Careful the things you say...update!

...children will listen.

Careful the things you do.

Children will see and learn.

One of Stephen Sondheim's most poignant lyrics comes from INTO THE WOODS which is being presented tonight at 7:00  and tomorrow at 1:30 & 7:00 by Stony Brook Theater Arts.  It is an incredibly powerful cautionary tale using familiar fairy tale characters woven together in a story the reminds us to be careful what we wish for as it might certainly come true.  The musical complexity and richness of the lyrics make it one of the most difficult pieces in the Musical Theater genre and our students are wonderfully proud of the work they have been doing to bring this production to life.

This week I was able to enjoy watching many of our students participate in the Hour of Code as Mr. McElhinney and I made our regular tours through the building.  While the wifi is not always as fast as the students would like it to be, once they were connected and coding I did not hear any complaints and I was very impressed with the amount of code students were able to produce in such a short period of time.  They all have links to the Hour of Code sites that they can continue to access through a Google Classroom that Ms. Schultz established for the event.

Another treat during the week was participating in some of the 6th grade Social Studies projects as they are creating digital scrapbooks of their virtual trips to many of the countries they have been recently studying. I look forward to seeing the finished products to find out where I actually traveled :?)  

'Tis the Season...to notify families of our scheduled state assessments.  Please take a minute to access the letter from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kerry Clery regarding our decision to move towards the online version of Next Generation MCAS. Additionally, we have been randomly selected again to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the 2017 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey.  Both of the those assessments will be administered to a small group of students selected from our enrollment.  If your child is selected to participate, you will be notified with more information regarding the specific assessment and the date in which it will be administered.  While there is no process for students to opt out of MCAS sessions, both the NAEP and MYHS sessions are voluntary and students selected will have the opportunity to choose whether or not they participate.  Again, if your child is selected for either NAEP or MYHS you will be notified and provided with additional information.  For those of you paying attention, It is merely coincidence that this update began with a journey into the woods...

If you are looking for additional opportunities to enjoy student performances, the WA Winter Orchestra Concert is tonight at 7:00 pm.  You could listen to the orchestra tonight and come enjoy one of the performances of INTO THE WOODS tomorrow!

A reminder that next week's schedule is a bit different with the parent conferences.  Students have a 2.5 hour delayed start on Tuesday (12/13) with the morning bell ringing at 10:05 to start classes.  Wednesday (12/14) there is no school for students at all.

The Scholastic Book Fair has arrived and is set-up in our library and will be available for parents to visit during the conference hours this year!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Chris

Coding...an update. (Posted on SB Website 12/2/16)

While I would like to think of myself as a well educated individual, I often find myself saying, "what did that mean?" and look to see if I am being directed towards the proverbial doghouse.

Simply trying to follow a face to face conversation between a group of middle school students can leave us asking, "is that code for something?" Now, add the online conversations to the mix and it is clear that they often don't even know what they are saying to each other.  They need constant code breaking skills to navigate their own conversations.  While decoding the conversation is not always easy, the ability to have the conversations keeps students connected at all hours.  If you are looking for additional resources to help navigate your own options in regards to your children's online activity you might find ConnectSafely a useful site.

However, in the world of computer science, the term code brings on an entirely new significance, one of which most of our students are not yet aware.  

With that in mind...throughout the day next Wednesday, Stony Brook students will be participating in an Hour of Code as part of the National Computer Science Education Week .  According to their website, "The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify 'code', to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts (2016)." One of our goals this year involves increasing and embedding maker-centered learning environments throughout the building and in all content areas as best as we can; coding is very much part of that environment.  Mrs. Schultz, our Digital Learning Specialists, has spearheaded our involvement in the Hour of Code as additional support to all of the work that Mrs. Smith, our Librarian, is doing to provide opportunities for students to explore our Innovation Lab in the library (a.k.a. our MakerSpace).  By creating multiple opportunities for students and collaborating with teachers from various content areas and grade levels, these two teachers are actively supporting our students ability to access and explore our wide variety of technology resources on a regular basis.

The maker-centered learning has even spread to our administrative offices.  Towers, walls, parapets and even a bridge or two have been constructed out of the donated cans and various other non-perishable items filling our offices.  Most of the structures have been built and organized by the students, but admittedly I have taken some time to flip a few cans here and there to both upset the balance of colors and or to see how many people entering the office feel the need to organize labels in a specific order.  It's an interesting social experiment.  There is still time to donate to the cause...of supporting the Westford Food Pantry that is...not tormenting individuals with specific organizational talents.  The Student Council Can drive is running through Dec 16.  As of today, there is still room for me to sit in my office.  Just me, however, as the other chairs have all been filled with cans already which I can't say is a horrible problem.  The aroma developing in the office keeps transporting me back to my first job as a grocery clerk back in the day when we actually had to type numbers into a cash register...what a nightmare.

With that being said, please take an extra minute and read the messages below from our parent organizations and community partners, as well.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Chris

Canned Gratitude...update!

Well, actually my gratitude is fresh and organic...even if it seems to be fragranced with the most natural of fertilizers...

My office is getting very crowded but I can still manage to get to my desk.

Cans upon cans upon cans have crossed the threshold already and we are still early in the drive.  It warms my heart to see the students so genuinely interested in displacing me from my office.  I keep finding additional items in strategic places like my printer when I am trying to troubleshoot reasons things are working around me.  My bookshelf is now a tower of Ramen noodles and almost every level surface in the office is supporting piles of cans, boxes of pasta, and a roll or two of toilet paper.  A package of toothbrushes were placed on my desk yesterday.  I was not sure if it was hint or not, but I chose to believe it was a donation to the drive.  The items are numerous and the variety is wide; initially, students were simply spreading them out over the floor but they were reminded that the goal is max volume capacity not just area!

