Monson Public Schools

Annual Report 2007

 

The 2007 school year presented opportunities for change. We welcomed new School Committee members, a new elementary principal and a different technology model. We said goodbye to Glenn Coolong, our Technology Director, who had been an integral part of the Monson Public Schools over the last 15 years. Among his many accomplishments, Glenn is credited with equipping the Monson Public Schools, thereby affording students the opportunity to compete in the global marketplace.

 

The other Directors: Curriculum and Instruction, Pupil Services, as well as the principals have also had a busy year. Their reports, which follow, highlight some of their accomplishments throughout the past year.

 

Quarry Hill Community School – Grades K-4                   (Neil Gile, Principal)

 

Report Card Revisions

 

Grades Kindergarten through fourth grade have worked diligently during our last two faculty meetings to create rough draft report cards that best address the curriculum being taught at that specific grade level.  The process has been challenging and rewarding.  Deciding what information is relevant to parents, teachers and students is challenging to determine.  The success of this document is a true testament to the teachers focus and knowledge of the curriculum.  Teachers feel invested in the process because they are creating a meaningful document that reflects what the students are responsible for learning.  From this point on, as a committee, we look to create a document we can present to the school.  

 

Literacy Committee

 

The members of the committee have spent much time in the book room.  The book room is a room set up for the teachers to sign out books that are leveled for guided reading groups.  It has been a labor of love since its initial creation back several years.  We aim to complete this room and have it functioning by the year’s end.  Our next meeting will be spent experimenting with the check out system we have created.  Wish us luck! J

 

In addition, Ms. Maryanne Malinowski and the committee have spent a great deal of time evaluating literature series from Houghton Mifflin, Hartcourt and Scott Foresman.  Last week during the student half days, we met with the representatives from Hartcourt and Houghton Mifflin.  Both were very informative, and we look to hearing from Scott Foresman in the near future.  The teachers are energized by the thought of adopting a new series. 

 

 

 

 

PeAk Program

 

We continue to grow rapidly, which is correlated to the amazing and wonderful work being done in the PeAk room (also known as the room for children with autism.)  The program has been experiencing growing pains this year because of our enrollment increase.  With such increases, more demands have been placed on the staff; they have risen to the challenge.  We have a very diverse group of students ranging in need and age.  Regardless of age and need, the program is student specific and extremely individualized.  Students are experiencing success, both in the PeAk room and in the inclusion setting. 

 

Child Study Team (CST)

 

The Child Study Team is an opportunity for the teachers to meet as a grade level to collaborate and brainstorm student interventions.  Each morning from 8:25 to approximately 9:15, professionals meet to discuss concerns about students.  Teachers have been yearning for an opportunity to meet with administration and other professionals.  This is one of the ways in which we have been able to meet the teachers’ needs. 

 

Counseling Grant

 

Shortly after our return from winter break, we received word the federal government had allocated monies for schools in need of counseling services.  We immediately got to work proposing a plan of action.  Currently, the Advisory Counseling Committee is organizing the final draft of the grant proposal and creating surveys for faculty and parents.  We have been working quickly and efficiently to meet the fast approaching deadline.  We are feeling very optimistic about our chances and the opportunities that would be presented if we received funding for the grant.  It would be a very comprehensive guidance program that would address all students and their needs, both social/emotion and academic.  Bottom line, if we address the basic needs children have, the more prepared they will be for learning. 

 

MCAS

 

Teachers have had an opportunity to look at the 2007 MCAS scores, questions, and answers; all of which have been used to analyze the way in which we teach the frameworks.  The teachers use the data to create hypotheses regarding our performance.  From such analysis, we had realized significant trends.  For example, the vocabulary we use in the classroom is very different than the vocabulary found in the MCAS test.  From such revelations, we have created word walls, or banks, focused on terminology found on the MCAS test. 

 

Instructional Practices

 

Students here at QHCS are very fortunate to have the teachers they do.  Whether it is a general or special education teacher, they demonstrate a high level of individualized instruction.  The range of student learning is broad, and it takes much planning and preparation to address such a span.  At times this requires collaboration between the special education teachers and the general education teachers.  Special education continues to receive current educational training for working with students with disabilities.  Most recently, the team spent two mornings training for the Lindamood-Bell program that focuses on phonemic awareness.   

 

 

Granite Valley Middle School – Grades 5-8                          (Patricia Clem, Principal)

 

Significant Successes:

 

Granite Valley Middle School continues to be recognized as a premier middle level school in the state of Massachusetts.  We have received a renewal of our designation as a New England League of Middle Schools Spotlight School.  The visitors to our school have been positive in their review of our work, as we provide successful, appropriate middle level programs and practices to the young adolescents of Monson.

 

This year we joined in the national celebration of October, as the Month of the Young Adolescent, by being invited to the State House in Boston to meet personally with Governor Deval Patrick.  Anthony Fischetti and Scott Davis, along with their parents and several Granite Valley Middle School staff members, met with the Governor-to-be as he presented his proclamation that October was designated as Month of the Young Adolescent in Massachusetts.  Our School Committee also provided us with a proclamation while we had community members and other visitors to our school on Shadow Day in November.

