Hour of Code in Our Elementary Schools!

This blurb appeared on the Boylston Principal's Page this past Friday, however, students at both Boylston Elementary School AND Berlin Memorial School grades K-5 experiences a level of coding during technology time this past week. 

Last week, students across the world participated in An Hour Of Code!  Here is what Mr. Belanger had to say about the week:

"The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics." - Code.org Our district joined again for our second year in a row in ALL Elementary grade levels!! Making changes with technology will help improve our future for all ages!! So, what are you waiting for?? CODE!"

Coding teaches students planning and sequencing, it also supports mathematics while allowing another venue for student creativity. I'm so happy that we were able to once again participate and potentially inspire some future computer programmers.

A Cross-Curriculur Teaching & Learning Opportunity

I was walking through classrooms the other day and happened to notice this group of first graders from Mrs. Ellen Sabourin's class actively engaged in project-based work in the classroom.  Mrs. Sabourin explained that the students were combining their unit on the community in the Reading Wonders series with their Social Studies unit on mapping.  The students were drawing a map and using their imagination to tell a story about the characters and buildings located on each of the streets.  Much lively conversation was taking place while I was watching.  This is a perfect example of learning across the content areas.  Thanks, Mrs. Sabourin!

STEM Comes to Boylston Staff Meeting

The Boylston Elementary School staff meeting this past Monday, December 7th, hosted members of the Boylston S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) Committee, who spoke about the  work they are doing to support teachers in bringing their knowledge and expertise to the classrooms.  The members, all of whom work in STEM-related fields, also provided time for teachers to see what types of activities and presentations can be offered.

The STEM Committee members are also part of the larger district-wide STEM Advisory Board.  Our next meeting is this Monday, December 14th, at 7:00 pm in the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School multipurpose room.

Greetings!

Check out this photo from the Men's Breakfast in Boylston on Tuesday, December 1st.  Jeremiah Gallant, choral director from Tahanto, and Sarah Richards, choral director and music teacher from Berlin Memorial School and Boylston Elementary School, did a fabulous job conducting their students in a holiday performance and sing-along.  They even joined together in song for a few numbers!  We are so proud of our students and staff! 

S.T.E.M. Career Night Comes to Tahanto

On Thursday, October 8th, more than 31 presenters from the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics shared their knowledge and expertise with students in grades 5-12 at the first annual S.T.E.M event.  The turnout of students and their families was exceptional, and many of them gave high praise for the opportunity to begin thinking about college and career choices.  

During the evening, participants visited tables of engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses, biologists, researchers, physicists, chemists, scientists, gaming instructors, 3-D printmakers, and even a drone builder.  They asked questions and engaged in related activities.

Many thanks to all of the presenters who volunteered their time and expertise.  The S.T.E.M. Advisory Board would like to bring back the event next year.  I you are interested in participating, please email: ccostello@bbrsd.org.

Professional Development Afternoon Offered the Gift of Time to Teaching Staff

On Friday afternoon, September 4th, teaching staff members in all three Berlin-Boylston schools were busy with a variety of different studies.  At the Middle/High School, teachers focused on NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) documentation work for the upcoming school review in fall 2016.  Paraprofessionals learned to access Atlas-Rubicon for curriculum information from courses taught in the middle/high school.

At the elementary schools, the focus was on the Professional Learning Community model followed by time to review the new science curriculum and upload students into the Reading Wonders system.  Many of the paraprofessionals and support staff took advantage of time to learn more about Google from our technology integration specialist.

This time for collaboration is vital to the work being done by the teaching staff and administrators.  Our next Professional Development Day is scheduled for Friday, October 2nd and is a full day.

Read Any Good Books On Education Lately?

Greetings!

If you haven't had a chance to check out these books yet, I'd encourage you to consider reading:

1. Thanks for the Feedback, by Doug Stone and Sheila Heen - Understand the value of giving and receiving feedback from others, including employers and loved ones.


2. Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education, by Ken Robinson, Ph.d - Sir Ken is at it again, in the revolutionary book that challenges us to think about how we are educating our children and what we can (and should) be doing better.  A real 'thinker'.

3. The Smartest Kids in the World, and how they got that way, by Amanda Ripley - Who are the "smartest" kids in the world and how did they get that way?  What are countries around the world doing to make education their top priority and why are they doing so? Makes for a great book discussion.

 

Second Reading Wonders Leadership Retreat Brings Berlin-Boylston Elementary Teachers to Holy across

Teacher representatives from grades K-5, Special Education, and literacy attended the second of a two-part retreat sponsored by McGraw-Hill on Thursday, May14th to take a deeper dive into writing and assessment.  During the writing session, the teachers explored techniques, technologies, and time-savers all designed to create close reading opportunities that prepare learners to write about their reading. 

The teachers also looked at the thinking required by sample standards-based questions, the skills students need to thrive on standardized assessments such as PARCC, and the instruction needed to be provided to

students in order to support their reading and writing growth.  

The two teams will take back their learning from the day to colleagues in their respective buildings.

Project-Based Learning Takes seventh Graders to New Territories

Students from Noelle Perry's seventh grade science class presented to the STEM Advisory Board on Tuesday night.  Abigail West and Cara Lyons spoke about paired learning experiences, working through the engineering design process, and the final STEAM Fair that seventh graders held at Tahanto.  Not only was it a great opportunity to show off these amazing products, but to build community among students in the middle/high school as upper classmen came to support the middle schoolers.

