Retreat Moments from June 5th and 6th of 2009

The luxury bus for the ride to Mohegan Sun
The four and a half hour bus ride to Mohegan Sun
Trivia with Ms. Terri and Jocelyn both there and back
Mr. Young passing out on both the ride there and back
Mr. Barnes in the ladies room
Ms. DeJesus gets a free ticket to Liza from a strange man and is spotted at a card table at 2am
Wake up calls from Ms. McKinley and Ms. Terri at 7:30
Knock-Knock wake up calls from Ms. Word
100% of the people who signed up for the retreat, made it to the retreat
The entire staff wearing their shirts to dinner…Wow!
Mr. Okon’s Two truths, you need to ask him about that.
The 8th grade team’s presentation on Special Education
Mr. Foley and his happy dust being tossed everywhere
Ms. MacClean and her loving affection to her “mother” during their skit
Mr. Mezan and his overenthusiastic conference during his TPS
The Cross Grade Team and helping us see “the light”
Ms. Mildred and her ability to share her passion for children and their attendance
The 7th grade team and their incredible collaboration
$10 vouchers for everyone and Levene managed to gather 5
“Its raining men, Hallaluyah….”
Room 702
Ms. Quiambao’s dance in the back of the bus
Ms. Willis can move her ears, we found out from Young
Dr. Phelps working with the Cross Grade Team
Ms. Rivera played a very difficult daughter
Mr. Allen was the trivia champion of the world with Mr. Wilkens giving him a good challenge
Mr. Barnes depicted the most disturbed student J13 has ever seen
Ms. DeJesus praying the auditory learner

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 5/25/2009

Dr. Phelps, Ms. Hilda, and Ms. Word for setting up our PTA/SLT for the first time before we enter a new school year.
Mr. Ciano, Ms. Noble, Ms. Goldsmith, Mr. Evans, Ms. Azad, Ms. Williams, Mr. Foley, and Ms. Willis for organizing and chaperoning trips for our great students
Ms. Mildred and our fabulous nurse for their phone calls and hard work verifying that none of our students have been identified to having swine flu by contacting families, doctors, and hospitals.
Ms. Tu for administering our testing to our ESL students
Mr. Allen, Mr. Tatum, Ms. Stephens, and Mr. Deatherage for administering one our last periodic assessment for our 8th graders
Ms. Mayers for doing an incredible job moving the ELA department forward. She will be missed until she returns in September.
Ms. Brown, Mr. Tatum, and Mr. Unger for doing such an incredible job using data to target their instruction during class. If you have not seen it in action, let me know so I can set up a visit.
Mr. Ciano for doing an excellent job maintaining communication about potential cases of swine flu.
Mr. Foley for covering the Physical Education classes for Friday. He was greatly needed and he stepped up to help us out.
Mr. Seeram and Ms. McKinley for being available for the PTA/SLT elections. Your presence allowed the night to move forward.
Ms. Tri for bringing the turkey to the Mother’s Day Celebration. It was raffled to our parents. It was just another fantastic addition to a wonderful day.
Ms. Vega for doing a wonderful job working in the Time Out room. You faced some challenges this week but maintained your composure.
Ms. DeStaffan for doing incredible research to find an art curriculum and having great talks with me.
Ms. Blanding for reminding me that I am not only in this flight of life and the turbulance it may bring.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 5/18/2009

Ms. Terri for her outstanding efforts, collaboration, and leadership in making the 2009 Career Day so amazing.
The Science Department for their incredible efforts to grade the science test in such a short amount of time
Mr. Rej, Ms. Iorizzo, and Ms. Tu for assisting in the grading of the science test
Ms. Word and Dr. Phelps for setting up the Mother’s Day Luncheon and the Community Day Celebration
Ms. Terri, Ms. Williams, Ms. Tri, Ms. Word, Dr. Phelps, Ms. Tu, Ms. McKinley, and Mr. Rej for attending the festivities this weekend.
To everyone for their support this week, your condolences were appreciated.
Ms. Selina for organizing the staff appreciation gifts, lunch, and breakfast
Ms. Blanding for getting the progress reports ready and mailed out in a remarkable amount of time
To all the staff taking advantage of the free trips offered for our students.
I would like to mention Ms. Williams, Mr. Foley, Mr. Evans, Ms. Schenk, and Mr. Ciano to name a few.
Mr. Unger for moving forward to well with the Student Success Plans.
Ms. Mayers for making sure the ELA department is in good hands before she leaves.
Ms. Lee for her great feedback and leadership in the organizational cabinet
The Student Management Team for their unbelievable hard work.
The 8th Grade Team for the thorough preparation in lining up a fun and amazing end of the year for their students. Also for their great collaboration.
Mr. Seeram and Ms. McKinley for filling in for me when I was out and as I catch up on my work. Ms. Vega for always getting involved and never saying no.
Mr. Wilkens for becoming part of our community so quickly. You are an asset.
Mr. Foley and Ms. Willis for continuing to be great coaches.
Ms. DeStaffan for lending us her room and helping out for the staff luncheon If I did not include you in this list, then please know that we still appreciate your hard work and efforts.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 5/4/2009

