Monthly NewsletterIf you didn't get a chance yet to read the district monthly newsletter, here is a link to view district updates/highlights. Focus on us - 'Tis the season'Tis the Season to . . . find the time to shop, make it to a slew of events, deal with unpredictable weather and family descending, and all while we try to stay clear or germs and healthy. It can be a wonderful time of the year, but it can also be very stressful. So, if you are feeling the stress, take a little time to read this article from Psychology Today on de-stressing during this season. Give yourself the gift of mindfulness and breath, and the grace to slow down a bit, especially when life is a' flurry. 'Tis the season to be good to yourself! Reason to celebrateCongratulations to our very own Bonnie Nieves, Nipmuc Science Teacher, and one of the recipients of the 2023 County Science Educator of the Year! This award is awarded by the Massachusetts Society of Science Teachers and goes to a select group peer-nominated educators who have benefitted the field of Science Education in Massachusetts. Of course we know Bonnie as a leader in science education, who recently became an Apple Certified Coach, and who helps lead the PD Committee in this district. But, it is so fabulous to see her honored for her leadership role in promoting and advancing the cause of quality science education among her peers. Congratulations, Bonnie!! We are so lucky to have you as a teacher and leader in this district! Join the MURSd Team-Harlem Wizards GameSave the date of January 27th--the Harlem Wizards are coming to town and will be playing against the MURSD Dream Team. MUEF is looking for players from all of the schools to participate in this fundraiser, which brings funds directly back to all of you through classroom grants. E-mail Maureen Cohen if you are interested in playing or would like more information. TransitionsWe will be hosting an open house for Lauren Sannicandro's retirement on Thursday, December 21st. We hope you will join us in thanking Lauren for her close to 30 years of dedication to our district. I also would like to congratulate Kim Lowther, who will be transitioning into the role of Executive Assistant to the Superintendent as we start the new year. Her depth and breadth of experience and impeccable work ethic will help to carry the torch on from Lauren. December 4, 2023 Professional Development DayToday is Professional Development Day for MURSD! It is a Level-based 1/2 day with programming developed by PD Committee representatives at each school. Please check out the MURS PD Website for today to see the offerings and make your selections if you have not already done so. Don't forget to sign in once students are dismissed. Please let us know if you have any questions of trouble with Vector Solutions. Kim Lowther can be reached at [email protected] MUrSD Staff BookmarkI made a MURSD Staff Bookmark that I pushed out to all of you and is located on the Bookmark bar. If you open a new tab (command t) you will notice on the far left the Bookmark called MURSD Staff. Click it and your first selection is Vector (Teachpoint). (See the images below) This is meant to give you a place to quickly get where you need to.--Colleen Co-Teaching 201 for co-teaching teams and moreWe will be welcoming Mara Powers and Michele Mercurio back to MURSD for professional learning to support co-teaching teams and also to help us think about how to bring these strategies to more classrooms including classrooms that do not benefit from having 2 teachers in the classroom. Co-teaching teams from the secondary level will meet in the morning from 8:00-10:30, and then elementary co-teaching teams will meet in the afternoon from 12:30-3:00. From 10:30-12:00, we'll host a conversation for teachers who are interested in helping us build inclusive practices from this powerful teaching model. Reach out to Cheryl if you are interested in attending. District Book Study - Special Delivery This weekWe are launching our district book study of Unlocking English Learner's Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible, which sheds light on how we can better address the needs of students who are learning English in our classrooms. The population of English Learners in Mendon-Upton and across the state is growing exponentially, making the choice of this topic an important one that I've heard resonate across the district. We'll organize for self-paced reading and reflection that will be punctuated by three discussions about the book, and an optional break-out session on our March PD day. Reading the book, participating in the discussions, and completing the reflection questions and an application of your learning will earn book study