Feel the Pride

Pride Parent Party!

2011-10-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, September 29th, Pride Academy held its first Parent Party and it was a huge success with over 80 parents in attendance. The goal of Pride Parties is to give parents an opportunity to spend time with their children, learning and growing together.

The theme of our first Pride Party was a "Celebration of Gifts". We focused on Rev. Jesse Jackson's quote, "Your children want your presence more than they want your presents." This quote clearly reminds us all how valuable it is for parents to be present and involved in the lives of their children, especially when it comes to education.
Together with their children, our 80 Pride Academy Parents participated in a team competition which required them to come up with positive activities to do with their families that started with the letter "P". Families later made a commitment to participate in at least two activities that supported the academic goals of their children. There were twelve activities offered, which ranged from signing up for parenting workshops to attending free African Dance Classes.

We look forward to many more fun and educational Parent Parties in the future as we continue to develop more opportunities for parent involvement at Pride Academy.

by Rose Mary Dumenigo

Pride Lions Roar into Flag Football Action!

2011-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Pride Academy Charter School is excited to announce its newest addition to their athletic program for the 2011/2012 school year. On Saturday October 1st the Pride Lions began their inaugural Flag Football season versus Jersey City Community Charter School. Prior to their first game, Pride Academy hosted a pep rally in the newly renovated Common Room on Friday, September 30th.

The festivities began with an enthusiastic introduction from Pride Academy’s own Mr. Dunn. Over 200 Pride scholars were present to show their support for the Lions by cheering “Pride Academy, come on let’s hear it! 1-2-3, we have spirit!” First, the eight junior varsity players were introduced followed by the twenty varsity players. The varsity players received their numbers and were presented with their team jerseys. The team stood together wearing their new jerseys with pride, and the school’s excitement could be felt throughout the room.

The team practices on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Elmwood Park in East Orange. Head Coach is Mr. Altamirano, Assistant Coaches are Mr. Geiger and Mr. Wilson, and Skills Coach is Mr. Dunn. Both the faculty leaders and the student athletes are looking forward to a fun and successful season!

By: Mr. Evan Geiger

Ms Dailey Receives Governor's Recognition Award

2011-06-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to announce that Ms Aimee Dailey, our 5^th& 6^th grade social studies teacher, has received The 2011 Governor's Teacher Recognition Award for "demonstration of excellence as a teacher by creating an environment that improves students' academic opportunities, workforce preparedness, and overall quality of life."

The award is granted in appreciation for the contribution of teaching professionals to the success of public schools and the important services they provide outside of the classroom environment. It is an acknowledgement of their efforts and provides an incentive to others to strive for excellence.

Grand Opening of the Pride Power Fitness Room

2011-05-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 21st, Pride Academy 8th grade students and staff were honored to be present at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Pride Power Fitness Room at the Recreation Fellowship Civic Center in East Orange. As part of the Jerricho Junior Leaders Program, our 8th grade students worked on building and outfitting the fitness room. Due to the hard work of our 8th graders and the generous sponsorship of the Cotcherys, the fitness room now bears Pride’s name and will stand forever in the community as a legacy promoting and supporting the youth of East Orange in making healthy lifestyles choices and spending leisure time in a safe and productive space.

In its three-year relationship with Pride Academy, the Cotchery Foundation has financially supported our athletic program and created and implemented a mentoring program for our 7th and 8th grade students. This year’s endeavor is the Jerricho's Junior Leaders Program, a community service leadership program that continues the goals of the RESH 180 mentoring program that the students participated in as 7th graders. Through the Jerricho's Junior Leaders Program, students explore how serving others not only helps to create a better world, but also helps to develop them as leaders.

Over the course of the year, in addition to their work on outfitting and preparing the Pride Power Fitness Room at the East Orange Recreation Center, our 8th graders participated in a service project with the Adopt One Village Organization. Adopt One Village is a non-profit organization that collects, packages, and delivers clothing, medical supplies, and other materials to Ghana, Africa. Our students spent time sorting clothes for men, women, and children, as well as sorting toys and putting pamphlets together for Adopt One Village.

