Spanish Version
KINDERGARTEN
The Kindergarten Readiness Act (SB 1381) changed the required age to enter kindergarten. To enroll in Kindergarten:
For the 2013–14 school year, children must turn five by October 1st; For the 2014–15 school year, and each school year thereafter, children must turn five September 1st.
- We will accept Kindergarten registration packets at students’ home schools beginning March 12, 2013 for students who will turn five on or before October 1st, 2013.
- Children who turn 5 by October 1st will be enrolled in kindergarten.
TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN
For the 2013-14 school year, Newark Unified School District will offer Transitional Kindergarten, which is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program, for students whose birthdays occur after the kindergarten entry cutoff date (October 1 in 2013-14), and on or before December 2nd. Students who enroll in Transitional Kindergarten will enroll in Kindergarten the following year. Transitional Kindergarten will be offered at Lincoln Elementary School, and, depending on the numbers of students who enroll, possibly another Newark elementary site.
- LincolnElementary School(36111 Bettencourt St., Newark, CA., 818-3500) will accept Transitional Kindergarten registration packets beginning March 12, 2013 for students who will turn five between October 2nd, 2013 and December 2nd, 2013.
- Lincoln Elementary School will also collect Transitional Kindergarten Student Information forms for children who turn five between December 3rd and January 31st, who will be placed on a waiting list for possible openings in Transitional Kindergarten. There is no guarantee of placement in Transitional Kindergarten for children who are not five on or before December 2nd. However, these children may be admitted into Transitional Kindergarten on a space-available basis. Transitional Kindergarten Student Information forms will be dated, time-stamped, and kept on file until it is determined if there is space available to accommodate additional children in Transitional Kindergarten. Such notification will not be made until after September 6th, 2013.
Bully . . .
Since the inception of the one room schoolhouse in the 18th Century, bullying has occurred on school campuses across our nation.
Lately, with increased cyber bullying, we have seen an increase of suicides related to bullying. We can no longer remain on the sidelines holding the notion that, “kids will be kids”.
Laurie Massar wrote in Leadership 2011, “While most administrators and teachers understand the global realities of the problem, the larger problem lies in their ability to recognize bullying on their own campuses. In the adolescent world, secrecy on behalf of peers is and forever shall be, sacrosanct.”
Far too many of our students suffer in silence, being haunted in our hallways and tormented in cyberspace.
In Newark Unified School District, we conduct seminars and professional development for staff on an anti-bullying campaign. The key is, it cannot be a “one and done”. We must be vigilant by:
1. Being observant and document what is seen
2. Encourage students/adults to report incidents of bullying
3. Be on the lookout for bully/victim
4. Listen to and report rumors of bullying
5. Provide close supervision to vulnerable to vulnerable students
6. Adopt strong board policy to enforce consequences for bullying behavior
7. Understand the dynamic of cyber-bullying. (text, you-tube, cellphones, etc.)
Attached is a sampleof a staff professional development regarding bullying conducted at Newark Unified School District. In addition, on the district websiteunder Student Support is a link to “No Bully Zone”,an excellent resource for families and educators.
Some online resources include:
· A Thin Line, this targets young people, www.athinline.com
· Bullying in Schools and What To Do About It, free materials and research briefs with a restrictive justice approach to bullying, www.kenrigby.net
· Cyber bullying Research Center, updated information about the causes and consequences of cyber bullying among adolescents, www.cyberbullying.us
Together, we can make an impact!
Dave Marken, Superintendent
