School Action Team for Partnerships

Click here for the 2013 Pennies for Pages information.

Upcoming Meetings for 2012-2013 School year: 

Tuesday, September 18th: 7 pm - Meeting was postponed due to inclement weather.  A new date and time will be scheduled later.

Tuesday, October 9th: 9:30 am.  See minutes from this meeting here.

Wednesday, October 17th 7pm District Wide Meeting.  See minutes from this meeting here. 

Wednesday, October 24th: 7 pm Safety-Palooza Workshops 

Thursday, November 15th: 7 pm.  See minutes from this meeting here.

Tuesday, December 11th: 9:30 am

Tuesday, January 15th: 7 pm

Tuesday, February 12th: 9:30 am

Tuesday, March 19th: 7 pm

Tuesday, April 9th: 9:30 am

Tuesday, May 14th: 9:30 am

 

Vision Statement

Nishuane School grows creative and engaged leaders who value friendship, fairness and fun through academic exploration, healthy relationships, and exposure to the arts to navigate a diverse and global community. 

 Click here for the 2012-2013 Roster of SATp Members.

Click here for more information about Pennies for Pages.

Click here for information from the School Vision sub-committee.

Click here for information from the Health & Wellness sub-committee.

Click here for information from the Reading Engagement sub-committee/Parent-Palooza.

Click here for information from the Kindness & Justice Challenge sub-committee. 

 

 

 

  Nishuane School Students Read and Raise Funds for the Montclair Public Library!

Nishuane School students, teachers, and families celebrated the culmination to a community-focused, school-wide reading project on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.  Kicked off in February in coordination with Read Across America, their “Pennies for Pages” project raised funds for the Montclair Public Library – one penny at a time!

Nishuane students read 39,962 books in just four months! As a project initiative of the Nishuane School Action Team, students kept a record of books or chapters read and added pennies to classroom jars for each book.Totals were also tallied school-wide with a visual designed by Nishuane Art teacher, Mr. Johnson. Seeing the jar fill up created a team-wide support system that affirmed their continued and collective efforts. Throughout the winter and spring, the students maintained an enthusiasm for their project and pride in their accomplishment! School Action Team parent Peter Wert commented, "Pennies for Pages was a truly unique way to challenge my eight year-old twins to read more of the books they love and explore new ones while emphasizing the need to contribute back to the source of those good books - our very own public library!”

On May 25th at a school-wide “Donation Celebration” Assembly, students, along with their parents, teachers, and Nishuane administrators, presented a giant jar of pennies to David Hinkley, Director of the Montclair Public Library and Maria LaBadia, Youth Services Supervisor. In total, with pennies earned by student reading and additional parent sponsorship of the program, Nishuane School raised $601.57 for the Montclair Public Library.

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Nishuane Family Workshops:
Nurturing the Minds of Young Readers

Nishuane School families are embracing reading with their children! On Wednesday night, March 30th, Nishuane School’s School Action Team presented Parent Workshops for Engaging Readers as a part of our yearlong community service project “Pennies for Pages.” Nishuane School was alive that night with an energy and excitement from parents eager to learn new strategies for reading with their children and children eager to read with their friends.

 

Principal Gail Clarke and Assistant Principal Jill McLaughlin welcomed families and gave an overview of the School Action Team’s project and goal of fostering reading appreciation and increasing reading achievement. Families were able to attend two of four workshops offered during two sessions that evening. Sessions included: Reading to Learn: A Look at Nonfiction in Primary Grades presented by Nishuane School second grade teacher Joy Scally, Helpful and Useful Strategies for Developing Reading Skills at Home presented by Peggy McGrath and John Furey from Bullock School, Nurturing the Mind and Spirit of Children Through Literature and Poetry presented by Nishuane School teacher Amy Foust, and Reluctant Readers: You Are Not Alone presented by Miriam Solondz, MLS and Nishuane School parent.

In these workshops, parents explored how to use literature, both fiction to enrich their children’s imagination and non-fiction to help their children to nurture their sense of wonder. They also learned strategies and techniques based on Teachers College Reading Writing Project approach to reading. Families left with titles and authors of many wonderful books and poems as well as strategies for extending literature discussions and activities to make reading pleasurable and exciting for their children.

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What is the School Action Team for Partnerships, Anyway?

The district has adopted the School Action Teams for Partnership model to replace School Review.  The model was developed by Johns Hopkins' researcher, Dr. Joyce Epstein, who has identified six types of involvement that make school-family-community partnerships successful:

1.  Parenting - successful schools assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, child development, and supporting learning at home as well as at school.

2.  Communication - successful schools communicate effectively with families about school programs and student progress.

3.  Volunteering - successful schools recruit and train families and community members to work with children and support school programs

4.  Learning at Home - successful schools involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-related activities.

5.  Decision Making - successful school involve families as participants in school governance and advocacy through PTA, school action teams, and other organizations

6.  Community Collaboration - successful schools coordinate resources and services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies and other groups; they provide services to the community.

Adapted from School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action. Epstein, J., et.al. 2002.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press.