New School Year

Our first week of school was wonderful! Mr. Magnuson and I visited with each class on the first day. There was an overall feeling of excitement within each classroom. But no doubt some students also had feelings of nervousness and perhaps a bit of fear as for some it was their very first day in our school, very first day of trying to open a lock, very first day of switching classes….

New beginnings, new clothes, new school supplies, and new teachers. Yes, the word “new” was the theme of our visits. It’s a new year, a new start, a new chance to strive for more than in their previous school year. This was the message given to our students as we wished them best of luck in the NEW school year!

Till next time....

A great school year...

As I write his it is the last day of school... YES!!

It has been a very successful year here for our students... from the community service projects to the academic awards to the national awards for character education, we have demonstrated a high level of performance here at OCS.  As I look back over the year and see how it compares with previous years, the high level of success continues.  Granted, we do not have tests scores and I know that many measure success based on those scores, but success goes beyond high stakes testing!"

Success is measured in the positive reaction our students feel toward school... it is measured by the 8th graders who tell me they are going to miss OCS... measured by the students who tell me they wish school could be "always!"  Measured in the fact that we had no cases of bullying in May or June!  Measured in the small class sizes supported by quality educators.  Measured by the additional education completed this year by Mrs. Lurz and Mrs. Carr -- who both completed Master's Degrees!  Measured in the smiling faces of students who run up the stairs to GET to school!

Enjoy the summer.

Till next time...

The Final Countdown...

My apologies to the 80's hair band, Europe!

It has happened!  We have reached the conclusion of another school year!  There have been eighty-nine school years here in the Oxford Central School and each one keeps getting better than the one before it!  Next year will be the building’s 90^th birthday!  Another successful year will be drawing to a close on June 19th and we will be unleashing more than 300 students back into the community for a few months until we decide to start all over again on September 3, 2013!! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST AND SECOND GRADE STUDENTS!!! During the course of the school year our first and second grade students worked very hard on their reading skills.  87% of our students in both grades at reading at or above their grade level!  Nice work and keep reading!

Speaking of reading…. Our PTA-sponsored, “What Would You Do for Reading?” program ended in spectacular fashion with a spring concert visit from 4 of the 5 “Village People” who demonstrated their moves and fascinated the crowd with their rendition of YMCA! The Dream Team of Mr. Bloom, Mr. Causton and Mr. Penner were joined by Police Chief Magnuson on stage for this wonderful cause.  Not only did we raise money for books here at OCS, but I thought it would be nice to donate money from the competition to the Oxford Township Library so their children’s book section could be improved.  We also raised more than 350$ from admission tickets to help our Girl Scouts Troop 686 donate money to the Tornado Relief Fund of the Oklahoma Red Cross and the United Nations Nothing But Nets program! 

Speaking of the concert… The students did a great job!  Mrs. Firling chose some awesome music and the theme of honoring our heroes was a wonderful foundation for the program!

I am going to be publishing another OCS Newsletter that will come home with the last report card and will highlight the wonderful things that have happened since my last newsletter back in January! 

This is a great time to sit and think about the school year and all the wonderful things our staff and students were able to accomplish.  However, much of what we did this year we could not have done without the wonderful and dedicated volunteers we had assist us all year long!  From the PTA and their programs to the homeroom parents, and parents who came in to help with classroom projects:  A HUGE THANK YOU from all of us here at OCS!!

Your dedication and energy truly helps make our school great!

Look for the OCS Newsletter…and my blog over the summer.

Have a happy and safe summer!

Till next time…

Thinking of something while watching the Tony Awards...

While watching the Tony Awards with my family my daughter asked me if I would thank anyone as a result of being named 2014 Warren County Superintendent of the Year?  My instant response was that yes I would!  I am not going to lie, I like this recognition.  I did not go into teaching to win awards, but my hard work yielded a few.  I did not go into coaching to win awards, but was fortunate to win some and I did not come to Oxford to win an award.  In each situation I have been faced with in nearly 30 years, I have always tried to do what is best for the students in my classroom, on my Teams or now, in my school district.   But yet, this recognition demonstrates that my peers in Warren County recognize my efforts in Oxford, my efforts to improve education and my role as a voice for educational improvements the past seven years!

But I have to thank people.  The are so many people who I would like to thank here at Oxford.  From the staff, the parents, the students, my fellow administrators, the Board of Education, everyone.  The award I received is shared with everyone... And I could not be more proud!

Till next time... And thank you...

This one did not fit...

My last post went up on the blog site a little prematurely... I came across this article from Scholastic Administrator magazine (yes, I know... high nerd factor there) about how to help students keep the "reading train" on the tracks...

