Remote learning presents a huge challenge for teachers, students, and families. The GFTC team and high school and college interns from Girls United for the Earth spent their summer vetting resources and creating content to make getting started a little easier for our community. The activity plans and associated resources you'll find linked here are aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and the Paterson Public Schools Grade 1 to Grade 8 curricula. We'll continue to add more content as we develop it. All student and parent resources are available in both English and Spanish. Many can be used with modifications across different grade bands. Scroll down to the section for your grade to get started!
RESOURCES BY GRADE
gRADES 1-3
Set remote learning classroom routines and dream big about your year as a classroom community!
learn the basics of being safe and kind online and understanding digital citizenship skills.
the presidential election this November is quickly approaching. Learn how voting works and why it is important!
get to know others in your classroom community, and understand the importance of our online identities and how we speak to one another online.
Learn about collaboration between citizens to improve their communities and reflect on your own experiences!
Understand the voting process and Learn to find solutions to community problems through remote collaboration with your peers!
grades 4-8
establish norms, get to know everyone in your classroom community, and learn the basics of digital tools you will be using for the upcoming school year!
learn to distinguish whether or not certain types of media use are healthy and the importance of maintaining a healthy media balance for overall well-being.
Train your observational eye, utilize photography to collect and analyze data, and creatively convey your findings in a song or poem!
Content for Grades 7+ is currently in production. Please check back soon for updates!
video resources & tutorials archive
Click below to find tutorial videos for a variety of digital learning tools in English and Spanish.
Our Mission & Philosophy
The Great Falls Teachers' Collaborative is comprised of current and former Paterson Public School teachers who are committed to creating culturally relevant, real life connected learning opportunities for all Paterson children, particularly in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) disciplines.
We believe every child can reason, create, analyze, problem solve and advocate. It is our job as educators and advocates to create the conditions that support success for every child.
"Graduating Every Paterson Child!"
Meet the Team!
Sarah sterling-laldee
Hello! My name is Sarah Sterling-Laldee. I am GFTC's creator and fearless facilitator. I taught middle school Science and Social Studies in the Paterson Public Schools for 14 years. I also served as Paterson's Supervisor of Science K-12. Now I serve in the same role for the New Brunswick Public Schools. Born and raised in Paterson, I'm fiercely proud of my city and work with the GFTC team to support staff, students, and their families to develop a deeper understanding and love of our city. I also facilitate Girls United for the Earth. This summer I read every book by Nnedi Orokafor-Mbachu. I love to travel near and far, dance, sing, and hike (preferably uphill).
nicole slota-terry
Hello, my name is Nicole Slota-Terry. I am 40 years-old and am currently working for Paterson Public Schools as a Math Interventionist in grades K-8. I am passionate about unleashing creative confidence for innovators and helping others develop their superpowers. An inter-cultural learning junkie and social justice advocate, I work to strengthen relationships and build equitable educational practices. Outside of the classroom I am an enthusiast of wild ideas, books (Haruki Murakami obsessed), tacos and travel. My happy place is deep in the woods with my wife, my cat and my yoga mat.
Norma Menchon
Hello! My name is Norma Menchon. I am 61 years old. It is my great privilege to work as a Second Grade Bilingual Teacher. My goal as a teacher is to help support my students academically and emotionally through these new times. With this in mind, I am determined to adapt to the changes education is presently experiencing. In my free time, I love to take long walks and enjoy the sights. I focus on nature and its beauty. Overall, trees are my weakness during my walks. I also love to travel within the United States and other countries. I hope to take many trips in the years to come. I enjoy visiting Europe, but I also want to head down to South America and visit Colombia and Peru.
Nakeia Wimberly
Hello! My name is Nakeia Wimberly. I’m a 40 year old lover of life and all of the adventures it brings my way. I’m currently a Teacher Coordinator of Science in the Paterson Public School District where I formerly worked as a teacher for 17 years. Creatively nurturing the minds of our future has been a lifelong passion of mine. I’ve recently unlocked a new passion for reading that has taken me on journeys where great discoveries have been made. When I am not working, I thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with family, expanding my musical pallet, frolicking in fashion and dining on fine cusine from different cultures.
