I am so excited to see students and staff back in the building! Like every summer, I am appreciative of it when it comes. It is a wonderful time for reflection, relaxation, and proactive planning for the year ahead. But by the time mid-August comes, the quiet halls are in need of excited learners.

I want to start by sharing with all of you how much I appreciate you and the community we have created together. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for the care you provide for your children, each other, and our community. Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing.

Believing that...

All of our young people are capable.

Capable of learning;

Capable of teaching;

Capable of good decision making;

Capable of good health;

Capable of leadership;

Capable of love;

Capable of being amazing now as children and in the future as adults.

I am looking forward to learning alongside all students and families this year. We are hosting a an Open House for students and caretakers on Monday, September 11th at 5pm.

Mr. McClure is joining us from LTS. He has been doing tremendous work to prepare the building for staff and students. We are so excited to have Mr. McClure on our staff working full time! He has already proven to be an amazing addition to our community.

There will be no busing for any students the first week of school. Currently, Newark has only Mr. Mulligan as a driver. Mr. Mulligan will begin a morning route on Tuesday, September 5. There will be no afternoon routes for the time being. We will share the morning bus route by the end of the first week of school. We know this presents a challenge for students and caretakers. Please reach out if you are in need of support.

I first want to thank all of you for masking as required for the past several years. I can't begin to explain how appreciative and meaningful your effort as a community has been. The overwhelming majority of this community masked without complaints and without questions. Many of you did this with compassion and without having comprehension of why. Compassion without comprehension might be one of the strongest mindsets of humanity. And so many of you found your way to that place. I am in awe of those who did.

"You don't need to comprehend in order to have compassion." -- ALOK

With that said, I would like to share with you that the Newark Street School will not be requiring masks to start the school year. We will remain a mask friendly environment, but not required.

KESD Annual Goals

1. Students are supported to be socially, emotionally, and physically healthy.
2. Each child will have at least a year’s growth during the year. The focus is on understanding where students are at and what their next move is to learn.

Newark Street School Mission

We believe Newark Street School is a global model of how rural, small school educates for sustainability.

Newark Street School Vision

We have merged all members of the learning community to work side-by side as learning partners who become increasingly prepared to explore the world and take responsible action for Environmental Integrity, Social Equity, and Economic Prosperity.

Newark Street School Goals

1. We communicate clearly and effectively.

2. We are self-directed leaders and learners.

3. We are creative and practical problem-solvers.

4. We are responsible and engaged citizens.

5. We are informed and integrative thinkers.

Goal #1 - High Quality Instruction and Teacher Credibility - Newark will deliver high quality core instruction, intervention, and enrichment aligned to a written curriculum with standards and assessment and hire and develop credible educators to serve as learning partners for students.

Goal #2 - Collective Efficacy and Teaming - Teachers engage in a collaborative professional learning community to design and deliver highly engaging units and lessons that are aligned with standards and unit outcomes, differentiate instructional practices to improve student learning, and develop a collective belief that all teachers at the Newark Street School can positively affect student outcomes.

Goals #3 - Health and Wellness - Newark will provide a climate and culture that is responsive to student and staff needs, promotes strong relationships, cares for social and emotional development, enhances physical well being and provides a safe and secure learning environment for all.

The statements and goals above direct us here. This is our next step. It is a really exciting one! An adventurous one. An out of the comfort zone one. A ‘hold my hand as I jump’ one. A transformational one. One that is destined for bumps in the road. One that has the potential for greatness. One that requires trust. As we take this risk, know that perfection is only an aspiration. The growth road is not a straight line up. Greatness incorporates both successes and failures. Keep this in mind when we meet together and provide feedback. Keep this in mind when you are learning or experiencing something new. Keep this in mind when your children are starting in a new school, with a new teacher, or entering what feels to be a new phase of development. Keep this in mind as you write down your own goals for yourself this year as a caretaker or as a young learner. We are all learning partners. We do this together. We believe in each other. Here we go!

What we say and how we say it matters a lot. Being asset focused and using positive, hopeful language enhances our efforts to achieve our goals. Let’s commit to this growth mindset together.

I say this each year and I will emphasize it again… What we do in this school is nothing short of remarkable. We are developing a sustainable and equitable school and it is because of each of you and how much you care. It is hard to believe that this is the start of year six for me at Newark. I am so thankful to be here with all of you.

Please complete the KESD Volunteer Form return it to the school and ask how you can support the Newark School and join us in our super exciting learning and exploratory experiences!

NEWARK STREET SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION

FRIENDS OF NEWARK STREET SCHOOL (FONSS)

If interested in joining and supporting students and the Newark Learning Community in any capacity...

Contact Info - fonss1448@gmail.com

Task for Caretakers - PLEASE COMPLETE THE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH FORM APPLICATIONS. Do this regardless of your income. Do this even though meals are free. KESD is dependent on these forms for grant funding. These forms are being sent home with students on the first day of school.

Link to KESD Calendar

Sun Aug 27 - Ironman 70.3 World Championship - Mr. Mulligan Competing 🏊🏼🚴🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️

Mon Aug 28 - First Day of School! And KEAP!

Fri Sep 1 - No School - Staff Professional Learning

Mon Sep 4 - No School - Labor Day

Mon Sep 11 - Newark Street School Open House - 5pm

Fri Sep 23 - Half Day Students - KEAP Programming Available

Fri Sep 29 - Fall Stewardship Day

Sat Sep 30 - East Burke Fall Foliage Festival and Parade

Sun Oct 1 - Newark Street School Scurry and Wellness Festival

Email: tmulligan@kingdomeast.org
Website: https://www.kingdomeast.org/newark-school
Location: 1448 Newark Street, West Burke, VT, USA
Phone: 802-467-3401
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewarkStreetSchoolVT/