Schoolhouse ROX: A POGcast

In this episode, Dr. Seipp speaks with Dr. Gottfried, Mrs. Richman, and Ms. Gonzalez along with three members of the RoxThon Leadership team about this year's installment of the amazing fundraising event. The RoxThon leadership and participants raised more than $100,000 this year to support Pediatric Cancer research and awareness. They are dedicated to making our community better and to supporting families who are impacted by pediatric cancer. The amazing work of this event speaks for itself so you should take the time to hear all about it!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Caccavale talk with Brian from BA Colella Heating and Cooling as well as a few SDF students about the importance of the professional partnerships that support the SDF Program. They talk about the value of exposure to the trades for high school students not only to support their journey into adulthood, but also in order to present valuable potential career opportunities.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses a grassroots initiative led by student with the support of Mr. Bischoff and Ms. Katzenberger to acknowledge and support the mental health of our student athletes. They are hoping to develop awareness and support structures where not only RHS student athletes, but athletes in our community can gain access to support for mental health needs including a growing understanding of the evolving mindset of athletes and the stress produced by athletics."Be curious, not judgmental."

In this episode, Dr. Seipp chats with Mr. Crispino, RHS Principal, and Mr. Mawn, RHS Assistant Principal, about one of their new initiatives, the Homeroom Challenge. This challenge was developed by the admin team in order to help drive more fun and excitement around the preparation for NJGPA. They are hoping that this work along with exceptional instruction everyday in a climate that seeks to celebrate student and teacher hard work will prove effective in showing excellence on the assessment.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp is joined by a cadre of students who have passed two Seal of Biliteracy assesments...an amazing accomplishment! He is also joined by Roxbury SS and WL supervisor, Matt Trokan who oversees the Seal of Biliteracy assessment program and has also passed two Seal of Billiteracy assessments. Being multi lingual is truly a superpower!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp is joined by an array of RoxBuddies, one of their advisors, Mrs. McInnes, and NES Principal, Mrs. Lynch. Hear all about the peer mentoring/partnership program between Roxbury High School and Nixon Elementary School that has grown from supporting approximately 30 students total to over 150! The students that are a part of the program share their highlights and insights about why the program is so special.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp hears about the exceptional developments in the Roxbury High School Physical Education program from Mr. Mason, Ms. Reiser, Mr. Monaco, and Mr. Trotter. With so many amazing things happening, it is no wonder they are constantly visited by other districts seeking to emulate their work.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp has the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Shari Castelli, MCVSD Acting Superintendent of Schools, and Mr. Richard Hayzler, Pequannock High School Principal about the power of partnering with Morris County Vocational School District. Both Roxbury and Pequannock have incredibly strong partnerships with MCVSD where students are provided unique access to career pathways and authentic learning experiences.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp talks about Roxbury High School's Roxbotix team. He has the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Taylor, team coach, and five of the Roxbotix Executive Board. What this team has and continues to accomplish is nothing short of impressive. It is clear that comrade and ingenuity are hallmarks of this organization. https://www.facebook.com/team4361/

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the commitment to safety protocols and instruction as a part of the Structural Design and Fabrication program with Mr. Caccavale and a few of his students. This instruction includes all students earning an industry recognized credential, OSHA 10 certification.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the recalibration of Online Skills at EMS into EMS Seminar to address the need for explicit instruction pertaining to executive functioning skills. Mrs. Hubbard worked over the summer to deign the instructional sequence and materials to meet the needs of EMS students. Hear all about the course from Mrs. Hubbard and three of her students.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses how the IPASS initiative at Lincoln Roosevelt School makes it such an amazing place to teach, learn, and grow with Dr. Zegar, Ms. DelRusso, Ms. Urban, and two students. Their positive approach to building school culture and developing amazing students is a definite reflection of many of the most important growth experiences for young people.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Caccavale talk about Roxbury High School's third house build in partnership with the Greater Middlesex and Morris Habitat for Humanity with a few Structural Design and Fabrication students. The student share their learning experience as well as their reasons for taking the class. They reflect on the importance of the relationships that are also being built!

In this episode,Dr. Seipp discusses the importance of considering learning as a journey with the seventh grade math team, Ms. Gallo, Mrs. Jameson, and Ms. Richardson, as well as two students. In this conversation, we talk about the importance of equity and confidence building within the assessment structure.

