Francis Wyman School Principal's Blog

Weekly Bulletin January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

The weekly bulletin has been posted. Enjoy the weekend.

The 10th Annual Francis Wyman School Family Carnival

2012-01-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

We hope that you and your family will be able to join us for this huge fun family event and PTO fundraiser!The Annual Francis Wyman Family Carnival will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012.The PTO Carnival Committee could really use your help to make this a great time for all:

- Volunteer to help out at the Carnival
- Decorate a Cake for the Cake Walk (no nuts)
- Donate a themed Gift Basket or Prize for the Raffle
- Bring in individually wrapped goodies for the Bake Sale (no nuts)

Sign up for any of these at http://www.franciswymancarnival.org
Questions? Email info@franciswymancarnival.org

Note: If you would like to volunteer to help out at the Carnival, please get CORI checked through the BPS Superintendent’s Office – See the Burlington Public Schools website and CORI FAQs for details. We would also like volunteers to attend a brief confidentiality meeting with the principal. There will be opportunities to attend a meeting just prior to the Carnival.

Confidentiality Meeting with the Principal

2012-01-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

As you are probably aware, if you'd like to volunteer at school, such as chaperone a field trip or help in the classroom, you must complete a CORI form at the Burlington Central Office and attend a confidentiality meeting with the principal. There are many field trips fast approaching and the carnival is just around the corner. We have scheduled a confidentiality meeting for this Friday, January 27, at 9:00am in the main office. Additional confidentiality meetings will be scheduled as we get closer to the carnival. As always, please contact the main office if you have any questions.

Go Patriots!!

2012-01-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

Please enjoy this week's bulletin. "Wee" have posted information about the upcoming "Wee Deliver" program and the next Used Book Store. Have a great weekend!!

Weekly Bulletin January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday the 13th! Today's bulletin is available by clicking the link below. Please be advised that there is no school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Go Patriots!!

A Focus on Classical Music - "Orchestrating Kids"

2012-01-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

This year at Francis Wyman, the music department decided to expose our students to as much classical music as possible. This started by playing classical music over the loudspeaker every morning as the students enter the building. Already students have been exposed to composers such as Bach, Tchaikovsky and Copland. We also are teaching the students about form and themes found in music through our daily Move It, also done to classical music.

This project is continuing through an outside program called Orchestrating Kids through Classics. On Tuesday, four musicians visited the 3rd graders of Francis Wyman Elementary school to share their musical talents. The children were excited to see the quartet perform. We were visited by a violinist, violist, clarinetist and tuba player. The children were able to see the four perform as a group as well as individual as the musicians talked about different composers as well as the families of instruments. We were complimented on our student’s knowledge, wonderful questions as well as their superb behavior throughout the entire performance. The next phase of this program is in the form of a field trip. The 3rd graders will be visiting the Lexington Symphony Orchestra to see a classical concert developed for children. We our excited for the upcoming adventure!

We would like to thank both the Burlington Education Foundation as well as the Massachusetts Cultural Council for supporting our upcoming program through grants. Due to their generosity, the entire 3rd grade will be able to participate without cost.

For more information about our ongoing music curriculum, please visit
www.franciswymanmusic.wordpress .com

Videos of the Elementary Report Card Parent Meeting held Nov 30

2012-01-10T13:41:00.001-05:00

For parents who were not able to make the Superintendent's meeting regarding the elementary report cards, I have posted the following two videos from the meeting.

Weekly Bulletin

2012-01-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

The Friday bulletin is now available. It contains important information about all of the Francis Wyman after school clubs. Please click the link below to access the document. Have a wonderful weekend!

Today's Bulletin Now Available

2011-12-22T12:43:00.000-05:00

Francis Wyman School wishes you a very Happy Holiday and a safe start to the New Year. Today's bulletin has been posted. Please click the link below.

Friday Bulletin

2011-12-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

Today's bulletin has been posted. Please review for upcoming vacation days.

Weekly Bulletin December 8, 2011

2011-12-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Today's bulletin is now available! Valuable info about the Book Fair at Barnes and Noble on Monday and our own Used Book Store on Wednesday.

Progress Report Survey

2011-12-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

Please take a moment to complete the VERY brief survey on my blog regarding your opinion of the new progress report. There will be more opportunities to provide feedback, but I am interested in hearing your general reaction.

Barnes and Noble Day - December 12, 2011

2011-12-07T12:38:00.000-05:00

Barnes and Noble Book Fair

FRANCIS WYMAN DAY @ B&N 12/12 (and on-line 12/12 - 12/17) A percentage of your sale will be returned to our school! Vouchers will be sent home with students and can also be found at www.bn.com/bookfairs. Please use bookfair ID 10595072 entered at online checkout. Thanks for your support and see you there!

December 2, 2011 Bulletin

2011-12-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

Please check out today's bulletin and have a wonderful weekend. Click the link below.

Report Card Meeting Information

2011-12-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

It was wonderful to see so many parents at the report card parent meeting held at FWS on Wednesday night. Dr. Conti reviewed the standard based focus of the report cards and the new marking system. Parents also viewed a copy of the new report card format and got a sense of the detailed standards that are now the main focus of the report card. We are expecting that once parents actually experience the new report cards, there will be more questions and helpful feedback. Parents are encouraged to note their feedback on the yellow response sheets that are sent home in the report card folder. The topic of report cards will also be on the agendas of both the Principal's Coffee on January 10 at 9:00 am and PTO Meeting on January 1 at 7:00 pm. Below you will find the information regarding the new academic marking key.

Massachusetts Common Core Standards are the basis for grade level expectations identified on Burlington Public Schools progress reports. Many of the standards are not expected to be met until later in the year, so parents should expect students marks to reflect growth that progresses towards end of the year grade level standards.

The academic key for grades kindergarten through grade five indicates the student’s progress as follows:

Academic Marking Key
(Standards are end of the year expectations)

E- Exceeding the Grade Level Standard
The student demonstrates an in-depth understanding of concepts, and/or skills. Performance is characterized by the ability to apply concepts and/or skills consistently, accurately, and independently.

M- Meeting the Grade Level Standard
The student demonstrates a solid understanding of concepts and/or skills. Performance is characterized by the ability to apply concepts and/or skills consistently and accurately.

P1- Progressing Within the grade-level range for this time of year
The student demonstrates an understanding of basic concepts and/or skills and is working within the grade-level range. Performance is characterized by mostly consistent application of concepts and/or skills. Support and guidance are sometimes needed.

P2- Progressing Below the grade-level range for this time of year
The student demonstrates an understanding of basic concepts and/or skills but is working below the grade level. Performance is characterized by inconsistent application of concepts and/or skills. Support and guidance are often needed.

N- Minimally Progressing Below the grade-level range for this time of year
The student demonstrates minimal understanding of basic concepts and/or skills. Performance is characterized by attempts to try new skills with partial success. Performance is inconsistent requiring additional support and guidance.

Gray Shaded Box- Not Applicable
During this marking period, the benchmark has not been taught or assessed.

Learner Qualities, Personal and Social Growth, Art, Music and Physical Education are reported by how often the target behaviors are demonstrated:

Consistently
Frequently
Occasionally
Yet to be demonstrated

Report Card Meeting for Parents Nov 30

2011-11-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

Report Cards are Changing!

Dr. Conti will be hosting a Report Card Meeting on November 30 at 6:30pm here at Francis Wyman to discuss with parents the new standards-based report cards. The report cards have a new format and grading system. This meeting is in preparation for report card distribution on December 7th. We are encouraging parents to attend so that when they receive their child’s report card they will be familiar with the format and have a better understanding of how student progress is being reported to parents.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

Today's bulletin for November 23 has been posted. Have a wonderful weekend full of family, food and fun!

Weekly Bulletin November 18

2011-11-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

Today's bulletin has been posted. Please note that Wednesday, Nov. 23 dismissal time is 11:30am. Have a terrific weekend!

Changes in Paypams Lunch Program

2011-11-18T14:52:00.000-05:00

We have been informed by Burlington Food Services that if parents wish to prohibit their children from purchasing snacks in the cafeteria, they should contact Karen Damaso in Food Services. Mrs. Damaso will disable the purchase of all "a la carte" items through the Paypams System. Students will be able to purchase lunch only. Please tell your child/children that you have prohibited snack purchase so that is is not a surprise when going through the lunch line. To make this change, please call Karen Damaso at 781-270-1756 or email damaso@bpsk12.org. In addition, I would just like to send parents a friendly reminder to check your Paypams account to assure that there is money on the account.

The Circus is Coming! Support the BEF!

2011-11-15T19:17:00.000-05:00

The Burlington Education Foundation is hosting a Circus presented by Cirque Du Jour this Saturday, November 19, 2011. Three show times at 11, 1:30 and 4 with entertainment for all. Former Ringling Bros. performers, acrobats, daredevils, BMX bike team and more. Tickets are $10 each, or a 4-pack for only $30. Tickets are available on-line at http://www.burlingtonedfoundation.org/ or at the door.

