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Franklin Lakes Public Schools
 School News and Views                 January  201

Dear Community Members,

 

Welcome to the fifth issue of School News and Views from Franklin Lakes Public Schools via Constant Contact, and Happy New Year!  On behalf of our schools, I am thrilled to bring you snippets of good news that are so indicative of the wonderful work that comes out of our district.  These past several years in particular have been extremely dynamic and productive, and now, as we move away from the close of 2013 and into 2014, let us reflect on our past, set goals for our future, and live in the moment with pride and appreciation.  As the old African proverb tells us, "It takes a village to raise a child," and so we can all celebrate the collaboration and partnership that ensures the development of children who are creative, adaptive, resilient, and aware.  

 

Whether it has been with an email attachment, via Facebook, or now through Constant Contact, I have always enjoyed bringing you communications about the wealth of ingenuity, integrity, and generosity that we model for students and the direct outcomes of those efforts.  I hope you enjoy this January edition of School News and Views.

 

Sincerely, 


Frank Romano, III, Ed.D. 

Superintendent of Schools

 

 

Click here for the Superintendent's New Year Message

   

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District News

 

SNaV Curriculum/Technology:  
Teaching with Technology 

 

On January 20th, a minimum day for students, we will devote our afternoon to professional development.  Teachers will be provided with technology support and time to plan lessons that put technological tools into the hands of their students as well as time to plan for their own instruction using technology.  

  

The Franklin Lakes School District supports technology as a ubiquitous tool to engage students and enable them to acquire 21st century skills and the knowledge necessary to become responsible and contributing members of society.  Students use

technology on a daily basis to support their learning, construct knowledge, enhance creativity, foster collaboration, solve problems, and gather and manage information.  Towards that end, teachers will participate in a variety of workshops and opportunities to share best practices related to technology with their colleagues.  Workshops will include online publishing, advanced Smart Notebook lesson planning, online standardized test preparation, iPad lesson development, classroom Kindle implementation, an introduction to iBook author, and "flipping" the music classroom with web-based software!

       

SNaV Technology:  Making the Most of Genesis Parent                                         Access  

  

The Franklin Lakes District's Genesis Parent Access portal is an important communication tool between parents and their child(ren)'s school. We all know that Genesis Parent Access is where you view your child's report cards, progress reports and attendance records. If you are a middle school parent, you can also view your child's full schedule, 
his/her teacher's gradebooks and any discipline records. But did you know that Genesis Parent Access is also where you go to keep your child(ren)'s contact information up to date, including their emergency contacts. This is a very important part of the Family to School relationship partnership. The names, phone numbers and email addresses that are listed under Contacts in Genesis Parent Access are used in case of an emergency, for school closings or delay alerts and for any other District communications from teachers and administrators. Guardians have the ability to update guardian information and to add, delete, or update any additional contacts.

  

To Update any Existing Contact:  Place your cursor into the box of the phone number and/or email address that you want to update and delete it. Type in the new phone or email address. Click 'Save All Changes' at the bottom of the screen.

  

To Add a Contact: Click on the 'Show Add Contact' button. Type in the first and last name, select the relationship to student from the dropdown, and then select whether the contact is an emergency contact or not. Click 'Add Contact' and then click 'Save All Changes' at the bottom of the screen.

 

To Add Additional Contact Information to an Existing Contact:

Click on the drop down button, 'Add Phone/Email', under the contact you would like to update and select the type of information you will be adding. Type in the phone number or email address and then click 'Save All Changes' at the bottom of the screen.

  

Please keep in mind that information is not automatically updated for all of your children; you must update each child individually. Please take a few moments and log into Genesis Parent Access and check over all of your child(ren)'s contact information to make sure it is up to date.  If you have any difficulty logging on to Genesis Parent Access, please contact us via email at [email protected].

          

Make the most of this valuable information and communication tool!  Click here  to explore the Genesis Parent Access Portal.

 

SNaV Business and Operations:   When is Zero a Negative?

 

Recent temperatures near zero have wreaked havoc on the District's heating and air conditioning systems.  PEOSH (Public Employees Occupational Safety & Health) regulations require a 10% fresh air mix in the classrooms to prevent the buildup of CO2 and subsequent sleepy occupants. To meet this requirement, a constant exchange of outside air is brought into the classroom. When high winds are also present, sweeping frigid air through cracks in the masonry, there is a constant danger of water in the heating pipes freezing and the potential for burst pipes.  Thanks to the dedication and expertise of our Facilities team, we were able to prevent any significant damage to our systems.

