The World Needs All Kinds of Minds

In honor of Autism Awareness month, I am sharing this You Tube video depicting famous people whom many believe had autism based on historical records about their life.  The range of their contributions clearly illustrate these quotes by Temple Grandin:
    

"The world needs all kinds of minds." 

"I am different, not less."

"We need to be developing kids' strengths."

  To view earlier posts about Temple Grandin and autism, 
follow the autism label link, on right, then scroll down.

"Light It Up Blue" Thanks to a gift from one of our preschoolers, the display case in our school lobby will feature blue lights during the month of April.  Blue lights are a reminder to us all to spread kindness, awareness, and understanding about autism. 

PRSD stars against bullying

Kudos to Pentucket High School 

for creating this amazing music video with an anti-bullying message!

This clip was posted on the Vimeo website, along with many others created by Pentucket students and staff members.  Footage from School Committee Meetings and past athletic events are also 

featured on the website at:  https://vimeo.com/prsd/videos.

Reading Tips from the 'Experts'

Research indicates math and reading skills can regress over the summer if children are not encouraged to read and practice math facts.  To provide Sweetsir parents with helpful information, our Title One teachers hosted a presentation at the Merrimac Public Library on  June 5th.  Ms. Toni Sabella and Ms. Emily Marsh gave an overview of the strategies we use in the classroom to help students learn to read.  Ms. Grimes showed parents the Every Day Math site they can access from home and provided tips on helping children master their math facts.  

Below are videos the Title One Teachers created for the presentation.  They feature the real 'experts'- some of our grade one and two super stars.  (To view videos of students explaining how to master math facts, follow the math label listed on the right).   

Reading Strategies 

First graders share tips with animal helpers.

Non-Fiction Text Features

Second graders share posters they created with text conventions.

Internet Safety Lesson

Ms. Sarah Angell, our School Counselor, visits k-2 classrooms every other week to provide guidance related lessons on topics such as friendship skills, conflict resolution, bullying prevention and personal safety.  She uses the Second Step Program, which is the curriculum used throughout the district, along with other resources.  Ms. Angell is currently teaching first and second graders about internet safety using a BrainpopJr video.  Brainpop is a website featuring these characters in short animated videos on a multitude of educational topics.  Many teachers use the clips as an activator to introduce lesson topics.  Although most of the site requires a subscription, there are a number of free videos worth viewing with your children.
BrainpopJr is geared for grades k-2 and the adjoining site, Brainpop, is more for grades 3-5.  I've embedded the 'free movie of the week' on the side bar of this blog.  Below is the link to the BrainpopJr movie on Internet Safety:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/artsandtechnology/technology/internetsafety/

Math Fact Power

On Wednesday, January 18th, students in grade 1 & 2 attended a school-wide assembly to kick off an exciting math initiative.  Two of our teachers dressed up as fact cards to amuse the audience and build excitement.  To help them master math facts, students received a set of triangle fact cards to take home and keep.  For the next month, they will be encouraged to keep track of time spent practicing with the cards.  We will tally up all the students "Math Power Hours"and tie them in with some fun school-wide celebrations!  Once we hit our first goal, 140 hours, we will spin the spinner and determine the type of celebration.  Then we will start adding up hours for the next goal.  

For tips on how to use the cards, check out these videos featuring some of second graders:

Signing, Singing and Dancing at Recess

We recently purchased new supplies to 

add pizazz to indoor recess!  

Although we try to go outside for recess whenever possible, there are days when rain or freezing temperatures force us indoors.  Along with playing board games and coloring, k-2 students will now have an opportunity to sing and dance along with music/movement Cd's and videos. 

Since our school library books about American Sign Language are very popular, we decided to order a set of 'Signing Times' videos.  These videos feature singer Rachel Coleman who created the series after her daughter, Leah, was born deaf and she had a desire to build a community of children who could communicate with her child.  Each video features Rachel giving explicit instruction for signing several common words and incorporates them into a song.  Clips of children using the signs gives viewers a chance to follow along and practice.  Research indicates sign language is beneficial for children with all types of disabilities, including language delays and autism.  Our hope is that students will enjoy learning sign language and develop a greater appreciation for people with diverse needs.    

      

More snippets of 'Signing Times' videos can be found on You Tube.                                       

Morning Announcements

This week, schools across America celebrate 'Constitution Day.'  After months of debating and compromising, 39 of our forefathers signed the final draft of the Constitution into effect September 17, 1787.  The document still serves as the framework for our government.  To honor their contribution, all schools receiving federal funding are obligated to spend time providing lessons about the constitution on the anniversary date.

We begin each day at Sweetsir School reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.  A second grade student helped me make this video clip to show families the typical format of morning announcements. Beginning with grade two, students take turns each morning leading the student body in the pledge via the intercom.

Take a risk and try something new this year... and then share it!

As a Principal,  I've sent a welcome back letter to faculty members every August.  It's a way to reconnect and set a positive tone for the upcoming school year.  Since I am often encouraging faculty members to learn new skills and share with each other... I decided to practice what I preach.   This is my August welcome back message to the faculty...

Recently, I've noticed an incredible surge in the number of educational articles (along with blogs and tweets!) focused on the importance of bringing 'media literacy' into today's classrooms.  As educators, we have an obligation to be ongoing 'digital learners' to best prepare our students for tomorrow.  Effectively using current technologies is rapidly becoming an essential communication skill for all ages.  (Even my 74 year old aunt has learned to Skype to see a newborn grandchild living three states away).  This inspired me to explore how to use the camera lens on my new home computer.  Using the Tutor for iMovie 'll App I taught myself to create and edit a video.  The Internet is filled with so many free technology tools and how to guides.  On this page, I've started a list of Educator's Blogs as a resource for any parents and educators who might like to see what technologies other schools are using... reading them you can even learn to twitter, blog, skype, and create a prezi!  My favorite, The Classroom Chronicles, is written by a teacher who taught her colleagues a new tech skill each week... then she shared all of her lessons on-line!  Amazing.  I can't wait to share that site at our opening faculty meeting!

Loved this video!