Conti Chatter Dr. Michael Conti School PS 5

September 13, 2024

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

Well before the first day of school, our teachers were busy prepping for success ahead: attending professional development workshops, setting up classrooms, and decorating hallways with messages to students that it's in their power to help make it a positive year...

...and this year, the Jersey City Public School District's overarching message is...GO FOR THE GOLD! Reach for excellence, challenge yourself, dare to dream beyond what you thought possible...a message for both students and faculty!

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WELCOMING OUR FAMILIES

First Day arrival! [**To enlarge any photo, simply click on it**]

Some first-week activities:

WHY COMMUNITY CIRCLES?

Last school year, PS5 was one of two schools in the district that piloted a program incorporating restorative justice into our disciplinary practices. The goal of restorative justice is to teach students about the consequences of their actions, as opposed to simply being punitive. A key part of that is to have kids feel like they belong to a community whose members they are accountable to. Trying to address conflict among students without first building positive relationships is not ideal, and community circles can be a powerful tool toward relationship-building...Our school's successful implementation of the pilot program helped steer the Jersey City Public Schools to officially incorporate a restorative justice model into the Code of Conduct district-wide this year, with the goal of creating classrooms where all students can thrive!

At Conti, community circles take place regularly school-wide, from grades K to 8...with participants ranging from students, teachers, & administrators. The teacher sets the tone & purpose of the discussion, and the only person who can speak is the one holding a "talking piece," be it a stuffed animal, ball, or pom-pom. The talking piece is a signal for other students to listen to the holder and teaches patience.

PRE-K & KINDERGARTEN

[**To enlarge any photo, simply click on it**] Sharing what they did over the summer...enjoying read-a-louds & literacy-rich class environments...rotating through activity stations & learning through play.

GRADES 1 & 2

Start-of-School-Year class photos...writing about themselves and how they feel about returning to school...learning traits that make a Super Hero and making their own masks to wear while they help "save the world" by being kind and helpful...and commemorating the heroes of 9/11 on Patriots Day.

GRADES 3 - 5

Grade 3 homerooms shared All About Me bags showcasing items that represent each student's interests & accomplishments...pledged to follow class rules...took beginning-of-year assessments to provide data so teachers can target instruction...and are enjoying new independent reading selections from their classroom libraries...Grade 4 & 5 classes played ice-breaker games and created self portraits accompanied by writers notebook entries which they shared with classmates. [**To enlarge any photo, simply click on it**]

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Getting familiar with class expectations & the Code of Conduct...participating in games designed to get students to know each other better...making headway into required volunteer hours while experiencing the satisfaction of helping our school community!

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

*IN-PERSON PARENT ORIENTATION NIGHT THIS TUESDAY*

Come meet your child’s teacher(s) and learn what you can expect this school year. We look forward to meeting you! (**Note: NO CASPER- students must be picked up by 2:45pm that day.***)

Right before the PARENT ORIENTATION OPEN HOUSE begins, PS5 PTA's first general meeting of the school year will be held from 5:30 to 6:30pm, in the school auditorium, that same evening:

And only two weeks from now is the PTA Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, to support our 8th-grade class trip :

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2024-25 CONTI DRESS DOWN DAYS FOR STUDENTS & STAFF: HELPS FUND STUDENT ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

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WORKSHOPS ON THE DISTRICT'S NEW MATH & SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS:

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Looking forward to another awesome school year!

...in order to achieve greatness!

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Thank you!

Conti Chatter @ 2024-25 Created by Keung Sexton, Library Media Specialist

Principal John J. Rivero

Assistant Principal Albert Padilla