GOOGLE Gains Momentum in BBRSD!

A five-week workshop series on Google kicked off after school today at Boylston Elementary School.  Technology Integration Specialist Mike Belanger is facilitating the Wednesday sessions for staff members from all three schools.  "Awesome!" -  the word heard over and over again as participants discovered the many advantages of using Google in the classroom and beyond.  

Noted Literacy Specialist Sally Grimes Promotes Early Childhood Literacy

More than 35 parents, educators and community members attended last night's literacy event with Sally Grimes at Tahanto Regional Middle/High School.  Ms.  Grimes spoke about building a strong foundation in early childhood literacy and the important role that adults play in that process.

Ms.  Grimes has been working with PreK-2 teachers in Berlin and Boylston this fall on fundamental reading skills and strategies,  and supporting them in the implementation of the new core reading program. 

Many thanks to the parent-teacher organizations at each of our three schools and  Tahanto student volunteers for helping us at this event.  Our program will be airing on cable soon!

Garden Partners at the Central MA Grange

This past Tuesday evening, Berlin Memorial School third grade teacher Amy Donahoe and I visited members of the Central MA Grange for an update on our school garden projects.  Mrs. Donahoe shared the slideshow she had created that recorded the process and progress of the garden at BMS from seedlings to harvest time.  

The Grange has been one of our most active and generous community partners this past year, and we are grateful for all the support we have received.  The full Berlin-Boylston Garden Committee, with more than 27 members from our three schools and local growers and organizations, meets several times a year, and individual school garden committees meet as well.

Our next full meeting before the cold weather sets in will be Thursday, October 30th from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm in the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School multi-purpose room.  All are welcome!

If you would like to learn more about how you can help "grow" our gardens, please contact me at ccostello@bbrsd.org.

Teaching & Learning is a Collaborative Effort

Throughout the day, teachers meet to plan and discuss ways to improve instruction and provide their students with different ways to learn.  On this particular day, Speech Language Pathologist Mollee Nosek, joined teacher Jill Walton in her kindergarten classroom as part of a series of visits to strengthen phonemic awareness and visual learning for our youngest students.  We are always excited to see our children engaged in activities that promote their learning in fun and creative ways!

NEASC Visiting Team Greets Medford!

Greetings from Medford where I have been part of the New England Accreditation Committee visiting team since Sunday!  We have been busy preparing a report for Medford High School and Technical Vocational High School based on extensive interviews, observations, and data from staff, administrators, students, parents and community members.  The report will be used to assist the Committee in determining accreditation status for the school.  Tahanto Regional Middle/High School will be undergoing a similar review in fall 2016.