As you are aware we are involved in cross-district mentoring programs for our year 2 and year 3 teachers with Ashland/Mendon-Upton/Milford. For the mentoring programming, we all alternate in hosting a full-day professional development for our teachers, which include teacher teams participating in classroom observations in the morning. Our district is the host site for the Year 2 Mentoring on Wednesday, January 15th and Year 3 Mentoring on Wednesday, January 29th. The classroom observations will take from about 9:45-11:45 on both days. We need teacher volunteers who are willing to have the teams visit their classrooms. In particular on the January 15th date we will need the most teacher volunteers as we have a number of year 2 teachers. Here is a link the teachers can use to sign-up to volunteer. So far only 16 teachers have volunteered (THANK YOU!!) and we have more than 40 teachers who will be visiting classrooms across the district, so we need your assistance. Thanks in advance for your support of this great program! Our district has been chosen as a finalist for the Kaleidoscope Collective of Learning - one of 18 districts across Massachusetts asked to reimagine school for students across the Commonwealth. Driven by Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley, the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning is a group of schools/districts selected from more than 500 applicants to move beyond traditional practices to focus on deeper learning. Members of this pilot group will also be given waivers from MCAS testing at selected grade levels and content areas in lieu of piloting performance-based tasks that assess student learning in a more meaningful manner. MURSD was selected for this program in recognition of the shared steps our district has taken in bringing our strategic plan, Inspire, to life for learners in our communities. We are excited to build upon these programs and to lead the work to reimagine schools in Massachusetts. We will begin our work with the Kaleidoscope Collective by hosting a community event on January 16 at 6:30pm in the Nipmuc Auditorium. You are invited to join us at this kickoff event to learn about Kaleidoscope, experience the innovative work taking place in our schools, and lend your voice to the future of school and learning. RSVP for this event HERE. January 17 PD DayWe are extremely fortunate to be bringing in Breathe For Change to the entire district on the January 17th PD Day to further our own wellness, self-care, and how to translate social emotional learning into our classrooms. Below is a brief overview of the description and overview of the day. All of the details for the PD day can be found on our PD Website for information about the trainers, timing, and what to bring. Breathe For Change’s research-backed curriculum combines mind-body wellness, community building, and social-emotional learning practices to empower educators to transform education from the inside out. During this workshop, you will gain tools to practice self-care, facilitate social-emotional learning in the classroom, and use wellness as a vehicle for social change in your entire school community. Workshop Outcomes: - Enhance your well-being, and reduce stress and burnout - Increase your ability to integrate mindfulness and wellness into instruction - Improve social-emotional learning outcomes for your students - Enhance your school-wide climate and capacity to foster equity and inclusion PD OpportunitiesMathematical Mindsets Twitter Booktalk (For math teachers) We are partnering with a few local districts on a Twitter booktalk on the book Mathematical Mindsets. If you are interested complete the google form below. Let Maureen know and she will purchase the book for you. You will then be required to read, respond to discussion questions on Twitter and alter a lesson based on your learning to earn 10 PDPs. More info is posted in the links below. Twitter Booktalk on Mathematical Mindsets Google Form Webinar: Growing a Child's Mind Without Losing Yours (For math teachers) January 16 5pm Registration information lSDO Dinner Series (For all) There are still spots open for the various offerings through our partner organization of LSDO. Some of the series begin this week. LSDO Dinner Series Primary Source Offerings (For social studies) 1) ’Building Blocks’ Learning Modules: Mendon-Upton has 1 remaining spots in our learning module series Building Blocks for Global Citizenship. This 6-part, self-directed series is designed to help educators build the foundations of global awareness while providing concrete strategies for supporting global competence in classrooms and school communities. The module series is perfect for those looking for time flexible PD options. 2) Free Online Access to Resource Guides, Lesson Plans: All educators in partner districts have free premium access to our entire library of resource guides, multimedia lesson plans, and teacher toolkits. Individuals can sign-up for personal accounts by selecting the premium membership option on our website, indicating that they’re a member of a partner district, and choosing their district from the drop-down menu. 3) “What Teachers Need to Know: Africa Edition” podcast and Scholar Webinars: This January, Primary Source will be launching the next season of our “What Teachers Need to Know” series, focusing in on the diverse cultures, regions, and experiences of the African continent. Teachers can listen to the 13 episode Middle East edition now and access our library of scholarly webinars and recorded talks by visiting our website, no sign-in required. Civics Literacy Conference (For social studies) DESE is pleased to again host the annual Civics Literacy Conference, which this year will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate and select rooms at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. This conference is a convening of representatives from educators from K-16 as well as leaders from state and community organizations to promote high-quality civics teaching and learning. Events will include an opening plenary, a panel discussion, and more than 20 workshops on civics knowledge and skills. The Department will announce when registration is open and when workshop proposals will be accepted. ResourcesSelf-Care Practice "Compassion for ourselves, as well as for others, helps us deal with the interpersonal challenges we face on a daily basis. Perspective allows us to empathize with others, see the long view, extricate ourselves from the drama of the moment, and identify a wider range of responses to an event. Start your year by strengthening your compassion for yourself and others, and unlock another resource for resilience." Onward Workbook. The People Who Support Me Activity When you are feeling stressed, threatened, or insecure, but you want to feel caring and connected to others, this exercise can help. Just thinking about the people we turn to when we're distressed can make us feel more compassionate toward others. 1. Write down the names of one or two people to whom you turn when you feel stressed or upset. 2. Write down three to five qualities that are common to these people. Maybe they are both good listeners, or they have a sense of humor. 3. Recall a specific situation in which you felt worried or upset and one of those people helped you. Visualize that time. 4. Write a brief description of that situation and how you felt. Onward Workbook p. 454. Articles/Blogs from Twitter Inspiration "To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have." Upcoming EVENTS
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