Welcome Back to School!

- Winifred C. Marshal

We welcome you back to the wonderful world of education! Your genuine love for teaching and endless creativity make a significant difference in the lives of our students. As we begin this new academic year, let's continue to ignite curiosity, inspire critical thinking, and foster a love for lifelong learning.

Arts Education:

Please follow us on our new Instagram Account: eastbrunswick.arts to see up to date posts about Arts happenings in the district!

If you want to know more about the Arts Education Staff in East Brunswick, you can go to www.ebnet.org/ebarts to check out bios and pictures of these outstanding educators!

Educational Technology:

9/3 and 9/4 PD Sessions

• I want to extend my thanks to all of our teachers and staff for their active participation during the HUES, CJHS, and EBHS building meetings on 9/3 and the department PD sessions on 9/4. Your attention, thoughtful questions, and engagement were truly appreciated.

• It was wonderful to see the commitment to learning more about GenAI and applying the new (HUES) and updated (7-12) staff and student AI guidance in our classrooms in smart and meaningful ways.

• Your feedback will continue to shape our initiatives, and I look forward to more collaboration throughout the year!

• I also appreciate the K-4 teachers and staff checking out the video (click here) on the new K-4 AI Guidance and I look forward to visiting each building to conduct PD during building meetings or AI Info Sessions to discuss AI literacy and additional PD support!

Introducing the AI Center Webpage and Resources

• I’m excited to announce the launch of the EBPS AI Center - www.ebnet.org/AICenter!

• This resource hub is designed to support our district’s journey in building the GenAI capacity of all district stakeholders and communicating changes to these tools in a clear manner.

• The AI Center has links to each of the staff and student AI guidance documents, the CJHS and EBHS AI Use Scale, and training materials for students, all staff member groups, and parents/guardians!

• Additional information will be shared throughout the year, including at two “AI Parent University Nights” in October! See fliers below for more information:

• 7-12 AI Parent University = Tues. 10/8 from 7PM to 8PM at the HUES JMPAC

• K-6 AI Parent University = Tues. 10/15 from 7PM to 8PM at the HUES JMPAC
  
  

Updated Ed Tech Tool Request Process

• The new Educational Technology Tool Request Process will make it easier for teachers to request access to new technology tools, software, or websites.

• Please visit www.ebnet.org/EdTech to read more about each step of the process for requesting access to new technology tools.

Communications about Technology Support

• Continue to email ITrequests@ebnet.org for tech support.

• If you have additional questions about a persistent tech issue, reach out to me at hpeluzzo@ebnet.org.

Below are the due dates for tenured and non-tenured staff observations.

Non-Tenured Staff:

First Observation - 11/30

Second Observation - 1/30

Third Observation - 3/30

Summary - 4/30

Tenured Staff:

First Observation - 12/15

Second Observation - 5/15

Summary - 5/30

All PDPs and SGOs are due October 30th.

Our district PDP this year will be Engaging Students in Learning.

You will also find several Practice PDPs to select from, as well as a Blank Form to create your own if you choose that option.

For more information, please see the Evaluation Training.

All new staff are required to attend 8 induction meetings. If you have not already signed up for our Induction Meetings, please do so.

Below is the schedule and topics of our meetings.

K-6 Induction Meetings

7-12 Induction Meetings

Dear Staff,

Annual trainings are part of our professional responsibilities. The trainings listed below that pertain to your position must be completed by Friday, November 15, 2024. Trainings completed in GCN after June 1, 2024 will count toward the 2024-2025 school year.

Required Annual Training utilizing the Global Compliance Network (GCN)

Mandatory professional development (PD) requirements for particular groups of educators are specified in statute and regulation. These requirements go beyond the core requirements for PD planning and implementation set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9

To complete your required annual training, please log into GCN online training.

• Account username: your full ebnet.org email address (example john.smith@ebnet.org or jsmith@ebnet.org)
• Organization Code - 82134e

Having trouble logging into GCN? Contact Jenn Carter at jcarter@ebnet.org with your full name, ebnet.org email address, position and employee ID (your employee ID is on your pay stub).

When to complete GCN Trainings if you are an Instructional Assistant or School Aide:

• If you are an AM school aide or a lunch/recess aide, please select a day prior to the November due date that you would like to come in early or stay late to complete the trainings. You should fill out a time sheet for payment. The main office of your building can provide you with the time sheet and a device.
• If you are a PM school aide, a PM instructional assistant, or a full-time instructional assistant, please complete the trainings during parent teacher conferences after student dismissal. The main office will provide you access to a device to complete this training.
• If you are a 5-hour instructional assistant and you are contracted to work at least 30 minutes after dismissal on early dismissal days, you can complete the GCN trainings at that time. If your contractual hours do not allow for this, you will submit a time sheet for payment. The main office will provide you with a timesheet and access to a device to complete this training.

For teachers who will be participating in Video Evaluations this year, the required training can be found in GCN under the optional tab. It is titled, Video Reflection Protocol - East Brunswick PS.