Ms. Lee and her committee for setting up an incredible poetry event
Mr. Foley and Ms. Willis for extending their record to 9 and 1. They beat AES on Friday and Isaac Newton on Saturday
Dr. Phelps for setting up and attending several important meetings this week.
Ms. Tu for setting up the Saturday Academy for our ESL students.
Ms. Levene for doing a wonderful job preparing our 8th graders for the science exam.
Mrs. Quiambao for arranging the 8th grade meetings to inform the students of reaching promotional criteria. Your organization has been extremely helpful.
Ms. DeStaffan for organizing the arts survey and keeping us in the loop of the state mandates.
Mr. Ciano, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Evans for organizing the Mets game trip.
The teachers who attended the trip, the students had a great time.
Ms. Azad and Ms. Williams for organizing their trips for their classes
The 6th Grade Team for your awesome cooperation on Friday and hosting Ms. Murphy’s class
Ms. Vega and Ms. Word for helping to organize the 8th grade trip
Ms. Blanding for her quick return and setting up our online progress reports
Ms. Hilda for filling in the office and doing a tremendous job
Phil for traveling over all of Manhattan for us to complete some tasks for us
The entire staff for welcoming Robert Pombo into our community. Although he struggled when he attended here, we quickly put that in the past and allowed him to start helping
Mr. Seeram and Ms. McKinley for giving me so much of your time this week to move forward with our initiatives

I apologize if I forgot anyone as we appreciate all efforts in making the lives of our children more enriched and more educational.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 4/27/2009

The entire school for making my birthday an unforgettable one
Ms. Kathy for hosting and running the ELA lab on Wednesday
Ms. Mayers and Ms. Tu for covering Ms. Stephens class until she returns
Mr. Allen for always being available in the auditorium in the morning. You have helped us out so many times. I truly appreciate that you hardly ever say no.
The 8th grade team for their hard work. You have so much coming up, your dedication will get you through it.
Dr. Phelps for making so many connections with the Medical Center. I definitely see light at the end of the tunnel
Mr. Ciano for putting together a great plan to strengthen the discipline code.
Ms. Willis and Mr. Foley for putting together a stellar team which has brought great pride to our school.
Ms. Doles for working extra hard to get the Fitness records in.
Ms. Scott for hosting our guest on Friday.
Jacob Scott and Will for your continued improvement in communication
Ms. Levene for working so hard to set up the Science Testing. Our students will do great!
Ms. Iorizzo for taking over the Integrated Algebra Class. The students need the consistency you offer.
Ms. Lee for your continued support for Tyneek. You are relentless!
Ms. Lee again for always giving great feedback on my principal’s message. I appreciate your support.
Ms. Selina for your continued improvement. You are amazing!!!
Ms. Murphy and Mr. Foley for doing such an excellent job especially with your bulletin boards and classrooms. Keep up the great work!
Mr. Seeram and Ms. McKinley for your amazing growth.

I apologize if I have left anyone out. Your hard work is still appreciated!

