Week Ending September 29, 2017

Reagan Sanchez, Mary Beth Clarke, and Alyssa Gibbs

Physically and mentally, it was a week. The heat in the building took its toll and I acknowledge everyone working together to get some cooler spaces where learning could happen. I hope those who had to go home are on the mend. We appreciate the dress down donations today to support our Goldout collection for pediatric cancer. There will be collections on each floor to make it easier.

Travis Crocker--US 1 Honors

Last night was a fantastic Open House.  Thank you to all who participated. I had multiple parents stop me regarding our teachers, your energy, the student Leadership Academy, the Jazz Band, the Flute Trio, the “In Plain Sight” room and all of the extras in the Media Center and in the Spine. A very lively night! I did ask for some feedback to be sent. If they do I will pass it along. I feel it is nice to hear from the source, as well.

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend you can continue to support the Goldout theme and our NKHS Football team on Saturday at 7pm. Where your vegas gold!

Makayla Lane will be singing the National Anthem, we are playing Chariho and will have a moment of silence to remember Maddie Potts.

Community in Action

Please keep Leslie Buckley in your thoughts and prayers for the passing of her father last night.

Health & Wellness

From Jonathan Quinn--PE

September 29, 2017

Just because it’s hot out doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising. You can get used to exercising in the heat and use common sense strategies such as switching to water sports, avoiding the sun when it’s strongest, and exercising in short bursts. Precooling techniques can also prevent you from overheating when you work out in hot weather. That said, dumping water on your head doesn't improve performance. It simply makes the heat more tolerable so you actually finish your workout.

Upcoming Events/Important Dates

September--Respect

30 NKHS Football Game--Gold out, 7pm (rescheduled from Friday, the 29th)

30 NK5K

October--Empathy

2 PTSO Dedication for Brick Patio, 9am, community is welcome

3 and 5 Sophomore English Field Trip to Trinity (Names sent out by email)

4 Senior Parent Night

09 No School - Columbus Day

10 School Committee Meeting

12 Choose Love

     PTSO Meeting

Tech Tip

From Mark DeLucia

Week Ending September 29, 2017

Take your students on a tour with Google Earth Tour Builder

Enhance your lessons by bringing your students on a virtual field trip to the locations you’re discussing in class- no permission slips necessary.  Go to Tour Builder and start adding locations to your “tour”.  Once you’ve chosen a location, you can add photos and videos of major sites on your tour from Drive, an internet search, or even your own.  I mostly likely see this being applied to an English, Social Studies or World Languages class, but I’m sure there are many more educational uses for this tool.  Perhaps you’re reading the Canterbury Tales and would like to take students on a tour of Bath and other sites.  Or maybe you’d like to map out Washington and Rochambeau’s path to victory in U.S. history and “stop” to visit various spots.  There are some tours that have already been created, so don’t reinvent the wheel just yet!  

Printing

I’ve had a lot of questions about printing lately.  It’s important to note that the printers available to you are specific to the user and not the device.  Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you are signed into Chrome and not simply Google Apps.  Allow me to clarify:

Signed into Google Apps (note your icon, usually an image you’ve selected or the first letter of your name).

Signed into Chrome.  At the top of your browser, either your name or a person icon will appear next to the minimize window screen.  Click that to sign in or out of Chrome.  You must be signed into Chrome to access printers that have been assigned to you.  

Where this sometimes becomes an issue is when people are using a personal GMAIL account along with their school account on the device.  They may be signed into Chrome with their personal account, but Google Apps with their school account.

Articles Worth Reading

I followed Harry’s schedule last night because I am a parent, too. I was so happy to be in the classes and hearing our teachers-- on what parents often come up to me and compliment our school. While I sat in Mr. Simmons biology class he did his best to assure us that our children are exactly where they should be and he had an article to help us understand we are not alone. I thought for those of you who had not read this or do not have a teenager yet (those who have remember!) may enjoy this article. It is from National Geographic Magazine. Print version. Thanks Jim.

Beautiful Brain

Food for Thought  

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”

~Malala Yousafzai

Until next time, Think, Create, Innovate...Denise

Week Ending September 22, 2017

Delicious treat to celebrate Carole's accomplishment.

