Hoops for Heart

 

 

Friday was an extremely fun day at Coolidge, with students raising money for heart health via Hoops for Heart!  Tournament play lasted for an hour and a half for each grade,with two teams per grade and gender moving on to the end of the day playoffs.

The last hour and a half of the day included the final games and honors, but it was also a time for other awards as well as a guest speaker.  One highly-coveted award was for Sportsmanship at each level.  In additoin, there was an award for the best uniforms, which is always fun!  This year's team uniforms included: suspenders, superman socks, bling, body art, Ninja Turtles, superheroes, suits, ties, funky tights (on boys as well as girls), and so much more!  We also had the pleasure of welcoming this year's highlighted visitor, 7-year-old, Zach, who had open heart surgery at the age of one day in order to put his improperly-developed arteries back into their proper places.  There he stood, as healthy as could be! He and his two sisters were some of the cutest guests we have ever had at an assembly!  Another highlight of the assembly was to  undestand that money raised for heart health not only benefits people beyond our walls, but it includes many within our community as well.  A couple of students and staff members were also celebrated at the assembly, which was a moving tribute!

Thanks to Mr. Huizenga and Mrs. Schiavo for organizing the event as well as to all of you who donated or supported this event.  Memories were certainly made!

MCAS, Illness, and Anxiety

The week at Coolidge was a busy one!  I will share two items from the week:

ELA MCAS

First of all, I was so proud with how the students did during the ELA MCAS!  They worked diligently, took it seriously, took their time, and handled the stress of standardized testing extremely well.  We appreciate the support from parents in terms of sending your students fed and rested and ready to test.  We also appreciate how you help your students balance the need to take the test seriously, yet not to the point of feeling tremendous stress.  This is a difficult balance for many students.  We saw a few signs of this stress at school, with students in tears when they didn't know all of the answers even though trying their best.  We reassured them that their effort is what counts!

ILLNESS

Secondly, I am not sure if the MCAS reduced the immune system of our students or if it was just a coincidence, but we had 31 students out on Friday with either a stomach bug or a fever/cough virus.  I am sitting with my own Coolidge child who now has the fever.  From his 6th grade perspective, I see that being sick is causing him anxiety.  He has homework he doesn't feel well enough to do (nor should he).  He knows that when absent tomorrow, he will miss more work and will have more homework.  All that work can be an overwhelming feeling for any student, especially if they feel too sick to do it.  I thought it might be timely to remind parents of what to do when your child is absent.

Absence Suggestions:
-First of all, I  want to remind parents that if your son/daughter is absent, you have the ability to request work when you call the absence in to the office.  If there is work that can be done at home without the student being present in class that day, the teacher will send the assignment home.  If there was learning in class that was critical in order to successfully complete an assignment, the teacher will often wait until the student returns in order to explain the material.  A parent can call the office at the end of the day to ask if work had been sent to the office, and if it has, it will be available for pickup.  If a student remains too sick to do that work, feel free to just let the teachers know in the form of an email or note.  Teachers are extremely understanding, yet communication is extremely helpful!
-Some teams have set up a defined expectation as to what to do if absent.  In 6th grade, the teachers have created forms for students to fill out to help them collect information as to work missed and to create a plan for making it up. The goal is to teach students how to advocate for themselves to collect work, and to support them with creating a plan for making up the work.
-In the higher grades, the responsibility of seeing teachers for missed work shifts to the student.  The #1 thing a student should remember is that it is the student's responsibility to see the teachers for what they missed.  This contact means a LOT to teachers, as it shows that the student cares about the work missed.  Teachers should not have to be the ones chasing the students about missed work.
-It also helps if a student come in a few minutes early to school when returning, as that gives the teachers time to focus on the student and the work rather than being asked during class.
-If a student says "Did I miss anything?", that is a bit frustrating for a teacher.  Of course something was missed!  :)  We try to coach them with this!
-In any grade or situation, it is important that the students know that their teams of teachers care about helping them structure their work, to be successful with the work, and to give the time they need to get it done properly.  While the extra work can be very stressful, the teachers are very reasonable as to giving time to get the work done.
-The worst thing a student can do is to ignore the days/work missed and to not see their teachers.  This means that the work will build up over time or will not earn any credit.  Those things are both much more stressful in the long run!
-Parents, feel free to let the team know if a student is feeling anxious, or if they need extra time or help on something due to an absence.  This type of communication is extremely helpful in coordination with the student seeing his/her teachers.

