WHITNEY M YOUNG
Whitney M. Young Jr. School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 6 learning center located in the Greenville section of Jersey City, servicing students of the Elementary age level as they begin their journey to become lifelong learners.Our professional vision expresses our personal philosophy that we believe every child can learn. Our school is a community resource where every child is provided the opportunity to become a life-long learner, and where the students, their parents/guardians, and extended community members work together with the teachers, administrators and other staff members, for the common good of all in an environment that makes children first, that leaves no child behind, that fosters respect and celebrates diversity. The Whitney M. Young Jr. School encourages educational excellence and the achievement of the outmost individual potential of every student.
It is the mission of every member of the Whitney M. Young Jr. School family to create an environment that promotes student achievement and recognition in which every child counts. Furthermore, the Whitney M. Young Jr. School focuses on developing a safe, positive, and nurturing learning environment where every student reaches his/her maximum personal and academic potential, and where every child develops positive moral, ethical, and social values while developing into responsible citizens of our society.
Our school's strength derives from its students, their parents/guardians and the instructional and support staff. A large percent of our instructional staff holds Master Degrees or higher. Support staff includes a Literacy Coach, an Inclusion Specilist and four Reading Recovery teachers who focus on the Balanced Literacy Program, Mathematics Coach, Guidance Counselor, an In-School Suspension Teacher, a Music Therapist, an Art Therapist, a Clinical Social Worker, a Intervention & Referral Service Committee, a Child Study Team, as well as other full and part-time specialists.
A wide variety of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are available to students, including 21st Century, Extended Day Program that addresses New Jersey State Core Curriculum Content Standards, ASK 3, ASK 4, ASK 5, and ASK 6 Testing and a variety of activities.
Over the years, our students have been invited to participate in many community functions. Our students have also participated in essay contests, art exhibits, and special programs. The Whitney M. Young Jr. School is a community based and community focused center in which the Parent Council is very active in school programs and participates in fostering a strong school to community bond. Parents/guardians work closely with students, staff and administrators to attain the school's student-centered short and long term goals. Parents/guardians, teachers, support staff and administrators are united in a collaborative effort to maintain a school atmosphere that promotes a safe and wholesome learning environment.
The implementation of proven and innovative approaches to instructional delivery promotes a thorough and efficient educational program for all students. The Whitney M. Young Jr. School offers the following programs:
1. Early Literacy initiatives across all grades and disciplines: In meeting the goals that all students will read at grade level by the third grade, all our classrooms are equipped with classroom libraries and hands-on material to enhance literacy development while developing a life-long love for reading. The curriculum used at our school has incorporated a variety of materials to produce a rich and balanced literacy program. Our classes presently use Scotts Foresman as the main program in our early grades, Breakthrough through Literacy, the 100 Book Challenge, Month by Month Phonics, and PM Plus Storybooks. Also, as part of our early Literacy programs we utilize the Developmental Reading Assessment and the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Learning System are utilized as on-going assessments to identify student reading level and skills. These components afford students with an abundance of trade books, big books, take home books, software, videos, manipulatives and supplies. Additionally, varied staff members, Reading Recovery teachers, literacy coach, special education teachers, inclusion specialist and the library media specialist have been trained to work in co-teaching environments where students are provided with small group literacy instruction focusing on independent reading, shared reading, and guided reading, thus allowing for a variety of learning experiences to empower the students.
2. Mathematics initiatives across all grades and disciplines: In meeting the goals for state benchmarks at all grade levels, all our classrooms are equipped with hands-on materials and resources to provide our students with strategies to become problem solvers and critical thinkers in their everyday life experiences. Additionally, classroom teachers and coaches have been trained to work in co-teaching environments.
3. The T.H.I.N.K. block curriculum is a fusion of Science, Social Studies and Language Arts that engage students in inquiry-based lessons and project based learning utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in grades 3 - 6.
4. Infusion of Technology: Every classroom and instructional area is equipped with computers, each with long-distance learning capabilities, a scanner, a printer, an overhead projector, a digital camera and other state of the art equipment. The school also offers two computer labs, a school based educational technology coach who focuses on enhancing the building?s technological programs, utilization of the Internet in every classroom, interactive visual communications, and teachers are afforded access to Lap Tops.
5. Three World Language Instruction Teachers affording every student the acquisition of a second language, culture awareness and the opportunity of preparing for a global society.
6. Seven full day pre-kindergarten classes and six full day kindergarten classes equipped with child centered learning centers, computers, and an abundance of children's literature, software and manipulatives.
7. Inclusion Special Education Programs
8. After School Academic Programs for all grade students through Supplemental Educational Services and 21st Century.
9. C.A.S.P.E.R. after school care for all grade students
10.In-house Occupational and Physical Therapy Center with OT/PT staff
11.Music and Art Therapists
12.Clinical Social Worker
13.Full-time Nurse
14.School Liaison/Attendance/Community Aide
15.On call Service Broker
There were academic gains in performance assessment based on the 2006 - 2007 ASK 3, 4, 5 & 6 test results. Administrators, teachers, support staff and parents/guardians reviewed test results and recommended a series of initiatives designed to correct deficiencies and increase student progress and performance.
Members of the community have been apprised of the educational improvement plans via monthly communications sent to parents/guardians, during meeting of the Parents Council and via information published in local newspapers by district personnel.
Implementation of an Educational Improvement/Corrective Action Plan was coordinated through the efforts of the School Leadership Council made up of administrators, instructional and support staff, parents/guardians, and members of the community. Data analysis is employed to make corrective decisions and guide instruction. Instructional scheduling has been designed to prioritize student instruction via attainment of district educational goals.
All instructional initiatives are based on meeting and surpassing District and NJ State Core Curriculum Content Standards, while empowering our students with life long learning abilities. At the Whitney M. Young, Jr. School we are dedicated to creating a sound learning environment that will enrich the lives of our students as they reach their potential, become literate, knowledgeable critical thinkers and productive members of our society.
Joanna Veloz
201-369-3724