February 22, 2019

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

"A JETS shout out to Christine Burns, Julia Araujo, Carmen Moreno and Jackie Brescia for running our JET FUEL Cafe each week on Wednesday mornings. This has been a great opportunity for our students in their classes to learn about commerce, sales, keeping records and all the mathematics involved. Plus it's keeping the staff happy and fed well!"
~  Brian Robinson, Principal

"A BIG Shout out to Edwin Fien. Mr. Fien has always been diligent about monitoring his student's attendance. He is taking it to a new level this year and seeing some success with an improvement in tardies and absences. He used Mrs. Barlas' "Gentle Nudge" suggestion from the staff meeting. He sends out friendly success texts through REMIND celebrating days when he has 100% attendance. He celebrates all children being on time and "gently nudges" when it is close to 100%. "Almost made it today only 2 late or 2 absent." He continually thanks parents for making the extra effort and takes quarterly photo's with certificates for 100% attendance. He has done home visits to encourage attendance and to try and assist if the problem can result from some kind of change. We appreciate the extra effort!"

-JoAnn Burns, Principal

"A well-deserved shout-out goes out to Kelli Blough for being a leader in her classroom. Kelli leaves no stone unturned when it comes to helping our students succeed. Whether dealing with behavior or leading a lesson Kelli always has the best interest of our students at heart! Thank you for all that you do in making your classroom and Silver Run a special place."

"A massive Silver Run Shout-out goes out to Stephanie Trull for her quick thinking, fleet of foot action that prevented a student from being seriously injured last week. In a moment’s notice you put the safety of our students first and for that we are grateful. Thank you!!!"
~Eric Reissek, Principal

"A big thank you to Terri Whilden in the Business Office for all of her support and follow through. She is a great resource!"
~Spike Cook Principal

"A big Bacon Bears shout-out to all the staff members who came out to Chick-fil-A this week for the fundraiser. Thanks for hanging out, supporting the school, and being the dedicated educators you are. In particular, thanks to Barb Lore and Candy Devich who stayed the whole time and helped organize the event."

"Another Bacon shout-out to the participants of our biggest loser contest. Nice job promoting healthy living and eating within the school. A big thanks to Nurse Pruett for organizing the effort. Way to go, Bears!"
~ Mike Coyle, Principal

Have a great weekend
Dr. G.

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

February 15, 2019: Self Aware Edition

Photo by Tim Goedhart on Unsplash

Good Afternoon,

In February’s AASA School Administrator publication, one article about the others jumped out. After reading it, I was compelled to share my thoughts and takeaways relative to our beloved community. The title, “Compassion in the Face of Trauma; A school system’s backing of children who are depressed, deprived and anxious may not be at first glance consistent with the ‘feel good’ theme associated with the Phenomenal Friday message, but bare with me as I hope you can see it as I do. This publication reaches a global audience of educators but as I read about the Anaheim Union High School District in Anaheim California, I thought, “yes, us too”. Although on the other side of the United States, the number of students experiencing depression, homelessness, anxiety, poverty is on the rise, like here in NJ. A growing number of students’ families are experiencing the despair of being homeless. Uncertain about where the next meal will come from. Additionally, students growing up in poverty are told by many well-intending adults “if  you simply work hard you become anything you want”. This over simplification can cause damage without additional messaging and supports from a caring learning community. I am not interested in debating the issue at this time, yes technically speaking it is possible to achieve dreams through hard work, dedication, and grit. I am a supporter of growth-mind-set and therefore you do not have to take issue with me on the benefits of the great American dream. I came from a family where my sister and I were the first to reach the university. Both of us now hold doctoral degrees and benefits by improving our quality of life through education, work, and determination. I merely want to share that simply repeating “work hard and you can become anything you want” alone is not effective.


That stated, for a growing number of our students the competing hardships that too often lead to mental health issues is too daunting to simply “work hard”. I am a kid advocate at my core. I simply want every student regardless of the parents they choose, to have equitable access to high quality education, social emotional supports, and high quality professionals to help shape their path. We must acknowledge a few truths. Truth number one, your socio-economic status influences your opportunities. Truth two, growing up in poverty may make your path more difficult.  (*but growing up with a lot of money, just enough money, some money may make your path more difficult). Everyone’s journey is potentially difficult. Third and most important, we must all become more self aware, emotionally intelligent, and skilled at helping others navigate the hardships of life. When I went to school as a young person, the things that happened at home that were troubling me stayed at home. Almost like a switch, we were expected to put our best self forward without excuse. This was a time when teachers and school administrators were right even if they were wrong. Educators of this era were not expected to be able to help navigate a complete emotional breakdown by a student on a regular basis. Educators did not focus on becoming culturally competent so they can better identify their own prejudices and preconceptions of those that are different. Instead, the student was expected to conform and follow the rules. The teacher taught and if the student wanted to learn great, if not…oh well. Today, if the students are not achieving we look to the teacher. Two very clear and linear paths, college or a trade, existed for the earlier generations. Employment in each path was not only possible, it was likely. Today, there are countless graduates with large debt and few prospects. There are over 7 million jobs available in the US as of July 2018. There are over 4 million Americans identified as unemployed. I told you this was a positive story remember… there are more jobs available when compared to the number of unemployed so that is encouraging.

Why is this so? That is the question that keeps me up at night. I would guess some of those out of work are experiencing currently or have experienced some type of mental health event at some point in their formative years. I would further guess that they did not receive high quality care that helped them recover and grow from the experience. Thus they are left unemployable.