Message from Burlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council (PAC)

2011-11-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Parents,
The Burlington PAC will hold an open meeting next Tuesday November 15 in the Burlington High School lower library at 7:00 P.M. We were considering Wednesday night, but the middle school has parent teacher conferences that night and I want to keep in touch with families before the holidays roll around. Please pass the word. This meeting can be whatever you as members want it to be. The topic for the night is up to you, the parents. Possibilities include the following.

1. The challenges you and your kids are facing.

2. Your feelings about RTI and how services are being provided.

3. The intervention process and the part you play as a parent.

4. What you want from your PAC.

Sincerely,

Dennis McCarron PAC Chairman

781-273-5663

New FWS Website

2011-11-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

Burlington Public Schools has a new website and so does FWS! Take a moment to check it out and add it to your favorites at http://fw.bpsk12.org/.

Bulletin November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T15:27:00.000-05:00

Please view the weekly bulletin by clicking the link below. Have a very enjoyable long weekend! Thank a Veteran tomorrow!

Fall Marketplace at Francis Wyman this Wednesday Night

2011-11-07T11:07:00.000-05:00

Our school will be transformed Wednesday night into a shopping mecca! The PTO is sponsoring the Fall Marketplace on November 9th from 5pm to 9pm. There will be vendors lining the gymnasium, cafeteria, and hallways with crafts galore. Get ready to shop and support our PTO. See you there!!

Weekly Bulletin November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Today's bulletin is now available. Please click below to access it. Have a great weekend.

Pumpkin Patch of Characters

2011-11-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

This month, the fourth grade book report focused on studying character development. All students chose a picture book to read and then complete a character study of one of the characters form the story. In addition to the writing assignments, each student decorated a pumpkin to illustrate the character. Enjoy these photos of some of the Pumpkin Patch of Characters!

You may ask, “Why are fourth graders using picture books?”

Picture books are not just for young children. In fact, they can be effectively used at all grade levels. High quality picture books are carefully written, exposing students to high level vocabulary and beautifully crafted language. Story elements are artfully developed and therefore support instruction well. Many books contain poignant themes and moral messages and therefore provide a powerful means to examine life. In addition the illustrations are purposeful as they extend the story effectively and are visually delightful.

Annual Halloween Parade

2011-11-01T12:50:00.000-04:00

The annual Halloween Parade will be held on Friday, November 4, 2011 at 1:45. Parents are welcome to view the costumes as the parade comes through the gym. Parents should park in the back parking lot and may enter the gym through the gym doors.

Francis Wyman Elementary School Now on Facebook!

2011-10-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

Francis Wyman Elementary School is now on Facebook. This provides another way for families to stay connected to what is going on at FWS.

Here is the link to our new Facebook page.

In addition our new website is now up and running. There will be more items added to it as we further develop it.

Here is the link to the Francis Wyman Elementary School website.

Now families can get information from the Principal's Blog, Facebook , and the FWS website!

Food Allergy Awareness Team of Burlington

2011-10-24T13:13:00.002-04:00

Does your child have food allergies? Get informed & be aware! Meet with other parents

who share your concerns. Join the Food Allergy Awareness Team of Burlington

on Wednesday November 2nd at 7pm. The meeting will be held at the Burlington Fire

Department. Please email Lisa Hovasse at faatob@gmail.com with any questions.

Weekly Bulletin Now Available

2011-10-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

The weekly bulletin has been posted. Please click below to get connected. Have a terrific weekend!

Burlington Early Childhood Center (BECC)

2011-10-20T17:56:00.000-04:00

BURLINGTON EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

The Burlington Public Schools is opening a new preschool classroom.

Where: The program is located around the back of Burlington High School

When: The classroom will open on Monday November 8th 2011.

Days: The program will run Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Time: 8:30 to 11:30

Cost: The cost is $232.00 per month.

For more information please feel free to contact Louise D’Amato, program director, at 781-273-7632 or d’amato@bpsk12.org

For more information visit us our web site at:

http://www.burlington.mec.edu/ scroll down to integrated preschool and read our FAQ’s or frequently asked questions, http://www.burlington.mec.edu/ips/commonquestionsfaq.pdf

Morning Bus Schedule to Improve

2011-10-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

On Monday, we should begin to see some improvement with the bus arrivals in the morning. The school district has been working with A&F Bus Company to correct the difficulties we've been having with our buses arriving late to Francis Wyman in the morning. Due to some changes that have been made across the district, we’re anticipating that our difficulties have been corrected and buses should begin to arrive at their scheduled times starting Monday, October 17. Please refer to the bus schedule in the bulletin to check bus stop locations and times. We appreciate everyone's patience this fall as we have worked to resolve difficulties with the new bus route schedule.

Today's Bulletin Now Available

2011-10-14T13:52:00.000-04:00

The weekly bulletin for October 14, 2011 is now available. Please click below!
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

The Boston Globe Magazine to Feature FWS

2011-10-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

On October 9, 2011, Francis Wyman School will be featured in an article in the Boston Globe Magazine. This magazine is found in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe. The article focuses on issues related to special education and the increased incidence of children with disabilities. The author, John Marcus, begins his story in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Brigham and Women’s hospital as he researches the increased incidence of children with disabilities. He follows the issue through to the impact on schools and the struggles schools face trying to meet the learning needs of all children. John had contacted the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education to obtain his recommendation of model school districts who implement successful programs. The Commissioner suggested he contact Dr. Eric Conti to learn about the Response to Intervention (RtI) program in Burlington. Dr. Conti suggested to John that he visit FWS to see the program in action. John visited several classrooms and interviewed teachers. Later, a photographer was sent to capture the program in action. It was exciting to share our enthusiasm for the positive impact our RtI program has had on meeting the needs of all our students. It will be interesting to read this article and see how FWS fits into the story!

Principal's Allergy Letter Sept 22, 2011

2011-10-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

On September 22, 2011, the following letter was sent home to parents. It was included in a packet that contained a letter from the Superintendent of Schools, a reminder notice printed on bright orange paper, a letter from the Principal, and a copy of the Burlington School District's Allergy Policy.

September 22, 2011

Dear Parents,

Burlington Public Schools has adopted a policy to recognize the increasing numbers of students with food allergies and to minimize the risk to those students in school. The policy’s intent is to educate the community, increase allergy awareness, and provide a reasonable system-wide policy to accommodate student allergies. The policy is attached for your review and is also available on the school website.

Everyone at Francis Wyman School is knowledgeable regarding the policy and is implementing its procedures. Our school nurse, Mrs. Azarian has conducted staff trainings to all Francis Wyman staff members regarding allergies, its care, and how to administer an epi-pen. Also, Mrs. Azarian has informed the classroom teachers regarding whether a child with an allergy is in their classroom and a letter will be sent home to parents alerting parents that a child with an allergy is in that classroom. Please send your child with a classroom-snack that does not contain peanut and/or tree-nut ingredients. All children with known allergies have an allergy action plan or individual health care plan that is known and followed by the classroom teacher. We provide an allergen sensitive table in the cafeteria and our custodial staff follows safe routine cleaning procedures. Teachers ensure students follow hand-washing procedures and Francis Wyman School is recognizing student birthdays with non-food items.

The policy also requires teachers to request permission from the principal to include food in curriculum activities. If permission is granted from the principal, parents will be informed food will be in the classroom and a safe alternative will be provided for students with allergies. This safe alternative will be approved or supplied by the parent of a child with an allergy.

Finally, classroom parties will be celebrated using non-food items at Francis Wyman School in all classrooms. Everyone at Francis Wyman School appreciates your cooperation, understanding and interest and we look forward to working together for the benefit of children.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 781. 270.1701 or email me at astone@bpsk12.org

Respectfully,
Susan Astone

Principal, Francis Wyman Elementary School

Weekly Bulletin Now Available

2011-09-30T15:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! The September 30 bulletin has been posted. Take a look for upcoming events.

FWS Open House 2011

2011-09-24T00:37:00.000-04:00

It was wonderful to see so many FWS parents at this year's Open House Nights. We appreciate the on-going support and commitment to education that our families demonstrate on a constant and regular basis. The following is the slide show that was presented last night. I am hoping that many families have already signed-up for email notification from this blog through the email section found on this page.

FWS Open House 2011

View more presentations from sastone.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-09-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

Today's bulletin for September 23, 2011 is available on the Principal's blog. Enjoy the weekend.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-09-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

Today's bulletin for September 16, 2011 has been posted on the Principal's blog. Click the link below.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-09-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

The weekly bulletin for Friday, September 9, 2011 is now available - see below. Have a great weekend,

Happy Summer

2011-06-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

FRANCIS WYMAN SCHOOL - WEEKLY BULLETIN

June 22, 2011

Important Dates:
Sept. 7: School Starts for Grades 1 – 5
Sept. 8: K Orientation, parents and students
Sept. 12: First Day for Kindergarten

Dear Families,

Thank you for another wonderful year at FWS! Your ongoing support is what makes our school so special. I wish you all a wonderful summer - full of fun and relaxation.
Please make note of the new start and end times for FWS next year:

8:20- students can start arriving
8:35 - official start of school
2:40 - official end of school

Also, be sure to check bus routes as there will be some changes to those as well.

