Rumble for the Cure - Oct. 11; Pink Day at School - ...

Our Wildcat football team asks fans to wear pink with their crimson to the game next Friday, October 11, to honor our family and friends touched by breast cancer and help them Rumble for the Cure! To help promote the event, students and staff are also invited to wear their pink to school on Monday, Oct. 7, as there is no school on Friday. Along with the pink out, there will be face painting and a Hometown Pride Raffle for a collection of several different bundles of items from supporting local businesses valued at over $1,000! All proceeds will go directly to the Licking County Health Department’s Screening and Survivor Support (SASS) for breast cancer patients.  A special thank you to our Hometown Pride Raffle donors: 2nd Street Market, Bummie’s on Main, Don & Sue’s Pizza, DoubleTree by Hilton Starbucks, Downtown Fruit Passion Newark, Drip Dreams Ice Cream, Elliot’s Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap, Goumas Candyland, Guanciale Family (Andrew, Jill ’97 and Luke), Heisey Glass Museum, JAMCO, Kicks Mix Bookstore, Midland Theatre, Moe’s Original BBQ, OhioTRUE, Pugh’s Designer Jewelers, Red Oak Pub & Restaurant, River Road Coffeehouse, Rolls by the Pound, The Works, and Twins Pizza.  Pink goes well with crimson, so let’s Rumble for the Cure together! GO CATS!   Tickets for the game can be purchased here or cash at the door: https://www.newarkcityschools.org/activities/online-ticketing

Friday, Oct 04 2024

Girls Basketball sign-ups for grades 3-6

Click the following link to sign up for ​Girls Youth Wildcat basketball:  https://tinyurl.com/NGBYouth24 The Newark Girls Basketball League (NGBL) practices once per week and has one game per week. The Central Ohio Basketball Association girls team tryouts will be on Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Newark High School gym. Games are on the weekends, with 1-2 practices per week. For additional information or questions contact Coach Jack Purtell jpurtell@newarkcityschools.org.

Tuesday, Oct 01 2024

Power of Positive Parenting Seminar - Oct. 15

You are invited to attend a virtual Triple P parent seminar hosted by Our Futures in Licking County. Tuesday, October 15, 2024 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This program: • will give you a great start to the school year with your child • is free • will be held live on Zoom • welcomes all parents, grandparents, and caregivers with children from birth to age 12 Please register by calling (740) 522-1234, ext. 26, or email TriplePSeminar@hotmail.com at least four days prior to seminar date. You will receive a reminder and Zoom link prior to the seminar date that you wish to attend.

Tuesday, Oct 01 2024

NBBL Registration and Jr. Cats tryouts

Attention all future Wildcat Basketball Players, registration for the 3 rd /4 th  and 5 th /6 th  grade Newark Boys Basketball League is underway. Registration forms can be downloaded by  clicking here . T he deadline for registration is Nov. 15th.  Practices and games will begin on November 25th.  For more information or for questions, contact Coach Quackenbush at 740-670-7435 The Newark Boys Jr. Cats Basketball Try-outs will take place on Sunday October 20th.  3 rd  and 4 th  Grade - 1:00 5 th  and 6th Grade - 2:30 NHS Main Gym / Aux Gym The Junior Cats are an extension of the Newark Varsity Basketball Program.  You will play teams from Columbus and the surrounding areas.  If there are any questions, please call Jeff Quackenbush at – 740-670-7435

