February 2023 Superintendent's Spotlight

Superintendent's Spotlight

February 2023

Superintendent's Update

It’s hard to believe that we are in the midst of planning for the Extended School Year (ESY) program for 2023! This year ESY starts on Wednesday, June 28, and ends on Wednesday, August 9. The DLCs will be closed on July 4, 2023. As you know, our ESY program occurs over 30 days and the school hours are 8:45 a.m. until 2:15 p.m.

We are in the process of determining if our existing staff wish to work in our ESY program and then will hire new staff which will bring, as always, an exciting blend of staff into our ESY program.

Your child will have therapies and academics pursuant to their IEP and a wonderful mix of recreational and other forms of summer activities. If you have any questions about your child's ESY program specifically, kindly contact your child’s principal.

2023 - 2024 Calendar

The 2023 – 2024 and the 2023 ESY calendars were approved at the Morris-Union Jointure Commission (“MUJC”) Board of Education meeting held on January 5, 2023. To view the 2023 - 2024 DLC school calendar, please click here and to view the 2023 DLC ESY calendar, click here.

What’s Happening at the DLCs

School Spirit Day, Tuesday, February 7

Show your school spirit by wearing your favorite DLC or by wearing blue on Tuesday, February 7.

Valentines Day

DLC - New Providence students are encouraged to wear red or pink to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

February 14th is quickly approaching and DLC - Warren students are working eagerly to make those delicious Kiss-O-Grams for those special people in your life. Kiss-O-Grams will be delivered to DLC - Warren in time for Valentine’s Day. More information to follow in the Electronic Bookbag and your child’s backpack.

Black History Month Celebrated by the DLCs

DLC - New Providence classes will be learning about famous African American people and will participate in decorating the DLC - New Providence’s bulletin board. Music and art classrooms will also highlight famous musicians and artists who are African American.

DLC - Warren has special projects planned for Black History Month. DLC - Warren’s Speech Therapy Department in collaboration with classroom staff, will also be celebrating Black History Month by creating posters of famous historical figures and significant events.

DLC – New Providence

February is Heart Healthy Month

In celebration of Heart Healthy Month, students from DLC-New Providence will be learning about healthy foods and exercise in class as well as in adaptive physical education on Friday, February 3. Wear RED to celebrate!

100 Days of School

On February 9, DLC - New Providence will celebrate the 100 Days of School along with Special Person’s Day! Parents and special persons will be invited to join us on February 9 to help celebrate. A schedule will be sent out to students soon. Our theme for the 100 Days of School Celebration is “101 PAWsome Days.” There will be fun activities scheduled including a visit from Creature Comfort Dog, Hunter. Please join us!

National Random Acts of Kindness Day

On February 14, DLC - New Providence students will be learning about Kindness in Social Skills with Dr. Debbie Kiraly, MUJC’s school social worker. Students will create their own random acts of kindness that they can do for their friends, family, and DLC staff. Students will also be working on a kindness challenge project and parents are invited to send in pictures for this project! Further details will follow.

DLC Warren

Valentine Cards to High Schools around the United States

DLC-Warren students are participating in a Valentine card exchange with high school students from around the United States. In collaboration with the Occupational Therapy Department and DLC -Warren teachers, students will be creating Valentine’s Day cards to send to various high schools throughout the country. Students will be tracking the cards that they receive on our United States map.

DLC-Warren Community Service!

DLC – Warren is always seeking ways to help our community! Community service projects help our students develop vocational and life skills, but also help our students develop stronger bonds with a sense of belonging to various community organizations and groups. We are currently accepting donations for St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey. Collections for the animal shelter consist of pet supplies, blankets or towels, and paper towels. More information can be found in our Electronic Bookbag.

Climate Action Group

February is gearing up to be an exciting month for our Climate Action Schools!