Weekly Bulletin Now Available

2011-06-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

The school year is quicky coming to an end. Please visit the bulletin for important dates and times. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day to all our FW dads!

Family Math Night June 2, 2011

2011-06-07T21:22:00.000-04:00

Family Math Night proved to be a great success! Students and parents alike enjoyed the variety of math games and activities. The event was well attended and students clearly enjoyed their experiences exploring the math games. Students will be able to play the games throughout the summer. Thank you to the Student Council members who volunteered their time to help with the games. Thank you to Mrs. Carrie Fortunato, Math Coach, for organizing this wonderful event and sharing this video.

Weekly Bulletin Now Available

2011-06-03T15:07:00.000-04:00

The June 3 bulletin has been posted. Have a great weekend!

One Thousand Paper Cranes

2011-06-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

In response to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Francis Wyman Community has created a display of 1,000 Paper Cranes. In Japanese culture, the crane is considered to be a mystical creature said to live for 1,000 years. A Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds 1,000 Paper Cranes will be granted a wish such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.

The cranes on display have been created by students in all of the classes at Francis Wyman with the assistance of the Student Council and other 4th and 5th grade experts. The children have done a phenomenal job driving this process. Many of the cranes have been sponsored by students or families for $.50 each. Proceeds have been donated to Hearts N Hands for Japan to aid in the relief efforts.

Urgent Reminder for Family Math Night

2011-06-01T09:23:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow night is our Family Math Night... all are encouraged to come! Please note that we have had some confusion over the time of this event. The time is 6:30pm to 8:00pm. See you then!

Volunteer Appreciation Tea/Grade 2 Concert/Family Math Night - ALL JUNE 2

2011-05-31T11:43:00.000-04:00

Please note that Francis Wyman School will be hoppin' this week, especially on Thursday, June 2.
Our second graders will be having their annual concert at 9am, followed by our Volunteer Appreciation Tea at 10am. If you have helped in any capacity at Francis Wyman School (room parent, library, book store, etc.) please come join us on Thursday morning. We have all sorts of surprises in store for you! Lastly, Thursday night, we are having a Family Math Night starting at 5:30pm. You will learn math games to play over the summer vacation. Some games will be available to take home. Hope to see you Thursday!

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-05-27T12:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!! Today's bulletin has been posted.

Memorial School Open House - May 26th 2:30-3:30pm

2011-05-22T20:59:00.000-04:00

CALLING ALL FAMILIES NEW TO MEMORIAL SCHOOL! Although our new home isn't ready for occupancy or guests quite yet, Memorial School teachers and staff are eager to welcome new students and families to the MEMORIAL family. We hope you'll come by the school (Old Building) on Thursday, May 26th, between 2:30 and 3:30 to meet some of the people who 'make the place.' This is also the last walk-through for former students, families, and interested community members, so Memorabilia from the Many Days of Memorial will be on display! We look forward to seeing you next Thursday! (Additional parking available in the St. Margaret's Church lot.)

Partnering with Got Books and the Used Book Superstore

2011-05-22T20:48:00.001-04:00

Francis Wyman School would like to acknowledge and thank the Used Book Superstore in Burlington for their donation of a Lending/Swap Library. They donated three large boxes of books to us and will continue to donate books in the future. These books are being used to enhance the at home libraries of students. These books will also be available at our own used book store for swapping. We appreciate this gift and are looking forward to working with this company. Soon there will be a large container from Got Books outside of the school for used book donations. Used books of all kinds and for all ages may be donated by placing them in this container. The donations will help support our Wednesday morning bookstore. These school/business partnerships promises to greatly benefit our students.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-05-20T14:48:00.000-04:00

The FWS bulletin is now available to view. Please click the link below for May 20, 2011 bulletin. Have a great weekend.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-05-13T15:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday -- Please note that the Weekly Bulletin is now available for viewing. Please click the link on the bottom right side of this page.

Principal's Message

2011-05-06T13:39:00.000-04:00

Through the course of this year, we have adopted two new policies: The Allergen Policy and The Student Empowerment Policy (Bullying). Today, green flyers went home in student backpacks to explain some basic information about bullying. The Burlington School District passed a Student Empowerment Policy earlier this year and we are hoping to educate parents. "Bullying" will be the topic of conversation at the next Principal's Coffee on May 17th at 9:00am. As a reminder to parents regarding the Allergen Policy, students are not to have snacks in school that contain peanuts or treenuts. Please refer to the allergy letter sent home earlier this year.

May 6, 2011 Bulletin

2011-05-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

Today's bulletin is now available for viewing on the Principal's Blog. Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.

April 29 Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-04-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

The April 29th Weekly Bulletin is now available. Please see bulletin section on the right side of this page.

District-wide Information Night for Math

2011-04-28T00:41:00.000-04:00

District-wide Informational Night for Math
When- Tuesday May 3, 2011 7:00-8:00pm
Where- Francis Wyman Auditorium
Who- Parents ONLY
Why- Learn why computation is different now in the 21st century.

Weekly Bulletin Available on Blog

2011-04-27T12:29:00.000-04:00

Many parents have been asking if there is a way to have e-mail notification when the Weekly Bulletins are posted. The answer is YES! The Weekly Bulletin is posted each Friday on my blog as well as on the FW website. There is a box in the blog to sign up for e-mail notifications. This e-mail notification will link you directly to my blog where you can find the bulletin section on the right.

Race to Nowhere

2011-04-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

"Race to Nowhere" Thursday, April 28th, 7pm, Fogelburg Performing Arts Center, BHS

The Burlington School District along with the Wilmington School District will be hosting the screening of "Race to Nowhere" on Thursday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Burlington High School Auditorium. This highly acclaimed film about education promises to be thought provoking. Information about the film "Race to Nowhere" can be found on the following website: http://www.racetonowhere.com/epostcard/4465

The FWS Robotics Club Begins

2011-04-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

The excitement filled the air as the FWS Robotic Club members gathered in the school library. The long awaited day was finally here. Mr. Giurlando and Mr. and Mrs. Pothier had been working together for several months planning for this exciting new experience for FWS grade 5 students.Mrs. Pothier had approached me about the idea at one of our Enrichment Committee meetings last spring. The idea grew from there. Mr. G worked on the details and wrote the BEF grant proposal. Thanks to the funding obtained from the FWS PTO and the BEF, the kits and computers were purchased to accommodate the 34 students who are interested in this new club. What a turn-out! Roughly 1/3 of our grade 5 students are interested in spending Monday afternoons expanding their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They are ready to get started and excited to work with the high school student/mentors.They look forward to stretching their minds as creativity will be a must! The high school mentors are an inspiration to these young students as they collaborate together on the challenge ahead. Miss Rigby and Miss Chirco are the teachers who are overseeing this club and guiding the students along. With commitment and perseverance, a new elementary afterschool program is launched at FWS that promises to be an exceptional opportunity for students to grow in new directions!

Lt. Governor Tim Murray Visits FWS

2011-04-19T17:09:00.000-04:00

Lt. Governor Tim Murray visited Francis Wyman School to celebrate "Read Across America Day", also known as "Dr. Seuss Day". The students in grades 3 and 5 enjoyed his reading of the book The Lorax by Dr.Seuss. We were very honored to have the Lt. Governor choose to visit Francis Wyman School despite his very busy schedule. Mrs. Donna Murphy, Reading Specialist, organizes this event every year to emphasize the importance as well as the joy of reading. The visit by Lt. Governor Murray was the highlight of this special event.

TED Talk: Technology Supports Individualized Instruction

2011-04-10T16:05:00.000-04:00

Support Our Book Fair!

2011-03-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

It's NOT too late to participate in the Francis Wyman SPRING BOOK FAIR!

Our book fair will continue On-Line through Saturday, March 26th

If you purchase ANYTHING from Barnes & Noble on-line please enter the Bookfair ID 10447910 at the check out.

Please help support the Francis Wyman School by visiting :

BN.COM/bookfairs

and enter our Bookfair ID - 10447910.

Thank you for your generosity and your continued support!!

Read Across America Day

2011-03-13T10:29:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, March 2, the students and staff at Francis Wyman School joined with schools across the nation to celebrate Read Across America Day. Throughout the day classes did fun activities related to a wide variety of much loved Dr. Seuss stories. Students even had green eggs and ham for lunch! During the day, classes had guest readers visit and share a book or two. The kids, faculty and visitors enjoyed the time while celebrating and promoting reading. Francis Wyman would like to thank the many visitors including: Town Administrator, Mr. Mercier, Police Chief Kent, Superintendent Conti, State Senator Kenneth Donnelly, and Selectman Dan DiTucci and the various teachers and parents who shared their time with the students. We would also like to thank the PTO who provided coffee and snacks for the readers.

Beauty and the Beast

2011-03-13T09:37:00.000-04:00

Burlington High School presents Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” on March 25, 26 and April 1 at 7:30, April 2 at 2:00 and 7:30pm, and April 3 at 2:00pm. Filled with all the enchantment, wonder and surprise that has made it an international sensation, the production will take place in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center of Burlington High School, a handicapped accessible venue. Tickets are $10 for students and senior citizens; $15 for adults. Tickets are available at http://www.burlingtontickets.org/ . For further information, call 781-A-FUN-TIC.

