11/16/18 - Beat Vineland Edition!

Hello and Happy Friday All,

It is crazy to think that just next week is that special time of the year, my birthday… kidding of course, Thanksgiving (also my birthday if wondering). Thanksgiving is a special time for gathering with friends, family, and reflecting on all of the blessings in our lives. It is also the time of year where this community comes to together to celebrate our beloved Thunderbolts as they go against our long-time rivals, Vineland in the State’s oldest football rivalry. 

Our Bolts had a great season again. Despite getting off to a rough start – competing against some of the toughest teams in the State – they kept working and lost a tough/close game in the playoffs. As is every year, what has happened this season – good or bad – doesn’t matter now! All that matters is “Beat Vineland”. Please join us next Wednesday the 21st (my birthday) while we enjoy the bonfire and fireworks in preparing for Thursday’s Turkey Day Game.

Enjoy this week’s Shout-outs!

"Great job by the Mount Pleasant staff, students, and bus drivers as they managed a difficult dismissal yesterday during their power outage. Calm heads and bright smartphone flashlights ensured that all students got where they were supposed to be. Thanking power company as well for getting the outage repaired for this morning’s opening. Great job."
~Dr. Gentile, Superintendent

"A BIG Shout Out to Kierstin Robbins who is one of our Inclusion Preschool 3 Year old Teachers.  She  is ALWAYS full of boundless energy and a warm and friendly smile for all of her children and their families every day.  This week, on VERY short notice, she was faced with another difficult challenge.  She is tackling it with unending effort and rigor .  She has made the parents and the child feel welcome and comfortable as well as the other children in the room accepting the situation.  Thanks again for being such a positive part of our CFC family."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal

"A shout out to Kelley McAvoy for sharing about reading strategies at the Middle School Special Education Department meeting. This information was valuable for teachers as it explained common terms and how the students learn language. Thank you!"
~Vanessa Strassner, Supervisor

"Congratulations to Rob DeSantis, Joe Sino, Marissa Weatherby, Ricky Cortes and John Rilley on an award winning marching band season.  They keep raising the bar for our students and this year, our marching band had their highest score in over 20 years."
~Henry Hartman, Supervisor

"I am sending this shout out to Amy Gehringer, Barb Kern, and Donna Hoffman at Lakeside as well as Mike Schenck at Senior High School.  These history teachers planned, organized, and hosted Veteran's Day celebrations at their respective schools.  The Lakeside celebration included lunch for the Vets followed by a whole school assembly.  The hallways were decorated with posters created by the sixth grade students honoring a special veteran in their lives.  Mike thank you not only for your service to our country, but all that you did to ensure our students understand the meaning of the day."
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"Thank you to Dana Siniavsky, Stacey Musey, Tom DeCou, Jason Kessler and Dan Richter for volunteering their services at the 7th Annual MHS Staff vs. Millville Police Fundraiser Basketball Game on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. Your assistance was truly appreciated. Thank you for helping to make the event run smoothly."

"Thanks to the following staff members for participating in the 7th Annual MHS Staff vs. Millville Police Fundraiser Basketball Game on Wednesday night (November 14, 2018): Dominick Pontari, Colleen Hand, Mike LaTorre, Adam Carpenter, Mike Schenck, Jim McCarthy, Mike Jones and Bert Ayala. The group helped raise over $700 for the Millville PAL Basketball League. Thank you participating and making it such an enjoyable event."
~Dave LaGamba, Supervisor/Athletic Director

"Huge shout out to the Memorial High Cafeteria ladies for always doing an amazing job and for keeping us well fed!!"
~Steve Platt, Vice Principal

A huge shout out to Candy Devich and Stephanie Muhlbaier for pulling off another Feast here at Bacon.  Planning and pulling off this event takes a ton of planning, and it went off again this year without a hitch.  Thank you both for taking care of our Bacon family!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"Thank you to the 6th Grade Social Studies Team (Amy Gehringer, Donna Hoffman and Barb Kern) for putting on an amazing Veterans Day Luncheon and Assembly! Thank you so much for such an amazing experience for our kids and the Veterans!"
~Spike Cook, Principal

"I'd like to send a big shout out to Samantha Clarke at Lakeside. Sam's been back from maternity leave for less than 10 days and has already gotten all of her classes to complete the LinkIt benchmark pilot and implemented some in-house PD on brain-based learning (retrieval practice) the very next day. It can't be easy coming back to a group of middle school students in November after being out for the first 2 months, but Sam has it looking like she was never gone!"
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"A big Holly Heights shout out to Tina Dallas and Donna Wheeler.  Tina and Donna organized our Thanksgiving food donations and our Turkey Strut.  Each class makes a donation to the Help and Hope food pantry and personally deliver the items to one of their representatives.  Students also get to participate in a fitness activity after delivering their food donations."
~Steve Saul, Principal

"Thank you to John Law for his work on Rieck Avenue's communication and clock systems. Updating software, reprogramming phones & clocks and adding new features to our systems was time-intensive work that we really appreciate!"
~Brian Robinson, Principal


Have an amazing weekend!
Regards,
Dr. G.