In addition to the can drive, our CommUnity Club (formerly known as Service Learning Club) is working with all of our advisories to collect toys and clothes for local children in need from both ours and surrounding communities.  Our students are also looking to help support the WA Student Council's efforts to collect school supplies and coats for the students impacted by the fire in an elementary school in Lawrence recently.  We received this information from WA regarding their drive:

-Last Monday the Bruce School in Lawrence had a fire and much of their school's interior was destroyed

-Westford Academy Student Council is running a Coat and School Supplies Drive from Friday November 18-Wednesday November 23 to help replace items lost in the fire 

Some items to donate include (gently used or new):

-Backpacks

-Sweatshirts

-Coats 

-School Supplies 

*We are looking for supplies and clothing for grades 3-8 

Thank you for your support and we hope you have a wonderful holiday!  

We are very proud of how willing our students and their families are to get involved in helping when they recognize a need.

Very soon, the students should be able to express how proud they are of the work they have been doing in their classes as the first term grades will be available soon after the Thanksgiving break.  Grades closed today and after they are completed and verified, they will be made viewable in iParent on Wednesday, November 30 at 2:30PM.

Parent Conferences will be held on Tuesday, December 13th from 7:30AM to 9:30AM and Wednesday, December 14th from 2:00PM to 8:00PM.  There is a 2 ½ hour delayed opening on December 13th and no school on December 14th.  In an effort to accommodate all families interested in attending a conference, we offer a choice between one of two teacher groups: Math/Social Studies or ELA/Science.  Should you wish to schedule a conference we are asking families to sign up for one conference per student online as we have in the past via Sign Up Genius. In addition to one of the team of teachers time-slots, families can also sign-up for a conference with the Integrated Arts and the Foreign Language Teachers if they wish to do so through the Sign Up Genius website.  The website will be open for families to access starting on Wednesday, November 30 at 9:00AM and closing on Thursday, December 8 at 2:00PM.  Changes can be made by calling the office after that time.

These ten-minute check-ins with two of your child's team teachers provide an opportunity for you to share important information, stay informed of your child's progress, and discuss the first trimester report card. Parent conferences are not required, and many parents find a phone call, email or one of our available weekly team conferences meet their needs.  As I shared earlier, our students are well supported both here and at home and these conferences are only one of the many processes that we have in place that help foster the home/school communication which we know to be one the most critical elements for overall student success.  When the adults are all on the same page, the children are more likely to thrive.

I would like to express specific gratitude to the WMSPTO for once again sponsoring our 6th graders visit with Newbery-Medal Award winning author Jack Gantos.  As always, he was entertaining and inspiring.  The students were gripped to his stories and enjoyed hearing about his writing process and how he developed his voice as a writer.

With next week being so short, I will wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving now and do my part to give your inbox a break for a few days!

Chris

Big Ben, Kids...Parliament...update! (posted on SB website 11/10/16)

A number of activities this week made me think about a European Vacation...

8th Graders were singing about the Bubonic Plague (I didn't say all of the activities made me want to take a European Vacation) while others were watching entertaining video clips of the British Parliament in action.  

7th Graders were imagining life under Hammurabi's Laws which took me much further than Europe...but I doubt Clark Griswald would know that.

6th Graders were slapping Spanish vocabulary pictures while others were dancing and acting them out in rapid succession.   

...of course, the students felt like it was a vacation with only three days of classes this week.

Additionally, there is a plan brewing among the Student Council that would result in me having increasingly limited access to my office over the next few weeks.  That doesn't hurt the notion of European Vacations.  The plan as I understand it is to collect enough items for a food drive to fill my entire office and if possible, Mr. McElhinney's, as well.  There is a lot more space in my office, as I remind him regularly, so it will take a lot of items!  From now until December 16th, the Student Council is organizing a can drive for the Westford Food Pantry.  They are looking for donations of food items including instant potatoes, stuffing mixes, soup, spam (not the email variety), cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, and pasta.  Toiletries such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs and deodorant (not sure if that is for the drive or just for me and Mr. Mac) are needed, as well.  Any contributions are greatly appreciated!

As we enter the long weekend, I took a moment at the end of the day to share two quotes with the students and remind everyone the importance of not forgetting the reason for tomorrow's Holiday.  

        

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass

Without the struggle and commitment of our veterans, much of our wonderful progress would simply not have been possible. We must remain steadfast in recognizing the sacrifices so many have made to protect our liberties.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John F. Kennedy

No explanation needed.

I hope your Veteran's Day and the weekend are wonderful!

Chris

Electionem suffragio...update!

