development offerings and presenting at our
annual Collaborative Professional Development Academy. I would like to thank them for providing for
our students, sharing their talents and continuing to improve their pedagogy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like
to congratulate the following staff members that recently received or will
receive tenure this September: Nicole Battaglia, Melissa Best, Patricia Clark,
Eleni Iannella, Michael Skomba, Helena Sroczynski, Brennen Thompson, and Aida
Janet Wahba. I would also like to
especially welcome our 38 new staff members. Newly
retired educator and coach, Joe Petrill, gave our new staff members a tour of
the borough in a district school bus. Last
year I met with all first year teachers and student teachers to gain input on
the quality of our training and transition into the Ville. We tweaked our new staff orientation session
offerings as a result of the feedback.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New staff, you
have made a wise decision in selecting a school community that values education
and diversity. Be an advocate for your
students and create classrooms where it is safe to fail as well as
succeed. I wish you tremendous success
in the Ville! I owe a debt of gratitude
to our personnel committee for their countless hours of work selecting our new
teachers. The personnel committee is
composed of teaching and support staff members.
They complete all first and second round interviews and recommend 4-8
candidates to our principals for demonstration lessons. During the demonstration lesson phase, a
member of the personnel committee remains on as a liaison to the process. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year,
Gian Paul Gonzalez encouraged you to be ALL IN for the Ville! To continue this district theme, I will be
unveiling a staff recognition initiative for the 2014-2015 school year. We plan to recognize staff for being #allin4theVille. Are you still ALL IN for our students? I encourage you to tweet throughout the year
with the hashtag #allin4theVille.<br />
<br />
In closing, <u><b>I am committed to being ALL IN for you, our students, and our community!</u></b> I look forward to seeing all of you on September 2nd and working alongside you this year. Coffee and refreshments will be available in the middle school cafeteria at 8:00 am and the In-Service Day Program will begin at 8:30 am. This year’s opening session will be brief and will not include a keynote speaker. I thank you for your continued dedication and service to our entire school community.<br />
<br />
My best for the coming year,<br />
<br />
Timothy Purnell, Ed.D.<br />
Superintendent of Schools</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-74946861417725934402014-06-11T16:50:00.001-04:002014-06-11T16:51:29.722-04:00Restructuring VDV Administration<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6ZzKw4hwEkGKExSrlI0ET_65hcnxrGSZkBO9cFnGxjkNR5hZX8cNuL1vuVaYibjlcUDW4wgW8jzBPwAVXU1HUKMY-G2Ht2hCohxHj8cVqnO3HMqmK6Kd7uGwBBgRmRC41tq9oJltzBNs/s1600/vdv960x330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6ZzKw4hwEkGKExSrlI0ET_65hcnxrGSZkBO9cFnGxjkNR5hZX8cNuL1vuVaYibjlcUDW4wgW8jzBPwAVXU1HUKMY-G2Ht2hCohxHj8cVqnO3HMqmK6Kd7uGwBBgRmRC41tq9oJltzBNs/s1600/vdv960x330.jpg" height="136" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Dear Parents/Guardians of Somerville Public Schools,<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My hope is that you have been pleased with your child’s
progress this school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our staff has
been working extremely hard to accommodate the learning needs of every
child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is anything that we can
do to further assist you and your child in the learning process, please do not
hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or principal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of my
recommendation to the Board of Education to restructure school administration
at Van Derveer School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reviewed this proposal
at the June 3, 2014 Board of Education meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you may be aware, Van Derveer School has experienced a spike in
student enrollment over the past few years and now is in the top 5% for elementary
school enrollment in the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Increased student needs and several recent New Jersey Department of
Education mandates have created an environment that necessitates additional
principal support. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This proposed reorganization includes two principals at Van
Derveer School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One principal will be
dedicated to preschool/K-2 and another principal to grades 3-5. While
there will be no assistant principal, a curriculum supervisor will devote full-time
duties to the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
reorganization places more emphasis on teacher support and the delivery of
instruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reallocation of duties
will also allow the preschool/K-2 principal to oversee a district-wide
student-mentoring program.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I welcome any thoughts or feedback regarding this
reorganization. The Board of Education may take action on this recommendation
at the June 17, 2014 meeting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Timothy Purnell, Ed.D.</div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-31852753579262999492014-04-25T17:40:00.000-04:002016-08-31T15:52:34.466-04:00School Budget Public Hearing Trailer<div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Please view the Public Hearing Trailer above for highlights on the 2014-15 School Budget. The public hearing will be held at the April 29, 2014 Board of Education meeting. You can also view the user-friendly budget on the district website or by clicking <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/domain/355" target="_blank">here</a></span>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We welcome posted comments with any </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">input, thoughts, questions or concerns.</span></div>
Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-41687784089730387892014-04-23T12:03:00.003-04:002014-04-25T17:18:01.275-04:00Community Investment Day<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On May 30, 2014, the Somerville Board of Education will hold a culminating event to celebrate Community Investment Day. The celebration is a result of service projects completed by the students, staff, and community members of Somerville Public Schools throughout the months of March, April, and May.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dan Puntillo, Board of Education representative to the Committee, stated, "When Community Investment Day is done, our community will see what contributing, productive members of society our students really are. Everyone should want to be a valued member of their family and their community." When John F. Kennedy said, "ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country," he was not just addressing the adults of the community. Mr. Puntillo, along with the rest of the Committee, believes that students are capable of making tremendous contributions to our community!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Community Investment Day Committee has been meeting monthly through the year in preparation for the event. The Committee members are listed below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Dan Puntillo (Ad Hoc Committee Chairman to the Board of Education)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Timothy Teehan (District Representative/Liaison)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- <a href="mailto:lfrevert@somervilleschools.org">Lindsay Frevert </a>(Van Derveer School Liaison)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- <a href="mailto:mdeblock@somervilleschools.org">Matthew DeBlock</a> (Somerville Middle School Liaison)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- <a href="mailto:ddamaschke@somervilleschools.org">David Damaschke</a> (Somerville High School Liaison)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Timothy Purnell (Superintendent)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The students of Pioneer Studios, under the direction of Heather Kennedy, have been and will be videotaping the community service events and creating a 15-minute podcast to commemorate the celebration. This podcast will premier on the evening of May 30th. All submissions for the podcast need to be submitted to Pioneer Studios by May 15, 2014 by emailing pioneerstudios@somervilleschools.org.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Details for the May 30, 2014 culminating event:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5:30 pm. Free Admission (Snack Shack will be operational)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:00 pm. SHS/SMS Marching Band Performance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:20 pm. National Anthem (SHS Marching Band/Color Guard)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:30 pm. 3rd Annual Super's Bowl (SHS teachers versus SMS teachers)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:00 pm. Super's Bowl Championship Game (VDV teachers versus winning team from game #1)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:40 pm. Community Investment Day Podcast Video (Pioneer Studios)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8:00 pm. Movie (Movie title will be revealed throughout the month of May. Check the school websites often for clues that will reveal the presented movie.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope to see you on May 30th! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LYZR0AhuKOU8fHE1G3ETHpyYcvdu8l-tjKFS5k88YQQpd3Ew-TxE3oCYpBPjvUMPkPv5mMNJAn5-BaJwgabAnjKongJN11Fzxj3eg0kwD-4W77leHaO_KVjULzFlg44pIff68fGR-qvR/s1600/7th+Grade+St.+Patrick's%2BDay%2Bclean%2Bup.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LYZR0AhuKOU8fHE1G3ETHpyYcvdu8l-tjKFS5k88YQQpd3Ew-TxE3oCYpBPjvUMPkPv5mMNJAn5-BaJwgabAnjKongJN11Fzxj3eg0kwD-4W77leHaO_KVjULzFlg44pIff68fGR-qvR/s1600/7th+Grade+St.+Patrick's+Day+clean+up.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Photo Above: 7th Grade students under the direction of Mr. Zubia assisted in cleaning up the Borough after the St. Patrick's Day Parade.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This Kindergarten Summit was highlighted as a best practice in October 2013 at the New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop by Dr. Vincent Costanza. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The program's outcomes are as follows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>to share "best practices" to advance the academic achievement of Somerville students</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>to communicate expectations for Kindergarten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>to articulate effective components (and areas of weaknesses) of preschool programs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tony Wagner in his book <i>Creating Innovators </i>says, "The culture of schooling in America celebrates and rewards individual achievement, while offering few meaningful opportunities for genuine collaboration." In many ways, the intent of the Summit embodies the spirit of Wagner's words. It is an attempt to bridge the physical boundaries that separate our institutions and provide for a continuity of focus. Ultimately, each provider was there for the same reason - to improve early childhood education for Somerville students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> All attendees received a professional development certificate for the hours of service and a copy of Tony Wagner's book<i> Creating Innovators</i>. Keynote Speaker, Lisa Della Vecchia, presented on the following topics:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Community, Provider and School District Collaboration</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fostering Critical, Cultural Competence in the Classroom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Feedback from the Summit was overwhelmingly positive. Kathleen Governale, Director of the Giving Nest Preschool, stated "I wish there were more school districts that would offer similar programs. It really is great to show the preschools in the area what your Kindergarteners are doing and to speak to the teachers." We thank Kathleen Governale and the rest of the providers for attending the event. We will see you next year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joanne Sung, <span style="text-align: start;">PreK-5 Curriculum/Preschool Supervisor, </span>addresses Summit attendees</span></div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-14692757996251245882014-02-19T20:00:00.000-05:002017-11-04T17:06:06.303-04:00Purpose-Derived Walkthroughs™ (PDWs)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year, I instituted <i>purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™ (PDW) throughout our district. <i>Purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™ (PDW) provide administrators the
opportunity to statistically measure the effectiveness of their initiatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b><i>Planning/Brainstorming Session:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To set the framework for the purpose-derived walkthrough, each building administrative team identifies 1-2 areas that their
teachers demonstrate effectively (possibly be a previous building goal)
and 1-2 areas that they are working to improve with their staff.