Dr. David N. Gentile
Superintendent of Schools
“Lead Learner”
@drgentile_mps (Twitter)
856-327-6001

#MPSWC (MPS World Class)
#greatdaytobeabolt

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

11/2/18 - Friday Fall Edition

Photo by Ibrahim Rifath on Unsplash

Good afternoon all,

TGIF!!! Another great week in the #mpsworldclass District! Come out tonight and support our Bolts who have been on a roll since having a tough season opening. Tonight is round 1 of the Group 4 State Playoffs and our Bolts are prepared to leave it all on the field. Lets make sure we press the advantage of hosting the game! #homefieldadvantage

Last week I attended a Legislative Session where the panel included Senator Sweeney and many other NJ legislators. Although the panel was not accepting live questions, they did address several topics of major concern to all NJ Educators. I want the Phenomenal Friday to remain a positive beacon focused on highlighting all that is great in Millville and education. Therefore, I am only going to encourage all of you to get involved with this year’s election and political happenings. According to the panel, and our experience here, the State’s financial situation is strained. In order to bolster the State’s budget outlook, Senator Sweeney is demanding that educators (all of us) pay more. According to him, our pension system in unsustainable. I hold personal beliefs as to how our pension system became at risk, but again, going to keep it positive here. In addition to our pension and benefits coming under scrutiny, the funding for District’s like ours is only going to get worse.

I have shared before that the Millville community’s taxes support about 10% of our school budget (a budget of more than  100 million dollars). According to the State’s formula, this community’s ‘fair share’ is greater than 20%. I am not certain how they came to that number, I am quite certain it is not from coming here and visiting the community. If they did, they could see that a high percentage of the good people of Millville are struggling economically. The State’s plan, however, demands that this District’s ‘fair share’ double in the next 7 years. Their plan will reduce the aid we receive by 10%. I honestly cannot foresee a future where that is possible. I will continue to lobby and fight for more for this great community. The students of Millville need you to make your voice heard as well. The Senator all but said so by his referencing Kingsway Public School District as a community that was underfunded and made their voice so loud they demanded to be heard. The result was a substantial increase to Kingsway’s State Aid. Their increase came at the expense of our (and other former Abbott School Districts) decrease. We have barely held on over the last 9 years where the State Aid has been flat. That flat funding resulted in a 3 million dollar per year reduction in spending just to stay solvent. Any decrease in the future puts our future in jeopardy.

I apologize for sharing such news in what is a positive outlet for Millville School News, but this is that important. We need to all join together.

Now for the positives:
SHOUT-OUTS
"An enormous shout out needs to go to Amanda Gaunt for orchestrating the Miss Holly City ceremony this year!!  Though I have attended it a number of years, it was not until this year when my daughter, Megan, was in it that I realized the absolutely huge amount of work that goes into having a successful program, and it is work that started way back in May.  From picking the theme to picking the outfits the girls wear in the opening number to the 6:30 A.M. practices to creating the program and mostly to giving these girls lifelong memories, Amanda Gaunt has done it all with a smile on her face and a love for the girls she is working with in Miss Holly City.  As an educator, and even more as a mom, I love that my daughter and all of these girls have such an amazing role model in Ms. Gaunt and a teacher who dedicates so much time to her students and our district.  We are blessed to have her in Millville!!"
~ Melissa Sooy, Teacher

"To Jeremias Bermudez for all of the work that he and his team did during the recent Data Center outage. They did a mountain of work behind the scenes."
~Dan Wright, Chief Information Officer

"To Graham Gant and Jason Harrington who have created an exceptional learning opportunity for our German Foreign Exchange students as well as our Millville German students.  They have arranged host families for our visitors to stay and provided unique experiences for all of our students to appreciate each other's cultures."
~Henry Hartman, Supervisor

"Kim Henry and Danielle Hyson for continuing to be patient and nurturing with their three year old class.  They continually provide opportunities for their children to grow and learn especially in the social emotional domain.  New children and their families are greeted with warmth and made to feel they are leaving their child in a safe and loving environment.  Children are challenged with open ended questions and problem solving skills to build a better community of learners."
~ JoAnn Burns, Principal

"Karen Cossaboon has such great positive energy and optimism for all of the students at MSHS.  For the past two months she has been case managing and working with all classified students while we wait for a new social worker to start next week.  I appreciate and admire your dedication and willingness to take this challenge head on!"
~Steve Matusz, Exec. Director Special Services

"To Jennifer Backman for coming back over to Rieck Avenue School from the Millville High School for the first couple of months of the school year. She jumped into the role of being our school nurse as we transitioned to having a new nurse. Jen's willingness to pitch in, her kindness to our students and her professionalism are just some of the reasons she is such a great nurse and a great person. THANK YOU!"
~Brian Robinson, Principal

"Thank you to Dana Siniavsky and Megan Finney for leading the work with the PBIS committee for the high school. From fundraising to planning pep rallies and beyond, your efforts to encourage our students and to raise school spirit is greatly appreciated. #ThunderBoltPride"
~ Bridget Borlak, Dept. Chair

"History was brought to life by the eighth grade Social Studies team at Lakeside this week.  Casey Clifford, Tim Garrison, and Cody Hand exemplify a cohesive team who created an engaging Revolutionary War Spy two day lesson.  Students were actively engaged both days deciphering codes as they worked in cooperative groups.  Casey, Tim, and Cody led the sessions throughout the day with each of their classes dressed in period outfits. Thanks to this amazing team!"
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"A big Holly Heights shout out to Sanya Brown and Lorraine Swaim.  Sanya and Lorraine have been with us since the start of the school year doing maternity leaves at grades 3 and 5.  Both have done an excellent job and are going above and beyond to provide a positive educational experience for their students."
~Steve Saul, Principal

