Variety Show auditions have come and gone, junior prom tickets on sale, most students have selected their post graduation plans and there seems to be a school event or sport every night. Oh... right, the end of the year is around the corner. This is the time of the year where it becomes increasingly difficult to remain centered and present. It is a great time to remind ourselves that we are doing the best we can each day and also that patience is a virtue. Have a great week.
Health & Wellness
From Karen D’Abrosca
April 28, 2017
Welcome back! Hope you are feeling rested, clear and full of energy for the "Home Stretch" of the school year. As promised, selecting from the "April is ..." list of events: April 30th is National Animal Therapy Day. We salute our own resident animal therapist WHITNEY and her human companion Paula Calitri (see last publication of The Current Wave - page 2). Thanks Whitney and Paula for your presence on Fridays and beyond.
Even if your pets are not certified "therapists" thank them for their unconditional contribution to your family! Get outside for an extra walk or some playtime.
April is .... turning into May! The Walking Club challenge begins and folks are gearing up with pedometers. Zumba is being offered after school @ Davisville Academy. Trees, bushes and perennials are bursting into bloom - changing daily! Tap into this spring energy and enjoy the week.
Upcoming Events/Important Dates
May--Reflection
1 Faculty Meeting
2 Staff Appreciation Luncheon
2-4 PARCC testing
5 College Signing Day (Wear your Alma Mater tee or sweatshirt)
5 Variety Show, 7 pm
9-11 PARCC and NECAP
13 Junior Prom at the Newport Marriott
18 Senior Project Presentations, 5-8 pm
Good News!
Rotary Teacher and Student of the Month
This past Tuesday, April 25th, both Melissa Grinnell, English teacher and Austin Harris, 9th grade student, were recognized for their passion for education by the North Kingstown Rotary at Duffy’s Tavern in North Kingstown.
Melissa was nominated by D’Ellen Roye and among many of the wonderful characteristics of what makes Melissa a teacher that a student would love to have is this:
Ms. Grinnell is one of those teachers who really “knows” their students. Ask her about any of her students and she can not only tell you what their current grade is but, more importantly, what is going on in their lives and how it is impacting their learning. Furthermore, Ms. Grinnell can tell you her plan to help those struggling students and how she will meet them on their level.
I’ve worked with only a handful of teachers who go as far as Ms. Grinnell does in terms of connecting a student’s personal difficulties with their performance in the classroom. Her dedication is tireless and shows remarkable results with some of our most challenging students.
Equally impressive is our student nominee, Austin. It was the first time over the past three years that I have received a letter signed by all of his teachers: Bob Wright, John Owens, Fran Dempsey, Robin Leshin, Mark Comolli, Melissa Waterman and Deb Santagata. Thank you for the team work. The following excerpt from his letters will give you a sense of who Austin is.
Standing at over six feet tall, Austin’s presence is felt as soon as he walks in the room. He enters each class ready to work, ready to face challenges, and ready to do the best he can. His maturity and sense of dignity, coupled with a good sense of humor, make him approachable to his peers and to his teachers. He is an excellent role model and friend to other students on our team. It is Austin’s personality and “down-to-earth” demeanor that draws others to him.
Austin entered the high school as a Success Academy student, and he proved to all of his teachers that he has those qualities which align him with success. Because he chose to work hard and persevere, it was a unanimous decision, made by the team, to move him to College Prep. for the next school year. It isn’t often that we see a student, in Success Academy, who has set such high standards for success. Whether it is working on school work, or even working on his truck, Austin approaches all his endeavors with the right attitude and ample effort.
The Skipper Pride winner is Linda Andrew (again!), who was chosen from the last winner, Richard Garland.
From Rich to Linda:
You and the entire staff in the front office work so hard each day given the volume of staff and students that come in for help and assistance. One of those “needy people”
is me and from the very beginning of my career here at NKHS, you’ve been there to guide me through and keep me “procedurally honest”. You’ve been a lifesaver and yet with all the complexity around us, you manage to maintain that smile and sense of humor that brightens the day. It’s that very same reason I’ve chosen you for this Skipper Award. You certainly exemplify the level of care expected of each of us here at NK; for each other and for our students. I know that for myself and countless others - we appreciate you !
Teaching and Learning
Law Day:
Mr. Lopes room was the setting for two guests, Traffic Tribunal Magistrate, Alan Goulart (pictured on the right), and Attorney Eric Miller Thursday, April 27, 2017 for our own NK version of Law Day.
The Rhode Island Bar Association offers to Rhode Island teachers the Rhode Island Law Day Classroom Programs with the participation of Rhode Island lawyers and judges who participate in an interesting and important law-related topic with students.