Monday, Sep 30 2024

Fall 2024 Paw Print Newsletter

​ ​ Paw Print Newsletter Fall 2024 ​ ​ ​ ​ Welcome to the Paw Print ​ ​ ​ ​ Welcome to the Fall 2024 digital edition of the Paw Print newsletter. The printed edition is being mailed to households in the district, as well. You can find that version attached to the bottom of this post. In this issue, you will find information on our new language arts curriculum, Wit & Wisdom. We also have stories about trips three teachers were able to take thanks to a grant from the Licking County Foundation, new leaders at Wilson Middle School, and a Workforce Development program helping NHS students get a head start on a career in the electrical trades. In the digital edition, you can also get a sneak preview of our new district website, which is launching on Monday, September 30. ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Website Preview ​ Our newly designed district website is launching Monday, September 30. The website will be inaccessible for around an hour in the morning, sometime after 9 a.m. The address is still www.newarkcityschools.org. Our hope with the new website is to make important information easier to find in fewer clicks, while also making the site easier to maintain and keep updated. The new site is also more mobile-friendly. Click the following link to find a feature video highlighting a few features of the new site. The new design will launch during the morning of Monday, September 30, and newarkcityschools.org will be inaccessible for a brief period of time. https://vimeo.com/1013809048?share=copy ​ ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A Message from the Superintendent ​ Welcome to the first edition of the NCS Paw Print for the 24-25 school year. We will be publishing a digital edition each month, with hard copies printed and mailed to all registered voters within the city of Newark three times — fall, winter and spring. The digital versions will be shared with school families via ParentSquare, and community members on our social media pages. We hope you enjoy learning more about our wonderful school district throughout the year. There are many things to be excited about this school year. We are grateful that we are able to provide a nutritious breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge. Thanks to our Food Service Department for their efforts in ensuring our participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). No child should go hungry, and our district recognizes the importance that nutrition plays on student learning. Another important initiative for the district is communication. A newly designed and user-friendly website will go live by the end of September, and may be live by the time you receive this newsletter. We hope this will help you easily find the information you need, as well as keep you informed of important events. We have also adopted ParentSquare, which is a communication platform for families. This will make it easier for parents to communicate with their child’s teachers, principals, coaches, etc. Parents will also receive important district news via text, email, and phone. We hope these improvements make for a better experience for our families. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority for the district. This year we have implemented a visitor management system in all of our school buildings. All visitors that wish to go beyond the main office will be required to have their ID scanned and wear a printed badge during their visit. This will allow us to better track who is in the building at all times. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we implement this important initiative. One thing to be on the lookout for in future editions is the pilot of the House System being conducted at Carson and Cherry Valley elementary schools. The House System is an exciting way to create a powerful and positive school climate. We are excited for the possibilities this program can provide for our students and families. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Paw Print. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to learn more about our district, please feel free to contact me at 740-670-7000 or dllewis@newarkcityschools.org. David Lewis ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Wit & Wisdom helps students dive deep into content ​ Ben Franklin Elementary piloted the new Wit & Wisdom English Language Arts curriculum during the 2023-24 school year. While the transition involved a learning curve, it’s ultimately been a great success, Principal Dena Cable-Miller said. “I think one of the biggest changes for us is that we're now thinking about various media sources, not just books,” she said. “So our students are also studying pieces of artwork. They're studying paintings, they're studying literary text, they're studying informational text, they're studying speeches, poems. And so they're being exposed to a lot of different sources to gather and synthesize information.” That information and the ensuing conversations are what flow into students’ writing, she said. “So the thinking behind it is, ‘We're going really deep into the learning now,’ whereas maybe we might have in the past only read a book for one day and then moved on,” she said. Wit & Wisdom, developed by parent company Great Minds, has launched in all Newark elementary schools this year. The curriculum “was crafted by teachers for teachers. With every lesson founded on exceptional texts, all learners are empowered to tackle the rigor of grade-level content with confidence and joy. Core texts are wide-ranging, varied, and provide a careful balance of literary, informational, and fine arts texts,” according to the program’s website. Ben Franklin second grade teacher Mikey Wilkey said she has enjoyed seeing the way the curriculum can be implemented across various reading levels, with discussion that ties the concepts together. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “All students can participate because we are exploring together and can participate at their level. They are more confident,” she said.  