With our 8 period schedule the Open House on Thursday, September 28, will be a bit different. We will have 8 periods but the same amount of time. The auditorium piece will be shorter as will advisory. Classroom time will still remain 10 minutes with passing time being 5 minutes. The Leadership Academy students will be in the hallways along with the deans and administrators assisting with the flow and helping parents find their way.

The Media Center will be the hub for multiple opportunities for parents to learn about other areas of our school if their child has an opening in their schedule such as off-roll or a PLT. I will be sending out the program so you may let me know if there should be something added, removed or changed.

Schedule of classes for the night:

6:00 – 6:15 pm                   Parents meet in the Auditorium; welcoming remarks

6:20 – 6:25 pm                   Advisory

6:30 – 6:40 pm                   Day 1 Period 1

6:45 – 6:55 pm                   Day 1 Period 2

7:00 – 7:10 pm                   Day 1 Period 3

7:15 – 7:25 pm                   Day 1 Period 4

7:30 – 7:40 pm                   Day 2 Period 5

7:45 – 7:55 pm                   Day 2 Period 6

8:00 – 8:10 pm                   Day 2 Period 7

8:15 – 8:25 pm                   Day 2 Period 8
8:30 pm - Dismissal

Health & Wellness

From Jonathan Quinn--PE

September 22, 2017

A learning environment in which all students and staff feel safe and supported is an essential function of our school community.  As a partner with RIDE, North Kingstown has been a member of the School Health Advisory Council over the past five years. which offers professionals around the state to develop research and tools on evidence based curricula, model policies, team building, parent engagement, and school connectedness strategies to reach all students especially those at greatest risk. For more information, staff and students are encouraged to visit the website http://www.thriveri.org/.

Upcoming Events/Important Dates

September--Respect

26 School Committee Meeting

27 Skipper Block Schedule--CTE student meeting during advisory in the Auditorium

28 Open House, 6-8:30 pm

29 NKHS Football Game--Gold out

30 NK5K

October--Empathy

2 PTSO Dedication for Brick Patio

3 and 5 Sophomore English Fieldtrip to Trinity (Names forthcoming)

4 Senior Parent Night

Good News!

From Adam Laliberte:

As you know last year our softball team was able to win the State Championship - spring sports are tough because they come at the end of the year with so many other activities and our state championship win came right in the middle of final exams so we flew under the radar a little bit.

I am attaching the link to a radio interview we were able to do on the Sports Wrap with Ron Roberts - which is a new program for high school sports airing each Monday night. I have included a photo of the appearance as well. We come on at the 3:00 minute mark until about 26:00 and it features myself, Assistant Coach George Oliver, Kiara Oliver, Brittany Bolster, Meghan Gormley and Lizzie Peters.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/apuxzfs5086788m/NKskipperssoftballwillGindependent.mp3?dl=0

We had an opportunity to celebrate within our building Carole Taylor’s great accomplishment--ESP of the Year. Thank you to Larry Verria for speaking on all of the building’s behalf and acknowledging the good work that the employees in the ESP do on a daily basis. Carole, we are so happy that you represent the clerks and all that work in the ESP so well. Thank you for your commitment, energy and talent you bring to work each day.

Teaching and Learning

Donna, Barbara and I have been walking in and out of classrooms. Many dynamic conversations, questions being asked and answered by students. It's the best part of our day. In the halls, students are taking pictures in their first photography course, they are moving up and down the stairs at the same pace for biology, still other students were gathering ice from the trainer’s room to see if they could make ice with a test tube, graduated cylinders, ice and water and a thermometer. Students explained all of this to me. This is definitely the type of hallway action that we like to see.

This message was in the last blog and we discussed it at the faculty meeting. Please no tests or new material. Cheers!

Yom Kippur:   Begins sundown Friday 9/29

                     Ends sundown Saturday 9/30

Students making a difference

This past week we had two big student lead activities. One was initiated and one they jumped in to help.

1. Mr. Hunnicutt, NK Alum will be taking his father to a Boston Red Sox game on September 28th for his 93rd birthday. He came to NK schools for help. He wanted a big banner to hold up at the game for his dad. Janice Strain volunteered her time to create the banner as Mr. Hunnicutt instructed and then students from Leadership and Interact Club and others who love art volunteered to help create the finished product. If you are watching the game that night be on the lookout as they will be mentioning it during the game.

