News

District Upgrades Over 500 Instructional Spaces

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Prioritizing renovations, repairs, and upgrades can have a positive impact on the school environment as a whole. The Office of Facilities has worked tirelessly to upgrade all NBOE schools which include classrooms, CTE rooms, offices, gyms, and building grounds! These spaces received new flooring, lighting, closets, window treatments, and in most cases, air conditioning.

The Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP) started the process of upgrading old HVAC equipment and provided replacements with new high efficiency units at Barringer and Weequahic. Updates continued with the installation of LED contactless water fountains throughout the district as contactless water fountains will allow students, faculty & staff access to safe and clean water in a more hygienic fashion than traditional water fountains.

During the height of the pandemic, schools remained open to ensure that the facilities team could advance major upgrades and repairs. The Office of Facilities is excited to highlight some of the major updates during Superintendent León’s administration:

  • More than 50 buildings received a roof coating, upgrades to the HVAC system, or a new boiler and/or chiller. The majority of this work was completed using ESIP at no additional cost to the district’s budget.
  • Over 35 bathrooms received upgraded tile, fixtures, and lighting district-wide.
  • Fire alarm systems at 62 schools were upgraded and 14 schools received a brand new system.
  • New lighting, flooring, wall pads, backboards, basketball hoops, striping and logos were installed in 11 schools as part of renovations to gymnasiums.

Media Center Upgrade at Malcolm X Shabazz.
Media Center Upgrade at Malcolm X Shabazz

 

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NBOE Fall Athletics Back in Action

The Newark Board of Education schools kicked off the Fall Season with a full slate of sports. The selection for Fall Sports include Cross Country (Boys & Girls), Football, Soccer (Boys & Girls), Girls Tennis and Girls Volleyball.

All NBOE high schools are part of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) which is a voluntary, non-profit organization of approximately 435 accredited public and non-public high schools.

High School Teams Left to Right: Weequahic Football, East Side Volleyball, Technology Girls Soccer and Track
High School Teams Left to Right: Weequahic Football, East Side Volleyball, Technology Girls Soccer and Track

Advancing Artistic Practice through Teacher Learning

Arts educators convene at NJPAC for the first professional development session of the year
Arts educators convene at NJPAC for the first professional development session of the year

While students were enjoying their last days of summer break, Newark Visual and Performing Arts Educators gathered at NJPAC for staff development focused on advancing student artistic practice. Coming together as a community of learners, nearly two hundred dance, music, theatre, and visual art teachers were eager to greet both new and familiar faces in person for the first time since March 2020.

The morning of learning began with a meditative sound bath to focus teacher intentions for the year and the work ahead with students. Participants gained a better understanding of the new curriculum to be implemented this year. Curriculum was introduced in breakout groups using peer modeling to demonstrate engaging learners with specific art form content. The morning concluded with collaborative planning and goal setting for all city performances and exhibits.

OSE Introduces the “New CST Workshop”

This school year, the Office of Special Education will host weekly workshops with newly hired Child Study Team members (CSTs). For the 2022-23 school year, CSTs will attend 3-day workshops at the Newark Board of Education’s Central Office and then visit assigned schools 2 days a week. This blended learning opportunity will provide each CST member an opportunity to network with other new team members and build a network at their schools and across the district. CSTs will engage in hands-on learning opportunities by engaging in case studies that will strengthen the development of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and prepare for IEP meetings. Additionally, each case manager will gain one-to-one experience by shadowing case managers from the Initial Evaluation Center (IEC) and collaborating with school-based teams to further understand the roles and responsibilities of a case manager. The Office of Special Education welcomes 19 new Child Study Team Members!

Newly hired Child Study Team (CST) members participate in Professional Development.
Newly hired Child Study Team (CST) members participate in Professional Development.

Improving Attendance One Swipe at a Time

West Side student utilizes Swipe K12 to capture attendance.

          West Side student utilizes Swipe K12 to capture attendance

As the district welcomed students back-to-school, NBOE launched its Swipe K12 program for a seamless ingress process while capturing accurate attendance information.

Swipe K12 School Solutions Inc. is a leading provider of a student management system that enables schools to maximize learning in the classroom through better student accountability throughout the day. The software combines the accessibility of the Internet with powerful and efficient data collection one swipe at a time!

As students scan their barcode ID cards, use their cell phones, or punch in a pin code or ID number, the Swipe mobile station logs individual attendance and can process 500 students in only 15 minutes. The system has the capability to send parents emails and text messages within 10 minutes of their child’s scan. Other features of the system include:

  • Installation and Training
  • Cell Phone App for Students
  • Cell Phone App for Parents
  • Photo Identification Capabilities
  • Location/Period Based Scanning
  • Cafeteria Entrance Screening
  • Swipe Website Capabilities
  • Real Time Teacher Information Modules

Attendance Counselor at West Side High School adamantly stated, “The use of the Swipe K12 system has made the recording student daily attendance more accurate and easier to capture. The time stamp feature allows staff to have a more detailed conversation with parents and students in reference to absenteeism and tardiness. Students have noticed and appreciate entering the building in a more efficient manner that also decreases wait time and gets them to class sooner.” The Office of Attendance is looking forward to utilizing all of the added features and expanding the use of Swipe K12 throughout the district!

600 New Teachers Are Welcomed and Receive Curriculum Support

New teachers engaging in English Language Arts curriculum training at Park Elementary School
New teachers engaging in English Language Arts curriculum training at Park Elementary School

The Offices of Teaching and Learning, Early Childhood, and Special Education welcomed more than 600 new teachers at the start of this school year. At professional learning sessions, our new teachers were introduced to the curriculum they are now teaching. As such, teachers reviewed grade-specific and content-specific curricular units and engaged in planning lessons led by the central office staff. Similarly, current teachers were also invited to attend sessions where they engaged in a review of curriculum and writing.

In order to increase student achievement, the implementation of curriculum at all schools must occur well. It is through the taught curriculum that students build knowledge, skills, and strategies as they master concepts. This combination builds academic and social success. To that end, the Office of Teaching and Learning, along with our colleagues in Early Childhood and Special Education, are working across our schools with school-based administrators, teachers, and coaches.

Upcoming Highlights: Adult Education courses will begin in October. For more information, please email Andre Hollis (a1hollis@nullnewark.apppresser.com) who directs this effort.