North News Scores Interview with Acclaimed Filmmaker Kevin Smith |
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High School North News anchor, Sophia Haber-Brock, recently ventured to Red Bank to provide coverage of the pop-up restaurant Mooby's, a fictional fast food burger chain in Kevin Smith's cinematic universe.
Smith is a native of the Borough of Highlands, and filmed his breakout 1994 film Clerks at the the Quickstop convenience store located in the Leonardo section of Middletown. He has also filmed portions of followup feature films at sites in Red Bank, Fair Haven, Asbury Park and Brick Township.
While on site at Mooby's, Haber-Brock spoke to Smith about coming back home to launch his pop-up restaurant, as well as the opening of SmodCastle, a podcast production hub situated next to the Quickstop convenience store.
The SmodCastle project is spearheaded by Smith and longtime collaborators Ming Chen, a fellow podcasting star and television personality, and Eddie O'Donnell, an actor, writer and director. Haber-Brock discussed with all three the challenges of developing this venture in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Watch the full episode of North News to see Haber-Brock's time with Smith, as well as additional segments related to the opening of the new school year.
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Social-Emotional Wellness Website Developed for MTPS High Schoolers |
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This digital library of resources and supports for high school students and their families is designed to offer aid to individuals navigating a multitude of social, emotional and health-related experiences.
The MTPS High School Student Assistance Website is an extension of the support offered by our district's Student Assistance Counselors, and includes helpful resources related, but not limited to the following topics:
- Mental Health
- COVID-19
- Vaping
- Grief
- Alcohol
- Heroin/Opiates
- Social Media Awareness
- Intervention Resources
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MTPS Educators Get Big Lift for Small Group Work with Breakout Rooms |
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Earlier this week Middletown Township Public Schools, a Google Suite Enterprise for Education district, supplied its staff with a digital tool to enhance the learning experience of students during our phased reopening plan.
Breakout Rooms for Google Meets is a new feature that allows educators to create and engage with students in multiple meeting rooms within a single Google Meet.
By assigning specific groups of students to these virtual rooms, teachers can encourage collaboration and small group work between peers that are working both on-campus or from a remote location.
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Fairview Garden Yields 100 Pounds of Food for Donation to Backpack Crew |
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What began as a passion project for students and families of Fairview Elementary School has transformed into something greater.
In recent years, the school's community garden has served as just that; a means to help feed local residents in need.
The garden took root in 2016 with grant funding provided by nearby supermarket Whole Foods.
In its earliest days, the produce yielded was offered to those families who helped tend the patch. Since then the school has supported non-profit community partners like Lunch Break, and now the Back Pack Crew of Red Bank.
To learn more about the cultivation of Fairview's community garden, pick up this week's edition of the Two River Times Newspaper at your local market, deli or convenience store, or visit TwoRiverTimes.com.
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Nut Swamp Bird Watchers Receive Special Message from South Africa |
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Located in the lobby of Nut Swamp Elementary School is a high definition monitor focused on a colorful array of exotic birds native to South Africa.
The display features a live feed of the Allen Birdcam, a static video camera shot of a feeding station in a suburban garden situated in Peoria, South Africa.
The garden attracts birds and other small wildlife like wild bushbabies (Galago primates), large spotted genets (similar to a mongoose in the wild cat family) and night time visits from families of fruit bats.
Recently, the curator of the garden sent a special message to Nut Swamp students, as you can see in the top right corner of the featured photo.
Nut Swamp earned the certification following the transformation of its campus into a sanctuary that supports the health and wellbeing birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and other local wildlife.
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District Schools Participate in
New Jersey's Annual Week of Respect
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School districts across the state observe this event by providing age-appropriate learning opportunities focusing on the prevention and remediation of harassment, intimidation and/or bullying on campuses, as well as in digital classrooms and on social media platforms.
As part of the weeklong event, students took part in classroom projects, like the creation of kindness chains, word association webs, class share outs and so much more. Students were also prompted to wear blue clothing, hats and school-related attire in support of anti-bullying practices.
In our high schools, students and staff adopted the Social-Emotional Charter, which supports a commitment to helping those in and outside their respective school communities feel safe by maintaining awareness and displaying respect at all times.
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Nominate your Teacher/Education Support Specialist of the Year |
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Help celebrate our incredible educators by submitting your nomination form for Teacher/Education Support Specialist of the year by October 22nd.
Locate your school's unique digital nomination form below.
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WATCH: Oct. 6th Parent Information Committee Meeting Video |
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On Tuesday, Oct. 6th the District's Parent Information Committee met with members of the administrative team and Board of Education President Pamela Rogers to discuss various topics, including procedures and practices regarding positive cases of COVID-19 in our schools.
