Day 89 - Ellen Johnson, Fox Hill Elementary Principal

Everyday Heroes at Fox Hill School: Click to view slideshow.

Friday, February 15, 2013 was a special day at Fox Hill School.  It was a day that students and all staff gathered in the cafeteria to share student interpretations for their meaning of “hero” and their examples of everyday heroes.  I began the assembly recognizing a student hero in grades K-2 and a student hero in grades 3-5.  My interpretation of a hero is someone who is motivated to persist and to stay positive as they work through challenges.  After I recognized our student heroes, I recognized our everyday heroes, our teachers, who are always there for our students no matter what it takes to ensure student success.  I wrote and shared this poem at the assembly to communicate to students and to teachers how important our teachers are to their students and to the Fox Hill School community.

Teachers Are Heroes

Your teacher is my hero because she is always there

to greet you in the morning with a smile.

Your teacher is my hero because he helps

you find your pencil when he knows you need one.

Your teacher is my hero because she makes you laugh

and sings “Happy Birthday” to you in her funky silly way.

Your teacher is my hero because she puts her arm around you

when you are sad and says “it’s okay” and helps you find your way.

Your teacher is my hero because she knows you can do it

and always expects your best.

Your teacher is my hero because she has a sparkle

in her eye that makes you laugh.

Your teacher is my hero because he plays

with you at recess.

Your teacher is my hero because she calls home

just to tell your parents you had a great day.

Your teacher is my hero because she ties your shoe

when you need her to and asks you to tie your shoes

when she knows you can.

Your teacher is my hero because he looks for and

shares books he knows you like.

Your teacher is my hero because she dries

your tears and says “let’s try again.”

Your teacher is my hero because she is your teacher!

After I took time to honor our student and teacher heroes, each classroom teacher was presented with a book made by students in their classroom.  This was a happy and unexpected surprise for teachers as Mrs. Settelen, Mrs. Dwyer, Ms. Martin and I worked with students behind the scenes to create a book to honor each classroom teacher.  Once teachers received their books, the real fun and inspiration began as each classroom or grade level team presented creative projects that represented their thoughts about “Heroes.”  Students in grades 1 and 2 wrote about their special heros that included moms, dads, sisters, brothers, friends, custodians, bus drivers and of course their teachers!  In Grade 3, teachers worked as a team and shared their collective interpretation for what an everyday hero looks like both physically and in character.  Grade 3 students worked together to create a beautiful TIME magazine cover entitled “Hero of the Year”  that captured different traits characteristic of an everyday hero. This beautiful “Time” magazine cover is hanging on the wall in our main office.  Grade 4 teachers also worked as a team to create a collage of everyday people that captured the different attributes characteristic of an everyday hero.  It was inspiring to listen and view their beautiful collective work.  In grade 5, Mr. Norman’s class created a mural that represented their collective thoughts for what it means to be a “Hero.”  Mrs. Jaffe and Mrs. Lee created and awarded certificates to special heroes in each student’s life and finally, Mrs. Farrell created a student developed video that captured the essence of what a hero means to them.

Our assembly was a huge success and it reminded us of how many heroes are at Fox Hill School doing simple heroic deeds that mean alot to at least one person.  Our everyday heroes enrich our lives, touch our hearts and make us better people each day.  Thank you to all our everyday heroes, our teachers, our students, our secretaries, our nurse, our support staff, our custodians, our lunch ladies, our bus drivers and our parents for doing small, simple deeds that support, encourage and sustain us through our journey.  Each of you has made a big and positive difference.

Day 71, Principal Ellen Johnson, Fox Hill Elementary

New Standards in Teaching and Learning:
Massachusetts is one of 43 states who have adopted the Common Core State Standards  (CCSS) to guide and shape curriculum, teaching and learning.  Our new report card was developed using the Common Core State Standards and reflect what we are teaching and children are expected to be learning in each grade.   The CCSS were developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association of Best Practices in partnership with a wide variety of educators and parents.  Massachusetts was a leader and a key participant in developing CCSS due to the fact that Massachusetts has some of the most rigorous learning standards in the United States since Educational Reform Act in 1990.  Many of Massachusetts past educational learning standards are integrated into the CCSS, however, there are some key and important changes in the new CCSS.  First, the CCSS has established higher reading expectations and benchmarks by expecting students to be more proficient in reading books with increased text complexity.  Second, CCSS expect and require students to engage more with informational text (50% by Grade 4) and write about information obtained from non-fiction text with increased understanding and proficiency.  Third, CCSS expect and require students to master fewer math concepts but expect students to manipulate numbers mentally to engage in math reasoning by explaining their understanding of numbers and math in writing.  Writing about math and how to solve math problems requires deep understanding of math concepts and their relationship to each other.
Below is an excellent video created in New York City Public Schools that summarizes some of the important components in the CCSS along with how teachers are adjusting and adapting their teaching to meet the demands of the CCSS.  New York is also an adopter of the CCSS.


 

Day 47 - Ellen Johnson, Fox Hill Elementary School Principal

A Normal School Day

Dear Fox Hill Families,

Today was an exceptional day!  It was exceptional because of the strength and courage demonstrated by every staff member at Fox Hill School throughout the entire day.  It was exceptional because kids came to school confident, happy and secure.  It was exceptional because it was a typical, normal school day.  I met with teachers this morning asking they be strong, confident and to follow the normal school routines.  If students asked questions or wanted to discuss this weekend’s events in class, I asked teachers to talk to students and answer their questions privately.  This request was to be mindful and respectful to parents who chose not to share Friday’s events with their children.  Mrs. Settelen, Mrs. Dwyer and I were available to talk to students if necessary but not one student needed our services today and very few students asked questions or commented about Friday’s events to their teachers.  If students need us tomorrow, we will be there and we will continue to be there for them just like their parents and just like their teachers are there for them everyday.