 "I'd like to give a huge GREAT JOB and shout out to Amy Gandy and Tim Trout, our two newest teachers here at Bacon.  Amy has done nice work in 1st grade, and she puts time and effort into making the quality of her instruction the best it can be.  Her transition into teaching has been smooth, and we are happy to have her on board.  Tim has also done a nice job.  He is bringing excitement to the chorus and band, and he has worked very well with our staff to ensure the music program here runs effectively.  Both Amy and Tim are welcome additions to our Bear family.  Keep up the great work!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"A Big Silver Run Shoutout goes out to Nicole Portik who procured a Young Audiences Arts Education Scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year.  Silver Run was one of eight schools selected across New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The scholarship is for $5000 and will be used to further the arts education of our students. Thank you for going above and beyond in serving our students."

"A million thanks goes out to the Silver Run PTO (Heather Garrison, Michelle LeDent, Ashley Martinez, & Joanna Hackett) and the Holly City Development Corporation for all their handwork and dedication in making our Fall Festival a tremendous success.  An event like this requires a massive amount of planning and produces an equally large amount of anxiety.  However, the team’s success could best be measured by the smiles on the faces of the students and parents who attended that evening.  The event was truly a gathering of the community.  It was exciting to bring a Silver Run event into one of the neighborhoods we serve.  Thank you to the staff whose efforts made this event possible: Danielle Cosgrove, Shannon Silvestri, Lenny Corbin, Patti Nedohon, Cheryl Ismail, Susan Groover, Lindsey DeFrancisco, Gretchen Andrews, Brandi Welch, Lisa Baran, Nina Crain, Sueann Irwin, Tina Stiles, Camille Howard, Gary Guadalupe, Danielle Williams, Donnie Garrison, Christine McCarron, Melody Billek, Dawn Dolan, Christine Armington, & Charlotte Phillips."
~Eric Reissek, Principal


"This shout-out goes out to the guidance staff. Their support and care for our students is needed more than ever. Like in many areas across the District, everyone is being asked to ‘do more with less’ as funding for our State continues to be an issue. In addition, the school social workers are equally talented and in high demand. What goes misunderstood in Trenton is how very important the services of counseling and home-outreach are to this community. Unlike affluent towns and cities in our State, our parents are working multiple jobs just to provide the barest of essentials. Our guidance counselors and social workers go above and beyond to help supplement the resources available to our students’ parents. I could not be prouder of their efforts!"
~David Gentile, Superintendent

Have an outstanding weekend!

Regards,

Dr. G.

* Saturday night/Sunday am set your clocks back and enjoy what feels like an extra hour of sleep!!!!!


Dr. David N. Gentile
Superintendent of Schools
“Lead Learner”
@drgentile_mps (Twitter)
856-327-6001

#MPSWC (MPS World Class)
#greatdaytobeabolt

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

October 26, 2018 - Guest Phenomenal Friday Writer

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Good afternoon all,

I’m excited to be your guest Phenomenal Friday writer.

This summer I had an excellent opportunity to attend mindfulness training with our PD specialist and I set a goal of sharing some of what I learned in my district. Some of you have attended my gratitude workshop or heard me speak about how important it is to stay focused on all of the positive things in our lives.  I firmly believe that mindfulness and gratitude go hand in hand.

I know what you’re thinking....there are so many negative things bombarding our lives everyday, you don’t have time for this mindfulness stuff or you may even be saying, I don’t even have enough time to breath.  Well, if these are some of your thoughts, then this is definitely for you!  You see you owe it to yourself to take a minutes (or two) for yourself and that’s not being selfish. After all, how can you care for others without taking the time to refuel, recharge and re-calibrate.

Below are six quick ways to start taking care of yourself. I've also included a link to a weekly self-care checklist and a Gratitude journal if you want to take a look.
1.   Make a list of the things you like to do that feed your heart, your body, your mind, and your soul. Then start doing them!
2.   Get out your calendar and make time for yourself EVERY day. Even five minutes makes a difference.
3.   Give up all guilt about taking time for yourself. Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your students and your family.
4.   Keep a gratitude journal. It helps to remember all of the little things that make you happy.
5.   Ask for help when you need it. You don't have to do it all by yourself.
6.   Laugh and learn from your mistakes— another great gift to yourself and others.