  

  • The most unexpected weather emergency was with our IT equipment.  IT staff responded to equipment alarms early one Saturday morning during the holiday break.  They  discovered that the air conditioning wasn't working in the FAMS computer closet. As a result, the temperature was over 130 degrees, causing network servers great distress and forcing equipment shut downs.   Because of the IT staff's rapid discovery and response, a crisis was averted. 
  •  

    SNaV Special Services:   Questioning Minds
     
    Students in Ms. Feery's FAMS Language Arts class have been working on learning different types of questions. The students "mustache a question" during the class read aloud of No Talking.
    To ask a question, the students must hold up their mustaches to state their question. This week, they are learning "right there" questions, which are questions that can be found in the text. In addition, the students are using mustache post-its to write down their questions. Our students love saying "I mustache you a question"!

                    

     

     SNaV Special Services: New Techniques 
     
    Mrs. Lally and Ms. Kayser, FAMS Resource Room teachers,
    attended the Conference for Association of Mathematics Teacher of New Jersey recently. They participated in sessions on effective collaborative teams, learned about new technology programs, and gained insight to new teaching strategies for classified children. They look forward to incorporating some new techniques into Resource Room Math classes.  
     
    Encouragement from another colleague, Dr. Pryor, prompted the integration of Khan Academy into Mrs. Lally's Math class. Khan Academy provides enrichment for class material while preparing students for the Common Core Standards and PARCC testing. Data gathered during practice and assessment activity is analyzed and used to reinforce or enrich specific skills and help with differentiation.  Students can also observe their process, with a positive effect on their Math confidence. Best of all, Khan Academy is available at home as well as at school.  For further information, click here.    

    FAMS News

     

    SNaV FAMS:   Athletics

     

    The FAMS soccer teams finished off a fine season, advancing to the playoffs of the NBMSAL and doing well. Mr. Livesey's  boys lost in the divisional round, but had a strong showing,  The girls' team, under the direction of Mrs. Banta, progressed all the way to the league final and lost in a tight game. Once again, the FAMS team represented themselves and the school in exemplary fashion.

     

    The winter season finds us indoors from the brutal winter on the basketball court. Our cheerleaders have made Ms. Coviello very proud with their enthusiastic personalities! The boys team is poised, talented, extremely hardworking and 17 players strong! Coach Slade's penchant for large teams has paid off as the boys continue to wear other teams down with their up-tempo play. The boys stand undefeated at this time. The girls team is working hard and continuing to improve, hoping to upset some teams in the second half of the season.

     

    All are looking forward to our next season of track, baseball and softball and some sunny, warm days. Our spring season begins April 1st,  so Physical forms must be into the nurse by February 15th. See the nurse's page on the website for forms. Remember, our 6th graders are eligible to try out for the track team!

     

    SNaV FAMS: Annual Food Drive & Other PLC Highlights     
     
    As the year progresses, the FAMS Peer Leadership Corps continues to make a difference in their community and school.
    Before the break, we were able to send out over 400 holiday cards for our military currently stationed overseas on active duty. These cards enabled our students to express gratitude for their selfless service. 
     
    Also in December, the PLC hosted our annual Warm Winter Clothing Drive. Each and every student at FAMS had the opportunity to bring in clothing, shoes, and accessories that will help keep someone warm this winter season. We collected over 200 large bags that were donated to the Oasis Foundation in Paterson, NJ. Great job FAMS!  

    Our annual VIP Dinner Dance will be held on Thursday, March 6th from 6:00-9:00pm. This catered dinner allows our students to thank an adult in their life that has helped them grow into the person they are today. This celebration is open to all students, through reservation only. You can find a registration packet on the PLC website in a few weeks. Please encourage your child to join us for a night of dinner, live music, and dancing! Please bookmark our PLC webpage for more information on all the events we host throughout the year! 

      

    CRS News

     

    SNaV CRS:  Hands on Science

     

    CRS third grade students were introduced to the Young Consumers Program, which is conducted through a partnership with the ShopRite of Oakland. This exciting program allows schools, families, and ShopRite Supermarkets to work together in an effort to enhance students' math, language arts, critical thinking, and social skills by engaging students in a variety of activities aligned with The Common Core. Our partners from ShopRite spent an hour with each third grade class to explain the ins and outs of the Young Consumer Program and provide an opportunity for the students to participate in some hands-on, minds-on activities. 

     

    To test and develop memory skills, our partners from ShopRite taught the children a poem. Each part of the poem has a corresponding motion to help the children remember the words. After only a few repetitions of this poem, students could remember the words and motions with ease. Ask your third grader, "Where do all the daisies go"? to test their recall of the poem!

     
    Next, students were given 7 tangrams and guided to create a square using all seven pieces. The tangrams were then manipulated to create a rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, and

    right triangle. Characteristics of each polygon were explored and students utilized their math vocabulary to describe these shapes with words such as parallel, congruent, right angle and more. To conclude the activity, students used the 7 tangram pieces to explore fractional parts of the whole square. 
     

