Friday, October 25, 2013

WHS Staff News 10/25/13

Photo credit Michael Markman, student (WHS Photography Club Member) 

 I am happy to report that the Waldwick High School's 80/20 model (Personal Growth Time) will begin starting Monday.   I only made arrangements for the teachers that submitted the Google form.  If you are still interested please see me.   Let the learning begin!!

 Are we READY?
Over the last two weeks I have attended a few workshops related to Common Core and PARCC .  As I sat through the presentations, I started to question whether or not we were ready.   I later spoke with Dianna and Amy (who were also at some of the same workshops) about what we have done as a school to prepare our teachers and students for what is a really big change.   Let me ask you these questions:

  • If you are teaching the same way you were teaching five years ago or even two years ago, are you ready?
  • Do you think the Common Core only applies to Math and LAL?  
  • Have you looked at some of the sample PARCC questions? 
Have you checked out these sample Math problems - Prototype PARCC Questions Math 
Have you checked out Grade 10 ELA/Literacy - Prototype PARCC questions ELA/Literacy
  • Are we (Admin Team) doing enough to prepare you for this change?  Are you doing enough?
  • Are you hoping this is just going to go away?   
  • Did you know that the SAT's and AP exams will be aligning with the new Common Core standards?
I know we can do better and that starts with support and resources provided by the 
administrative team.  It also takes a willingness to embrace change, take risks and get out of our comfort zone.  The support is coming, and more information will be provided in the near future.  
I ask all of you to consider your answers to the questions above and honestly self-reflect: are you ready, have you adjusted your teaching, are you teaching to the Common Core?  When you write your lesson plans for next week and you find yourself writing the same things you did last year, that's a problem!   In the end, if you don't change your teaching style to align with the Common Core, you will not be considered a effective teacher!  That's the honest truth.  
If you find yourself stuck don’t hesitate to come and talk with me so I can share with you some examples other schools are doing for your content area or we can find them together if I don’t know.

PD Hours - As a reminder, beginning this school year all certified staff members need to complete 20 hours of professional development.  Mr. Puglise has created a new excel spreadsheet to help track your hours.  As in the past this form will need to be completed and handed in to your supervisor as part of the end of year evaluation.  You will need to hand in the summary sheet and the current school year sheet.  Paul will be emailing everyone the form and also putting it on one of the drives.  

Looking Back 


 Sorry for the short notice on the active shooter drill presentation.  I thought I had posted that date earlier but later realized I never did.   

 Digital Citizenship Week - Thank you Ms. Hummel for organizing and blogging about the importance of positive online behavior.  The hashtag #sincerewhs was a huge success!  If you have not checked out Ms. Hummel Blog you are missing out.  - Waldwick Media Center Blog 

Looking Forward 


 10/29 - The Epilepsy Foundation is presenting a program regarding seizures on Tuesday, October 29. Due to the fact that we have several students with this issue, this is a MANDATORY meeting for all staff.  This presentation will be held in the Little Theater at 3:10.

 11/13 Learning & Collaborating Time - We will be meeting as a group for about twenty/thirty minutes.  Then the rest of the time will be for your own growth time.  

 11/14 - Eighth Grade Open House (Save the date).  I plan on asking the 8th grade parents "What are they looking for on that night" and trying to build our program around their thoughts. More to come on this.     

Professional Development 


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Monday, October 21, 2013

WHS Staff News 10/21/13


Picture credit to Mr. Opderbeck 
Fall is in the air!!  

 It’s been two weeks since my last post here, which I am not happy about.  I always try to be positive, upbeat, focused on learning and making WHS the best place it can be.  I have to admit to you that the month of September really beat me up and I lost my focus.  With all the new educational initiatives we are dealing with (New Evaluation Model, Achieve NJ, Common Core, SGO’s, preparing for the PARC, just to mention a few) I found myself overwhelmed and not sure how to prioritize what to do next.  

It took some time and plenty of self-reflection but I feel like I am in a better place now and things are becoming clearer and more manageable.   I can’t control what the US Dept of Education and NJ Dept of Education puts on my plate, and I’m sure there will be more really soon.  However I can control my attitude, the passion I have for learning and my commitment to making Waldwick High School an amazing place for my staff and my students. 

I suspect I’m not the only one feeling this way.  I want you know you are not alone and together we will work through this and find ways to make this shift in education into something positive.  Change is never easy but I do believe some of these changes were needed and will have positive results for our students.

Thank you for your professionalism and commitment to the students of WHS.       

Looking Back

What a week!  Fall Spirit Week 2013 was huge success.  Thanks to all the teachers and staff members that participated.  Ms. Ruch and the members of the Student Council did a great job with the Pep Rally.  

Looking Forward

10/22 - The Waldwick Police Dept will be presenting to the entire staff a video created by the Bergen County Prosecutors Office reviewing school safety procedures.   This is a MANDATORY meeting for all staff.  This presentation will be held in the Little Theater at 3:10.
10/29 - The Epilepsy Foundation is presenting a program regarding seizures on Tuesday, October 29. Due to the fact that we have several students with this issue, this is a MANDATORY meeting for all staff.  This presentation will be held in the Little Theater at 3:10.

