Press Releases

Setting the Stage of Calm in Newark Public Schools: Introducing The Hammock Mindfulness Space

(Newark, NJ—February 3, 2020) Sussex Avenue School in partnership with the Newark Yoga Movement (NYM) is proud to announce the launch of The Hammock, a mindfulness space that continues to set the stage of calm in the school for both faculty and students. There’s endless enthusiasm, excitement and appreciation for this space, launched on January 15, 2020 to the school’s staff.

Principal Darleen Gearhart was appointed in 2012 when “Sussex Avenue was part of a Newark Public Schools’ initiative launched in 2012 to turn the city’s poorest performing schools into successful centers for education.”

During the last seven years, students’ stress and anxiety has significantly decreased through the use of self-regulating tools, mindfulness, and yoga provided by NYM. This focus and peacefulness among students and faculty is deemed a tremendous success. 

The Hammock is a space for staff to primarily recharge, relax and rejuvenate. This versatile room offers several mindful areas in which to experience inspirational books, meditative percussion, mandala coloring, creative writing, yoga, and of course hammocks. 

Students will also use the space during designated school yoga days and open time. Because of the calm felt as soon as one enters, it’s the perfect space for the school’s social worker, art therapist and mindful percussion programs to be held.

The Hammock is for educators. A 2017 representative survey of 4,000 educators conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and the Badass Teachers Association found that 61% of the time, teachers were stressed. Another study noted that when teachers are stressed, student’s well-being and achievement tend to decline. Source: A research round up. Education Week June 2017

Principal Gearhart noted to her staff: “We built this room for you. The better you are, the better you are for students. Teaching is the most difficult job there is. It drains you emotionally, physically, and spiritually so we created this space to replenish you. To help you be better, for yourself and for all of us.”

Assistant Superintendent, Kathy Duke-Jackson stopped in to see the new room and asked Principal Gearhart if she had noticed a difference in the staff and students since having yoga and mindfulness at the school for the last several years.  “The difference is tremendous,” said Gearhart.

NYM teachers volunteered to help put the room together including painting the walls. Additional help came from Jersey Cares, students from both Rutgers University and Montclair State University, and a group of Sussex Avenue students. The beautiful mandalas visualizing the chakras (or energy centers in the body) were all hand painted by former NYM guide Ruth Meagher who had taught through NYM at Sussex Avenue previously.

Additionally, NYM collaborated with architect Irina Schneid, principal of Scharc Studio LLC and founder of Impact: Workshp, a design advocacy fellowship empowering women to impact social change through design. After a chatting with NYM Executive Director, Danielle Horowitz, she was on board to help.

Over eight weeks, Impact: Workshp chose colors and materials and figured out how to aesthetically divide the room into three key areas, while being able to always see what is going on in the entire room (a requirement in a school setting) and creating function. The final selection of macramé dividers are interactive and functional and even have a set of beads on them for someone to breathe slowly while moving the beads. Yoga mats are stored in the built in baskets and yoga cards with specific sequences for CALM, ENERGY, PEACE and GROUNDING are clipped for easy viewing.

Teachers were so enthused about the entire room whether they were coloring, reading some inspiring quotes, stretching, sitting quietly or laying in a hammock.

“I’m excited because now I have somewhere to go. The first thing I want to do is stretching.”—Sussex Avenue Educator 

The Hammock also pipes in mindful percussion music created by the school’s 4th and 7th graders. They were guided by Young Audiences NJ & PA for 10 weeks last year (NYM helped provide mindful context) to provide this outcome. This particular program was possible due to a grant by Victoria Foundation who also earmarked some funds for The Hammock.

“When a school has a stage of calm, academic and life learning happens. This is what has been happening at Sussex Avenue School for the last seven years” states Debby Kaminsky, founder of Newark Yoga Movement.

For more information, please contact:

Nancy Deering, Interim Executive Director, Communications: ndeering@nullnewark.apppresser.com

Darleen Gearhart, Principal Sussex Avenue School: dgearhart@nullnewark.apppresser.com

Debby Kaminsky, Founder Newark Yoga Movement: newarkyogamovement@nullgmail.com

About The Newark Public Schools District

The Newark Public Schools District, with 66 schools, 5,877 employees and a student population of 37,291 is the largest and one of the oldest school systems in New Jersey. Its origin dates back to 1676. Barringer High School, in Newark’s North Ward, is the third oldest public high school in the nation. The ethnic diversity of the city provides a rich educational experience for pre-kindergarten to secondary school students. The district continues to revise its services to meet the changing needs of students.

Newark Board of Education Placed on the College Board’s 10th Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Student Access and Success

250 School Districts Across the U.S. and Canada Are Honored

[Newark, NJ, December 19, 2019] The Newark Board of Education is one of 250 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 10th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. To be included on the 10th Annual Honor Roll, The Newark Board of Education had to, since 2017, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that this district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

“This is good news for our school district, but not entirely unexpected,” Mayor Ras J. Baraka said. “For students who have the desire and support, Newark has always provided educational opportunities through our specialized high schools and general education high schools, and pushed those students to excel. The expansion of Advanced Placement courses throughout our district, and the ability of our students to score well, puts us in very good company of 249 other schools across the nation and in Canada striving for excellence. I congratulate Superintendent Roger León, his staff and all the teachers in the district for making this selective Honor Roll.”

“I am extremely proud of the growth we are making within our academic program across the high schools here in Newark,” stated Superintendent of Schools Roger León. “This recognition highlights the amazing work taking place by our students and staff while also demonstrating our capacity to compete with top districts state and nationwide. While I am always amongst the first to note that we still have so much work ahead, I look forward to the continued growth and expansion of our AP program.”

