January 26, 2018 Volume 7, Number 19 · Mr. Dawan Alford, Community Engagement Associate, HANDS, served as Emcee for the event. AYV was attended by Interim Superintendent Ronald C.

OBOE-Mail Blast January 26, 2018 Volume 7, Number 19

In This Issue:

Amplifying Youth

Voices Community

Forum

Human Trafficking

Workshop

Community Paint

and Sip With a

Twist of Tea

FYI

Orange

Community

Schools Adult

School Classes

The Orange Page

Turners Midway

Recognition

Ceremony

Preschool

Registration

Contact Information: Orange Board of Education 451 Lincoln Avenue Orange, NJ 07050 Send Us An Email

Wednesday, January 31, the Parent Academy presents, ELL/Bilingual Workshop, 6:00 p.m., Orange Preparatory Academy (see flyer below)

Wednesday, February 7, Park Avenue School Board Lobby Art Show, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., Orange Board of Ed, 451 Lincoln Ave.

Thursday, February 15, Orange Page Turners Midway Recognition Ceremony, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the Orange Public Library

Amplifying Youth Voices Community Forum Submitted by Mrs. Laura Sacks, School Nurse, Orange Preparatory Academy

Over 100 students from Orange High School

and Orange Prep Academy attended an

Amplifying Youth Voices (AYV) Community

Forum at OHS with local police officers after

school on January 17, to come together for

peace in Orange. Peer Leaders and

NJROTC cadets from Orange High School

assisted with the forum.

Students and police officers sat together

and discussed some general topics: what

students are grateful for; students’ fears;

some things they would like to improve in

their schools; recommendations for some

things they would like the school district,

and the city to establish in the community.

Peer Leaders moved from table to table

asking the questions, while the cadets were

recording.

In the second part of the forum, police

officers circulated with students to different

stations around the cafeteria, brainstorming

ideas together. The cadets and Peer

Leaders assisted with this, as well. This

exercise helped to work on the relationship

between students and police officers, and

on initiating trust and respect between

them. One police officer said at the end,

“This was a good start.”

Pictured (above): Scenes from Amplifying Youth

Voices Community Forum.

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Questions displayed at the various stations

were the following:

If something(s) could change in Orange,

what is recommended to change?

What are some ways to start making

peace in Orange?

What can students do to start changing

the relationship between police officers

and students?

How can police officers assure students

their job is to protect them?

What are some good things happening

in Orange?

What does forgiveness feel like and/or

look like?

What are ways students, police,

government officials, and adults can

come together?

How can we model peace in the

community?

After everyone answered all the questions,

the Peer Leaders led a concluding

discussion of the ideas that were shared,

including having a new recreation center

and more clubs and activities for students.

The discussions incorporated the work of

the University of Orange Urbanism

Department on “collective recovery” which

is being shared by the Healthy Orange

Coalition. The essential themes of collective

recovery are “remember, respect, learn,

and connect,” which were taught at a

Healthy Orange Coalition workshop on

“Building Collective Recovery into What

You Do.”

The AYV forum also focused on instilling

“collective resilience” in students by

discussing matters related to students,

recognizing the traumas they may have

experienced while reinforcing the positive

things and how they can be proactive in

their lives and in the community. The hope

is that this will start to impart resilience.

Pictured (above): Scenes from Amplifying Youth

Voices Community Forum.

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There was also an art project that will be

continued at the next forum planned for

March. Students were given prompts (in

English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish) and

were asked to draw their feelings about the

following: forgiveness; something you are

grateful for; something that could be new

and better in Orange; something beautiful in

your life; students and police; something

traumatic you remember in your life; respect;

who or what you feel connected to; peace in

Orange.

Snacks were served at the end – pizza,

Haitian patties, and churros.

This forum was sponsored by the

Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey,

which awarded the district a grant for the

Teen Summit last November and for three

community forums.

The forum was organized by Nurse Laura

Sacks, Orange Preparatory Academy, and

Mr. Dawan Alford, Community Engagement

Associate, HANDS, served as Emcee for the

event.

AYV was attended by Interim

Superintendent Ronald C. Lee, Orange Prep

and OHS staff and community members.

Pictured (above): Scenes from Amplifying Youth

Voices Community Forum.