Jourdan Bowers, an 8th grader from the Gandhi Team, said that she had a lot of fun during the service project and that she would like to volunteer more in the future. Jourdan reflected on her experience and added, "I think that if I was a child in Ghana and I received a package from America, I would like to know that the package was put together by young people like me."

Ms Michele Chiles-Hickman, volunteer leader of the service projects and teacher with the Cotchery Foundation’s RESH 180 Program, added: “As the mother of teenagers myself and a volunteer teacher with the RESH 180 program, I know how challenging it can be to “get through” to youth of this age. It is always a pleasure to complete a service project like this one, at the warehouse, and know that not only have the children gotten something out of it – which they express now – but that some of these experiences will really stay with a lot of them into the future. It is nice for me to be able to work on the “Legacy” lesson that we speak about and it is nice for them to be able to start a “legacy” of their own. I really think that they feel that they are touching somebody's life and this is the essence of what we are doing at Pride and what we want to pass along…..like “paying it forward”. Michele Chiles-Hickman ABR, CRS

Lucky Lions 4-H Club

2011-05-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 16th, Pride Academy was successfully represented for the first time at the Essex County 4-H Fair. Our Pride Scholars had the opportunity to showcase projects they have completed as members of the Lucky Lions 4-H Club and work they have completed in class and at home for competition. In our first fair, we had over 50 projects representing 12 different 4-H members and won more than 60 awards for outstanding projects and presentations. Students submitted many projects related to our Community Garden, which we will be installing this spring, and displayed vegetables, herbs, and even writing projects about our worm composting program. Other projects included paintings, sculptures, movies, and candy that were completed in classes and during 4-H meetings.
4-H members who completed outstanding projects will be honored at Achievement Night in November and will be awarded division ribbons and monetary awards to acknowledge their hard work and dedication. Students will also have an opportunity in May to showcase their presentation skills in the annual 4-H Public Presentation Night where students develop and present a project or speech of their choice to improve their public speaking skills. Public Presentations are especially important to our Pride Scholars as they prepare for high school interviews and meetings to help develop strong and successful plans for their futures. For more information on 4-H events or to join the 4-H club please contact Ms. Kalenak or visit kalenak.pbworks.com

By Ms. Kalenak

Pride Robotics Teams Win Awards

2011-04-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pride Academy Robotics Teams presented at the 2011 NY/NJ RoboCupJunior Regional competition in Orange on April 10th and earned our congratulations for their hard work, leadership, and determination.
All of our participants demonstrated initiative, courage, and cooperation as they interviewed with judges and presented their Robot Dance Performances.

Two of our teams won awards. The Dance Demons, mentored by Mrs Torres, won in the category for Best Choreography. Their performance displayed a high level of coordination between multiple robots that they had programmed to dance in unison to the rhythm of music edited and arranged by the students.

The Star Power team, mentored by Ms Becker, won in the Best Teamwork category for their robot dance exhibition that included student dance performances and a sound track with live guitar accompaniment.

RoboCupJunior is an international robotics program that is focused on technology education for elementary, middle and high school students. The competition in Orange included teams from New York, New Jersey, and Canada.

Our robotics program was offered as an after school program at Pride this year and was supported through a grant from The Community Foundation of New Jersey. Teachers at Pride worked with Dr. Amy Eguchi, assistant professor of education at Bloomfield College to create a program that encouraged students to pursue studies in math, science, technology, and engineering in college.

We are grateful to Mrs Torres, Ms Becker and Mr Torres for their determination, leadership, teaching, patience, encouragement, and support of our students throughout the entire Robotics program. We are also grateful for the support of the many parents who attended the competition.

Mrs Thomas Awarded Charter School Administrator of the Year!

2011-04-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Pride Academy principal and co-founder, Mrs Fiona Thomas, was awarded “Charter School Administrator of the Year” at the New Jersey Charter Schools Association (NJCSA) Annual Conference in Princeton on April 8th, 2011.

The two-day conference in Princeton, attended by more than 600 hundred educators, parents and supporters of New Jersey’s growing charter school movement, spotlighted the many achievements of the state’s 73 charter schools and featured discussions among state and national leaders about how charter schools are transforming public education.

