Smith News
December 1, 2020
Achieving Excellence One Student at a Time
A Message from Our Principal
This week marked the start of our transition into our "Phase Two" reopening plan. Thank you to our teachers and staff for all of their hard work and flexibility as we make this transition, and to our Ramsey community at large for coming together in these uncertain times.
As the Ramsey School District moves into Phase Two, please make note of the following changes to Smith School...
Smith will continue alternating Blue and Gold cohort days in person, with the addition of livestreaming all Core Classes. (ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science, World Languages) for the cohort learning at home. Meaning students at home will log in for their scheduled core classes and virtually participate in their learning.
The school day is now extended to allow for longer class periods of 40 minutes. The school day will now end at 1:22 PM, with a block of time provided from 2:35-3:35 PM to give at-home learners the chance to connect with teachers for live homework help or questions concerning their classes. See the Smith Bell Schedule for additional information.
Phase 2 eliminates Virtual Wednesdays. The schedule will now be a rolling schedule, meaning that students won’t attend school on the exact same days each week. A schedule of calendar days can be found by clicking here: Smith School 2020 calendar of rotation days (Blue/Gold)
The deadline to switch from All-Remote to Hybrid, or Hybrid to All-Remote will be January 22nd. Let us know your intention no later than January 22nd.
For more information regarding the district's reopening plan, guidelines, and data findings regarding this change, please visit our Reopening and Restart website.
Mrs. Christine Davis
Supervisor of K-8 Education and Student Welfare
It's Not Easy Being Tween
It’s hard to believe, but the second marking period is well underway. Keeping students motivated can be a challenge, whether your child is attending in-school classes or learning remotely. Here are some ideas for helping your tween to do their best.
The Power of Zero - Help your child understand the importance of turning in every assignment. Have them add up several of their grades (97 + 89 + 93 = 279) and divide by the number of grades to get their average (279 ÷ 3 = 93). Then, ask them to change the last grade to zero and average again— suddenly, the 93 becomes a 62.
Great advice! - Want to raise the odds that your middle schooler will actually follow your advice? Get their input. Instead of saying, “Setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier will keep you from scrambling to get ready every morning,” try, “I’ve been running late in the mornings, too. What ideas do you think could help us?”
Did You Know? - Just a few minutes of physical activity can immediately improve your middle grader’s concentration. Remind your child to use their remote-learning or study breaks to move around. They could write quick ideas on slips of paper (“Dance to a song,” “Do 5 jumping jacks”) and pick one to do between classes or subjects.
Worth quoting - “The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.” - Albert Einstein
Copyrighted material of Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
For more tips on navigating the middle years click here
From the Desk of the Instructional Coaches
Ms. Carolyn Chakmakjian, Humanities Instructional Coach
Cultivating a Growth Mindset
“I’m not smart enough.”
“This is too hard.”
“She’s a better reader than I am.”
These are phrases that might sound familiar, as we often hear kids make statements like this about their abilities or qualities. When we look at these phrases, they demonstrate thinking that is representative of something called a fixed mindset. Students with fixed mindsets believe that their abilities, qualities, and talents are already set and cannot be changed. However, research has shown that when students develop a growth mindset--belief that abilities can be improved with effort and hard work--they are more likely to be successful in school and thereafter.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
People with a fixed mindset believe that their achievements and successes are a result of natural talents or abilities that they have been born with. Their brains have been programmed to see effort as failure. In other words, they think that if they have to work at something, it must mean they are not smart enough or good enough. As a result, people with a fixed mindset often avoid challenges or give up easily when something is difficult.
Why is this important? In school, students with fixed mindsets fear asking for help or acknowledging that they do not understand, because they are so focused on proving that they are smart. Showing any signs of “weakness” might prove that they are “stupid”. (mindsetkit.org) This causes students to avoid doing work that they deem challenging, and might be misconstrued as laziness. Having this mindset hinders students from developing habits of resilience and productivity that lead to success.