If you ever have any questions about missed work, feel free to contact the teachers and/or team leaders about policies, procedures, and expectations!

Stay healthy this week, Coolidge Community!  Perhaps if it ever warms up, and we get outdoors a bit more, these germs will clear out!

So Many Celebrations!

I would like to focus this week's blog post on two major events that happened in our community this week, of which I am extremely proud.

Celebration #1: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Visits Coolidge!

On Wednesday, March 12, Coolidge was honored to host a visit from the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.  As he arrived at Coolidge, he participated in a "Meet and Greet" with two Coolidge student representatives and various district and community leaders.  He then visited an 8th grade math class taught by Chris Friberg, where he engaged with students as they worked to complete a challenging math problem.  He then moved to the library where he was greeted by district teachers, administrators, community members, parents, school committee members, and students.  He then participated in a roundtable discussion, including special visitors such as the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Early Education and Care (and Reading resident) Tom Weber, and MTA President Paul Toner.  ELA teacher Laura Warren represented Coolidge at the round table, while Chris Friberg was asked some questions about math from her seat in the audience.  Secretary Duncan wanted to learn about Reading's educational initiatives as well as the challenges and successes we are facing in implementing those initiatives. The initiatives discussed included the implementation of the new math and literacy curriculum frameworks as well as how we need to teach students perseverance and "grit".  He commended Reading on being a place where collaboration and teamwork are the norm, where teachers are encouraged to try new things, and where students are supported in their learning.

Just as the district and community is extremely honored to have been hosting a visit from the Secretary of Education, Coolidge is also proud to have been chosen by the Secretary as the school to be visited.  An important takeaway for the entire school population has been a feeling of pride, as the Secretary's choice to visit Coolidge and Reading reflects on all of the excellent work that is being done by our educators and students.  We are all part of a school and a district that is considered at the forefront of education in a time when education is going through some rich and important changes.  As Secretary Duncan said in his parting words, it is sometimes difficult to be pioneers at the front of change.  Yet he thanked our district for being in that position, as it not only benefits our own student population, but it will benefit many students in many communities as they learn from our successes and challenges.

Celebration #2: Coolidge Science Olympiad Team Wins the State Tournament!

If I felt like a proud parent of 30 at the Science Olympiad Awards Ceremony (even though I wasn't actually the real parent of any of them!), I can only imagine how proud the actual parents of the students felt as the Coolidge team was announced as the MA Olympiad Champs!  Head Coach Karawan Meade was also extremely proud, and should feel that way of her own success as well.  Of the 23 events, Coolidge regulars earned eight 1st place awards, five 2nd place awards, and three 3rd place awards.  In addition, the alternate team won six 1st place awards, four 2nd place awards, and seven 3rd place awards.

As many of you know, being part of the Science Olympiad Team takes extreme time and dedication.  Early in the year, students commit to their team and their events.  Throughout the year, they work hard and have fun.  By putting in such time, effort, and passion, they rose to the top of what was the most well-attended MA Science Olympiad State Tournament in history!  The team requires tremendous support from coaches and parents.  Special thanks to parents Liz Rogers and Sergio Rotstein, who have organized the parent board in support of the team.  And thank you to the many coaches who help to guide and structure the learning, building, and modeling along the way.

The hard work and dedication continues as the team now focuses its attention on the 30th Annual National Olympiad Tournament, which will be held on May 16 & 17 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando!

Of special note, the team missed John McCarthy at this year's state tournament, who was home with an ailing back.  It was the first state tournament he missed in 22 years!  We look forward to having him back next year.  The students wrapped their first place trophy in a t-shirt that read "McCarthy Strong", which was extremely touching!

Memories Made? Check!

Well, Mother Nature sure likes to keep us on our toes this year!  And this past week's storm prior to the scheduled Olympiad Day was more of the same.  But in the end, she was unable to interrupt our day on Friday, and the Olympiad Day went off without a hitch!

This wonderful event could not have been possible without:

• John McCarthy and Jillian Schiavo, who organized the event on the school/teacher side, including all schedules, handouts, etc.,
• The teachers, who in many cases spend hours preparing for their event, and who this time had to really be flexible and accommodating, given the last-minute setup following the storm,
• Parent volunteers, who assist teachers with all that each even entails,
• PTO board member Jeanette Vigorito, who procured all of the supplies (and boiled dozens of eggs!), and who helped to organize parent volunteers,
• Support, office and custodial staff, who are busy working with students, organizing volunteers, setting up, breaking down, cleaning up, etc.
• The STUDENTS!  They were amazing!  They were cooperative, energetic, fun, and well behaved.  