Twitter/Blog Posts

Commended Students 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program  

Professional Development


Below are two videos that were shown on Saturday at the Escape Conference during the keynote by George Couros ( @gcouros ).    For me the two videos send a great message about the importance of our attitude, taking risks and passion!!  Don't take this wrong but "Be more Dog"!  #ownit


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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Highlights 9/30/13

Thanks for putting on a great back to school night!  I heard a lot of positive comments coming from the parents last Thursday night.   Thanks for always going above and beyond. 

Our next Learning and Collaborating time is scheduled for Tuesday, October 2
At 3:10 in the Media Center I will be presenting Tips & Tricks for using Twitter as a communication tool.  I have had a few teachers ask me for help so stop by if you have any questions or just want to learn. 

October 9 Professional Day - 1:30 - 4pm
All classroom teachers will be working on their SGO's (Dept. Supervisors will be providing specific details)
Guidance Counselors & SAC will be working on their Evaluation Model w/ Mr. Carroll
Teachers Aides - Email will be coming from Ms. Wilson with specific details

Week of Respect - October 7 - 11 (What's Planned)
During HR on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday we will be showing the videos below. 
HR teachers please hand out orange bracelets - "Take a Stand @ WHS"
10/7 - It is okay if you're gay .... Stop Bullying Now! (7:45 min Video)
10/8 - Kevin Breel: Confessions of a Depressed Comic (11 min Video) 
10/9 - Bullying PSA via Warrior Broadcast Center (1:36 min Video) 
10/10 - Assembly for Blue Print Class period 9  
10/11 - Orange Day for all staff & students
Assembly Program  9:02 to 9:49 ( 9th and 10th) 9:49 to 10:33 ( 11th and 12th)


 School Violence Awareness Week - October 21 -25 
More details to follow

Blog Posts from The WHS Principal's Blog & more

50 years through pictures @ WHS
AP Scholar Awards - Great List of WHS Students

The Echo - Ms. Lentino and The Echo staff have been very busy over the past three weeks.  They have posted some great articles on The Echo Blog. 

PD Resources: 

Edscape Conference  @ New Milford High School on Saturday, October 19, 2013
This year's conference will be held on Saturday, October 19, at New Milford High School (NJ).  Registration is only $35 for a superb keynote (George Couros) and 2 featured speakers (StevenAnderson, ShellyTerrell), 60 concurrent sessions, breakfast/lunch, and giveaways.  

Blog posts that made me think/reflect :

My Connected Educator Interview via Tom Whitby ( @Tomwhitby ) Blog My Island View.  

5 Obsolete Practices and Ways of Doing School We Need to Abandon via John Robinson      ( @21stprincipal ) Blog The 21st Century Principal 

Some tweets from the past week: 



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Friday, September 20, 2013

Highlights 9/20/13

School News:

  • Congratulations to Mrs. Kish on the announcement of her pregnancy.  Best of luck to the future parents Danielle and Andor.
  • Ted Opderbeck was honored with a 2012-2013 Gold Star Teacher Award.  Teachers receiving this award achieved a 90% pass rate (in a class with at least 10 students) on the w!se Financial Literacy Certification Test.  Gold Star Teachers will be honored at w!se’s annual Money POWER Conference for Financial Literacy in New York City, on Tuesday, November 5.
  • Waldwick High School will also be honored at the MoneyPOWER Conference for excellence in Financial Literacy.  Read more about the Blue Star School Award for Waldwick High School
  • The Dip-Off will take place Wednesday, September 25th after school.  Again, you do not need to be present at the dip-off if you plan on preparing a dip.  Mrs. Bimbi will be in the cafeteria before school the morning of the 25th to accept and store your dips until the afternoon.
  • The Waldwick High School newspaper will be publishing a "Guess Who" section in the first issue. The staff writers would like to include a photograph of each teacher or staff member when he/she was young, this way the students can guess who is in the photo. The answers will then be posted a week after the paper is published.
    If you are interested in participating, please e-mail your photograph to waldwickecho@gmail.com. Please send all photographs by the end of next week. You can either scan the photo into the computer or you can take a picture of it on your cell phone.
50th Anniversary
Waldwick High School is celebrating its 5oth Anniversary.  We have a week long celebration planned for the week of October 14.  All the details can be found here - WHS 5oth Anniversary

School Safety
Over the past week, staff members and I have been noticing doors propped open with sticks/rocks/door stops/etc.  Please do not prop doors open.  If you see doors open please close them.  If you see students doing this, please speak with them or send them to me. 
Please remind students not to open doors for anyone, let the Main Office buzz them in. 
   
Back to School Night - Thursday, September 26
All staff please report by 6:30pm
Make a Great First Impression - classroom, presentation, appearance
Class overview/Technology in use
Talk with parents about: expectations, accountability, ways to communicate  
Back to School Night Bell Schedule

Classroom Observations
The Administrative Team has been busy over the first two weeks of school getting into classrooms and having open and honest conversations with teachers related to instruction & strategies.  As of this morning, the administrative team completed over 40 observations.  