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 4-6-2009

Ms. Goldsmith for spending 2 hours with Daughn Lee with a family in crisis - She was awesome.
Ms. Diaz for helping with the same family crisis and supporting the mom and sister.
Mr. Seeram for filling as an incredible administrator on Thursday. It was his first time as an AP with Ms. McKinley and Mr. Michelman out of the building
Mr. Will and Jacob Scott for their tremendous work on Friday. They were in a million places at one time.
Ms. Scott for her incredible work that same day. It was a challenge but we made it.
Mr. Foley and Ms. Willis for their third straight D4 victory.
Mr. Evans for being the time keeper at the game.
To all the staff who were able to make it out to the game and support
Ms. Murphy and Ms. Schenk for helping the cheerleaders improve each week.
Dr. Phelps and Ms. Doles for filling in at the first SLT meeting so we could put our by-laws together
Ms. Word and Dr. Phelps for hosting our guests this week who will be supporting us in setting up a Medical Center in our school.
Ms. Blanding for getting our bubble sheets out to everyone so quickly and allowing us to meet our deadline
Mr. Ciano for accepting the grade team leader position for the 7th grade
Ms. Perez for quickly filling in for Ms. Vargas and doing it so well.
Ms. McKinley for joining me on the school visit. Your input was greatly appreciated.
Mr. Phil and Hilda for getting the copies out so quickly for the math department to set up their diagnostics
Ms. Mayers for moving the ELA department along so much lately.
Mr. Deatherage for your extra work to set up the ELA department to move forward with the Student Success Plans

I apologize if I forgot to include you in this weeks announcements. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 3-30-2009

Mr. Foley and Ms. Willis for another victory for the basketball team over Manhattan East on Friday
To all the staff who were able to make it to the game to support our team. Sorry if I missed you but I do remember the following: Ms. DeStaffan, Ms. Lee, Ms. Terri, Ms. Doles, Dr. Phelps, Ms. Schenk, Ms. Murphy, Ms. Quiambao, Ms. Levene, Mr. Evans, Ms. Scott, Ms. Vargas and I know there were more….
Ms. Hilda for her wonderful communication this week
Dr. Phelps for helping out with the Student Management Team
Ms. Selina for visiting Ms. Stephens in the hospital on Thursday when she was by herself
Ms. Blanding for getting us ready to get our grades done by the due date
The science and math department for their hard work in moving the Student Success Plans forward
Mr. Deatherage for the incredible work in moving the ELA department forward
Mr. Mezan for your wonderful participation in the Math Department – You have been an asset
Ms. McKinley for turning the third floor into a much better environment compared to last year
Ms. Brown for moving our Middle School film festival forward
Mr. Unger for your willingness to explore the Student Success Plans and the potential it can bring to the school
Ms. Scott for stepping up as a tremendous leader throughout your years with J13
Ms. Doles and Ms. M for bringing our track team to the meet last Saturday and allowing our students to have such great success
Ms. Tu, Ms. DeJesus, and Ms. Iorizzo for being our representatives at the Math Test Grading

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 3-23-2009

Ms. Word for setting up the elections for the SLT and PAC
Ms. McKinley, Mr. Seeram, Mr. Young, Ms. Schenk, Ms. Doles, and Ms. Chaffee for supporting the SLT and PAC elections.
Dr. Phelps for helping out on Wednesday and Thursday, your efforts were greatly appreciated
Ms. Iorizzo for helping out with the Advanced Math class, now they can receive regular instruction instead of missing it so much because of my meetings.
Ms. Williams, Ms. Murphy, Ms. White, Ms. Doles, Ms. Quiambao, and Ms. Schenk for hosting the Saturday Academy which ended this past Saturday
Ms. DeJesus for showing tremendous dedication, addressing students in the hall and even staying late on Friday
The UFT Consultation Committee for a very productive meeting on Friday
Ms. Willis and Mr. Foley for their first victory on Friday against PS 7. They won 66 to 46.
Mr. Wilkens for going above and beyond as a substitute paraprofessional
Ms. Tu and Dr. Phelps for working on the grant for a bilingual program next year
Ms. Scott for your tremendous efforts day in and day out
Organizational cabinet for your great work. I’m excited for tomorrow to hear what we have developed during the week.
6th grade team for their very productive meeting on Friday. Keep up the great work!
I apologize if I forgot anyone. Feel free to reach out to me to mention anyone.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 3-16-2009

