00:00:02:31 - 00:00:24:48
Unknown
Welcome to the castle connection. I am your building principal, Jared Claiborne. It is September 1st. We're live here in the TV studio. The Emmy Award winning channel 19 with Mr. K in the back, behind the scenes. And I am with the one doctor, Frank derecho. He has earned his doctorate after a couple of years of hard, hard work.
00:00:24:55 - 00:00:44:36
Unknown
Congratulations, sir. Thank you for joining me on this episode. Well, I appreciate the the congratulations and I appreciate more of the support you and the team has given me over this journey over the last three and a half years. So it's been a ride. It has been. So what is your doctorate in? It is an educational leadership okay from Liberty University.
00:00:44:36 - 00:01:07:26
Unknown
It's about a three and a half year process. Awesome, awesome. And yeah, it's been awesome to support you. And I know that your experiences help pave the way for that. And we're very proud of you. And so I'm happy that everybody will be able to refer to you as doctor. Yes. Awesome. Okay. A couple announcements for you on this episode of The Castle Connection.
00:01:07:26 - 00:01:33:57
Unknown
It is September 1st, which means school starts tomorrow. The second we are excited. I want to guarantee to you that we are in a safe and a fully capable building, ready for your students this school year. Maintenance has done a fabulous job making sure that this space is is clean and prepared to meet the needs of your students and our staff so that they can educationally reach you and meet your students.
00:01:33:57 - 00:01:57:45
Unknown
And it's going to be a great, great year. One of our big announcements, we're very proud to say, is that we will have a full time school resource officer, and that is Mr. Patrick Simms. Mr. Simms is a graduate of Stirling High School, a member of the Summer Dale Police Department. Again, this is in partnership with the Summer Dale Borough and the police department that we place a full time SRO in our building.
00:01:57:45 - 00:02:22:24
Unknown
We had a wonderful opportunity where we saw multiple of the officers over the course of last year, thankful that Officer Simms is interested in this position, and he will be in for the remainder of this year. Mr.. Can you tell me some of the things you also work with the SRO on, specifically new Officer Simms? Yeah. So what we work on is keeping our school safe as a school safety specialist.
00:02:22:26 - 00:02:42:12
Unknown
We work on organizing our safety drills, corresponding that information. He is our liaison with LC districts when they run their drills. We just work on developing positive relationships with students and making sure that everyone is in a safe and secure place. Excellent. So he did his mandated training. He's going to do a couple of tasks that we assign him here.
00:02:42:19 - 00:03:00:23
Unknown
He maintains a couple of tests that he does for the borough at the police station as well. But you'll see him here daily, so please feel free to reach out and say hello. He does have a sterling email as well and can respond if should. You need have a need. Okay, we're going to welcome our students. We're excited about that.
00:03:00:24 - 00:03:22:07
Unknown
With that means students are going to come starting tomorrow ready to go, which means we maintain, as the state of new Jersey requires a cell phone free campus. Each district has a way of doing it on their own. We are going to be in our second full year of how we've implemented our phone free and distraction free campus, and that is using the yonder pouches.
00:03:22:07 - 00:03:37:40
Unknown
So, Mr. D, what could students expect right away tomorrow? So when you come in, you're going to have your yonder pouch ready to present, locking your phone up. You should have it button facing us so we can check it. If you do have a broken pouch, you want to notify us so we could get that taken care of.
00:03:37:45 - 00:03:53:09
Unknown
If you choose not to bring a phone, then you are still to show your pouch. As you enter the door. The magnets will be there to unlock at the end of the day. And just understand that there are random checks to wear out today, just to maintain the integrity of the program and ensuring that you are placing your proper phone in there.
00:03:53:09 - 00:04:13:48
Unknown
But if you have any issues with your pouch, it's broken, damaged, things like that. Please see an administrator at the door so we can get you routed and get a replacement. Okay. And remember, this is everybody's warning, okay? This is not new for us. It might be new for freshmen or for you're new to Sterling High School, but you guys all know the procedures and your expectations we're going to maintain.
00:04:13:48 - 00:04:37:14
Unknown
So make sure that you're partnering with us to put those away again in case of emergency. We can contact you and you can contact us at an office. We'll make sure that we are supporting you and your student with that. We'll also check dress code right away. First day dress code, right? Yep. So what we want to make sure we ensure is that you do not have flip flops or slides on, or any type of slippers.
00:04:37:16 - 00:04:52:26
Unknown
Your outfit should be neck to belt line, shoulder to shoulder. And so we will be looking at that. Keep in mind you can bring a book back to school, but that book bag will need to be placed within your locker and you will need to use the school issued laptop bag so things will be checked for as footwear.
