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| Sophie and Maddie at NK Town Beach |
Can you feel it? The joy of summer is right around the corner. Lazy days, enjoying children, the water, the beach. Teens out and about creating memories with friends. Sophie and Maddie are part of a larger AP Physics classroom this past week rowing their student-designed boats at NK Town Beach to see who could go the furthest. I definitely was laughing with the students in the video (see below) and the pictures Rick Powell sent to me. It is what gave me the idea for our final blog. Nothing is more important than relationships. Even better is friendships created while having fun and
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| Winner of the Soapbox Derby |
learning. Students won’t soon forget these memories. I will never forget Mrs. Keough’s class where I designed my senior prom dress or Mr. Bardsley’s physics class where I realized it is fun to be smart and to learn how things work. Walk downstairs to our Engineering class and they, too, were in a competition (friendly, of course). The students designed, built and tested their soap box derby cars this past Wednesday in the Glen neighborhood. No one took it more seriously than their teacher, Jerome Simmons. So much so, that he worked with Rogan Kennedy, an AP Art student, to paint his car. Oh, yes, he was the teacher and a stellar participant in the competition.
I am so happy with the great work going on at North Kingstown High School. Teachers are consistently engaging their students with the content, forever finding new ways or updating proven lessons from years past. The majority of teachers were on some type of evaluation this year and I would like to thank you for the effort you have shone in a sometimes clunky system. I hope you, too, felt the spirit of collegiality when we were in your classrooms. As we look towards next year Barbara, Donna and I will look for new ways to support your efforts to show both cultural and academic leadership. Thank you.
Health & Wellness
From Karen D’Abrosca
JUNE 2, 2017
Memorial Day is often thought of as the beginning of summer. The days are getting longer. Today, June 1st, we have 15 hours of daylight! Happy June!! However, these past 3 months have been the 5th wettest of all time (112 years of record keeping). Besides darkening our mood, dampness often triggers allergies. Here are a few tips from last Spring’s Blog:
Is this you? … red, watery eyes, tickly throat, runny nose, itchy eyes, bronchitis? If so, you may be suffering from seasonal allergies. With climates changing, allergy symptoms and those affected are changing. Many medications come with side effects. Some people have found relief by consuming honey. Mix honey with tea or warm water or spread on an English muffin in place of jelly. If medication is necessary, explore! There are many options: over-the-counter anti-histamines, prescription drugs or prescribed injections. See what helps you feel better ~ we all need optimum energy as we navigate these last few weeks of school.
Upcoming Events/Important Dates
June - Pride
5 Senior Banquet
6 Graduation Rehearsal
Senior Prom
7 Department Awards--Freshmen (Advisory time)
Democracy teachers -- Statehouse recognition for the Wilson Award
8 Department Awards--Sophomores (Advisory time)
Dialogues in Democracy
9 Department Awards--Juniors (Advisory time)
11 Graduation (12pm Ryan Center)
13 School Committee Meeting--Admin Building
PTSO--Media Center
14 Chromebook Collection (Advisory time)
15 Exams--Period 1
16 Exams--Period 3
19 Exams--Period 4
20 Exams--Period 5 and Make up (students must use this day to make up an exam unless cleared by AP of Teaching and Learning and their teacher)
21 Last day of school. (Make up exam time for any student who had more than one exam to make up.)
Good News!
Before we go for the summer, there are some things we must review. Last week, Toni Silveira and Norma Caiazza started the scholarship season during their year-end concerts. An additional $94,000 was awarded by the Jamestown and North Kingstown communities to our deserving students this past Thursday evening.
From Janice Strain:
Julia Medeiros painted this piece entitled Catching the EAC which is currently on exhibit at South County Hospital and is already being highly admired. Congratulations, Julia!
The final Skipper Pride winner is Malaree Shields, who was chosen from the last winner, Carol West
From Carol to Malaree:
Dear Malaree,
It is with great pleasure that I nominate you for the Skipper Award for Excellence. Although I have not had the pleasure of sitting in on one of your classes, I have had
numerous opportunities to participate in IEP and 504 meetings with you. I have been impressed on many levels.
I appreciate that you are willing to use your unassigned time to attend the many meetings we have had for your students this year. Your willingness to participate and advocate for your students has given them an opportunity for success in your class. When in meetings, your poise, eloquence and passion for teaching is evident. You participate in meetings with professionalism and compassion. You articulate your thoughts in a way that is easily understood by parents and students .