 

Our interdisciplinary teaching teams offer a variety of opportunities for students to extend their learning outside of our classroom walls with curriculum-relevant field trips to Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.  The grade seven team also sponsored an overnight team building trip to Becket, MA, where students in advisory groups worked on trust building and peer relationships. Our school-wide advisory program remains strong and includes many community service projects that benefit the Monson community, as well as the Springfield area.

 

Many activities occur within the school day as well.  Some grade five students attended a workshop on homework with their parents and grade seven students participated in the annual Geography Bee.  All students had opportunities to participate in the PTSA Reflections contest, the state Fire Safety poster contest and the national Constitution Day celebration, while grades seven and eight students participated in math contests.

 

Before and after school activities were also offered this year. The Scantic Valley YMCA provides after school programs for our students and  Cheryl Clarke, our assistant principal, organized a Student Council.

 

Finally, our work in curriculum and instruction continued as we implemented the Read 180 program to help students boost their reading scores. We have established greater curriculum connections between the elementary and high school.  Our focus on math instruction remains at the forefront of our work as a school.    Our teachers meet daily in their interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss curriculum implementation and student assessment. 

 

We would like to thank our School Council for all their work in helping us to develop goals and activities, which support our students’ learning.

 

 

Monson High School – Grades 9-12                                        (James Peters, Principal)

 

The Monson High School year was highlighted by the official notification from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) regarding the school’s accreditation status.  The letter from NEASC Deputy Director, Janet Allison, opens with, “The Commission on Public Secondary Schools, at its September 30-October 1, 2007 meeting, reviewed the evaluation report from the recent visit to Monson High School and voted to award the school continued accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.” This paragraph is followed by a lengthy list of commendations and noteworthy school programs and services.  The letter concludes with a summary of highlighted recommendations to be addressed through the prescribed “Follow-up Process” including a Special Progress Report (Fall, 2008); the Two-Year Progress Report (Fall, 2009); and the Five-Year Progress Report (Fall, 2012).  This notification was preceded weeks earlier by the school’s receipt of the official “NEASC Report of the Visiting Team”, the fifty-five page document written as a response to the March 11-14, 2007 visit by a twelve member NEASC team consisting of administrators and teachers from across the New England region.  Copies of this report are available for public review from the Town Offices and the Monson Free Library.  The MHS staff is applauded for the magnificent efforts put forth in completing nearly four years of work in preparation for the NEASC visit.  Principal, James Peters, wishes to extend a sincere thank you to the countless students, parents, and community members who also assisted in countless ways.  Continued school accreditation is vitally important to the community and our high school graduates.

 

The rich tradition of MHS Senior Week activities continued in 2007, culminating with the June 2nd graduation ceremony held in the warm, yet friendly, confines of the Michael J. Kane Gymnasium. The ninety-three graduates include a recent school history high - 94% of the students intend on pursuing their educations at either two or four-year colleges.  All class members earned the state’s competency determination on the mandated MCAS tests, with twenty-seven eligible for John and Abigail Adams Scholarships, an honor also based on grade 10 MCAS scores.  The Senior Awards and Scholarship Night saw the presentation of $64,950 in local scholarship money, including $13,500 from the Town of Monson Scholarship Fund.

 

Celebration of student achievement continues at MHS through numerous recognition programs.  Nineteen new inductees were honored at the annual March induction ceremony for the Henry O. Holley Chapter of the National Honor Society.  Nearly one-third of the underclassmen were recognized at the fifteenth annual Grade 9-11 Awards Program, including eight members of the junior class selected as book award recipients from various select colleges.

 

The Fall Academic Awards Program recognized eighty returning students for earning honor roll status for each of the four marking terms during the 2006-2007school year.  A revised Student of the Month Program was well received by students and parents, now designed to honor six students per month.  The Renaissance Program, supported by a large number of local businesses, provides discounts and other incentives to qualifying students on a quarterly basis.

 

MHS student success stories extended into the world of co-curricular endeavors.  Although the athletic program could not boast of any league or Western Massachusetts team championships in 2007, an impressive twelve of the thirteen varsity programs qualified for post season tournament play.  Significant individual student-athlete accomplishments and honors were many in number, but two are deserving of special acknowledgement.  Freshmen swimmer Kellie Pennington earned the state division 2 title in the 50 freestyle, while senior track and field standout Dennis Kane became the school’s first individual all-state (all divisions) champion by garnering the gold medal in the 300 meter hurdles at the spring championship meet.  In the realm of academic competitions, MHS again competed in numerous areas, as the Debate Society, Math Team, Schools-Match-Wits Team, and the Envirothon Action Team all represented our school in positive ways.  MHS students also were recognized as all-state artists and musicians, along with essay contest honorees.

