The
Voice of the Village
January 2015 • Volume 6 • Issue 5
“It takes a whole village to raise a child”
MPTC Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968)
January 19 marks a very special day
as we observe the achievements of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a
beloved civil rights activist, minister,
and author.
Dr. King led the Civil Rights
Movement in the U.S. from the
mid-1950‘s until his assassination in 1968. His accomplish–
ments included leadership of
the Southern Christian Leader–
ship Conference, a pivotal role
in the creation of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 and the
Voting Rights Act of 1964. He
received the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1964, among other honors.
While much has been written
about the famous March on
Washington, a letter from a
Birmingham jail and the march
in Selma, Alabama there are
many facts about Dr. King that
are virtually unknown. Below
are some of the little known
facts that are left out of most
conversations about his life.
♦ Dr. King was named as
America‘s second most-admired
person of the 20th Century,
topped only by Mother Teresa
according to the 1999 Gallup
Poll.
♦ He was two years old when
his father, Rev. Michael King,
inspired by the German theologian Martin Luther, changed his
name and that of the young
King to Martin Luther King.
♦ Dr. King skipped ninth and
12th grades in high school and
entered Morehouse College in
Atlanta at the age of 15. He was
the valedictorian of his graduating class. He graduated with a
PhD. at the age of 25.
♦ During his last year of seminary he was influenced by the
theologian Reinhold Niebbuhr.
After being accepted at Yale and
Edinburgh University in Scotland, he enrolled in Boston
♦ He is one of the 10 world
martyrs of the 20th Century
who are depicted in life-size
statues in the entrance of Westminister Abbey in London.
University for his doctoral
studies.
♦ There are more than 900
streets worldwide named after
Dr. King. Forty U.S. states
have at least one street named
after him.
♦ Dr. King donated all of the
$54,123 he received for the
Nobel Peace Prize to the Civil
Rights Movement.
♦ Dr. King won a Grammy and
was awarded a Congressional
Gold Medal and a Medal of
Freedom. He won the Grammy
in 1971 for the Best Spoken
Word Album for ―Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.‖
Information provided by:
www.atlantablackstar.com
www.todayifoundout.com
www.biography.com
www.infoplease.com
Students and Staff Celebrate Spirit Week
Marion P. Thomas High School
students and staff took part in a
fun bounding experience commonly referred to as ―Spirit
Week‖ recently.
Popular themes for the week
included: Pajama Day, Nerd
Day, Twin Day and Throw
Back Thursday.
January
1/22 Prim., Elem., & Mid.
Open House (6 pm -
Students selected various themes
for the different days of the week
and participants were encouraged
to dress up on that day to coincide with the theme.
The week-long observance also
served as a learning experience as
students discussed different
themes, researched various topics
and tried out different roles.
EvImportant Dates
8:30 pm)
1/29 H.S. Open House
(6 pm - 8:30 pm)
February
2/5 Elem./Middle
These ladies selected “Angels” as
their theme for the day.
A group of students dressed to
reflect Nerd Day & Throw Back
Thursday (retro styles).
2/6 All Campuses
Parent/Tea. Conf‘s.
(12:30 pm Dismissal - both)
Page 2
T he V oi c e o f th e Vi l l ag e
A Special Message to Parents
(Newark Police Department Responds to 15th Avenue Safety Measures)
From Dr. Karen Thomas to Primary and Elementary Parents:
As you will remember prior to the break parents signed petitions to insure the safety of our children on 15th Ave. I am pleased to share with you the response and recommendations from the
Newark Police Director, Mr. Eugene Venable. They are recommending the following:
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Speed limit 25 mph Signs on 15th Ave. in both directions.
Speed Humps on 15th Ave. in both directions
High visibility School Zone Signs on 15th Ave in both directions
High visibility Watch School Children Signs on 15th Ave. in Both directions
High visibility Pedestrian Crossing Signs at intersections within the school zone
All Way Stop Signs at South 6th and South 7th Sts.
Slow School Zone Signs on South 7th Sts.
Street Smart Pedestrian Safety Zone Signs at intersections with the school zone
Re-paint the Crosswalk at 15th Ave. and South 7th St.
Personnel from the 1st Precinct will monitor the school for motor vehicle violations
When and if personnel is increased the street will be monitored for a crossing guard
MPTCS Parents, it truly takes a Whole Village to get things done . Thank you for working
together to insure the safety of our children. We will keep you posted of the progress.
