Every Spring the faulty and staff at Ben-Hem engage in the process of creating classes for the coming school year. Developing and balancing our classrooms is a major step in preparing for each school year. Classroom composition plays an important role in the success of every school year and, therefore, we invest a great deal of time and energy into the placement process.

Class placement begins in April and extends through the last day of the school year. Classroom teachers, guidance counselors, specialists, special educators and administrators work collaboratively to ensure the very best composition of classes for the coming years. Parents participate in this process by submitting letters that provide specific information about the learning style and needs of their child or children. Parent input is valued and given consideration throughout a rigorous placement procedure.

Every child is unique and brings specific needs and characteristics to the classroom. Creating balanced classrooms that maximize the experience and learning of all students is a top priority for Ben-Hem faculty. To facilitate effective balancing, many variables and factors are considered when creating the classes. The following list provides an overview of the criteria by which every proposed class list is reviewed and revised throughout the process.

• Kindergarten screening results (Kindergarten placements only)
• Academic Needs
• Work Habits and Study Skills
• Home/Family/Developmental Variables
• Child Study Referrals/Intervention
• Specialized Educational Services IEP (Individual Education Plan)
• 504 Accommodation Plan
• Guidance services
• Medical needs and allergies
• Behavioral needs
• Social/Emotional needs

Guidelines for Parent Participation

Parents who wish to participate in the class placement process may do so by submitting a letter to Ian Kelly by May 1st of each school year. The following paragraph is intended to support parents in crafting letters that will support placement teams as they strive to ensure the best placement for every student.

The overarching goal of the placement process is to create classes that support the learning and well-being of all students. Given that this is a child-centered process, parent letters should focus on providing the placement team with specific information pertaining to their children as opposed to specific teachers. Requests for specific teachers will not be considered during the placement process. The balancing criteria referenced in the previous section are great places to start when thinking about what you would like to share. Parents hold critical information about their children that broadens the perspective of class placement teams. Every so often, circumstances or needs extend beyond those listed above. Parents are encouraged to share this information as well. Robust information about children supports effective placement decisions.

This year Mr. Kelly will again host parent coffees. These coffees are planned monthly (schedule follows) for the remainder of the school year and are informal get togethers for parents, families and community members. There is no formal agenda as the purpose is to provide opportunities for folks to talk with Mr. Kelly, ask questions, and share concerns.

Last year’s series was a great success. Through these conversations topics like class size, budget, and long term strategic planning were discussed. These were great conversations as they allowed Mr. Kelly to better understand the perspective of parents and the community on issues impacting the school while providing an occasion to dive deeply into the laws, regulations, and contexts that are often the reasons for the issues and concerns raised by the community.

Building this common understanding of ongoing school improvement efforts, the contexts in which they exist, and their perceptions within the community is critically important to our community as Ben-Hem seeks to provide educational opportunities for students that maximize opportunities to learn in a manner that is consistent with the values and goals of the parent and family community. We hope that you will take the opportunity to join us!

 

Schedule:

• December 9th at 8:00 a.m.
• January 12th at 4:00 p.m.
• February 25th at 7:00 p.m.
• March 24th at 8:00 a.m.
• April 25th at 4:00 p.m.
• May 19th at 7:00 p.m.
• June 15th at 8:00 a.m.

 

This is a post that I wrote last year focusing on parent-teacher conferences. Please take a look and gear up to get the most out of your upcoming conference.

Strong communication between home and school is critical to the success of our students and children. Parent-teacher conferences are one formal mechanism we use to support and enhance the home-school connection. Parent-teacher conferences take place formally twice per year; in November and April. This year’s dates are November 7th and 13th and April 8th and 16th. These are important times for teachers and families to review progress, address concerns, and plan strategically for the coming months. It goes without saying that these conferences are very important to the education of our students. Teachers spend many hours preparing for conferences and there are many things parents can do to ensure efficient and effective conferences.

1. Come Prepared
   • Take time in the days preceeding the conference to gather your thoughts. What questions do you have for the teacher? What concerns do you have? What is it you would like your child to focus on in the coming weeks and months?
2. Stay Positive and Focused
   • Productive, goal oriented conversations are critical. Discussions about our children aren’t always easy. We have all kinds of hopes, dreams, expectations, and feelings for and about our children. Both you and your child’s teacher are there to discuss and carry out actions that are in the best interests of your child. Keeping this fact in mind will help maintain focus on what’s most important.
3. Talk to Your Child Before and After the Conference
   • We often overlook the fact that children are very important members of our team. Involving students in the decisions that impact their lives is critical for two primary reasons. First it provides a sense of agency. Children need to understand that they play a key role in determining the course and outcome of their lives. Second, it builds ownership and accountability. When children are involved in the processes and decisions that impact their lives, they are more likely to engage in the plans and hold themselves accountable to goals and outcomes.
   • Talk to your children before the conference. Ask them questions. What do they think they need to work on? What are their strengths? What questions do they have?
   • After the conference, let your children know what you discussed during the conference. Answer the questions they posed and clearly lay out goals and expectations for the coming weeks and months.