In case you haven't heard, there is a big election next Tuesday.  Consider yourself updated. I could not help but find it humorous that the Latin word to vote (suffragio) sounds like suffer.  Regardless of any specific political view, we have all suffered through a barrage of opinions over the last few months.  Enough of that. 8th grade Latin students inspired the title of this update as they were busy creating Propaganda Posters for candidates in Ancient Rome.  Huge posters were plastered in the hall for them to cover with typical Latin phrases they translated while studying local elections in Ancient Rome.  I was pleasantly surprised to stumble into 8th graders creating graffiti on a Friday morning; according to Ms. Latham: This activity is part of the Local Elections unit in which students learn about the various positions one might run for in local elections in ancient Rome, what the duties of these officials were, and the overall election process.  We study the ancient election slogans that were found on the walls of the forum during the excavation of Pompeii and learn many of the various abbreviations that were commonly used in such election 'graffiti.'  The culminating activity of this unit is the mock election with four teams of candidates running for positions.  As a part of this project, students were writing their election slogans on the walls of our 'forum.'  They were required to use the same style of lettering found in Pompeii, three of the newly learned 'Special Verbs, ' and four of the abbreviations they learned from the ancient election graffiti found in Pompeii.   It was awesome! Speaking of studying another part of the world, I received an email from WA today extending a fantastic opportunity to our 8th graders: Colonialism and Conquest in the Pacific Eighth grade students at Stony Brook School have the opportunity to join students from Westford Academy on an educational experience to New Zealand, Australia & Hawaii upon completion of their freshman year at the high school. The trip runs for two weeks beginning at the end of June 2018. Enrollment has begun and over twenty spots have been filled. Interested candidates should contact Westford Academy History teacher Mr. Stephen Scully (sscully@westfordk12.us) for details and pricing. Back to great things happening here, another highlight of the week was watching some of the 6th grade presentations in both Engineering and Theater Arts.  Engineering students were presenting their research on rockets prior to the next phase in which they build their own.  There was a wide variety of information as students created guiding questions to focus their research and had multiple options as to how they wanted to present their information.  They are now working on creating their own rockets which will be launched in the weeks to come.  The students in Theater Arts were tasked with creating marketing commercials for alternative uses of regular house hold objects.  Their work was creative, thoughtful and very entertaining.  In order to develop an alternative use, students needed to examine the initial object closely and determine another possible way to utilize it. Following that, they needed to collaborate on a script that could successfully persuade someone to purchase the object. Finally, I was fortunate to observe a Milky Way Plate Tectonics lab during 7th grade science classes.  Students collected data on the effects various force had on the Milky Way bars as they study plate tectonics.  The gooeyness of the activity created a lot of laughter in addition to the demonstrated will power necessary to not eat the models.  Personally, I was not tempted as I have seen enough sweets lately to last me until...well, Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful weekend! Chris

Let the Games Continue...update! (Posted on SB Website on 10/28)

Gamification is a relatively new buzz word in education, but innovative teachers have been using games as powerful learning tools in the classroom for a long time now.  The difference is the number of people now utilizing video games and or online games to support learning.  Walking through classes this week, I was thrilled to see a healthy balance of the old and new in terms of gamification and in both arenas the adolescent contestants were wonderfully engaged and taking ownership of their learning.  

The first thing I observed was students building confidence in their skill development and practicing the unbelievably difficult skill of communicating in a different language all while playing a wide variety of games. Classic battleship was capsized online to support German language skill development.  Quizlet Live was demonstrated engaging Spanish and German students in team competitions online for energetic vocabulary review.  Memory and Charades in full Spanish immersion had students laughing and eager to participate.  Science classes were full of students accessing Gizmo to virtually race sleds, or playing old fashion card games or organizational games with jelly beans to better understand natural selection and survival of the fittest.  Math classes played a touch free adaptation of Twister and Simon Says to physically represent the various types of relationships between angles while other classes explored Prodigy as players ventured through an imaginary world full of math challenges in order to progress and complete the journey.  One math class organized and executed a snow ball battle of colored paper riddled with math equations that students then needed to solve as part of the recovery process.  Finally, I was able to watch some students successfully solve some printer problems while preparing for their regular Friday News Quiz featuring current events from their own independent research.  It made me wonder if the game wasn't dependent on the printer working if they would have been as enthusiastic about getting it to cooperate with their chromebooks.  That was just one week.

One game we need not play is Mario Cart or any other type of racing game in the driveway of the school.  With the increased traffic on Farmers Way, it can add to the time of dropping off or picking up students.  Please be cautious and drive slowly.  Students can be dropped off or picked up anywhere along the front curb of the building where the student drop off and pick up signs are located.  This decreases the line of waiting vehicles, but it is very important to proceed with caution as individuals are using the crosswalk, as well.  

With the special mid-week edition two days ago, I am keeping this update brief.

Try to stay dry!

Chris

A Crumby Update! (posted on SB Website on Oct 21)

A crumby update!

An unexpected outcome of early preparations for Halloween was having an entire conversation with parents today while donut crumbs lingered in my grizzly adams facial hair.  Initially, I thought the conversation went very well, but the fact that they maintained their composure while I had food on my face impressed me even more once I discovered it.  Just another downside to looking like a character from a 70s TV show and a grim reminder that I shouldn't have been eating an apple cinnamon donut for breakfast. Earlier in the week, I was able to have conversations without food on my face when talking with colleagues from other districts about the many wonderful things that our students are doing here at Stony Brook in and out of the classrooms.  They were very impressed to learn about all of the extra-curricular activities that our students participate in while still maintaining such impressively high academic performance.  Our students are very well-rounded and the variety of their interests supports both their academic and social emotional growth overall when kept in balance. Our challenge is to help them maintain the joy of learning and exploring their interests without letting it tilt into stress or unhealthy pressure.  We discussed at length the correlation between student interest and academic performance and how robust activities can directly support classes as students and teachers are able to make connections between the skills being developed in the classroom and those developed on the fields or in the garden or in the rehearsal rooms or during the variety of club meetings taking place throughout the building after the bell rings on any given day.  The other educators were impressed to see how we keep the quality of student-centered activities in line with the quantity. The unfortunate part of our expansive opportunities is the need to collect activity fees.  Students participating in an afterschool activity (SBTA, Math Team, Speech and Debate, Fantasy Game Club, Art, Roller Hockey, etc.) are expected to pay a one time fee which is due at this time.   Please turn in your fee to the office this coming week.  If you are unable to pay the fee, please contact me directly as we do not want any student to miss out on an opportunity due to the inability to cover a fee.  Visit our Activities page for more information and to download the activity fee payment form.  The idea of quality combined with the fear of talking to people with food on my face reminds me that Thursday Oct 27 is picture re-take day!  O'Connor studios will be returning (hopefully, without another impromptu fire drill) to photograph students who were absent on the original picture day or for those who need to have another portrait taken.  If you would like to order pictures, please use the original order form, or pick up a new form in the office.  For students (or parents) wishing to have the pictures retaken, return the original package to the photographer on retake day.  No order form is necessary. While on the subject of order forms, our 6th graders will soon get the opportunity to meet with Newbery Medal-winning author, Jack Gantos, when he visits Stony Brook 6th graders on November 18 sponsored by the WMSPTO. Don't miss an opportunity to have him sign a book for your child that they can treasure forever. You can send in a book or pre-order one through the WMSPTO at a significant discount. Note that the pre-order is for BMS and SBS 6th graders ONLY. Learn more here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1g3cFh7x-7XQzFvQ2xyX0xLZG8/view The 3rd floor was glowing pink in the rain today.  The entire 7th grade participated in Pink Day to honor those impacted by breast cancer. It was a heartwarming sight to watch nearly 187 students dressed in pink mixed among the 6th and 8th graders enter the building under the grey clouds and light drizzle this morning and climb the three flights of stairs to their advisories. Last Wednesday night, the coordinators for the 8th grade trip to Washington DC held an informational session. Forms to register for the Washington DC trip are available in the main office or on the Stony Brook website.  The conduct contract is due the Stony Brook by Friday October 28, signed by both student and guardian.  This contract lets us know that you are at least considering registering for the trip.  Registration is done through Capitol Tours.  The registration deadline is December 2, 2016.   Any parent who is willing to help with fundraising toward scholarships can let us know through the form below.  We appreciate any help in supporting all students who are interested in traveling with us. We have utilized parent chaperones in the past when we did not have enough staff able to travel with the students on the trip.  If you are able to chaperone, please check with your student first, then let us know through the form below.  Chaperones would need a completed CORI and fingerprint check.  We will know if we will be in need of parent chaperones by the end of January.   Volunteer and Chaperone sign up:   https://goo.gl/forms/5rbTmq6qOpXbFBVI2 Westford Parent Connection has released this year's Speaker Series.  The flyer can be accessed here.  I encourage everyone to review the series as many of the presentations are incredibly helpful for parents of middle school students.  This is an wonderful resource here in Westford and we need to help make more parents aware of it. Finally, we have been asked to include this important notice from our Special Education Department: If you know of any child attending public or private school, or who is homeless or has left school, and could benefit from a special education evaluation under Chapter 766 or educational services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, please contact the Special Education Department in Westford (978-692-5560). Every effort will be made to contact the parents to advise them of their rights under these laws. Thank you for assisting us in this important matter. Have a wonderful weekend, Chris