Math Rubric Challenges Student’s Creativity
Recently in Math Teacher Alicia Codrington‘s class, sixth
grade students were assigned an interger timeline project
centered on their birth dates. Students received a rubric
that required them to find five events that occurred prior
to their birth and five that occurred afterwards. Delon
Philips fulfilled the assignment and expanded it by researching multiple events before and after his birth date
and providing background and illustrations.
Delon was born in 2002 which represented zero on the
number line. He used popular events to enrich his number line.
MPTC Open House (Pre-K-8th Grade)
Thursday, 1/22/2015 6 pm - 8:30 pm
370 S. 7th Street, Newark, NJ 07103 (973.621.0060)
Topics: Safe & Nurturing Environment, After Care,
Experienced & Caring Teachers + Free Pre-K, Athletic
Programs, Honor Classes and Enrichment Support
Register: https://eventbrite.com/event/14952005852
Delon displays his timeline project which
included research and illustrations for
Nelson Mandela’s departure as President
of South Africa (1999); Y2K scare
(2000); destruction of the Twin Towers
(2001) and other historic events.
V o l um e 6 Is s ue 5
Michael S. Fletcher Named
President of the Marion P.
Thomas Charter School
Foundation Board
MPTCS Foundation awarded
monetary prize
The Marion P. Thomas Charter
School (MPTCS) is pleased to
announce that Michael S. Fletcher has been named President of
the MPTCS Foundation. In addition, the Foundation has been
designated as the recipient of a
monetary donation from Rutgers
University‘s Institute for Ethical
Leadership.
Mr. Fletcher previously served as
the Community Relations and
Alumni Affairs Manager for
MPTCS. In addition, he served as
the High School Placement Coordinator for TEAM Charter
Schools: A KIPP Region, both in
Newark, NJ. He has also worked
as the Director of the Thomas J.
Griffin Bridges Program at Seton
Hall Prep in West Orange, NJ; as
well as positions in Newark, NJ.
―I am committed to providing
access and equity in education for
all students,‖ noted Mr. Fletcher.
―I look forward to the knowledge
and insight I will gain and provide as I continue my work with
the MPTCS Foundation.‖
Former MPTCS Board President,
Michelle Lee, was awarded the
Steven J. Diner Ethical Leadership award from Rutgers University‘s Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) for her long-term
commitment to ‗strengthening
civil society through ethical leadership‘. The award allows the
awardee to name a nonprofit
organization in Newark to receive
a monetary prize by the IEL. Ms.
Lee designated Marion P. Thomas Charter School as the recipient
of the donation.
T he V oi c e o f th e Vi l l ag e
V o l um e 6 Is s ue 5
Page 3
Data Analyst Joins Curriculum Team
The MPTCS Division of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
(CIA) has a new team member,
Randy Michelle Gooden.
As the Data Analyst, Ms. Gooden
will be responsible for researching,
managing, harvesting, analyzing
and reporting data related to students and teachers in K - 12th
grade.
She will support the work of the
Chief Academic Office and the
Director of the CIA Division.
Ms.Gooden is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a B.S. in
Architecture (cum laude). She
served two years in the U.S.
Air Force Officer Reserves
Training Program and she
holds a Teacher of Elementary School (K - 8) Certifi–
cate.
Ms. Gooden said, ―I would
like to change the perception
about data. I would like to
see a cultural shift so that
educators and parents view
data through a different lens
that allows us to see data
from our roles to the imple-
Parental Writes: A MPTCS Parents Column
Pieces of a Dream
As the nation prepared to celebrate the birth of one of the
most notable civil rights figures
of our time, many of our nation‘s children simply celebrated a day off from school. Parents have a tremendous opportunity to help shape their children‘s character by sharing
stories, principles and purpose
surrounding the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
When asked about their thoughts
on Dr. King many people will
describe him as a great political
leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, minister, orator and author.
However, Dr. King was also a
steadfast supporter of education!
While some families chose to
observe the King Holiday
through ―day of service‖ volun-
mentation of interventions
and programs.‖
Prior to joining MPTCS Ms.