If you would like other tips and more reading on Parent-Teacher conferences, check out the following links:

Family Education

Scholastic

National Education Association

 

 

Public education in the commonwealth of Massachusetts has always been and continues to be a top priority of the state and its residents. State leaders recognized the importance of education in 1780 when they drafted the constitution and they continue to recognize it today in their ongoing efforts to provide a world class education for our children. While there are many things people don’t agree on, most folks get behind the idea that going to school and engaging in a great education is one of the fundamental building blocks of long term success.  While a healthy school culture and great teaching are critical, a child must attend school to enjoy the benefits of public education.

To that end, the Massachusetts legislature mandates school attendance and sets very clear parameters for how schools maintain attendance and how they must respond when students do not attend school. Based upon those parameters, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education specifies regulations for local school districts and from there school committees and districts set policies that will implement the laws and regulations set forth by the state. Natick’s policies can be found using this link. The policies lay out how we manage attendance at the district and building level. The following paragraphs summarize and spell out some of the information contained within that policy.

What is an excused absence?

The Natick Public Schools recognizes that unforeseen illnesses and extraordinary circumstances necessitate absences. The Natick School Committee has designated the following circumstances as excused absences:

1. Illness or quarantine (Absences of 5 or more consecutive days require a physician’s certificate for readmission to school)
2. Bereavement or serious illness in family
3. Weather so inclement as to endanger the health of any child
4. Observations of major religious holidays
5. Other exceptional reasons with the approval of the school principal

In the event of a planned absence or tardiness, the parent must provide advanced written notice to the school.  In the event of unforeseen absences or tardiness, the parent must call the school as soon as it is determined a child will be absent or tardy.

What if I’m taking my child out of the country or on a long vacation?

There is no replacement for loss of instruction.Should a parent choose to keep a student out of school for reasons other than illness or excused situations, the school will not assume responsibility for either preparing lessons in advance for the student or providing individual tutoring or extensive individual help for the student when he or she returns.  It will be the responsibility of the student and the parent to identify work that may be missed.  While teachers will provide the normal range of assistance, it is the student’s responsibility for making up work.

What can families expect?

Families should expect to be notified if their child has reached or exceeded the number of absences commensurate with Chapter 76, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Recurring, unexcused absences compromise the learning and well-being of children. When a child accrues extensive, unexcused absences, parents may expect any or all of the following action to be taken:

1. Phone call or letter home informing families of excessive absences
2. Meeting with the principal to discuss absences
3. Home visit by school resource officer
4. Court involvement for truancy
5. Referral for home assessment

The policy can be found on the Natick Public Schools website by clicking here.

I was reflecting on November’s PTO meeting over the course of this week and I got to thinking about a portion of our conversation that focused on the laws and regulations that govern public education. This is an important part of our work and is increasingly important for parents to understand. These laws and regulations create the context in which much of what you see happening in our school occurs which, consequently, has a high degree of influence on the kind of educational experiences and opportunities children have access to.

Public education in Massachusetts is generally governed by federal and state law which is then operationalized via regulations set by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. At the local level it is up to the School Committee and central office to determine the policies and practices on the ground that will bring the laws and regulations to life. That is a bird’s eye view of the system from 30,000 feet. There are many, many thousands of details and dynamics at play and it would take me a thousand pages to begin scratching the surface of that complexity. Rather than diving into all of that, I would like to point parents and community members to a few good resources that provide national, state, and local perspectives on the policy and politics that impact the education of Ben-Hem’s children.

National Level Public Policy and Legislation

United States Department of Education: Law Overview

This website provides links to many of the key federal laws that govern the work of schools. There is a lot of great information there!

Education Week

This is a great periodical that provides a big picture look at public education across the United States.

State Level Policy and Regulation

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

This link will take you to the DESE’s press release archives. This is a good resource as it hi-lights some of the bigger picture work at the state level and provides lots of links to other resources for those of you who would like to read more.

Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC)

The MASC website is a good starting place to get a feel for how policy and practice take shape across the state. At the bottom of the main page there are recent articles with links to archives.

Local Policy and Practice

Natick School Committee

School Committees in Massachusetts are charged with setting district level policy, establishing the budget, and the hiring and evaluation of the superintendent. The School Committee is a great local resource for parents and community members. Their web-site is full of helpful information that is relevant to public education in the Natick Public Schools.

Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and Innovation

The Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and Innovation is best described as the brain and central nervous system of the school district. As it’s name indicates, this office is primarily responsible for the ongoing coordination, evaluation, and development of K-12 curricula in the Natick Schools.

Earlier in November I hosted an informal coffee for Ben-Hem parents and families. These coffees are planned monthly for the remainder of the school year (You can find our schedule using this link) and are informal get togethers for parents, families and community members. There is no formal agenda as the purpose is to provide opportunities for folks to talk with Mr. Kelly, ask questions, and share concerns.

The first coffee was a great success. I had the opportunity to sit and talk with about ten parents for just over an hour. Through this conversation, class size, budget, long term strategic planning, and a few other issues were discussed. These were great conversations as they allowed me to better understand the perspective of parents and the community on issues impacting the school while providing me with an occasion to dive deeply into the laws, regulations, and contexts that are often the reasons for the issues and concerns raised by the community.

Building this common understanding of ongoing school improvement efforts, the contexts in which they exist, and their perceptions within the community is critically important to our community as Ben-Hem seeks to provide educational opportunities for students that maximize opportunities to learn in a manner that is consistent with the values and goals of the parent and family community. I look forward to the remainder of these meetings and hope that you will take the opportunity to join us!

This is a post that I wrote last year focusing on parent-teacher conferences. Please take a look and gear up to get the most out of your upcoming conference.

Strong communication between home and school is critical to the success of our students and children. Parent-teacher conferences are one formal mechanism we use to support and enhance the home-school connection. Parent-teacher conferences take place formally twice per year; in November and April. This year’s dates are November 7th and 13th and April 8th and 16th. These are important times for teachers and families to review progress, address concerns, and plan strategically for the coming months. It goes without saying that these conferences are very important to the education of our students. Teachers spend many hours preparing for conferences and there are many things parents can do to ensure efficient and effective conferences.

1. Come Prepared
   • Take time in the days preceeding the conference to gather your thoughts. What questions do you have for the teacher? What concerns do you have? What is it you would like your child to focus on in the coming weeks and months?
2. Stay Positive and Focused
   • Productive, goal oriented conversations are critical. Discussions about our children aren’t always easy. We have all kinds of hopes, dreams, expectations, and feelings for and about our children. Both you and your child’s teacher are there to discuss and carry out actions that are in the best interests of your child. Keeping this fact in mind will help maintain focus on what’s most important.
3. Talk to Your Child Before and After the Conference
   • We often overlook the fact that children are very important members of our team. Involving students in the decisions that impact their lives is critical for two primary reasons. First it provides a sense of agency. Children need to understand that they play a key role in determining the course and outcome of their lives. Second, it builds ownership and accountability. When children are involved in the processes and decisions that impact their lives, they are more likely to engage in the plans and hold themselves accountable to goals and outcomes.
   • Talk to your children before the conference. Ask them questions. What do they think they need to work on? What are their strengths? What questions do they have?
   • After the conference, let your children know what you discussed during the conference. Answer the questions they posed and clearly lay out goals and expectations for the coming weeks and months.

If you would like other tips and more reading on Parent-Teacher conferences, check out the following links:

Family Education

Scholastic

National Education Association

 

 

In our last post we discussed the legislative origins and function of school councils. One of the primary responsibilities of the school council is to support the principal in developing an annual School Improvement Plan (SIP). The 2014 – 2015 SIP is a document that captures the current performance of the school, identifies the needs of the school, and sets goals to address those needs.

In Natick, principals work as a team to develop goals and programming that provide Natick students with equitable access to learning opportunities.  In coordinating these efforts, elementary principals develop an annual school improvement plan that takes into account district needs as well as needs at the building level.  As such,

What We’re Working on This Year

The Elementary School Improvement Plan reflects our efforts towards educating the “whole” child.  We recognize that developing social, emotional, and behavioral competency is equally as important as developing academic skills.  Students who attend schools that support universal instruction in these areas experience higher achievement.

District Goal: Student Growth

This year will mark the first time that all of the Natick Elementary Schools will take the PARCC assessment.  The PARCC is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and will measure whether students are on track towards being college and career ready.  The PARCC assessment presents many new challenges in both content and administration. Across the district, our work will focus on ensuring that our curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices are aligned to these new assessments and support student growth and success.

District Goal: Technology Implementation

Over the past few years, Natick elementary schools have piloted mobile technologies to assess and understand their place in the elementary learning environment. These pilots have demonstrated great success and we are prepared to build on these successes during the 2014-2015 school year.  Each elementary classroom (K-4) has been equipped with 5 mobile devices to support student engagement and learning.  Through the pilot programs, Natick has developed teacher leaders who are prepared to lead and support their colleagues in bringing these technologies into their practice.