This year’s topic was The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy, and the students, and our judge and lawyer team had a lively discussion about this fascinating area of the law.
It quickly went from due process to search and seizure. As you can see from the photos, the students were leaning in and engaged.
Scheduling News
Cindy Normand has been our RIDE liaison for the Advanced Coursework Network and Prepare RI courses. In the verification letter sent to parents over the the Spring vacation there were links leading to these two options for personalized learning in students’ schedules at NKHS.
This past week she sent the following email to students:
If you are interested in taking an Advanced Coursework Network class for fall 2017, please register by June 2nd. At that time, courses that have not met their minimum enrollment will be canceled. Courses that do meet the minimum enrollment will remain open until August 1st. You will not be able to register for fall courses once the school year starts. To register for a course visit: http://ride.ri.gov/StudentsFamilies/EducationPrograms/AdvancedCoursework.aspx. You are limited to two courses per semester.
As a reminder, advanced coursework classes help students get a head start on post-secondary success, master the skills required of a lifelong learner, and be prepared for jobs. By taking a course on the Advanced Coursework Network, you are creating and realizing your individual graduation pathway.
As of this weekend, there are about 4 seats left in all of the classes and many waitlists. The next big availability will be for second semester.
Food Truck Visit
We also had students enjoying a cultural luncheon as they dined on local Portuguese fare. Mrs. Schiavone, Portuguese teacher, has hosted in-school fieldtrips for students in her Portuguese class to expose them to the culinary items they may not have at their own dinner table.
I caught students as they were in line waiting for their lunch. It was a rainy day outside but the students spirits and sunny disposition were evident.
Next week, I hope to update you on the Construction Fair, ACE at NEIT and the DECA competition in California.
Student Services
AM Finlay sent the following Prom Promise message and link to Juniors through ASPEN email.
Hello Juniors,
Click on the link below and sign the Junior Prom Promise and you can get a chance to win a prize. Good luck and ENJOY Junior Prom.
Mrs. Finlay Rm. 252
If you are a junior teacher, counselor or have a junior advisory now you will know about it if any student brings it up in class. Great topic to “reflect” on since that is the theme for the month of May.
Tech Tip
From Mark DeLucia:
Week Ending April 28, 2017
As many of you already found out Monday morning, Chromecasts were installed in many projectors, TVs and Smartboards during the break. I realize that many of you may not be very well-versed in casting, so I’m including a tutorial from Google itself. It is very detailed and includes everything that I would say here. I do want to emphasize that when casting a video from YouTube or Netflix to be sure you use the cast button in the bottom right of the video and not the one at the top of your browser. This will optimize video and audio quality rather than simply mirroring the page. This is outlined in the link under “option 2”. All instructions are here.
Google Cast for Education
As an added bonus to the Chromecasts, you can now use this app with your classes. For those of you who regularly have students present, this is the app you’ve been waiting for. While students are blocked from casting (for obvious reasons), they have the ability to cast to the teacher’s screen. The teacher, in turn, casts his or her screen to the projector, thus displaying the student’s work.
Here are step-by-step instructions for you and your students:
For Teachers:
- Click Google Cast for Education
to open the app. (This has been pre-installed. Click the “O” in the bottom left and then all apps. You should see the icon there.)
- Type a name for your cast app, such as Room 301. Click Save.
- Click Share
.
- Type the name of a Classroom class, or individual student email addresses, and invite your students to cast.
- Select a level of access for each student or class:
- Can present—Students can cast to your screen anytime you have the app open.
- Can request—Students can request to cast; you need to Approve or Deny each request.
- Students that aren’t on the list can’t see the cast app.
- Click Save.
To start accepting casts from your students, open the Cast for Education app on your computer. While the app is open, you or anyone you have shared the app with can cast to it. Casts appear within your Cast for Education app on the teacher device connected to the projector.
Instructions for Students:
Make sure your device is updated, and that you are signed in with your G Suite for Education account.
- In your Chrome toolbar, click Cast
. If there is no Cast icon in your Chrome toolbar, click Menu
or More and click Cast.
- Click the name of your teacher’s cast app, such as Room 301.
- (Optional) To switch between casting your whole screen and your current tab, click Cast to and make a selection.
Your screen casts to the Cast for Education app on the teacher’s computer.
I will be visiting CPTs to do trainings and answer any questions. Hope this helps for now!
Videos Worth Watching
From Cindy Zito
Cindy has spent the past few months working with students to complete this Upstander Video. Watch and you will no longer ever be a bystander.
Food for Thought
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” ~Confucius
Until next time, Think, Create, Innovate...Denise