Gooden was a Program Support Specialist/Evaluator at
UMDNJ/Rutgers Medical
School, middle school math,
science and teachnology
teacher (grades K - 11),
Technology Coordinator and
Turner Youth Construction
liaison at the Union County
Teams Charter School in
Plainfield, NJ and Team
Leader and Elementary
School, Middle School Student
Government Association part–
nered with the City of Newark‘s
West Ward Councilman Joseph
McCallum in a Winter Warmth
Clothing and Toy Drive.
In total, the Middle School staff
and students collected 15 coats,
LIFTT Teacher Leader and
Pre-K - 8 grade math coach in
the Newark Public Schools.
teer efforts in their communi–
ties, others elected to simply
spend the day at home, together. Holidays are special times
for families to reflect on why we
recognize these great leaders
and how our children can make
their contributions to society.
We can also view days off as
times to assist our children with
the necessary preparation to
complete the school year in
excellence. Then take advantage
of the available MPTCS resources.
MPTCS Provides Warmth for the Cold
The Marion P. Thomas Charter
Randy Michelle Gooden
Data Analyst
15 scarves, 33 hats, 15 pairs of
gloves, 21 pairs of socks and
100 stuffed animals.
Lesley Leslie
MPTCS Board Member
& Parent
MPTCS Open House (H. S.)
Thursday, 1/29/2015, 6 pm 8:30 pm
17 - 19 Crawford St., Newark,
NJ (973-643-0605 ext.1)
Topics: New HS building in Fall
2015, College Prep Focus, Performing & Culinary Arts programs + Extracurricular Activities—sports & school clubs
The items were distributed to
local families recently at the
Boylan Street Recreational
Center.
A resident tries on a winter coat
that was donated.
Register:
https://eventbrite.com/
Page 4 The Voice of the Village
School Administrators
Marion P. Thomas Charter School
370 S. 7th Street
Newark, NJ 07103
973.621.0060
Melinda Johnson
Primary School Principal
(PreK-1st Grade)
[email protected]
Mrs. Christofferson
Elementary School Principal
(2nd – 4th Grade)
[email protected]
John Gamble
Middle School Principal
(5th – 8th Grade)
[email protected]
Genique Flournoy-Hamilton
V.P. Middle School
(5th – 8th Grade)
[email protected]
Joyce Caine
High School Principal
(9th – 12th Grade)
Vernon Maynor
Asst. Principal, High School
(9th – 12th Grade)
[email protected]
Tera Davis
Parent Liaison
Primary & Elementary Schools
[email protected]
High School
Latisha West
Parent Liaison
[email protected]
Ana Munoz
Pre-Kindergarten
Family Worker
[email protected]
Central Office
Dr. Karen Thomas
Superintendent, CEO
[email protected]
Dr. Doreen Land
Chief Academic Officer
[email protected]
Femi Amorin
Business Administrator
[email protected]
Sam de la Cruz
Director of CIA
[email protected]
Damon White
Director of Special Services
[email protected]
Craig Jackson
Director of Special Projects
[email protected]
Michele Griffin
Director of Marketing & Development
VOV Editor
[email protected]
Michelle Baldwin
Contributing Writer
[email protected]
Volume 6
Issue 5
January 2015
MPTCS High School: From the Ground Up
Each month we will feature an updated photograph of the construction site for the
new Marion P. Thomas Charter High School that will open in September 2015.
Recently, the construction team began the process of providing the initial covering
for the main building framework.
Athletic Achievement in the Village
The Magnificient Marching Tigers
MPTCS HS students and
parents received an unexpected treat when the Magnificient Marching Tigers
stepped onto the gymnasium floor to do their steps.
The group performed during a basketball game in a
salute to the MPTCS High
School players who were
competing with the North
13th Street Vocational
School in the NCCA basketball tournament.
The Magnificient Marching Tigers, equipped with drummers, colorful flags and
razzle dazzle uniforms and routines entertained the MPTCS high school audience
during the recent NCCA Tournament.
“Your Scholar in the News” Occasionally, the Marion P. Thomas Charter School will receive requests from the media or partnering agencies to feature our students in photographs, news paper articles, on television shows
and/or Internet publications. We need your authorization to fulfill these requests. Please sign the Media Release Form sent home for your scholar .
Media Release Forms are available on the website (www.mptcs.org). Additional questions should be
directed to the school‘s administrative office.
Color copies of the Voice of the
Village Newsletter
are available on line at:
www.mptcs.org