"Race to Nowhere" Coming to Burlington.

2011-03-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

The Burlington School District along with the Wilmington School District will be hosting the screening of "Race to Nowhere" on Thursday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Burlington High School Auditorium. This highly acclaimed film about education promises to be thought provoking. Information about the film "Race to Nowhere" can be found on the following website: http://www.racetonowhere.com/epostcard/4465
Tickets for event will be $5.00 and can be reserved at http://rtnburlingotnhs.eventbrite.com/

MCAS ar FWS

2011-03-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

Massachusetts is in the process of adjusting their State education standards to the new National standards. This will require only a few minor changes, because Massachusetts Frameworks were used as the model for the National standards. The National standards are much more refined for each grade level and are easy to read. If you are interested, they can be found on the internet. Grades 3-5 will be taking the Reading part of the testing at the end of March. This will be done over two days for each grade. We schedule from 8:30 – 10:00 for classes to be testing. At that time, if students are not finished, they are moved to another classroom and have as much time as they need to finish. On March 22, Grade 4 will be doing one extra day, during which they write a Long Composition Essay. These are scheduled in the morning with a fifteen minute break. Most students are done by lunch at 12:00, but, as is the case with all testing, the ones who need more time can have it. In May, Grades 3-5 will be taking the Math portion of the MCAS, which is also a two day event. Grade 5 will take two additional days to take the Science and Technology sessions.

Here at FW we implement some simple ideas, which are based on research, to help your children do their best. Research shows that students who have food in the morning do better on tests. Our PTO provides a snack of cheese or pretzel goldfish to be eaten in the morning. Teachers open their shades to provide sunlight, which is shown to activate the brain, and many teachers do “Brain Gym” activities, which also activates the brain. If you are interested in knowing more about “Brain Gym”, I suggest that you Google it. It is a very interesting and simple concept.

Parents can do several simple things at home to help their child prepare for testing. However, we do ask that you refrain from giving your child test passages from the DOE website, as several of these are used in the classrooms. If your child is given an MCAS passage for homework, encourage them to read it slowly and carefully and to look back in the passage for the answers. Many times the question will tell them the specific paragraph or section that the answer can be found in. This can really narrow down the information that they need to search through. Many children don’t want to take the time to do this, and it is a very simple way to help them. Also, when your child is writing a paragraph answer, that we call an “open response” answer, encourage them to find three or more areas in the text that support their answer. They actually get more points for using words from the text in their written response. Other than homework, parents can make sure that their child is rested, in comfortable clothes, and fed a good breakfast in the morning. Finally, the simplest way to help your child is to require them to read in their free time. In my house the rule was no computers or video games until you had read for at least thirty minutes. This rule must become a year long habit. Our children go to practice for sports or music. Reading is also a skill that needs to be practiced in order to improve.

Guest post by Donna Murphy, Reading Specialist

DORA Presentation of FAQ

2011-02-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the powerpoint that was shared with parents at the past two information meetings held on Feb. 7 and Feb 9. There will be another parent meeting at FWS on Tuesday, March 8 at 9:00 am.

Allergen Policy for Students with Life Threatening Allergies

2011-02-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Burlington Public Schools Allergen Policy for Students with Life Threatening Allergies

The Burlington Public Schools recognize the increasing prevalence of student allergies and the life-threatening nature of the allergy for many students. The Burlington Public Schools cannot guarantee to provide an allergen-free environment for all students with life threatening allergies, nor prevent any harm to students in emergencies. The goal is to minimize the risk of exposure to food allergens that pose a threat to those students, to educate the community, and to maintain and regularly update a system-wide protocol for responding to their needs.

The Burlington Public Schools will maintain a system wide procedure for addressing life threatening allergic reactions by incorporating measures to reduce the exposure to allergens and procedures to treat allergic reactions. For any student whose physician (primary care or board certified allergist) has informed the school in writing that the student has a life threatening allergy, the school nurse will oversee the development of an Allergy Action Plan or Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP), which will includes an Allergy Action Plan (AAP) that addresses the management of anaphylaxis. Parents/guardians have the responsibility to inform the school district when a child’s medical condition might affect the child’s welfare or safety. Effective communication is vital among all parties.

The district wide procedure addresses:

1. The training and education for all Burlington Public Schools employees. The training will include the education on

a description of severe allergies

signs of anaphylaxis

the proper use of an epipen and

the specific steps to follow in the event of an emergency.

2. The Burlington Public Schools is making every reasonable accommodation to lessen the possibility of exposure to food allergens by designating that at all schools, during the school day, implement the following: birthday recognition will be food free, classroom snacks will be “known allergy free” in accordance with the Individual Health Care Plans of each child of the students within a given classroom, and the use of food for curriculum purposes will be restricted to approval by the Principal. Notification will be sent to the parent/guardian if food is used with principal approval for curriculum purposes. The parent can choose to provide a food or non-food based alternative. The use of food as a reward in school will be eliminated. The Principal will implement a No Food or Utensil Sharing practice with particular focus at the elementary level.

3. The school nurse in conjunction with the parent/guardian and the primary care provider/allergist will prepare either the Allergy Action Plan (AAP) or the Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) which incorporates an Allergy Action Plan (AAP) for any student with a life threatening allergy. The IHCP and AAP will be updated annually. The nurse will review the IHCP and AAP with teachers of the students in their classes and respond to emergencies as per the emergency protocol documented in the IHCP or AAP. The Teachers will leave pertinent information in a substitute file.

4. Each elementary school will provide an allergen sensitive table(s) in the cafeteria. At the middle school and high school appropriate accommodations will be made as needed.

5. The school nurse will recommend to administration the appropriateness of each field trip and consideration of safety of the student with life-threatening allergies. Parents of a student at risk of anaphylaxis will be invited to accompany their child on school trips, in addition to the chaperone.

6. The Principal and Food Services personnel will establish a routine cleaning protocol for all food consumption areas (to include a protocol for hand-washing and table/desk cleaning before and after food/snacks have been consumed).

First Reading: 1/11/11

Second Reading: 1/25/11

Adopted by Burlington School Committee: 1/25/11

Bedford Educators Visit FWS

2011-02-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

On a snowy winter day, a team of educators from the Bedford Public Schools visited Francis Wyman Elementary School to learn about our RtI initiative. The team members represented both of the Bedford elementary schools and included the principals, grade level teacher leaders, special educators, reading specialists, and the assistant superintendent. We spent a good part of the morning visiting ELA classrooms and observing our students in action. We also discussed many aspects of our RtI implementation such as our master schedule, universal screening tools of DORA /DOMA, data meetings, grade level team meetings, Problem Solving Team procedures, Core curriculum, interventions, and other relevant topics. It was wonderful to have this time for professional discussions and to share our experiences. As the educators left that day, they were full of enthusiasm and excitement. We wish them well in their RtI initiative and we look forward to more ongoing collaboration with our Bedford neighbors!

DORA Parent Information Meeting

2011-02-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

In the next couple of weeks, parents will receive a summary of their child's most recent DORA (Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment) results. To help parents have a better understanding of this test, there will be a Parent Information Meeting about the DORA on Monday, February 7, at 7:00PM at the Francis Wyman Elementary School auditorium. This meeting is for parents from all four elementary schools. Dr. Conti and the four elementary school principals will share information about the test so that parents will have a better understanding of this assessment.

I will be hosting a morning Parent Information Meeting on Wednesday, February 9, at 9:00 AM at Francis Wyman Elementary School for FWS parents who cannot attend the Monday evening meeting. The same information will be shared at both meetings.

EdCamp NYC - What is That All About?

2010-12-06T12:01:00.001-05:00

EdCamp NYC

As I sit on the train riding home to Boston, my thoughts spiral as I consider how I landed in New York City this weekend and what my take away is from the experience. I decided to participate in EdCamp NYC because I was certain this free “unconference” being held at The School at Columbia, Columbia University, would draw some of the most interesting educators. As I sat one of theclassrooms of this elementary school in a building on West 110th Street, I couldn’t’ believe I was listening to Tom Whitby speak on such topics as developing a Professional Learning Network (PLN) using social networks and the relevance of technology in our classrooms. Tom is a prevalent leader in the PLN’s in which I participate. It was then that I began to really consider how being a part of the Twitter and Blogging generation of education has propelled my life forward and pushed me to see technology from a whole new view. Less than one year ago I would not have dreamed I would have attended an “unconference” at Columbia University, NYC. I would never have imagined that I would meet folks whose writings I had read by way of the social network of Twitter. I wouldn’t have known them at all but through their blogposts and tweets. And there I was, connecting with those whose Twitter names I recognized. There I was asking others for their Twitter names so I could “follow” them. If not for this PLN, I wouldn’t have been listening to a discussion with someone called the “nerdy teacher” a person I “follow”. I wouldn’t have participated in a Skype discussion with a group of educators simultaneously participating in Ed Camp Citrus Florida, a session led by Dan Callahan. I wouldn’t have conversed with the technology director from Connecticut who recommended several other conferences nor the “Technology Teacher of the Year” from Pennsylvania. These are but a few of my interesting experiences during my Saturday at EdCamp NYC.