 This weekend please take a moment for yourself to just breath. I am grateful for this opportunity to share with all of you. Have a great weekend and enjoy the shout outs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Big Bacon shout out to Kim Berry for organizing our Fall Frolic.  It was a great event, our families had fun, and our staff got it done.  And a big thank you to Candy Devich for taking care of the food for the event.  Also, a huge thanks to all those who helped (too many to list here).  Know that your hard work is appreciated, and this would have been impossible without so many of you doing your part."
~ Mike Coyle, Principal

"Thank you to Margaret Keefer for doing Part 2 of the It's All About Respect at LMS presentation. This month's workshop incorporated the activity Tableu and it was received very well by our staff."
"Thank you to Lauren Daigle for her ongoing support with All Things Google. Lauren has assisted with Google Classroom, Google Extensions and Google Drawings."
~Spike Cook, Principal

"Thank you to our Discipline and Attendance Office Secretaries at MSHS Wendy Risley and Bethany Kavanagh! Their team work and dedication helps our office to run smoothly each day!"
~Jaime Sutton and Jason Kessler, Vice Principals

"A BIG Shout out to Annette Cerami and Dina Joy, and all of the CFC staff who attended the evening Fall Fun Night.  It was great to have help from the Leaders' Club and The Child Development class students.  The event was a huge success.  CFC families enjoyed all of the fun and games.  It is great to see such a large turnout and the families engaging in all of the activities.  Events like this require ALOT of planning and hard work.  Our staff ALWAYS is willing to support our families and our school events."
~Joann Burns, Principal

"Thank you Jimmy McCarthy, Robin Carman and Culinary Arts students for preparing another delicious luncheon for the Perkins Advisory Meeting.  The Advisory Committee includes many of our local business owners who meet with our CTE teachers and students to find innovative ways to improve and expand our growing programs  The meeting was filled with great ideas and collaboration from many of our local businesses.  We are excited for the anticipated opening of the pop-up restaurant."

"A huge thank you to Lori Carapelli with her help and support inputting the names of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students into the SRI assessment. Lori was instrumental in “cleaning up” this program, which was an overhaul that was both difficult and time consuming! It’s because of her patience and diligence she was able to make the assessment available to all the students and teachers at Lakeside. Thank you again, Lori!”
~Joanne Colacurcio, Supervisor

"I want to give a big thank you to Gena Pacitto who went above and beyond the call of duty on Tuesday assisting one of our students and their family procure some much needed services available in the community.  Her efforts took her beyond the work day and I wanted her to know it did not go unnoticed or unappreciated.  Great job!"

"A well-deserved shout out to Gretchen Andrews, Elviro Ocasio, and Frank Breakell for their work with the Silver Run Shark Kart!  Our rolling school store has been a huge success in part to the time and attention you have given to the project.  Thus far the experience has been a positive one for our students. Thank you!"
~Eric Reissek, Principal

"I would like to commend Jimmy McCarthy and Robin Carman who are pushing our Culinary students at all levels. They are working to increase the rigor and professionalism of our students. Last week, our Advisory Board guests were very impressed with the food and student servers. This week, our staff was impressed with the level of competition among the Culinary 1 students' Cupcake Wars. Jimmy McCarthy has presented many new ideas for this program as he has picked up a fourth block."

"I would like to thank Arlene Sartorio who has been my right hand in preparing so many events. She consistently keeps me on track even on the most distracting days and I am very appreciative of her abilities, kindness, and dedication."
~Kristin McManus, Vice Principal


Dr.Pamela Moore
Asst. Superintendent
Millville Board of Education
110 N. Third St.
Millville, NJ 08332

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

October 19, 2018 - Fall Edition

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

Good afternoon,

Hope everyone is having a great Friday and looking forward to the weekend!!

 The Fall weather is upon us for sure, so make sure you take a jacket with you once the sun sets. This time of year is among my favorite…small backyard firepits, hot chocolate, and friends and family. Each season brings positive elements. The time between seasons is also welcome…once we all get the point of “its too hot, or its too cold” it is great that we get a break. I have missed Fall…the cooler weather and the colors of changing foliage bring back nostalgic memories of Football, Thanksgiving, and my birthday (in November if you are planning anything big for me).

 Tomorrow is my eldest son’s birthday- he will officially join the ranks of TEENAGER. It is too cliché to say, but man time does fly by when you are having fun. The older he gets, the greater his sense of independence, his ability to make good decisions without our guidance, he does his homework without being asked, and spends way too much time on his Ear buds’. Recently my wife and I commented about how as he has gotten older his dependence on us has decreased. We can literally look at the young man he is becoming and see the future father, husband, professional standing there in front of us. While it does bring a bit of sadness, especially to mom (he is a momma’s boy for sure), I can’t help but be proud of who he is growing to become.

If as parents we do our job well, the reward is often seeing our kids infrequently on Holidays, weekends if they stay close, and when grandchildren are welcomed into the World. May sound like a poor reward, for the parents reading this, you know how much of yourself you are or have given to your kids (much of it has gone unnoticed by them, or so it appears)…Like the seasons though, as my two amazing kids transition into the next phase or stage, I am nostalgic for the stage left but I am full of happiness for what comes next. This is the greatest lesson for all of us to learn, appreciate each moment in each moment, for it will eventually pass…embrace every new stage of life fully for each new stage will become a future season of the past.

 Go out and make some amazing memories this weekend with the people you love the most!