Most often, the areas that they are working to improve are associated
with their WIGs (Widely Important Goal). WIGs are a term that is used in
the book entitled <i>The 4 Disciplines of Execution</i> by McChesney, Covey,
and Huling. My Leadership Academy studied this book for the 2013-2014
school year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After these areas have been identified, the team
discusses and outlines a specific list of "look fors" associated
with each area. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These "look fors" set the framework for the
walkthrough with an identified purpose (thus the title of the exercise).
It also reduces the amount of time needed in each classroom (thus making
the process fairly quick). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Rationale of Purpose:</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previous to the <i>purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™,
my administrative team found the walkthrough process a bit burdensome. The
team became mentally exhausted as we were looking for a multitude of
pedagogical components in EACH classroom without a given purpose. <i>Purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™, however, can be completed quickly and provide leaders with
statistical data to drive their educational decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Evidence-Based Assessment of Initiatives: </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The brainstorming session and initial walkthrough provide a baseline for
measurement on the leader's initiatives. A comparison of the data
collected month after month allow leaders to change their frame of
reference (Bolman and Deal) and may cause them to refocus or shift
their priorities (depending on the statistical data). For example, a
leader may uncover that an identified area of effective implementation is not
as effective as they perceive. Or a
leader may uncover that an identified area of improvement is already being
implemented effectively (to their satisfaction). In addition to informing their professional
practice, my leaders will occasionally share their statistical data from the <i>purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™ to demonstrate achievement towards
their WIGs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Regardless, walkthroughs provide a frame change
opportunity; an opportunity to assess their initiatives through the lens of an
educator and complete the task in a short duration of time. The data from a <i>purpose-derived walkthrough</i>™ can
inform professional development decisions and keep leaders focused on THEIR
initiatives and on what is most important to THEM! It is not meant to be
an assessment of the educator (although that may occur as an unintended
outcome), but rather a non-evaluative assessment of their initiatives as a
leader. Is the classroom reflecting a productive advancement of the
leader’s initiatives? Are teachers
understanding and implementing the leader’s initiatives properly or are they
being lost in translation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope this provides you with some insight on <i>purpose-derived walkthroughs</i>™. Feel free to contact me with any questions or
inquiries.</span></div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-61794107159812052742014-02-08T13:38:00.000-05:002014-04-12T20:48:50.476-04:00New App for the Ville!In an effort to increase our methods of communication, I am pleased to announce that we have officially launched our district app! The district app, <b><i>Somerville PS,</i></b> can be downloaded from Google Play or iTunes for free. <br />
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Features of the<i style="font-weight: bold;"> Somerville P</i><i>ublic</i><i style="font-weight: bold;"> S</i><i>chool</i> app include:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpcLY2U8OiYOP9kYEA92LiCCIl2fMUVM0xfttaiSscVHs1sK_yWm8UYanPK5qBkQf9lCKEJr72MBx37WDOmmRJpuj0z3IZ1vgYtI2q6BxgzKV4fxAuIDHnWxtAKLXFLfgk5fZQ6VTp2PL/s1600/iphone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpcLY2U8OiYOP9kYEA92LiCCIl2fMUVM0xfttaiSscVHs1sK_yWm8UYanPK5qBkQf9lCKEJr72MBx37WDOmmRJpuj0z3IZ1vgYtI2q6BxgzKV4fxAuIDHnWxtAKLXFLfgk5fZQ6VTp2PL/s1600/iphone2.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Somerville PS</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
- Links to each school that include directions, contact information and school websites.</div>
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- Customizable news feed(s) by school (under settings)</div>
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- Customizable calendar(s) by school (under settings)</div>
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- School lunch menus</div>
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- Link to district athletic events through <i>Schedule Star</i></div>
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- Link to district Facebook page</div>
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- Link to my Twitter feed, blog, and YouTube channel</div>
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- Link to School Messenger for school/district alerts</div>
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- Link to PowerSchool, student information system</div>
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- Link to District Dashboard for updates on District goals/strategic plan</div>
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The app has gone through a development phase with beta testing during from a multitude of stakeholders, include attendees of my brown bag lunch session.</div>
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Additional information regarding the app and instructions on its features can be found on our district Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/somervilleschools.</div>
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Enjoy the app and let me know how we can further improve its functions!</div>
Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-7593350377024015932013-12-09T17:57:00.000-05:002016-09-19T17:00:10.443-04:00Assess - Analyze - Achieve (Digital Data Walls)In Somerville, we have recently enhanced our approach to providing individualized instruction for each child. During the 2012 Board of Education Retreat, concerns were raised over the district standardized testing scores. To address the areas of concern, the Board and district leadership formed the position of Academic Achievement Officer and the related <em>Assess - Analyze - Achieve</em> program as part of the district's intense strategic planning process. <br />
<br />
