4/22/19

WELCOME BACK!  I hope you all either did something fantastic or did nothing and enjoyed resting over the past week!

A few things...

Final Exams
I have confirmation from Dr. Parent that we can use either Canvas or Google Classroom for the final exams.  If you are not proficient in using the new test-lock feature on Google Classroom, we have a few staff members who can assist.  Let me know and I will arrange a time for you to sit with them. 

Document Logs
Dr. Parent has just confirmed the date for Doc Log submission - May 17th.


PLC Certificates
I decided to make certificates for you for your Team Meeting Hours so that you can upload them to MyLearningPlan.  Stop by my office and pick them up!

Historical PD in Document Logs...

The "universal" Professional Development that we all usually get from September needs to be entered into your document logs.  In the past, it was done for us, but this year, we will need to enter it individually.  

How you enter them depends on what you did on those days.  The options from September 21st are listed below. 

Session 1
8:30 am - 12:00 pm             These hours reflect grade-level team activities such as PARCC 
                                                 Data Review, Curriculum Review, and Assessment Design 
                                                 collaboration...

Session 2
1:15pm - 3:00 pm                 WebEx for Instruction, Review of IEP Goals and objectives 
                                                 (offered to some SN teachers), and continued team activities as 
                                                 listed in the first session.        

This totals 5 1/2 hours for the day.  Enter this into the "historical PD record" form in MyLearningPlan and I will approve them.  There are no certificates that will be issued for these hours. 


HOURS FOR 4/23

You also need to enter 2 hours from 4/23.  Enter those as Team Activities and add the details of what your team covered in the description box.  


Affirmative Action 

Reminder, our annual district-wide Affirmative Action Training will take place next Wednesday, April 24^th, 2019 from 1:30pm – 3:30pm in the Auditorium.  All district employees are required to attend.  If you cannot attend for any reason, then you must notify Dr. Sabbath via email and copy me and Gail McGeady.  There will be a make-up session, after the school day, in mid-May for anyone who can attend the April training. 

To have your PD hours show up for approval in MLP and in your documentation log, use the enrolment link posted below.  Upon verification of attendance (by signing in for the seminar), your hours will be approved.

Affirmative Action-HIB Seminar/Workshop

SENIOR OBLIGATIONS

On Friday morning (4/26) the following email will be sent to the attached list of seniors who have an outstanding obligation to the district.  There is nothing for you to do on your end other than to reiterate that we are no longer accepting cash, checks, or money orders for obligations.  

This same process will be used for all underclassmen, too.  The goal is to have nearly every family on K12 Payment for lunch payments, district obligations, and other future uses.

Be advised – I automatically remove locks, ID, and library fines from the obligations list.  I am not holding a diploma hostage for $4.00 or $5.00.

Dear <<First Name>>,

According to school records, you have one or more outstanding obligations due to the district.  As you are aware, all obligations must be paid in full prior to graduation on June 21.  Any graduating senior with outstanding obligations will not receive their diploma on graduation night.

In order to pay your obligation(s) follow these steps:

1.      Go to K12 Payment Center

2.      If you or your parent(s) do not have an account set up, you or your parent(s) must create an account

3.      Your obligation fee and what the fee is for will be visible

4.      Pay your obligation via credit card or debit card

5.      Retain the email receipt that is sent to you

Be informed that we will not be accepting any cash, check, or money order transactions for obligations due.  All obligations must be paid via K12 Payment Center.