“I am honored to be able to accept this award on behalf of our whole school community, our parents and our staff,” Mrs Thomas said. “There is an urgency in what we do. We need to stop and celebrate the joy because it matters and it counts.”

Mrs Thomas was among a select group of educators to receive the Cultivating Quality Education Awards for their contributions in 2010. Mrs Thomas shared the “Administrator of the Year” award with Ms Rahshene Davis of University Heights Charter School in Newark. The awards were judged by a panel of three independent education experts.

“Fiona reflects the strong commitment, involvement and passion that makes charter schools successful,” said Carlos Perez, president and CEO of the NJCSA. “This award honors Fiona for doing her part to enhance public education and helping ensure that all public schools are quality schools.”

In presenting the award to Mrs Thomas, Ken Zimmerman, an attorney and member of the NJCSA board, stressed the importance of having a clear vision as a Charter School leader. However, he stated that Mrs Thomas' success was not only having that vision for her school but in transforming that vision into execution.

In a panel discussion following the award, Mrs Thomas was asked what aspect of founding and leading a Charter School had been the greatest surprise. She replied that it was how quickly she has been able to see transformation in students, even in the first founding year of the school. She explained that Pride Scholars respond to the peaceful and positive environment of a school community where teachers and staff unconditionally believe in them, treat them with respect, and hold them accountable to high expectations for academic success and leadership.

Celebrate African History and Culture

2011-02-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

African Dance Classes

Brother Jerome Hunter will be leading free african dance classes for any students, parents, teachers, and members of the Pride Academy community.

Classes will begin on Wednesdays from 5pm to 6pm, starting on Wednesday, March 3rd.

We invite everyone to come out and learn about the richness and beauty of African culture!!!

African Dance Performance

In Honor of Black History Month, Pride Academy will be hosting a special performance of African dance by The Seventh Principle in Bantaba.

Through their fusion of dance, story and drama, the artist-educators of Seventh Principle teach about both African dance and culture and the history and origins of African-based culture in America. The high-energy of the dancers is contagious and encourages students to pay close attention to what is happening on stage.

Throughout the program, the members of Seventh Principle explain why the people of Africa dance, why they use costumes, and why music is so important to what they do.

We will have two performances, and parents are welcome to attend either performance. The performances will be held on:

Monday, February 28th.

5th and 6th Grade Performance - 1:40pm

7th and 8th Grade Performance - 2:40pm

Career Day

2010-12-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

Our first Pride Academy Career Day was an amazing success, due in large part to support from our Pride parents! Mr. Bowers, Ms. Cajuste, Ms. Gore, Ms. Ferguson, Ms. McMillan, Ms. Barber, and Ms Fuller were seven of our presenters. As they and other professionals shared about the careers they love and the steps they took to accomplish their success, our students were encouraged to think about how good choices made in middle school can have a positive effect on their future educational and employment opportunities.

Some of the twenty-six professions represented during Career Day included the following: a senior correction officer, a real estate broker, a personal trainer, a sports events promoter, a Bank of America banking center manager, a Chief Judge at the Newark Municipal Court, a director of operations-Seven in One Professional, a probation officer/criminal investigator, a PSE&G forecasting analyst, a US Marshal, a children’s author, an East Orange fire chief, an ICU pediatrician, a Bed Bath and Beyond payroll processor, and a Yahoo marketing manager.

Thank you to the parents and professionals who participated in our first Career Day. The students and faculty truly enjoyed your contributions

By Mrs. Knoepffler and Ms Sica

Robotics Comes to Pride

2010-08-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Through a grant from The Community Foundation of New Jersey, the Young Creators project will be offered as an after school program at Pride this year. The program will encourage Pride scholars to work collaboratively in math and science while creating projects that will be entered in the New York/New Jersey RoboCupJunior competition.

Teachers at Pride will work with Dr. Amy Eguchi, assistant professor of education at Bloomfield College to create a program that will encourage students to pursue studies in math, science, technology, and engineering in college.

Bloomfield College Vice President for academic affairs, Marion Terenzio, described the program in this way:

"Providing students with the opportunity to create is one of the most effective forms of learning. Students are natural born creators and this program will provide the platform for them to do what they do best."

The program comes to Pride through the efforts of our 5th grade Math teacher, Mrs. Torres. As a junior at Bloomfield College, Mrs Torres received a Minority Academic Careers fellowship to pursue research into the connection between robotics and mathematics education. She presented the results of her research at the annual MAC convention and co-authored an article titled “Engage and Motivate Non-Computer Science Major Undergraduates Using Educational Robotics,” which she presented at the 2008 Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference in Las Vegas.

In her senior year, Mrs. Torres carried out her student teaching at The School at Columbia University where she worked with a LEGO Mindstorm student robotics team as part of an after-school program. Students from the school competed at the RoboCup junior competitions in New Jersey and in Singapore.

Mrs. Torres is very excited about the great opportunity to introduce robotics to PRIDE and to observe the impact it has on student learning, and the development of critical thinking skills:

"Through this grant we will receive all the resources necessary to begin a competitive robotics team at Pride. It will be an excellent opportunity for our students to experience a completely different learning tool."

More information about the new program can be found on the Bloomfield College website .

Pride Scholars at Kean University!

2010-06-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

On May 1st students in our MVP program embarked on a college tour of Kean University. Kean University is located in Union, NJ, ten minutes away from Pride Academy Charter School. Kean University was founded in 1855 in Newark, NJ as the Newark Normal School. It later became known as the Newark Teachers College and in 1958, it moved from Newark to Union.

The trip to Kean gave the students an opportunity to gain insight into the life of a college student. Our students were given a tour of the University by a Kean ambassador. They were introduced to various sights within the University such as the Center for Academic Success, Kean’s Administration Building, Harwood Arena, and a Dormitory.

The MVP program began on April 17th in order to focus on developing self-growth in our male students and is conducted by teacher/mentors within the school. Students in the program meet on Saturdays and participate in workshops and activities that are interactive, engaging, and informative. During MVP’s first meeting, students participated in a workshop focusing on our core value of Respect. Students discussed the value of respect and how it shapes their lives on a daily basis. Students were engaged in various physical activities that focused on this theme and involved them in working with others to successfully reach a goal. In this session, students also came up with the program’s motto, which they called, “Respect,
No Excuses.”

In upcoming sessions, the MVP Program will be focused on leadership, drug awareness, and an end of the year trip with Project U.S.E. Through these experiences, the mentors hope to build upon key characteristics of leadership, respect, self-motivation, communication skills, and goal-setting that will help our young men succeed in their future endeavors. The program has also hosted guest speakers such as a councilman and an attorney from our wider East Orange community, who gave the students further insight into these important life skills.

The founders of the program, Mr. Altamirano, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Dinzey, hope to continue to provide opportunities and instill values that will help the young men in the program develop and exercise their talents in leadership, service, and scholarship.

By Mr. Dinzey, Mr. Altamirano and Mr. Simon

Genetics Expo

2010-05-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

On April 21, 2010, the seventh graders hosted the 2nd Annual Genetics Expo. Prior to the formal presentations at the Exposition, the students were engaged in the study of heredity and genetics. Through the course of their studies, they encountered some of the genetic disorders that exist and affect many people. Working in teams, students embarked upon an in depth research project where they gathered information about a particular genetic disorder or disease. Some of the conditions researched included; Neurofibromatosis, Diabetes, Down Syndrome, Follicular Lymphoma, and Sickle Cell Anemia. Once all of the information was obtained, students organized Power Point presentations to communicate their findings with our school community. This year, we were honored to have several members of the community share their knowledge with us. Mrs. Judy Bellina from the ARC of Essex in Newark, joined us and addressed the community about Down Syndrome and further educated us about some of the services that are provided to individuals affected by this disorder. In addition, students had the opportunity to listen to the sister of a fellow classmate, as she spoke about living with diabetes. Another student, Abdul Ibn-Malik was joined by his mother during his presentation, and the duo shared information about a condition that was close to heart for both of them.

The Expo provided a wonderful platform for students to share their work with other students, parents, teachers, and other members of our community. It was an experience that enabled the students to develop their critical thinking skills, oral presentation skills, and most importantly, it was an opportunity for students to uphold the core value of empathy in a new light. Many presentations included video documentaries of individuals afflicted with the disorders and it was remarkable to observe the respect and admiration our students felt for them. The students would like to thank all of their teachers and parents for their support, as well as Mrs. Thomas for allowing them to arrive to school professionally dressed and giving them the opportunity to showcase their findings. It was an incredible learning opportunity and an experience that will
remain with them for a long time.

Reach For The Stars Literacy Campaign

2010-04-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

To ensure that our students are exercising their brains at home during the NJASK testing season, Pride Academy is launching the "REACH FOR THE STARS" Literacy Campaign.

Students are being challenged to read at least 30 minutes a night for two weeks. Students are also being asked to get pledges from sponsors. Students will use the money that they collect to purchase their own books to read over the summer vacation. Other incentives include certificates, trophies, and a dress down day.

Teachers are getting the students motivated to read by challenging the whole student body to read for a total of 72,000 minutes. If the students reach this challenge, the teachers will perform the "THRILLER DANCE" for the school community. Students are encouraged to read beyond the 30 minutes a day in order to ensure they reach their school-wide goal.

Let’s work together to reach for the STARS and READ for life and leisure!

NJASK Testing for 7th and 8th Graders

2010-04-26T03:17:00.000-07:00

NJASK tests will be administered to all 7th and 8th graders this week during the mornings of Tuesday 4/27, Wednesday 4/28, Thursday 4/29 and Friday 4/30.

As you know, these tests are very important for your children, and our teachers have been working hard with your children all year to ensure their success on the tests. Now the testing time has arrived and this is your children’s time to SHINE and show you and their community their talents and brilliance. We have made it to this final NJASK academic championship and we are excited about the outcome!

YOU can help support us as we work to continue to prepare your children for success on the NJASK tests by encouraging them to:

Sleep well! Please ensure that your children get a good night’s rest before testing days.

Eat breakfast! Please ensure that your children eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast on testing mornings.

Be on time! Please ensure that your children arrive to school on time by 8:00 am on all testing days.

Be Prepared! Please reinforce the importance of your children following all testing directions and being prepared to be SILENT and focused during the test, place their book bags in a designated area in the classroom, and hand in their cell phones so that they can be removed from the classroom during the test and stored in a safe place until the testing is over.

Be Brain-Sharp! Please ensure that your children READ every night to exercise critical thinking skills, condition their brains, and build their vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies.

Be Comfortable! Please ensure that if your children suffer from seasonal allergies, that they use eye drops or take non-drowsy medications before they come to school in the morning.

Be Confident and Courageous! Remind your children that they have nothing to be anxious or fearful about –they are prepared and ready for the tests!

Be Determined! Remind your children to not put their heads down during the tests or give up because some questions may be difficult. Ask them to promise you that they will write complete and full answers to ALL the open ended questions.

Be Proud! Remind your children how much you love them and how proud you are of their accomplishments.

Thank you for your continued support and for your faith in Pride Academy. Please reach out to Mrs. Thomas or Ms Dumenigo if you have any questions about the testing.

Countdown to NJASK Testing!

2010-03-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

The months of April and May are very important months in the lives of your children and in the life of our school. Important State mandated NJASK tests will be administered to students in grades 5-8 beginning two weeks after we return from Spring vacation. In order to build your children’s motivation and increase their level of preparedness and confidence in taking the tests, we have implemented a school wide 20–Day Countdown to Success. Each day, teachers lead presentations and activities that focus on math and language arts literacy skills. Students are encouraged to take part in competitions during Morning Assembly and homeroom periods that give them the opportunity to strengthen their skills as well as win prizes for their participation in critical thinking and brain power building challenges.

YOU can help support us as we work to prepare your children for these tests by doing the following:
Ensure that your child arrives to school on time by 8:00 am, attends school every day, and stays in school until the designated dismissal time.