As part of the <em>Assess - Analyze - Achieve</em> program, the Academic Achievement Officer compiles students scores on state standardized tests, Dibels, Reading On-Demands, Writing On-Demands, Mathematics On-Demands, and ELA/Mathematics Questions of the Day. Data from each of these sources is summarized in a column interpretation sheet for each student. These interpretation sheets are shared with each of the students' teachers and have enhanced educational dialogue during Teacher <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/What-Is-a-Professional-Learning-Community%C2%A2.aspx" target="_blank">Professional Learning Communities</a> (PLC). Teacher PLCs are actively using student data to assess the impact their instruction is having on student performance. At Van Derveer School, teachers are monitoring individual progress through the use of <a href="http://gcsprincipalsplaybook.wikispaces.com/Data+Walls" target="_blank">data walls</a>. By monitoring every student’s academic progress, teachers ensure that the best educational decisions, instructional modalities, and implementation of appropriate mini-lessons are being utilized to achieve the desired outcomes for each student.<br />
<br />
In an effort to support this paradigm shift, Mr. Teehan and I hosted an information session for parents and guardians at Van Derveer School. During this session, each parent was provided with their child's performance data along with teaching strategies used to address their child's individualized needs. In addition, we identified available resources for parents to use at home. A video of the presentation can be seen below. Resources and additional information can be found on <a href="http://www.tteehan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Teehan's blog</a>.<br />
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We will continue to communicate and educate our community on these new approaches to instruction. As with any school initiative, the success of the program depends on YOUR involvement. We look forward to your comments, input and suggestions and NEED your partnership in order to help our students succeed.Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-60144262938128607382013-10-11T18:40:00.000-04:002014-04-12T20:48:01.726-04:00Strategic Plan Status Report<br />
On September 24, 2013, the Board of Education approved the District Strategic Plan Year 3. In order to understand the goals associated with the District Strategic Plan Year 3, it is important to gain a historical perspective by looking in the "rearview mirror". Upon my arrival in the district, the Board of Education charged me with the responsibility of formulating a District Strategic Plan. This plan was the result of a community-wide <i>Needs Assessment</i> that has been disseminated to all school community members and neighboring institutions/organizations. After formal approval of the District Strategic Plan by the Board of Education, I presented the plan and related goals to our individual school communities, as well as local organizations and community leaders. Our district has accomplished quite a bit since the inception of this plan. I have broken down our accomplishments/progress within each strategic theme.<br />
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<b><u>Strategic Theme #1: Equity in Programs and Opportunities</u></b><br />
- The Board of Education established the position of Academic Achievement Officer to support and monitor the delivery of instructional programs, evaluate academic programs, analyze assessment data, as well as continuously review reform initiatives and other district wide responsibilities to ensure equal access for all students and promote their successes. Last year, the Academic Achievement Officer worked with VDV teachers on the analysis and utilization of student achievement data in a meaningful way to drive instructional decisions in the classroom. As a result, year-over-year student achievement increased in all grade levels for ELA and Mathematics. In particular, Grade 4 students (compared to how they performed in Grade 3) increased by 8% in ELA and 6% in Mathematics. Grade 5 students (compared to how they performed in Grade 4) increased by 8% in ELA and 12% in Mathematics. It is interesting to note that there were 14 perfect NJASK Mathematics scores (compared to 8 from last year).<br />
- The District surveyed students and collected statistical data on their participation and interest in academic courses (Advanced Placement, Honors, and Applied classes), athletic programs, clubs and extra-curricular activities. This data was analyzed for trends and patterns related to educational preparedness with selected variables (Student ID, Gender, Ethnicity, Residence, Grade Level, Credits Completed, and Cumulative GPA). The information was presented at the June 19, 2012 Board of Education meeting.<br />
- The District launched a comprehensive mentoring program for identified disaffected students in partnership with former Somerville educator and administrator, Hal Vereen. The program includes a pre/post assessment tool for district mentors, referral procedures and a targeted selection process for students.<br />
- The District partnered with Middle Earth to provide an incentive-laden mentoring program entitled <i>Journeys</i>. Through the program, Middle Earth counselors provide one-on-one and small group activities with students during lunchtime.<br />
- The District added a Multiple Disabilities classroom at SMS to educate our students moving up from VDV, thereby reducing the costs associated with out of district placements.<br />
- The SHS administration added a waive-in procedure for Honors/AP classes.<br />
- The District added a new SHS course entitled<i> </i>Big History. The course was developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and studies the history of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present. <br />
- The District added several new clubs and athletic programs at SHS (Rotary Interact Club, Table Tennis Club, Genesis Club, Freshmen Girls Basketball and Ice Hockey).<br />
- The District added a new Robotics Club at SMS (set to launch in 2013-2014) to generate student interest in science and engineering.<br />
- The District selected a Common Core aligned, evidenced based Mathematics program that is designed to meet the needs of all learners across the academic spectrum (from Tier 3 through Gifted & Talented).<br />
- The District increased services for English Language Learners at SHS due to an increasing need of support.<br />
- The District partnered with United Way to create a student participating, Tax Preparation Program for low-income families.<br />
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<b><u>Strategic Theme #2: College and Career</u></b><br />
- The District added additional college related workshops for SHS families and opened previous workshops up to all grade levels (Paying for College, College Financial Aid, Inside Admissions Secrets, College: Plan Early and be Prepared, College Athletics, and College Bound Basics). These included presentations from the Educational Funding Consultants Association (EFC), Lincoln Financial Services, AthleticVision, and the SHS Guidance Counselors.<br />
- The District also added additional resources for non-college bound students such as informational sessions on technical institutes for career choices (Electrical, Plumbing, Automotive, Culinary, Art and specialized certificate training programs), presentations from branches of the military, the Youth Employment Services (YES) Program, Career Development Workshops (DeVry University), information from the Division of Vocational and Rehabilitative Services (DVR), and training in various fields from RVCC.<br />