District Goal: Wellness

Academics is only one part of a child’s education. It is important that out teachers focus on social, physical, and emotional development as well. This is sometimes referred to as educating the “whole child.” This year elementary faculty and staff will research mindfulness awareness practices (or MAPs) in classrooms. The goal of this research is to better understand how we can support the intrapersonal skill development that supports effective learning and development.  MAPs have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression as well as help children develop critical executive functioning skills such as emotional regulation, behavioral regulation, attentional control and mental flexibility.

Ben-Hem Goal: Professional Capital

The Ben-Hem faculty and staff are dedicated and incredibly skilled professionals. Within these individuals Natick holds a tremendous accumulation of human capital. These individuals are eager to engage in lifelong growth and to support one another in that cycle of continuous improvement. Unfortunately, the rapid increase of state/federal mandates and test driven accountability mechanisms creates a situation in which these individuals work and learn under greater stress and isolation. As such, there is little opportunity to grow the teamwork and collaborative decision making that supports the continued enhancement of Natick’s human capital investment. This year Ben-Hem will focus on enhancing the overall efficacy of the school by leveraging the skills, interests, and needs of staff to foster professional learning, growth, and team work.

Ben-Hem Goal: Data Teams

Ben-Hem is now in its fifth year of implementing Data Teams. Data teams are one of the foundational elements of successful educational programming. Over the years, universal screening, data team, and intervention programming systems and structures have grown and evolved. These structures have been successful, however, Ben-Hem can do better in supporting faculty to make informed diagnostic and instructional decisions for students. To that end, the Ben-Hem team will continue to refine data team systems and structures to enhance learning opportunities for our students.

 Elementary Presentation to the School Committee on October 6th, 2014.

Public schools are complex organizations focused on ensuring equal access and opportunity to learn for all students. Our public school systems are governed by a complicated web of federal law, state law, and local school committee policies and procedures. The day to day operation of schools can seem overwhelming and confusing if you don’t know the ins and outs of how schools work. This piece is the first in an ongoing series that will provide parents and families with more information about how Ben-Hem (and public schools in general) function.

In 1993 the Massachusetts legislature passed the Education Reform Act. This piece of legislation represented a monumental shift in structure and practice for public schools across the Commonwelath. Amongst other changes, the Ed Reform Act of 1993 established the requirements for statewide learning standards, a comprehensive standardized testing system and the establishment of school councils at every public school.

The legislative intent behind the school council provisions was to provide school principals with support in running and managing schools as the state was providing greater decision making authority to building level administrators. The school council is a elected group of parent and faculty representatives who advise the principal on the needs of the school, school improvement planning, and school budget.

Ben-Hem’s school council meets once per month between September and May. The meetings are an hour long and focus on current issues as they relate to Ben-Hem. While you have to be elected to be a participating member of the school council, all are welcome to attend and hear more about the bigger picture issues that drive our continued efforts. You can find the council’s meeting schedule, agendas, and meeting minutes on our website.

School Council Members:

Ian P. Kelly, Principal

Mary Gavin, Special Education Teacher

Kim Marzullo, Grade 1 Teacher

Caroline Kruszewska, Kindergarten Teacher

Kate Wraight, Grade 2 Teacher

Hayley Sonnenborn, Parent

Florina Uyar, Parent

Susan Harvey, Parent

Amanda Wasecki-Wislocki, Parent

Ben Gatto, Vice Principal (Member Ex-Officio)

 

Post by Barbara Singer and Denise Twiss, Ben-Hem School Nurses

Happy fall!  As you know, Enterovirus has been in the news recently.  There have been no confirmed cases in the area, but we are seeing students who have respiratory viruses, GI viruses, and a few cases of Strep Throat in the health clinic.   The best prevention for all of these illnesses is HAND WASHING.   In addition, please remind your children to cover their mouths/noses with their elbows or a tissue when they have to cough and/or sneeze, and please send your children into school each day with their own individual water bottle.  If your child is coughing and/or sneezing due to seasonal allergies, check with his/her health care provider to see if allergy medication may help, and remind your child to wash his/her hands and face after coming in from playing outside.

Please review the NPS Absence Policy below and keep your child home if he/she has:

• Temperature over 99.6 degrees, without the use of fever reducing medications

• Colds, coughs and runny nose

• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

• Undiagnosed rashes

• Impetigo

• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

• Untreated Pediculosis (head lice)

• Scabies

• Ringworm

Please remember to call the absence line by 8:30 am EACH DAY that your child will be absent or tardy.  The number is:  (508)647-6581 and it is a recorded line so you can leave a message 24 hours a day.

Pupils returning to school after an absence of more than five (5) days should present evidence for absence (a physician’s note).

Feel free to contact us with any questions and stay well!!