 Shout-outs
"We wanted to wish all of our bosses in the Curriculum Department Happy Boss’ Week and thank them for the phenomenal job they do and their commitment to constantly improving instructional practices in the district.  Thank you to Bobby Barber, JoAnne Colacurcio, Pat Wulk, Maggie Colina, Henry Hartman, Dave LaGamba, Vanessa Strassner, and Pamela Moore for your dedication and hard work.  We appreciate our team of amazing bosses!"
~Chris Finney and Lori Carapelli

"To the PBSIS Team for organizing our first Haunted Hallways at LMS for October 29, 2018 at 6:00 PM. This is an all ages event and costs 2 dollars person."
~Spike Cook, Principal

"Thanks to Stacy Descalzi and Victor Nappen for coordinating another success Blood Drive at Millville Senior High School on Wednesday, October 17, 2018. We reached our goal of 90 pints of blood collected, which accounts for saving 270 lives. Thanks again Stacy and Victor for the countless hours you put in to making this Blood Drive so successful!!"
~Dave LaGamba, Supervisor

"To Pete Arsenault for his continued support of our students and families and his willingness to help out and do whatever it takes to reach our kids."
~Steve Platt, Vice Principal

"Sandy Gery and Jessica Andreoli for the fluency work I was able to see them do with their kindergarten classes at Holly Heights on Thursday. Their students were on point with the routines, counting up and down using a Rekenrek, breaking numbers apart with linking cubes, and making number sentences all in the span of a few minutes. Great job ladies!"
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"A huge shoutout to our amazing kitchen staff Joan Naprava, Michelle Price, Candy Devich, Robin Bennett, and Margaret Ortzman for taking such good of us at Bacon.  Every day, they do a great job getting our students and staff fed.  Thank you all for your hard work.  We appreciate you!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"A huge shout out to Mike Coyle,Nancy Gandy,Stacey Gant,Bobby Barber,Colleen Blithe, Jessica Andreoli, Stephanie S. Slimmer, Sarah Fryling, Lida Stroup, Valerie Grennon, Amy Gehringer, Kelly Gandy, Amy Fabianovicz, Suzanne Godfrey, Eric Reissek, Julie Stewart and Debra Broe.  This group completed three days of Brain Based learning at the Franklin Institute.  I was extremely proud of their commitment, enthusiasm and willingness to go above and beyond for our students."
~Pamela Moore, Asst. Supt.

"I would like to recognize Amy Gehringer, a sixth grade Social Studies teacher, at Lakeside.  Amy spends countless hours creating lessons that engage her students and finds creative ways to differentiate her lessons so all students have access to the curriculum.  Amy has a passion for teaching and is always willing to share with her colleagues.  Thank you Amy for all that you do."
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"A shout out to Amy Kimmel at Silver for using her puppet "Poppy" from the October 3, 2018 in-service session, to demonstrate to students how to sit and focus in class. The visual is part of her educational routine and students refer to it as part of their day."
~ Vanessa Strassner, Supervisor

"Amelia Scull, Camille Howard, Arlene Maggiocalda, Kristin Fasolino, Kim Ale, and Melissa Castor for meeting to help look at ways to help Improve our I&RS process! I'm excited about the ideas and the energy!!"
~Steve Matusz, Exec. Director Special Services

"A BIG Shout Out to Cindy Ciocco, Kathy Parent, Cindy Tarpine, Casey Wilson, Sharon Wright for being the most creative and flexible staff.  Despite having to tackle greater challenges than ever before with fewer resources, these amazing professionals rise to meet the demands. They are examples of doing more with less. They are committed to making the program at CFC run as smoothly as possible for all of the children at CFC.  Chris and I don't know how you do it but THANKS!"
~ JoAnn Burns and Chris Barlas, Principal and VP

Have a great weekend!!

Dr. G

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

October 12, 2018

This "eagle" is working on keeping the geese away

Hello all,

I hope you have had a great week and are ready for the weekend. Many of us have been wishing for the weather to cool off and Mother Nature came through. Enjoy the cooler weather, before you know it, we will be complaining it is too cold out.

I started reading an interesting book this week entitled “Out of Curiosity; Restoring the Power of Hungry Minds for Better Schools, Workplaces, and Lives” by a great mind in education and friend of mine, Bryan Goodwin. Bryan is president and CEO of McRel International. McRel, as you know, has been at the forefront of educational research. They specialize in focusing on where the magic of a great teacher and the science of learning come together.

In his latest book, Chapter One begins with a simple question: “What is this funny little thing called curiosity?” This begins the analysis of what it means to be curious. He looks at the various ways our curiosity can be sparked and suggests that being purposeful we can become curious people. Is there a difference in saying I feel curious vs. saying I am curious? Bryan goes on to answer that question clearly. Anyone and everyone can feel curious once in awhile…but curious people who adopt curiosity as a character trait are typically linked to better academic performance, stronger relationships, job performance, and overall satisfaction in life.

As young children, I would be willing to bet that we all would be described as curious children. If you have been in a recent Pre-school or primary classroom lately you know exactly what I am talking about. “Why is the grass green? Why does the moon disappear? Where did the dinosaurs go?” and so on… no matter how many times you answer their little questions they will come back with another. The entire world is a wonder to us when we are young. Sadly, that natural state of curiosity does not stay a predominant trait in many adults. Instead, some simply get comfortable in the routine of their daily life. They accept things as they are and are in no hurry to wonder about how things could be better. They simply want to know exactly what is the minimum needed for me to meet a satisfactory rating. It would be easy to blame those who do not shine with curiosity. Instead, Bryan and the researchers at McRel were curious about why so many people lose their curiosity trait in their teenage years and never get it back. In this book, I hope to learn more about this. I am curious too. As a father of two soon to be teenagers, I want to know what I can do to help them keep their curiosity about the world thriving. As an educator, I want to understand this phenomenon better so we can focus classroom efforts to support our students’ curiosity. In addition, I hope to learn about how to help those staff members who see professional development as a chore rather than an opportunity to be curious about improvement.