Three Ways to Prevent Summer Slide

Try these strategies to help your reader improve her reading during the summer and beyond.

 

Learning Benefits

Hover over each Learning Benefit below for a detailed explanation.

Reading

Many children, especially struggling readers, forget some of what they've learned or slip out of practice during the summer months. Try these strategies to help your reader improve her reading during the summer and beyond:
 

1. Six books to summer success: Research shows that reading just six books during the summer may keep a struggling reader from regressing. When choosing the six, be sure that they are just right — not too hard and not too easy. Take advantage of your local library. Ask for help selecting books that match your child's age, interests, and abilities. Libraries often run summer reading programs that motivate kids to read, so find out what's available in your area. Also check our book lists for recommendations.
    
2. Read something every day: Encourage your child to take advantage of everyopportunity to read. Find them throughout the day:
   • Morning: The newspaper — even if it is just the comics or today's weather.
      
   • Daytime: Schedules, TV guides, magazines, online resources, etc. For example, if your daughter likes the food channel, help her look for a recipe on the network's Web site — then cook it together for more reading practice.
      
   • Evening: End the day by having your child read to you from the book he is currently reading (one of the six books, above). Have him rehearse a paragraph, page, or chapter before reading to you. Rereading will help him be more fluent — able to read at an appropriate speed, correctly, and with nice expression.
      
3. Keep reading aloud: Reading aloud benefits all children and teens, especially those who struggle. One benefit is that you can read books your child can't, so she will build listening comprehension skills with grade-level and above books. This will increase her knowledge and expand her experience with text, so that she will do better when she reads on her own.

It's hard to keep up a reading routine in a season packed with distractions and diversions. These suggestions will fit into a busy schedule and make reading fun!

Till next time...

Summer and School

In 11 school days we will be heading into the summer!  Not that i am actually counting....

Each year we face an investigation of the ups and downs/ pros and cons for the summer assignments... There are many articles written each year and many studies have been completed and analyzed ad nauseum, but the fact is that there is a benefit to keeping skills honed and sharp! 

There are studies that suggest it works and studies that suggest it does not achieve the desired affect. I do believe the summer math should be done, without being a burden. But the skill of math is something that does need to be continuously refined and summer can be a big help. I included a few options for summer math.

Summer reading studies show a great result affecting all areas of a child's education. One of the ways to keep students excited about the books they are reading is to have them go to the website, www.tagxedo.com.  Tagxedo allows anyone to create bookmarks, word clouds, etc... from words chosen from the books they read.  This is a good way to have students be creative in how they summarize the stories they read.  


I might suggest other ways to have students review math skills... These will also have the desired effect of having kids use rainy days to work on their technology skills, keyboarding, etc...

1. Have them complete one or two Study Island units,

2. Pre-Algebra and Algebra students could play a free math interactive game called "Lure of the Labyrinth ( http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/index.php )

3. Everyday math games : http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/

4. Games from the Interactive Manipulatives page we have linked on our website: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

5. Finally.. the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has some really neat games online http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=23220
There are some really easy and some really challenging games and some very easy review games as well...


Till next time...

Another Louisville, Kentucky reference....

In the words of the race track announcer at Churchill Downs….

“Down the stretch they come!!”

The end of the year is rapidly approaching and with the end of the year comes many events and opportunities. 

Let’s start by mentioning the most recent accolades for members of our OCS community:

Art work representing 17 students here at OCS was recently on display at the Warren County Art Educator’s Showcase at the Independence Township Municipal building.  Thanks to Mrs. Nemeth for helping put together our display and for being one of the county-wide organizers of this event.  There are a series of pictures on our school website.

The Spring Music Concert was a huge success. We had more than 500 people in our audience and the concert, directed by Mrs. Shirley Firling, was a great deal of fun! Congratulations to the KG-5 grade students for their exuberance and energy during the show.  Good to see the Village People are still touring!

Congratulations to our third and fourth grade Battle of the Books team for their success at the recent Warren County competition yesterday, May 23rd!  Both teams performed admirably and the third grade team came within a few points of moving on to the finals!  Thanks to Ms. DeWitt and Ms. Mazzeo for supporting the students at this event.   

Two former OCS students, Meredith Dowling and Kevin Wahl have been selected to receive the 2013 Lion’s Club/ DHL Scholarships!  Meredith will be graduating from Warren Hills and Kevin will be graduating from Warren County Vocational-Technical School. 

