FROM THE DESK OF Phyllis Alpaugh



SUPERINTENDENT'S
NEWSLETTER

Rockaway Borough Schools
February 2021
SUMMER REFERENDUM PROJECTS
START TO TAKE SHAPE
RAMS CORNER

For more information regarding these or other topics, feel free to contact me at pa@rockboro.org


Dear Rockaway Borough Parents
and Families,

I don't know about you, but I am done with snow and being stuck in the house. Spring cannot come soon enough for me. The past few sunny and warm days have been a breath of fresh air and an absolute delight after so many cold, wet and snowy days. Let's hope that the next few weeks bring milder weather, a little bit of green grass, and more importantly, a much needed change in our overall health situation.

With that said, I want to thank everyone for their cooperation and understanding as we tried to navigate our recent snow closures and virtual days these past few weeks. Like everything else the past twelve months, the weather has been a bit crazy and making decisions regarding in-person instruction has been challenging and much different than every other year. In light of the pandemic, and the current state of emergency, we have been able to take advantage of virtual learning and depending upon the weather conditions, not use actual snow days that may need to be made up during spring break or at the end of the school year. So again, thank you for working with us during this past month and let's hope for the best moving forward.

Sincerely yours,
Phyllis Alpaugh
Superintendent of Schools
PLEASE READ THE LATEST UPDATE REGARDING
OUR RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION


ROCKAWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT


Dear Parents and Guardians,

With COVID-19 data improving around the state, we are hoping to bring more students back for in-person instruction as we know the value of daily face to face interaction with students and teachers. With that said, we are in the process of surveying the parents of our Special Education students with IEPs (Individual Education Plans) to see if they would like their child(ren) to return for in-person instruction five days a week. Depending upon the results of our survey along with our movement to the "yellow" in our Northwest region as well as well as our ability to safely social distance, we will make an informed decision regarding the possible return of targeted students. Depending upon this initiative and of course, the status of local health conditions, we will continue to pursue targeting other students for five day return as well.

In the meantime for all students, below is an updated chart for all cohorts regarding in-person instruction for the month of March through to Spring break especially in regards to Mondays. Also for updated health information from our nurses, and the latest guidance from both the CDC and local health officials, please refer to the weekly newsletters from both Lincoln Elementary and Thomas Jefferson.

As always, please stay safe and well.
Phyllis Alpaugh
Superintendent
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This issue's FEATURED ARTICLE...
The Importance of Reading Now and Always
In most schools, the first week of March usually signifies the celebration of READ ACROSS AMERICA centered around the birthday of one of our most well-known children's authors, Theodore Geisel, aka, Dr. Seuss. Read Across America which originated in 1998 as part of an NEA (National Education Association) initiative is held annually the week of Dr. Seuss' birthday, March 2nd, to simply encourage, motivate and celebrate reading for youth of all ages. While developing and nurturing reading skills is probably the number one priority for most educators locally, nationally and across the globe, it is equally important to instill in all children the love of reading that will help support the carry over of all targeted skill sets to varied content areas and simply real world use and application.

So in honor of Dr. Seuss, here are some simple tips to help share the love of reading with those you love.

  • Keep books everywhere you spend time so children see the importance of the printed word.
  • Visit the public library often and get your child(ren) their own card. Have them become familiar with the library process, what programs are available and even the physical layout of the building.
  • Let your children catch you reading whether it is books, newspapers, magazines or any materials via electronic devices. Children will see your interest and joy and hopefully imitate you.
  • Read aloud to your children, no matter what their age. Reading aloud is just not for younger children as it strengthens vocabulary and a myriad of language skills such as critical thinking, creativity and comprehension.
  • Reading can also be used to spark meaningful conversations and discussions whether the topics are old or new.
  • Conversely, let your children read to you and let them show off as well as practice their skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

Obviously, there are many resources available to support your child and their individual literary needs. Besides traditional hard copy materials, here are a few more web-based and online opportunities you may want to take advantage of including a small plug for our own Rockaway Borough Public Library.

  • Tumblebooks is a curated database of children's e-books available by subscription to Elementary Schools and Public libraries. Rockaway Borough Schools have been long time subscribers to the program and use it frequently in the delivery of instruction at both Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. Its collection contains over 1100 titles with content most appropriate for students in grades K-6. Besides traditional animated picture books, it includes chapter books, videos, non-fiction titles, graphic novels, and playlists with books not only English, but in French and Spanish as well. Feel free to use the following district login information to check the site out: https://www.tumblebookslibrary.com Username: lincolnschool; Password: books
  • Epic Books is a digital library and e-reader website that contains over 40,000 of the best books and videos. With unlimited access, Epic Books can fuel curiosity and support reading confidence by personalizing a child's reading by not only tracking their time and progress, but also making recommendations for future reading based on past selections and interests. For your reference, here is their website: https://www.getepic.com/
  • Teach your monster to read is a free groundbreaking game that makes learning to read fun as well as helps promote the necessary skill sets. It covers everything from letters to sounds and even reading full sentences. The nice thing about this particular website is that it compliments a wide range of phonics programs used by most schools. Here is the link to their website: https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
  • Vooks is a kid-safe, ad free streaming library of read aloud animated storybooks. This growing library can easily inspire children to discover their interests and hopefully, full in love with reading. Check out their website at https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/
  • ReadWorks is a more academic based online platform that contains over 4500 K-12 content based passages and articles. The passages are written by experts, curated by educators, and cover a myriad of relevant topics. In addition, all ReadWorks articles include text-based questions and accompanying comprehension activities that can be differentiated for any reader or level. For academic reads, take a look at https://www.readworks.org/
  • Rockaway Borough Public Library is located on East Main Street in the true center of town and is surely a gem for readers of all ages. Even though the actual building is small, there is a wealth of programming available for all, a deep sense of Borough history to be discovered, and a strong collaborative relationship between the library and our school district. Check out what our library has to offer via their website at http://rblibrary.org/.


ALSO, please click here for a Read Across America link to see what see what Rockaway Borough School have planned to celebrate reading in the district next week.