Wilkey also appreciates the “deep dive” the curriculum offers, allowing more time to explore topics. “Previously, we read aloud a book (and) they would write about the book. Now we spend so much time on a book so they get to really explore the topics,” she said. Ben Franklin fifth grade teacher Joey Hays agreed. “Unlike previous years, the students in fifth grade read a chapter book each grading period. Because the students are reading the same book we are able to have engaging conversations as a class,” she said. “Wit & Wisdom challenges students. Even though it is challenging, it has brought a lot of great thinking and conversation to the classroom. The kids are excited about the lessons and interested in the topics discussed,” she said. “It is great to listen to them as they are talking in pairs or in small groups. This is my second year teaching Wit & Wisdom. I was skeptical at first; but saw so much effort and growth from my students last year. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this school year.” While Wit & Wisdom is currently being used in grades K-5, NCS will begin piloting the curriculum at the middle school level later this school year.  Learn more about Wit & Wisdom at the following link: https://greatminds.org/english/witwisdom ​ ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ Expanding horizons with the Tibbie Leslie Grant ​ ​ ​ ​ This past summer, three Newark City Schools teachers took trips with funds from the Tibbie Leslie grant. Named after Elizabeth Randolph “Tibbie” Leslie, a 1950 Newark High School graduate and longtime physical education teacher who believed in the value of travel as a way of informing education, the grant seeks to assist educators in broadening their experiences in their fields of interest. Leslie passed away in 1995 but made funding available through the Licking County Foundation. The grants are distributed annually to Licking County educators looking to expand their knowledge of their subject and bring that knowledge back to their classrooms. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mary Borgia ​ Title: Gifted Intervention Specialist, Ben Franklin, McGuffey & Cherry Valley  Trip: Germany. Borgia aimed to focus on Germany as an origin for many fairy tales that we know today — The Brothers Grimm, Pied Piper of Hamlin, Little Red Riding Hood and others — and to witness, in person, the setting and cultures that helped shape these stories. Highlights: German Fairy Tale Route; Brothers Grimm Museum; half-timbered houses in Schwalmstadt, the setting that inspired Little Red Riding Hood In her words: On the importance of fairy tales for all ages: “(Kids) need these fairy tales as almost like their shared knowledge. We all should be able to make a Cinderella reference or a Pied Piper of Hamlin reference.” On how she’ll take her lessons to her classroom: “In one town, Alsfeld…you're hearing this clock tower from the 1200s go off on the hour. And so you hear a tale like Cinderella, and the clock struck. Our clocks don't strike anymore. That feeling of just being there — bong, bong! — and it's like you're immersed in these ancient cobblestone streets, and you're really able to just get pictures of that and be able to bring that back to the kids a little bit. “...So for me, I want to teach the kids the fairy tales and then be able to do some of that really deep (thinking)...the ‘Why is the tale like that? What did the people look like? How is that part of our history?’ It's a little more interesting than they think it is. It's not just a Disney fairytale.” ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Leona Vrbanac ​ Title: Family & Consumer Science teacher, Newark High School Trip: Ireland. As a member of the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), Vrbanac traveled with a group of educators who gathered to mark the federation’s 25th World Congress. At Irish farms and shops, they learned about regenerative agriculture, sustainability, generations-old farming and craftsmanship techniques and the value in partnership. Highlights: Learning to spin wool; watching Irish lace makers; talking to Irish farmers. In her words:  On the Irish farming community: “They really have such community, where they use each other for support and to keep their livelihoods going. And I thought that was really beautiful. Something I'd like to incorporate here is how do we bring out the best in each other and then use the abundance in a new way?” On cooperation amongst farmers and artisans: “Nobody is left to themselves. Their lives are so interconnected that they know how to help each other, and they know how to help the next artist and create something beautiful with pieces that would normally be a cast off.” On how she’ll take her lessons to her classroom: “Because high schoolers can really feel pretty...it seems, disposable. ‘I come, I go, the bell rings...I'm just in and out so quickly.’ I want them to feel a sense of place, a sense of purpose in this space: ‘Without me, this wouldn't be happening.’” ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Carol Smith ​ Title: English Language Arts, Wilson Middle School Trip: Poland, Netherlands Highlights: Anne Frank House, Amsterdam; Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp site; Jewish quarter, Krakow, Poland In her words: On seeing the Anne Frank House: “And just to be in her room, and her movie star posters are on the wall, and her desk where she wrote the diary, and it was just gutting.” “We picture the face on (Anne Frank’s) diary and the other pictures that we see, and it just really hit home — all that she stood for and the fact that she was able to write so eloquently about it and share her story. And my husband will say the same thing. I haven't stopped thinking about her. We still talk about it all the time. We've been home for two months.” On touring the Jewish cemeteries, the sites of which appear in some of the literature she teaches: “I've taught this unit for five years, but being there and seeing all the other stuff…It's weird to say, but it's beautiful in its tragedy.” On how she’ll take her lessons to her classroom: “Just being able to show my students the pictures and explain in more detail what it's like and what it's like to be there. And then add, as we're doing our background stuff…I have so much more to tell them and to share with them, having seen it firsthand.” ​ ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ Program helps graduates get a head start in an electrical trades career ​ The Newark Junior Apprenticeship and Training Committee is offering students a curriculum to experience the reality of the electrical trade. Newark High School offers this curriculum to students who either know they want to pursue a career in electrical trades, or who just want to explore other options. The Interim Credential (Electrical) was coordinated or offered through the Wildcats At Work. Through recruitment sessions and career fairs, Daryl Jones, Special Projects Coordinator at the JATC has a way of drawing students into this path.  “Doing the stuff at the career fairs and having those hands-on experiences is really important because that’s how construction-minded people learn, by getting hands-on with things,” Jones said. “It used to be that you (had to) know someone in the industry to learn about it; we always said it was the best-kept secret out there. Now we’re trying to bust down those walls and shout it from the rooftops and get it to all of our schools because there is a ton of work.” 2024 NHS graduate Austin Reed started the online program last school year, and has been working this summer and fall as an apprentice through JATC. “I got accepted into a program sophomore year, but I didn’t go because I didn’t know if I just wanted to do it for the money,” Reed said. “Then senior year came, and I saw this program and it made me realize that this is what I want to do.” The JATC program also allows students to earn college credit through Northwest State Community College. Courses are taught by subject-matter experts — IBEW members who work or have worked in the field. With this approach to the online course, students are given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while earning credits toward their first-year apprenticeship during high school. After graduation, they can apply to the JATC’s apprenticeship program. ​ ​ ​ ​ “Students go to school one day a week with their digital work that they would do at the high school, which is their ‘homework’, then we go over the lesson and do training within the facility with the information we learned in the lesson. Then they get to go on a paid job site, and put that knowledge to use in the setting of a paid job site,” Jones said. Reed has enjoyed his apprenticeship with JATC, and is looking forward to continuing in the field for his career. “I liked figuring out how things work and learning how to make those things work,” he said. Lori Mye — in her second year leading the Workforce Development program at Newark High School — said she hopes to see more students take advantage of the program this year and moving forward, after a handful of students participated last year. ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ New administrators excited to lead Wilson Middle School ​ ​ ​ ​ This school year, Wilson Middle School welcomes two new building administrators. Here is a little bit about them. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Whitney Bobo, Interim Principal ​ Education: Undergraduate: Bowling Green State University; master’s: American College of Education Family: Husband, Cory; sons, Gunner, 9, and Colton, 7; dog, Hank, an English mastiff Job highlights: “The staff have been amazing. They have been super welcoming to me. They really have the best interest of the kids at heart. And they go above and beyond for these kids. It was just so heartwarming to come in and know that they are giving their all to the students in this building.” On goals for this school year: “I want to build the culture and the climate and make sure it's a safe and respectful place. Those are my two taglines this year: You deserve to be safe and respected, and we're going to make sure that this is a safe and respectful place.” On working with middle schoolers: “It's a big transitional period in their life. And it's like you're just trying to help them grow to be good humans. And I really think you can make a big difference in this point of their life — help get them on the right path to grow to be a good human.” What she does for fun: Camping and being a sports mom. “I just joked that I'm in my ‘Sports Mom’ era. Pretty much all evening is, you know, dinner 1.0, sports, and then dinner 2.0 because they're always starving when they come home again.” ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Nick Eberle, Dean of Students ​ Education: Undergraduate: Defiance College; master’s: Illinois State, University of Toledo and Ohio Dominican Family: Wife, Molly. Job highlights: “I enjoy the people the most. I work with a great staff here at Wilson. From the teachers, to the aides, to just everybody that I come across, everybody's awesome.” His approach to his job: “Sometimes it's negative when people come through your office, but I try to turn everything into a positive, just meeting kids and talking with kids. I'm in the hallway, I give kids high fives. I try to be approachable. I want them to know me not just as a disciplinarian, but to see me as a person, as a man working in schools, and that treats people well. Just to try to be a good role model.” On working with middle schoolers: “I think they're very moldable. You can really influence them. You can help them critically think. …because they haven't been tainted by the world yet. They haven't aligned with their parents' politics, or they haven't necessarily had a grudge or an ax to grind with anybody. They're open to learning.” What he does for fun: All things college football, being outdoors and attending concerts with his wife — most recently, Chris Stapleton. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ Thanks for reading! ​ Thank you for reading the digital edition of our Paw Print Newsletter. If you have ideas for future topics, please email Communication Coordinator Seth Roy at sroy@newarkcityschools.org. ​ ​