Finally, our Archery Team traveled to Kentucky for the NASP National Championships and finished 23^rd in the nation.  The team competed against more than 150 teams in our middle school division and represented the community and themselves well!  Another successful end to a successful season!

The end of the year events and schedules are coming together and will be sent home soon.

Till next time…

In the line of duty...

Another wonderful story has emerged from the rubble of another tragedy... Once again teachers threw themselves in to harm's way in order to protect the children in their school.  Just as they did in Newtown, Connecticut, teachers in Moore, Oklahoma took care of the safety of the school children with no regard for their own lives! Lying on top of children, protecting them against the wrath of nature, teachers did what they always do... react to protect the children in the classroom --  even if it means their own lives might be in danger! 

This is what schools are about!  Beyond the mortar and bricks, the textbooks and the curriculum, it always comes down to one thing... a group of dedicated adults who have shown time and time again that they will do anything to protect children, everyday!  Seven children did not survive that tragedy, but without the unselfish acts of the teachers and staff of Plaza Towers Elementary School, the results could have been much worse.

Thank you to all educators!

Till next time....

22 days..

22 Days of school left as of this blog entry!  The last 22 days always seems to be a whirlwind of activity around any school, and ours is no exception! 
From Spring pictures with Legacy Studios (as we try out a new photographer) to 7th and 8th grade trips, there is no shortage of activity around the school.  MARE studies are i full swing and we will culminate the cross-curricular units with a "Minute to Win-It" activity with the entire school on Friday June 14, after we finish the annual PTA sponsored Luau Lunch!

The month of May has seen Ms. Hoyt, our Speech Therapist, develop and share many ways for students, staff and parents to protect their voices and their hearing everyday as part of National Hearing and Speech Awareness Month.

We will be holding our annual Spring Concert this year on Wednesday at 6:00 pm.  All students should be here at 5:30 pm.  Please bring your child(ren) to their homeroom upon arrival to the school.  A letter from Mrs. Firling was sent home last week concerning the concert.  This year, as part of the PTA Book Fair, there will be a special performance by the wining team in the "What Would You Do For Reading ?"  competition.  This year we raised $532.81 toward new books for both our OCS Library and we will be donated a portion of the proceeds to the Oxford Township Library so they can improve their children's reading nook!  Should be fun. 

Till next time...

Archery letter to the Express-Times Editor... May 14, 2013

I would like to congratulate the Oxford Central School archery team, which competed in the National Archery in the Schools National Championships in Louisville, Ky., this past weekend.
Twenty-four students and 35 parents and relatives traveled to Kentucky for the competition and our archers, seven consecutive years as New Jersey state champions, competed against 11,000 students from across the U.S., finishing 23rd in the nation!
This program is a collaborative effort of many people, in particular coaches Rob Causton, Matt Hibbett and Renee Hart! Thanks to the parents and the Oxford community, which raised a great deal of money to make this happen for the students! For the seventh year in a row, no taxpayer dollars have been used to fund this trip. The experience is made possible through donations and the hard work of our parents and our community.
Thank you to everyone!

ROBERT MAGNUSON

Oxford Township

May Flowers....

well, not really flowers more like pearls of wisdom! :)

May is here and with May comes the typical spring rites of passage… field trips and testing!  Classes are going to places all over the area in May:  the State Theatre, Liberty Science Center, the American Museum of Natural History, Sterling Mine, the estuaries of the South Jersey coastline and many other places of interest in our area.  As of this bulletin, testing will be coming to a close next Friday, May 14^th.  Students have been hard at work preparing and taking tests – AH! The signs of spring in NJ!!

Speaking of students… congratulations to Alyssa Cupo who was awarded second place in the 2013 Tri-County Reading Council contest!  We are all proud of her accomplishment.

Speaking of accomplishments… our 7-time State Championship Archery Team is currently in Kentucky at the NASP National Championships!  Check the school Facebook page for updates. 

Speaking of updates… (sensing a theme here?) Thank you to our Speech Therapist, Miss Hoyt for promoting the importance of “Better Hearing and Speech Month.”   Please check our website link and her blog site for updates on how to keep your hearing and voice at peak health!!

Thanks to the PTA for helping us celebrate Staff Appreciation Week here at school!  From daily “gifts” to the HUGE Lunch on Tuesday, the week has been a great success.  Thank you to Mrs. Blendermann, Mrs. Mahoney and Mrs. Dolan for creation, the set-up and the clean-up of this wonderful event!  Thanks also to Mrs. McGrath and the “elves” that have been providing daily treats and inspirational messages for our staff!

Thank you to Mrs. Svercauski, who was feted this past Wednesday by staff and students for National School Nurse day!