What are you curious about? Are you a curious person or one of those who lost it during their teenage years? Would you be willing to try and rekindle that side of you if you knew how?

SHOUT-OUTS!

"After battling flocks of geese on our athletic fields for years, Troy Polhamus and Bill Parker may have found a solution.  If you've seen strange looking bald eagles on our fields, you can thank Troy and Bill.  They built them and have been refining the design for a few weeks.  So far, the geese seem to be fooled."
~Ryan Cruzan, Facilities Manager

"Becky Henry, Tom Fien, Sandy Lokuta, Jackie Votta, Rita Pettit, and Kelly Gandy for hosting the AVID National Demonstration Coaching team to visit their classes and highlight the amazing contributions of the Lakeside Lightning students!"

"Thank you to Mr. Larry (aka Commander In Chief) for always going above and beyond as a nighttime custodian, substitute security guard and host to evening visitors at LMS!"
~Spike Cook, Principal

"A big thanks to Katie Baralus and Jen Panas for working so well with our students.  Their time, insights, and abilities have helped us a great deal, and it's great having them here!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"Thank you to Mr. Ronnie Feliciano. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty to mentor a few of our male students. They are in awe of you!!"
~Arlene Jenkins, Principal

"Amy Whilden, Val Phillips, and Mihajlo Protic have done a great job of putting together the key parts of our new Algebra 1 curriculum this year. This course will continue to be a graduation requirement and the curriculum they are writing is going to put our students in the best position to be successful they have even been. Thanks!"
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"Thank you to Nina Crain, Kelly Blough, Jen Morrow, SueAnn Irwin, and Debbie Broe the first grade team at Silver Run.  This group of teachers has welcomed the RtI staff at the school into their classrooms as we begin to implement a push-in model at this grade level.  Their flexibility and openness to change is what drives this team.  All students are now benefiting from the extra support within the classroom setting.  Thanks again for your support!"
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"Shout out to the self contained team at Lakeside for meeting weekly to help improve the design of the BD program and the education we provide our students - Melissa Kuhlen, Megan Protze, Audrey Muller, Melissa Castor, and School Admin."
~Steve Matusz, Exec. Dir. Special Services

"A big shout out to our 4th Grade Team of  Laura Kane, Maria Vai, Marcia DeFelice, and Sarah Fryling.  They have worked collaboratively to create a positive social-emotional learning experience for all 4th grade students.  They had a fun assembly to kick off their project that placed the students in 4 houses with the themes of integrity, courage, strength, and respect.  Students had a great time and will be working throughout the year as part of a team towards goals set by the teachers."
~Steve Saul, Principal

"A big shout out to Lori Kinsey, Stephanie Upham, Barbara Todd, Sue Derella, Joanne Mills, Erin Barse, Terry Russo, Mindy Fralick, Kathy Drastal, and Becky Morris for setting up our 1st staff get together of the year.  These social gatherings serve as great opportunities for staff to enjoy each other’s company and enable us to grow stronger as a staff. “
~Eric Reissek, Principal

"A BIG Shout Out to Maria Stoerrle for organizing and scheduling the car seat workshop for our parents.  She provided two certified car seat specialists, child care and snacks  and everyone who attended will receive a free car seat professionally installed."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal

Have a Great Weekend!!!
Dr. G.


Dr. David N. Gentile
Superintendent of Schools
“Lead Learner”
@drgentile_mps (Twitter)
856-327-6001

#MPSWC (MPS World Class)
#greatdaytobeabolt

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

October 5, 2018

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Phenomenal Friday is dedicated to highlighting the contributions of the Millville Public School employees.

Shout-outs!!!

"Nilsa Acosta and John Bunting for assisting with the 8th grade students as we do not currently have a Guidance Counselor. Your hard work does not go unnoticed."

"Scott Godfrey, Ryan Hudson and Ish Jimenez for covering the ACI for two periods every B day."
~ Spike Cook, Principal Lakeside Middle School “Home of the Junior Bolts"

"Thanks to Tori Smith who bailed us out of a jam this week!"
~Henry Hartman, Supervisor Fine & Performing Arts

"Kudos to Margaret Keefer, and Beth Benfer for their hard work during the October 3rd in-service! Your professionalism inspires all of us as we continue to grow as professionals."
~Maggie Colina, Supervisor of Language Arts Literacy

"A big shout out to Margaret Keefer and Beth Benfer for the massive amount of work and planning that went into the Oct 3rd in-service.  Thank you both!   Speaking as someone who helped run a session for the puppet making, the presentation was clear and the info pretty much taught itself.  And speaking of that, I'd like to give a shout out to Bob Trivellini for being a great co-teacher in yesterday's session and for everything else he does for the district.  We are lucky to have him!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal Bacon School Bears

"A big shout out to Jess Kauffman for helping organize and implement our new Community Based Instruction Curriculum with our new community partners. A little quiet shout out to baby too."
~Steve Matusz, Director Special Education

"A special thanks goes out to Allison Buono who created the design for our new school store. The school store which is now on a cart looks absolutely amazing! And a big thank you to Jamie Tomlin and her husband Sean for printing and applying the Artwork to our cart."

