2,000 East Side High School Students are 2^nd Installment of 15,000 Distribution

Audible Founder Don Katz, Superintendent Robert Gregory, Mayor Ras J. Baraka Speak

 

Newark NJ – February23, 2018 – Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of digital spoken-word entertainment, is giving all ~15,000 Newark high school students and teachers a year of Audible membership, including 12 credits to download and own any of the 400,000+ titles in Audible’s unparalleled library of digital audiobooks and other educational programming. On Thursday, Audible hosted an event at East Side High School to distribute tablets and Audible memberships to ~2,000 students, with remarks by Audible Founder and CEO Don Katz, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Interim NPS Superintendent A. Robert Gregory, and East Side High School Principal Dr. Mario Santos.

The effort honors Newark and its students’ transformational impact on Audible, as the company marks the 20^th anniversary of its digital service and its 10^th anniversary in Newark.

The Audible “Project Listen Up!” initiative, launched in late November with an event at Technology High School, has expanded in 2018 with distribution events at district and public charter high schools across Newark. The initiative provides all participants with an enhanced Audible membership experience that includes a free bundle of 150+ “recommended reading” titles identified by Newark educators and Audible experts. Audible is also collaborating with NPS to incorporate spoken-word content into the district’s curriculum. To make use of the free Audible memberships, each Newark student and teacher will receive a free Amazon Fire 7-inch 8GB tablet with Alexa and headphones. Students and teachers will keep the content, tablets, and headphones even after their free membership ends.

Interim Superintendent Robert Gregory said, “This is an extraordinary time for Newark Public School students and for the City of Newark.” This transformational gift puts education at the fingertips of our students, and puts them a step closer to having the tools to succeed in this global economy.”

Among the scientifically verified benefits of the power of listening to literature for developing readers are:

• Audiobooks teach critical listening, increase vocabulary, and build foundational skills for listening, speaking, and writing.
• Learning to listen at a high level is a predictor of learning to read at a high level.
• Listening has been shown to improve students’ enjoyment of and interest in literature.
• Listening significantly helps struggling readers to better understand text, helping them learn more effectively and lifting their reading comprehension.

Audible experts will be available throughout the distribution process to provide “white glove” support to all students and teachers in activating their memberships and accessing their free content, and to make recommendations.

For more information on Audible’s “Project Listen Up,” please visit www.audible.com/projectlistenup.

[NEWARK, NJ – February 23, 2018] The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) just released a report that finds Newark Public School has done a superb job in recent years providing nutrition to students. The report highlights in particular the work done to provide breakfast to the majority of students. Below are some findings from the Feb. 2018 report, which can be found here.

“I want to thank The Food Research & Action Center for recognizing our breakfast program in Newark,” said Interim Superintendent Robert Gregory. “I commend our leadership team, as well as the staff and aides who help prepare and ensure our students begin every day with a healthy meal. There is a direct correlation between learning and nutrition and we want to be sure to continue to give our students every opportunity possible to have a great academic experience.”

Newark Public Schools (NPS) ranked fourth (out of more than 75 large districts surveyed) in the ratio of Free & Reduced-Price Students participating in the School Breakfast Program. A high rate of breakfast participation, 92 percent of children with low income participate in the breakfast program, earns NPS the title of “A Top-Performing School District.

NPS Business Administrator Valerie Wilson said, “Newark Public Schools has been a proud longtime supporter of Breakfast in the Classroom. Our school partners have always been strong advocates with us. We plan to actively continue contributing to academic achievement in Newark.”

NPS serves breakfast in all schools, following best practices, including serving breakfast “after the bell” and in classrooms, in 49 schools. According to FRAC, “Implementing an alternative service model that moves breakfast out of the cafeteria and makes it a part of the school day has proven to be the most successful strategy for schools to increase breakfast participation.” A nutritious morning meal ensures students are healthy and start the day prepared to engage in the curriculum. “Breakfast after the bell overcomes timing, convenience, and stigma barriers that get in the way of children participating in school breakfast and are even more impactful when they are combined with offering breakfast at no charge to all students,” according to the report.