A slanted update of messy progress! (posted on SB website on Oct 14)

A slanted update of messy progress!

Students rushed out of the building this afternoon eager to get home and log-in to check their first term progress reports.  Mr. McElhinney told me it was just because of the gorgeous weather outside, but I could tell they were excited to get home and begin a very thoughtful dialogue about their current progress through the first term.  But then again, it was a beautiful afternoon. For those of you joining us for the first time for this annual festivity, first term progress reports can be located through the iParent portal.  They were posted around 2:30 today.  Each progress report is uploaded as a PDF file in the student's iParent account.   You can access the report following this process: To access Progress Reports & Report Cards Open Iparent: : Documents  - Report Cards Available Document Labeled SBGrade_(PR(Term 1) Go to View : open with an adobe file. Clear as mud. Next Weds night (Oct 19) will be the Parent Information Session for the 8th grade trip to Washington DC.  It will run from 6-7 in the auditorium.  It is an informational session only.  No sign-ups are required at this time.  This is just an opportunity to hear directly from the coordinators and get any questions answered that you might regarding the trip. Special update for anyone visiting in the near future, I am not sure if it is strictly a security concern or merely prejudiced bias but I learned quickly this week that our 6th grade math classes have officially been designated Slanted Fraction Free Zones.  I mistakenly used a / or solidus instead of an -- or Vinculum and I was promptly asked to leave the room.  I will certainly not make that mistake and risk writing 13/4 which can easily be mistaken as 13 divided by four rather than using the vinculum or horizontal line which would allow me to more correctly communicate one and three fourths.  My apologies to all of the 18/3 (th) graders who saw me use the solidus instead of the vinculum and to all math etymologists who are appalled at my over simplification and or butchering of the correct mathematical vernacular. Just because we don't want to get overly confident that germs don't exist in any of our schools, we were asked to share information about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease with everyone as some of the other schools in the district were feeling left out of the MRSA update from last week.  We have not been given any information indicating that we have any cases of this at Stony Brook at this time, but we are reminding students to wash their hands.  I am thankful to say that we do not need to spend time here reminding them not to kiss each other.   School Nurse Update: HAND, FOOT, and MOUTH DISEASE A few students in the district have been diagnosed for with hand, foot, and mouth disease. It is caused by a group of viruses called enteroviruses.  It usually begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise, and sore throat.  One or two days after the fever begins, sores develop in the mouth, usually on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks.  A skin rash, usually located on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, with flat or raised red spots and sometimes blisters, develop over 1-2 days.  The rash usually doesnít itch.  Most people get sick 3-7 days after being exposed to the virus.  The disease is usually mild, and nearly all patients recover without medical treatment in 7-10 days. TRANSMISSION:  Infection is spread person-to-person by direct or indirect contact with stool, nose and throat discharges, saliva, or fluid from the blisters. The virus can be transmitted from hands or objects to other peopleís hands and mouths. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness. PREVENTION: Washing your hands with soap and water. Disinfecting dirty surfaces and soiled items. Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing eating utensils or cups with infected people. Please see information from the Center for Disease Control for more information. http://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/about/index.html For those of you hoping to find this as an entertaining read on your Friday night, I am sorry for you on many levels, but I assure you I will do my best to keep next weeks update as clean as possible. Have a great weekend! Chris

A tough act to follow update! (posted on SB website 10/7)

Depending on how these messages fall in your inbox...it could make for an interesting evening of reading.  Hearing from Supt. Olsen regarding health concerns (I'll let you read that separately as to not require a spoiler alert) does not pair well with the fun exciting updates I was planning to send on this beautiful October evening.  But he is right in that we are taking all necessary precautions and our custodial staff has been working tirelessly to address the concern.