     The final activity is a 3rd grade favorite! Known as "pancakes", students became acquainted with The Tower of Hanoi using foam disks of different sizes to stack like pancakes. With guided questioning, students were able to understand the mathematic formula used to figure out the least amount of moves it would take to move all of the pancakes from one side of their game mat to the other, patterns in movements, and "secrets" of the game. The children surely had a lot of fun while also enhancing their scholastic abilities and interpersonal skills!

     

     

    SNaV CRS:  Lights, Camera, Action!

     

    Another exciting event for our CRS family occurred this week with our PTA sponsored Movie Night.  Families were treated to an unforgettable night of the laugh-out-loud comedy 'Despicable Me 2'.  It was a wonderful night for families to enjoy.  Students were able to come in pajamas, bring sleeping bags, and curl up with family and friends for a very special evening.  We would like to extend a special thank you to our PTA for arranging this memorable event.  

     

    HMR News

     

    SNaV HMR:  Using Skype in the Classroom

     

    Technology is changing every day.  It is important to incorporate technology into our daily practice, while making it part of how students learn.  Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Warnke's preschool class has successfully incorporated Skype with the Mystery Reader program!  Typically, they have had readers join the class in person.  Many students have relatives that cannot come into the classroom either due to location or other commitments.  

    Skype is used as wonderful tool allowing these relatives to be Mystery Readers and communicate with the students.  

     

    The students have even used Skype to communicate with a Mystery Reader from another country, expanding their knowledge and interest in other cultures.  The reader was actually a former student that moved to Canada. She

    sang "O Canada" to the preschoolers in English and French and also read to the class.  The preschoolers are eager to learn more about the world through this and other forms of technology.   

     

     

     

    SNaV HMRStory Pirates Visit HMR

     

    Thanks to the generosity of the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation, we were thrilled to welcome The Story Pirates back for an engaging assembly.  The Story Pirates are a performing arts group that came to our school and presented an assembly based around the idea of creating stories. They reviewed key narrative story elements as they acted out and involved students in entertaining live theater.  The students actually created the story elements and The Story Pirates made the story come to life as the assembly unfolded.  The students were in stitches as they began to imagine and share incredibly creative ideas. 

     

    Before the assembly was over, The Story Pirates challenged the students to write a story using all of the story elements learned and submit it for the next show.  Students left the assembly eager to write. The students submitted their writing and all of the pieces were sent to The Story Pirates.  They are now reading the stories and will provide positive written feedback on each piece.  We are eager to welcome The Story Pirates back to HMR on January 20th.  They will choose five submitted stories to act out for the entire school!

     

    The Story Pirates promoted writing skills, writing engagement, knowledge of story elements, and school spirit.  The programs are also linked to the Common Core Standards, most closely to ELA Standard 3: Narrative Writing.  We greatly appreciate FLEF's generosity in funding this wonderful experience for our school! 

      

    WAS News

     

    SNaV WAS:    Holiday Concert

      

    Woodside Avenue School was delighted to share wonderful seasonal traditional music at its Holiday Concert on December 19th. Under the direction of Ms. Andruska, Mrs. Cipriano and Mr. Finnen, the concert was nothing short of outstanding. Smiles, and a few happy tears, were seen by the thrilled audience. Thank you Ms. Andruska, Mrs. Cipriano and Mr. Finnen.

        

     

    SNaV WAS:    Wolf Mascot
     
    We are excited to report that our quest to finalize our new mascot and mantra has led to an initial sketch, done by our creative students under the terrific direction of Ms. Salzano.  The students had previously voted on our mascot, and our staff took the suggestions of all students to finalize our motto to be, "Woodside Avenue School ... United and Strong."  Students will continue work on our sketch, with the final product to be shared the beginning of February. 
      

    FLEF News

     

    SNaV FLEF:    Annual Dinner Dance

     

    The Franklin Lakes Education Foundation is gearing up for the Annual Dinner Dance on March14th at Seasons in Washington Township. Invitations will be coming your way very soon!  A Gatsby Affair is certain to be an evening of fabulous dining and dancing.  A wide array of Tricky Tray and Silent Auction items will be available.  Be sure not to miss this opportunity to capture that perfect item or school experience!

     

    The Annual Dinner Dance Journal is another opportunity to support the Foundation.  Individual or business ads are available for purchase.  The Deadline for submitting journal ads is January 31.  If you have any questions, please contact Gina Aniello (j[email protected]or Lorrie Savas

       

    FLEF Trustees are grateful for the generous donations given by community members and businesses that make the Foundation possible.  If you are interested in learning more about FLEF and the programs funded, visit the FLEF website to see how your donations are put to use.  Thank you for your continued support.

     

     Click here for Save the Date information!

       

     

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    Note: We value your feedback. If you have questions or comments that you would like to share, please email the Administrative Team at [email protected] or the Board of Education at [email protected]. For additional communications and connections, please explore our website at www.franklinlakes.k12.nj.us and FLPS Facebook at www.facebook.com/FrLkPS