participants 10 PDPs that can be applied to licensure renewal. If you are interested in participating in this book study it is not too late to sign up by joining the Google Classroom. We will be delivering books this week to those who have already signed up. MURSD welcomes andre daughty of PBL worksThis week MURSD is hosting teachers from across the Blackstone Valley to participate in Project-Based Learning (PBL) 101, facilitated by Andre Daughty (Welcome, Andre!) This training is sponsored by the Blackstone Valley Curriculum Consortium. PBL is a model of teaching that coaches teachers to weave their delivery of learning objectives and standards into real-world, engaging scenarios whereby students interact with authentic audiences to solve problems and create solutions. Over half of the staff of Miscoe Hill have been trained in PBL and are committed to delivering at least one PBL unit this year. So, if you are interested in learning more about PBL, either stop by the PDC this week from 8-3, or reach out to me and I'll connect you with a colleague from Miscoe. You can read more about PBL and subscribe to their twitter here. --Cheryl Laughter is the best medicineFor Inspiration
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Gratitude
I'm going to carry the message of gratitude into this coming week. I hope you all had an enjoyable time of rest, relaxation, and hopefully you had some extra time to spend with family and friends. I'm grateful for the extra few days for the small things like reorganizing my sock drawer (yes...I know, very exciting), finishing some Netflix series (The Crown, and All the Light We Cannot See), or enjoying the sunny weather on a walk. I also am grateful for key moments like my son's Thanksgiving football game, my other son's acceptance letter for a co-op job, or spending quality time with my mom and aunts reminiscing about the impact they have had on my life. At the beginning of the year I shared "Seasons of Love" because I do firmly believe that our lives are made up of all of these moments and time passes so quickly, we might as well enjoy each moment and make a positive difference in the world while we are at it. As I return back to work after these few days of reflection, I want to express how grateful I am for all of you. It is a privilege and honor to work in a profession where we are driven toward our vision to help our students cultivate their fullest potential, create their own future, and contribute positively to an ever-changing world. Don't ever forget that you do that! You make a difference!
Our VisionFocus on us
This month's issue of Educational Leadership is focused on the challenges of challenging student behavior. Like all of you see first hand each day, the pandemic impacted the social emotional health of many of our students, which can sometimes translate to challenging behaviors in the classroom. One of the pieces I liked the most in this issue is the article entitled, "Dysregulated Students Need Regulated Adults," by Nina Weisling. The article discusses both the things we can do as individuals to prioritize our own ability to remain regulated when it is most challenging and necessary, and also discusses what our schools and district can do to support us. Personally, I need to do better at prioritizing exercise, mindfulness, and time with family and friends. Weekends like the one we just had, fill my cup and remind me about my need to attend to what I call the home/work "balance." When it comes to our workplaces, I noticed that our MURSD schools actually do many things that the article suggests - bringing staff together for fun and to build community, encouraging teams to problem-solve together, and enabling staff to "tap-in or out" when escalated. Because we strive to be a workplace that gets better, this week we ask you, how we can help you be your best, most authentic self each day? Click the link to share your thoughts. And, share this link with your colleagues who may not have time to read this newsletter.
Reasons to celebrate
Did you know that Justin Williams, one of our extraordinary Miscoe Hill Art Teachers, was honored with the Middle Level MAEA Art Educator of the Year Award this year? Hooray, Justin! If you've never been in his classroom it is worth the field trip! Please congratulate Justin the next time you see him and ask him what cool creative adventure his students are engaged in.
Capital Needs Survey
A school capital plan serves as a vital financial roadmap for educational institutions, detailing the allocation of funds for major investments, projects, and asset acquisitions within the school environment. Its primary purpose is to effectively manage and optimize the school's capital assets and expenditures.