In this episdoe, Dr. Seipp, Mr. Mawn, Mr. Geary, and Ms. Fagan discuss Roxbury High School's recent procedural adjustment to remove cell phones from all instructional time. Three students join the conversation to share the student perspective. Cell phone use in schools has come under extensive examination recently and its presence is being carefully considered by schools all over the state and country in order to better support student learning and mental health.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp sits down with Mr. Crispino, Mr. Mawn, and Ms. Posbergh, the new leadership team at Roxbury High School. They discuss the opening of the school year as well as the vision and goals of this exciting new team.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses a new program initiative that will be implemented at all K - 4 schools this year, the inclusion of a What I Need (WIN) period, with Mrs. Maurer, Mrs. McInnes, Mrs. Rex, Mrs. Cosgrove, and Mrs. Acevedo. This period will allow teachers across a grade level to work with targeted groups of students in a wide variety of ways. The entire grade level will be in WIN period together so no one will miss anything new during this time and it will be coordinated by all grade level teachers in the school. It represents the perfect balance of harnessing teacher strengths and collaboration with a focus on meeting individual and small groups of students' learning targets.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Mrs. Maurer, and Mr. Schmidt discuss the district's exciting new partnership with Link It. They welcome the district's Account Manager, Gerard Marrone to share his expertise as he works directly with Roxbury staff to roll out this new program. Link It will provide the district with new ways to harvest data and use that data to develop student profiles and learning plans, but also allows the district to administer NJSLA predictive and aligned benchmark assessments.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the tremendous value of the SAIL Summer Academy with the program coordinator and ELA Supervisor, Mrs. Maurer, as well as two teachers, Mrs. Renn and Mrs. Rusbach. They share their work to provide an impactful program that supports student learning and also enhances students, self image as a student.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Mr. Trokan, and Mr. Schmidt discuss the impact of the new information literacy legislation and subsequent NJDOE guidance. They talk about the measure the district already took prior to this requirement as well as what the next steps look like in our school and in the educational landscape.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the growing concern over chronic absenteeism with Dr. Zegar, and Dr. Matthew Murphy. They discuss the importance of attending school regularly as well as strategies that schools can take to support students with attendance.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp hosts a few students and a teacher who have earned the distinction of being an Eagle Scout. They talk about how this accomplishment and the journey toward earning it has impacted them and also how the principles they learn along the way closely mirror the core elements of Roxbury's Portrait of a Graduate.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Caccavale discuss the exciting opportunity that was afforded to RHS Seniors in the SDF class to go on-site to help volunteers from Morris Habitat for Humanity as the house they built in Structural Design and Fabrication have the finishing touches put on it so a family can move in soon. These seniors and some of their classmates spent the better part of their last month working on location to ensure the house is ready for the family.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Mr. Caccavale, Mr. Fiscina, Mr. Mawn, Mr. Taylor, Dr. Gottfried, and a student discuss Roxbury High School's recent recognition as a STEM School of Excellence by ITEEA...a very prestigious designation with Kelly Dooley, Executive Director of ITEEA. This award required the diligent work of many staff and students and we could not be more proud to have been recognized for their extraordinary efforts! Listen in to learn more about the award as well as those who have contributed to our programs.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Trokan talk with Mrs. Hamade, Ms. DeMaio (VP of TEEEM) as well as a few students about the district's partnership with TEEEM and FDU. This special dual enrollment program with FDU allows students an opportunity to deeply investigate world issues that they care about and actually work to design solutions.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the Band program at RHS with Mr. Conrad and some music students. They talk about the accomplishments of the band program, but more importantly about the environment that supports the students as musicians, but also in their many other ventures. In an era where students time is often at a premium, the music program has figured out how to support students' success in a variety of areas.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the RHS Journalism program with Mrs. Santora and four of its leading members. They talk about the Journalism program as well as some of their operational protocols to ensure that they produce the highest quality work. This is truly an incredible career-oriented program!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp talks with Mr. Pitzer, Mr. Hellner, and a few students about the newly formed eSports team at Roxbury High School. This team has taken off and has tons of student interest. This program is just one more example of Roxbury working to design and implement opportunities that match students' interests.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp has the pleasure of speaking with a cadre of Tomorrow's Teachers students and their teacher, Mrs. Burleigh. Tomorrow's Teachers is a dual enrollment program with Kean University that supports students who want to enter the teaching profession with real-time experience in a variety of settings while they are enrolled at Roxbury High School. Hear about this amazing program from tomorrow's teachers!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Argenziano discuss the importance and value of standardized testing. Yes, it is a requirement and provides the district with incredibly valuable data that supports learning, but more importantly than that it is an amazing opportunity for us to celebrate all the hard work that our teachers and students do all year long. In Roxbury, we are fortunate to have exceptional teachers, and student participation to the very best of their ability is one of the best ways to honor the commitment of their amazing teachers!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the expansion of the Computer Science program at Roxbury High School with Mr. Hayden, Mr. Fiscina, and some students. Given the changing professional landscape in technology, Roxbury High School has made a commitment to ensuring that students have opportunities to explore this learning space to support their future aspirations.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Bischoff speak with two students about the growth of the Sports Media Marketing program at Roxbury High School. This cross-curricular opportunity provides students with a wide variety of professional opportunities and unbridled agency. Mr. Bischoff has designed an opportunity where students can lead the athletic publishing efforts both in the school and through social media.