1995 Annual Town Report - Peaslee School

Peaslee School Report

Donald R. Holm, Principal

Constructed in 1962, The Marguerite E, Peaslee School continues to excel in teaching and learning. For the children in grades K4 the instructional staff provides challenging and enticing opportunities for learning. Students are encouraged to interact socially, and building activities are often planned for peer exchange. The gracious support of parents provides the added dimension of curricula and extracurricular programs for the children and community. Our belief in high standards and expectations for students and programs provides a benchmark for the successful activation of plans that benefit student learning.

During the 1994/95 school year, the school, personnel, parents and students need to be recognized for several accomplishments at the Peaslee School. Most notable were the following programs: the quality and diversity of enrichment programs offered to the children; the after school program, which provided the majority of students in the school with a potpourri of after-school enrichment classes, from cooking to science; expertly managed by parent Eileen Paglia, the program continues to expand; Children's Book Week, facilitated by teacher Suzanne Loonie, encouraged purposeful interaction and involvement from over sixty school, town and community members. In the spring of 1995, the school initiated a discovery program on wetlands and undersea life. The project culminated in a week long celebration in which the school was transformed into a wetland and ocean. Students from classes acted as tour guides and presented detailed content about wetlands and oceans to their peers, parents and teachers. As the year concluded, the computer lab project, chaired by parent Lisa Cogswell, neared completion. Parents Judy Rapa and Pat Cumming fostered a partnership with the Bank of Boston. The banking activities rewarded the computer lab with five multi-media Macintosh Computers. During the months of July and August, the counters, electrical service and carpet were installed in the computer lab by parent "subcontractors" who dedicated many hours to what was only a dream a few years ago; parents continue to devote many hours to the management of the lab, and often visit the school on weekends for the purpose of maintaining networks and hardware. 1 express my gratitude to the teachers, parents, PTO, School Council and students for involvement and support of these and numerous projects that benefited the school and learning during the past year.

The 1995/96 school year began with a thematic unit designed for the whole school interaction. Entitled the "Invention Convention" the project engaged the school in purposeful interaction and problem solving. By promoting open-ended experiences, on inventions and creativity, the unit culminated in a showcase of inventions. The unit symbolized an adventure into a curriculum base: on problem solving, discovery and the application of key concepts. The school will complete several additional thematic units this year: Massachusetts, Diversity, Book Week and the Olympics.

The computer lab was made available for student use in September 1995. A technology subcommittee was established to manage the lab, select and purchase software and hardware, and train teachers and parents. The committee established short and long term visions for the computer lab. During the past months, teachers and parents have been trained on current software and offer small and whole group student interaction in the computer lab. Software and hardware decisions are integrated with the curriculum. Students use the technology for publishing, tutorials and data management. Children store their portfolios on disks. It is our belief that technology provides important tools for enriching the learning process.

"Educational Reform," a term defined by mandates from the Mass Department of Education, has established and validated several school and district initiatives. The School Council, consisting of parents, community representatives and teachers, facilitated a process that created a "School Improvement Plan." The 1995/96 "plan" defined four areas of growth for the school: Parent and Community; Staff Development and Curriculum and Instruction; and other areas, such as after-school programs, time and learning, and self esteem and conflict resolution. In the previous year, teachers and School Council members developed a plan with measurable objectives that would activate the "plan."

Parent and community volunteers created bridges between school, home and community for the purpose of improving the quality of relationships and achieving educational goals. We have enhanced parent involvement in the life of the school, and will continue to maintain a school environment characterized by tolerance and respect for all groups. Specific actions included an improvement in the level and quality of communication with parents and members of the community, through newsletters and an increased level of communication. In addition, we provided connections for members of the Chamber of Commerce and town government to work with our children on school programs such as the invention and Massachusetts thematic units.

Parents were also involved in conducting interactive science programs for the children in classrooms. We plan to continue to identify and utilize parents on our committees and in our classrooms for learning programs and projects in the future. The Parent Teacher Organization, PTO, was an active and vibrant mechanism for programming at the Peaslee School during the past year. Through creative fundraising, the group was able to support several enrichment programs, field trips, new playground equipment and numerous class projects and programs. The school is most appreciative of the work of the PTO, volunteers and parent committees that provide significant support and enrichment opportunities for the children at the Peaslee School.

Staff development is and will continue to be needed for the improvement of instructional skills and content. The school improvement plan specifically identified the need for staff development in the areas of writing, alternative assessment, technology, uses of manipulatives in math, science and social studies and Curriculum Frameworks. In addition, the school values "best practice" in instruction, and encourages teachers to engage in peer observance and modeling. Staff development occurred at the district level, through a system of professional days, and at the local level where teachers provided instruction for their peers. It is our belief that staff development must be designed to maximize the abilities of staff to link school and classroom improvement, increase collegial interaction and promote self-sufficiency of district-wide, school based and individual goals.

Finally, Curriculum and Instruction at Peaslee School are designed to improve the social and academic achievement of all students through increased creativity, motivation and aspirations for higher leaning. During the past year, the Curriculum Frameworks, Common Chapters and Guiding Principles were introduced and in some cases incorporated into the classroom instruction. Activities in this area included, grade level interaction, peer observance, thematic units, alternative assessment, and application of knowledge, Technology provided another tool for learning at all grade levels. It is our belief that purposeful interaction is a vital ingredient to student learning.

As time proceeds, the staff and students will continue to promote and model life-long learning through experiences in the school. We will constantly reach out to the world around, to the research, and to colleagues, with a determination that all students will succeed through high expectations and standards.