"Two high fives goes out to Nicole Portik and Julie Stewart for their outstanding job presenting at the October 3rd In-Service Day."

"A big shout out to Christina McCarron, of Sheppard Bus Company. Love the books on the bus initiative! And because anyone who is willing to dress up and greet their students in a Shark Costume deserves a shout!" 
-Eric Reissek, Principal Silver Run Sharks

"I want to first thank Laura Shepherd and the entire registration/transportation department. Their daily efforts may largely fall below the radar or appear to go unnoticed. However, they are the often the first impression makers for new families coming to Millville for the first time. Other times, they are the ones who help our families who are in transition from one address to the next. They do an excellent job. We appreciate all that you do!"

"Next, I want to give recognition to Margaret Keefer and Beth Benfer for all the support they provide for the district."

"In addition, I had the opportunity to see the STEM mobile lab in action recently! Gerald Bruman (alternating with Shawn Jenkins) are doing an outstanding job introducing our elementary 5th graders to the concepts of engineering. Bobby Barber was the creator of the lab on wheels, and the two instructors selected are running with it. Great job!!!!

Lastly, I want to thank Bob Trivellini (Brian Robinson, Stephanie DeRose, Gerald Bruman) for their recent pursuit of grant funding for two projects. We were invited by OceanFirst Bank (sponsors of the grants) to attend a dinner (almost 2 hour drive). We waited eagerly while 25 – ten thousand dollar grants were awarded to other schools. The disappointment was obvious on all of the Millville staff members’ faces in attendance, but I know Mr. Trivellini felt it the most. Seems like an odd shout-out perhaps to draw attention to us not receiving grant funding…but it is not. This is not a loss or failure…it is merely part of the grind. Mr. Trivellini has helped secure countless grants over the years. It is fun to celebrate those but for me, it is here in this recent experience that I feel encouraged. I know that the next opportunity that presents itself, Bob will do everything he can, over and above, beyond what is requested for the application, to make sure our names are called next time. In baseball, if you can get 3 hits for every 7 strikeouts you will likely be eligible for the Hall of Fame. So keep at it, find the grant opportunities and take your ‘at-bat’. Keep swinging for the fences Bob."
- David Gentile, Superintendent

Final Shout-out this week:
"The Power Of A Shared Experience”, Click on the link below to relive some of the fun from October 3, 2018. We received over 200 pictures so we couldn’t get them all in. Please send us the pictures of your students trying this activity. Thank you again and here is a special video ‘shout-out’ for all the presenters and participants. Thank you to all who with an open-mind allowed yourself to get caught up in the moment. There are lots of smiling faces in the video montage, perhaps we were able to capture yours….
~ Margaret Keefer, Beth Benfer: PD Superheros

Have an amazing 3 Day Weekend!

Regards,
Dr. G.

Dr. David N. Gentile
Superintendent of Schools
“Lead Learner”
@drgentile_mps (Twitter)
856-327-6001

#MPSWC (MPS World Class)
#greatdaytobeabolt

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

September 28, 2018

Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash

Hello all,

Good afternoon, and happy Friday to you! It is official, September is a wrap. For many of us, each new school year marks a fresh start. I am full of optimism, hope, and a belief in this year will be better (different) than the ones before. It may be a personal or profession goal, I often start each school year with a couple of goals in mind. This year for example, I decided that I would do a better job of ‘unplugging’ from work when home on my personal time. Many of you have likely gotten one of my  2 am emails about something I felt was super important while normal people were sleeping (not talking about snow calls either). But I began to realize that unless you work the night shift 2 am should be for sleep not thinking about work.

I  took  pride in responding to work related calls, emails or text messages quickly. To do so, however, required me to have my phone readily available at all times. I cringe when I think of the number of times over the years my children excitedly exclaimed, “Dad look!” in order to show me a handstand or some other amazing accomplishment of the kid world. I cringe because far too often in the past, my response was (while looking at my phone distracted), “ok, great job, just please give daddy a minute" – or "I will be right there" (only I never actually got there).

Nothing to be done about the past, but the future is undetermined. So this year, I made plans to change my behavior in order to be able to be more present for my family during my personal time. The plan was that when I come home from work or on weekends, I would put the phone on vibrate or do not disturb and leave the device in my nightstand drawer. Then I would be free to engage my family members about their day. So, with September complete, it is a great time to reflect on how I am doing with my goal…

I would love to tell you I changed 100% and that I have been able to stick to my plan of placing the phone in a drawer when I get home. Sadly, that would not be completely honest. While I have not been able to fully meet the goal, I was able to make several meaningful changes to my routine that have been noticed and appreciated by my family. I learned after only a couple of nights of trying this that putting the phone in a drawer to completely ignore it for several hours was not going to work. Reason #1 is simply this job requires that I am accessible because issues in the District refuse to just happen during work hours. So the first occasion that I picked up the phone to check in and saw that I had 12 missed calls, my text message mailbox was full, and/or there were about 10 emails outlining some issue that needed my immediate attention. Reason #2 it simply didn’t work because I found myself distracted by worrying that I was missing something. I realized I had become a bit dependent on having my phone handy. This was just as disruptive to family time as my constantly having my phone around.

