Teaneck Public Schools Superintendent’s Report July 13, 2022

Mathematics Professional Development & Instructional Pacing: Conquer Mathematics During the month of July, twenty-four teachers, district principals and assistant superintendents will be working with Nancy Schultz, Director of Conquer Mathematics, to review our current pacing calendars, identify supplemental resources, and receive professional development on high-quality, mathematics instruction.

We kicked off our initial work during the week of Monday, July 11th. Instructional conversations included the importance of using formative assessments, the role of mathematics manipulatives, and the critical importance of moving through the three stages of mathematics learning: concrete (hands-on learning), pictorial (using pictures to represent concepts), and abstract (using symbols to represent mathematics concepts).

The kindergarten -sixth grade team will be ending their work on Wednesday, July 13th. On Monday, July 18th, secondary mathematics teachers will begin their work.

Week of July 11, 2022: Conquer Mathematics Pictures: Kindergarten - Fifth Grade

2022 Summer Programs Update

The district began its summer programs on Tuesday, July 05, 2022. Please see below for a

snapshot of our opening week. Incoming First - Fourth Grade:
●	 Approximately 100 students attended the first week of our summer elementary programs. While each elementary program looks slightly different, the core instructional approach is focused on enrichment and targeted intervention on grade-level standards in reading, mathematics and science.

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Teaneck Public Schools Superintendent’s Report July 13, 2022

Incoming Fifth - Eighth Grade:

●	 Approximately 120 students, between both middle schools, attended the first week of summer programs. Both middle schools have created programs which address target skills identified on this year’s STAR assessment. Students will be working in small-groups to master current grade-level standards in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Fifth Grade Summer Instrumental Program:

●	 In order to improve the enrollment of our instrumental music programs, the district is hosting a four-week instrumental lessons program open to all incoming fifth grade students. Parents and families have expressed great interest in this program, and the attendance has been outstanding. Seventy (70) students are currently participating in our afternoon instrumental lessons, and students are excited to join either our concert band and orchestras once they arrive at their respective middle schools.

Teaneck High School:

●	 Summer Impact Ninth Grade - Week one of the ninth grade Summer Impact Academy was well attended! Approximately 60 incoming ninth graders are participating. Participating students receive instruction in robotics, algebra 1, current events and literacy. Guest speakers have been invited to participate on selected mornings to provide orientation to the incoming freshmen. Morning talks are focused on character development, study habits and strategies for academic success. This week’s speaker was Kelvin Reese, school counselor, who spoke about the importance of starting strong academically. Scheduled guest speakers include former students who will share their strategies for successfully navigating the halls of Teaneck High School.

●	 Summer Impact Tenth - Twelfth Grade - Week one of the tenth-twelfth grade programs kicked off with a great start! Thirty-five (35) sophomores and juniors are participating in the Teaneck High School book club. Students are working in small groups to read their summer reading texts and complete their summer reading assignments. Twenty (20) seniors are participating in the College Essay writing course. These students will have completed essays to use for the Common Application Process during the 2022-2023 school year.

●	 LocoRobo: Twelve (12) identified students are participating in a 3-hour, 20-day course on building and flying drones through a curriculum furnished by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). By the end of July, students who participate in this program will build, code and fly drones from soup to nuts. This exciting initiative allows students to understand how drones operate and provide an opportunity for students to build and code their own devices.

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Teaneck Public Schools Superintendent’s Report July 13, 2022

Extended School Year (ESY):

●	 Students ages 3 - 21 who require ESY receive specialized instruction and related services during the summer to maintain academic, social-emotional and behavioral skills addressed during the school year. The instruction is specifically tailored to the individualized goals and objectives for each student.
●	 The ESY program currently has 143 students enrolled. On average, we have approximately 85% of our students in attendance.
●	 Students are participating in various English Language Arts (ELA) and math activities that are connected to Individual Education Program (IEP) goals and objectives. Teachers are utilizing Freckle for ELA and math.
●	 Social skills and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) are required as a part of daily ESY instruction. Two of the resources we have in the district are TeachTown and Power Solving.

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