November Superintendent's Spotlight

Superintendent's Spotlight

November 2024

Superintendent's Update

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support of our schools and programs. We are grateful and appreciative of our DLC school community and DLC staff who work so hard to create positive, productive, and nurturing learning environments for our students. We are also grateful for all of our MUJC staff, including Transportation staff who ensure safe and trustworthy transportation services to our member districts. A huge thank you to our entire Property Services staff who work around the clock to ensure our buildings are beautiful, safe, and secure. We continue to be so appreciative to all the support staff in our central office and all locations who make everything go so positively and smoothly. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you, everyone!

DLC News You Can Use

Evening In-Person Parent/Admin Chat at MUJC Professional Development Center

Please join us on Monday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m. for the MUJC’s Annual Parent/Admin Chat in-person with our special guest, MUJC Board of Education’s President, Dr. Matthew Spelker. DLC Principals and MUJC Administration will also be in attendance to discuss DLC initiatives and events and answer parent questions. Our Parent/Admin Chat will be held in the MUJC Professional Development Center at 340 Central Avenue, New Providence. We look forward to seeing you!

DLC Spirit Day

Our next DLC Spirit Day will be held on Tuesday, November 5. Wear your DLC spiritwear or the color blue to show your school spirit! Spirit days for the rest of the school year are December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4, April 8, May 6, and June 3.

DLC- New Providence

Election Day

DLC - New Providence students will learn about Election Day on Tuesday, November 5. They will participate in a voting activity in which they will vote for a special movie they would like to watch on November 15.

Salt Brook School Visit

Students from Salt Brook School in New Providence will visit DLC - New Providence on November 5 to participate in STEAM challenges with our students. This is sure to be an exciting day for students from both schools!

World Kindness Week

The week of November 11 is designated as World Kindness Week. On Monday, November 11, students can wear yellow to represent World Kindness. Throughout the week, DLC - New Providence will have school-wide instruction and activities focusing on being kind to friends and acts of kindness.

Parent Conferences

Parent Conferences will take place in person at DLC - New Providence on Thursday, November 14. Students will have an early dismissal at 12:45 p.m. and the DLC will offer child care for your DLC student during the 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. conferences. Conferences will be held between 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Please join your child’s teacher and staff for up to date information about your child's progress!

Thanksgiving Activities

During the week of November 28, students will have special lessons and activities about being thankful and classes will participate in related curriculum based events.

DLC – Warren

Election Day

Election Day will be taking place at DLC - Warren on Tuesday, November 5! Students will be voting on their favorite physical education activity which will then be the next unit to take place in DLC - Warren’s physical education classes!

Veterans Day

On Monday, November 11, classes at DLC - Warren will be provided with a variety of activities to participate in, all revolving around Veterans Day. Students will also create cards to send to local veterans as a token of appreciation for their service.

Parent Conferences

Parent Conferences will take place in person at DLC - Warren on Thursday, November 14. Students will have an early dismissal at 12:45 p.m. and we will offer child care for your DLC student for the 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. conferences. Conferences will be held between 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. and between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Additionally, there will be a Transition Fair from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. held in the upper level Atrium. Please join your child’s teacher and staff for up to date information about your child's progress!

Fabulous Features at the DLCs

Climate Conversation by Kim Spurlock, Supervisor, DLC - New Providence

On November 5, DLC - New Providence students will take part in a STEAM challenge focused on climate change and its connection to the arts. In mid-November, DLC - Warren students will participate in a STEAM challenge focused on climate change and its connection to the arts. Stay tuned for further details.

On November 22, some DLC - Warren students will take a trip to the Somerset County Environmental Center to learn about our keystone project, the Chestnut Tree. Students will learn the importance of trees and how they are impacted by Global Climate Change. Students will be involved with leaf collection and identification and will top off the day with a visit to the American Chestnut Grove at the Environmental Center. This is sure to be a fun day! Look for pictures on our social media!

Tech Tips by Evan Abramson, Director of Technology and Innovation

As we dive into the online world this month, it is important to create a safe digital environment for your child. Setting up a dedicated device or space for online activities can help establish boundaries. Using parental controls on devices like tablets and smartphones is also a great way to establish boundaries and keep your child safe. For example, both Apple and Android devices have built-in settings that allow parents to restrict content based on age. An example of an app that can be age restricted is YouTube.

Encourage open conversations about safeguarding your child’s privacy. Discuss why it’s crucial not to share personal information, such as addresses or phone numbers, with strangers online. An example of this could be setting rules such as not accepting friend requests from unknown individuals on social media.

Transition Talk

Guardianship

At age 18, all individuals, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, reach the legal age of majority. This means that a parent can no longer make decisions legally on behalf of their child unless the courts have granted a parent the right of legal guardianship over their child. Most people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities can manage their own affairs with assistance and guidance from others, such as family and friends. If guardianship is necessary, it should be tailored to the person’s needs. Families considering guardianship should learn more about all the options before making a final decision. Some families decide to hire a special needs attorney to assist them with the process. Other families may pursue the pro se option, which means without an attorney. The proposed guardian represents themself in court. Pro se forms and instructions can be found at www.njcourts.gov. Parents may reach out to the Bureau of Guardianship Services at the NJ Department of Human Services for assistance with the guardianship process. Whatever option a family may choose, the transition coordinators of the MUJC are always available to help! Families are encouraged to talk to either of the MUJC transition coordinators, Ray Colon (rcolon@mujc.org ) or Matt MacDougall (mmacdougall@mujc.org), with any questions or concerns about the guardianship process.

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