Today’s students are experiencing stress and pressure that they are ill prepared to handle alone. According to a study by Renee Goodwin, a professor at Columbia University on depression found it on the rise among 12 thru 17 year olds. Increased from 8.7% of adolescents reporting depression in 2005 to 13% in 2015. Most disturbing, depression among our kids is most common among those with the least access to any health care, including mental health professionals. Students growing up in poverty are most vulnerable but depression can strike students of means as well. The number strongest risk factor for suicide is untreated depression among adolescents. Students raised by adults who lack education or employment are also likely to have their own untreated mental health issues are at risk to struggle.

Now, again back to why this is actually a positive story…In this California district, they are implementing ‘self-awareness training’. They are training their staff to implement compassionate, caring and self-aware strategies. They are teaching them to help students bring emotions out into the open and working through them. Their focus is on breaking students away from their default responses to negative emotional stressors and ‘reprogramming’ them to respond in a mindful manner. Helping students learn to hit the pause button and recognize their emotions before simply acting. Their training began with their administrative teams then throughout the student body. With a renewed focus on how to be more mindful in their interactions with others, on social media, in healthy friendships, exercise and healthy diets they are seeing a major decline in the students identifying as depressed. An unintended consequence is in that the staff also indicated feelings of improved wellness. They describe students who previously ‘exploded’ with negative emotions succeeding in ways previously un-imagined. This is a positive story because here in #MPSWC we are on a very similar journey together relative to social emotional learning. The various workshops led by our very own instructional coaches, I.e. Building puppets, as been a priceless beginning of providing a much more emotionally safe environment for our children. Students at the high end of achievement are benefiting as well. Students who have a drive and compulsion to succeed and achieve the highest GPA’s, or get into the University of their choosing, are also at risk for depression – and/ or anxiety disorders. The fact is simply, we all benefit from being more in touch with our emotional wellness. If we simply wait for their to be high quality mental health care access for all with magic solutions, we will most certainly become disheartened with disappointment. Instead, let us all work to be each others mental health supporters.

Be positive, be kind, be aware of your words and actions as they have power-

Have a great weekend everyone, recharge the batteries and enjoy the 3 day weekend!

SHOUT-OUTS
"A Bacon Bears shout out to Stephanie Muhlbaier and Kim O'Neill for running an excellent Jump Rope for Heart. This was our biggest Jump Rope fundraiser yet! Thank you both for your dedication and hard work."
~ Mike Coyle, Principal

"Melissa Castor is tremendous asset to our students and families at Lakeside. She is always looking for ways to get involved to help in our vision of providing the best education opportunities for students and staff. She recently attended Nurtured Heart Training and is part of the Crisis Response Team. She stepped up this school year and volunteered to case manage the BD class at Lakeside and the Thunderbolt Academy. Thanks Melissa for your dedication and positive approach to all of the issues our students and district are facing."
~ Steve Matusz, Exec. Director Special Services

"Thank you, Sandra Padro, for being so helpful. Sandra has been assisting our long-term substitute and continues to create materials that incorporate all modalities of communication. Her efforts are appreciated. ¡Gracias, querida señora!"
~ Bridget Borlak, Dept. Chair

"A Silver Run shoutout goes out to Shannon Nevico, Jennifer Defeo, Lisa Baran, Nina Crain, Amy Kimmel, and Tara Tapp for getting their students involved in the Valentine's for Veterans Project! Thank you for teaching our students to appreciate, acknowledge, and respect our veterans. Thank you for teaching our students gratitude!!!"
~ Eric Reissek, Principal

"A big Holly Heights shout out to Megan Rhubart. Megan has built a warm and caring classroom environment and built a positive relationship with each of her students. Megan's attentiveness to her students allowed her to identify a student that had developed a significant medical concern. We are fortunate to have Megan on our staff."
~ Steve Saul, Principal

"Here's a shout out to Doug Saul and Hollie Smith at Holly Heights. Doug has been pushing in to support Hollie's 1st grade class during Guided Reading this year and their teamwork is incredible. During the first year of implementation, Doug is able to support Hollie's work with 75% of her students on a daily basis. Their work is definitely going to pay off for those students."
~ Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"State testing is a huge event in the district and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes prior testing even starting. I would like to send a huge thank you to Camille Howard, Trish Curcuru, Kristen Fasolino, Amy Scull, Debbie Stowman, Arlene Jenkins, Valerie Cross, Kim Hallenbeck, Zach Wurcel and Kristin McManus for the countless hours they put in to make testing successful!!!!"
~ Pat Wulk, Supervisor

" A huge shout out to Dave Kahn and his law enforcement class for taking the initiative in creating classroom door ties for our safety and security plan. Not only did they make one for each classroom, but the students will be training the staff on its use. Having a retired law enforcement officer instructing our students has been amazing. Keep up the good work!"
~ Stephanie DeRose, Principal

"A BIG Shout Out to Casey Wilson and Sharon Wright for their continued support for all of the special education children in our building. They give hours of support to the children and their teachers to be sure the IEP is being implemented and the goals are being worked on and attained."
~ JoAnn Burns, Principal

Have a tremendous 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

February 8, 2019 - Groundbreaking Ceremony for High School

Groundbreaking has officially begun 

Good afternoon amazing #mpswc Staff!

I hope everyone is having a great day and preparing for the weekend. Perhaps you have big plans or simply just to spend time doing something you love with the people you love. Either way, I want you to make the most of it.

You probably heard, we were able to officially celebrate and kick off the partnership with the School Development Authority. The SDA is working with us to invest over 130 million dollars into our community! This money will be used smartly to renovate and update wherever feasible, and also add additional new space in order to bring our Wade Blvd High School Campus up to date. The final product will be a cutting edge – state of art campus that is worthy of the mighty Thunderbolts!

Yesterday was a lot of fun celebrating with students, staff, SDA personnel, administration, contractors, dignitaries and the press. Wingtips are not appropriate for digging holes or navigating work sites, lesson learned. The students involved need a special bit of recognition as many of them will graduate long before this project ends. They will not directly benefit from the construction and investment in Millville. Truthfully, they are getting all the negative aspects of a massively complex construction project. Lack of parking, having to be rerouted through multiple hallways, handle the noise and energy that surrounds any construction site…that said, the students I spoke with yesterday “get it”. They understand that sacrifice and delayed gratification are worthwhile experiences. They grasp that someone had to endure this part so that someday our new High School will be that shiny beacon of hope. Some have younger siblings or relatives that will benefit – but others simply took pride in being the class that will graduate during the messy bits. One of them actually said, “to make a cake you have to break some eggs”… I will protect your identity don’t worry – because right after saying that he/she looked at me and said ‘man that was corny huh”. Corny or not, he/she was absolutely correct. So let the eggs be broken, the ingredients added…the outcome is going to be awesome! Kudos and shout-outs to follow.

Shout-outs:
Related to High School Renovation and Construction Project

"Bryce Kell – Business Administrator. Mr. Kell will retire shortly and not officially be here during the final phases but nobody has worked harder to make this happen. Thanks Bryce, you will be missed."

"Stephanie DeRose – High School Principal. It goes without saying she has been nothing short of heroic. Mrs. DeRose has led two high school campuses, managed all of her primary responsibilities, and been on top of the construction details (even picking out and fighting for a color scheme that didn’t cause people to get dizzy when looking upon it). We are fortunate to have such a competent leader."

"Dominic Carapelli – High School Maintenance/Cust. Dominic has been doing an outstanding job keeping the campus safe, clean, and orderly during the massive construction. Everyday, he works with the construction teams and Mrs. DeRose to make sure the students and teachers have as few disruptions as possible. Keep up the great work. Dominic also has a great group of supporting team members who are also to be recognized for their efforts everyday to keep the campus tip top."

"There are so many more people that are involved and no matter what I am sure to miss someone. That is ok, because the Bolt way is not to do something for recognition but to do it because it is the right thing to do. I want to share a portion of my remarks from yesterday for everyone. There is one person who definitely would NOT want to be recognized. This man preferred to avoid the attention but he fought extremely hard for this District. Also, there are two others who deserve to be highlighted as this project moves closer to the goal line."

"In closing, I would like to thank my predecessors – both Dr. Larry Miller and Dr. Shelly Schneider because this vision began under their tenure. I am compelled to also mention our former Board President, Mr. William Herman “Bill”. While he unfortunately lost his battle with cancer, he won his battle to bring this community a ‘new high school worthy of our community’. He fought tirelessly while on the board to bring this project to this community. “ Dr. David Gentile

"BIG Shout out to the Family Engagement PLC for their evening workshop on Healthy Habits for parents. Each presentation included a healthy snack, developmentally appropriate information about preschool children and a take home activity. Thanks to: Lauren DeSantis, Kim Henry, Andrea Mascara, Louisa Oliver, Dionne Smith, Sharon Wright. Also to Gloria Perez who personally called the bilingual families in her class to attend and joined them during the presentations.
~ JoAnn Burns, Princial

"A big shout out and thank you to our school counselors at Lakeside Middle School for their countless hours spent mediating students, academic advising, I and RS, scheduling, assessments and everything else they do! Thank you to Nilsa Acosta, John Bunting, Anthony Procopio, Jackie Eppright, Audrey Mueller, Kim Hallenbeck, Melissa Castor, Leigh Ann Upshaw, and Janay Harden for all their hard work and Happy National School Counselors Week.
~ Spike Cook, Principal

"Shout out to our Infrastructure Team (Jeremias Bermudez, Rob Smith, Matt Sheppard, and John Law) for always improving and keeping our Infrastructure (servers, data, and network) up to date and running efficiently. Also for exceeding the goal of 99% up time."
~ Dan Wright, Chief Information Officer

"Shout out and great job to our kindergarten paras Patti Banker, Vicki Summers, and Carol Veale. They make it happen every day, and their dedication to our students and school doesn’t go unnoticed. From supporting the classroom teachers to working with parents and a million things in between, they are an asset to our school family and we appreciate their hard work. Thank you, ladies!"
~ Mike Coyle, Principal

"I'd like to give a shout out to Gerald Bruman, Shawn Jenkins, and their Robotics Team for hosting a very successful VEX Robotics competition this past Saturday. Our students worked very hard and were able to demonstrate their Robotics Skills throughout the various components of the competition. They also recently received word that their Engineering Team has advanced to the next round of the Panasonic Creative Design Challenge in March to compete for a $4000 scholarship. Good Luck to the Team!"
~ Stacey Musey, Dept. Chair

"A big shout to Gerald and Shawn for hosting the VEX Robotics Competition. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that made this day such a success. Thank you Stacey Musey, Aaron Righter, Wayne Parr, Janet Ponzetti, Alex Bruman and Yvonne Bruman."
~ Joanne Colacurcio, Supervisor

"A big Holly Heights shout out goes to Jackie Olivio and Lisa Stahlberger. Jackie and Lisa serve as our Club 21 coordinators and plan engaging and fun activities for our students on a daily basis. They have a great staff and bring in interesting outside presenters to keep the program exciting."
~ Steve Saul, Principal

"A HUGE Silver Run Shoutout goes out to Camille Howard and Arlene Maggioncalda for the outstanding job they do each and every day supporting our students and staff. Happy National School Counselors Week!"

"A well-deserved shoutout goes out to Shelly Robbins and Mary Lafferty for effectively managing the Office during our transition between principal secretaries. A million thanks!!"
~ Eric Reissek, Principal

"I would like to thank Steve Saul, Nkomo Bacon and Beth Deforest for helping me last Friday at dismissal. It was a very cold, snowy day and my car would not start. Steve and "Bacon" spent about thirty or more minutes trying to jump the battery and Beth Deforest offered to stay to see if I would be alright. My car finally started and Steve followed me to my mechanic in Ocean City where I reside to make sure I would not get stuck on the way. What wonderful people!!!!"
~ Mary Beth Owens, Teacher

Have an amazing weekend!

Regards,

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

February 1, 2019

T Shirt that Todd Henry mentioned in speech 

Good afternoon all,

I would like to share some thoughts from Todd Henry, whom gave the keynote presentation this morning from the NJASA Techspo. I found his words to be thought provoking and that they could be of interest to all.

He began his talk by sharing this t-shirt he saw at Disney. He presented this t-shirt as the ‘greatest of all time’. He explained that this is very much the process many of us follow when we are trying to lead or teach others. We start off well, steps 1,2, and 3 are clear and basically anyone could follow along. When step 4 is presented, this is where all great initiatives fall short. For me, this illustrated clearly how at times the district central leaders will set out to create a finished ‘Darth Vader’ portrait and become frustrated that we fail to create a masterpiece. The issue simply being that getting to a finished step 4 is complicated. We cannot expect to simply release creative professionals loose on a task and magically it is so. The more complex the issue or task the greater the chance of expectations and directions not being clear enough.

Todd then shared a true story about a young musician’s experience early in his career. This musician was given the opportunity of a lifetime, or so it appeared, to open on tour for the most popular band of the time. The first show this new musician opened received complete silence from the massive audience for about 3 songs until finally the silence broke. The crowd erupted, but not as the guitar player had hoped; endless booing filled the stadium. After the show, managers assured the young talent not to worry. After all, this is just one stop, one city, and the opinions of one group of fans. The managers were sort of right as the next night, the young musician was booed from the very first note. Again, the experts said not to be deterred it will be better tomorrow night. This continued for the next 8 shows. The last show, the booing began before the guitar player took the stage and was loud enough to drown out the music. Finally reaching his limit, the musician told the fans that they were ‘number one’ (or so it is rumored) and he walked off the stage disgusted. Can you imagine what it was like to finally get your big opportunity and have it end like that after only 8 days? If you were in the audience that night, July 17th, 1967 you would have been convinced that you were witnessing the death of a young career in music. You, however, would have been wrong. Once I share the context you will understand this series of events differently. Todd shared that Jimi Hendrix walking off the stage on the 8th night was not the end but the beginning of something new. The massively popular band that a young Hendrix was opening for was the Monkees. See it wasn’t that the musician was not talented or that the music was destined to fail, but rather that the massive audience that like the music of Monkees simply did not know what to make of this wildly different sound and spectacle. Imagine a young Hendrix using his teeth to hold his guitar pick and play his guitar. The very routinely normal popular music that the Monkees created was safe. It was what was listened to. It was what everyone listened to, at that moment. So Hendrix did not fit into their grid of what great music was – yet. Think about being out with friends, or driving around in the car…have you ever once had anyone say ‘hey, put on the Monkees greatest hits’? Not likely, but as history remembers Jimi Hendrix as a pioneer, an innovator, and one of the most influential musicians ever we all know that his career did not die that night in 1967.

Todd Henry relates this to organizations. People like to say they are open to innovation and change but truthfully most want the ‘Monkees’ not an unknown Hendrix. Routine, safety, and comfort are very strong motivators for resisting change. Obviously though, ultimately our lives would not be as fulfilling without change. We would all still be listening to the Monkees. Todd shared what he calls the 7 deadly sins. These are the 7 reasons people, companies fail to change and grow.

Aimlessness: Not having a clear set of directions that would help get from step 3 to 4 in the drawing Darth Vader. Example, if we placed you in a field and said there is a target somewhere. Your objective is to hit the target, but after we first spin you around blindfolded. How successful could you be? Probably not very. Even if you somehow blindly succeeded, how would you feel about that success? Not very as accidental success is not very gratifying.

Uncertainty POV – productive passion = what are you willing to suffer for? i.e. Curtis martin NY Jet running back…he did not like football. (despite being a hall of famer) only played his senior year of high school, so good he gets scholarship for Pitt, then he gets drafted by Patriots. Did not want to play until his pastor framed it as football could help him find a path to help single moms, and intercity kids – both of which were his passion:

• What angers you? Not road rage but compassionate anger
• What makes you cry?
• What gives you hope?
• Define Your Battles; this is what you will not compromise on, this is what you are passionate about. Use this as your target to avoid aimlessness.

Boredom: Bored-busy; continuous partial attention ‘PING’ is the term for those of us who constantly look at their phone, email and believe that there is probably something else out there that is more interesting than where you are right now. People are wasting 66 hours per year of their life glancing at your iPhone/email/Instagram. Constantly looking elsewhere because we feel there is possibly something out there that is more interesting than what is right in front of you.

• Be fiercely curious I am so happy I just wasted 15 minutes reading negative comments on my Facebook feed, said Nobody Ever
• Fill your well
• Be unreachable (sometimes) train yourself to use technology to aid, not to steal our focus and creativity.
• Ask inconvenient questions
• Beware of ‘BUSY BOREDOM’

Your inbox represents what other people prioritize for your life. And while you have jobs and commitments you do NOT have to completely allow others to tell you what is important. Technology is a great servant but a terrible master

Comfort: the love of comfort is often the enemy of greatness. Commitment to growth and innovation. Discovery…emulation…divergence…crisis (here is when others recognize us for being competent and skilled but we realize that we have now plateaued). What new skill/idea/ would re-invigorate you? Avoid being complacent with good.
Delusion…well that will never work here. Personal life, if I want to be valuable, I need to be like ‘so and so’ instead of following your sweet spot skill.
Be honest with ourselves

• Your greatest potential to cause damage as a leader/teacher is directly tied to your biggest insecurity. Be vulnerable.
• What am I doing right now that doesn’t seem like me? (either be able to identify for yourself or have others who can assist)

Ego…not the traditional form of EGO. You are not going to value my brilliance, fine, I will not participate. I will simply not engage. I will comply by being here but don’t expect anything of value from me. “I am playing a victim” – my recognition and well being is more important than everyone else on the team. *(Stresses not the same as actually be victimized.)
Be confidently adaptable…I believe I am right, but I am willing to listen and change my mind with new or better information.

Fear…the potential negative consequence is more discouraging then the motivation of potential reward. (100 foot plank on the ground…will you walk it? Of course you would. Take the same plank and put 50 feet above the ground.. now walk it?)
Fear is often the smell of opportunity: Brian Tome

• Discuss true risk to dispel perceived risk; are you being irrational
• Am I artificially escalating planks?

Guardedness…closed off to others…fail to connect meaningfully to others
You need people who will speak truth to you before you realize you ‘need’ people in your life that will speak truth to you. Need critical friends/colleagues. “Many avoid this honesty and instead melt into some group of similar people all dedicated to not being honest with each other”. Everyone is hiding in some sort of togetherness…Soren Kierkegaard.


In closing, Todd said to “Put away your gun” (not literally)but if you ask for honesty you have to be willing to hear it and not shoot it down. Form a collective of people who will speak honestly

• Mirror – a person you give full permission to speak openly to you without fear of consequence
• Circle- a group of people who keep us inspired, they are in the journey with you (skin in the game).

I know there is a lot of information to digest here. Google Todd Henry as his videos and material are available. I was taking notes but the above only represents my takeaways. I strongly suggest reading his books or watching his videos to hear it firsthand from him.


Now for the Shout-outs!!
"A big Shout Out to Courtney Robbins for her creation and implementation of our sensory walk at the Child Family Center. The children have enjoyed the sensory break and it is constantly being used by a child or group of children as they feel the need to "take the walk". This was a great idea and something new to offer our children at the Child Family Center."

"A BIG Shout out to Kathleen Cody for an amazing workshop on Wednesday. She presented information on Attachment issues and self-regulation problems with children and gave MANY concrete examples on how to work with these children in the classroom. The brain research followed by participatory practices made for a very educational and useful workshop."
~ JoAnn Burns, Principal

"Congratulations to Dena Andrews who was recently accepted to perform with the Greek Opera Studio and Festival of the Aegean! We are excited to have an International Performer representing Lakeside and Millville Public Schools!"

"Shout Out to Kelly Gandy for organizing and hosting World War 2 Veteran Richard Young. This activity was featured on SNJ News. For more information click here."
~ Spike Cook, Principal

"Thank you to Jim McCarthy and Robin Carman for a wonderful Senior Class Breakfast. They are providing our culinary students with real-world scenarios while simultaneously serving good food. Thank you!"
~Bridget Borlak, Dept. Chair

"A big Shout Out to The Bilingual Staff at Rieck Avenue !!! Thank you for your support in building connections..... with parents and students, everyday!!!! Great Job!!!!!! Much Appreciation!!!!!"
~ Danette Boone, Vice Principal

"Bacon school’s fourth grade students are learning about percentages. Mrs. Gandy, Mrs. Gant, Mrs. Catlett and Ms. O’Neil have created an activity, “Fraction Gym Stations” to engage students in sports-themed stations to explore and solve problems. Games, such as; golf, basketball, football can toss, wiffle ball bounce, hockey shoot, ring toss were some of the games students competed against. Students were placed in groups and given a data collection sheet where they entered the denominator/total attempts, numerator/successful attempts, and fraction/final outcome. Data from this activity will drive instruction in the introduction of the fractions unit. Everyone had a great learning experience while establishing links between disciplines. Congratulations teachers!"
~ Maggie Colina, Supervisor

"Shout out to Margaret Keefer for her preparation and presentation of Centers and Arts Infusion to our World Language and Fine & Performing Arts Department!"

 "Special Thanks to the Silver Run staff for their support of me in my Day as Principal!
~ Henry Hartman, Supervisor

"The positive feedback from the Resiliency and Trauma Training held by Vanessa Strassner and Chelsea Santiago has been tremendous! Thanks so much for taking the time to present to our staff on such an important component of social and emotional learning. I look forward to working with the team to start moving this forward in our classrooms and school cultures and curriculum."
~ Steve Matusz, Exec. Dir. Special Services



Regards,

Dr. G.



Dr. David N. Gentile

Superintendent of Schools

“Lead Learner”

@drgentile_mps (Twitter)

856-327-6001


Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

January 25, 2019

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Good evening all,

Enjoy the Shout Outs!!

"Thank you to Jen Salvati for presenting Mail Chimp to the Principal PLC group. She did an amazing job in sharing this very important parent communication opportunity."
~ Spike Cook, Principal

"I'd like to send a shout out to Lisa Oquendo for sharing some great resources she learned at a recent workshop with the Lakeside Math Department on Wednesday afternoon. She was able to demonstrate ideas that could be used with the students and Chromebooks in any of our math classrooms. Lisa is always willing to help the department in any way and these resources will definitely be put to use by her teammates."
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"Shout out to Tina Benishek! Many scenarios are given to Tina and no matter what they are, she goes above and beyond. Her positive attitude and calm demeanor are a big part of her interactions with parents and students. Many thanks to Tina for everything she does!"
~Jaime Sutton, Vice Principal

"A shout out to Heather O'Donnell and Jennifer Kundera on an amazing Co-Teaching pair in the history department at Senior High School. I had the chance to observe a lesson where all students were highly engaged and working with grade level content. Students had many opportunities to move around and supports were seamlessly incorporated into the lesson. These two along with Sheila Montecino are busy creating and updating common benchmarks for US II.. Thanks for all that you do for our students!"

"Who knew speed dating could be incorporated into a lesson in 7th grade Social Studies. Bernadette Anderson and Cassy Clifford had their students research a historic figure and share with their fellow students in this modified "speed dating" scenario. Great engaging lesson!"
~ Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"A big thanks and shout-out to Pat Wulk for her help and support with Exact Path. The results are promising, and Pat does a great job helping us with the data and planning. Thank you!"
~Mike Coyle, Principal

"We would like to thank all the teacher leaders who gave of their time to come to the facilitator training last Wednesday. You were a joy to work with. We also like to say thank you to Shannon Silvestri, Sandy Sivieri and Teale Carroll for being the voice of the teachers at the District PLC Team meeting."
~ Beth Benfer and Margaret Keefer, PD Specialists

"Shout out to John Law for his quick response when the paging and bell system went down at Lakeside. Within an hour John had developed a workaround to use while we wait for parts. Thank you for all of the times you respond to critical systems like this!"
~Dan Wright, Chief Information Officer

"Katie Baralus and Gena Pacitto for their dedication over the past weeks working diligently with writing an IEP for a student and his family to make sure he has the best educational opportunities in the school district."
~Steve Matusz, Exec. Director Special Services

"A BIG shout out to the ELL Family engagement PLC for conducting one parent meeting already and planning a second one.. They are using survey data and parental contact response to provide necessary instruction and support. Much appreciation to: Stephanie Branch, Evelyn Echevarria, Edwin Fien, Diedre Pierce and Jaime White."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal

Have a great weekend!
Dr. G.

Dr. David N. Gentile

Published by Spike Cook, Millville, NJ

January 11, 2018

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

Hello All,

Happy New Year! It is the year 2019, the year or time in the far off future that so many classic novels & writings were set in. Looking back on the literature and media of my childhood, it is interesting to reflect on the predictions of technology and life they held for the future. In 1968, Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: Space Odyssey” he predicted that news would become immediate for consumption. In addition, he wrote about the imaginary technology that people would read the news on. He said, “One by one he would conjure up the world’s major electronic papers…Switching to the display unit’s short-term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that interested him.” Wow, does that not sound an awful lot like how many of us spend our free time, searching through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our news Apps on our smartphones!?! How about how Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” written in 1953, where he described the modern ‘earbuds’. He described a 3D movie-like experience as well as predicting a tech toy most cannot live without, headphones.

In “The Senator’s Daughter” written in 1879, all the characters owned printers in their homes which allowed them access to print current articles and information. Mitchell described the printers as “an endless strip of printed paper, about three feet wide, slowly issuing from between noiseless rollers and falling in neat folds into a willow basket placed on the floor”. Eerily accurate to the early printers. In 1910, Ambrose Beirce predicted today’s modern artificial intelligence and smart computer programs. He wrote about an invincible, chess-playing robot. Did he know that someday I.B.M. Would create Watson the super-computer that was first able to win on Jeopardy? Finally, video-chatting, from “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster. In 1909 Forster wrote “but it was fully fifteen seconds before the round plate that she held in her hands began glowing. A faint blue light shot across it, darkening to purple, and presently she could see the image of her son, who lived on the other side of the Earth, and he could see her.” Skype or FaceTime was imaginable as far back as 1909.


Thinking about some of our favorite television and movies of the past, we imagined riding around on hover boards with Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future. In Star Trek, their communicators functioned very much like today’s cellphones. The list goes on and the point of my sharing my thoughts on it today are two fold. First, we need to make certain that while we are accountable to meet the demands of high stakes assessments mandated by State and Federal Departments of Education, we never create students who fail to dream big.

Sir Kenneth Robinson, education expert, states in his TedTalk that there is one overwhelming statistic that we as a Nation should concern ourselves with. That is that students beginning in kindergarten and successfully traveling through and graduating from our high schools have one major thing in common. Each began kindergarten full of creativity, curiosity, and natural wonder to learn and those traits decline steadily the longer they are enrolled in school. This is the result of high demands to cover standards and material imposed on us by policy makers. Starting certain standards for example in mathematics like algebraic thinking in early elementary school while adding standards in each grade forces educators who fear having students not perform well on standardized assessments to go rapidly through. Covering a great deal of information but only at an inch of depth and understanding.

There is not time to let students ponder a particular standard and daydream about what might be possible because we need to move to what comes next. That is not enough though to just go fast and cover everything, we need to speed up and standardize how students demonstrate their learning. So we tell them exactly what they need to know and be able to do and exactly how to show us they know it. We remove all responsibility for creating or developing new outcomes that show learning mastery. We do so with the best intentions. We need to make sure we are aware of this potential for killing creativity and work in time to let students dream about the world around them.

In closing, I want to share an experience I had while teaching an undergraduate course. The course was education in the 21st Century and it was an elective. I enjoyed the freedom to be able to create the course syllabus so long as students were exposed to certain concepts and could demonstrate understanding. This class of students were not interested in becoming teachers nor did they really have any interest in education – I mean they were all freshman in college and could not imagine having children of their own or any real reason to learn about public school education in the current century. That said, they were great kids. All were good students in their high schools and grade schools most likely. They knew how to ‘do’ school really well. By ‘do’ school, I mean if I were to tell them exactly the concepts and material that was important, create a multiple choice or essay assessment they would all likely have done well.

I decided to shake it up and instead apply a bit of creativity. The students were all responsible for creating their own project of study. They had various choices and I did provide guidance, rubrics etc… but largely, they needed to design, development, and create a unique project that demonstrated understanding of the major concepts. They hated it – and I would go so far as to say, many began hating me. The frustration levels because I refused to simply ‘just tell them what I wanted them to do for their project’ was visible. In the end, they survived and all but one created interesting projects. My takeaway from that experience solidified my belief that we are spending too much time regimenting learning and in the process of doing so hurting our chances that the future technology may look like today’s because we lose the ability to create new and exciting ideas. We won’t let that happen. I wonder what 2040 will look like???



I am confident, however, that the MPS staff understands the importance of fostering creativity while also meeting the demands imposed on us. Keep up the great work!



SHOUT-OUTS
"A BIG shout out and thank you to Cindy Ciocco and Kathleen Cody for all the organization, parental contact and delivery service to make the holidays special for more than 45 of our families. An extended shout out to all of the CFC present and retired staff for making the huge undertaking possible. Our families truly appreciate your concern and generosity."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal

"A shout out to Sue Whilden for all the data runs she completes to assist in determining special education student needs and the framework of the program. I appreciate it!"
~Vanessa Strassner, Supervisor

"Shout Out to Ryan Malone and Bill Emberger for great work on the Attendance and Tardy reports they created for both Memorial and Senior High School. These reports have helped to reduce the workload on the attendance offices."

"To the entire Technology Support Services team for stepping in and covering during other team members absences. Very much appreciated!"
~Dan Wright, Chief Information Office

"A shout out goes out to the Silver Run Staff for all that they do to make this a great place for students to learn and grow. From the nurturing environments to the creative and engaging lessons our students are lucky to have remarkable teachers like you!"

"A sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to Tammy Haley, whose retirement in January closed the book on a storied career. Secretary to the Principal is no easy job, but you did it as well as anyone. I will be forever grateful for the assistance you provided and wish you all the best in your retirement."
~Eric Reissek, Principal

"A shout out to April Pang for her spirit and positive attitude. She truly dove in head first in our student activities and has an huge role in making our school a positive place."

"Shout out to my secretarial staff at Memorial and Senior High. They have a tremendous task of keeping me straight throughout this experience. They always point me in the right direction and are handling so many tasks when I am not at their school. They also re-direct so much, so that families and students are supported in my absence. They truly don't know how much I appreciate their input and support. Without them I would be lost."
~Stephanie DeRose, Principal

"The Three King's Day Bilingual Celebration was a success largely due to the students, the parents, the teachers and everyone involved. A very special heartfelt thank you goes to Dr. Brian Robinson, Danette Boone, Vidalina Rodriguez, Lori Carapelli, Jackie Brescia, Daphne Bruno, Freddy Velez, Alex Lively, and Melissa Colon. for all their time and dedication in making the event a memorable one. The highlight of the program was Eric Paulson, Robert Trivellini and Sebastian Mendez (9th grade student) who played the role of the Three Wise Men."
~Maggie Colina, Supervisor

"A shout out to Krystle Ammann, Derek Clarke, and Bill Branin, three World History teachers at Memorial High School, for their dedication and hard work writing common benchmarks. These three jumped right in with little notice and last minute changes to their location and gave 110% towards the completion of this project."
~Pat Wulk, Supervisor

"Beth DeForest is such an asset to our school district, students, and their families. She provides counseling for students in all of our elementary schools including Lakeside. She is full of positive energy, always optimistic, and a team player. Her main focus and priority is helping children. It is an absolute pleasure to have her part of our team. Thanks Beth!"
~Steve Matusz, Executive Director Special Services


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

Seasons Greetings Edition

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Seasons Greetings!

I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Las Posadas, Diwali or Chinese New Year (and any other celebration I may have missed). Regardless of what you celebrate, I am sure we can all agree on celebrating the Winter Break. Beginning this afternoon, we all have the opportunity to recharge our batteries. Spending time with our families and friends helps remind us of what is most important to each of us. This allows us to return in the New Year with a renewed energy to serve the students and families of Millville.


So far this year has held many milestones and accomplishments. Throughout each of our schools the staff and students are exploring their curiosity of the world around them. From arts to mathematics, athletics, to poetry or literature – there is something for everyone. Through the strategic plan we have committed to providing our students with paths to career and/or college readiness. Our expanded STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) programs are uniquely designed for those careers that rely heavily on technology and math. These days, there are very few if any professions that do not. Our Fine and Performing Arts students continue to shine.

