FROM THE DESK OF Phyllis Alpaugh



SUPERINTENDENT'S
NEWSLETTER

Rockaway Borough Schools
April 2021
REFERENDUM PROJECTS CONTINUE TO MOVE AHEAD
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,


Welcome Back! Hope everyone enjoyed spring break and is ready for the 4th marking period.

It was such a wonderful experience to welcome the majority of our students back for in-person instruction five days a week. In some ways, it was like the first day of school with some students entering the buildings for the first time since last March. While it was hectic, a little crazy and there was certainly lots of traffic on Main Street and Keller Avenue, there was a sense of normalcy as students chatted, were greeted by staff and took their seats in their respective classrooms. Though everyone is still wearing masks and social distancing, it kind of looked like the school we once knew and hopefully, will see again sometime in the future. Anyway, it is a start and I think a successful one.

In the meantime, we need to stay the course and continue to follow the basic safety precautions that have helped us keep our schools open. For more guidance, check the weekly updates from both our school nurses and remember "when in doubt, stay out".

As always, thank you so much for all your help, support and cooperation and know we can do this together.

Sincerely yours,
Phyllis Alpaugh
Superintendent of Schools
UPDATE on STATE TESTING


ROCKAWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT



Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last month I shared with you that the state of New Jersey had filed for a waiver with the United States Department of Education (USED) regarding this spring's statewide assessments. On April 14th, the New Jersey Department of Education announced that their request for a waiver had been approved, and thus, they officially cancelled the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment or NJSLA for the 2020-21 school year. The USED, however, is still requiring the NJDOE to administer the ACCESS for ELLS (English Language Learners) and the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) for targeted students.

In place of the NJSLA, the state will administer its "Start Strong" Assessments in the fall of 2021 to all students in English Language Arts (ELA) grades 4-10, Mathematics grades 4-8, Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II, and in Science Grades 6, 9 and 12. This flexibility is only being offered for the 20-21 school year due to the impact of COVID-19. This is the second year in a row that the standardized achievement tests have been cancelled due to the coronavirus. As of now, the "Stay Strong" assessments will be administered in person from September 13, 2021 through October 22, 2021. When the district receives more information from the state, regarding actual test logistics, we will certainly share all details with parents and families of students in grades 4-8.

Sincerely yours,

Phyllis Alpaugh
Superintendent
This issue's FEATURED ARTICLE...
Autism Awareness Month
Every April Rockaway Borough as well as many school districts and groups around the state and country celebrate Autism Awareness Month. With the official date as April 2nd, the purpose of the celebration is to encourage people to learn more about autism and show kindness to the community of people with it. No matter what the group, activities during the month are dedicated to increasing awareness about autism and celebrating the individuality and diversity of people on the autism spectrum. Often represented by the ribbon and/or the puzzle piece, the ribbon was adopted in 1999 as the universal sign of autism awareness. The puzzle pattern reflects the complexity of the autism spectrum while the different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and the families with the condition. In addition the color blue is also associated with autism awareness with the "light it up blue" campaign specifically aimed at promoting awareness in general.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, often accompanied by restricted/repetitive behaviors. The effects of ASD and the severity of symptoms are different in each person. ASD is usually first diagnosed in childhood with many of the most-obvious signs presenting around 2-3 years old, but some children with autism develop normally until toddlerhood when they stop acquiring or lose previously gained skills. According to the CDC, one in 59 children is estimated to have autism. Autism spectrum disorder is also three to four times more common in boys than in girls, and many girls with ASD exhibit less obvious signs compared to boys. Autism is a lifelong condition. However, many children diagnosed with ASD go on to live independent, productive, and fulfilling lives. The information here focuses primarily on children and adolescents.

Characteristics of Autism Spectrum

Autism differs from person to person in severity and combinations of symptoms as there is a great range of abilities and characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder — no two children appear or behave the same way. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and often change over time.

Characteristics of autism spectrum disorder generally fall into two categories.
  • Social interaction and communication problems: including difficulties in normal back-and-forth conversation, reduced sharing of interests or emotions, challenges in understanding or responding to social cues such as eye contact and facial expressions, deficits in developing/maintaining/understanding relationships (trouble making friends), and others.
  • Restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests or activities: hand-flapping and toe-walking, playing with toys in an uncommon way (such as lining up cars or flipping objects), speaking in a unique way (such as using odd patterns or pitches in speaking or “scripting” from favorite shows), having significant need for a predictable routine or structure, exhibiting intense interests in activities that are uncommon for a similarly aged child, experiencing the sensory aspects of the world in an unusual or extreme way (such as indifference to pain/temperature, excessive smelling/touching of objects, fascination with lights and movement, being overwhelmed with loud noises, etc), and others.  
Also, while many people with autism have normal intelligence, many others have mild or significant intellectual delays. Additionally, people with ASD are at greater risk for some medical conditions such as sleep problems, seizures and mental illnesses.