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!

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!