Prior to learning of any health concerns directly related to Stony Brook, I met with the students during lunches on Thursday to discuss two specific things:  yes, we now have vending machines & NO, we will not have clowns!  The students seemed to appreciate both messages.  The vending machines are the same machines already in use at WA and the types of available products can be found at Fresh Healthy Vending. The success at WA lead the food services department to ask us to consider including them at Stony Brook, as well.  The contents of the machines are on the healthy side of snack foods and will be available until 8:00 am and after 2:00 pm for the time being.  The students were very enthusiastic about that part of my announcement.  Then, I discussed my personal aversion to clowns and apologized if any of them were related to professional clowns or had goals of becoming a clown.  I made it expressly clear (tapping into the current 6th grade vocab list) that we will not allow any clowns at Stony Brook...well, at least of the costumed/ masked nature...it is difficult to not consider the antics of most middle schoolers as clownish...the overwhelming response was that most of them did not like the ideas of clowns at school either.   I informed them that while the social media frenzy has been new to them, the creepy clown videos have been around for quite a long time now and there is more rumor and hoax than anything else.  

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Stony Brook has created its own TED-Ed club. Students will be meeting once a month to build their own message and create their own videos.  Students will learn a combination of public speaking and animation skills. The club will have its first meeting this Tuesday after school in the Library. If you have any questions about the club, please reach out to Mrs. Smith, nsmith@westfordk12.us, or Ms. Femino, sfemino@westfordk12.us .

What is TED-Ed?

"TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning — from producing a growing library of original animated videos , to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 250,000 teachers. TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students around the world every week" (TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing).

Special thank you to all of the parents who helped supply 7th grade students with boxes of tissues for the recent Tissue Wars competition.  They collected 294 boxes of tissues which were distributed to all of our classes to help prepare for the sniffles and sneezes that are beginning to echo through the halls....wow, this update does not seem virus free at all...   

Speaking of spreading stuff from our heads...we will be hosting a parent informational night for the 8th grade Washington DC trip on October 19 from 6-7  here in the Stony Brook auditorium.  It is not mandatory to attend, but it is a good opportunity to get questions answered and hear directly form the coordinators about the logistics of the trip.  If you are not able to attend, information will be available in the main office for students to pick up and bring home, as well...if you are willing to chance that form of delivery :?)

Important information from the WPS HR department:

Classroom Substitutes Needed

The Westford Public Schools are looking for classroom substitutes (Preschool - 12).  If you are interested in applying, please click here(http://www.westfordk12.us/Pages/hrm/apply ) and scroll down to the Substitute Button.

Wow, the running theme of this update makes me really appreciate this long weekend!

I hope it is relaxing for all,

Chris

Grilling into an update! (posted on SB website 9/30)

The weather was not ideal, but the Cookout was well received by all...including three special visitors: a crow, a seagull, and a little bitty field mouse. Each grade had a special animal visitor appear while the students were enjoying their extended time outside looking up at the clouds and breathing in the nice cool fresh air.  The 7th graders volunteered to lend a hand helping to clean up some of the stray lunch items that had been liberated by the wind during the 6th and 8th grade lunches.  We thanked them for their assistance and gave them even more time to enjoy themselves outside before heading inside to class.  I was very proud of all three grades as they consistently thanked all of the adults involved in putting this special celebration together for them.  Special thanks goes out to our entire Cafeteria Staff for organizing and preparing everything and Mr. Harbaum and Mr. Scott for setting up the grill and tables.

6th grade Curriculum Night was very well attended last evening and I hope everyone there enjoyed it as much we did.  If you sent a representative from your household and he or she did not return until very late in the evening...I did get long-winded and will support whatever time they said the event ended:?)  I want to thank all of the parents who were able to join us last night or the week before for our 7th & 8th Grade Curriculum Night; my apologies to anyone who attended both and had to listen to my jokes twice.  The purpose of the events is to Open Communication and give parents a glimpse of what the students are experiencing on regular basis...my strange sense of humor is one of those things they learn to endure, as well...unfortunately, the Grizzly Adams reference would be completely lost on them.

As mentioned again last night, coming soon to a theater near you...

Join The Westford Education Foundation For A Screening Of Beyond Measure

Westford prides itself on the many talented educators, rich resources, and tiered supports the school system offers students to meet the needs of all learners. The school system continuously reflects on daily efforts to enhance and maintain the best teaching practices in an ever-changing world. Over the past several years, Westford Public Schools have placed a strong emphasis on students’ personal growth, inquiry-based learning, social and emotional development, and tapping into students’ interests. But could more be done?

Those are just some of the topics highlighted in the new documentary, Beyond Measure, a follow up to Race To Nowhere. Sponsored by the Westford Education Foundation, the film will be shown on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Westford Academy Performing Arts Center. A panel discussion will be held following the film, which is free and open to the public.

The Westford Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to innovative educational initiatives and life-long learning. For more information, contact Mary Anne Seraphin at mseraphin@comcast.net or go to http://beyondmeasurefilm.com/.

Today felt like October.  That's all I have to say about that.

