The Source - Last post for 2013

Credit to K. Carroll

I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.  This upcoming twelve day break is well deserved!  These past four months have been stressful and full of a lot of change for all of us.   All of the new educational mandates will start to become part of our normal routines, but unfortunately, as we all know there will be more to come.   As I said back on September 3rd, if we focus on good instruction, professionalism and doing what's best for students, then all these new mandates (New Evaluation System, SGO's, AchieveNJ) will just be a formality.  

When we get back in January I ask all of you to again look in the mirror and ask yourself:

• Have I adjusted my teaching to meet the needs of the common core
• Am I teaching my students the right skills that will help them be successful
• Are my classes engaging?  Do students look forward to come to my class?  If not, why? What can I do to change that? 

Important dates: 
1/8/14 - Learning & Collaborating Time (We will be meeting) 
(All staff is required to attend.  Coaches... practices will not begin until 4pm)
1/20/14 - Professional Development Day (EdCamp Waldwick)


Staff News:

Baby Sal

Mrs. Olivo and her son, Sal Felice Olivo, are home and doing great. Let me officially welcome Sal to WarriorNation!! 


Filling in for Mrs. Olivo is a familiar face to Waldwick High School, Matt Jimenez.   Matt graduated WHS in 2007 and attended Montclair State University, where he studied Exercise Science and Physical Education.   

WHS Principal's Blog 

Recently I have been trying to use my Principal's Blog more as a communication tool and to highlight all of the great happenings going on at WHS.  I can only post what I hear about or what I see, so that's where I need your help.  You might not realize that many of you are doing amazing things in your classrooms or with your clubs and teams, but you are.  We need to share these highlights with the Waldwick community and the world.  You work so hard, be proud of what you are doing with your students and share.  Here is how you can help: 

SUBMITTING A POST

 

The Waldwick High School Blog exists to share information about our school, showcase the achievements of our students and staff and keep the community informed.  Your experiences are the content we are looking for.  Please help us share the great work and accomplishments of our students and staff by submitting posts. 

To make posting simple and efficient, please follow the guidelines below when submitting posts:

• Send text in the body of an email, in paragraph form, so that it may be copied easily.
• When referring to students or programs, identify them as being part of Waldwick High School.  For example, instead of “five basketball players” or “the Ski Club,” write “five Waldwick High School basketball players” or “the Waldwick High School Ski Club,” respectively.
• Write in the third person.
• Send pictures and images as an attachment.  Please do not embed them into word or .pdf documents.
• Name your pictures.  Search engines pick up image titles.
• Use complete dates (August 4, 2012 versus Aug. 4 or August 4 or August 4th).  The blog spans more than a year and searches may bring up posts from multiple years.
• Include flyers or posters as attachments (.pdf is best) if you would like them attached to the post; however, please do not send them as the post.
• Please check your spelling and grammar.
• Write the post as you would read it on the blog.  Avoid “Who:, What:, Where:” descriptions and opt instead for complete sentences.

I created a separate page on this blog regarding"Submitting a Blog Post" for you to refer to throughout the year.  

Again have a great break and Happy New Year!!  

Technology Update

First, I know how frustrated a lot of you are in regards to the technology here at the high school.  Right now you can't plan a lesson and have 100% confidence that the internet will work or that the laptops will connect.  We all agree that this is unacceptable.  
Last week there were a few meetings specifically related to technology and the issues we are experiencing.  Here's a quick summary:

Ms. Angelli presented to the District Administration and the Board of Education a complete technology upgrade.  The upgrade addresses all of the current technology issues within the district, as well as insures the district is ready for  PARCC.  Her proposal was almost $400,000 and would be part of the 2014-2015 school budget.  I'm not going to get into details about the plan, but I can assure you if everything gets done, we will be in great shape.  Right now this plan has the support of Dr. Raupers and all four Principals.  

That's next year.  What about the rest of this year here at the High School?  I meet with Dianna and Joel last week and we have some answers:

In the senior wing, new wireless access points have been installed, which will help with the issue of laptops not being able to connect.

The loss of internet at certain parts of the day has been fixed.  We were having issues with our filter, which has been resolved.  There should be no more 12:30 - 1:30 black outs.  

Laptop Cart 3 has been put down.  It gave us many years of joy, but its time has come.   The working computers from Carts 3 & 4 have been combined into Cart 4.  

We all have to do our part

To be very honest with you, I need some of you to look in the mirror!  They way we treat the laptops is totally unacceptable.  I have been talking about this for years.  Putting the computers back neatly, making sure they are plugged in, not leaving laptops in the classroom... I could go on and on.  Most of you have experienced opening the cart door and being discouraged with what you see.  The lack of respect and care is not only about the equipment, but for your fellow teachers! 