Personal Growth Time @ WHS
At this point, everyone has read or heard me speak about the Personal Growth Time @ WHS (Google 80/20 model).   At this point I need to finalize the list so I can change duty assignments.  If you are interested in taking part, please fill out the Google form by Friday, September 27. 

Professional Development

Upcoming Local Conferences

Edscape Conference  @ New Milford High School on Saturday, October 19, 2013
This year's conference will be held on Saturday, October 19, at New Milford High School (NJ).  Registration is only $35 for a superb keynote (George Couros) and 2 featured speakers (StevenAnderson, ShellyTerrell), 60 concurrent sessions, breakfast/lunch, and giveaways.  It would be great to see as many WHS staff at the conference as possible.   

EdcampNJ @ Linwood Middle School, North Brunswick Twp on Saturday, November 23, 2013  Registration is open.  If you are interested, please go online and reserve your spot.  Did I mention its FREE. 

Blog posts that made me think/reflect: 


Twitter/Blog Posts

Staying Connected to WHS News

WHS 50th Anniversary
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Sunday, September 8, 2013

New Staff @ WHS 2013-2014 SY

We have three new staff members joining the WHS staff this year.  I know all three are going to be great additions.  Below are three blog posts introducing Ms. Lentino, Ms. Fernicola and Mr. Freeman.  



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Thursday, September 5, 2013

13-14 SY Opening Day Presentation

My 2013-2014 kickoff presentation to my staff.  

 Have a great first day and make the best first impression ever. #ownit



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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Welcome Back Letter/Info 2013 School Year

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail"
Ralph Waldo Emerson 


Hopefully, everyone is having a relaxing summer and is recharging for the upcoming school year.   A new school year presents opportunities for various beginnings – new classes, new faces, sometimes new courses and new challenges.   Starting a new year gives us the opportunity to make new plans, design new strategies and implement new ideas. 


Together we have created something special here at Waldwick High School and that only happens with commitment and sacrifice.  I know how hard you work and I have the utmost respect for what you do as educators.   Just like in life, there is always something we can improve upon or learn something new to make us better. I ask you to embrace challenges, take risks and set professional and personal goals for yourself to keep you focused on being the best you can be.      

Last year in my welcome back letter to all of you I mentioned the educational landscape in New Jersey is changing and with those changes brought greater accountability for all of us.  I believe an increase in accountability can only help us as individual’s, grow as educators and in turn, our students should benefit as well.  I will continue to reinforce to all of you - do not stress over the new observations and/or the SGO’s.  If you hold yourself accountable to teaching every lesson the best you can, work on areas you think you could become better at, be open to feedback or recommendations to help you grow as an educator, then this new evaluation process will be something you will embrace, not fear. 

Earlier in the summer I wrote a blog post regarding Professional Growth Time @ WHS which I hope you had a chance to read.  In that post I set a deadline of August 9 to signup if you were interested but I have decided to extend that deadline and will be speaking more about the PGT model when I see you on September 4.   

We have three new staff members joining us this year who I know are going to be strong additions to the Waldwick High School staff.  They are:

  • Amanda Fernicola  – Social Studies Teacher
  • Daniel Freeman – Social Studies Teacher
  • Amanda Lentino – Language Arts Teacher
Let me update you on a few changes that have taken place over the summer. 

  • The boilers (which were original) have been replaced. Not the most exciting project but something that was needed.
  • The following rooms were painted:  139, 140, 141, 142, 144 and 501
  • The BOE will be moving forward on a renovation project for the HS Gym which will include: New bleachers and a new paint design for the gym floor.  Completion date is TBA. 
Your Genesis Gradebook is available to view your class lists.  

Below are two links you will need to click on and fill out the information required.  Each form should take you less than two minutes to fill out.   This needs to be done prior to the start of school.
The first link asks for your automobile information and the second link is for your personal information.  Once you fill out the form make sure you hit the submit button.

Registration of Automobile                                      Personnel Records

Important Links/Resources

WHS Faculty Manual - It is also available on Google Drive under the WHS Staff Resources Folder.  (For new staff I will show/explain the Google Drive Folder when I see on August 28).     

Laptop Cart Sign-out sheet  - This Google form will be used to signup for the laptops throughout the school year. 

Parent/Student Handbook 
Please have your staff webpages updated by September 6 for the first day of class. 

Important BOE Policies and other documents – will be posted later in the summer.

Students will report on Friday, September 6, 2013, for their first day of school. This will be a full day schedule, with a modified bell schedule. 

NOTE: 
Back to School Night - Thursday, September 26, 2013
September Faculty Meeting Learning & Collaborating Time
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 @ 3:10pm

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you on September 4, 2013.

 (I am off to Ireland today and will be disconnecting, powering down, not tweeting/blogging for the next 10 days.   Well, at least I am going to try)

Agenda for September 4 & 5:

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