Press Releases

EyeBuyDirect Brightens the Season for Hawkins Street Students

New Jersey School Will Receive 700 Blue Light Blocking Frames Donation

 

LOS ANGELES (December 18, 2020) – EyeBuyDirect, the leading online eyewear retailer, today announced its donation of 700 pairs of blue light blocking eyewear to Hawkins Street School in Newark, New Jersey. The eyewear will help filter out harmful blue-violet light, the most harmful part of the blue light spectrum, produced by digital screens; a problem during the current extended distance learning programs. Each student will receive a pair on Saturday, December 19, at 8 Hawkins Street beginning at 10 a.m. Parents have the option of stopping by one of the tables to pick up the eyewear or staying in their car and having the frames brought to them.

“As an industry leader, we believe it is our responsibility to support the communities where our customers live and give back in a meaningful way,” said Sunny Jiang, CEO at EyeBuyDirect. “It’s the season of giving and we are thrilled to support the families of Hawkins Street School and do our part to protect their children’s eye health during this challenging time.”

With schools extending remote learning into the New Year, EyeBuyDirect wanted to help protect children’s eyes from the prolonged exposure to screens and ensure their time online was productive and fruitful. Wearing lenses that filter the harmful blue light helps reduce eye fatigue and increase protection.

“As educators, we are constantly worried about the overall well-being of our students, and seek ways to support them outside the classroom,” said Veronica Piombo, a teacher at Hawkins Street School. “We are so grateful for EyeBuyDirect’s generous donation and know this will have a positive impact not only in our student’s eye health, but also in their ability to focus, absorb new concepts, and improve their learning experience.”

In addition to supporting local communities, EyeBuyDirect has a Buy 1, Give 1 program, which gives customers the opportunity to donate a pair of glasses with every purchase to someone in need around the world.  

About EyeBuyDirect    

EyeBuyDirect is a one-stop online optical shop for contemporary men’s, women’s and childrens’ eyeglasses and sunglasses. Established in 2006, the brand champions bold style choices so customers can see the world in a whole new way and change how the world sees them. Offering over 2000 affordable frames, EyeBuyDirect owns the entire process from concept and design to manufacturing, with fashionable frames starting at just $6. Through their Buy1Give1 program, a pair of eyeglasses is donated to someone in need for every order placed. Learn more at www.eyebuydirect.com and follow their social channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

3 NEW Schools are Opening for School Year 2021 – 2022

[Newark, Jersey November 5, 2020] Today, Superintendent Roger León continues to deliver on the promise of the district’s ten-year strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020-30, as he announces three new schools scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year.

The Michelle Obama Elementary School will initially enroll grades PK – 2 and will grow to grade 8. The school will focus on Community, Leadership, and Wellness.

In efforts to continue career-driven academia, The School of Fashion and Design will begin with an inaugural class of 9th grade students, interested in exploring their academic and creative potential to influence the world of fashion. The School of Fashion and Design will feature courses in Fashion Drawing and History teaching students how to understand the exploration of the body with fabrics, using a variety of design techniques. Other courses will concentrate on Fashion Computer Arts incorporating the foundational knowledge and hands-on experience that comes with software applications typically used by designers and textile artists in the fashion industry.

Finally, the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology will also begin with an inaugural 9th grade class, seeking to prepare the next generation of Research Scientists and Information Technology Professionals. Courses will focus on bringing about organizational and technological change in all aspects of their community. The overall mission, to prepare students for immediate college and career opportunities by combining the most innovative curriculum in data science with cutting edge industry standard technology.

Each of these two new high schools will grow one grade every year until twelfth grade.

The Newark Board of Education continues to strive in establishing and providing new and exciting opportunities for our students to succeed. Students are expected to excel within their individual tracks, affording them the opportunity to dream and become the very best versions of themselves.

In just three years, Superintendent León has opened 7 new schools and expanded 7 others.

For more information, please contact:
Newark Board of Education
Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director
Communications
973-733-6265
973-477-1475

Newark Board of Education Hits Millionth Meal Mark in Food Distribution To Students During Pandemic

“When the decision passed on March 13, 2020 to operate school remotely, as a result of Covid-19; the Food and Nutrition Services Department had one goal in mind – to have five thousand meals prepared and ready for distribution on Monday, March 16th. The Department, under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Tonya McGill moved quickly.  “Food Services has always strived to serve Newark’s children and families as best we can” said Dr. McGill. “We understand that circumstances aren’t always ideal, and so it remains our duty to make sure the children of Newark are always fed and well.  We were able to do so during this pandemic with help from our amazing kitchen staff and everyone who came together to ensure that meal distributions did not stop even when remote instruction began.”

Not long after the decision was made, the Food Services rounded up its employees and got to work over the course of that first weekend. Making it a priority to stay consistent with supplying meals to the schools and children of Newark, they created menus, placed orders and used what was already at their disposal to get the job done.

Now, seven months later – they’ve added two new locations to the distribution sites and have reached an incredible milestone of more than 1 million meals distributed.  As of today, over 1.2 million meals were distributed to the students and families in Newark.  “We, as a school district pride ourselves in distributing over 1 million meals during a time such as this one,” said Superintendent Leon. He added, “This stands as a testament to what we are willing to do to ensure that our students are taken care of, no matter what. I am proud and grateful to the food service staff specifically, and to the custodial and security staff for their resolve in these efforts.”