Have a great weekend,

Chris

A blurry eyed update (posted on SB website 9/30)

I would like to say that this morning came early because of the riveting conversations taking place in the parking lots following last night's curriculum night.  While it was fun to joke about additional social events that could add to the enjoyment of curriculum night for many of the adults, it was truly my attempt to stay awake and watch "the game" that made it difficult for me to muster my normal enthusiasm for starting the day today.  I was glad to learn this morning that my failure to remain engaged did not negatively impact the outcome of the event...the game that is...not the curriculum event.  I was fully focused and engaged in the curriculum event!  Well, engaged perhaps not always focused...for those of you who might remember the Braveheart tangent. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for last night's Curriculum Night.  It was very well attended and there were plenty of smiles both entering and exiting the building which I use as a formative assessment to help determine enjoyment.  If you were forcing a smile for social conventions, I appreciate your effort! Speaking of efforts, our student gardeners have been helping our consultant from FreshStart gardens harvest some of our fall crop.  On the first day of fall, I was able to enjoy a kale salad after visiting the 6th grade lunch for a few minutes.  It was delicious and made me feel less guilty for only having an organic pop-tart with my coffee earlier in the morning. We received a congratulatory email from another school this week following our cross country meet.  The competing school praised our 8th graders for the excellent job they did leading the course walk prior to the meet.  They were so impressed and inspired by our students' leadership that they are going to start asking their 8th graders to lead their course walks before their home meets. Just one excellent example of how our middle school students can #SBtheChange! While I am on the subject of 8th graders, the parent information night for the Washington DC trip is scheduled for Oct 19 from 6-7.  It is not mandatory and information will be made available for anyone not able to attend, as well, but it is a good opportunity to hear from the coordinators and get questions answered. Seventh grade was deep into their archeological dig this week and the parents experienced the joy of locating and traveling to the third floor of the building last night.  Fun had by all! For those of you looking for more things to add to your schedule, we have two open parent positions on our School Advisory Council which meets once a month on the first Tuesday afternoon from 2:30-3:30 here at Stony Brook.  The Council's primary responsibility is two develop and monitor the School Improvement Plan each year.  The Council is made up of parent, faculty and committee representatives.  If you would be interested in participating in the council, please contact me via email cchew@westfordk12.us before next Weds September 28, 2016.  If we have more volunteers than available positions, we will work the WMSPTO to conduct online elections to fill the spots. Please note very important event taking place this weekend at Westford Academy: At the Westford Academy Boy's Varsity Soccer Game on Saturday, September 24th, students will pay tribute to classmate Matt Roberge and to the sport he loved. As many WA Boy's Soccer fans know, the program suffered a tragic loss in August with the passing of 16 year old Matt Roberge after his courageous battle with leukemia.  Matt, who would have been starting his Junior year at Westford Academy this fall, is dearly missed by his teammates as well as by the entire Westford community. At the start of the game against Chelmsford, members of the Junior Class will release 21 balloons to honor the #21 jersey that Matt proudly wore during his time as a player.     The Varsity game will be played at Westford Academy's Trustee Stadium at 7pm against Chelmsford.  All gate receipts will be donated to the Matthew Roberge Scholarship Fund.  The WA Boy's JV game vs. Chelmsford will be played at 5pm.  Please join us to support this wonderful cause, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and our WA Athletes. During last night's 7th & 8th grade Curriculum Night, I mentioned the upcoming opportunity to see the film Beyond Measure at Westford Academy.  Here is the information: Join The Westford Education Foundation For A Screening Of Beyond Measure Westford prides itself on the many talented educators, rich resources, and tiered supports the school system offers students to meet the needs of all learners. The school system continuously reflects on daily efforts to enhance and maintain the best teaching practices in an ever-changing world. Over the past several years, Westford Public Schools have placed a strong emphasis on students’ personal growth, inquiry-based learning, social and emotional development, and tapping into students’ interests. But could more be done?   Those are just some of the topics highlighted in the new documentary, Beyond Measure, a follow up to Race To Nowhere. Sponsored by the Westford Education Foundation, the film will be shown on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Westford Academy Performing Arts Center. A panel discussion will be held following the film, which is free and open to the public.   The Westford Education Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to innovative educational initiatives and life-long learning. For more information, contact Mary Anne Seraphin at mseraphin@comcast.net or go to http://beyondmeasurefilm.com/.   My apologies to all of the parents of 6th graders who feel left out of any attempt at humor in this email regarding last night's event.  Consider it a teaser for this week's 6th Grade Curriculum Night Thursday, September 29 starting at 6:00pm. Have a great weekend! Chris

Extra Vitamin D Update (posted on SB website 9/16)

Everyone looked so nice today for school pictures that we decided on an impromptu parade outside in the glorious sunshine.  Well, the Fire Alarm system really made that decision for us, but in an effort to model flexibility and patience, we are choosing to consider it a parade #SBtheCHANGE.  We were happy to see our friends from both the Fire and Police Departments; we just weren't expecting it when we started the day or when we scheduled School Pictures in the first place.  The folks from O'Connor studio were also very flexible even though they did not plan on spending as much time with us today either.  The Fire department determined it was a faulty sensor and allowed us all to go back inside...much to everyone's dismay as the additional opportunity to commune with nature was not disappointing any of us.

Hopefully, you were able to read the Challenge Success memo that was sent out yesterday.  The embedded link to their website will help direct you if you are looking for more information.  If you missed the memo, it is posted on our website.  We are planning to conduct the surveys over the course of one of our 6-day cycles in October.  Students at Stony Brook will be able to participate in the survey during one of their Health classes.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

Next Thursday night, September 22, we will be holding our 7th & 8th grade Curriculum Night here at Stony Brook starting at 6:00.  Students will be creating copies of their schedules for parents to use during the evening. The plan is that they will bring home a copy for you to have...let's see how that plays out.  We will have back-ups here if the piece of paper magically disappears between 9 Farmer Way and your residence :?)

If you would like to see a rough copy of the evening schedule, you can access them here (please note each grade is following a different schedule and the 6th grade night is on September 29): SB Curriculum Night Schedules

It was a long week with five full days, but we made it!  Get some rest this weekend and encourage your kids to do so, as well.  Apparently, the plan is to continue with five full days for quite a while.

We have a number of community announcements and upcoming events listed below; please take some time to read them and consider participating.