National data from 2019 show that among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access. Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be opened equitably. The Newark Board of Education is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

“With more students participating and succeeding in AP in this district, more students are getting a head start on college by earning college credit during high school,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and Instruction at the College Board. “We are pleased to honor the teachers and administrators who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to advance through AP.”

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.
In 2019, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admissions process. Inclusion in the 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2017 to 2019, looking across 38 AP Exams, including world language and culture.

For inclusion on the 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll, districts must meet the following criteria:

  • Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
  • Increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increase or maintain the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
  • Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2019 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2017 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.

When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.

The complete 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found here: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/awards/district-honor-roll

About The Newark Public Schools District
The Newark Public Schools District, with 66 schools, 5,877 employees and a student population of 37,291 is the largest and one of the oldest school systems in New Jersey. Its origin dates back to 1676. Barringer High School, in Newark’s North Ward, is the third oldest public high school in the nation. The ethnic diversity of the city provides a rich educational experience for pre-kindergarten to secondary school students. The district continues to revise its services to meet the changing needs of students.

Newark Public Schools Hosts Girls Who Code Showcase/Computer Science Fair Featuring 300 Students

[Newark, New Jersey, December 11, 2019] On Thursday, December 12th beginning at 9:00AM, the Newark Board of Education, in partnership with Girls Who Code and NJIT, will host an inaugural “Girls Who Code Showcase” featuring over 300 sixth through tenth grade students from 25 of our schools at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus Center. 

 The event occurs during Computer Science Education Week (December 9 – 15) and will feature a coding-based project competition among students participating in after-school clubs.  During the showcase, students will present their “Impact Projects” to the competition’s judges. Each club’s Impact Project was developed to solve problems in their local community, by applying coding knowledge and creative computational thinking to a range of product designs — from innovative phone apps to web sites and robotics.

 The projects will be evaluated based on a rubric reviewing three core components: 1) Design and Aesthetics, 2) Purpose, and 3) Social Impact & Project Differentiation. First, second, and third place will be awarded to schools for each category as well as an overall first, second, and third place.

 The showcase will include a recorded welcome message from First Lady Tammy Murphy and opening remarks from Superintendent of Schools Roger León, Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, and Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter.

 Additionally, distinguished representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Panasonic, Prudential, NJIT, the Urban League of Essex County, William Paterson University, Montclair University, Kean University, Girls Who Code, and the Newark Board of Education will serve as volunteer judges to review the students’ projects.

The Newark Board of Education Registers New Voters

Newark BOE seal

[NEWARK, New Jersey, November 4, 2019] In preparation for Election Day 2019, Superintendent of Schools Roger León, partnered the District with NJPIRG (New Jersey Public Interest Research Group), to register 766 eligible high school students so they can participate in tomorrow’s Election Day.

Last year, his first year as Superintendent of Newark Board of Education, his senior staff coordinated the registration of 488 students. This year’s effort represents a 64% increase. “It is important that we teach our students about civic responsibility and how their voice can shape the future” said Superintendent León. “It is not enough to say that you should be a responsible citizen, we have to set the example, educate them and give them the tools that prepare them for life” he added.

The Newark Board of Education Receives $4.6M from the US Department of Education for Project Prevent Grant

[NEWARK, New Jersey, October 30, 2019] The Newark Board of Education (NBOE), is a recipient of a $4.6M Project Prevent Grant from the US Department of Education.

Project Prevent Newark is a five-year multi-tiered system of supports that create culturally responsive learning environments, build the social emotional learning (SEL) capacity of teachers and students and increase mental health counseling services for students. The supports are intended to equip students with the tools to deal with trauma and break the cycle of violence prevalent in our communities.

The grant covers the period starting in October 2019 through September 2024. “This amazing award positions the District to implement the vision of creating trauma informed schools and providing staff with the necessary tools to help our students deal with challenges they face” said Roger León, Superintendent of the largest school district in New Jersey.

The objectives of Project Prevent Newark include:

  1. Providing school-based counseling to assist students coping with trauma,
  2. Providing professional development to school personnel so they are equipped with SEL and behavioral supports to help address the effects of community and school violence
  3. Implementing an evidence-based school-wide SEL curriculum with conflict resolution and culturally-responsive learning strategies that promote a safer and improved school environment, and
  4. Improving the quality of family engagement with community-based organizations.

The Newark Board of Education Receives $1.9M from the US Department of Education for the Supportive Schools Newark Project Mental Health Service Professional Grant

[NEWARK, New Jersey, October 25, 2019] The Newark Board of Education (NBOE), the largest school district in New Jersey, was awarded $1.9M for Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant from the US Department of Education for the Supportive Schools Newark project.

Supportive Schools Newark is a partnership between the NBOE and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metro Campus (FDU) to create a pipeline of school psychologists for high needs schools and increase capacity to effectively address the mental health needs of youth who have experienced trauma. Graduate students from the FDU Program will complete a practicum and internship requirements in one of six demonstration K-8 schools, impacting approximately 4,300 students. The goals of Supportive Schools Newark are:

  1. To significantly increase the number of school psychology graduate trainees who are well prepared to provide mental health services in high needs schools and pursue employment in such schools following graduation through high-quality practicum and internship training opportunities.
  2. To increase the capacity of the NBOE to effectively educate students who have been impacted by trauma and/or traumatic stress by establishing six demonstration schools. These schools will serve as models for the district in the implementation of trauma-informed care and tiered systems of mental health support.

“Winning this grant is incredibly important to the District and we are honored to have been chosen,” said Superintendent León. He continued, “This grant will enable the district to continue the process of creating trauma informed schools that are truly needed.”

Ultimately, Supportive Schools Newark will make a significant contribution to the community of Newark by creating a pipeline of school psychologists that will enhance mental health supports and increase sensitivity to trauma in schools.