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the power of professional partnerships with Dr. LeeAnn Jung, Lead Inclusion, and Dr. Beth Fisher, Principal Bernardo Yorba MS. The three talk about the importance of matching school goals and needs with professional learning partnerships to implement an action plan for sustained support and improvement on a large scale.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses a very exciting social studies initiative, The DBQ Project, with Mr. Torkan, Mr. Tomasheski, and Mr. Iturralde. These three social studies educators have used the DBQ Project to support high-quality learning through critical analysis of text and student-led dialogue.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the growth of the RHS Bowling program with three bowlers and their coach, Mr. Kevin Cantwell. The group discusses the growth and expansion of the team as well as their success this year, culminating as Morris County Champions, which is an incredible achievement. They also talk about goals for next year to keep the success going.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp and Mr. Trokan talk about the "superpower" of being biliterate with three high school students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy. Mr. Trokan and the students tell the story of their lived experience and how being multilingual has benefited them now and their plans for the future.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the power of teacher collaboration with the third grade team from Franklin Elementary School, Mr. Allison, Mrs. Mason, and Mr. Lane. The team shares how they have come to embrace such a strong partnership as well as the benefits of their incredible collaborative approach to planning, teaching, and reflecting. When time is such a commodity, listen to this episode to hear how collaboration with trusted, hard-working colleagues might prove to be a huge part of the answer.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the district's extensive plans to celebrate Read Across America and SEL Week with Ms. Bellardino, Ms. McInnes, Mrs. DiLorenzo, and Mrs. LaCosta. These three along with many other colleagues have planned an array of experiences for students and staff to celebrate both weeks simultaneously. Their efforts are further evidence that the district works hard to support all aspects of learning and reaching every student.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Mr. Mawn, and Mr. Caccavale talk with representatives from Ferguson and Explore the Trades talk about their partnership as well as how comprehensive schools work with organizations like these to ensure equitable access to vocational learning experiences for students. These experiences open up minds to a wide variety of potential career opportunities that otherwise would not be available to them.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses an exciting learning collaboration at EMS, the AmeriCorps Watershed Project with Mr. Mawn, the Science Supervisor, Mr. Tatarka, Mr. Zavala, Mrs. Blewitt, EMS science teachers, and two EMS students. They discuss their experience learning alongside Chris, an AmeriCorps representative. Listen here to learn more about this exciting opportunity for our students.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed the evolution of Roxbury High School's award-winning literary magazine, "The Nightingale" with a past advisor, Mrs. Schmidt, a current advisor, Ms. Stellingwerf, and two current students. "The Nightingale" provides so much more than just authentic poems and pieces of writing from students...hear all about it in this episode!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp talks with Mr. Mawn, Mr. Caccavale, Mr. Martin, and two students about Roxbury's Structural Design and Fabrication program. This class partners with Morris Habitat for Humanity to build an entire modular home every two years from the ground up. Students talk about how this program has prepared them for life beyond RHS. This unique program offers students a unique learning experience rarely found in a comprehensive public high school.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Dr. Zegar, Ms. Folkers, and Ms. Redwood discuss the recent research surrounding the debunking of Gardner's Learning Styles and the importance of flexibility in the learning environment to support the strengths of all students.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed a refreshing new mindset in math instruction based on Peter Liljedahl's book, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics. A group of teachers and students from Eisenhower Middle School talk about their experience with this framework, specifically thin-slicing lessons, as well as successes with its overall implementation.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Dr. Zegar, and Ms. Bellardino take a deeper dive into what specifically MTSS Tier 1 and Tier 2 are as well as how students are supported in the MTSS structure. The discussion goes into detail about the tiers and strategies used to support students' growth.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Dr. Zegar, Ms. Bellardino, and Mr. Fiscina are joined by renowned educational thinker, Dr. Thomas Guskey. Dr. Guskey and our team discuss best practices in grade reporting and assessment, as well as strategies to transition grade reporting toward a more productive, transparent, and useful format where all stakeholders can gain insight into the learning process.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discussed planning the high school journey with Mr. Miller, Mrs. Mann, and Ms. Maher. They share the role the school counselors play in supporting students with the identification and pursuit of their goals and interests. They share how parents can be active participants in the planning of this journey as well as how both parents and counselors are part of a bigger collaboration with teachers, administration, and the students.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp discusses the amazing season that was just completed by the 2023 Marching Gaels with director, Mr. Sweer, and both Drum Majors. This was truly a remarkable season with a vision that has been years in the making. Hear all about the seasons as well as the amazing culture of our Marching Gaels!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Ms. Bellardino, Mrs. Blessing, and Mrs. McInnes discuss DIBELS 8, Tier I Universal Screener, and the associated data collection tool, mClass. The ISL Team at Franklin and Nixon has worked very hard to secure a grant in partnership with Rutgers University to pilot the implementation of this tool and prepare all K - 3 colleagues in all four schools for large-scale rollout. Listen in to learn some great strategies to support early readers!

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Dr. Zegar, Ms. Bellardino, and Mr. Fiscina discuss the updates to the district report cards as well as the rationale and research behind them, much of which was spearheaded by renowned educational leader and researcher, Dr. Thomas Guskey.

In this episode, Dr. Seipp, Dr. Santora, Dr. Zegar, and Ms. Bellardino discuss Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. They have an introductory conversation about what this is, how it fits into a modern school environment, and what parents can expect as a part of learning about how MTSS works to meet each student where they are and provide them with the appropriate level of support (behaviorally, academically, socially and/or emotionally).