The Mendon-Upton Regional School District has formed a Capital Planning Subcommittee who is working on reviewing analyses of all of our facilities, fields, and technology needs to help guide in the development of a district capital improvement plan. If you would like to learn more about our current capital planning process please go to our capital planning webpage: https://www.mursd.org/page/capital-planning for more information and updates. We have a comprehensive maintenance and improvement plan within our operational budget and our operations and maintenance department work diligently on preventative maintenance and replacing items as needed. From a funding standpoint, the nature of Capital Improvement Projects is that they primarily fall outside of the operational budget due to the significant costs of the projects and the non-recurring nature of the needs (i.e. roofs, windows, carpets, fields, auditoriums, HVACs, etc.). As part of this capital improvement plan development, we are seeking public comment. The district has multiple areas of need and appreciates your input in the decision-making process to ensure that community input is provided as part of the the capital planning process. Please click on the button below to take the survey. 1/2 day PD next monday, December 4th
That's right, next MONDAY is our next 1/2 day PD day! In an effort to switch things up and not always have half days on Fridays or the same day in the some schedules, we are varying the days of the week we experience our PD days this year, and our next one is next Monday, December 4th. This PD day will be level-based, with agendas built by members of the PD Committees at each school. You will be able to see descriptions of each of the workshops on the district PD website. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, some schools/district-wide departments have not quite completed their descriptions, so expect that the website will develop as the week progresses, and plan on signing up on TeachPoint/Vector Solutions between Wednesday and Friday of this week.
MAssachusetts dyslexia institute
The Department is again offering school and district teams the Massachusetts Dyslexia Institute, facilitated by Crafting Minds. The institute builds participants’ knowledge of the Massachusetts Dyslexia Guidelines, which provide educators with relevant, research-based best practices for the early screening and instruction of students with reading difficulties, learning disabilities, and dyslexia. The institute will be a 45-hour series of synchronous and asynchronous professional learning sessions that will help teams:
Planning with the wida ELD standards framework
This Virtual Workshop, being help on December 7th and 14th from 3:30-5:00p.m. is designed for educators and leaders who are responsible for language development within content learning (In other words, all of us!). In each session, participants will receive additional resources for using the ELD Standards Framework in instructional planning. Teams are strongly encouraged to attend the webinars together. Contact Davide Parker ([email protected]) if interested in registering. Check out the program flyer here.
#MURSDTHRIVES
This month's district newsletter will be out by the end of the week, so if you'd like to nominate someone for a "You Inspire Me" recognition, please fill out the form below.
laughter is the best medicinefor inspirationFocus on us - Gratitude
As we approach the Thanksgiving break, our thoughts naturally turn to gratitude. It feels good to be the recipient of gratitude - to know that someone appreciates you. But did you know that expressing gratitude can also have positive impacts on the giver's health and wellbeing, as well? Many mental health professionals suggest cultivating a gratitude habit to help us notice and remember the positive things in our lives. Here is an article from Psychology Today that shares the science and some ideas for cultivating a gratitude habit. Part of mine is getting to write this newsletter each week, when I get to pause, look at the pictures I've taken around the district, and think about how lucky I feel to be a part of what makes MURSD special. I am grateful and hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Reasons to celebrate
Fields trips supported by grant funding. Both our ability to resume field trips and the fact that we have been awarded funding to support these trips are reasons to celebrate! Three separate groups of students led by Matt Merten, Brendon Roseneau, Ryan O'Connell and Paula Sheehan, either have or will be able to participate in experiences in Boston related to their curriculum and funded through a Civics grant awarded to MURSD. One of these trips was in integral part of Ryan and Paula's Project-based Learning unit. If you have ideas and need support with applications for grants or funding, reach out to Cheryl, so we can be on the lookout for funding opportunities. In the meantime, congratulate your colleagues on these engaging student experiences that they helped curate.
Strategic Priorities Snapshot
This is a continuation of our work last year as we have greater access to multiple data points for our students. The Open Architects data platform, in which we continue to connect to our multiple data points, is one avenue for supporting our data inquiry. We also are expanding our data inquiry protocols to better assist educators in the data inquiry process. From a curriculum standpoint, when we review our assessment data, we are able to identify areas for growth for reviewing and revising our curriculum. For example, we have identified a renewed focus on improving our writing practices across grade levels and disciplines as a result of our analysis. From an instructional standpoint, when we analyze the data at a classroom level and student level, we are able to identify areas for instructional shifts to better support our individual student needs. District Book Study
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