How did this all happen? It all began with a conversation I had in the hallway last spring with Patrick Larkin, principal of Burlington High School. He had often spoken of his experiences using Twitter to develop a Professional Learning Network but I really hadn’t understood it. Once he explained that I did not have to receive tweets on my phone and that I didn’t have to send out tweets but that I could just read them on my computer, I became more interested. He encouraged me to sign- up and just try it. He also informed me about an“unconference” in Philadelphia called“Ed Camp Philly” that was being organized by Dan Callahan (now a technology specialist at Pine Glen Elementary School). The “unconference” concept was quite appealing, but I knew I could not attend the weekend it was scheduled for in May. However, the conversation about it remained with me as I was interested in attending one at some point. I went home that night, started a Twitter account, and that’s how this all began.

I want to make it clear, that is was not just Twitter that made the difference. It was Twitter PLUS the person to person contact that made the difference. Many people think that social networking is replacing human contact. I am finding that for many of us it is enhancing human contact and really making the world small… very small. I have the choice to connect with other educators around the world electronically AND connect with them in person just as I did at this “unconference”. I had the opportunity to actually go to a conference to meet every day educators who I had never met, but had read about their thoughts, opinions, and experiences long before this meeting. It felt a little like a reunion of sorts, and yet how could it be a reunion when we had never met? This is a world I absolutely could not have envisioned less than one year ago. Absolutely not! And yet, there I was, in NYC, on a Saturday in December, engrossed in thoughtful conversations about education with others who share my passion. This was powerful! This experience allowed me to see through a window into our students’ future.

That is why I fully understand the paramount importance it is for me as a principal to be vigilant in my efforts to learn about the world of technology. I need to stay current regarding how it is used in the world and how we can use it in the classrooms. I listened to the frustration of the technology directors and specialists as they asked how they could help their principals understand the importance of supporting advances in using technology in the schools. Technology is changing fast and principals have the ability to move the agenda forward by committing to technology as a priority and by supporting technology though every avenue that is within the realm of a building administrator. The question is not whether or not to allow certain components of technology in schools. The question is how are we going to teach our students to use this powerful tool to enhance their learning and their lives. Educators must be deeply involved in this conversation as it is propelling forward with or without us. Our students need it to be “with us”. They will need to understand how to use technology effectively and responsibly to survive in this world.That is why it is our responsibility to lead the way.

Throughtechnology we can design instruction that exemplifies all the “engaging qualities” that we strive to incorporate. There are tremendous opportunities to provide experiences that are authentic and allow for personal response. Students can learn with others; others not in their classroom, their school or their state. They can produce projects that require them to have a “sense of audience”. They will need to evaluate materials they read, view or listen to via the internet. They will also need to be equally critical of their own writing or whatever they create with technology so that it is of the highest quality. There are limitless ways for students to put their “own stamp on things”, “make it their own”, and essentially bring their learning to the highest levels of Blooms Taxonomy. Technology has the potential to enhance creativity. However, the students need us to provide the clear and modeled expectations so that this medium is used for the best learning outcomes.

As the train slows to a halt, I realize it is back to work tomorrow. I am returning with renewed energy and a revitalized commitment towards the work that lies ahead in bringing technology to the students of my school. There is much work to be done and it won’t happen overnight, but effectively using technology in our classrooms is an essential component of educating this 21st Century generation.

Dr. Conti Discusses Re-districting Plans

2010-12-06T11:55:00.000-05:00

Dr. Conti attended the Principal’s Coffee last Monday evening, November 29, to explain how things are progressing regarding the re-districting plans. He reviewed the School Committee’s guiding principles along with the timeline. The plan is to reassign about 140 or so students across the entire district to the new Memorial School. Every school will be affected to some degree. He expects FrancisWymanSchool to potentially lose about 60 students. At this point, he is working on determining the district line changes through the use of a computer program that identifies where each student lives. This allows him to explore many different options with relative ease. He expects a first draft of the new district lines to be shared with parents in a week or two. Once this first draft is released, the upcoming months will provide an opportunity for parents to give feedback. He expects that there will be families who have individual concerns or problematic situations. Clearly, not every concern will be easily fixed, but he is committed to working together with families. Students who will be entering grade 5 next year will be allowed to stay in their current schools if desired, however parents would need to provide their own transportation. For families who would like their grade 5 child to remain at a school but who also have children in lower grades, the parents may write a letter to Dr. Conti requesting that the younger sibling(s) also be allowed to stay at the school. The current policy allows parents to request out of district placements and these requests are approved based on the class size parameters. Below are the list of guiding principles and a timeline for the process. Please be aware that some families at Francis Wyman will be affected and that more information will be forthcoming in the near future.

Proposed Re-districting Time Line

November/December 2010

Present proposal to each elementary school and provide opportunity for feedback and comments.
January 2011

Make adjustments

March 2011

Approve new enrollment zones and transition plan

Elementary Redistricting Principles

1. Assign a student capacity to each elementary school – approximately 80-85%.

2. Redistricting to impact all four elementary schools equally – neighborhoods will not be reassigned solely due to the need for additional specialist staff.

3. As much as practicable, assign neighborhoods to the same elementary school.

4. If practical, students will not ride on school bus past an elementary school to reach a home elementary school.

5. All four elementary schools will have programmatic equality for all students.

6. To the extent possible, equally distribute apartment complexes between the four schools.

7. Research new housing developments approved by the Town and assign them to an elementary school.

8. Allow students who will be in grade 5 in September 2011 the option to remain in their home school for one year with parents responsible for providing transportation. If this opportunity is exercised, the request must be submitted to the Superintendent by (date TBD).

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

2010-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

The Thanksgiving Feast is a kindergarten tradition at Francis Wyman School. This feast is the culminating event of theThanksgiving Unit and integrates all that the students learned. Students read books, wrote, stories, played math games and completed various arts and crafts projects related to this theme. Students even helped prepare the food. It is a great celebration when the students finally attend the feast. They come to the feast dressed in the Pilgrim and Native American costumes that they made, each one decorated differently than the next. The students join together to sing the songs that they learned. Then the students sit at the beautifully set tables due in large part to the “woven" placements the students created. Thanks to our parent volunteers, the students are served a plate containing a taste of each food item. Students enjoy a variety of selections such as “Stone Soup”, corn bread, pumpkin bread, cranberry sauce, and apple pie. Without a doubt the most popular food is the freshly popped popcorn! The true meaning of Thanksgiving is apparent at this festive occasion.

December 3, 2010

2010-12-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

FRANCIS WYMAN SCHOOL - WEEKLY BULLETIN

December 3, 2010

Important Dates:

Dec. 4 – 3 – 5pm Jump Rope Activity

Dec 6. – Professional Development, no school for students

Dec. 6 – 22 – Hat and Mitten Drive, see below

Dec. 8 – Used Bookstore

Dec. 10 – Picture Retake Day, see below

Dec. 15 – 20 – Barnes and Noble Book Fair, see below

Dec. 20 – 6pm, Winter Concert – Grades 4 and 5

Dec. 22 – Kindergarten Nutcracker, times TBD

Barnes and Noble Book Fair Dec. 15 – 20

Burlington Public School invites you to an annual holiday fundraiser at Barnes and Noble. Shop from 9am to 11pm and a % of your purchase will benefit our students. If you shop after school on Decemer 15th, you may see FW teachers and principals there!! Mr. Levin is even making an appearance and reading a favorite story! A flyer, including vouchers, will come home next week. Please bring a voucher with you. You may also shop on-line at BN.com/bookfairs and enter code 10321396 at checkout.

Picture Re-take Day… is scheduled for Dec. 10. Bailey’s Photography will be here to take photos of all students that were absent on the original Picture Day. If you are unhappy with your current photos, you may have them re-taken if the entire package is returned. Call the office if you have questions.

Hat and Mitten Drive

As a community service project, FWS 4th Graders are once again collecting *NEW* hats and mittens this month. Collection boxes will be in the office and on the 2nd floor near the elevator.

People Helping People thank you for your support!

Student Council – Coats for Kids Drive

Student Council is collecting gently used winter coats for kids and adults. If you bring in a coat by December 22, you may participate in a School Spirit Day on December 23 – “favorite team day”! Happy Holidays and thank you from student council!

2011 FW MCAS Schedule

MEPA testing March 7 –March 14 – for all ELL students

M T W Th F

March 21

March 22

Gr. 4 Long Composition March 23 Gr. 3 Reading March 24

Gr. 3 Reading March 25 Makeups

March 28

Gr. 4 Reading March 29 Gr. 4 Reading March 30

Gr. 5 Reading March 31 Gr. 5 Reading

Gr. 4 Long Comp makeup April 1

Makeups*

April 4

Makeups*

* Makeups are given as needed.

M T W Th F

May 10

Gr. 3 Math May 11

Gr. 3 Math May 12

Gr. 4 Math May 13

Gr. 4

Math

May 16 Gr. 5 Math May 17

Gr. 5 Math May 18

Gr. 5 Science May 19

Gr. 5 Science May 20 Makeups*

Art News:

For an upcoming art project, the art teachers will need recycled AAA Road Maps or National Geographic Maps. If you have any at home and would like to recycle them, please send them in to the office.