Dear Teachers,

Did you know that you can access your students’ common assessments, course grades, and NJSLA assessment scores from last school year in only a few clicks? Directions are available through the slide deck Intro to eduClimber: Access Your Students’ Assessment Scores and Grades from Last Year in fewer than five mouse clicks! Additional directions are provided to help you quickly assemble a data wall of your student’s scores. A 2-minute step-by-step demonstration video is included.

Get started by navigating to www.ebnet.org/educlimber and clicking on the ‘SAML’ button to log in.

Want to learn more about how eduClimber can benefit Teachers? Visit the eduClimber Resources Page by logging into www.ebnet.org/staffresources and clicking on the eduClimber link under ‘Student Information Systems’.

If you have questions about eduClimber or need assistance, please contact Jennifer Carter, Technical Specialist for the Department of Academics, at jcarter@ebnet.org or call extension 6782.

Staff Development - September 3

Teacher Orientation - September 4

First Day of School - September 5

EBHS Single Session - October 9

EBHS Drama Fall Improv Night - October 15

EBHS Virtual Financial Aid - October 16

All Schools Single Session - October 22-25

EBHS Marching Band Home Show - October 26

Halloween - October 31, 2024

Schools Closed for Students - November 1

Schools Closed for Election Day - November 5

Schools Closed - November 7 & 8

Report Cards Issued - November 22

EBHS Fall Drama Production - November 22-24

Single Session - November 27

Thanksgiving Recess - November 28 & 29

October 22- 25, 2024

Evening Conferences:

• Tuesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 24

• 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Afternoon Conferences:

• Wednesday, October 23, and Friday, October 25

• 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm

October 22-25, 2025

Evening Conferences:

• Tuesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 24

• 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Afternoon Conferences:

• Wednesday, October 23, and Friday, October 25

• 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm

October 22-25, 2025

Evening Conferences:

• Tuesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 24

• 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Afternoon Conferences:

• Wednesday, October 23, and Friday, October 25

• 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm

In an effort to promote the social, emotional, and physical well-being of our students, East Brunswick Public Schools has planned a homework-free schedule for all students. At a time when students across the nation are reporting unprecedented levels of stress, these breaks will allow students to experience a true recess period to mentally step away from academic demands and enjoy unstructured time to read for pleasure, explore topics of interest, spend time with family, enjoy outside activities, volunteer, travel or attend local events. Our students will return to school re-energized, well-rested, well-balanced and will perform better in every aspect of their lives.

To preserve the intent of scheduled homework-free breaks, no homework may be assigned over designated weekends, and no projects due or tests administered immediately upon return.

• Thanksgiving: November 27, 2024– December 2, 2024

• Winter Break: December 20, 2024 – January 2, 2025

• Spring Break: April 11, 2025 – April 21, 2025

• Memorial Day Weekend: May 23, 2025 – May 27, 2025

As an inclusive educational community, it is imperative that we are culturally aware and responsive. As such, when planning, please be mindful of the many holidays our students and families celebrate throughout the year. Please see the comprehensive link of all State of New Jersey Department of Education recognized holidays.

Thank you for your support and cooperation!

Questions may be directed to:

Dr. Joyce Boley

Assistant Superintendent of Academics

Student Services has been busy collecting a tremendous amount of School Supplies for our neediest EB students! We have plenty of supplies to help support any students in need, so please be sure to share with your teams and colleagues!

Flu and vaccine clinics are being set up in each building and administration during November, so be on the lookout to sign up!

Stay healthy this winter!

Just a reminder you that you can apply for a NJEA grant for your classroom. Please see the information below.

The PRIDE grant name has been changed to Public Education Partnership (PEP) as of the 2024-25 school year. This form is to be used to apply for a NJEA PEP/FAST grant through the East Brunswick Education Association.

Please see the EBEA PRIDE committee webpage for additional information regarding PEP Grant Requirements, Guidelines and Ideas.

One of the most important aspects of PEP is the recognition and publicity the projects often produce. The more a community knows about how good its schools are, the more likely it is to get involved and offer support. PRIDE is proud to support the NJEA FAST (Families and Schools Together work for children) Program. The goal of FAST is to support parent and family involvement in their children’s education, to enhance student academic progress, and to ensure that families feel welcome and connected to our schools.

Apply today here - https://forms.gle/QAnme2Z1GnR9MRuu7

IMPORTANT INFORMATION about Accessing Curriculum Documents ❗

You must be logged into Google with your East Brunswick account before accessing the documents in this drive. If you don't have access to view the documents, check your account settings to make sure you aren't logged in with a personal Gmail account. Do not request edit access to these documents. If you are in a workshop setting to update curriculum, your Supervisor will provide access at that time.

DO NOT share these documents with students, parents, or community members ❌

A publicly accessible repository of course overview documents is available for students, parents and community members on the Department of Academics homepage at www.ebnet.org/academics.