On the other hand, students with growth mindsets believe that they can improve their abilities by working hard and putting forth effort. They understand that their brains can get smarter with practice and training. They see challenges as opportunities to grow and mistakes as opportunities to learn. They focus on the process of learning, and believe that if they continue to work hard, then they will increase their understanding and skills. Students with growth mindsets are ultimately more motivated, confident, and successful.
Our Messages about Mindset Matter
Educators and parents have a huge impact on the mindset that students develop. New research shows that the way parents talk about abilities and learning can have powerful effects on their kids’ beliefs. (raisethebarparents.org) This means we must be mindful of the messages we send to kids through our language and actions. Kids are watching us to see how we handle mistakes. Do we see them as opportunities to grow and learn? Do we demonstrate working hard towards a goal, and let them see us struggle? We must be aware of what we model for our kids.
One way that we can guide kids towards a growth mindset is by praising process and effort. Seemingly positive praise like “you are so smart” can actually backfire. (mindsetkit.org) This language sends a message that success happens when something comes easily to them. However, what happens when something feels more difficult? Does that mean they are not smart anymore? This devalues hard work and effort, two qualities that are important in continued success over time. Instead, saying something like, “you worked hard on that” shows kids that their efforts are connected to their accomplishments.
Shift in Mindset
What we say to kids shows them what we value and how we think about intelligence and abilities. We can model shifts in mindset by changing our words.
Cultivating a growth mindset is not easy, especially if we need to reflect and reframe our own mindsets first. But if we persevere and continue to intentionally choose our words and model our attitudes, we can help set our kids up for success now and in the future.
Smith School's 2020-2021 Student Council
Thank you to Ms. Dillon and Mr. St. Thomas for organizing a successful election process and thank you to all who ran- it was an excellent race with exceptional candidates!
President: Harrison Consor
Vice President: Jack Schreiber
Treasurer: Abby Rostkowski
Secretary: Morgan Arbus
Congratulations! We look forward to the wonderful impact your leadership will have on our school.
The Latest and Greatest at Smith School
Students in Mr. Truppi's class collaborate on projects together (top left and bottom left).
Mr. Wilson's 8th grade science classes conduct experiments (Above) and physical educators create a unique obstacle course for students to compete in (Below).
Are you a remote-learning student who is participating in spirit days?
Do you want to be recognized for your participation in learning activities at home?
When teachers make fitness fun, they create a life-long love for exercise and a dedication to physical wellbeing!
Students engage in some healthy competition as they run, jump, and roll their way to victory in physical education! (Above and Right).
Students in tech class test out their robotic designs in a hallways obstacle course (Above). Their goal is to design a machine that is able to smoothly maneuver through the course's twists and turns without hitting the cups set up along the hall.
Mr. Baeira's business exploratory class uses practical skills of money management in educational game settings (Above). Smith students take advantage of the final days of nice weather with our outdoor class room (Top Right) and harvesting some mint plant from the courtyard (Right).
Students start their day of learning with some written reflection (Above).
Smith students SOAR! Lucien (Top Left) shows off his plane created in Mr. Truppi's tech class.
Mr. Schrettner engages young historians in 8th grade World Cultures (Middle Left).
Ms. Chackmakjian visits Ms. Young's social studies class for a historical fiction read-aloud and discussion with students (Bottom Left).
Smith School's outing club kicked off their year in our outdoor classroom with a variety of team-building activities (Below).
Dedication to Wellness: Mind, Body, and Spirit!
Smith's physical educators kicked off Wellness Week at Smith School, creating opportunities for students to engage in activities to boost their overall health!
Mindful Monday had students of the blue team finding their inner peace as the physical educators led them in basic Yoga exercises (Top and bottom left).
Mr. Poage took the time to lead students in beginner's Tai Chi for "Try it Tuesday"- where students were encouraged to tryout a new form of exercise (Top and bottom right). Phys Ed students are learning to take care of both their body and mind for all-around well-being!
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Thankful Thursday had students reflecting on what they were grateful for in their own lives.
