Student Life

All components of the GNCS program weave together to create a "culture of achievement." Great expectations are held for all students in area of academics and citizenship. GNCS students are expected to be great achievers and great community members. At GNCS, we believe we must all work together to achieve our dreams!

We expect GNCS graduates to exemplify the GNCS 5 Pillars which are:

1. What is your dream? - Students will demonstrate the motivation to learn by actively participating in their learning process of exploring, interacting, and making sense of their environment.

2. Think deeply - Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills and habits of mind to develop purposeful, reasoned, and goal-directed thinking in the development of being a life-long learner.

3. Be kind - Students will demonstrate life skills to promote self-responsibility, positive relationships, and respect for others in order to develop into a responsible citizen and human being.

4. Be organized - Students will demonstrate study skills and organization to achieve high performance in completing class objectives and expectations.

5. Be skillful (Mastery of skills) - Students will demonstrate a solid foundation of basic skill mastery.

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Learning & Teaching at GNCS

The GNCS core curriculum is designed to meet and exceed New Jersey State Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS). The rigorous curriculum includes the following:

Service Learning at GNCS

Service Learning is a teaching method that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to their schools and communities. Students apply academic skills to solving real-world issues, linking established learning objectives with genuine needs. They apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to concerns such as homelessness and hunger. Service Learning also helps young people develop a range of service skills, from acts of kindness and caring, to community stewardship, to civic action. The critical element is that they combine worthwhile service with well-defined educational objectives in an effort to be effective within their community in conjunction with developing the habits of citizenship and service. Dedicating time to give back to one’s community is an important and vital part of learning, maturing and developing as a citizen of the world and responsible human being. This project evolved from an idea to create service projects for the students that would enable them to give back to their community as well as to become aware of the organizations that help others within the Newark community and learn how to be effective change agents. The rigorous curriculum includes the following:

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Assessment at GNCS

GNCS is committed to data driven instruction. GNCS continually analyzes data about student achievement from several sources. Besides the state-mandated NJASK assessment for grades 5 through 8, GNCS relays heavily on "low-stakes" benchmark assessments to get more "real-time" data about student achievement against specific standards. GNCS administer 4 benchmark assessments in literacy, math, and science during each school year. Teachers analyze the data from these assessments to track student progress against specific standards. As a result, teachers are able to make necessary adjustments during the school year to meet the needs of all students. Along with these more traditional assessments, GNCS students are required to perform end-of-year milestones in each of their four core classes. The milestone requires students to exhibit understanding about a concept from each subject area they learned during the school year; thereby deepening their understanding of the concept. The following comprise the GNCS assessment program.

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Results

GNCS is committed to demonstrated results and accountability. See GNCS most recent results.

Staff

GNCS actively recruits highly qualified, talented, and passionate teachers and administrators.

Teachers at GNCS are active members of the school operation and culture; they are decision makers and leaders. GNCS teachers are not simply required to engage in collegial work, but are provided with the time and training necessary to work as teams to best serve every student.

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Extended Day & Extended Year GNCS operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Students are dismissed at 2:30 each Wednesday for staff members to attend weekly collaborative meetings. GNCS operates from the last week of August through the month of June. The extended-day and extended-year programs are integral components of each students learning experience.

Technology at GNCS GNCS is committed to building a state of the art technology infrastructure. The availability of technology in the classroom coupled with a faculty trained to guide students in its effective use produces an enriching and exciting academic environment where students can learn in a variety of ways. Our vision at GNCS is that the creative and appropriate use of a variety of technological tools will result in greater academic excellence for our students. Laptops for staff support planning, collaboration, assessment and more. An integral part of this technology is our wireless Internet access. All students have access to three mobile lab units.   Student Code of Conduct The GNCS Student Code of Conduct policy ensures all students are able to use each day to prepare for GREAT tomorrows! These procedures are devoted to foster fairness, equity, safety and respect for all students. We want students to initiate problem clarification and resolution, as well as accept responsibility for their own behavior. Our Student Code of Conduct is designed to maximize instructional time in which students are actively engaged in the learning community and working toward their dreams!

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