The Food and Nutrition Services Department faced their fair share of obstacles making this millionth mark a grand feat. “The food services staff had no choice but to become creative and resourceful. We overcame whatever we had to, in order to get the kids fed.” stated Jayson Shaw, Director of Food Services.

For more information, please contact:

Newark Board of Education
Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director
Communications
973-733-6265

61 Schools in Newark School District Achieve Sustainability Certification

Newark Schools meet Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification requirements

Newark, New Jersey, [September 15, 2020] Sixty-one schools in the Newark School District have met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. Sustainable Jersey for Schools, a program for pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade public schools in New Jersey, is voluntary, but achieving certification takes commitment and collaborative effort. Each school in the Newark School District was certified at the bronze level after submitting documentation to show it had completed a balanced portfolio of the program’s sustainability actions, attaining a minimum of 150 points.

“Since 2014, this initiative has been 6 years in the making and we’re so glad that we’re able to accomplish such a tremendous feat” noted Superintendent Roger León. “We love doing programs involving the whole NPS community. This isn’t just words or another program; but an opportunity for the schools of Newark to benefit from Sustainable Jersey, which in turn will benefit the city of Newark,” he added.

Newark Public Schools has managed to create energy profiles and green cleaning initiatives while winning awards for sustainability.  With the help of Jill Buck, a Go Green consultant, the District was able to present these existing initiatives and receive credit for our many food service programs and clean air program, which works with school buses on a “no pollution” plan.

A significant part of the Newark Public Schools certification applications was the completion of the actions for energy efficiency of school facilities and energy tracking and management. Each school has completed an energy audit through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program(NJCEP) “Local Government Energy Audit (LGEA)” program. The Newark Public School District instituted a $17 million Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP), also through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program. “The project encompasses 63 Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) over 1.4 million square feet. Actions included lighting retrofits, boiler replacement, roof replacement, solar installation, upgrading systems and components to improve the safety of energy use, and performance monitoring. From 2017-19, the district saved $1.9 million, 4.7 million kWh, and 460,000 therms of gas,” said Newark Public Schools Director of Sustainability, Rodney Williams.

The Newark School district is one of 352 school districts participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.  “Sustainable Jersey for Schools is pleased that the 61 schools from Newark Public Schools are part of our cohort of 321 certified schools,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “I commend the teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students for their commitment and vision for the future. Becoming certified with Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a significant achievement and these schools are leading the way to a more sustainable New Jersey, right when we need it the most.”

Click here to review the list of Newark schools that achieved certification in 2020: 2020 Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certified Schools.

About The Newark Public Schools District

Newark Public Schools has a student population of approximately 38,000 students, a staff of more than 6,300, and is the largest and one of the oldest school systems in New Jersey. Its origin dates back to 1676 with Barringer High School, in Newark’s North Ward, being the third oldest public high school in the nation. In a city comprised of rich diversity, Newark Public Schools provides a multicultural learning experience for pre-kindergarten to secondary school students. As the city continues to thrive with widespread change, the district continues to revise its services to meet the changing needs of students.

About Sustainable Jersey for Schools

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, an organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. To date, 352 school districts and 969 schools are participating in the program. The full list of participating and certified schools and school districts is available: Participating Districts and Schools. Sustainable Jersey for Schools has awarded over $2.2 million in grants to schools and school districts.

Website:              www.SustainableJerseySchools.com
Twitter:               www.twitter.com/SJ_Schools
Facebook:           www.facebook.com/SustainableJersey
Instagram:         https://instagram.com/sustainable_jersey/
Linked In:           www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-jersey

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For more information, please contact:

Newark Board of Education
Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director
Communications
973-733-6265

NBOE Launches Parent University

[Newark, NJ, September 15] Superintendent Roger León and the Newark Board of Education are proud to announce the launch of the district’s first Parent University on September 15th and 16th, 2020.

“The Parent University signifies a renewed partnership between our schools, the district, and families and home,” Superintendent León said.  “We know that parents are their child’s first teachers, and this collaboration will help parents and families to help us to support all children to succeed and thrive.”

The Parent University is a key strategy in the District’s ten-year strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020-30, which calls for continuous learning for all stakeholders, including a specific focus on providing resources and learning opportunities for parents and families.  “While the District continues to provide remote instruction, the Parent University will offer virtual workshops for parents and families to attend,” said Board President Josephine C. Garcia.  “I am extremely appreciative of the District’s efforts in making this one of the first announcements of the strategic plan and I wanted to commend Chairperson Anderson and Board Member Gomez who have prioritized parental involvement from their start.”

The focus will be on a variety of topics to support student learning, including Technology and Remote Learning, Social Emotional Learning, and Special Education.  Sessions will be facilitated by district leaders and experts in various content areas.  Additionally, the district has partnered with several community-based organizations, including The Abbott Leadership Institute, CREED Strategies, Challenge Day, Parents Empowering Parents, The Secondary Parent Council, Rethink Ed, and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, to provide sessions for parents.

“As we reopen schools and consider the needs of our students and families, the Parent University is a key component of support,” Deputy Superintendent Nicole T. Johnson who is spearheading this initiative added.  “We are so grateful to our community partners and district leaders for joining us in providing this exciting event for our community.”

The Parent University is the first in a series of seasonal workshops that will take place during the 2020-2021 school year. The winter and spring sessions to follow will also offer workshops on important topics and provide parents with critical resources and information to increase their knowledge and support learning in their homes.

For more information about the NBOE Fall Parent University, please visit https://newark.apppresser.com/parent-university/.

For more information, please contact:
Newark Board of Education
Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director
Communications
973-733-6265