Mr. Rej for saving my computer and getting James into the school to assist
Ms. McKinley for doing an incredible job organizing for the test
Ms. Vega for helping out and getting our school test ready and getting all the materials out.
Ms. Iorizzo for doing an amazing job getting the math department moving and getting our students prepared for the test
Ms. Iorizzo again for helping out with the test.
Dr. Phelps for setting up the Saturday Academy and getting the best attendance we have ever had for this type of initiative
Ms. Word for hosting the best parent teacher conference we have ever had
Ms. DeStaffan, Mr. Ciano, Mr. Foley, Ms. Noble, Dr. Phelps, and many others for helping out with packaging and being an extra set of hands.
Both organizational and instructional cabinet for the great work you have been doing!
Ms. Quiambao for the extra communication and great conversations.
Ms. Levene for the incredible job you are doing as a Lead Teacher
Science Department for stepping up to explore the focus groups for the entire school
Ms. Lee for handling so many situations in a short amount of time.
Mr. Tatum for holding down the 8th graders in the cafeteria on Wednesday.
Ms. Terri for organizing the best show J13 has ever put on (my acting during the Respect for All came in a close second)

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 3-2-2009

Ms. Word for setting up such a successful parent-teacher conference.
Jacob Scott for doing an incredible job on the bulletin board in the lobby.
The Organizational Cabinet for a very productive meeting (even though I was slowing us down) and for coming together to reach out to our parents, especially the counseling team.
Ms. McKinley and Mr. Seeram for stepping it up on Wednesday with tow of us out of the building
The school for reaching its highest number of parents on a single event. The total came to 198 people!!!!
The attendance team for getting our numbers up. We are nearing where we are supposed to be.
Dr. Phelps for organizing and running the Saturday Academy. They have a celebration coming in two weeks!
Our parents for being the most visible family members this school has ever seen
To the entire staff, we had our lowest absentee from the P/T Conferences ever
Ms. Lee for being in every location possible and moving everything forward even through your challenges that life throws at you. You're amazing
Ms. Perez for her outstanding work...pushing into classrooms, reaching out to parents, and so much more.
Mr. Young for stepping it up when administrators were out of the building
The entire staff for going above and beyond when the school was challenged
The math department and sixth grade teachers for exploring ways to get us much information to the students before the test

I apologize to anyone who was overlooked. It is no reflection of the contributions you make day in and day out.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 2-9-2009

The office staff for doing such incredible work. So much on your plate and you’re getting all of it done.
Ms. Quiambao for using the school website to post a concern (She revealed her name in it…That’s how I knew it was her.)
To the teachers who have been vocalizing their concerns in person, your honesty is appreciated
The directors for filling in for me when I attended the workshop and PD
Mr. Ciano for his incredible ideas to add to the Discipline Code
Ms. Murphy for organizing the students to attend Cody Henderson’s mother’s funeral
Mr. Foley, Ms. Terri, Ms. McKinley, Ms. MacClean, and Ms. Scott for joining me at the funeral. Your presence meant so much.
Ms. Kathy, Ms. Goldsmith, Mr. Foley, Ms. Terri, Ms. Williams, and Ms. Noble for organizing work and gifts for Taylor Turntime.
Ms. Vega for being one of the best organizers ever
Mr. Deatherage for our very interesting conversation and your patience. Keep up the great work.
Ms. Mildred for your increased communication and your visible dedication
Mr. Mezan for your great contribution to the Math Team
Ms. Mayers for getting the ELA agenda moving…Keep up the great work!
Dr. Schultz for your hard work. You are putting your efforts into a bunch of initiatives and reaching success at all of them. Thank you also to your great ideas to move the focus groups along.

I apologize if I missed anyone. I wrote this list twice after losing the first one.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 2-2-2009

Ms. Mayers for stepping into the ELA support position with such ease.
The 6th grade team for a very productive meeting on Thursday.
Ms. McKinley and Ms. Vega for ochestrating one of the best testing sessions we have ever had
Dr. Phelps, Ms. Iorizzo, and Ms. Palermo for supporting with testingMr. Foley and everyone else who covered a class this past week.
Ms. Scott, Mr. Seeram, Ms. McKinley, and Mr. Young for allowing me to step out of the building during the week for PD.
Ms. DeJesus and Ms. Palermo for filling in our spots to grade the exam.
Mr. Ciano for providing a very informative e-mail to help in building strong community.
Ms. Blanding for being so strong with your communication.
Ms. Lee for setting up a conference with one of our new students. Mission accomplished!
Ms. Stephens for organizing an observation of a roundtable process of encouraging student reflection on their work.
Ms. DeStaffan for sharing your concerns and helping me to reflect
7th grade team for coming together to develop a plan for the rifts in the schedule and executing without hesitation.
Ms. Baitz for setting up the Kress Vision and getting our students glasses.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 1-26-2009