In addition, parents please have your children wear older, easily washable clothing on Art Class day.

PTO

NSTAR light bulb orders will be available for pick-up at Francis Wyman on Friday, December 10th. Thank you to everyone for all of your support!

Spirit Wear is in and will be delivered to the school on Friday, December 3rd for distribution.

It’s A Wonderful Life

Burlington High School will present the stage version of the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 5 at 2:00 pm in the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center of the high school. Bring the whole gang to this great family-friendly production. Adults: $10 and Students/Sr Citizens: $5. Tickets available at www.BurlingtonTickets.org. For more information call 781-A-FUN-TIC.

Parents Night Out, Friday, Dec 3rd, 6-9:00

Let the Den Leaders of Cub Scout Pack 105 take care of your children, grades K-5, while you start your Holiday Shopping, take in a movie or enjoy some much deserved time to yourselves. $15 for the first child/$5 per additional sibling, Fee paid at time of registration. Please make payment to Pack 105 and mail to Kathleen Smith, 127 Mill St, Burlington by Nov 26th.

A Time of Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T19:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all our FWS families! May you make some new memories with family and friends while enjoying some rest and relaxation! I am most thankful for being principal of Francis Wyman School because of the delightful students, terrific teachers, super support staff, and fabulous families. It takes commitment and collaboration from every member of our school community to provide quality education for our students and I feel most fortunate to experience such a supportive community each and every day! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pilgrims and Native Americans - Gr 3

The Thanksgiving Spirit - Gr 3

Please don't eat turkey... "Disguised Turkeys" Gr.4

Gr. 3 and Gr. 4 Combined Art Project

Soldiers Visit Classrooms

2010-11-17T22:23:00.001-05:00

Soldiers Visiting Mrs. Cook's K Class

Once again this year, students of Francis Wyman School have been very generous supporting our troops overseas. We have collected candy for the soldiers in the Middle East in the “Treats for Troops” campaign and donated items for the “Honor Our Heroes” program. The students contributed to the 1600lbs of leftover Halloween candy, wrote encouraging letters, and drew colorful pictures to raise the soldiers’ spirits.Students were delighted when the soldiers visited their classrooms in honor of Veteran's Day. They were able to learn first hand how much it meant to the soldeirs to be remembered by the students and how much they appreciate receiving the candy, cards, letters, and gifts. The Honor Our Heroes collection is still going on until November 23rd and items may be dropped off at Francis Wyman School or BHS. Examples of needed items are: At&T phone cards, chapstick, granola bars, pens, sugar-free gum, dried fruits, etc.

Francis Wyman Hosts Learning Walks for Burlington Teachers

2010-11-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

On Monday, Francis Wyman School was proud to host an afternoon of "Learning Walks" for a team of Burlington teachers. The teachers are being trained by John Antonetti in the the Look 2 Learn program. This program provides a framework for teachers so that they can have an opportunity to visit classrooms and observe students learning right in the moment. Teachers rarely have a chance to visit classrooms, especially those of their colleagues. This approach provides an opportunity much like that of "hospital rounds". Teachers can learn from each other from this practical experience.

Learning Walk Team

The teachers visit the classrooms in teams of two or three and observe students in class. In an effort to gather the student perspective, the teachers briefly talk to one or two students about what they are learning in that particular lesson. After several classroom visits, the team of teachers meet to discuss what they observed and analyze student engagement as it relates to "Engaging Qualities". The purpose of this experience is not to evaluate teachers, but to provide teachers with an authentic experience that will allow teachers to reflect about the craft of teaching, share their knowledge and insight, and ultimately learn from each other.

Engaging Qualities include:

Personal Response

Clear/Modeled Expectations

Emotional/Intellectual Safety

Learning with Others

Sense of Audience

Choice

Novelty/Variety

Authenticity

John Antonetti and teachers discuss observations

The Look 2 Learn team was able to visit classrooms in all grades, including specialist classes. FW teachers welcomed the teams into their classrooms which was most appreciated by the participants. Students were excited about the visitors and enjoyed talking to the teachers. Please visit the Superintendent’s blog for more information about the Learning Walks, including a brief video clip of an interview with John Antonetti regarding his perspective of the day.

Dr. Conti joins the fifth grade students as they participate in a discussion.

Accelerated Reader Program Begins at FWS

2010-11-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

This year we are introducing students in Grades 1 - 5 to a very exciting program called the Accelerated Reader program (AR). This program allows teachers to develop individualized plans for students to choose books at their appropriate reading level and to monitor their comprehension of the texts through the quizzes provided by the program. Quizzes are available for over 125,000 titles. Books range in levels that go well beyond grade 5.

This program has been reviewed by the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring. AR is an evidence-based core and intervention program. Accelerated Reader is an RTI progress-monitoring measurement that provides data as often as daily on overall reading comprehension of the entire school, class, groups and individuals in all levels of reading.

Students are provided a list of books at their reading level. They choose a book, read the book and then complete the AR quizz to determine comprehension. The number of books students read is documented which has the positive effect of motivating students to read more. The Accelerated Reader monitors student progress and gives teachers the feedback they need to guide the students in their reading and address their individual reading needs.

Students are given time to read the books during their ELA block and Intervention/Extension blocks. Additionally, upon arriving to their classrooms in the morning, all students in the school participate in our morning reading time for their “before school work”. Books can also be read at home as part of their homework or for leisure reading.

The quizzes are accessed on-line at the school in individual classrooms, the computer lab and the library. Students are able to participate in this program which promotes reading practice and is based on the principle that "when you inspire a love of Reading, you create excitement for learning." Both students and teachers are excited to begin. Already the enthusiasm for reading books is growing!

BOOK FAIR

Our Back-to School Book Fair was a great success and this was just our first in-store and on-line event. Since it was a town-wide event, we have shared the profits with the other schools by purchasing books that were submitted on their wish lists. We were also able to purchase many titles for the FW Library.Our next Book Fair Event is scheduled in December, just in time for the holidays. More details will be sent out after Thanksgiving. THANKS for all your support!

Simple Suggestions; Powerful Results

2010-10-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

How can a suggestion as simple as “wash your hands regularly” be such a powerful force in battling infectious diseases? The fact remains that it is a powerful practice and the number one recommendation to ward off illness and stay healthy.

I remember when my children were playing soccer and basketball. Parents asked the coaches for suggestions for what the players could do at home to improve. Year after year the suggestions were quite simple. The soccer coaches said that the one thing players could do was to juggle the ball 15 minutes a day. The basketball coaches recommended just taking a little time each day to shoot baskets. Both suggestions were straight forward and did not require a great deal of time, yet the coaches would lament that if only they could get their players to do these simple suggestions the players would improve.

Recently I had a conversation with some teachers, and heard the frustration I have heard for all the years I have been in education, “If only the students would read at home every night, it would make such a difference.” and “If only the students would practice their math facts at home so they could memorize them.” It really struck me as to how simple these suggestions really are and yet children often do not take the time to read or practice basic facts at home.

Reading is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. Students need to be able to “decode” automatically (read the words accurately) and read fluently (read smoothly, with natural phrasing) so that comprehension can occur. At school the teachers have the expertise to provide quality instruction. However, students need to practice this skill at school and at home.

I read a research study several years ago which made a great impression on me. The school decided to allow their second grade students to take home their reading books every night to simply reread the story that was read in school. Since it was a research project, they only made this one change to their reading program. At the end of the year, the reading test results showed significant improvement.

Since I read this article, there has been much research supporting the practice of having students reread each night the story they read in school. Parents often wonder how effective it is to reread the story, especially if the child reads it easily. It is effective. It is one of those “simple suggestions” with “powerful results”. Any amount of time reading at home on a regular basis will help to advance reading skills.

Teachers would say the same for practicing math facts. There have been many changes to mathematics instruction over the last few decades aimed at improving students understanding.We do not want students memorizing facts without deep mathematical understanding, but at some point the facts need to be committed to memory. In school the teachers have the expertise to provide instruction that promotes deep understanding and practice. That being said, without “automaticity” of basic facts, the students will have difficulty at higher levels of mathematics. Teachers recommend math fact practice at home after the students have demonstrated that they understand the concepts. At that point, practicing basic math facts at home can only help the students achieve the “automaticity” they need to succeed. Again, it seems so simple and yet so powerful.

Today, we have many pressures and distractions that pull at our family life. It is often hard to juggle our time and get everything done that needs to get done. However, if there are two simple suggestions that we as educators can make, they are to encourage your child to spend a little time each day reading and to find time to practice math facts. Doing this will yield powerful results.

