VERNON PRIDE
Robert and his mom make a Vernon blanket
Joe showing his Vernon Pride
Dear Glen Meadow Families:
As we complete our second week of distance/online learning, Dr. Kosek, all Glen Meadow faculty and staff, and I are hopeful that all of your family and extended family are well and staying healthy as we all practice “social distancing” to remain healthy and strong. I personally would like to call it “physical distancing”, as I hope that everyone is staying connected to their loved ones and friends being “social” in new ways.
I would like to thank you for supporting your children as they work on their lessons from home. All Glen Meadow teachers have indicated their “Office Hours” on each Schoology page, but I am certain you have found what I have…Glen Meadow teachers are available throughout the school day. Thank you for your patience as teachers answer sometimes 100 emails or more a day with questions from their students or parents/guardians. Thank you also for having your child log on to Schoology every day and submit work through Schoology, as this is how we are tracking attendance across our district. Our attendance rate at Glen Meadow has been sterling! Almost every single student at Glen Meadow is “in school” every day! Thank you for that!
Marking period three will be closing on Monday, March 30th. Grades for MP 3 will be available for viewing on Monday, April 6th. Information on how students will be graded as we enter MP 4 will be forthcoming. Our curriculum and teaching will continue in creative ways; just like in every classroom during a regular school day, teaching styles vastly differ, you are now getting to see from “afar” different pathways of teaching and learning. Here are some pictures of students in their new learning environment…aka…the dining room!!
This blog will have a focus on gratitude and the activities taking place in our homes to make the very best of a very challenging time in all of our lives. Our students are very resilient and are developing creative ways that they spend their days at home. Here are just a few.
#frontporchproject: 8th-grade student Paul Mele, Paul Mele Studios, is offering to take family portraits free. Paul will come to your home, taking your family portrait on your porch or front yard while he takes your picture standing ten feet away from you. The portraits will be available the next day online for FREE. Paul Mele is requesting that you make a donation to The Tracks Deli who is providing food for our service professionals. Here is the article in the March 17, 2020, edition of the Vernon Advertiser News North. The Venmo (digital wallet) where you can make donations is @TheTracksDeli-llc. Just message Paul Mele at #frontporchproject!
The Dyk Family Photographed for the Porch Project
The Helpful Challenge: Mr. Myhren challenged his students to show the ways that they have been helpful at home. Students sent many pictures to Mr. Myhren of them helping with daily chores, preparing meals and special desserts, collecting items for donation, and even students cleaning bathrooms in their homes!!
Counting Rainbows: In Scenic Lakes, families are placing rainbows on their doors and windows. As families go outside for some fresh air, they count the rainbows. It is such a nice way for families to say hello to each other!
Designing Cards for Nursing Homes: Mrs. Stigler’s students are designing cards for those in nursing homes, because, as we know, we cannot enter nursing homes at this time. Here is a listing of local nursing homes that would love to receive your handmade cards:
Barn Hill Care Center
249 High St
Newton, NJ 07860
Milford Manor
69 Maple Road
West Milford, NJ 07480
Westwind Manor
25 Main St
Franklin, NJ 07416
Andover Subacute & Rehab Center One
1 Obrien Lane
Byram Township, NJ 07821
Andover Subacute & Rehab Center Two
99 Mulford Road
Andover, NJ 07821
Montclair Care Center
111-115 Gates Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
School Spirit Day: We don’t need to be in school for a school spirit day…on Friday, March 27th, students donned their Vernon attire and shared their pictures for everyone to see their Vernon pride!
Book Clubs: We are reading Rhyme Schemer and Box of Shocks as a school, check out Ms. Yost’s Schoology book club pages for information on our next Zoom book club meetings
PE Friday Workouts: Every Friday at 10:00 am click the Zoom link on the Glen Meadow Schoology page. We will work out live with a different Physical Education teacher. Come have some fun, workout with your friends, and say hello to your friends.
Seussical, Jr. Rehearsal: The show will go on, even if virtually! The cast of Seussical, Jr. had a rehearsal on Friday, March 27th. This rehearsal gives our students a great outlet to do what they love the most…perform! It was a beautiful day, and practicing the opening number lifted students’ spirits. We will have another online rehearsal on Tuesday at 3:00 pm, Ms. Sandler will send everyone a reminder on the Seussical Schoology page. Students will use the conference tool to gather online for their practice.
Flag Salute Challenge: On Friday, I led our school in the flag salute. Send me your videos of saluting the flag as a family. I will add it to the Glen Meadow Schoology page. Be creative!
After reading this blog post, I hope this compels you to send me any other stories I haven’t heard about yet, please have your child email me what they are doing to show their creativity and compassion for others…include pictures, too!
A few reminders:
School Counselors: Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you need support or assistance; they are here for all of our students! Our School Counselors’ contact information is as follows:
Grade 6: Mrs. Lash-Lain (clash-lain@vtsd.com) [in for Mrs. Pisco].
Grade 7: Mrs. Keane (nkeane@vtsd.com)
Grade 8: Ms. Regan (nregan@vtsd.com)
Families whose children qualify for free or reduced breakfast or lunch: Please email Maureen Remner of Sodexo at mremner@vtsd.com or me at rgebhardt@vtsd.com if you would like this service and are not already receiving it. We will arrange for your child to have these meals delivered to your home throughout the week. Pick up for “Grab-and-Go” meals can be picked up daily at Vernon Township High School from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Grade 6 and 7: If you haven’t taken the Electives Survey that can be found on your Language Arts Schoology page, please do so as soon as possible.
SCA Gertrude Hawk Fundraiser: You will be receiving a School Messenger alert explaining the procedure for picking up your candy at Glen Meadow. The candy distribution will be made with the utmost care of have very limited personal contact with others. You will be driving up the front of the school, you will have your child’s name on a piece of paper and your order will be placed in your trunk. You will not get out of your car, you will not roll down your window.
Please email Dr. Kosek or me with any questions at ekosek@vtsd.com or rgebhardt@vtsd.com We will get back to you with a call or a returned email with an answer. Please also remind your children that Dr. Kosek and I will be monitoring online activity. All school rules apply, students must use their Chromebook appropriately.
Please continue to check the vtsd.com main page to keep current on information from our Superintendent and Board of Education. All Board meetings will be streamed live, the public is not permitted to attend per instructions from Governor Phil Murphy that has stated that people should not be gathering in large groups. Via Zoom, there is a Work Session on Wednesday, April 8, at 7:00 pm, and there is a Public Meeting on Thursday, April 26, at 7:00 pm. If you would like to ask a question of the Board of Education during the public portion of the meeting, you can do so by posing your question online.
Before I close..here is what lesson planning looks like for many of our teachers…English teachers prepare for the week’s work!
…and finally, it’s hard when you’re not in school on your birthday to have all of your friends and teachers say HAPPY BIRTHDAY…so here goes…
March 28: Kelvin C.P
March 29: Calista C
March 29: James O
March 29: Mason R
March 30: Thomas K
March 31: Kaitlyn B
March 31: Ayden M
April 1: Sophia V
April 2: Joel G
April 3: Jack A
April 3: Ileana C
April 3: Azrael F
April 3: Samantha K
All of us at Glen Meadow miss all of our students and hope that you continue having good health in your homes, we are looking forward to returning to school this spring!