Ms. McKinley for her hard outstanding work in setting up the ELA test
Ms. Vega for going beyond her job description and doing a wonderful job with setting up the ELA test
Mr. Seeram for pushing through and being a wonderful help
Dr. Phelps for being an all-purpose person once again through testing
Ms. Scott for covering all aspects of the school to make sure we were always one step ahead
Mr. Rej for setting up the school to watch the inauguration. The backup plans were a huge help!
Jacob Scott for being everywhere as usual
Will Minggia for increasing the communication. So helpful
Ms. Quiambao for being a step ahead and making it look so easy!
Ms. DeStaffan for your flexibility on Thursday. It was greatly needed.
Ms. Emmanuel, Ms. Terri, and Ms. Baitz for assisting with the test. We needed you and you were there. Reliability is so important.
Ms. Mildred for getting the suspended students to school.
The Attendance Committee for reaching an all-time high with attendance which is 98%. Incredible!!!
John Gonzalez for delivering our tests for us. You were called on in an emergency and you rose to the occasion.
Ms. Hilda for your hard work and making it in every day despite the challenges life throws at you.
Ms. Doles for helping out all of the grade teams and supervising the students after testing.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 1-19-2009

Special Education Department for reducing the Out of Compliance list from 13 to 2.
Ms. McKinley, Ms. Vega, and Dr. Phelps for organizing and preparing our school for testing.
The Social Studies Department for preparing the school for the Inauguration Day Celebration
Mr. Tatum for continuing to improve his classroom and prepare the students for the state test
Ms. Noble for working so hard she managed to clear out a month of test preparation for her classes.
Ms. Iorizzo for really taking advantage of Acuity and providing the math department with the opportunity to explore the data and what the site has to offer
The Science Department for making some big steps in developing the Focus Groups
The Discipline Committee for its latest initiatives, they are really going to make a huge difference
The 7th Grade Team for their continued steps in building a team
The 8th Grade Team for the great collaboration going on, Keep up the good work
Ms. Blanding for her continued hard work, there is not a task that gets by you.
The Attendance Team for their thorough exploration on finding ways to improve the school attendance
Ms. Tu for putting together our Title III plan for our school
Jacob Scott and Will Minggia for their hard work when there was a director out
The Math Department for your dedication to the Focus Groups and being the department the furthest ahead with the initiative
The Grade Team Leaders for your strong communication, keep it up!
Al for his incredible work, he continues to arrive early and complete all tasks in front of him
Dr. Phelps for your amazing team spirit, you’re always there to help anyone

If you have any other commendations to add, please let me know as soon as possible.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 12-15-2008

Ms. Mayers for organizing an excellent staff holiday party
Ms. Vega for being the best money collector J13 ever had
Ms. Baitz-Unger and Ms. Murphy for representing us at the PS 83 MS Fair
Ms. DeStaffan, Ms. Perez, and Ms. Terri for doing a wonderful job hosting our Open House on Friday
To all the teachers who covered classes on Friday. You did an incredible job.
Ms. Willis for beginning the conversations for our Winter Olympics. You blew me away with the words “Fun” and “Tradition.” Can’t wait to see it all come together
8th grade team for your wonderful team work on Wednesday and Thursday. You are making a huge difference.
Dr. Phelps for wearing so many hats especially on Wednesday.
Ms. Mildred for absorbing all the information Vilma shared on Friday. I’m excited to see what you can do with it all but I can tell great things are ahead.
Ms. Lee for your enlightening conversation. You are extremely dedicated.
Organizational and Instructional Cabinet for being flexible with your schedules and open minded to the changes in format
Mr. Allen for sending me the funniest e-mail of the year.
Ms. McKinley for stepping it up huge this week especially with organizing our open house and MS fair
Ms. Blanding for stepping up more and more in your role at the school

