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