Elizabeth Nunez
Hello! My name is Elizabeth Nunez. I am 29 years old. I am currently a Teacher Coordinator of Science in the Paterson Public Schools providing Instructional Coaching to K-5 Teachers, I love what I do. I consider myself to be a Lifelong Learner, always seeking to grow and develop while inspiring and helping others along the way. This is where the idea of Driven Dreamer came from, the way in which I choose to describe myself. Planes make me happy, traveling and learning about our world makes me smile, taking early morning walks with my Puppy Leah is always the perfect start to my day. This year has taught me the importance of self-care and mindfulness, the value in gracefully embracing change, and doing what we love, for me, that is, teaching.
Sofia Cangalaya
Hi! My name is Sofia Cangalaya. I am 16 years old, currently a Junior at International High School. My passions are to learn new things, especially science and new recipes. I love making crafts, baking and watching Formula 1 races every weekend. My current hobbies are listening to podcasts and learning more about chefs from different parts of the world. My favorite book is “Libro 1” by Ernesto Caripo. My ultimate goal for this year is to manage my time and travel next year.
stefany morales
Hello there! My name is Stefany Morales. I am a sixteen year old student at International High School. I am going into my junior year. My favorite books would have to be the Twilight Saga series, I absolutely love their movies as well! My life goal is to be happy and make my parents proud and to also pursue my dream career which is dentistry.
Josiah Johnson
Hey everyone! My name is Josiah Johnson. I am 22 years old, a college senior at Rutgers University-Newark majoring in Sociology and a Second Concentration in Pre-Health. My hobbies are reading (currently reading Hood Feminism), photography and exploring nature. My life goal is to bring joy to those around me, fulfill my purpose of taking care of people within the medical field & traveling.
satsuki villalona
Hi, my name Satsuki Villalona (Suki for short) and I am 19 years old. I am a college student and go to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing, New Jersey majoring in Biology. I am Dominican and Japanese and the youngest sibling of three. My favorite Disney movies are Lilo and Stitch and Moana. My favorite hobbies are to paint, hike, play sports and spend time with loved ones. I hope to pursue a career in the medical field in the future. My life goal is to leave a lasting impact on people’s lives and travel the world.
jennifer chumpitasi
Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am 19 years old. I am currently a sophomore at the Rutgers Business School and I enjoy doing outdoor activities, attending concerts and photography. Ultimately my life goal is happiness and one day working in either the entertainment or real estate industry.
nicole chumpitasi
Hello, my name is Nicole Chumpitasi and I am 18 years old. I am currently a freshman majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing at Montclair State University. I really love taking adventures to new places with family or friends. I also really enjoy nature, designing, traveling, and writing. My ultimate goal would be to pursue a career in advertising where I have both of my favorite passions which are communicating with others as well as creating things that I feel passionate about.
n'taaliyah banks
I’m N’taaliyah, and I’m an 18-year-old artist from Paterson. Currently, I am a second-year student at The College of New Jersey, where I’m studying Fine Arts and Music. My favorite things are drawing with pen & ink on Bristol paper and painting with watercolors, and this past year of college has been spent outside of my artistic comfort zone, which I think has been vital for my growth! Some of my hobbies include reading comics and novels, running around identifying and drawing/painting plants, writing, and playing video games. My favorite games of all time are Pokemon X and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. As for books, I am currently reading 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (a lovely novel, amongst a ton of guides for figure drawing and other art guides) and my all-time favorite series are the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu and Scott Pilgrim by Bryann Lee O’Malley. At some point in the near future, I'll be a college Professor of Art. I can say that my ultimate life goal is to travel the world with my friends while drawing, painting, designing, and playing drums in a progressive rock band.