00:04:52:28 - 00:05:14:31
Unknown
Make sure you have a shirt or a jacket. Neck the belt line and shoulder to shoulder. If not, you'll be redirected to the BPO and Mr. Derechos sent out the student handbook. You guys have to sign off that you've read through, or at least perused the handbook before registering because you have to complete annual on course registration. So we're not the first line of defense at the door.
00:05:14:33 - 00:05:34:14
Unknown
Actually, you are as parents. Hopefully you're having those conversations with your student before they're leaving the house or the night before. And then as they come here, they know what the expectations are. Now, with that being said, we are going to allow on Thursday. Occasionally we try to bend a little bit. Students will be able to wear flip flops and slide on Thursday only.
00:05:34:14 - 00:05:55:24
Unknown
That is September 3rd because that's going to be our activity day. We're going to be focusing on our one one book, one school. We're going to go outside for some activities. So we want to make sure to have a little fun on that day. All right. So we give and take a little bit as well okay. Speaking of which, tomorrow Wednesday and then Thursday or half days there 12 p.m. dismissals okay.
00:05:55:26 - 00:06:17:55
Unknown
Tomorrow students are going to go through all their classes, all eight bells, and then on Thursday they'll do the same. But we're really going to focus on our one book, one school initiative. And our theme of choices matter. So your teachers have all been talking about this. They've read the book. They're looking at ways to infuse this theme into everything that we do at Sterling High School.
00:06:17:55 - 00:06:38:50
Unknown
Throughout the course of the year, they will be looking for you to maybe have read portions of the book at certain times. So it's something parents make sure your student still has it. They find it. Yes, they should bring it to school. Yes. Bring your laptop bag to school the first day and your laptop. Bring your book. One book, one school, the other West more so that you're ready to participate.
00:06:38:50 - 00:06:54:28
Unknown
And if you didn't read it, mom and Dad, if they didn't read it, it's okay. We're going to start with a baseline on Thursday. We're all going to read the same selection. So every person is going to have the opportunity to participate. And again remember it's the theme. So we're going to talk a lot about the theme and infuse the book.
00:06:54:31 - 00:07:18:36
Unknown
The book is a tool for our theme, so be prepared for that. Please make sure you have it. I miss anything with that. No. Covered it. Okay, great. A couple other points of interest. Remember the nurse I sent out an email? If your student has annual nursing prescriptions, all that stuff has to be updated annually. You can't just assume that the nurse knows doctor's notes that prescribe something they need to be updated.
00:07:18:38 - 00:07:36:28
Unknown
There is no assuming in those scenarios. Make sure that information is getting has been given to the nurse. Free and reduced lunch. Also sent out a separate email or the same email had that information as well. Make sure if you don't know and you might be on the edge, fill out the application. We'll help and partner with you.
00:07:36:28 - 00:08:00:28
Unknown
It is an online application, but we want you to be able to get every opportunity for your student. And of course, if you didn't know, you know, state funding that comes to us is based on that. So it's important that you are honest and put information down on the free reduced lunch application. One other announcement is we've been implementing over the course of last year and this year, the Latin honor system.
00:08:00:28 - 00:08:23:00
Unknown
So one of the things you're going to see go away at Sterling High School is the designation of a salutatorian and valedictorian, okay. And instead, we're not going to have a top ten, top 20. We did not have these last year in graduation. This is something that we've progressed to because two reasons. Number one is we want to make sure we celebrate as many students as we possibly can as they've earned achievement.
00:08:23:00 - 00:08:46:09
Unknown
This is similar to a college level. Okay. And then the second we're trying to eliminate some of the pitting against each other that we find in a small school is very common. Students doing so. Mrs. Considine and I can answer more questions about that. But I did want to make sure you had that information that we are moving to a Latin honor system when it talks about your graduation status at the end of your four years here.
00:08:46:14 - 00:09:06:33
Unknown
Those are my big things. Mr. D, we are excited about the year. I'm proud of the teachers as they participate in our first two professional development days. They're ready to go again. The one book, one school. We've been looking at great books, great book practices, really, really proud of that. You know, improving the data and how they use it.
00:09:06:36 - 00:09:27:07
Unknown
So I really feel confident that it's going to be another fantastic year. Doctor, I appreciate you joining me. Mr. K. Thank you for your time as always. Any questions? Do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to seeing your students and that they have a fantastic 2627 school year. And remember that every day your choice will matter.
00:09:27:09 - 00:09:27:57
Unknown
Go, Knights!