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Middle School Music Students “Show Us the Way”

Middle school orchestra students from several Newark Public Schools performing during filming of the virtual All City Music Concert on May 5th, 2022.
Middle school orchestra students from several Newark Public Schools performing during filming of the virtual All City Music Concert on May 5th, 2022.

Middle school music students and music educators from across the district collaborated to produce the fifth annual Office of Visual and Performing Arts All City Music Concert on Thursday, May 5th. The concert series began in 2017 with ten participating schools, and this year, the concert has grown to feature over 150 students from thirty-one participating middle school music programs. Band, orchestra, guitar, and choral ensemble performances included a wide range of repertoire. “Dragonhunter” by Richard Meyer, performed by the string orchestra, was dedicated to the concert’s honoree, Save The Music Foundation, for five years of generous instrument donations to music programs in our schools. Percussion dynamics were a standout during the band performance of “The Tempest” by Robert W. Smith.

Student musicians demonstrated Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies as part of the overall collaborative experience and especially social awareness, self-management and relationship skills during the rehearsal and filming process with peers from across the district and under the direction of music educators from a variety of schools. The concert concluded with choral students delivering a message of hope through the lyrics of “Give Us Hope” by Jim Papoulis. Rhythm and harmony moved the audience as students sang and reminded us that, “We are the future,” and the repetition of the chorus “My hand is reaching Give us hope and we'll show you the way.” Newark Board of Education is recognized as a Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for three consecutive years.

Give Us Hope by Jim Papoulis

Listen to the sound of my voice Can you feel the beat of my heart? Listen to the questions I have Listen to me
It’s all very simple, to see what we need
Give us hope, my voice is calling
Can you see? Look in my eyes
Can you feel? My hand is reaching Give us hope and we’ll show you the way

Listen to the sound of my voice Can you feel the beat of my heart? Listen to the questions I have Listen to me

We are the future, Help us believe
Give us hope, my voice is calling
Can you see? Look in my eyes
Can you feel? My hand is reaching Give us hope and we’ll show you the way

Take my hand, now look in my eyes Tell me what you see
Give us hope, my voice is calling
Can you see? Look in my eyes
Can you feel? My hand is reaching Give us hope and we’ll show you the way

Give us hope, my voice is calling
Can you see? Look in my eyes
Can you feel? My hand is reaching Give us hope and we’ll show you the way Show you the way
Show you the way

Show you the way

Special Olympics Track & Field Event at Brookdale Park

On Wednesday, May 4th our Newark Board of Education student athletes participated in the Special Olympics Track & Field Event at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, NJ.  We had students compete from Avon, First Avenue, Ivy Hill, John F. Kennedy, NJ Regional Day, Spencer, and South Street.

Track and field, also known as athletics, encourages athletes of all abilities and ages to compete at their optimum level. Through training programs, participants can develop total fitness to compete in any sport.

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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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from Newark Board of Education
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Two Newark High Schools Have a Multiyear Track Record for Making the U.S. News 2022 “Best High Schools in NJ” List

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On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, U.S. News & World Report released their latest rankings of the best public high schools in America.  More than 400 high schools from New Jersey made the list and two of them are from Newark, New Jersey; Science Park High School ranked #27 and Technology High School ranked #38, have a multiyear track record of success in making the U.S. Best Schools List.

Superintendent León shared, “This is an incredible honor and I congratulate the students and their families, and the administrators and teachers at each school for their dedication and hard work, especially during a pandemic.  We look forward to seeing more of our schools on The Best High Schools in America list.”

U.S. News & World Report system uses a scale of college readiness, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates.

#27: Science Park High School is a magnet school located in the Central Ward that prepares students for careers in science, mathematics, and technology. Principal Kcyied Zahir said, “Our rigorous curriculum is punctuated by college-level coursework driven by interdisciplinary study, research, ethical leadership, global perspective, and service. We are proud of what our staff and students have accomplished.” The SAT scores remain some of the highest in the country and the school’s curriculum is highly specialized.

#38: Technology High School is a magnet high school located in Newark’s North Ward with a vision of developing global leaders by providing them with tools to succeed in a world driven by technology. “We develop global leaders by providing them with the tools to succeed in a world driven by technology,” said Principal Edwin Reyes. “This recognition is evidence of what can happen when you have dedicated students and staff.”

Board President Dawn Haynes echoed the Superintendent’s sentiment, “I am excited and proud that two of our high schools received this honor.  They set the bar high and we are confident that more will be added in the future.”

Newark Board of Education Held a White Coat Ceremony for Students Inducted into the PLTW Medical Detectives Program

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Earlier this month, Mount Vernon Elementary School held a White Coat Ceremony to induct eight new students into their Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Medical Detectives Program.  The eight new inductees were welcomed into the program by an elite group of students from Cohort 1, who received their white lab coats February 10, 2022.

The White Coat Ceremony is a rites of passage initiative designed to inspire middle school students to pursue STEM career paths. The vision of the White Coat Ceremony was uniquely designed for the six South-West PLTW schools under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent Samantha Lott-Velez who said “Our schools will continue to put programs in place that give our students opportunity to engage in experiences that nurture their interests and expose them to career paths.”

PLTW programs are currently in Peshine Avenue, Lincoln, Chancellor Avenue, Avon Avenue, Ivy Hill, and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools. To date, there have been 143 participants across these six schools. Superintendent León stated “The district’s investment in PLTW at the middle school level is a long-term investment that will yield great returns in the future.” In all programs, “...students play the role of real-life medical detectives as they collect and analyze medical data to diagnose diseases. They solve medical mysteries through hands-on projects and labs, measure and interpret vital signs, examine nervous system structure and function, and investigate disease outbreaks,” he added.