Human Trafficking Workshop Submitted by Mrs. Malika Berry, School Social Worker, Orange Preparatory Academy

During the week of January 15, Berry's Butterflies participated in a workshop on Human

Trafficking, in recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Mrs. Terry Wincey, NJ

Coalition Against Human Trafficking, presented an amazing real life presentation and shared

stories to alert students about “modern-day slavery.”

Pictured: Members of Berry’s Butterflies participate in workshop on human trafficking.

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Human trafficking is a serious federal crime with penalties of up to imprisonment for life. An

unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country for

servitude and forced labor. Contrary to a common assumption, human trafficking is not just

a problem in other countries. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50

states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. territories. Victims of human trafficking can be

children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female.

For more information visit: https://www.njhumantrafficking.org/mission-vision/.

Community Paint and Sip With a Twist of Tea

Berry’s Butterflies hosted an enjoyable community event on January 18 at Orange

Preparatory Academy. The female mentoring group, led by Mrs. Malika Berry, converted

the Orange Preparatory Academy cafeteria into an artist’s studio, replete with set-ups for

over 35 participants. The affair was billed as a “free community event open to Orange

residents.” Participants were invited to “come out and enjoy an evening of painting and

laughing with your family.” Partakers of the event included Orange Public School staff

members, students, and parents.

Berry’s Butterflies joined a budding industry providing individuals and groups a get-away

and an opportunity to explore their artistic side. With several “paint and sip” venues in the

area offering customers a two-to three-hour class, complete with a canvas, an easel, paint,

brushes, aprons, and step-by-step instructions from an artist, Berry’s Butterflies provided an

event on par with local businesses, for free!

Pictured: Scenes from the Berry Butterflies Paint and Sip event.

The artist instructing the group was Ms. Krystle Lemonias, a local illustrator and fine artist

who graduated from Orange High School. She guided the group through painting a flower,

encouraging self-expression and creativity. While some participants may have been

reluctant to commit to drawing, others were vocal about being non-conformist, but all

completed their painting in an atmosphere of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Pictured: Scenes from the Berry Butterflies Paint and Sip event.

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Ms. Malika Berry, advisor to the group, was very pleased with the event and indicated that a

Neighborhood Project Grant from HANDS, INC. and The HUBB supported the project. At the

event, Berry’s Butterflies’ items and light refreshments were available for purchase, to help

fund the organization.

Pictured: Scenes from the Berry Butterflies Paint and Sip event.

FYI

Orange Community Schools Adult School Classes

The Orange Community Schools Adult School will offer free English classes for residents of

Orange. To be eligible to participate, interested adults must take a literacy test. Students will

be placed in classes according to how they score on the assessment. The test will be offered

as follows:

February 13 – 9:30 a.m., at Orange Public Library, 384 Main Street or 6:15 p.m., at

Rosa Parks Community School, 369 Main Street

February 15 – 9:30 a.m., at Orange Public Library, 384 Main Street or 6:15 p.m., at

Rosa Parks Community School, 369 Main Street

Classes will be held at the Orange Public Library or Rosa Parks Community School,

beginning March 1. See flyer below for schedule.

2017-2018 Preschool Registration Dates

The Orange Early Childhood Department has scheduled

preschool registration, for the 2017 - 2018 schoolyear, on

Tuesday, January 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (with the

last sign in at 12:00 noon). Registration will be held at the

Orange Early Childhood Center, 297 Park Avenue in Orange.

Please see the flyers below for registration requirements. For

more information, call 973-677-4500, ext. 1904 or 1918.

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The Orange Page Turners Midway Recognition Ceremony

On February 15, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the Orange Public Library, the 2017-2018 Orange

Page Turners Reading Challenge will celebrate the half-way point for the community wide

quest to read two million pages by May 1. The Midway Recognition Ceremony will include:

Recognition of the top10 readers/school

The launch of the program’s ‘App’ (for tracking pages read)

Registration of new participants

Published authors

Book giveaway

The Orange community is invited to attend the celebration and join the quest to read two

million pages! (See flyer below)

Click here to register for the Orange Page Turners 2017-2018 Reading Challenge.

Visit www.orange.k12.nj.us for more information.

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SEE FLYERS BELOW

C H E C K T H E D I S T R I C T W E B S I T E C A L E N D A R F O R C O N C E R T S A N D A C T I V I T I E S .

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