- The District adopted <i>Naviance Succeed</i>, a comprehensive website to assist students with making decisions about courses, colleges, and careers. This resource is now used to track and analyze data about college and career plans.<br />
- The District created a booklet entitled the <i>College Planning Packet</i>. This booklet can be found on the high school homepage under Guidance and Counseling Services, College Planning.<br />
- The SHS administration formulated and disseminated an annual college preparedness survey that was distributed to previous graduates. This survey will continue to be used to assist the district in improving our level of student college preparedness. <br />
- The District completed an analysis of applications to colleges/universities applied and the acceptance rate of SHS graduates from 2007 - 2011. The data was sorted by numerous variables (School applied/accepted, will or will not attend, employment/military, and 2- or 4- year school). The data was also utilized in a longitudinal study of SAT/ACT scores and acceptance rates for the past 4 years. A comparison was then made to examine the connection between decile ranking, college, tier, and SAT/ACT scores. This study has assisted guidance counselors in making more informed recommendations for each individual child and was presented at the April 24, 2012 Board of Education meeting.<br />
- The SHS administration hosted a focus group with the senior class of 2013 to gather data on guidance services and college and career preparation and held a Senior Parent Night in September.<br />
- The District formed a concurrent enrollment program where students can take RVCC courses on SHS campus in order to earn associating college credit.<br />
- The District launched an Academy of Liberal Arts program in cooperation with Raritan Valley Community College. Students have the opportunity to graduate high school with a High School Diploma and an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts.<br />
- The District added Advanced Placement Offerings (AP Human Geography and AP Human Psychology).<br />
- The District created a Guidance Exploration Lab for SHS students.<br />
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<b><u>Strategic Theme #3: Technology</u></b><br />
- The District upgraded computer labs, purchased Smart Boards, iPads, and other computing devices.<br />
- The District upgraded its network backbone and wireless capabilities in each building.<br />
- The District installed a private fiber network, including a Voice Over IP system. In addition to approximate savings of $35,000 per year, the upgrade also provided for a shared service with the Borough of Somerville, which has allowed the Borough to save money as well.<br />
- The District established the positions of Technology Help Desk and Director of 21st Century Education. The Help Desk provides teachers with immediate solutions to device operation issues in the classrooms. The Director of 21st Century Education provides job-embedded support for teachers in the integration of technology into their lessons, which includes concepts of Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), Challenge Based Learning (CBL), and Problem Based Learning (PBL). <br />
- The District established a student operated TV Station and video production facility at SHS. <br />
- The District launched a new district website platform that includes staff websites, blogs, and other resources.<br />
- The District launched a one-to-one Chromebook initiative at SMS.<br />
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While the above progress may seem exceptional, community perception of our progress in each strategic theme was extremely important to the development of Year 3 Goals. To this end, the District created a community survey to assess progress on each of the goals (Strategic Themes). This survey was disseminated on July 16, 2013 and available for completion until September 6, 2013. It was also posted on the district and school websites. The results, including all anecdotal comments/thoughts, were shared with the Board of Education. The statistical breakdown can be seen below.<br />
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As a component of the strategic planning process, the Board of Education completed a context mapping exercise, reflected on the community survey results and discussed district administrator perspectives to establish the Year 3 Goals.<br />
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These goals can be seen below:<br />
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<b><u>Strategic Theme: Equity in Programs and Opportunities</u></b><br />
<b><u>Goal #1</u></b>: To develop and implement curricula revisions necessary to provide equal opportunities for all students in ELA & Mathematics and to increase proficiency levels on State assessments.<br />
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<b>Benchmarks</b>: <br />
- Form a cohort of teachers representing all grade levels to create ELA and Mathematics roadmaps that reflect the Common Core standards and the rigor needed for the state's new PARCC (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessments.<br />
- Lesson plans will reflect differentiation of instruction to accommodate for<b> all levels of learners</b>. <br />
- All ELA and Mathematics teachers will implement the maps into their daily practice for the 2013-2014 school year.<br />
- Alter the SMS schedule to allocate more ELA instructional time and to offer time in the school day to assist Title I struggling learners.<br />
- Implement new mathematics program (K-5) that reflects the Common Core and challenges students accordingly. Teachers will utilize this program as their primary resource while implementing the Mathematics roadmap.<br />
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<b><u>Strategic Theme: College and Career</u></b><br />
<b><u>Goal #2</u></b>: To develop Individual Student Learning Plans (ISLPs) for eighth grade students to explore additional guidance services as they prepare to enter high school.<br />
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<b>Benchmarks</b>:<br />
- Establish a College & Career Center at SHS.<br />
- Develop a job description and scope of assignment for a college and career counselor. Interview and hire college and career counselor.<br />
- Middle school counselors will formulate Individual Student Learning Plans with 8th grade students.<br />
- Host college informational sessions presented by former students and college representatives.<br />
- Explore opportunities to send SHS counselors to meet with college admission counselors regarding the college selection process.<br />
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<u><b>Strategic Theme: Technology</b></u><br />
<u><b>Goal #3</b></u>: To effectively educate the parent community members on data usage and analysis.<br />
