My Very Own Library Book Door Covers

My Very Own Library Book Door Covers

Thirteenth Avenue School has made increasing reading our school's goal and mission. We have already embarked upon a reading campaign that encourages students to read 25 books by the end of June 2012. We named this campaign the 25 Book Campaign. Reading 25 books will guarantee our students becoming a Millionaire of words. Students are keeping logs of their total books read monthly. Since we have committed ourselves to developing a love of reading a new door has been opened to assist our students with reaching their goal of reading 25 books. Thirteenth Avenue School is honored to be 1 of 8 Newark schools awarded the "My Very Own Library" reading donation. This literacy initiative allows every student in the school to receive 10 free books to begin their very own library at home. There are 3 book fairs held at the school where students can make their book selections. Students are allowed to receive 3 books at every book fair and the10th book will be given to every student for summer reading.




In celebration of receiving such a generous donation we thought it would be great to have a school wide reading activity. Thirteenth Avenue School decided to have every classroom and office door decorated of their favorite book. Students and staff members really enjoyed decorating and discussing their favorite books with one another. It's such a pleasure to engage in conversation about books. We had a literacy blast. We will continue to blast off into READING!!!! Every student will read 25 books or more...

A Season of Pumpkins

13^th Avenue’s Fall Festival

The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students got to experience a little bit of fall in our school garden. Located directly across the street, our garden was turned into a Pumpkin Patch, complete with a pumpkin for each child, scarecrows, and lots of leaves!  The children participated in learning activities that included tasting red, yellow, and green apples and charting their favorite apple on a graph, weighing and measuring pumpkins, and sorting fall leaves by color.  After all of these wonderful activities, the students then shared a special snack of pumpkin bread and apple juice.  All had a wonderful time!

We would like to extend a special thanks to the 13^th Avenue School PTA for their generosity with sponsoring this event.

Co-Location Meet & Greet and Open House!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 proved to validate the new spirit at the PRIDE of Newark. 13th Avenue’s community and parents rendered a 12-hour day into a matter of seconds.


At the end of a normal instructional day, co-located schools convened for their first Meet & Greet in the media center. Over dinner, the staff of Thirteenth Avenue School and North Star Charter School congregated as neighbors in their shared facility. Lively and spirited conversations covered broad landscapes of education reforms in 21st century America, serving up heaping mounds of philosophy, pedagogy, and best practices. This first co-location meet-up proved to be successful with requests by all for future collaborative engagements.

At 5 p.m., parents, students and staff were directed to our auditorium. Principal Mackey introduced herself, as well as, her administrative and instructional team, to parent and student applause. After the official greeting, Open House, our third event of the day, was underway.

In classrooms, parents met with teachers for classroom presentations which entailed snap-shot profiles of each child; a discussion on academic expectations, instructional rigor, student deportment, lines of communication and parental engagement; as the third leg of the stool to achieve desired outcomes.

Parents were also afforded opportunities to complete lunch applications online. For more information and details about lunch applications you are asked to contact Marian Hardy, Parent Liaison in person or at M2Hardy@NPS.K12.NJ.US .

By 7:00 p.m., the duration of the normal instructional day, the co-located Meet & Greet dinner, administrative introductions and Open House, had consumed more than 12 hours. For many, it rendered September 20, 2011 into a matter of seconds as the day’s end was rewarded by invaluable collegiality, parental partnering and inspired exhaustion.

The entire professional team at Thirteenth Avenue School is to be commended for their demonstrable commitment of service and renewed dedication to making 13th Avenue School the PRIDE of Newark.

Meet & Greet Principal Mackey

On the first Friday of the 2011-2012 School Year, our new principal met with parents.  The meeting was held in Cafe 13 where light  refreshments were served.  Principal Kimberly Mackey greeted each parent and was warmly received. 

An accomplished urban educator, Principal Mackey presented her understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly of our school; she detailed her vision for change and answered all parent questions. 

In an environment of rapid change where everyone is held accountable, in collaboration, we look forward to improved student academic achievement.

In an environment of rapid change where everyone is held accountable we look forward to improved student academic achievement.

Dance Theater of Harlem

Artist in Residence, The Dance Theater of Harlem graced Thirteenth Avenue School with a dance training-presentation on Friday June 10, 2011 in our Media Center.  Our dance teacher Ms. Nikia Neal selected two groups of students for this engagement.  One group represented primary and the other upper grade students.  Our Principal Mrs. Irby-Jackson and students demonstrated routines learned.  Parents applauded watching students being guided by professionals. 

Fathers in School

June 8, 2011 was Fathers in School at Thirteenth Avenue School. Fathers were welcomed by Principal Lynn Irby-Jackson and Vice-Principal Dr. Kriss Kemp-Graham. Breakfast was served in Café 13 and fathers were encouraged to get to know each other. Fathers were introduced to the organization, Fathers Now (Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers). All were asked to attend the Father’s conference on June 10, 2011 at NJIT. Information on summer programs, employment, lunch applications and SES procedures for the upcoming school year was also distributed.

Fathers spent time in the 3rd floor Computer Lab where Mrs. Marion Hardy, Parent Liaison, enabled web access to the Thirteenth Avenue School Home Page, Study Island online Language Arts Literacy program, and eBoards:


• Parent web eBoard portal containing district, school and personal resource informational tools.

• Student web eBoard portal containing ever expanding, safe instructional content.

Fathers in School ended with classroom visits where Fathers took pictures with their child.

Web Resources:

Thirteenth Avenue School’s Home Page: http://newarkpublicschools.schoolwires.net/13a/site/default.asp

Parent eBoard: http://tinyurl.com/3daok9f

Student eBoard:  http://tinyurl.com/3etfhoo