STEM Leadership Team at WPI

The STEM Leadership Team is back at WPI today,, finalizing our plan for STEM implementation in the Berljn-Boylston Public Schools.  The team will make its final presentation to the full leadership group at the end of May and will be sharing the plan at our next STEM Advisory Board meeting on Tueaday, April 28th at 7:00 pm in the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School multipurpose room.  The plan will guide our goals and outcomes for the next several years, and provide progressive action steps for our staff and community volunteers.

One of our greatest takeaways of the day:  STEM is a state-of-mind.  It is about the continuous searching for new ideas, solving problems, adjusting perspectives, and sometimes even failing, only to try again.

(In the photo, Ben Milliner, assistant primcipal at Tahanto, meets the team engineering challenge and presents to the group).  

S.T.E.M. Resources for Educators

POSSIBLE RESOURCES FROM S.T.E.M.

Just wanted to share some resources with all of you from our most recent S.T.E.M. Leadership Team professional development day at W.P.I.  Pattie Romer, Bill Andrews, Rich Eiermann, Travis Perrett, John Campbell, Paul Goodhind, Ben Milliner, Paul Mara and I have been attending these sessions over the past year in conjunction with our work on the S.T.E.M. Committee and S.T.E.M. Advisory Board.  While the focus is obviously, S.T.E.M. related, there are many valuable opportunities and resources that are shared that you may want to consider using in your classrooms.

All the information and resources that were discussed  can be found on the program’s website, including access to some wonderful videos through PBS/WGBH.  Go to:
 http://stemfordl.wikispaces.com/February+Meeting+Materials

In addition, there is an upcoming opportunity that we just leanred about that will be held at W.P.I. on Friday, February 20th: A free workshop that focuses on practices that increase diversity in STEM. More information here: http://www.wpi.edu/academics/stem/pd-diversity-stem.htm

Thanks, and enjoy the week!
Carol Costello

 January 24, 2015

Greetings!

A number of parents have been asking about the testing windows for PARCC and MCAS  this coming spring.  PARCC includes two testing sessions, on that is called the Performance Based Assessments (PBA) and the other session is the End of Year assessments.  Both of these testing sessions include mathematics and ELA. 

Below is the testing window for each of our three schools: Tahanto (TAH), Berlin Memorial School (BMS), and Boylston Elementary School (BES).  These testing sessions are also listed on the district website under 'Curriculum'.

PARCC testing at each school is designed to span over a two-week period of time with the first week designated for the online testing component and the second week for make-ups as necessary.

Performance Based Assessment (PBA):

Testing Window:  March 16-April 10

TAH: Weeks of March 16^th -March 27^th  (includes ELA MCAS for Grade 10 on March 25, 26)

BES: Weeks of March 23d – April 2^nd

BMS: Weeks of March 30th – April 10^th

End-of-Year (EOY):

BMS: Weeks of May 3rd – May 15^th

BES: Weeks of May 11^th – May 22^nd

TAH: Weeks of May 18^th – May 29^th

MCAS Science/Engineering Grade 5

BES: May 5^th and May 6^th

BMS: May 19^th and May 20th

If you have any questions about PARCC, MCAS, or the testing windows, please do not hestitate to contact me at: ccostello@bbrsd.org.

Thank you,
Carol Costello
Director of Curriculum & Grants
Berlin-Boylston Public Schools

Professional Development Day for Berlin-Boylston Stafff

What do teachers do on Professional Development Day?  It's a question often asked.  The answer is participation in a tremendous amount of training  and collaborative planning.  Today, with a focus on technology and itts application in the classroom,our teachers, paraprofessionals, tutors and administrators  chose from a variety of offerings that included Google, STEM, interim assessments and progress monitoring, phonemic awareness,,Brain Gym, grade book, website design, IPad use in the classroom,  curriculum development and NEASC preparation.  Included are some photos from the day's workshops.  We are grateful for the time to learn and grow as professionals and to take our knowledge and skills back to  the classroom for the benefit of our children.

Teachers from elementary and middle school collaborate in the Engineering a Story workshop.

Wesley Swenson, Tahanto mathematics teacher, conducts a  workshop called "Clone Yourself in the Classroom."

January 11, 2015

 Grants for our Garden!    Tahanto Regional Middle/High School has been selected to receive a 2014 Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant in the amount of $4500 for our garden project.  The grant is provided by the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation.   Before the holidays, Tahanto also received a $500 grant from MA Agriculture in the Classroom.  These two grants will support the work of our students and teachers in expanding the garden as a learning environment and to grow fresh produce for our lunch program. 

S.T.E.M. Advisory Board Set for Another Meeting - Please join us for our next S.T.E.M. Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday, January 27th at 7:30 pm in the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School multipurpose room.  We are moving ahead with plans to bring events, lectures, internships, and other  exciting opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to our students in grades preK-12. 

Boylston Fourth Graders Rock the Invention Convention! - Speaking of S.T.E.M., the fourth graders at Boylston Elementary School held an impressive Invention Convention this past Friday afternoon.  The students designed and built unique, practical inventions that they displayed and demonstrated to an appreciative audience of students, parents, and staff.  The Convention exemplifies what students can do when given the opportunity to blend natural curiosity, creativity and the engineering process into a viable product for consumers.  Thanks to the students and their teachers for an outstanding event!