2. Grace Desourcy had a great idea. She, along with Noah Iden, John Zevzavajian, Grace Duffy, Georgia Wettergren, and Emmy Gray presented to the senior class during the senior assembly. They will be honoring Hayley Thompson, at the September 29th football game with a Goldout. Wear Gold in September to fight Pediatric Cancer. It just so happens to be her birthday so we hope she may be able to attend for a while that evening. They would love the faculty and staff to be there, too. Be sure to wear your gold. Pictures to follow next week.

Tech Tip

From Mark DeLucia

Week Ending September 22

You’ve decided you’re going to dive into Blended Learning.  You find an app that you love, only to realize later that it won’t play nicely with Google.  This week, I’m attaching a link that includes 35 different apps that integrate seamlessly with Google Classroom.  Among them are some teacher favorites including quizlet, Geogebra and EdPuzzle.  For those of you who have begun working with EdPuzzle to “flip” your classroom, you’ll be happy to know that you can easily share and assign videos you’ve created there to Classroom, as well as import your rosters.  See my post from the Week Ending May 12 for more on EdPuzzle or see me in the Media Center during lunch on Day 2B.

Hope to see you then!  -Mark

Articles Worth Reading

We are reading/researching the risks of and noticing/consequencing students vaping at NK high school athletic contests. Additionally, we are told from students within the school that vaping is on the rise. We cannot turn away we must seek educational opportunities. Donna and I are working with the Prevention Coalition and continue to work with RISAS and our PE Department to bring our faculty, staff, students and parents the most up-to-date information on vaping and the risks of using.

Concerns Explode Over New Health Risks of Vaping

Videos Worth Watching

Simon Sinek is one of my favorite authors, speakers. He is the one a few years back on the first day of school when I showed you the “Start with Why?” ppt. John Dyer (JD, our day custodian) recently sent this video having no idea how much I like Simon Sinek. If you work with, parent, teach, or are a millennial, it may resonate. There is great information on social media and dopamine. It's worth the time.

Simon Sinek on Millennials in the Workplace

If you only have time for a lighter videa, this next one from Richard Sweetman (Chemistry teacher) is spot on, albeit a bit sophomoric (his words, not mine). The movie may be from the last Century but the message is on point. From Rich:

I used in my last two chem classes today to symbolize how the point of education is for the individual to learn what they have to do in order to be successful. I think that this is a large part of my evolving blended learning philosophy. it is sophomoric but I use it as a reminder when I am in uncertain circumstances to take a step back, evaluate my objectives, and assess what I have to do to meet those objectives

Food for Thought  

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

~Thomas Edison

Until next time, Think, Create, Innovate...Denise

Week Ending September 15, 2017

Samantha is on the left...😉

Great start to the school year. Students, teachers and staff are jumping right into the business of fall. The bustling in the school is music to my ears. Welcome all new teachers, staff, and a special welcome to our two new student teachers from Brown University MAT Program, Samantha Reback and Gilad Seckler, working with Christina Lawrence and Matthew Blaser respectively.

As I looked at the blog from last year, the last thing I discussed was the following:

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.

I am happy that we are able to continue with this good work. Having Personalized Learning Time will allow for students to access academic and social/emotional resources in lieu of coming out of class to do it.

Health & Wellness

From Jonathan Quinn--Jonathan’s first post!

September 15, 2017

Fall Transition or Make Summer Endless: Your Choice

With equal amounts of daylight and darkness, the Autumnal Equinox reminds us to stay balanced. September’s new schedules & responsibilities pull us in so many directions.  Ask yourself how can I balance my day or my week?  Allowing moments of time for you each day keeps stress from getting out of control.  Just asking this question plants the seeds for change in your daily habits.

Upcoming Events/Important Dates

September--Respect

18 Faculty Meeting, 2pm, Auditorium

19 Junior Assembly (Skipper Block Schedule)

20 Senior Assembly (Skipper Block Schedule)

22 First Update in ASPEN due

26 School Committee Meeting
27 CTE student assembly (Skipper Block Schedule)

28 Open House, 6-8 pm

29 NKHS Football Game--Gold out

Good News!