Have a great weekend,

Chris

A Steamy Update

It is hot. While I was sad to see the summer weather quickly turn to cooler mornings and evenings, I am conflicted that it has returned.  I was emotionally prepared to start enjoying pumpkin flavored beverages, but today has made me question that all over again. The outside temp today did not help the fact that things have been cooking in all of our classrooms.  As we come to the close of week two, I am happy to say that I have been able to visit all of our classrooms and witness every student engaged at some point or another in some wonderful learning opportunities as they continue to build skills communicating, collaborating, creating and critically thinking.  We took time last year to begin identifying all of the places in our curriculum where those crucial skills are supported and developed and we will continue to reflect on where it is successful and where we can continue to enhance those opportunities for our students.  Whether it was the Relay Races in Latin reviewing the third declension or the multiple math classes asking students to present ways to identify themselves in numbers or formulas, students were exhibiting skill development.  Science classes engaged students in creative ways from scavenger hunts to competitive analysis of fumbled case studies as they exhibited their knowledge of lab safety in preparation for upcoming experiments; again, students were exhibiting skill development.  Summer reading takes on all shapes and sizes as each grade level uses the students' favorite books to kick start various ways for them to think critically about what they read; students continue to exhibit skill development. With skills developing all around us, we also provided an opportunity for students to exhibit their ability to make wise decisions in emergency scenarios...we conducted a fire drill this morning before it got too hot. One of the many inspiring things about working with middle school students is that they are becoming more and more aware of the world around them even when they seem to be thinking more and more of themselves.  While they might not notice...or pretend to not notice adults asking them help around the house, they are quick to notice things that they deem, "not fair" for themselves or others that they choose to support.  This year, we are using the powerful concept of "Be the Change" as a consistent reminder to all of us that we can have immediate impacts on something that we might not think is right.  We looked at quotes from Mahatma Gandhi, Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, and Mother Theresa to name a few that all supported this notion of being the change that we want to see in the world when we see things that concern us.  Part of our responsibility in addition to nurturing the development of skills is preparing our students to be responsible contributing members of a community and it starts with their ability to make a difference.  While we took the time to start this conversation last week,  the students might have only mentioned to you some foolish video in which their principal and assistant principal tried to sing some really old song that only parents would like... Stress is something with which many of our students and adults are concerned.  We are making a concerted effort this year to model and promote strategies that help individuals reduce and manage stress.  The monitors installed in our lobbies are projecting simple reminders as folks enter the building to breath and relax in addition to posting current photos of recent classroom activities or simply sharing the daily announcements.  Peaceful images of sandy beaches and other nature scenes scroll across the monitors in the cafeteria while students are enjoying their lunch.  Teachers are implementing opportunities for students to engage in moments of relaxation as they transition between activities and classes whether it is a group of friends contributing to a large coloring project mounted on a classroom wall or soothing music playing while student enter a class and settle into a lesson or teachers prompting the class to take a deep breath and slowly exhale as they prepare to end or begin a class. Even though the weather is not always cooperating, we are focusing our energy on a climate in the building that is supportive and nurturing. For those of you new to these weekly emails, I will often include information at the end of the message from our many community partners about opportunities and events available to our families.  Please take time to look at the messages included this week! Have a wonderful weekend, Chris

Opening Update!

Well, great news!  

For those of you worried about how you could possible have your first day outfit back in the rotation before picture day on Sept 9...the date has been changed!

Now you have more time to either research different reactions to other outfits before committing to one for posterity, or you can space it out a bit more as the new picture day is September 16!

Phew...now, I can consider some of my autumnal outfits, as well, since it will be much closer to the next season :?)

Both First Days have been seemingly successful.  Students arrived...no search parties were needed to locate lost students or teachers...and students went home.  I did not see any actual tears from students or staff, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few quiet sniffles here and there.

There was a lot of laughter!  On multiple occasions, we heard laughter in classrooms, throughout the halls, and I even witnessed it in the auditorium when we shared the video we created to make sure we gave all three grades the same expectations.  At the risk of listening to more laughter throughout town, feel free to check out our version of Car Karaoke ; I think we successfully modeled for the students our willingness to risk failure and try something new to make them smile.  We talked about the importance of believing in themselves and knowing that they all have something to contribute that makes us such a great school.

This is a short week with only one more day before a nice long weekend...just to get our feet wet.

Next week, we will try for four days in order to build up our endurance for full weeks later in the month.

Sincerely,

Chris

Happy New School Year Update!!

On your mark...get set...Enjoy!

One more relaxing weekend before the the race begins.  

For those of you new to my weekly updates: Welcome!

For those of you who share and or do not mind my strange sense of whimsy: Here we go again!

For those of you trying to figure out how to stop receiving my weekly updates: Sorry for the interruption :?)...you can unsubscribe HERE

We have a lot of new things to share with everyone as we prepare to open the doors to the 6th graders on Tuesday, August 30th and welcome back the 7th and 8th graders on Wednesday.

First of all, we are welcoming 16 new staff members to Stony Brook with nearly 100 years of combined experience working with students.  A couple are familiar faces in new positions, but most are new to our building and we are excited to have them join us.  Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing them using our Twitter and FaceBook pages.  I was not surprised that so many experienced educators chose to join us in this phenomenal district!  Westford Public Schools are the envy of many and we are fortunate to have such strong candidates when we have openings seeing as how there are other towns and states suffering from teacher shortages.

The building has been cleaned, the floors are waxed and the rooms have been prepared for next week's opening.  The Westford Eagle published an interview last week that highlighted some of the changes for this year and focused on the most important notion of balance.  If you didn't get a chance to read it, you can access it from our homepage or by using this link: Westford Wicked Local Article

While everyone is trying to figure out what to wear on the first day of school, I want to let everyone know that picture day is coming quick (Friday, September 9) so you might want to schedule the wardrobe rotation accordingly :?)  I still have no idea what I am going to wear!

For those of you with 7th graders, remember to get the updated immunization and physical records into Ms. Hanly in the Health Clinic if you have not done so already.  Also, paperwork accompanying epipens and inhalers need to be brought in at the beginning of the year for students in all grades.  Finally, all students planning to play any sports at Stony Brook need to have a current physical on file in the clinic prior to participating.  There will be sign-ups for students interested in fall sports (Boys and Girls Soccer, Field Hockey, and Cross-Country) during Advisory on Thursday, September 1.  Tryouts are currently scheduled to run the following week (9/6-9/9) for Soccer and Field Hockey.  Practices will begin on Monday, September 12.

Mrs. Watson will be holding an informational meeting on Thursday, September 1 from 6:00-6:30 PM for parents interested in helping with Stony Brook Theater Arts productions throughout the year.  The meeting will take place in the SB Auditorium.  If you are not able to attend and would like to help, please email Ms. Watson directly: awatson@westfordk12.us

Finally, we have seen a lot of the incoming 6th graders during the last few weeks as you have visited with schedules to map out traffic patterns and get more familiar with the school.  If any of you are hoping to visit before Tuesday, please note that the building will not be accessible on Monday August 29 before 2:30 PM.  We will be conducting professional development with the staff and will not be able to accommodate visitors until the end of the scheduled meetings at 2:30.  The building will be open for a little while that afternoon.

We have new monitors in the lobby and cafeteria to assist with digital signage and overall communication.  Additionally, we are using them to remind students, staff, and parents to practice the process of relaxation and rejuvenation.  It takes a lot of work to be as successful as we are as a district; with all of our success, comes certain stress and pressure to remain successful; it is important to remain balanced and grounded while continuing to do the work necessary to help students develop the skills they need for their futures.

Take a deep breath...exhale...and prepare to have a wonderful year!

Have a great weekend,

Chris

The Midsummer Update!

Ah, rain.  Though it was fleeting, it was refreshing indeed!

I hope this update finds you all relaxed and enjoying all that summer has to offer.

While I am not typically a fan of air conditioning, I must admit it has been necessary to utilize in order to remain productive over the past two weeks.  Mr. McElhinney and I have been working closely with iPass to make sure that all of the schedules will be ready for release on Monday, August 1, as mentioned earlier.  As of this email, the schedules will be ready but the general biographical information at the top of each schedule is still reflecting last year's grade level since the district’s roll over has been delayed due to necessary state reports required of each public school during the summer months.  However, I am optimistic that they will still be ready by the end of the day at the very latest.  I will send out a verification that they are available so that you don’t feel the need to keep logging in all day to see when they are posted :?)...of course, that will require you to keep checking your email, as well...well, whatever works best for you!

For those of you returning, you will notice a change in the way in which the Integrated Arts classes are organized on your schedule.  In an effort to allow for more continuity and momentum while students rotate through the courses, we decided to re-organize the way in which they are scheduled over the 6-day cycle.  Students will take Engineering for two days out of the 6 day cycle for half of the year and two days of Art out of the cycle for the other half of the year.  The number of classes remains the same over the course of the year, but it will allow students to continue working on projects more effectively as only half of the students will be enrolled in each course at a time allowing more access to resources and storage space for their ongoing projects. We have linked the sections of our Physical Education and Health classes in a way that the two teachers are able to better approach an overall Wellness focus for two days out of the six day cycle throughout the entire year.  It won’t necessarily look different on the schedule, but most students will have the two classes in sequence which will allow the teachers to combine classes when appropriate for specific units and bring the physical and more academic components closer together.  Time has been spent over the summer reorganizing our wonderful fitness facilities to include a climbing wall and increase alternative movement opportunities for students within our two Wellness content areas, as well.  The other two days out of the cycle will still be reserved for the Performing Arts classes Band, Orchestra, Chorus or Theater providing continuity and consistency for skill development throughout the year.

In looking at schedules, you may notice a lot of new names!  We have had a number of new people join us over the summer due to the retirements we had last year in addition to a few staff members transitioning to jobs closer to their homes.  Also, as many of you already know, we are reorganizing our teams to address the growing class sizes for the next couple of years.  Next year, all of our interdisciplinary content area teams will be four person teams with a separate teacher for ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science.  We will not have two-person teams in any of the grade levels.  While there are tremendous benefits to two-person teams in regards to increased interdisciplinary opportunities and increased opportunities for the teachers and students to interact on a daily basis, the four person team model allows us to better balance the numbers and keep the class size averages to 20-23 students per class for those content areas across all grades and teams.  Therefore, we will have three four-person teams in sixth grade (Curiosity, Discovery and Imagination), two four-person teams in seventh grade (Aristotle and Plato) and three four-person teams in eighth grade (Peace, Valor and Victory).  We are looking forward to introducing all of our new staff members when everyone returns from the summer break.  

Not that I am trying to rush the summer vacation at all, but if any of you are getting excited for back-to school shopping, please remember that the suggested supply list for each grade is available on our website along with the link to the suggested reading lists. The large majority of our students already read for enjoyment to some degree and the lists are not there as an additional assignment as much as a guide to help students expand their interests and provide suggestions for grade appropriate reading.  When students come back to school, they are asked to complete a project based on something they chose to read over the summer.  It is not about quantity but quality and our hope is that students are enjoying the experience an engaging book can provide while they are taking a break from their regular studies.

Hopefully, you all still have plenty of fun, engaging, and RELAXING (which seems less relaxing in all caps...but you get the emphasis) activities on your agenda for the month of August.

Remember, the first day of school for 6th graders is Tuesday, August 30 which gives them an entire day of transition without the other two grades in the building.  The older students have to wait one more day before they are able to come back, but we happily welcome back the seventh and eighth graders on Wednesday, August 31.  The transition back that week is always so exciting that we give them Friday and Monday off to enjoy a last long weekend of summer as we ease back into the swing of things!

Be well and I look forward to seeing all of you when we return.

As always,

Chris