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<b>Benchmarks</b>:<br />
- Host an informational meeting at VDV for parents and community members to gain an understanding of the standards-based report card.<br />
- Host an informational meeting at VDV and SMS for parents and community members to gain an understanding of the data currently being compiled and how data is used to differentiate instruction.<br />
- Create parental instructional video podcasts on data analysis to be posted on Mr. Teehan's blog.<br />
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<b>Other noteworthy areas of exploration, outside of the Year 3 Goals include the following:</b><br />
- The formation of a Multiple Disabilities classroom with a Life Skills component at SHS. This program will eliminate the cost associated with out of district placements for the students and provide for a more comprehensive PreK-12 continuum for our disabled students. <br />
- The formation of transitional services to assist 11th and 12th grade classified students. Services will include post-secondary preparation such as job searches, interviews, life coaching and placements.<br />
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I believe that we are facing the largest paradigm shift that has ever occurred in education. I am optimistic about the changes and confident that the Ville will be victorious! While the rules of engagement may have changed, our focus remains the same, reaching EVERY child! I am cognizant that these are challenging times with uncharted terrain (Common Core, AchieveNJ, PARCC, etc). It is for this reason that I felt compelled to formulate a united vision of purpose. To this purpose I designed a single sheet of paper that would drive our educational decisions and focus... thus the conception of a District Dashboard.<br />
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The District Dashboard (as seen below) reflects our areas of concentration (in the form of gauges), a pathway of road signs with each strategic theme and a focus on the end result of each Board Goal for Year 3. <br />
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(<i>A PDF version of the District Dashboard is available through the district website</i>)</div>
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During the July Leadership Academy meeting, district administrators went through a process of formulating Widely Important Goals (WIGs) in each school. These goals are in direct accordance with the District Dashboard above and emulate the concepts of a recent book study on <i>The Four Disciplines of Execution</i>. Now established, these goals have become the heart and mission of each of our schools. Each month, as superintendent, I conduct a purpose-driven walkthrough of each building alongside of the principal. These walkthroughs focus on the accomplishment of the building WIG and improving classroom instruction.<br />
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As we embark on this new venture, we are looking for your help! In the upcoming days, each of our buildings will disseminate a survey. Please provide candid feedback so that we can continue to assess how we are doing. While we are happy with the results from our community assessment of the Strategic Themes, we realize that we can do better. In this effort, we need your help!<br />
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Also, feel free to attend one of my luncheons, post on my blog or follow me on Twitter (@SchoolSup). Each of our school principals hosts a monthly meeting that is designed to solicit community input as well.<br />
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This year, our district theme is <b><u>ALL IN</u></b>! Tevin Igahlo, Somerville 6th grade student, and guest speaker, Gian Paul Gonzalez emphasized the importance of being <b><u>ALL IN</u></b>. As your district leader, I am committed to being <b><u>ALL IN</u></b> for the education of our students! While there may be potholes along the way, I am confident that when we look in the rear view mirror at the conclusion of this year, we will be thrilled (once again) about what we accomplished during our journey together.<br />
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-6669964535924703782013-09-03T14:34:00.001-04:002015-09-03T13:58:38.833-04:00ALL IN<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ALL IN FOR THE VILLE!</span></u></b></div>
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It is with the greatest pleasure that I serve as the superintendent of Somerville Public Schools. <br />
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Somerville is close-knit community that celebrates diversity and the individuality of every student. </div>
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This school year, our theme is <span style="color: orange;"><b><u>ALL IN</u></b></span>! To this end, Gian Paul Gonzalez inspired our staff on opening day to make a commitment to being <u style="color: orange; font-weight: bold;">ALL IN</u>.</div>
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As superintendent, I am <b><span style="color: orange;"><u>ALL IN</u></span></b> for our students and <b><u><span style="color: orange;">ALL IN</span></u></b> for the Ville! I am urging parents and staff members to make a commitment to our students' education and be <b><span style="color: orange;"><u>ALL IN</u></span></b>. </div>
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Please share your comments about how you will commit to being <span style="color: orange;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">ALL IN</u> </span>for our students this year.<br />
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Staff members signed chips as a commitment to being ALL IN.</div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-45207816228941619222013-05-01T12:39:00.001-04:002014-04-12T20:46:59.155-04:00Super's Bowl II <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Second Annual Super's Bowl will occur on May 31, 2013. The Super's Bowl is a Somerville Public Schools event to raise money for a charitable cause. This year, all proceeds from the event will go towards finding a cure for Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare neurological disorder. More information can be found by clicking <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simons-Support-Team/320988747997118" target="_blank">here</a>. A free will donation can be made at the game.<br />
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Details of the event include:<br />
- <strike>Somerville Recreation will host a special soccer extravaganza starting at 4:30 pm.</strike> (Somerville Recreation cancelled the pre-game activities)<br />
- School teams, made up of staff members, will begin warming up at 5:30 pm on the High School Turf Football Field.<br />
- Traditional opening ceremonies which includes the National Anthem sung by <b>Somerville educator Dayle Reavey</b> <strike>a National Recording Artist</strike>, the didgeridoo call to order and the ceremonial coin flip. (The National Recording Artist will not be able to attend)<br />