Today there was police presence in the morning and those on bus duty did a great job as all kids walked into school just like they do every day smiling and saying hello to teachers and lining up in their designated areas.  Our dismissal was just as smooth.  All schools have protocol for different types and levels of crisis and Fox Hill School is no exception. Our safety protocol was developed in partnership with the Burlington Police Department and Burlington Public Schools.  I will be meeting with Fox Hill’s Crisis Team this week and reviewing and practicing our protocols in January similar to what we do every year.

Parents you prepared your children exceptionally well for school today. Our teachers were heroes today, and I was so proud and thankful for our school community.  Thank you parents for a job well done and thank you for your constant support for all we do at Fox Hill School.  It is reassuring to us that you care about us and support us.   If any staff member or I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to ask.  Enjoy your evening and I cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow.

Here are a few tips from Dr. Michele Borba, a child expert, author and educational consultant:

• Turn off the TV and media when kids are present.  Image can negatively impact children regardless of your zip code.
• Talk to your children. Children need the right facts and you are their best source.
• Children need to know it’s okay to share their feelings.  Be calm and give age appropriate information.
• Only give information that children are ready to hear.  Be there to listen.
• Your child’s anxiety will be lessened if you keep yours in check.  If you are calm, children will be calm.
• Give information in small doses. Listen, watch their response.  Children need time to process information and do not need to know all the details.
• Stick to family routines.  This creates a soothing and secure environment and despite tragedy, life continues on. 

Day 36 - Alexis Dwyer, Fox Hill Elementary School Counselor

Sometimes the Fox Hill children and staff call me "The One," which I can tell you is not true because I am not the best at anything. ‘The One’ is based on Kathryn Otoshi’s book titled One, which was the inspiration for Fox Hill’s school-wide initiative focusing on standing up for yourself and others in a respectful and responsible way.

This story teaches us about accepting each other's differences and that it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count. Our first school-wide assembly in November was devoted to the theme of “Be the One.” This assembly included some 5th grade children and me interpreting the book on stage as a way to introduce the theme and bring the story to life (See the video below). All the children who were part of the show did a fabulous job designing costumes, acting out a character or narrating the play.


one from Mr. Murphy on Vimeo.

Once the children understood the idea of our school theme, they were asked to consistently practice the positive message behind the main characters actions.It was important to set behavioral expectations and for the children to be rewarded with a sticker for showing "Be the One" behavior that is depicted in the story. Some examples of behavioral expectations or criteria include, when a child stands up for a friend who is left out of a game at recess or uses kind words to tell someone how they feel. Children are earning stickers to be displayed on big “One” cutouts in their classrooms. Since we are asking the children to embrace this motto and buy in to its powerful message, it makes sense for us to practice what we preach and behave as we believe.

I believe in being the “One” to make everyone count and be accepted, even if it’s not always the most popular option. Hopefully the children will continue to call me “The One" because I’m doing my best to send this message and not because I wear a huge green “One” costume in school regularly to remind everyone of the importance of standing up for what is right. Sometimes all you need is "The ONE."

Day 35: Sean Musselman, Burlington Science Center Staff

While many fifth graders at the Fox Hill school were off on their overnight field trip to Camp Bournedale, a group of young scientific minds stayed behind and participated in “Camp Foxy.” After the first day, in which students watched a live webinar with astronauts from the International Space Station, we dove deeper into rocket science with a project aimed at bringing all the STEM disciplines together answering one simple question: “What angle should we launch a rocket to make it travel the furthest distance?”

At what launch angle will the rocket travel the farthest?

Students were asked to predict which angle they believed would launch their rockets the farthest after sharing what they already knew about the topic by considering how they throw sports equipment such as baseballs or footballs long distances. They were then put to work assembling their own rockets to experiment with! When all rockets were ready the students democratically selected a launch site. The weather was good so we went out to the school’s front walkway to experiment.

Constructing straw rockets!

Students were very excited to try their rockets out and experimentation did get a bit messy! It was great to hear students deliberate over whether launches were “fair.” One unexpected problem we faced as teachers were some unexpected results! Despite the students’ short statures there was enough height provided to the initial launch point that students frequently fired their 20 degree launches further than the 45 degree angle, leading to puzzled reactions from some students when their results didn’t match up with their ‘sure-thing’ predictions.

Measuring launch to landing using metric measuring tapes.

After lunch we added a third goal by asking students to communicate what they had learned and how they had learned it via a short “Show Me” presentation using some iPads available in the school. The Show Me app leaves some to be desired in the way of editing work and their was a limited amount of time remaining in the day for kids to brainstorm, outline their presentation, and then make the final work. That being said students gave their best efforts.

Sydney’s Rocket Presentation



Eric’s Rocket Presentation


Sonny’s Rocket Presentation Part 1 and Part 2

Teachers were learning during the activity as well when it became apparent that an elevated launch point (as a results of students standing during their launch!) eschewed data and led to some puzzling conclusions for students who started the day with “sure-thing” predictions. Fortunately, some discussion was had between students and teachers about how “fair” or valid the results were. These were conversations that helped the students better understand their results while giving teachers valuable experience to reshape the lesson for future classrooms!

Using the “Show Me” app to communicate our results.

Day 29 - Nicole DePiano, Fox Hill Grade 1 Teacher

My first grade students have been learning how to write a report as part of informative writing. We worked together to create a class report about birds, which was our science topic during the month of October. I made this quick video of my students to highlight the learning process they went through for report writing. The kids had fun being the stars of this movie!

 
Writing a Report from Mr. Murphy on Vimeo.