Uncommon Schools North Star Academy gives all Newark students kindergarten readiness workbooks
Newark, NJ—Uncommon Schools North Star Academy and the Urban League of Essex County teamed up Thursday to provide pre-kindergarten readiness workbooks to every rising kindergartner in Newark.
Uncommon School North Star Academy announced that as part of its 20th anniversary it would donate the workbooks to encourage early literacy. The workbooks titled, “I’m Ready for Kindergarten,” are 160-pages designed to provide letter and number recognition and writing practice.
Juliana Worrell, assistant superintendent for Uncommon Schools, said the workbooks focus on important skills kindergarten students should know. Worrell said that an early literacy foundation leads to better educational outcomes during high school and when students move on to college.
“This book is a fun and rigorous way to ensure students entering kindergarten are ready to achieve and offers parents and guardians an opportunity to learn how to play a role in that development,” said Worrell.
The kindergarten readiness workbook is the latest example of North Star’s ongoing collaboration with Newark Public Schools. For the last several years, North Star has hosted workshops where North Star educators work side by side with Newark Public Schools educators on a variety of techniques and strategies that help all children achieve.
Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement that he was delighted that North Star Academy is involving itself in an early childhood development initiative in Newark affecting all of the city’s children.
“The workbook is more than a valuable education tool,” Baraka said. “It is also a symbol of what can happen when a community comes together and works collaboratively.”
Nana Ofusu-Amaah, executive director of Early Childhood Education with Newark Public Schools, said it is critical to give families of young children multiple resources to ensure that learning continues outside the classroom, especially during the summer months.
“Ensuring that children are prepared for kindergarten and beyond is a collaborative effort that we all must partake in, and we want to thank Uncommon Schools for this effort,” Ofusu-Amaah said.
The announcement was made at the Urban League Early Childhood Center on Central Avenue, where preschoolers were already working on their new readiness books. The Urban League and North Star Academy have collaborated on literacy promotion programs in the past, knowing that promoting literacy is a building block for healthy neighborhoods.
Vivian Cox Fraser, president and CEO of the Urban League of Essex County, said the organization was proud to partner with North Star Academy in supporting families in early literacy skills.
“Making this workbook available to every child in Newark is a big step in helping families,” said Fraser.
“Studies certainly show the importance of early childhood education on long-term success for children” Fraser said. “They are learning important social skills. They are learning foundational skills that will take them into their future. We’re so excited for this partnership.”
Darrin Sharif, program director of the Urban League, called the early childhood program the crown jewel of the Urban League. Its Early Childhood Center serves more than 100 students in two locations.
“I say it’s our crown jewel because it’s how we invest in these young people which will determine how they will go out into the world,” said Sharif.
West Ward Councilman Joseph McCallum, who taught sociology at Essex County College, stressed the importance of early socialization and foundational skills such as proper literacy skills.
“I think this goes a long way. We can’t do too much for our kids,” said McCallum, who spoke at the event. “As we get local control of the schools back this is just something else that will add to the kids really having a chance for going through college.”
McCallum said he is grateful for this partnership and what it will do for all the students of Newark.
“We believe in partnerships. I’m excited about the partnership with Uncommon Schools, with the Urban League, with Newark Public Schools,” said McCallum. “We’re moving the city forward based on partnerships. That’s the way it’s going to happen. I’m most happy it’s benefiting our kids, our young kids.”
State Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, the chair of the Senate Education Committee who has successfully advocated to expand preschool education, said a solid foundation is key to the long-term success of students.
“I applaud Uncommon Schools for its commitment not only to ensuring that its own students are prepared for kindergarten, but all students in our city,” Ruiz said.
Newly elected School Board Member Asia Norton said there is a genuine importance in laying a solid educational foundation at a young age.
“As a parent, as a teacher…I’ve been teaching kindergarten for six years. This event allows access to parents and students to be kindergarten ready,” said Norton, who attended the event. “There’s been times where I had kindergarten students that didn’t know their letters, that didn’t know their sounds… so we spent time learning those skills and that didn’t leave a lot of room to teach to make sure they are readers by the first grade. But this will allow for parents and guardians to work with their children over the summer so when they enter kindergarten they know foundational information so that the teacher is able to begin sight word and text pattern texts. This is highly important.”