Saturday, Sep 28 2024

Pride of Newark spirit day on Oct. 25, and shirt ord...

Celebrate the 2024 Pride of Newark on Friday, October 25, and help send them off to state by wearing a special Pride of Newark commemorative shirt for a district-wide spirit day!  Special shirts are available for order and are encouraged to be worn on Friday, October 25. These shirts celebrate the 44-year streak of OMEA State Finals appearances, a STATE RECORD. Orders with payment need to be submitted to your student's school office by Monday, October 7, to be received in time to cheer on the Pride of Newark. Orders will be delivered to your student's school.  If you would like to place an order, please download an order form (attached below) or ask your student's school for a form. Celebrate the nearly half-century of success for the Pride of Newark with our special commemorative shirt and spirit day on Friday, October 25!

Friday, Sep 20 2024

Homecoming Carnival tonight 5-7

The Homecoming Carnival is tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. outside of the Commons at the high school. Here is the rest of the week's events, including the remainder of Spirit Week: Hawaiian Day tomorrow and 'Merica Day on Friday:

Wednesday, Sep 18 2024

Parent Education Opportunities

Please see the attached flyer for information on an upcoming Navigating Dyslexia event at the Downtown Newark Library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tues., Sept. 17. Additionally, please see the following link for a newsletter with information about a variety of upcoming events for parents with children of all ages:  https://secure.smore.com/n/cw950

Tuesday, Sep 03 2024

A great story about two of our Newark High School Cr...

Newark's Flores springs into action to help injured cross country teammate https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/08/30/newarks-jayden-flores-helps-injured-cross-country-teammate/74972583007/

Friday, Aug 30 2024

Visitor Management System being used in all school b...

Attached is a letter detailing our new Visitor Management System that is being used in all of our school buildings starting tomorrow. If you are a visitor that is going beyond the main office, please bring a valid ID with you to the school. Your ID will be scanned and a visitors pass will be issued for you to wear at all times during that visit. We appreciate your assistance as we do our best to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Thank you.

Wednesday, Aug 14 2024