Focus 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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