Update: September 19, 2017
Groundbreaking Ceremony
You're Invited! I'm excited to announce that the official groundbreaking for the Performing Arts Center is scheduled for Monday, October 2. Please join us as we celebrate this milestone.
Out and About on Campus
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| GMS 6-8 Principal Mar-E Trebilcock with students in the cafe |
I'm always amazed as I watch our food service employees manage to serve several hundred meals at each school in a timely fashion with a smile on their face as they greet each student who comes through the line. Our food service employees really are the best!
I was also able to visit Mrs. Fluet's 1st grade class as their VIP Guest. It's great to get into the classrooms, especially to meet some of our youngest learners. This visit was a Q & A with me. See their write up click here.
Open House/Parent Information Nights
Last week, Mabel Wilson School hosted their Open House and Family Cookout in one night. Over 500 people attended this annual tradition.
Last Parent Information Night is for Greely Middle School 6-8 which will be held on Tuesday, October 3 at 5:45pm.
Rippleffect Program
The Rippleffect Program for all 7th grade students finished up on Friday (9/15). This educational three day overnight program focuses on building leadership and coping skills for the entire seventh grade class at Greely Middle School. Students participate in a variety of teambuilding exercises, outdoor adventure activities and environmental educational activities on Cow Island in Casco Bay. We have been sending students to Rippleffect for a decade. It was again a successful and impactful program for all of our students. The gains in confidence and leadership are tremendous!
Enrollment at MSAD #51
A recent Portland Press Herald article published on September 5, included incorrect information about MSAD #51's enrollment. Specifically it references a study completed by Planning Decisions, that was completed for the district and our two towns. The article stated the study "predicts a continued decline in student enrollment over the next decade in the Cumberland-North Yarmouth school district, also known as SAD 51, unless more diverse housing options are created in the community," which is incorrect.
In fact, district enrollment is increasing and will continue to increase over the next 10 years, according to a major study completed by Planning Decisions in 2016. The biggest indicator of this new enrollment trend is enrollment increases at Mabel I. Wilson. Wilson School has seen an increase of nearly 70 students over the last two years, with three additional teachers.
Proficiency Primer
In fact, district enrollment is increasing and will continue to increase over the next 10 years, according to a major study completed by Planning Decisions in 2016. The biggest indicator of this new enrollment trend is enrollment increases at Mabel I. Wilson. Wilson School has seen an increase of nearly 70 students over the last two years, with three additional teachers.
Trees to Come Down Around Campus
Over the course of the next week or so, ten trees will be coming down around campus. Most of them are dead trees, hollow on the inside, that present a risk by leaving them standing. Additionally two other trees will also need to come down prior to the start of the construction for the performing arts center. These hardwood trees will be donated to the Cumberland Wood Bank to help families in need this winter. To learn more about the Cumberland Wood Bank, please click here. |
| Dead treet at MIW (l) and one of two trees to be removed in advance of the PAC project (r) |
Proficiency Primer
Over the next several blog posts, I'll be diving deeper into the major tenets of a proficiency-based
education. In my Parent Welcome Back Letter, I included some information about these tenets, in bullet points. This Proficiency Primer will give you more context to each of these bullet points.
#1: Being explicit and up-front about the Learning Targets
Also known as: "standards" or "outcomes"
I don't know about you, but when I was in school some of my teachers would keep what we were going to learn a mystery. I only knew what was being taught that day, in real time, and only on an as-needed basis. The tests and quizzes I took also were a mystery much of the time, not always assessing what I thought I had learned.
Today, we know this is not the best way to help students learn. The number #1 tenet of proficiency-based education is helping our students know what they are going to learn in advance of learning it. It sounds simple, and actually it is. It is our job as educators to be very clear about the intended standards, also known as learning targets or outcomes, so that students understand what is expected--and more importantly, what and why they are learning what is expected.
Learning standards typically are common to the grade level content area and/or course. In other words, standards are consistent from teacher to teacher who teach the same content. For example, if four teachers teach Algebra I at the high school, you can expect that the learning standards are the same in those four courses. Usually, students will find that there are a small number of targets to master as these are larger learning concepts and/or skills that serve as an umbrella and are critical for understanding.
Next blog: Clear assessments that align to the stated learning targets.
Also known as: "standards" or "outcomes"
I don't know about you, but when I was in school some of my teachers would keep what we were going to learn a mystery. I only knew what was being taught that day, in real time, and only on an as-needed basis. The tests and quizzes I took also were a mystery much of the time, not always assessing what I thought I had learned.
Today, we know this is not the best way to help students learn. The number #1 tenet of proficiency-based education is helping our students know what they are going to learn in advance of learning it. It sounds simple, and actually it is. It is our job as educators to be very clear about the intended standards, also known as learning targets or outcomes, so that students understand what is expected--and more importantly, what and why they are learning what is expected.
Learning standards typically are common to the grade level content area and/or course. In other words, standards are consistent from teacher to teacher who teach the same content. For example, if four teachers teach Algebra I at the high school, you can expect that the learning standards are the same in those four courses. Usually, students will find that there are a small number of targets to master as these are larger learning concepts and/or skills that serve as an umbrella and are critical for understanding.
Next blog: Clear assessments that align to the stated learning targets.