Finally, I want to remind everyone that this coming Tuesday night at 7:00 pm in the OCS Library, I will be hosting a discussion about the new School Performance Report.  Everyone should have received an informational flyer about the meeting early this week. 

Till next time….

I can see clearly now...

I can see it finally…. Spring is here!  The tulips out front have begun to blossom… much to the joy of our local deer population who have made quite a meal of our flowers as they have come up… leaving us with lovely green stumps.  Certainly not as beautiful as our Red Ribbon Tulips!  But Spring is here!  We all need the rejuvenation that spring brings with it!  The field trips, the state testing, the end of the year activities all require an extra boost of energy! 

Since the last Friday Bulletin we have had a Warren County Clean Communities Grant environmental awareness assembly for our KG-5 grade students.  The program, The Grand Falloons, is always enjoyable.  Full of music, science, some mayhem, a great message about the environment and the importance of working to keep the planet healthy!

We hosted our second annual Poetry Slam in the evening of April 17^th!  Parents and students came out to promote poetry and to hear student poems!  Thanks to Mrs. Housel, Mrs. Lurz , Ms. Dean, Mrs. Dechert and Mr. Bloom for creating and assisting with the evening!

The PTA-sponsored after school activity, Eyes of the Wild, has proven to be a success.  We have to close the KG-2 program since we are already over the number we had hoped for.  The 3-5 grade program is still open.  Parents can send in their 3-5 grade registration forms for the May 23 and May 30 programs.

The PTA is in need of parents who wish to fill vacancies on the Executive Board.  I know we are all very busy in this crazy world, but this group does need your support at the organizational level.  If you have an hour a month to spare for the PTA meetings, please consider running for one of the officer positions!  The benefits and rewards are great!  Please access the PTA website, www.ocspta.org for more information. 

We had a spectacular culminating assembly for our CORRECT “Talk It, Walk It, Pass It On!” campaign on Wednesday, April 24^th!  The program celebrated the positive character traits of our students and the wonderful activities we have been working on over the past few months.  We recognized students who were nominated by their peers and their teachers as “Character Kids” and we heard many positive messages from our own character superheroes, the Correct Crusaders, who led the student body and staff in many activities to wrap-up our 2012-2013 program!  Thanks to Mrs. Carr, Mr. Kenney, Mrs. Saraiva and Mrs. Housel for carrying the yeoman’s load and to all our staff and students for making this year’s program such a success.  Thanks to Mrs. Firling for working on the school song with the students over the past few months!  Of course a special thank you to our “Crusaders:” Brian Quigley, Morgan DeMayo, Megan Bodmer and Anthony Lilly! 

This past Wednesday we celebrated the fabulous work of our secretaries, Mrs. Diaz, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Halloran and Mrs. Ramkelawan.  They all do such a great job here at OCS and their efforts do not go unnoticed.   Thank you ladies!

We are going through another round of the Study Island Benchmark testing and we will have one last round prior to the end of the school year.  The results of these two rounds will be put together and reported at the end of the school year. 

Speaking of assessments.. we begin the 2013 administration of the NJASK next week.  The testing schedule is as follows:

Seventh Grade:  April 29-May 2                                                 Eighth Grade:  April 29-May 3

Fifth Grade and Sixth Grade:  May 6-May 9

Third Grade:  May 13-May 16                                      Fourth Grade:  May 13-May 17

Please make sure that your student(s) gets plenty of rest the week of their testing and eat as healthy as they can! 

The Warren Hills Cluster of Schools held the Third Autism Awareness 5-K and Family Fun walk last Saturday at Meadow Breeze Park.  Thanks to all of our participants for making this event a success.  Thank you also to the OCS staff who came out to volunteer!  OCS was represented by 33% of the staff, who all took time from their lives to do something nice for others.  Special shout-out to Mrs. Diaz and Ms. Dachisen for their efforts! 

The Student Council Duck Race was held this afternoon!  Great weather, a great deal of fun and all for two very good charities!  Thanks to the Student Council for hosting another successful event. 

Tonight there will be a Warren County Student Art Show held in Independence Township at the Municipal Building on Route 46.  The county-wide show will include many pieces of artwork from more than two dozen OCS students.  Thanks to Mrs. Nemeth for putting the show together!

Finally, I will be hosting a special meeting on Tuesday, May 14^th to discuss the latest reports from the Department of Education: the School Performance Report and the Taxpayer’s Spending Guide.  This meeting will be held in the OCS Library and will begin at 7:00 pm. 

Phew… I am exhausted!

Till next time…