Through our partnership with Scholastic and My Very Own Library, a program funded through the Foundation for Newark’s Future, 50 students from Quitman Street Community school were invited to attend a live Webcast with Grammy winning artist, Usher. During the event, Usher spoke to students about how kids can open up a world of possibilities, encouraged students to read and take action, and performed his song “Without You”. Two of our students, 6th grader Saiah Tagoe, and 7th grader Elijah Pollas were selected to ask questions to Usher during the live event. It was truly a once in a lifetime, inspiring experience for our students!
Schools
Quitman Street School: Top 100 Schools Worth Visiting
Gettingsmart.com cited Quitman Street School as one of its “100 Schools Worth Visiting” due to its incredible efforts in blended learning. Going far beyond simply using smart boards, blended learning is built into the schedule of each of the students at Quitman. According to Quitman Street Principal Erskine Glover, “Blended learning is not just something that we’re toying with here. Blended learning is our mindset.” The blended learning approach is incorporated in the teaching of Math, Language Arts and Science. Students receive at least 80-100 minutes of blended instruction every day.
The use of technology engages the students enabling them to be active participants in their own learning while simultaneously providing differentiated instruction. Quitman Street administrators chose to partner with Education Elements, Core Knowledge and Expeditionary Learning in part because of the extensive student performance data that is provided to educators. Glover shared a not atypical experience of one of his 5th grade teachers who runs reports on the weekend and uses the data immediately to individually tailor the instruction that each of the students receives.
Gone are the days of extended periods of lecturing. Within a 2-hour educational block, whole-group, teacher-led instruction may account for 20-25 minutes with small group, interactive and personalized instruction accounting for the remaining 80-100 minutes of instruction.
Of all the computer applications offered at Quitman, student favorites include Achieve3000, a language-arts activity, and FastMath. What the faculty and administration at Quitman are proving is that blended learning works. Engaging the students with a structured blended approach reaps rich educational dividends.
Newark Debater Selected for USA National Debate Team!
Senior Science Park High School debater SunHee Simon has been selected as one of twelve students to compete on the USA National debate team. The executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association when commenting on the team said, “The students who were selected to USA Debate represent the most talented student debaters across the country. These students truly are the best of the best and we are thrilled to have the represent our organization on the global stage”. The team will be coached by both Aaron Timmons, director of speech and debate at the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, and by Dr. Alfred Snider, director of debate at University of Vermont.
Newark Public Schools Senior SunHee Simon Selected to Represent the US on the National High School Debate Team
October 15 – Newark Public Schools high school senior Sunhee Simon was chosen from among thousands of debaters across the United States to become an official member of the USA National Debate Team. Sunhee is one of 12 students from across the United States selected to compete against other national teams from around the world. Newark Public Schools’ debate programs have consistently been recognized as some of the best in the United States. We are delighted at this incredible milestone in Newark’s 34 year history of competitive academic debate.
The executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association commented, “The students who were selected to the USA Debate Team represent the most talented student debaters across the country. These students truly are the best of the best and we are thrilled to have them represent our organization on the global stage”. The team will be coached by both Aaron Timmons, director of speech and debate at the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, and by Dr. Alfred Snider, director of debate at the University of Vermont.
Simon made history twice during the month of September. First, she was chosen to be a member of the national team. Then, SunHee went undefeated at the Greenhill School National Debate Tournament in Dallas, Texas to win Science Park’s first National Tournament since 1992.
SunHee responded to the news of her selection, “When I found out I was going to be on the USA debate team, I was extremely excited. The prospect of representing my country in an activity that I love is amazing in and of itself, but I knew that this would impact my community. When applying, I was adamant in showing that I not only want to represent my country, but my city. Newark has empowered me and shaped me into a talented young woman and I want the world-and even those within my community—to feel the same about young people from Newark. Debate is an activity that can change lives and through World’s Debate, I am able to display that on a macro-level. It’s truly an honor.”
The USA debate team will compete against teams across the world, with over 65 different countries participating in the Worlds Debating Championship since its inception in 1988. The USA debate team does a format of debate called “worlds schools debate”. According to the National Speech and Debate Association, “World Schools Debate is a unique and dynamic form of debate, unlike any other practiced in the United States. World Schools Debate features a dynamic format combining the concepts of “prepared” topics with “impromptu” topics, encouraging debaters to focus on specified issues rather than debate theory or procedural arguments. This highly interactive style of debate allows debaters to engage each other, even during speeches. This challenging format requires good teamwork and in-depth quality argumentation.”
SunHee will be traveling to Germany in November for her first official competition. The team will then head to New Orleans, followed by an event in Slovenia. The national team will finish their travels at the World Championships in Singapore in July. In the interim, SunHee will continue traveling across the country representing Science Park High School at local, regional, and national tournaments.
SunHee is a member of Science Park’s International Baccalaureate program where she maintains a 4.6 grade point average. She is applying to Stanford and hopes to debate for them next fall. Our hats are off to Simon as she represents Newark, New Jersey and the nation.
NBA Denver Nuggets Player Kenneth Faried Visits His Alma Mater Technology High School
NBA Denver Nuggets and Team USA player, Kenneth Faried recently surprised the students of his alma mater, Technology High School.
He took a trip down memory lane while offering words of inspiration and autographs for all.
Video from www.nba.com/inside-stuff
NPS Gets District-wide Arts Grant, Teachers Get Creative
Newark Public Schools has the distinction of being the first district-wide arts education applicant to be funded by the New Jersey Arts in Education grant cycle for 2014-15. This state-wide competitive process included applications on behalf of 4 NPS school sites, 3 of which were approved for funding, and the 4th remains in the pool of professional development opportunities. The sites are Brick Peshine and Sussex Avenue Schools for full residency support, Camden School for professional development support, and Arts High School for full residency support. This is exciting news for the District as it moves forward on its Arts Education plan to serve all schools in the visual and performing arts.
Last week, NPS teachers Nelson Alvarez (Visual Arts Teacher, Sussex Avenue), Claudia Cano (Kindergarten Teacher, Sussex Avenue), Davis Hannah (Visual Arts Teacher, Brick Peshine) and Joseph Itkor (Band Director, Arts High) joined dozens of their colleagues from across the state for a workshop at William Patterson University’s Artist/Teacher Institute. The program is one of many summer workshops and seminars offered to encourage teachers to acquire new skills, expand their lesson plans and explore their own talents and creativity. These high caliber experiences elevate the skills, exposure and professionalism of arts and classroom teachers, and directly impact the quality of arts instruction for students at NPS.
Additionally, NPS teachers Nikkia Neal (Dance Teacher, Brick Peshine), Michele Narov (3rd Grade Teacher, Camden Street), Vanessa Graves Foster (Kindergarten Teacher, Brick Peshine) and Amanda Orzechowski, (6th Grade Math Teacher, Brick Peshine) are scheduled to attend another aTi session at Stockton College from 7/27-8/2.
Star-Ledger: N.J. teachers become students in summer to improve next year’s classes
Photos Credit: Ed Murray of the Star-Ledger