RtI Institute - North Carolina

2010-10-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I had the great fortune of being part of a team of elementary administrators and teachers who attended the "RtI Institute: From Theory to Practice" held in North Carolina. This institute included several nationally renown experts in the field of RtI as well as many sessions that provided information on practical ideas for addressing the various components of RtI. Participating teams hailed from several states and represented a wide range of schools, counties, and school districts. Discussing this topic with this collection of educators who are at the forefront of the RtI initiative was a uniquely valuable experience. The Burlington elementary principals were asked to be presenters and to share our experiences in our first year of implementation. During this "Spotlight Session", we shared how we started, where we are today, and goals for this year. The RtI Institute was a most informative conference and I look forward to applying our newly acquired knowledge as we continue on the RtI journey.

Open House 2010

2010-09-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

It was wonderful to see all the Francis Wyman parents and guardians at the Open House on Tuesday night.I hope you found the grade level presentations informative. I trust you had time to visit with classroom teachers and any other teachers working with your child/children. Based on feedback from last year, we staggered the presentations so that grade levels did not conflict. We also staggered the classroom visitation time blocks to help alleviate some of the traffic congestion we experienced last year. To help with traffic control, we had a police officer patrolling the area. I am interested in hearing your feedback regarding this event as we plan for next year. Please feel free to respond through my BLOG.

Open House Tuesday, September 21, 2010

2010-09-19T20:42:00.001-04:00

The Francis Wyman School Open House will be held on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. We look forward to meeting with parents and sharing information regarding curriculum and instruction. This event is designed for parents only and is not appropriate for children. This year we are staggering the grade level presentations to accommodate families who have children in mulitple grades. There is plenty of additional time alloted for classroom visits.

                    Presentation            Classroom Visits

Kindergarten 5:30 – 6:00            6:00 – 7:30

Grade 1        6:00 – 6:30            6:30 - 8:00

Grade 2        6:30 – 7:00            7:00 – 8:30

Grade 3        7:00 – 7:30            7:30 – 9:00

Grade 4        7:30 - 8:00            7:00-7:30; 8:00 – 9:00

Grade 5        8:00 – 8:30           7:00 – 8:00, 8:30 – 9:00

**Specialists P.E., Music, Art, Computers 6:30 – 8:30

**Special Ed: Learning Center K-2 (Mrs. Schultz) 5:30 – 7:30

ELL (Mrs. Todd, Mrs. Wall) 5:30 – 7:30

Speech/language (Ms. Clark, Ms. Angelo) 6:00 – 8:00

Transition Classroom (Mr. Kipp) 6:00 - 8:00

Reading (Mrs. Murphy) 6:00 – 8:00

Spec. Ed (Mrs. Cummings) 6:00 – 8:00

Spec. Ed (Mrs. Gilman) 6:30 – 8:30

Spec. Ed (Mrs. Hackbarth) 7:00 – 9:00

Learning Center 3-5 (Mrs. Melanson) 7:00 – 9:00

Grade Level Presentations - All grade level team presentations will be held in the auditorium. The teachers in each grade work together as a collaborative team to provide a consistent learning experience for all students in each grade level. Your child's reading teacher may be a teacher other than your child's classroom teacher. Some teachers also switch classes for science and social studies. The grade level teams will be discussing a variety of topics such as curriculum, grade level expectations, and procedures.

Classroom Visits - There is time set aside for parents to visit the classrooms, see student work, and talk to the teachers informally. This is not a time for a parent conference about student progress especially since it is not a confidential setting. Teachers will be in their classrooms during the "classroom visit" timeframes. Please visit all the teachers in your child's program ( classroom teacher, reading teacher, etc)

Welcome to New Families

2010-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

Each August, new families are invited to visit Francis Wyman School to tour the building and learn about the school. Mr. Giurlando, Assistant Principal, led the tour and shared information about the school. The PTO Vice President, Jessica Inglis, shared a welcome goodie bag with families and offered her support by being the contact for new families.In this blog post, I would like to share some background information that may be of interest to new families as well as other members of our school community.

Francis Wyman School was originally built as a Junior High School. Years ago it was closed and rented to the State Police Department and Middlesex Community College. It was renovated and opened as the Francis Wyman Elementary School 14 years ago. It serves over 600 students K-5. There are several additional programs incorporated into the school: three district special education programs, three LABBB Collaborative special education programs, two afterschool programs and the new Sprouts Daycare. There are over 100 teachers and staff members involved in the school and programs.

Francis Wyman Elementary School is committed to its motto of Francis Wyman School CARES! This motto represents C for Compassion, A for Accomplishments, R for Respect, E for Enthusiasm, and S for Self-reliance. Students, staff, and parents embrace the diversity within the school population and work to be a fully inclusive school. This was most notably represented in the playground project which resulted in a totally accessible playground supported by not only the school community but the greater Burlington and business community. As a result of this unique playground, hundreds of students enjoy a quality play experience each day, including students with physical challenges.

The focus this year is to continue our implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) and our Tiered Instruction Model. Grade level teams meet regularly to collaborate on the consistent implementation of the district’s core curriculum and various interventions. Student progress is closely monitored and adjustments made to programs as needed. Our newly created District Curriculum Councils in ELA and mathematics will meet monthly to work on curriculum issues. Members of the councils include classroom teachers, Reading Specialists, the Literacy Coach and Math Coach, along with elementary principals. School based and district level data teams will monitor student progress to determine the effectiveness of instruction.

Our new staff this year includes Mrs. Kim Lynch who teaches grade 5. Mrs. Lynch has worked for the past 4 years at FWS in the capacity of permanent substitute, Math Tutor, and Instructional Assistant in the Language Based class grades 3-5. She volunteered to supervise the Student Council and has worked in the afterschool Math Club. She is most excited to join the fifth grade team. Mrs. Deborah Wall joins us as an additional ELL teacher. She will work part time at Francis Wyman and comes with a great deal of experience in the field of ELL and ELA instruction. Our school nurse, Mrs. Anne Azarian, will now work at FWS full time. She will also share her expertise beyond FWS, working in the capacity of the district’s Supervisor of Nurses.

We are dedicated to maximizing “time on learning” with our master schedule consisting of daily learning blocks : 90 minutes of English /Language Arts , 60 minutes of mathematics, 45 minutes of either science or social studies, and one specialist period a day in either PE, Music or Art . There is a 30 minute block for students to participate in either intervention instruction or extension/enrichment experiences. Students have 25 minutes of recess before lunch and then 25 minutes of lunch.

Replacing the auditorium seating was the big summer project. The project is scheduled to be completed some time in late September. The flooring installation is complete so folding chairs will be available on Open House night for the faculty presentations.

Building Projects and Improvements

2010-08-24T19:37:00.000-04:00

The custodians have been working hard throughout this hot and humid summer to clean, repair and refresh the building. As usual the building looks fabulous thanks to our dedicated crew. Replacing the auditorium seating was our biggest project and involved many steps. First the old chairs were removed followed by the old tile floor. Currently the floors are being prepared for the installation of the new tile and rug.The final step will be the installation of the new chairs, once they arrive. This project will not be finished by the start of school , but should be complete by the end of September. The main office has a fresh look with colorful new carpet. The back walkway has been repaved, a much needed update now that we regularly use the back entrance. Sturdy fans have been purchased for the upstairs classrooms to help with the heavy, humid air that is present whenever the air temperature goes up. As teachers come back to organize their classrooms, the building is buzzing with activity for the final push to get the building ready for the return of our students.

Kyle and Jillian Throw Out the First Pitch for the Lowell Spinners

2010-08-23T21:26:00.000-04:00

The sky was overcast and threatened of more rain, but the hearts of the Francis Wyman School families were warm with pride as Kyle and Jillian threw out the first pitch. Last spring, Kyle and his family sent a letter to the Spinners explaining why Francis Wyman School should be recognized for being a caring school. The Spinners chose Francis Wyman School for this honor. Kyle and his friend Jillian were chosen to throw out the first pitch at tonight's game. It was so special to see Kyle and Jillian out on the mound, to hear their names announced along with FWS, and to hear the fans cheer as the pitch was thrown. The damp weather did not dampen the spirits of the families who attended as it was a night of fun and a special moment to remember.

Staffing Change

2010-08-05T12:37:00.000-04:00

Due to staffing changes over the summer, Mrs. Melanie Duncan will be remaining in Kindergarten instead of teaching grade 5. I am currently interviewing and have many wonderful candidates interested in this grade 5 position. As soon as I have hired the teacher, I will inform the families in the grade 5 class who are impacted by this change. Please be reassured that the hiring process will be completed in a timely manner and the new teacher will be prepared and ready to welcome the students on the first day of school.

Lowell Spinners Honor Francis Wyman School

2010-04-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

The CANALIGATOR arrives!

On April 7, the Lowell Spinners honored Francis Wyman School for being such a caring school. Francis Wyman School was nominated for this honor as a result of a letter written to the Spinners by a Francis Wyman family. The entire school enjoyed the visit by the Red Sox legend Bill Monbouquette, Miss Massachesetts, Miss Worcester, Dan Roche from BZ sports, and of course the Canaligator! Each student in the school decorated a Red Sox/Spinners pennant and wrote a thank you message to the veterans for their service to our country. The Spinners representatives brought the pennants directly to the VA Hospital in Bedford to give them to the veterans and to decorate the hallways. They left with 2 boxes containing 600 pennants! What a day to celebrate how Francis Wyman School CARES!