I am amazed with your use of technology and how this benefits your
students. Your organization and ability in this area contributes to the success of your students by giving them access to information and tools that promote learning.
By far, your most noted attribute is your willingness to go the extra mile for your students. You have had a number of students this year with significant needs that have impacted their ability to access their education in a traditional way. Without exception, you have done whatever you can to support these students . Many parents have noted that you have provided their children with a clear (and color coded!) outline of their outstanding work. You have provided access to instruction through your Google Classroom so that students can more easily make up the work they have missed.. You have given them a way to make up the work that is manageable without being overwhelming. It is clearly noted and appreciated by these families as I frequently hear your praises in this regard.
It has been a pleasure to get to know you a little this year ….I am always relieved when I see you in attendance at a meeting! Please know that your efforts on behalf of your students has been noted and is greatly appreciated. The NKHS community is lucky to have you as a member of our faculty!
Carol West
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| Amy Martel, from People's Credit Union |
On Wednesday, May 31, 2017, Treasurer Magaziner, People's Credit Union, the EVERFI corporation, a representative from Jump$tart, Drs. Auger and Humbyrd, Mary King, Dr. Morse, Eileen Murray (DMS) and Bob O’Neill (WMS) along with Rhode Island College gathered to congratulate Rich Garland, Frank Fusco and over 100 high school students and student representatives from WMS and DMS for certifying in financial literacy per the Treasurer's Financial Scholars Program. The program is just one benefit of completing our Finance and Investments course, along with college credit per RIC's Early Enrollment Program (EEP). Until next year - enjoy!"
Teachers as Learners
As we look towards next year we will continue with key items we have worked on this year. Here are a couple:
School culture--continue with the themes and adding ideas from our school social worker/school psychologist, etc.
Personalized learning opportunities--with and without technology
teachers visiting other teachers’ classrooms, teachers inviting colleagues in to see a great idea in action.
Lighthouse classrooms--we will expand blended learning.
Teaching and Learning
Thursday in school, was Mr. Propatier’s annual student/community volunteer interviews. It is wonderful how the volunteers and students make it a special day and have an opportunity to learn what a professional interview will be like in their near future. Here they are pictured as they are patiently waiting their turn. Thank you also, to Ms. Holcroft for helping Andrew with this wonderful career preparation day.
Finally, Norma and her talented Oklahoma! students are away from school today because they are attending the Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards Competition and have been nominated for 12 categories. It’s like the Tony Awards but for high schools. Break a Leg!
Scheduling News
Teachers have their schedules and counselors are working diligently with students to get them to 8 periods. We have only had a couple of students come to us with the contracts allowing them to come in late or leave early. This week in the parent Newsletter, Barbara will be sharing the contracts with the parents so there may be an increase. On Friday, the juniors were reminded about the contracts at the close of Class Day festivities. They had ample time to raise and have questions answered.
Once the contracts are returned some additional electives should open for underclassmen giving them more choice and leaving the schedule with a bit of wiggle room. Right now it is pretty tight and counselors are working their magic. A special thank you to Beth Caromile for coming in to help with the heavy lifting, and working with the student schedules to be sure they are 8 on 8 for next year.
Tech Tip
From Mark DeLucia:
Week Ending 6/2
The End of Edline
As you or may not know, our district has chosen a new website vendor, Edlio. Having tested out the site myself I can honestly say you will be very pleased. It has fantastic integration with Google Classroom and other Google products. More on that later. The million dollar question is, "what does this mean for my Edline page?" The Edline site will be up until September 30. After that time, the site will be taken down and any documents you had uploaded will be gone. I strongly advise any teacher with an Edline page to begin saving documents from their Edline teacher page now into a folder. They can be uploaded later to the new Edlio page, which will be available on July 1. I'm happy to help with any training you may need for the new site, or assistance with downloading information from the previous one.
Articles Worth Reading
From Matt Hughes:
Here are some materials about school wide cultural/diversity awareness/promotion. The first one is a quick Huff Post Op Ed that really caught my eye with the title, "Promoting Respect for Cultural Diversity In the Classroom". I think the "Promoting Respect" part fits us very well as a school that has little diversity itself.
The second link is a 5 year strategic plan from a school district in Virginia. It is set up as a regular school wide strategic plan. A great resource. The final link is from the National Association of Multicultural Education.
Five Year Diversity Plan
Videos Worth Watching
Watch Maddie and Sophie live as they showcase their boat and attempt to go the farthest in the class.
Food for Thought
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~Plato
Until next time, Think, Create, Innovate...Denise