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Tech Tips: Best Practices for
Improved WiFi Connectivity
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- Reboot Your Chromebook nightly to clear the memory by pressing and holding Refresh, while tapping the Power key one time. Finally, release both keys
- Close any unnecessary tabs to free up resources.
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Check your router location. Walls, appliances, additional connected electronics, ductwork and distance of your student's Chrombebook from the device will all reduce signal strength.
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Run a bandwidth speed test. If upon completing your bandwidth test you find your download speed is less (<) than 100Mbs, or that your upload speed is less (<) than 10Mbs, please call your Internet provider for assistance.
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Update your Chromebook operating system (OS) to the latest version.
- Remove unnecessary Chrome extensions
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Reset your Chromebook to fix a number of issues
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State of New Jersey Launches
COVID Alert Phone App
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COVID Alert NJ is New Jersey's free and secure mobile app that anonymously alerts users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The app also provides users with up-to-date information on New Jersey reopening news, key COVID-19 metrics, and a user-friendly symptom tracking tool. COVID Alert NJ uses Bluetooth proximity technology. The app will never record any identifying data. All users will remain anonymous. |
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How it Works:
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Download COVID Alert NJ on the App Store or Google Play Store. Opt-in to receive "Exposure Notifications"
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As you go about your day, the app will use Bluetooth to sense any "close contacts"—other app users who are within 6 feet of you for more than 10 minutes
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When your app senses a close contact, your phone will exchange a secure random code with the close contact's phone. It's important to note that your location and name are never disclosed
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If you test positive for COVID-19, a public health representative will call you and ask if you're willing to anonymously notify your "close contacts" by uploading your app's close contact codes
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Each day, the app will compare your list of close contact codes to the list of codes associated with positive COVID-19 app users. If there's a match you will get an Exposure Alert, along with appropriate next steps
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High School South Trio Recognized
as National Merit Scholars
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Earlier this week a trio of High School South students were recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars.
Seniors David Bedetti, James Burns and Andrea Lopez were presented with their National Merit Commended Scholar certificates for their outstanding performances on their preliminary SAT exams.
Only the top 3-4 percent of PSAT scorers in the country are named National Commended Merit Scholars.
Congratulations to David, James and Andrea on their wonderful achievement.
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MTPS Accepting Applications for Substitute & Leave Replacement Teachers |
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The Middletown Township Public School District is now accepting applications for Substitute and Anticipated Leave Replacement Teachers for all Pre-K to 12 positions. To apply, please visit middletownk12.org/employment and follow the prompts for Contracted and Substitute openings.
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COVID-19: Nursing Staff Guide for Families to Protect Themselves & Others |
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As the district continues to implement its phased reopening plan, the Middletown Township Public Schools Nursing Staff is urging families to review its Return to School During COVID-19 presentation regarding tips and best practices for students, parents and guardians.
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District Committee Promotes Equitable & Inclusive Educational Experience |
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In alignment with the District’s commitment to fostering inclusion and equity, a committee composed of administrators, teachers and students met virtually on September 30, 2020 to discuss ideas related to maintaining and enhancing classroom environments that promote engagement, safety and positivity for all students.
Teachers and students shared their perspectives and experiences with district and building administrators, and the group determined the first initiative of the committee is to develop a classroom mission statement that builds upon our district mission to empower students by upholding the values of inclusivity, engagement and safety in our educational environments. Members of the high schools’ respective diversity clubs will spearhead this effort, which includes seeking feedback from their student bodies via a survey.
Dr. Morales, Supervisor of Social Studies and Technology, shared the progress the district has made so far in the areas of equity, inclusion, and diversity. Some of these initiatives include introducing new curriculum that focuses on global and/or cultural competencies, updating curriculum to incorporate more diverse perspectives, and planning professional development for educators. In addition, the district is creating new Equity/Inclusion Specialist positions that will help facilitate future initiatives.
Our school community’s commitment to developing an equitable, diverse and inclusive educational experience is evident in our mission statement, strategic plan, and continued efforts to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to “promote a positive climate and culture of acceptance and appreciation for diversity and inclusion within our schools and community.” (2020-2025 Strategic Plan Goal 2, Objective 3).
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On Friday, August 13th the district launched its MTPS Reopening of Schools Website, an information hub complete with Frequently Asked Questions and additional resources regarding the district’s reopening of schools plan.
As a follow up measure, the District recently developed a page on its Reopening of Schools Website dedicated to documenting a timeline of new updates and resources for our phased reopening plan.
As the Reopening of School's website is updated, the "Latest Updates" page will offer parents, guardians, staff and students easier access to this information.
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You can review the Board of Education's Sept. 9th Special Meeting by following the link to the right. |
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The Middletown Township Public School District requires that a daily health screening form must be completed each day before your student(s) enters the building. Please visit the home page of your school's website to access your school's unique screening form, or follow the links below.
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Follow Along for District News and Announcements |
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