Team Activities Schedule for 4/23/19

After lunch today, you will be working in your teams on finalizing final exams, doc logs, summer reading, curriculum review, etc…  You can decide what you need to work on.  I will come around with an attendance sheet so let me know if you will not be in the rooms listed below…

*The English I curriculum is approved for revision.  Team members are to communicate with Melissa Delucca regarding a “wish list” or suggested changes…

Also, All Freshmen teachers will be using the IXL program next year for skills development, reinforcement, and remediation.  There is a certain amount of functions available to teachers through the free version.  I suggest you log in and begin to familiarize yourself with the program.  Christina Alexander can brief you on the IXL workshop she attended, but we will have further instruction during PD days in September in conjunction with the Math teachers.   We will also have workshops in lieu of department meetings as well.  We are not yet sure when our Pro subscription will begin.  There are free webinars that are very helpful that you can watch as well…

Rooms for PD

Room               Team

218                  English I

219                  Honors

220                  English IV

221                  English II

222                  SN

223                  English III

112                  Senior AP/Honors      

Teams

English I

Christina A.

Melissa D.

Gregg

Vincenza

Vanessa

Ramos

STEM - with English I team

Regina

Ellen

Jerzy

English II

Jim

Rosybel

Patrick

Francisco

Jacyln

English III

Ashley

Nicole S.

Christian

Bernadette

English IV

Genevieve

Christie L.

Lisa

Frank

Melissa S.

SN – can float with grade level teams as well…

Christine S.

Jenna

Kebra

Cayleen

Anthony

Renee

Fatima

English Honors & AP Lang

Laura

Nicole F.

Meghan (can float to ELA II)

Kim

Brian

Senior Honors and AP

Bob

Stephanie

Dave

4/8/19

FACULTY MEETING REMINDER 

Faculty Meeting - Tuesday 4/9 in the auditorium (PARCC training session)

PLCs - Thursday - April 11th 

Mandatory PARCC training will be offered on April 9^{th -} at the faculty meeting...  If you miss that meeting, you still have 4 other opportunities.  

• April 10^th period 9 or 3:15pm - auditorium
• April 11^th period 9 or 3:15pm  - auditorium. 
• Everyone must attend one of these sessions - please adjust schedules around clubs and sports...

PARCC Assignments - this form lists the PARCC testing assignments

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LFEYPHHra-2nVbNeoXNcOYBY9efWFjLLCcLw_FWV6K4/edit?usp=sharing

PARCC Testing Days

There is no zero period on testing days.  The 25th is the actual half day for teachers...


ATTENTION ALL FRESHMEN INSTRUCTORS!

Please make sure you make it clear to all Grade 9 students that we WILL BE USING THE PARCC 9 scores for future placement.  

Please impress upon them that the test matters and that they should do their best.  

Please remind them every day if needed!




Graduation
Graduation is set for Friday, June 21. The volunteer form is now posted. All responses are due by May 30, 2019.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfLnNeatAMf4oz80feNKI28koABl2q7N8tVvPwHPqeKAIed7g/viewform


Final Exams

Please submit final copies of Final Exams for all Grade Levels by May 15 for review.  Some slots were not filled in on the spreadsheet, so please coordinate with your teams to determine who is responsible for submitting the exam.  

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JaCZn1Wm2WPYeQgRHaMuc8edQboRn0MiZng2OTLMiAk/edit#gid=0



Important Reminders:

Important Phone numbers

▪ 311 for any emergency or security need
▪ 4260 for suspicion of a student being under the influence

Child Abuse Reporting

▪ You must call, not an administrator, nurse, SAC counselor or others.
▪ Jurisdiction police must be called and notified of the report.
▪ Reporting form must be handed into the Principal - Here is a link to the form"

https://sites.google.com/site/pctiprofessionalportal/emergency-information

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

DCPP (formerly known as DYFS)

1-877-NJABUSE

1-877-652-2873

Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office

Child Abuse Disclosure

Do's & Don'ts

PASSAIC COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE’S PROTOCOL

TO BE FOLLOWED WHERE ANY PERSON IN A SCHOOL

HAS REASONABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT A CHILD HAS BEEN ABUSED OR NEGLECTED

WHAT TO DO:

• CONTACT THE DIVISION OF CHILD PROTECTION AND PERMANENCY (DCPP) IMMEDIATELY ALWAYS AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION

DCPP State Central Registry

1-877-NJABUSE

1-877-652-2873

• DO Contact the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office (PCPO) Special Victims Unit (SVU) in addition to the legal requirement to contact DCPP. 
• Call (973) 837-7680. You must speak to an actual person to make a report. VOICEMAIL MESSAGES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AS A REPORT. 
• You may also directly contact Bilingual Child Interview Specialist Giselle Henriquez (973) 837-7650, Joanne Hatt, R.N. (973) 837-7652, SVU Sergeant James Stolz (973) 837-7736 or Chief Assistant Prosecutor Christopher R. Freid (973) 837-7639.
• DO Comfort and reassure the child, if appropriate, that the child was correct to disclose the abuse.
• DO Arrange for immediate mental health intervention, if needed, in cases of extreme distress upon the disclosure of abuse.
• DO Make notes or otherwise memorialize the exact words the child used to disclose abuse or gave rise to a reasonable suspicion of abuse, including the child’s demeanor.
• DO Be prepared to provide all readily available information concerning the child’s pedigree, nature of abuse, and context of disclosure or reasonable suspicion.
• DO NOT DELAY REPORTING IF SUCH INFORMATION IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE.
• DO Secure emergency medical attention, if appropriate.
• DO Keep the child separated from the alleged offender, in relevant cases.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

• DO NOT Attempt to interview the child or investigate the allegation to determine its validity. Allow the child to explain. However, do not conduct an inquiry into the circumstances of the abuse. If it is a disclosure which gives rise to a reasonable suspicion the task of interviewing the child is for the appropriate investigating agency. It is only appropriate to ask additional questions if DCPP or Law Enforcement is requesting you to do so.
• DO NOT Contact the parent or caretaker until discussing the issue with DCPP or the PCPO.
• DO NOT Usher the child to other adults within the school to repeat the disclosure.
• For example, DO NOT bring the child to the Principal, School Nurse, School Psychologist, or other person to repeat the disclosure. 
• You may, however, report the disclosure to superiors out of the presence of the child, but such reporting shall follow your immediate duty to contact DCPP.
• DO NOT Inform the alleged offender of the accusation or the identity of the complaining or implicated child. Contact DCPP or the PCPO SVU for advice on dealing with the offender if he/she is within the school.
• DO NOT INFORM, ASK AND/OR CONFRONT THE ALLEGED OFFENDER ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS.
• DO NOT Overreact, be judgmental, become emotional or angry in the presence of the child.

Student Obligations

Textbooks and Novels

• All academic textbook collections should be completed as of June 19.  
• Please return all academic textbooks to their appropriate storage locations.  
• All academic textbook obligations (replacement cost of text, fines assessed for damages, etc.) must be entered into PowerSchool by June 18.  For seniors, all entries must be made by June 15.  
• Each teacher must utilize the PowerSchool Obligation recording system when issuing an obligation:

1. Log on to Power Teacher.
2. Select the backpack for the appropriate class.
3. Select the student whom you wish to enter an obligation.
4. Select the “Obligation” option from the “Select screens” box.
5. Select “Add” and complete the necessary fields.
6. Select submit at the bottom of the page in order to record the obligation.
7. To select another student, click the student’s first name. This will bring you directly to that student’s obligation page.
8. The cost of the textbook, novel, or PE lock must be included in order to enter and validate the student’s obligation. Please see your supervisor for your textbook. Novel, or PE lock price list.  

FANTASTIC THINGS!

YouTube Channel

I am not sure how many of us know that we have a PCTI TV Production YouTube channel that features our students' work...  If you are interested, here is the link

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-f_c2NXvAXg1FfEhX5uiA

Another Outstanding Achievement!

Our own Gen Wall was just named Big North Coach of the Year for swimming!  Congrats on this - thanks for making our department proud!

https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/03/20/girls-swimming-all-passaic-county-teams/443690002/

4/1/19

IT'S SENIOR WEEK!  Good luck with that...