- First game between the Somerville Middle School staff and the Van Derveer School staff. <br />
- Second game between the Somerville High School staff and the losing team from the first game. <br />
- The YMCA will host a 10 minute intermission for all children in attendance! <br />
- The winners of game 1 and 2 will play for the championship game.<br />
- After the championship game, trophies will be presented to the winning team and the Most Valuable Player. <br />
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Come out to the game and root on your staff members! District Business Administrator Bryan Boyce, Director of 21st Century Education Jason Solomon, Coordinator of Technical Services Ron Bommarito and former SHS and Michigan State football player Jesse Miller will be refereeing the games.<br />
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Highlights from Super's Bowl I can be seen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95RAseeVsHg&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Mason Robinson and the Board of Education present the Van Derveer staff with the 2012 trophy.</div>
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The Traditional Call to Games Sounding of the Didgeridoo</div>
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All proceeds and collected goods from Super's Bowl I were donated to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County</div>
Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-36611369460845560462013-04-30T15:50:00.000-04:002013-05-03T14:18:57.506-04:00Mentoring the Future"A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could" (Unknown Source). Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Edna McConnel Clark Foundation have extensive reports that statistically demonstrate the success of mentorship programs. In accordance with the Somerville Board of Education Strategic Goal #1, the district has launched a homegrown student mentorship program. The purpose of the program is to mitigate the disaffection of students by providing mentors to serve as positive role models.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQavc4NGx67cjh1h0VB1ajahIt55seq69Y5Kgeq5ETKN1DBxqYtFBxk82pME5h6ZgVKPKXrF9IUBTX5ZLTBaCVXJA0TFIzsH7qnSjKRVoHxaJq64zgtc2FR89yNiyKXPJ0sdhGE85jVSf/s1600/scan0002_1+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQavc4NGx67cjh1h0VB1ajahIt55seq69Y5Kgeq5ETKN1DBxqYtFBxk82pME5h6ZgVKPKXrF9IUBTX5ZLTBaCVXJA0TFIzsH7qnSjKRVoHxaJq64zgtc2FR89yNiyKXPJ0sdhGE85jVSf/s1600/scan0002_1+2.jpg" /></a>Hal Vereen was hired by Board of Education in February to spearhead and oversee the district mentorship initiative. Mr. Vereen, a retired Somerville Public Schools educator and administrator, has a lengthy and successful history of mentoring children. He provides mentoring through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, MentorPower and the Mercer County Correction Facility Prison Ministry. He also serves as the president of the Eggerts Crossing Civic League and presents workshops on the <i>Traits of Good Fatherhood</i>. Mr. Vereen will train and provide ongoing support for each mentor. All mentors will be provided with the <i>Building Relationships Guide for New Mentors</i>, developed by the National Mentoring Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.<br />
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The Somerville Board of Education will measure the success of the program through use of a longitudinal quasi-experimental study. The goal of the program is for students to improve academically, social-emotionally and behaviorally as well as increased participation in after school activities.<br />
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Do you have two hours a month to mentor an at-risk child? We need <strong><u>YOU</u></strong> and s/he needs <strong><u>YOU</u></strong>! "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give" (Winston Churchill). <br />
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Applications can be found on the district website or by clicking <a href="http://www.somervillenjk12.org/cms/lib5/NJ01001815/Centricity/Domain/4/Ment%20_Mentor_Application_2%2013%2013.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. Thanks for your service and continued support of the children of Somerville Public Schools.<br />
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"Be the <strong><span style="color: cyan;">change</span></strong> you wish to see in <strong><span style="color: cyan;">the world</span></strong>"<br />
~ GandhiSuperintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-38684943040805437802013-03-03T20:34:00.000-05:002013-03-03T20:34:17.170-05:00Transforming the High School Experience Through College Academic IntegrationIt gives me great joy and enthusiasm to announce Somerville's Academy of Liberal Arts. The Academy was the consummation of the Board's Strategic Planning process and a result of the hard work of the Raritan Valley Community College and Somerville Public School administration. The culmination of these efforts have produced a unique program for Somerville High School students. This program will be offered to graduating eighth grade students in Somerville and Branchburg. Students who complete the prescribed four year program will graduate with a High School Diploma, an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts and a direct connect to selected colleges/universities, including Rutgers. Students enrolled in the program will travel with their classmates through a challenging and rigorous curriculum, as seen below.<br />
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This program does not afford students with the flexibility that many students are accustomed to in high school. Students do not take high school Advanced Placement courses, but rather college courses in pursuit of an Associate's Degree. The students take courses at Somerville High School for the first two years and begin classes at RVCC for their junior year. The junior year courses will be scheduled for the morning so that students can still partake in after school clubs and activities. All senior year courses will be offered at RVCC with a greater flexibility in schedule.<br />
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There are a limited number of openings for the program and therefore a selection process will be utilized. In order to be considered for the program, students must qualify for honors courses (including Honors Algebra II or Honors Geometry). Applicants are scored on a criteria that includes NJASK scores from Grades 6 and 7, three teacher recommendations (Mathematics, Language Arts and another of the student's selection) and an Accuplacer examination. Finalists are interviewed by officials at RVCC and must maintain a 3.0 to remain in the program.<br />
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We are hosting informational sessions on March 5, 2013 at 6 pm in the Somerville Middle School Media Center and on March 7, 2013 at 6:30 pm in the Branchburg Central Middle School Media Center. We look forward to seeing you there!