Unlike many large school districts, NPS serves breakfast in all schools and makes it free to all students.

“The success of BIC in Newark is a direct outcome of the collaboration we have with principals, teachers and our facilities team, said Dr. Tonya McGill, Executive Director of Food Services. “Through this collaboration all students have access to a health nutritious breakfast every morning to help them along their academic journey towards success.”

By serving breakfast to the overwhelming majority of Newark students, the school district met the Food Research and Action Center’s goal to capitalize on federal reimbursements. “When school nutrition departments increase their federal reimbursements,” according to FRAC, “they are able to build stronger school breakfast and lunch programs that improved nutritional quality, are more appealing to students, and reduce plate waste.”

[Newark, NJ – February 23] Newark Public Schools will host a series of Community Meeting for public input on the search for the Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 6 – 8 p.m. at 5 locations.

The Newark Board of Education is beginning the process of searching for the first Superintendent of the Newark Public Schools to be hired under full local control. As one of the initial steps in the process, the search committee would like to seek input from the Newark community on the desired characteristics and skills that you would like to see in the next Superintendent.

A meeting will be held in each ward, simultaneously to allow parents, students and the community to easily access a meeting nearby. Meetings will be held at the following locations: Central High School in the Central Ward, Oliver Street School in the East Ward, First Avenue School in the North Ward, Belmont Runyon School in the South Ward and Speedway Academies in the West Ward.

You are also invited to complete a survey regarding the Superintendent’s Search. For more information about the meetings, click here or call us at 973-733-7333. Refreshments will be served at the meetings.

[NEWARK, NJ – February 12, 2018] Newark Public Schools Office of Family and Community Engagement will host the “Celebrating Health Living African American Health Fair,” in recognition of Black History Month on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Health Fair is being held at The TREC, 55 Ludlow Street, Newark.

The Health Fair is free and open to the public and will feature screenings and clinical information including dental, vision, breast health, preventive care, nutrition education, foot and ankle care and jazz and hip hop instruction from NJPAC. The jazz and hip hop instruction will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

In addition to the NPS Office of Family and Community Engagement, partners include Save Latin America, CarePoint Health, NJ Commission for the Blind, NJPAC, the Office of Congressman Payne, Susan G. Komen, YMCA Newark, Whole Foods, Colgate, Shani Baraka Women’s Center, Eyes Like Mine, and Clara Maass Medical Center.

Margarita Muniz, Executive Director of the Office of Family and Community Engagement said, “This special health fair is open to everyone. The fair will provide an opportunity to learn more about your health and provide an opportunity to have fun while exercising. It is our goal to connect families in the NPS network to resources and programs that promote healthy living.”

Free onside parking is available.

[Newark, NJ – February 12, 2018] Parents have until Friday to complete school enrollment for their child for the 2018 – 2019 school year. The Newark Enrolls application will close on Friday, February 16th. Families must complete an application if their child is in the last grade in their current school, their child will be enrolling in school for the first time, or if they are looking to attend a new school for Fall 2018.

The enrollment window has been open for 11 weeks to allow families to apply to the district or charter schools of their choice. Students will be assigned to the highest ranked choice available.

This year Newark Enrolls improved the enrollment process for Newark families this year by providing neighborhood preference for 100% of district elementary schools, focusing on keeping siblings in the same school, providing direct online access for parents to make enrollment changes through the Family Enrollment Portal, and closely reviewing school placements for students who require special services to ensure appropriate services are available. The district also incorporated feedback from parents and community members to make further improvements around how families actually directly interact and learn about the enrollment process.

Students in the last grade in their current school, enrolling in a school for the first time, or who want to enroll in a new school that best fits their needs should apply. As always, students who plan to remain at their current school DO NOT need to apply. More information is available at www.newarkenrolls.org, where a detailed School Guidebook is available.