Monday: April 1st – April Fool’s Day (Opposite Day)
*Dress as the opposite for the day! This includes mix match, opposite age (dress as a senior citizen), or anything that represents the opposite of the student.

Tuesday: April 2nd
- Twin Tuesday (Dynamic Duo)
*Match with a friend or even a group and go through the day being their twin!

Wednesday: April 3rd – Culture Day
*Represent your heritage or culture with pride by wearing shirts, hoodies, flags, accessories, etc.

Thursday: April 4th
- Throwback Thursday (Retro Day)
*Let’s go back and celebrate the past! Create a costume that portrays an older time of your choice or wears a “retro” look.

Friday: April 5th – Character Day
*Dress up as a favorite character for the day! Get inspiration from movies, TV shows, games, vines, memes or celebrities.

If the students do not wish to participate, they must be in PCTI uniform. If the student does not comply with the dress code or adhere to the themes given, please send them to the Discipline Office.  Also, be aware that props are not allowed.


Julia Alvarez In Montclair! 

Open Book/ Open Mind: Julia Alvarez – Montclair Public Library

In the Time of the Butterflies Julia Alvarez will be in conversation with TBA Thursday, April 11th at 7 PM at Central Presbyterian Church, 46 Park St, Montclair, NJ 07042 Ticket purchase link. Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten.

Thank You Kebra for this!

http://www.montclairlibrary.org/news-events/open-book-open-mind-julia-alvarez/

APRIL MEETINGS

Department Meeting - Tuesday - 4/2 in the Lecture Hall
Faculty Meeting - Tuesday 4/9 in the auditorium (PARCC training session)
PLCs - Thursday - April 11th 


Mandatory PARCC training will be offered on April 9^{th -} at the faculty meeting...  If you miss that meeting, you still have 4 other opportunities.  

• April 10^th period 9 or 3:15pm - auditorium
• April 11^th period 9 or 3:15pm  - auditorium. 
• Everyone must attend one of these sessions - please adjust schedules around clubs and sports...

PARCC Assignments - this form lists the PARCC testing assignments

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LFEYPHHra-2nVbNeoXNcOYBY9efWFjLLCcLw_FWV6K4/edit?usp=sharing


Returning Novels

When collecting novels from students, please make sure to issue obligations for books that are so damaged that we cannot re-issue them.  Please separate these books and mark them "for disposal."

Please follow this procedure - Please separate these books. Mark each one with the following information:  Mark them for disposal, indicate your name and the student name.  Please state whether you issued an obligation for the book. You can put this info on a post-it and attach it to each book that needs to be taken out of circulation.

Here is an example of a book that was recently returned.  Things like this - water damage, pages missing or ripped, etc., should be marked for disposal.

Fantastic Things...

Our 2nd Annual "After Hours Faculty Talent Show" was a great success!  I was sitting too far away to get good shots, so send me your pics and I will post them here!  Congrats to Christine Sullivan for successfully organizing and staging this event!  Our department was represented so many talented teachers - They made us so proud! 

Our Spring Musical, Mamma Mia, was incredible!  Congrats to our own Christie Lotz on her first endeavor as assistant director!  

The Boys Of Summer

Chris and I started coaching our town's 5th & 6th-grade baseball team this week!  We are the Mets again this year!  I am glad to report that my pitching staff is stacked and I have one boy that throws "LIKE A MAN."  No joke, he is terrifying...  Chuck decided to wear shorts to practice (against the advice of his coach, and mother).  So, when we had "sliding" practice, he ended up with huge strawberries on the back of his leg!  Lesson learned, or not.   Maybe he will listen to mom next time, however, somehow, I don't think so...

AP/Honors Opera Trip

Bobby, Dave, and Stephanie took our senior AP and Honors students to a performance of La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus ) by Mozart at the Metropolitan Opera house on 3/26/19!