 

Noteworthy MHS faculty news from 2007 was highlighted by the retirement of two long-term and devoted teachers, Ronald Lemanski (Technology) and William Devine (Art).  Mr. Devine’s additional service as a coach of three varsity athletic programs was recognized by the Monson School Committee through the naming of the school district’s track and field complex in his honor.  As part of Teacher Appreciation Week festivities, Robert Bardwell (Director of Guidance) was named the MHS Distinguished Service Award recipient.

 

 

Pupil Services                                                                          (Denise Messina, Director)

 

As Director of Pupil Services, and with the support of our Pupil Services Administrative Assistant, I have worked closely with the building principals on numerous district and school pupil service initiatives. These have included the establishment of district summer programming for Individual Education Plan (IEP) extended year services and MCAS support for elementary and middle school students in the warning category, and an inclusive concurrent enrollment partnership with a community college for our non-college bound students on IEPs. Decreasing our contracted services by expanding salaried providers, establishing a substantially separate, low incidence classroom at the middle school, the hiring of Certified Nursing Assistants for our medically dependent and fragile students and institutionalizing periodic interdisciplinary consultation meetings for our intensive needs students, are all fiscally responsible efforts which have supported students remaining in the least restrictive environment. We have positioned and profiled our QHCS autism program (PeAk) to be well recognized in the region. Expansion of the program has allowed us to tuition in students. 

 

As Director of Pupil Services, I typically attend initial and 3 year reevaluation meetings, as well as any of our complicated cases and out-of-district placements. Quarry Hill Community School (QHCS), as our largest and most complex school, houses our preschool, our PeAk autism program and our K - 4th grade classes. By the nature of the population, the school generates the most initial evaluation referrals and initial eligibility to special education. Most recently, we have institutionalized grade level Child Study Teams at QHCS, an effort which the school has struggled to implement for years.  Pupil Services has made a school psychologist available at every meeting.  The vast majority of our IEP students are in inclusion settings for the major portion of their day. QHCS also services students who have multiple disabilities with complex health and education needs.  In addition to the full complement of grade level and inclusion / resource room special education teachers, pupil service and related services staff are housed at QHCS. This includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Services, a Behavioral Specialist and numerous Educational Support Professionals. In addition, at QHCS, there are several contracted service providers and consultants who collaborate and assist in the support and educational programming for our intensive needs students. 

 

Parent Advisory Council (PAC) has continued to be an active force under the leadership of our PAC President.  PAC has a link to a PAC website from the district website, a listserve group and a newsletter, and has planned for several informative workshops for parents.  In December, Pupil Services co-sponsored with PAC a National Inclusive Schools Week (inclusion tips provided to all staff each day of the week, PAC newsletter distributed, principals highlighting inclusive school practices to school committee, QHCS assembly by Shriners Hospital, among other planned events). This year, we expanded this week to a District National Inclusive Schools Month. 

 

Pupil Services has institutionalized district Special Education monthly meetings, and monthly meetings for Special Education coaches and Special Education TLC Team Leaders.  In district, professional development workshops on special education topics have been provided to our teachers and support professionals. Our Pupil Service office has coordinated the mandated Department of Education Pre-school Data Collection (Indicator 7), and will be preparing to coordinate our mid-cycle review in April.  Working collaboratively with staff and district leadership, we have developed and / or clarified much needed school protocol and procedures related to pupil services and special education.

 

Curriculum and Instruction                                     (Maryanne Malinowski, Director)

 

Professional Development Day – October 19, 2007

 

On Friday, October 19th, all teachers, educational support professionals (ESPs), and administrators began the professional development day together at Granite Valley Middle School.  Then, both general and special education teachers broke into small groups to begin curriculum discussions.

 

Teachers met in grade span groups of grades PreK-2, 3-6, 7-10 and 10-12. Discussion centered around a review of the curriculum maps for each grade span and the identification of knowledge students should have prior to entering and upon entering each course/grade. Teachers also focused on gaps, overlaps and depth of knowledge in each map.

 

During the time that teachers were meeting, the ESPs met with the Pupil Service Providers, including the School Psychologist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist. Each provider gave an overview of what services they provide and what those services may look like for students.

 

After lunch, all staff broke into one of four core subject groups: Math, Science, Social Studies or English Language Arts. During this time, everyone shared what they had discussed and discovered in their small morning groups. Each group then presented to the entire district at least three recommendations for next steps as the district moves forward.

 

Beginning Teacher Induction Program

 

In October 2007, and January 2008, the 14 teachers who are new to the district took part in the first segments of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program.

Teachers spend the morning portion of the program observing another colleague or program, as arranged in conjunction with their building principal. Everyone then meets back at Hillside for lunch and a sharing of thoughts, reflections and ideas from their morning experience.

 

The afternoon sessions have centered on topics such as Differentiated Instruction (instruction where teachers create lessons that actively address academic diversity in positive and productive ways) and Special Education.

 

Conclusion

 

As we look forward to the 2008 school year, the Monson Public Schools and the School Committee remain united in our commitment to embrace change. We believe that change presents opportunity, and opportunity is encouraging on all levels.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Maryanne Malinowski

Acting Superintendent of Schools