As students received the lab coat and pin, Principal Camille Findley-Browne remarked how incredibly proud she is of all of the students that have persevered through this rigorous college-preparatory program.  And Director of Science Kathleen Tierney praised the PLTW teacher saying, “Mr. Shane Brown could not have been a better choice.  He has done a great job in retaining the largest number of students in this inaugural program for students interested in STEM.”

Students were inspired by special guest, Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr., who became the youngest Chief Medical Examiner in the country in 2011 in Newark, New Jersey.   Dr. Mitchell shared his personal and professional journey with students.  A proud graduate of Howard University and New Jersey Medical School, Dr. Mitchell encouraged the students to “dream big”...”have determination”...”be dedicated”...and understand “...delayed gratification.” He also told students that he looked forward to seeing Newark’s PLTW students as colleagues in the future.

Celebrating the Best in Music Education Across the Nation The NAMM Foundation’s Best Communities for Music Education honors 738 School Districts and 80 Schools

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As schools across the nation regain their cadence with the return to in-person learning and the reduction in mandates, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation is pleased to celebrate the list of Best Communities for Music Education (BCME). Now in its 23rd year, the 2022 Best Communities for Music Education program has recognized 738 school districts and 80 schools across 44 states for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children.

“Music educators, administrators, and communities truly rallied to support and sustain music education through a period of intense change and adaptation. These districts and schools persevered in serving their students and communities and assured that music education was part of curriculum offerings,” shares Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation. “We applaud the commitment and efforts of all music educators, school administrators, and community members in providing students the opportunity to explore their creativity through music.”

This year's awards program was designed to celebrate schools and districts adapting, innovating, and persevering in the face of change. Researchers at The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas, in conjunction with The NAMM Foundation, created a new way for districts and schools to address the inroads and setbacks impacted by the pandemic, as well as goals for equity and access to music education for all students and national standards for music education in a short, qualitative survey.

"The 2022 Best Communities for Music Education is an opportunity to celebrate music programs and honors the resilience and dedication to keeping music as part of a well-rounded education as we all adapt to a new educational landscape," says Christopher Johnson of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. “If there was one common theme to be taken from all submissions, it’s that schools and districts found ways to sustain music education and student engagement in even the most challenging of circumstances.”

Collaboration and innovation were also common themes of districts named “Best Communities,” along with reliance on science-led studies supporting student health and mitigation strategies. Sharon Allen, Lead Arts Teacher at Chatham County Schools in Pittsboro, North Carolina, says that for their district, “When other programs in our area did not allow singing and playing instruments due to COVID concerns, our district administrators went before the Board of Education to present the data from the NFHS aerosol study (National Federation of State High School Associations) and demonstrate playing/singing with adaptive masks and instrument bell covers. As a result, the board approved students singing and playing in music classes following the recommendations of the aerosol study and provided the necessary PPE. I believe this action helped maintain student enrollments in music programs.”

In 2020, The National Federation of State High School Associations brought together a number of performing arts organizations, including The NAMM Foundation, to examine aerosol rates produced by wind instrumentalists, vocalists, and even actors and how quickly those aerosol rates accumulate in a space. The study included several follow-up studies, including flow visualization, aerosol and CO2 measurements, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to understand the different components that can lead to transmission risk from musical performance and risk mitigation. Read more here.

For the majority of music educators, music remained vital to core curriculum and as part of their community. Jenny Allen, Department Chair, Elementary Strings at Gilbert Public Schools in Gilbert, Arizona shares, “During COVID, the district did not waver in its support for music education. In 2020, prior to the pandemic, the district increased funding for the music department. These funds were needed to purchase instruments and music. It is my belief that the Best Communities Award designation solidified what the community had always known. We are an outstanding district for music education. This award showed everyone it was indeed true.”

Dr. Jon Moyer, Intermediate Band Director of sixteen-year winner Central York School District in York, Pennsylvania, says that “Music education is a part of the CULTURE of our school district. Through the support of the community, we consistently have high enrollment in music classes and performing groups while also sending a large number of student leaders to auditioned ensembles, festivals, and contests. Our families express their excitement about the opportunities that great music education can provide and are eager to get – and keep – their students involved in our programs.”

In addition to the 738 districts receiving Best Communities for Music Education recognition, 80 individual schools across the nation are being awarded the SupportMusic Merit Award (SMMA), which recognizes support for school-based music education programs.

“Even through COVID, our administrators did everything they could to make sure our music programs kept running strong,” shares Adam Scheele, Director of Bands at Central High School District of Westosha in Salem, Wisconsin. “Extra funds were given to the music programs in order for us to use proper mitigation strategies in our classroom and at concerts, and new instruments were purchased so that students no longer had to share school-owned instruments. This proved vital to keeping students engaged at a time when it was most needed.”

Kate Margrave, Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, affirms that strong support from both administrators and students has led to a stable program. “[Our] administrative support of the music program shows how much they care about these passions of our students. The students are resilient, and retention after COVID was high. Students recognize the importance of music education in their lives and thrive on it.”

Since its inception, over 2,000 schools and school districts have submitted a survey for evaluation. Based on survey responses in 2021, 686 school districts were recognized as Best Communities for Music Education, and 80 schools with the SupportMusic Merit Award. Past districts named a Best Community for Music Education included urban, suburban, and rural districts. Schools that have received the SupportMusic Merit Award designation included public and private schools and ranged from elementary to middle and high schools.

In conducting the annual survey, The NAMM Foundation and the Music Institute at the University of Kansas are joined by leading national arts organizations, including the League of American Orchestras; Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation; Music for All; Music Teachers National Association; National Guild For Community Arts Education; Yamaha Corporation of America; Young Audiences; and Save The Music Foundation.