Responses ranged from giving thanks for family and friends, their hobbies and sports, pets, their health and the wellbeing of their family and loved ones, and many more!
Giving THANKS For Smith Students and Staff!
Students in the Environmental Club led by Mr. Franchinni and Ms. Csengeto show some TLC to our school environment by getting our courtyard ready for Spring, 2021. Thanks for making our school and our planet a little more beautiful!
Our annual Smith School food drive had another successful year! Students and staff came together in the spirit of giving to donate food items for a Thanksgiving dinner to Ramsey Responds for community members in need.
Students of the "blue" and "gold" teams engaged in a friendly competition to see who could collect the most food items.
Thank you to both teams, our Smith families, and all staff for their participation, and a very special thanks to our Smith Student Council for organizing another successful year of the food drive. In the battle of giving back- everyone wins!
Health Updates From Our Nurse
Ms. Laura Spiegelman, BSN, RN, CSN/Health Ed.
Certified School Nurse, Eric S. Smith School
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Vaccines
Please visit the New Jersey Department of Health's COVID-19 Vaccination Resource guide at the link provided for useful links and detailed information such as...
NJ COVID-19 Vaccination Program Plan
8 Things to Know about Vaccine Planning
How CDC is making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/topics/covid2019_vaccination.shtml
COVID Alert NJ
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 up-to-date information of NJ's reopening news & key metrics.
Visit covid19.nj.gov/app
Computer Science Education Week, 2020
Computer Science Education Week (#CSEdWeek) is from December 7th to December 13th this year. Code.org provides students of all ages and all experience levels the opportunity to learn to code through their #HourofCode Activities. Ramsey will be participating in this week-long event by sending students a menu of options to work on and explore at their leisure. Each day, students will receive information, suggested activities, and a video to learn more about the world of coding. An optional survey will be provided each day for students to upload a picture or video of their exploration to receive a certificate for participating in The Hour of Code.
Ramsey offers a number of opportunities to learn about the world of coding and computers. At Smith Middle School, Mr. Kalman offers a Digital Design exploratory course for grades 6th through 8th. At Ramsey High School, we offer Computer Programming I and II, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A.
We encourage all students to take advantage of these opportunities to explore the world of coding. Please reach out to Melissa Cruz, the Supervisor of Mathematics and Business Education if you have any questions.
Questions about #CSEdWeek? Contact Ms. Melissa Cruz of Ramsey High School:
Information on the health questionnaire, hybrid schedule, basic guidelines, information from the school nurse, and more.
Need Technology Support for School-Issued Devices? Click Here to Complete a Student Help Desk Ticket
Smith School Parent Book Club 2020-2021
Our second round of Parent Book Club Meetings are going on this week! Today at 3:30 PM is our One For The Murphys meeting, taking place via Zoom. If you are interested in attending our meetings this week, check your email for information!
Our next Parent Book Club meetings will be in January, 2021. Our theme is true stories of resilience. The books along with information concerning the meeting days, times, and formats will be announced soon, check your email for that information!
If you have any questions please email our library media specialist, Ms. Kelly.
Character Education Clubs, 2020-2021
Smith School Supply List 2020-2021
View the 2020-2021 Supply List
Supply Lists for the 2020-21 school year are now posted. Please remember that all personal belongings should be labeled, such as pencil cases, binders, and backpacks.
iPad/Chromebook Insurance
iPad/Chromebook Insurance is Due Now....Register
FamilyID is now open to parents to agree to policies and pay for iPad insurance for the new academic year. Please click on the headline for more information, including instructions for payment and account information.
Let's Talk Mental Health-November Edition
Watch the latest edition of 'Let's Talk Mental Health' as Dr. Murphy and Michael Tozzoli, CEO of West Bergen, discuss tips and strategies to benefit your mental health during the holiday season.
Upcoming Dates
Board of Education Meeting (December 15th)
Minimum Day (December 23rd)
Winter Recess- School Closed (December 24th - January 1st)
Past "Smith News"
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