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<br />Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-74000671787090102692013-02-03T15:19:00.003-05:002013-02-04T10:34:16.111-05:00Supporting Toms River<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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<span style="color: white;">I would like to thank the Somerville and Branchburg communities for the outpouring of support that we received to provide relief efforts for Toms River. On Thursday, January 31st, Jimmy Gabriel and I delivered the donations to the People's Pantry. The pantry has registered over 3,000 visitors (some shopping for their entire family). Tammi Millar, a former SHS student and Branchburg resident, has been coordinating the relief efforts between the pantry and the Somerville School District. She told me that donations have been dwindling but that the need is still high. Some of the residents are still without power. Witnessing the pantry in operation with many volunteers serving so many families still struggling with the effects of the storm was quite emotional. I did my best to provide you with a glimpse of what Mr. Gabriel and I saw during the visitation. Next week, John Venezia (Somerville Education Association President) and I will deliver the gift cards. Thank you again for your overwhelming kindness and generosity to the Toms River community.</span></div>
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Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-41167340236847451552013-01-16T16:52:00.000-05:002013-01-16T16:56:08.497-05:00New AdministratorsPlease welcome two new administrators to the Ville! Hired in October of 2012, Mrs. Melissa McCooley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Mr. Timothy Teehan, Academic Achievement Officer, have been quickly acclimated to the world of the Somerville. <br />
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Mrs. McCooley previously served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Upper Township School District. Upon her entry into the district, she sent out a "Call for Participants" to the school community in an effort to form parent curriculum committees. These committees will serve as advisory panels in particular areas of revision. In November, Mrs. McCooley served as the district's liaison for the <a href="http://www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/qsac/" target="_blank">Quality Single Accountability Continuum</a> monitoring, an extremely tedious and time consuming process. She met this challenge with exceptional ability and effort. Some of her responsibilities include serving as the district Anti-Bullying Coordinator, Affirmative Action Officer, the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness and of College and Careers) Coordinator and lead facilitator of Professional Development. She has been managing all of these tasks efficiently with tremendous skill and talent.<br />
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Last year, the Board formed the position of Academic Achievement Officer. The position was designed to support and monitor the delivery of instructional programs and to assist, direct and supervise school principals in the development of specific plans to meet identified school and subgroup performance targets. The principals presented these building level plans at the December 11, 2012 Board of Education meeting. Mr. Teehan has been analyzing data and statistical tools with teachers, assisting staff members in utilizing data in a meaningful way and acquiring support services to meet the needs of under-performing students. One of the measures that was recently highlighted on his blog at http://www.tteehan.blogspot.com/ was the incorporation of DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), a measure used for "assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade" (taken from http://dibels.org/dibels.html). Mr. Teehan's assignment is limited to Van Derveer for the 2012-2013 school year with a phase in of other buildings in consecutive years.<br />
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<br />Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037175487276608000.post-897023513547814672012-12-17T21:42:00.000-05:002012-12-17T21:50:58.913-05:00A Message Regarding the Newtown, CT Tragedy <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Members of the Somerville Public School Community,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our thoughts and prayers are with the
Newtown, Connecticut community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No words
can express the amount of suffering and grief that we feel, especially for
those parents that lost children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In school, we are not drawing attention to this incident and
are continuing to provide a sense of normalcy. This morning principals met with
staff members in an effort to prepare to meet the emotional needs of our students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may have noticed that district
administrators, including myself, and members of the Somerville Police
Department assisted in providing an increased presence at each of the
buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>School counselors and mental
health professionals are available for our students and staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can expect to see this support
implemented for the remainder of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Resources for talking to your child are posted on the district
homepage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The district’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Emergency
Management Plan</i> is updated annually with assistance from local law
enforcement and emergency management personnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each month, our schools conduct drills for
various types of safety and security procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continue to revisit and update the
district’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Emergency Management Plan</i>
as the times around us change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
upcoming months, the district will investigate hiring new security
personnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order for all of us to
ensure the safest environment for our children, we urge you to contact a school
administrator if you see or hear something of concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notifying us in a prompt and timely manner is
of the utmost importance when handling potential incidents of this nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, we recommend that you monitor your
child’s social media accounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This holiday season, I will hug my children a little tighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you find some time to do the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thank you again for your
understanding and continued support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
always, please do not hesitate to contact me through my blog, email, twitter or
phone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 397.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 397.5pt;">
Warmest Regards,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 397.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 397.5pt;">
Timothy Purnell, Ed.D.<br />
Superintendent of Schools <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Superintendent's Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677604579802644416noreply@blogger.com0