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 12-8-2008

Mrs. Baitz-Unger for coordinating our efforts for the Middle School Fair this past Tuesday
Mr. Mezan, Ms. Schenk, Ms. Word, Ms. McKinley, Ms. Terri, Mrs. Baitz-Unger, and Mr. Seeram for attending and helping out at the Middle School Fair
Ms. Terri for preparing her Peer Leaders for a fantastic effort in recruiting students for our school. They were incredible, well articulated and impressive.
Dr. Schultz, Mrs. DeJesus, and Mr. Ciano for a productive UFT Consultation meeting. I look forward to meeting with all of you again.
Dr. Schultz for incorporating the Student Council into an e-mail exchange. What a creative way to increase student engagement and empower them.
Ms. Stephens, Ms. Noble, Ms. Markopoulos, Mr. Unger, and Mr. Tatum for meeting with me for a pre-observation. I was impressed with your knowledge of your students and feel extremely confident that you are helping raise the achievement level of your students.
Ms. Terri for hosting a trip for your students on Thursday. They seemed like they had an excellent time.
Ms. Willis and Ms. Azad for setting up a trip for their students to see “Twilight” Your efforts are appreciated.
Mrs. DeStaffan for her incredible efforts to move forward with the focus groups. The material you put together was very impressive. Keep up the great work.
Ms. Blanding for removing another “No Show” off of our register.
Ms. Lee for creating conversations with our struggles in a couple of areas. The dialogue taking place is becoming very productive. We will find solutions!! I am confident of that.
8th Grade Team for their creative thinking. You are all kicking butt. Keep up the great work. You are truly going to put meaning behind being a senior at J13. Something the school has needed for quite some time.
Dr. Phelps for coordinating another step toward finalizing our Medical Center. Keep up the great work.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 12-1-2008

Mrs. Unger-Baitz for the incredible job she did setting up the school visits this past Monday and picture day this past Tuesday. Her hardwork is making a huge difference.
Mr. Feldman and Mr. Eisenberg for setting up our Safety Plan Review game for our staff meeting
Ms. Terri, Ms. Word, Dr. Phelps, and Ms. McKinley for helping out with the Open House this past Monday
Mr. Seeram and the special education department for their continued hard work in moving toward being compliant
Ms. Vega for setting up the staff dinner and cooking my favorite dish on Parent-Teacher Conferences
7th grade team for setting up and hosting an award ceremony for their students
Mr. Deatherage for hosting a group of students to see Twilight
Mr. Unger, Mr. Young, and Jacob Scott for extending their school day on Wednesday to make sure our students got home safely.
Mr. Ciano and Ms. Quiambao for sharing their discoveries and success with the focus group initiative.
Everyone for your hard work and dedication. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 11-24-2008

The attendance team for breaking up our pattern of low attendance on Fridays (It was 92% this last one)
Ms. Word for organizing our best P/T Conferences
Ms. Josie, Ms. Alicia, and Ms. Mildred for calling all the parents about the P/T Conferences
Ms. Quiambao and Mr. Ciano for absorbing the focus group initiatives, ask them to see the great work they are doing
7th grade team for doing a wonderful job setting up new protocol. One more day to go.
Ms. Markopoulos, Ms. Mayers, and Ms. Schenk for setting up class trips to see Twilight
Ms. Stephens for having such a successful Behind the Books visit. The students seemed prepared and anxious to ask questions
Ms. Scott for having a very productive conversation with me on Wednesday. You brought so much to my attention. It was some needed reflection.
Ms. Schenk for your input in developing how to set up goals for our focus groups
Ms. Mayers and Ms. Willis for taking the forefront in organizing our staff holiday party
Mr. Feldman and Mr. Eisenberg for being on your game all week. Your flexibility is valuable to the school.
Dr. Schultz for organizing the JHS 13 zoo. The students and staff are both into your reptiles and animals.
Ms. Will for being an all-purpose person for me. Covering teachers when they step out for a moment, mediations, keeping the school safe, and just plain hustling.
Mr. Young for weathering through his cold and not missing a day.
Dr. Phelps for setting up a meeting with Children’s Aide Society which we might be building a partnership with
Ms. Selina for being ever so productive and allowing me to be in many places at one time.
Ms. Scott for moving toward making executive decisions…You did great.
Ms. DeStaffan for being understanding
Mr. Evans and Ms. Goldsmith for being extremely patient and making great decisions.

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 11-17-2008

Ms. Vargas and Dr. Schultz for sharing great lessons with their students and me.
The attendance team for receiving honors for the second week in a row for scanning 100% of the time
Ms. Baitz-Unger, Ms. White-Grier, Ms. Mayers, Ms. Williams, Ms. Schenk, and Ms. Terri for hosting the Open House on Wednesday night
Ms. Kathy, Dr. Schultz, Mr. Ciano, and Ms. Quiambao for your wonderful feedback on the focus groups
The 8th grade team for your incredible team work and creativity in developing a whole grade approach to the focus groups
Mr. Deatherage for your great effort in putting together rubrics, powerpoints, and sharing your fantastic ideas
Ms. DeStaffan for your late evening discussion on Thursday. I hope it was as helpful for you as it was for me.
Ms. Word for organizing the appointment schedules for the 6th and 8th grade teams.
Ms. McKinley, Jacob Scott, and Ms. Word for getting Friday’s mailing out just in time. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Ms. Williams for the ride on Wednesday night. You saved me from the doghouse.
Ms. Baitz-Unger for organizing Picture Day which is on November 25th.
Ms. Levene for organizing the focus group initiative for the Science Department
Ms. Vega for your tremendous efforts in the Time Out Room
Mr. Will for being my all-purpose person on Friday. You solved three problems in a matter of 45 minutes. Very impressive!
Ms. Selina for keeping up with everything I have been handing you lately.
Ms. Blanding for your great efforts. You are doing an excellent job! Keep up the great attendance!
Mr. Mezan and the rest of the Discipline Committee for delivering a great presentation on “Respect for All”
John Gonzalez for going far beyond your job description. Keep up the wonderful work!!
Ms. Lee for a powerful presentation on Friday morning. I missed it too!
Ms. MacClean for her wonderful communication. You are keeping me in the loop at all times.
Ms. Mayers, Ms. Schenk, and Ms. Chmielewski for conducting an incredible IEP conference
Ms. Azad and Ms. Willis for the wonderful collaboration that exists between the two of you and for conducting an excellent IEP conference

PRAISES OF THE WEEK 11-10-2008

Mr. Ciano for taking the time out of his day to share some recommendations on how I can be a better leader
Dr. Phelps and Ms. Tri for participating in our presentation to PS 83 and PS 182 parents to promote our school for recruiting 6th graders for next year
Ms. McKinley and Mr. Seeram for a great reflection session. I felt great when I walked out.
Ms. Iorizzo for moving forward with the initiatives established during our Inquiry Team without waiting for anyone to tell her to.
Ms. Levene for your great feedback in our Inquiry Meeting
Ms. Stephens for developing a great field trip idea for some of the 8th graders
Mr. Unger for setting up a trip to a school for 7th and 8th graders
Mr. Feldman for assisting Mr. Unger on his trip
Ms. Willis and Mr. Foley for maintaining a clear and passionate perspective regardless of what was going on around you
The Social Studies department for hosting our first ever school wide Presidential Election. Your presentation was incredible!
Ms. Vega for your great feedback addressing our day-to-day disciplinary issues
Ms. Word and Ms. Emmanuel for hosting our parent workshop which gathered over 25 parents
The attendance committee for hosting our first ever café for students with perfect attendance. The setup looked great!
Mr. Rej for recording our first Student Council Election
Dr. Schultz for setting up our first Student Council ever
Ms. Terri and Ms. Lee for staying for the parent workshop on Thursday night
Jacob Scott for sharing your concerns and reminding me how incredible person and employee you are which I should never forget
Mr. Young, Ms. Scott, Mr. Seeram, and Ms. McKinley for hosting the administrative responsibilities for the student council election. I no longer get nervous when I leave the building.
The students of J13 for your incredible spirit and enthusiasm for the election of our new president. On Wednesday, you created an everlasting memory with your passion and your new found hope. You make every day worthwhile.
The soccer club for making Friday so much fun. We played soccer for over two hours. I had a blast with all of you. Congratulations to the orange team for winning the final game of the night.
Mrs. Quiambao and Mrs. Vargas for your very informative feedback on Friday. I will do what I can to implement your ideas. I truly appreciate your advice.
Ms. DeStaffan for setting up a student intervention. Let’s hope our unity will help provide direction for our precious one.
Will for being extremely helpful on Friday. You wore many different hats that day and wore them well. Thank you.
Mr. Deatherage for lending us your room for the parent workshop on Thursday