Ensure that your child completes quality homework assignments EVERY night.
Ensure that your child takes advantage of extra help and tutoring opportunities provided by his/her teachers. Make attendance at PEP a priority!
Support the school in reinforcing that your child follows all school rules, respects our teachers and does his/her part to maintain a focused and productive learning environment.

NJASK for 7th and 8th graders: April 27th, April 28th, April 29th, and April 30th

NJASK for 5th and 6th graders: May 3rd, May 4th, May 5th and May 6th

Mentoring Program

2010-03-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

When Mercedes Cotchery first visited Pride Academy Charter School, she was just a generous and kind-hearted volunteer from The Life Christian Church in West Orange who heard about our school and wanted to help out. Pride Academy later learned that Mrs. Cotchery was the wife of Jerricho Cotchery, wide-receiver of the New York Jets and the Board Chair and Executive Director of The Cotchery Foundation. We soon also learned that Mrs. Cotchery is a dynamic person with a real passion and gift for connecting with young people.

Her relationship with Pride Academy and its students began with the creation of a Girls’ Mentoring Group. Mrs. Cotchery developed her own curriculum to address some of the issues and challenges facing young women today. Mrs. Cotchery provided lunch for the girls during their weekly meetings where they shared and discussed topics like self-esteem, healthy relationships, goals, and life after high school. The Girls’ Mentoring Group was a great success, and Mrs. Cotchery soon set out to expand the program for the 2009-2010 academic year.

This year, The Cotchery Foundation made a greater commitment to the Pride Academy community. Jerricho and Mercedes Cotchery established The Cotchery Foundation to benefit inner city youth in January of 2007. The foundation's mission is to inspire children to conceive and achieve goals by providing programs and services designed to enhance their futures. The Cotchery’s have set out to help children understand that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they have the desire and passion. To this end, The Cotchery Foundation has funded the expansion of the mentoring program to mentor all Pride Academy students in grades seven and eight using the RESH 180 Program. The RESH 180 Program is a course designed to inspire students to maximize their purpose in life through goal setting and planning.

Mercedes Cotchery trained community leaders to serve as mentors to Pride Academy students and help them reach their true potential. Mentor, Jared Winley, stated, “While growing up I lacked direction and was unaware of what existed outside of my everyday life. If it was not for people like James Flaherty who convinced me to attend college or Joe Browne who challenged me to change my thinking, as well as, my approach to professionalism there is no telling where my life would be right now.”

Pride students look forward to their weekly meeting and have learned and grown from the Cotchery Mentoring Program. However, the students are not the only ones learning! Mentor, Jaqueline Bruno, powerfully sums up her experience in the following words: “Although this class has been about me mentoring the students, I must admit that I have learned just as much from them. I have learned that it's just as important to be able to react positively as it is to plan. Each student has made a difference in my life and I am honored to know each and every one of them. They are the future and I am blessed to be a small part of their big journey.”

by Ms Dumenigo

Ms Cenac Named Charter School Teacher of the Year!

2010-03-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to share that Ms Jodi Cenac (Dean of Academics and 7th/8th grade Science Teacher) has been selected as New Jersey Charter School Teacher of the Year!

Ms Cenac was presented with her award by Carlos Lejnieks, Chairman of the NJCSA Board of Trustees (left), and Dawood Farahi, Kean University President (right), at the Annual NJCSA Conference Gala in Long Branch on March 18th, 2010.

During the award ceremony, Ms Cenac gave an inspiring acceptance speech that showcased her admiration for and love of our Pride Family of students, parents, and staff. This is a wonderful tribute to Ms Cenac's excellence, as well as to the strong professional learning community that we continue to build here at Pride Academy.

Ms Cenac is in her seventh year of teaching and is in her second full year at Pride Academy. Ms Cenac was inspired to become a teacher after reading Kozol's Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, a classic work on educational inequality. She is motivated by the desire to help all children achieve to their potential and to help them believe in themselves. Her career has been dedicated to education in urban settings.

Ms Cenac earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in education from Seton Hall University. She received her initial training through Teach for America, serving initially at an elementary school in Paterson.

Homework Accountability Begins This Week

2010-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Please support our focus on expecting and encouraging your children to complete EXCELLENT QUALITY and COMPLETE homework EVERY NIGHT. Students who do not meet this expectation in the core subjects of math and language arts homework will be required to attend after school accountability on the day that their homework assignments are missed or incomplete. Accountability will run from 4pm-5pm and will take precedence over participation in all other after school activities and catching the East Orange and Orange district buses.

Pride Girls are Basketball Champions!

2010-03-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday, March 19th, our girls' basketball team WON the Charter School League Championship game, cheered on to victory by our energetic and talented cheerleader squad! Our girls played valiantly, skillfully, and as a team, united with determination and PRIDE! Thank you to all parents who have supported our athletic program this season and who came out to support and cheer on our team and cheerleaders as they have honed their skills and grown as a powerful TEAM.

Pride Point Guard, Tia Taylor, was named Most Valuable Player for her perseverance, team spirit, and exceptional skill.

"Speaking to your Children about Sex": Workshop for Parents

2010-02-28T08:23:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, March 4th at 6pm Ms Yvette Porter, a consultant who is currently working with our 8th grade students, will present a workshop for parents on the topic of “Speaking to your Children about Sex.” Please try to arrange your schedule so that you can attend this important workshop. A light dinner will be provided and child care will be available for parents who need to bring their children with them on Thursday evening.

Homework Expectations Parent/Guardian Workshop

2010-02-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, March 11th at 6:00 pm we will present a workshop for parents and guardians on Homework Expectations. Please attend this important event to learn about the ways that you can support our teachers in holding your students accountable to high expectations for consistently completing EXCELLENT homework assignments every night.
We will discuss how our teachers support and celebrate students in their production of excellent homework assignments, and outline the accountability consequences for students who choose not to put effort into their homework.

Interim Assessments

2010-02-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, March 3rd and Thursday, March 4th all students in grades 5-8 will be taking interim assessments in math and Language Arts. These assessments are part of our initiative to build on our student achievement results and prepare for the NJASK State tests. Please support us by ensuring that your children are on time and present on all testing days. Make sure that they have had a good night's rest and have eaten a nutritious breakfast on the days of the tests.

Parent Workshop: Building and Maintaining Strong Home-School Partnerships

2010-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

A Parent Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th from 10am-12 noon. All Pride Academy parent/guardians are invited to participate in the workshop presented by our guest speaker, Ms Tanya Caeser. Ms Caeser is certified and experienced in school counseling, guidance, and teaching Family Life Education and Multicultural Education. She will speak on the topic of 'Building and Maintaining Strong Home-School Partnerships'.

Please Note that all students who have been assigned Saturday Detention for March 13th and March 20th must attend this session with their parents.

Breakfast refreshments will be served.

(This workshop was originally scheduled for Saturday March 13th but has been rescheduled due to winter weather.)

Our Mathletes Feel the Pride

2010-02-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the Pride team of Mathletes presented at the North Central Region Chapter of MathCounts at Montclair State University!

The experience of being on a college campus and competing at this level of math performance was important and motivational for our students. They worked cooperatively, confidently, and with a supportive spirit as a team and as individuals to demonstrate their mental math and problem solving skills.

A HUGE thank you goes out to Ms Kalenak! Her initiative in forming a MathCounts team at Pride and her persistence in coaching and supporting our students have given us all the gift of feeling the pride that effort, and going above and beyond can achieve.

Parent Council Meeting

2010-02-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

On January 21, we had our first Parent Council meeting of the year. We had the best turn out in our history, and the enthusiasm and positive energy was flowing. The Parent Council set their goals for the year. We hope that the whole community will work to support the Parent Council in reaching the following:

• To increase parent support and participation through the development and implementation of an incentive program.

• To raise funds to provide Pride Academy students with cubbies or some type of storage for coats and books.

The next Parent Council Meeting will be Thursday, Feb 18th at 6pm. Please join us as we begin to develop action plans to reach these goals.