One wonderful highlight was to have John McCarthy, beloved science teacher who has been on a medical leave, back in the building.  He was his usual self, radiating energy for this day, care for the students, and being helpful to all!  Team Gemini surprised him with by all wearing "McCarthy Strong" t-shirts.  It was a moving tribute to a man who has been organizing this event for years!

Below are some photographs that provide examples of what the day was like!

Middle School Memories

As a parent of a child who is now in the middle school, I feel comfortable reaching out to connect with parents about how things were "when we were in middle school", as I know many of us are of comparable age.  I hope I do not offend those of you who are much younger than I am by doing so!

I am sure I could write many a blog post about what it was like for me in middle school.  I could (and very well might) write posts about: trends (such as clothing) bullying; Jr. High vs. Middle School; boys and girls and relationships; suburbia vs. city vs. rural experiences; private vs. public.  And so on.  But for today, I am feeling reflective about those things that stick in our memories of our middle school experiences.  Take a moment to remember back to your middle school (or junior high) experience.  What memories first pop into your mind? (Pause to think....)

For each memory that we each now hold in our minds, I am sure they are equally different and diverse.  Yet I am certain that the one thing that connects these memories that we have (and what will also be true for the students of Coolidge) is that those things we remember most readily are moments of great feeling.  For some, these feelings might be painful, and so we relate our middle school experience to general unrest or pain or struggle.  For others, we might immediately recall memories filled with fun and happiness and connection, so remember our middle school experience as a good time.

Due to adolescence, hormones, and testing all sorts of boundaries, middle school is most often known as a time of struggle and development.  Memories of these struggles, and the twisted feelings that play into these memories, often dominate one's memories of middle school.  Many of the middle school experiences we had, most of which were likely positive, unfortunately become secondary memories to those experiences that brought us great feeling, and too often these feelings are ones of pain and struggle during middle school.

As a teacher, I wanted my class to be fun, positive, memorable, and applicable to real life.  Despite 180 days of class plans, assignments, projects, quizzes, and general teaching and learning, what did my students take away as memories of my class?  Edible cells.  Egg babies.  Games.  Times when I made jokes (such as pretending to eat an Owl Pellet, which was actually chocolate cake wrapped in aluminum foil).  Dissections.  I'm OK with that.  When class planning, I felt continually challenged to expand those learning experiences that connected to the emotions of students, and to therefore imprint on their memories.

And now, as a school leader, I think about how to maximize the positive memories (thereby feelings) that students take away from their middle school experience at a broader level.  I hope to continue to support teachers to make connections and to teach in a way that students make connections and have feelings during their experiences.  In addition, extracurricular experiences can help to form positive memories.  This could be in the form of a memorable guest speaker or assembly; scoring a winning basketball shot; acting in a theater production; or performing a concert on stage and listening to an audience clap with joy.  The opportunities in and out of the classroom are endless!

There are a few major events that happen during the school year that are Coolidge traditions; these are events that I KNOW students take away as middle school memories for their lifetimes, and are opportunities that as an administrator I now feel great responsibility to continue and to develop.  I can't speak enough about the importance of these traditions for the development of positive memories for students.  I therefore want to take a moment to acknowledge a few of these school-wide experiences (apologizing that I am not including all of the wonderful, memorable experiences that exist in our building), and to thank all of you who help to make these successes and memories possible:

Olympiad Day!
Hoops for Heart!
Greek Day (a 6th grade experience that the entire school helps to celebrate)
Field Day!

With "Wear Red Day" just behind us (to support the American Heart Association), and "Olympiad Day" just five days away, I feel that it is a week of memories made.  By coming together as a school to share a common cause, or common fun, we together create memories that will last a lifetime.  These are powerful opportunities for learning, for building communities, and for creating a positive middle school experience.

Thank you to students, teachers, staff, parents, and our community for helping to support our traditions, for encouraging us as we try to create new, positive memories, and for supporting the creative teaching and learning that we hope will stay with our students for a lifetime.  I do hope our students look back at their time here at Coolidge and immediately smile as the positive memories come flooding back!

Some photos from "Wear Red Day":