From Ms. Mason, CEO of Mason Tours and History teacher:

Hello. We are back in earnest and History is afoot, because we all know there is no down time in the world of US History. Per your request below for your blog, you might mention the wonderful job all my Mason Tours Chaperones did leading 150 persons on 3 buses through the 4 nations of Spain 🇪🇸, France 🇫🇷, Monaco 🇲🇨, & Italy 🇮🇹. Godzilla 2017 was a stellar educational adventure that saw our NKHS students see, touch, and fully explore Southern Europe. I am so pleased to have shared this experience with so many wonderful teachers as well as our students.

From Rich Garland, Curriculum Coordinator for Finance/Business CTE and Business/Finance teacher:

This past weekend Rita and I took a trip to Netcong, New Jersey, near Lake Hopatcong, to attend a showing of two Abbott and Costello movies on the big screen at the town's Palace Theater.   I enjoy their comedy that lives on and use a number of their routines in my lessons, especially in Finance and most know the team from their 'Who's on First' skit.  At the event was Lou Costello's youngest daughter, Chris, who is a friend and also our travel agent.  It was a day of fun...Jordan Albernaz was nice enough to pick up a bottle of wine for us to take to Chris so she can experience wine just as good as California wine where she was born and raised.  A couple of tidbits - Chris' two older daughters were born in Pawtucket, and their mom was raised right here in Rhode Island.  In the photo, Chris is in the middle - notice I'm wearing my NK jacket!  She knows about NK and donated a poster that hangs in room 110.

From Paul Fanning, Boys varsity soccer coach and English teacher:

During preseason we took the boys soccer varsity and junior varsity teams to the North Woods Challenge Adventure Course through the Center for Student Leadership at URI. More pics at the end of the blog.

Teaching and Learning

Thank you to Michelle Neri for the following friendly neighborhood reminder:  

Next Wednesday evening begins the Jewish high holidays. They are the most holy days of our year, and days as well as evenings are spent observing. It would be great, as is the past practice, for teachers to refrain from giving homework over these days, or scheduling tests/giving non-repeatable instruction.

Rosh Hashanah: Begins sundown Wednesday 9/20

                           Ends sundown Friday 9/22

Yom Kippur:   Begins sundown Friday 9/29

                     Ends sundown Saturday 9/30

Scheduling News

Monday we will have our first open discussions regarding our 8 period schedule. Donna has been working on the PLTs

Tech Tip

From Mark DeLucia

Week Ending September 15

Our first installment of the year features what I feel is a phenomenal use of Forms for classroom management.  It comes to you from the brilliant mind of Joy Tavano, who asked me to share with all of you here.

Forms can be used as a SIGN-OUT sheet in your classrooms.  I recommend posting it on the “About” tab on your Google Classroom page.  Students simply open the form, select their destination from the drop-down, and click submit.  The Sheet that collects responses will also collect their e-mails for identification and time-stamp their responses.  When they return, they click “Return to Class” and their return will be time-stamped, as well.  

What I feel is especially great about this idea is that it creates data that can be used in multiple ways.  For example, that data can be shared with students or parents to illustrate  how much time is being spent out of the classroom and missing instruction.  It can also be shared with deans for disciplinary matters, much like we once did with the old sign-out sheets that hung at our doors not long ago.

You can find a template here.  Please be sure to click the three dots in the upper right and click MAKE A COPY before editing the template for your own class.

Articles Worth Reading

This article brought out many readers to comment. If you do read, check out the comments to see the diversity of opinions from educators. The author responds to some of the them. I do not endorse it either way but the content and comments are worth the read.

Making Failure Harder Work Than Passing

Videos Worth Watching

From Dick Fossa:

In case you missed the Monday evening Hometown Hero segment on Eyewitness News, Noah Iden, NK Football student-athlete was selected as this week's recipient.  Here is the link for the interview:

http://wpri.com/2017/09/12/hometown-hero-noah-iden/

If you would like to contribute and donate, here is the link to Noah's donation page:

https://www.kick-it.org/champ/2017/09/noah-iden-and-north-kingstown-football-kick-it-for-cancer

Food for Thought  

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

~Colin Powell

Until next time, Think, Create, Innovate...Denise

Additional pics below: