Thursday Thriller
May 24, 2024
Whoop!! Whoop!!
NJHS New Inductees!
Unsolicited PSA for Principals Everywhere:
Students are being creative playing baseball. Apparently, Max's Crocs are used because he has the biggest feet; at least they are resourceful!
Nuts-n-Bolts
1. One more day until the 3 day weekend. ENJOY!!!
2. Recognition is June 13th-please let your 8th grade students know the last day to turn in things ESPECIALLY if they are failing. Also, after Recognition we are going to have a dance for one hour 8:00-9:00 outside on the blacktop. Marco, our night custodian, is going to DJ and bring lights. We will have parents decorate what they can since it's outside. Call me crazy! If you would like to chaperone, we can find a spot for you! :D The hope is that it the dance will be something special, outside with lights just for them.
3. June 7th is our iReady and last Activity Day- students who finish iReady lessons can participate. We will have dance in the gym with Stephanie Penrose as the DJ. We will also have other activities.
4. Yearbooks will be handed out the last week of school. You can share with students that they are on sale. Students can purchase a yearbook in the office with Jazmin or online through FamilyId.
5. Counselors and admin will talk about how to make sure the students from the HSB data spreadsheet finish their lessons.
6. We understand that there are certain combinations of students who should not be placed together. Please use the provided spreadsheet to submit your requests. We will do our best to accommodate your suggestions. While we are not familiar with the incoming 6th-grade students, we anticipate that some combinations may prove problematic, but this may not become apparent until the first few weeks of school. Although making multiple schedule changes is not ideal, it is sometimes necessary to ensure an effective learning environment. We will reach out to you for your input at the beginning of September. Please note that while we strive to accommodate requests, some student schedules are determined by their required classes and may have limited flexibility. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
7. As of now, we will implement an advisory schedule on Wednesdays, dedicating this time to iReady Math for all students. The ELA department has decided to integrate iReady into their own class schedule. We will continue to offer incentives and celebrate achievements, as Garrison has made significant progress with iReady, making its complete elimination impractical. Additionally, the Tuesday advisory time and the 10 minutes for GNN have been returned to your schedules.
Regarding the half-day Friday schedules, feedback has been mixed. Some staff preferred a "speed dating" format, while others favored an activity-based schedule. These half-day schedules allowed us to complete important tasks and celebrate with students. For the upcoming year, we will alternate formats every other month: one month will feature speed dating, and the next will be an activity day. In months without a half-day, any necessary HSB lessons or celebrations will be scheduled and assigned by administration to specific content areas.
Here are some activities previously conducted on half-day Fridays (this is not an exhaustive list):
- High School and Beyond lessons for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
- Assemblies
- Topics covered during half days, such as:
- GPA lessons
- Emergency procedures
- Activities for Veteran's Day, MLK Day, and President's Day
- Character Strong - Character Dares
- Career Fair
This is a sample Friday half day schedule when we "speed date."
THIS IS a TENTATIVE BELL SCHEDULE
GNN needs to be shown first period.