Like all goals, you may need to modify the approach in order to find success. So instead of putting the phone away and completely silent I began putting the phone down in the kitchen (or whatever room we may be congregating). By doing so I knew I didn’t need to worry because if someone really needed to reach me I would hear the phone go off multiple times in a row. A buzz here or there could be responded to later…if the phone was, as my kids put it, “blowing up” then I would respond. In addition, I found that I was becoming able to be without it for periods of time without worrying. it could be something is as simple as all of us taking the dogs for a walk, going for a bike ride, or eating a meal together. Putting my phone down has become much easier and the quality time with my family improved. Now that I am being a better role model, it is much easier to get my kids to unplug as well.  Now that they are 9 (going on 19) and my son to turn 13 this month, getting them to interact has become a bit more challenging. Where before it was always, “hey Dad, look) it is becoming more like, “ ….(silence while listening to headphones) or "eh nothing” when I ask what they did in school. But I am not giving up easily, I keep pestering them, even if it means I yell to them, “Hey Kids, look!” while I try (poorly) a handstand or something equally silly in order to get them to at least say, “Dad, you are so corny”.

How are your goals going? Never to late to amend them or create them for this year…

SHOUT OUTS!!!

"A BIG Shout Out to Chris Barlas for her continued support and leadership to improve their practice with our staff.  She has embraced the PLC model and encouraged staff to set SMART Goals that will improve instruction, climate, communication and parent engagement and participation at CFC.  She also is the backbone to our special education program and leads support in keeping us a fully inclusive preschool.  She is an advocate for our children and their parents even in times when it becomes a difficult discussion."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal

"Shout outs and thank you to Kristina Messina, Linda Polhamus, and the Mt. Pleasant staff for supporting our Camp Happy Hollow Family Night last Friday. It was a wonderful evening of fun, food, and togetherness. A special thank you to the MEA "One School, One Book" program and our guest of honor, Humphrey Hamster!"
~Arlene Jenkins, Principal

"Shout out to the 6th grade Math and the 7th and 8th grade Science Departments for combining together for Back To School Night 2018. This was a new approach that we tried this year to show the parents how each grade level and department collaborates for the students."
~Spike Cook, Principal

"Shout out and thank you to the staff in Millville for their support and encouragement during the transition process. I have enjoyed seeing the students and classrooms and look forward to meeting more of the staff as the school year progresses!"
~Vanessa Strassner, Supervisor

"I'd like to send a huge shout out to Sasha Earl who is a new 2nd grade teacher at Mount Pleasant. I was able to watch her for a little bit during a Eureka Math lesson and was really impressed. Her students were right on point with procedures, expectations, and content. She was able to fit the lesson to her style and it really worked for her kids. That class looked nothing like there was a first year teacher in there. Great job, Sasha!"
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"Thanks to Margaret Keefer, Brittany Straczynski, Angie Finch and Tim Bermudez on preparing for the upcoming in-service."
~Henry Hartman, Supervisor

"A big Holly Heights shout out to Bob Cirocco.  Bob has done so much for the students and staff of Holly Heights as well as the entire district.  It has always been reassuring to know that Bob is just a phone call away and ready to assist in a crisis with his highly skilled approach with children.  We wish Bob all of the best in retirement."
~Steve Saul, Principal

"Shout out to Bobby Barber on the mobile STEM lab trailer.  The students were engaged and had a blast building the robotic cars.  Thank you for the time and effort you invested to see this idea become a reality.  To go along with this, a big thanks to Shawn Jenkins and Gerald Bruman for working so well with our students.  Thank you all!"

"Shout out and good luck to Bob Cirocco. Bob has been a great asset to the district, and his help with difficult situations has been invaluable.  We’ll miss him, and we wish him all the best!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"Shout out to Melinda Fralick, Jenn Dragotta, Kathy Drastal, and Stephanie Upham who make up the RtI team at Silver Run.  I had the opportunity to work extensively with the team this week and their thoughtfulness, dedication, and passion for the students at Silver Run is what drives their work.  We couldn't help our students succeed without this integral part of the Silver Family.  Thank you."
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"A Big Shout Out to our unsung heroes, staff and parent volunteers who work our concession stands; Patti Mackie, Karen McCafferty, Bob Domico, Lori Carapelli, Kathy Parent, Carol Ann Ciccio, Bethany Kavanagh, Stacey Musey, and Parents. Thank you for all your hard work!!!"
~Maggie Colina, Supervisor

"Shout out to Gloria Perez for taking on the Service Desk since she started a little over 6 months ago. She is always providing a friendly voice to our customers and helping to keep everything tech running."
~Dan Wright, Chief Information Officer

"Big thanks to Harry Longini and Michele Lobaito for helping me prepare materials for long term substitutes. Having these teachers share their materials, projects and lessons has been extremely helpful to maintain the rigor in our high school classrooms."
~Jessica Kauffman, Dept. Chair

Have a great weekend!!!

Regards,
Dr. G.
Dr. David N. Gentile
Superintendent of Schools
“Lead Learner”
@drgentile_mps (Twitter)
856-327-6001

#MPSWC (MPS World Class)
#greatdaytobeabolt

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