For this not to happen, you, the teacher, need to:  manage your classroom time, manage the students while they put the laptops away, assign two or three students to mange the cart, but you need to monitor them as well.  Dianna put out an email with some great suggestions that seem to help.  - Link to Dianna's email 

I also need to remind everyone that at the end of the day, you need to turn off the projectors. The projector bulbs don't grow on trees and are expensive.  Please remember to turn them off.  

Another issue related to technology has come to my attention - use of the Media Center Computer Lab.  Over the years we have never established clear expectations for the use of the Computer Lab, but I think its time.   It's great that so many teachers want to incorporate technology into their lessons, but everyone needs to have that opportunity. Starting in January, the Computer Lab will only be available for two consecutive days per teacher/period.  In addition, I want to see the lesson/activity you have planned for the  Computer Lab noted in your lesson plans.  It should be in bold type and in red.   If you are working on a big project that may require more than two days in the lab, email or see me and we will discuss the options.   This is something I discussed with multiple teachers and we all agree its fair; we have to start somewhere.  

I am working on a staff technology survey so the Administrative Team can get a better understanding of the needs, concerns, wants and strengths of the staff.   

I hope this information helps. Stay positive, stay focused and work to be better each and everyday.  #ownit

  

WHS Staff News - 11/1/13

Sunrise in Maine via Elizabeth Sullivan

As we come to end of the first marking period I hope everyone has been communicating with parents relating to academic struggles and more importantly, the positive things their children are doing in your classes.  As you post your final grades for MP 1, consider picking up the phone, typing out an email praising some of your students for their effort, commitment to their academics or maybe for their great personality.  Sometimes we forget that the little things can go a long way with students.  Positive and negative comments can have lasting effects that you, the teacher, might never know. 

Individual praise by a teacher can put a smile on a student's face and motivate them to go above and beyond for that teacher.  What teacher wouldn't want their students to go above and beyond for them.  

No feedback/lack of interest by a teacher can be perceived by a student as though, "that teacher doesn't like me, care about me or care if I pass or fail their class."  I hope no one wants to be thought of as that type of teacher! 

My suggestion is to take at least 44 minutes next week to communicate with parents.  Talk with parents about how their child is struggling and help them understand what they can do to help.  Also make some calls related to the students that are working hard and putting in a great effort.   Take time in class to praise students for being great.  #ownit 

Looking Back

• Halloween was a success.  Thanks to all the staff members that were dressed in costume yesterday! Check out my Halloween post that has pictures of the winners from each category and more pictures from the day on the WHS Instagram account. Blog Post - Halloween Pictures 2013 

Looking Forward

• Next week is a short week with a minimum day on Tuesday and no school Thursday and Friday.
• Marking Period 1 ends on Wednesday, November 6.  Jackie will be sending an email out with important grade reporting information.  
• Very busy week coming up for our Fall Athletes.  The state playoffs will begin on Monday and every fall team qualified.  Congratulations to the coaches and players for all your hard work and dedication.  More details on games/times will be posted Sunday night on the WHS Principal's Blog.  
• Remember its "Movember " 

PD Resources 

Kimberly Tyson ( @tysonkimberly ) the author of the blog learningunlimitedllc.com recently wrote a two part series on "How to Select and Teach Academic Vocabulary at the Secondary Level. "  An informative read for all subject area teachers.

Post 1 of 2 - How to Select and Teach Academic Vocabulary at the Secondary Level 
Post 2 of 2 - How to Select and Teach Academic Vocabulary at the Secondary Level 


Just for Fun
If you need a god laugh take a look at this video from the @TheEllenShow Watch their face as they get scared.

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 

Must watch - #edscape keynote by @gcouros via @TeacherCast http://t.co/kb8qgfRv0J Thanks @NMHS_Principal for a great conf #cpchat #njed
— Kevin Carroll (@WHS_Principal) October 23, 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

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: 

Starting off our year-long picture sharing of the 50 years of WHS #WHS50 Class of '66 class ring 1st graduating class pic.twitter.com/GRanGX3RY6
— Waldwick High School (@WaldwickWHS) September 26, 2013

The 1999-2000 Boys Basketball Team North 1 Group 1 State Champs 24-4 record #WHS50 pic.twitter.com/exOfwzz7Kb
— Waldwick High School (@WaldwickWHS) September 27, 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: 

• I Used to think.... by Josh Stumpenhorst ( @stumpteacher ) Blog - Stump The Teacher 
• 5 misconceptions about professional learning .. by Edna Sackson ( @whatedsaid )  Blog - What Ed Said
• Summarizing the day with Pic Collage by Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne ) Blog - Android 4 Schools 

Twitter/Blog Posts

Staying Connected to WHS News

WHS 50th Anniversary

@WaldwickWHS earns national recognition for excellence in Financial Literacy http://t.co/e005lo8B2c #ownit pic.twitter.com/RxE42LFo9X
— Kevin Carroll (@WHS_Principal) September 12, 2013