It goes without saying that Millville Athletics are very healthy as well. One aspect often left out is the character of our students. We believe that part of our responsibility as educators is to help our young people become good people as well as employable. The ability to be kind, caring, and empathetic are just a few of the many qualities we value here in MPSD. Teamwork is also critically important so that our students can work in diverse groups in order to solve real world issues. All of this is possible because of each and everyone of you (Millville Staff). Thank you for all you do for our students, each other, and this community. I look forward to coming back together in 2019 to finish out this School Year. Until then, enjoy your break!!!



Shout-outs!

"A big shout out to Meganne Peck and Tim Trout for a wonderful holiday concert. The kids sounded awesome, and our gym looked great! Thank you both for your hard work and dedication. Another shout out goes to Kim Berry for helping to hold down the office while Dina and Laurie were out. Thanks for being flexible and willing to lend a hand. I appreciate it. Yet another shout out to the cafeteria staff (Margaret, Joan, Robin, Michelle, Lisa, Roseann, and Candy) for our first dress-to-impress lunch. It was a great experience that our kids won't soon forget. Thank you all for what you do for our Bears."
~Mike Coyle, Principal

 "A huge AVID shout out to the Lakeside Team.  They received revalidation on their National Demonstration Site status.  This is an amazing accomplishment.  Hats off to every single person who had a hand in making this happen.  The national team was overwhelmed with what they witnessed throughout the building!"

"Congratulations to Angie Finch and her class.  They are published authors!  They celebrated this accomplishment with a well-attended parent event where students and parents worked together in centers.  A good time was had by all."

"Hats off to Lauren Daigle for handling the job of two Technology Trainers for the past four months. She put out the extra effort to make sure all staff and students were supported. You are truly appreciated!"

"Thank you Sandy Lokuta for stepping in and making a child feel included.  That small act of kindness did not go unnoticed and I know that student will never forget how you made her feel!"
~Pamm Moore, Asst. Supt.

"Thank you, Zoe Maines, for all of the work you have done for me and Human Resources.  You were a great addition to our team and you will be greatly missed.  Best of luck in your new position at Silver Run.  Go Sharks!"
~Donna Meyers, Asst. Supt.

"Thank you to Alice Williams, Amanda Schreiner, Christi Finney and Melinda Hallquist for making the incentive trips for the middle/high school BD/ID classes a reality. I appreciate your willingness to go the extra step to ensure that students are able to attend the trips they are working so hard to achieve."
~Vanessa Strassner, Supervisor

"An in-tune shout out goes out to Nicole Portik and Kyle Blackburn for a fantastic holiday concert.  The smooth sounds from the Silver Run Chorus delighted the crowd while our Silver Run Band rocked out some holiday classics.  I'm also sending a thank you out to Lenny Corbin, Jamie Tomlin, Samantha Pilon, Lauren Adams, Linda Santiago, Stephanie Upham, Emily Barlas, Heather Garrison, and Barbara Hemphill for coming out to support our students."

"A huge holiday shout goes out to the Silver Run Staff for once again showing that we are a generous staff.  This year our staff helped over 40 kids in the community celebrate the holidays.  A special thank you to Jennifer Dragotta, Kathy Drastal, Melinda Fralick, & Stephanie Upham for their efforts in organizing and coordinating the Silver Run Gift Giving Tree."
~Eric Reissek, Principal

"A big shout out to Lakeside’s First Lego League Club Advisors, Jennifer Salvati and Teale Carroll in addition to the two high school students (Kyle Bowles, Shane McCarron) for volunteering their time to help coach the Lakeside First Robotics Team. Students and coaches are preparing for the Into Orbit Challenge on January 12th at Salem Community College."
~JoAnne Colacurcio, Supervisor

"A huge “bravo” to the CFC PLC team of Diane Cavagnaro, Jen Shute, Robin Dick, Alice Bird, Nancy Caldwell, Lindsay Hudson and Jen Manfre. This team is a great example of the power of an authentic PLC. They are currently writing and sharing a curriculum and lessons for Social Emotional Learning with their fellow colleagues at CFC.  What a great way to use your knowledge and talents to benefit OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS."
~Margaret Keefer, PD Specialist

"A huge shout out to Beverly Eldridge for her positivity at the high school.  A special thank you for organizing the cookie day at Memorial and encouraging our staff to participate and be positive. You are truly a kind person."

"A special  shout-out to Kristin McManus and Zach Wurcel along with their testing teams to a great PARCC Implementation for Winter PARCC.  Your attention to detail and thoroughness makes this task run smoothly.  Great Job!"

"An overwhelming thank you to Meg Finney for her amazing skills and dedication to our school and students.  You are so talented and kind and we appreciate all you do !"
~Stephanie DeRose, Principal

"Janay Harden our new social worker/ CST case manager at Lakeside just became a LCSW!! Congrats and thanks for all you do for the students and staff at Lakeside!"
~Steve Matusz, Exec. Director Special Services

"Shawn Jenkins, Brandie Cesari, Gerald Bruman, Rebecca Tobolski, Lois Smaniotto, Becky Benson, and Aaron Righter really put on a phenomenal show at Lakeside on Thursday for our 7th and 8th grade advanced math students. They had 125 students captivated for 2 hours as they showed off many of the things that make our district great. We are lucky to have each of them working with our high school students and I can't thank them enough for the time, thought, and energy they put in to make this event truly awesome. Check out SNJ Today's website for the feature they did on the event."
~Bobby Barber, Supervisor

"A BIG FINAL Shout out to Nancy Caldwell, Charylene Sharrieff and Confessor as they walk the halls of CFC for their final days.  Best of luck in your retirement and remember you are always a part of our CFC and the Millville Public Schools’ family."
~JoAnn Burns, Principal


Happy Holidays!

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