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!

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!