Columbia Spotlight

  We are so proud that many of our CHS teachers have enrolled in Kean University masters classes focusing on the Holocaust (semester 1) and Racism in America (semester 2). Kudos to Mr. Preston for organizing such professional development.  I took a version of these courses 15 years ago and Kean had partnered then with the Facing History & Ourselves organization. Their resources were incredible and I used many of their online materials and FREE books in my classes.  I remembered many of those lessons when I watched the brilliant, new Ken Burns documentary series, The US & the Holocaust streaming now on PBS. The first episode, "The Golden Door," tells the sad history of the anti-immigration movement (and the return of the KKK) in the early 20th century. I would recommend this series to all teaching US history and literature. Of course, Learning for Justice has great resources on immigration as well. 

 We are so proud that the NJDOE has created an online hub for diversity and inclusion resources. I am sure they have added the new Social Justice Learning Standards from Learning for Justice. Here's a description from the LfJ website : Promote Social Justice Learning   Social justice education is essential in the current hostile learning environment created by censorship laws and policies aimed at prohibiting the teaching of honest history and further marginalizing LGBTQ+ students and educators. Helping children understand their own identities without devaluing others; encouraging them as they find the ways we’re all connected and deserving of respect; teaching them to recognize injustice and showing them how to act against it—this is the work of social justice education. The Learning for Justice  Social Justice Standards  are designed to guide in the development of inclusive curricula to make schools safer and more just and equitable. The standards are divided...

From September 15th - October 15th, Columbia High School will commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month.  We can't wait to see all of the neat things Dr. Robles and teachers have planned for the next 30 days! The following resources can be useful in your classroom. 1. PBS .  Along with the History Channel and CSPAN, PBS does an incredible job on its website collecting many of its features for teachers free of charge to stream!  2. National Hispanic Heritage Month Website . The Library of Congress,  National Archives and Records Administration , National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, the  Smithsonian Institution , and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have joined in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. This website contains various lessons and materials from across these US Government institutions! Here is the specia...

In January of this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked suicide as the 14th leading cause of  death in New Jersey and the third leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24. While New Jersey continues to  have a lower rate of suicide compared to the national average, suicide remains a priority area to combat within  the State. Last year we saw how devasting a teen suicide could be. That is why it is important to learn as much as possible about the rise in teen deaths by suicide.   The emotional well-being of students and staff is paramount to ensuring a successful academic year. To support schools in their efforts to increase awareness and prevent suicide, you may find it helpful to visit the  New Jersey Department of Education’s updated Suicide Prevention website  which includes resources for students, families, school staff, and free suicide prevention education toolkits.  As always, the  New Jersey Hopeline , the...

Banned Books Week begins on September 18th and this year it has much importance since many educators across the country are facing fierce political attacks. Here's a great student opinion from the NYT. Ialso want to share this update from  Open Campus  regarding banned books .  We have covered it before: school districts across the United States  are increasingly censoring books  that don’t align with white-washed conservative visions of the world. Art Spiegelman’s  Maus ,  The Illustrated Diary of Anne Frank , Alice Walker’s  The Color Purple,  Toni Morrison’s  The Bluest Eye,  and Harper Lee’s  To Kill a Mockingbird –these are some of the many books getting pulled from library shelves in American schools. In response to  this concerning trend , the Brooklyn Public Library has made a bold move: For a limited time, the library  will offer a free eCard  to any person aged 13 to 21 across the United States, allow...

Many of our students will have questions and concerns after this weekend's horrific mass shooting and a terrorist attack in Buffalo . After all, it was a teenage white supremacist who posted a racist manifesto online and then walked into a grocery store armed with an assault rifle and battle gear and traveled over 100 miles to specifically target Black shoppers.  This page has some resources in case you broach this subject in class. It will be updated throughout the week as more resources are made available and specific to this tragedy. If you have suggestions, please email me and we will add them to this list. Thank you all for your support of our students.  For Parents CSTS - Restoring Normalcy after Mass Shooting NCTSM - Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after Recent Shootings .  This document offers parents guidance on helping their children after a shooting. This fact sheet describes common reactions children may have, how parents can help them, and self-care...

We're huge fans of the Edutopia blog here. Check out some of the highlights from that blog from the past 2 months.   Benefits of Service-Learning for High School Students Service-learning and volunteering help high school students give back to their community and grow as individuals. 9-12 High School 3 Steps to Better Peer Feedback High school teachers can use this method to guide students to give each other specific, actionable comments on their writing. 9-12 High School A Fun Activity to Promote a Sense of Belonging in High School Math Creating memes and cartoons around mathematical concepts and themes helps students realize how much they’ve learned. 9-12 High School 5 Simple Virtual Programs to Keep in Your High School Flexibility when meeting student needs is a key component of high school counselors’ work. Maintaining virtual programs aids in that process. 9-12 High School 5 Image-Based Activities for World Language Learners Discussing images of people, places, and foods ...