DLC - New Providence is starting its climate co-op project by focusing on recycling plastics that will help our oceans and reduce microplastics in our water. We are also starting to work with our Partner Climate Action Schools. DLC - New Providence has been paired with the Andrews Academy in Missouri, The Millenia World School in Indonesia, and St. Augustine's National School Clontuskert in Ireland! DLC - New Providence also chose the Aspen Tree as a Keystone Specie. A Keystone Specie is a species that holds an ecosystem together. Based on student research, an Aspen Tree is a home for caterpillars and beetles that use it to lay eggs, food and protection. Additionally, the most interesting fact our students learned was that the tree can withstand years of being dormant, reviving after conditions are good again, as well as reviving after fires. These trees are truly resilient like our students! Our avatar was team created with staff and student input and staff demonstrating the use of computer software to create the avatar, expanding the students' technological awareness.

At DLC-Warren, a committee of dedicated staff members has been formed to create action based climate lessons for our students. The school as a whole has been busy revitalizing the greenhouse. Students are planting milkweed, sunflower seeds, and many other plants that will attract pollinators to our area. In the spring, some of these plants will be placed in the school’s outdoor garden, while others will be shared with the students' families and the community to be planted outdoors. DLC - Warren has established a Climate Action Club and all students are encouraged to participate. Warren students have partnered with another school here in the United States, as well as schools in Ukraine and Taiwan! The club will have weekly Climate Action topics and activities and keep all of our students engaged productively.

TECHNOLOGY TIPS

Video Recording Best Practices

It’s likely that video will continue to be used frequently for presentations, meetings, or other important events. Here are a few tips to enhance your videos, even on a budget:

For the best lighting, position your desk so you are facing a window. The natural light will not only make your face look bright and clear, but it will increase video quality by reducing pixelation, which means blurriness. On the flip side, make sure you are not sitting with a window behind you, as that will create too much brightness and give you a dark silhouette.

While your computer’s internal mic should suffice for audio, using a good pair of headphones with an internal mic will make the audio even more clear and powerful. Try your best to eliminate any background noise, so the mic only picks up your voice. Even household items such as A/C units, refrigerators, or even jewelry moving around, can create background noise. Always be aware of what’s in your background.

If your school district has Lavalier Mics available or room in the budget to purchase them, utilizing these little mics will give you professional quality audio. They are also great for interviews and podcasts. This mic can plug into a smartphone, DSLR camera, and Mac and Window computers, making it an affordable and versatile choice.

Transition Talk

This month’s topic is “Center for Independent Living (CIL)” through the various counties. CILs are community-based, consumer-driven organizations designed to support individuals with disabilities by providing a multitude of services based on individual needs such as: life skills, trainings, advocacy, information and referral, peer counseling, socialization and community based activities. Typically, membership is open to all individuals with disabilities, their friends or family members and supporters. CILs promote personal growth and empowerment through choice, self-determination, and participation in programs providing information, education, skill development and network opportunities. Here are some county connected CILs:

Bergen and Hudson County:

Heightened Independence and Progress (HIP) (www.hipcil.org)

Essex and Passaic County

DIAL, Inc (www.dial-cil.org)

Hunterdon and Mercer County

Progressive Center for Independent Living (PCIL) (www.pcil.org)

Middlesex , Somerset and Union County

Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) (www.adacil.org)

Monmouth and Ocean County

Moceans Center for Independent Living (www.moceanscil.org)

Morris, Sussex and Warren County

DAWN, Inc (www.dawncil.org)

Congratulations

The following staff members will be honored at the February 2, 2023 MUJC Board of Education meeting in recognition of their excellence:

2022 New Jersey

Exemplary Elementary Educator Award

DLC Teacher of Students with Disabilities, Jerusha Veres, was chosen as a 2022 New Jersey Exemplary Elementary Educator. Winners of this award are selected for their demonstration of exceptional teaching and leadership abilities as well as having a positive impact on students, colleagues, and the school community. Congratulations, Jerusha!

Governors’ Educator of the Year Award

Congratulations to the DLC staff members selected for the 2022 – 2023 Governor’s Educator of the Year Program! This celebratory program honors our exceptional teachers and educational services professionals.

DLC – New Providence recipients are Allison Pryce, Speech and Language Specialist, and Beba Tewfik, Teacher of Students with Disabilities.