Miss Worcester and Miss Massachusetts

Dan Roche, Miss Worcester, Miss Massachusetts, and

Jessica from the Lowell Spinners

John from the Spinners congratulates the students and encourages them to give back to the veterans by writing thank you messages on their pennants.

Students get autographs from Bill Monbouquette and collect 2 boxes full of the decorated pennants.

The P.E. Department Receives a BEF Grant

2010-04-25T19:08:00.000-04:00

The BEF awarded our physical education department a grant for their innovative project which will allow them to acquire new software that will enable the teachers to approach physical fitness through a Response to Intervention model. The teachers will utilize the software to assess and monitor student fitness, differentiate instruction, and inform parents. Thank you to Neil and Pat for their commitment to this cutting-edge project that will support all our students as they work to attain physical fitness. Good health is key for students to learn and perform their best!

Neil Rebelo receives the BEF Grant!

Deerfield Educators Visit Francis Wyman School

2010-04-25T18:48:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, April 13, Francis Wyman School hosted a team of educators from Deerfield, Massachusetts, who came to learn about what we are doing with RtI and the Tiered Instruction Model. The assistant principal and five teachers came to our school in the hopes of seeing a new approach in action and to talk to us about our experiences this year. After visiting classrooms and talking with staff, they left the day saying that it was well worth their long trip as they saw “something very special going on at Francis Wyman School”. They were impressed with the tremendous consistency they saw as they traveled from classroom to classroom. In every classroom the students were engaged in their learning They remarked on the structured, organized classrooms in which students clearly understood the classroom teachers’ expectations. The impact of the master schedule was apparent as uninterrupted time-on -learning was ongoing throughout the day. They were touched by the atmosphere of the school and noted that all the students seemed to be very happy. They were astounded that we were in our first year of implementation as it appeared that everything was flowing so smoothly. It was a great time to reflect on where we have been and how far we have come in such a short time frame. It was a real testament to the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff as they have worked to implement so many changes to better support our students. It also reflects the wonderful support that our families provide to their children and to the school community. Francis Wyman School has a lot to be proud of!

Parent Puberty Information Night

2010-03-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

Parent Puberty Information Night **date added

Puberty Information Night for Parents of 4th and 5th grade students will be presented by Amy Doughty, Burlington High School Health Educator. The presentations on March 25 will be repeated on April 6 so parents can choose the evening that works best for them.

March 25, 2010 BHS Cafeteria
6:30 Grade 4
7:30 Grade 5

**April 6, 2010 BHS Auditorium
6:30 Grade 4
7:30 Grade 5

Please call Amy Doughty at 781-273-7094 or the Francis Wyman Nurse's office at 781-270-1702 if you have any questions.

More information will be forthcoming regarding the date for the student presentations. At this time we are planning a middle to end of April date.

MCAS Testing Information for Parents

2010-03-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

MCAS testing for grades three through five will be taking place over the course of the next two weeks.

The FW schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, March 23 - Grade 4 Long Composition
Wednesday, March 24 - Grade 3 Reading
Thursday, March 25 - Grade 3 Reading
Monday, March 29 - Grade 4 Reading
Tuesday, March 30 - Grade 4 Reading
Wednesday, March 31 - Grade 5 Reading
Thursday, April 1 - Grade 5 Reading

All testing begins at 8:30 AM so please make every effort to make sure your child arrives at school on time on the days he or she is scheduled for testing. If you drive your child to school in the morning, please aim for an 8:15 AM arrival so that your child has plenty of time to get organized and situated before the test begins.
Students are encouraged to do their very best work on the test, but we do not want them to be overly worried. The students should have a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast so that they can think clearly and perform to their best ability. This year there are fewer days of testing which should help make it less stressful for students.

MCAS testing provides some important information regarding what students know and are able to do. As in all testing, MCAS is a "snapshot" of student performance during a specific period in time. Providing a positive and encouraging atmosphere will provide the support our students need during this testing period.

New Cafeteria Lunch System Begins

2010-03-19T15:43:00.000-04:00

On Monday, March 22 we will begin using the new cafeteria lunch system. The system is most successful when students know their pin number. Their pin number will be on a card that each student will receive before the system start day. The card will stay in the classroom and not go home so that students have less chance of losing the card. Parents can help by either logging onto Paypams.com and registering their child and putting money onto the child’s account to be used for buying lunch or they can send in a check made out to Burlington School Lunch with the child’s name on the memo line. Cash will be accepted until April vacation at which time the school will become cashless. Every student must enter their pin on the keypad or scan the barcode on the card every time they buy lunch. Reduced lunch children must still have the 40 cents for lunch and will need that amount put on their account when the school is cashless. If you have any questions please email Paul Virgin the Food Service Director at food@burlington.mec.edu.

The Family Carnival - March 13, 2010

2010-03-14T17:35:00.000-04:00

Mr. G. has a difficult time choosing the cake decorating finalists.

Mrs. Tortolini and Mrs. Tierney work the table!

Baskets are bountiful!

Volunteers provide snacks.

Families fill the cafeteria.

Prizes galore!

Fun and Games!

The cake decorating finalists...

THANK YOU PTO!

Professional Development Hosted at FWS

2010-03-14T17:20:00.000-04:00

Mr. Giurlando facilitates the guidance department discussion.

The elementary art department works with Jane Hundley, Social Studies Coordinator, to develop units

focussing on the artwork and culture of India. Ms. Hundley visited India in the summer of 2009.

Grade 2 teachers learn about the Fundations program as they prepare for implementation in fall 2010.

The "Bobcarts" are Here!

2010-03-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

Above are photos of the portable "Bobcarts" that allow up to four students to work at a time. Currently we have one per grade level grades 1-5. Classes share the stations. The vision is to have one "Bobcart" in each classroom.

The newly updated computer lab provides a learning environment that supports a variety of lessons and activities. The Smartboard is easily accessible and ready for any lesson.

Read Across America - Dr. Seuss Day

2010-03-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Mr. Mason

Mr. Cook

On Tuesday, March 2, Francis Wyman students enjoyed a day of reading activities focussed on the books written by Dr Seuss. There were many guest readers from the school, district, and community. Our kindergarteners enjoyed listening to their friend, Mr. Mason, share his love of reading. Mr. Cook, (Mrs. Cook's husband) brought his enthusiasm to the class. Thank you to all the staff and community members who took time out of their busy schedules to read to our students. Also, thank you to Mrs. Donna Murphy for organizing this celebration of literacy!

School Council Notes - March 2010

2010-03-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

What is School Council?

The Francis Wyman School Council is comprised of the principal, two teacher representatives, two parent representatives and one community member. The purpose of School Council is to provide guidance and support to the school principal and to share in shaping the policies and programs of the school. Teacher volunteers and the community member are selected by the principal. Parent volunteers are elected yearly through the PTO. Any parent can run for this position. Furthermore, parents are always welcome to attend school council meetings as observers, even if they are not on the council. Please refer to the links below for more information on School Councils.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/schoolcouncils/part1.html

http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/schoolcouncils/part2d.html

Current School Council Members:

Susan Astone, Principal
Carolyn Gennaco, Technology Specialist
Kim Cook, Kindergarten Teacher
Michelle Gillis, Parent
Barbara L’Heureux, Parent
Kathy Brine, Community Volunteer

March 2010 Meeting

March’s School Council meeting was held on March 2, 2010. Principal Susan Astone started off the meeting by alerting the School Council of an important upcoming School Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 9th at 7:30 in the school committee room in the Burlington High School. At this meeting, the School Committee will be reviewing and making decisions regarding the elementary schools budget for the 2010/2011 school year. Due to difficult economic conditions, the schools are required to operate on a very strict budget. However, there are a few critical personnel needs that Francis Wyman needs addressed.

Fifth Grade Teacher

Francis Wyman is requesting that the School Committee authorize the hiring of an additional classroom teacher for fifth grade due to increased enrollment. Currently, there are four 5th grade classrooms. In order to maintain acceptable classroom sizes, we need to add a classroom and hire an additional teacher. If this additional classroom teacher is not approved the fifth grade next year will each have approximately 25 students per classroom.

We are asking all Francis Wyman parents to attend this crucial school committee meeting to demonstrate the support of the parent community for this important addition to the school budget. This is our best opportunity as parents to advocate for reasonable class sizes. The decision could affect classroom sizes in the future as well. Please plan to attend this meeting on Tuesday March 9th at 7:30 pm in the school committee room at Burlington High School.

Other personnel requests

Francis Wyman is also requesting additional math tutoring time and a half-time reading specialist. Currently, Francis Wyman has one full time reading specialist and we would like to increase that by another .5 reading specialists. Reading truly is fundamental and we need these extra services to insure that all our Francis Wyman students are able to achieve reading proficiency. The math tutoring situation is just a critical. We would like to increase our math support to 2 full time tutors.

Technology Needs

In addition to these personnel needs, the School Committee will also discuss technology needs. The long term plan for Francis Wyman’s technology needs includes one “Bobcart” per classroom, one portable laptop classroom set up for every grade level and a Smartboard (or equivalent technology) for every classroom.

What’s a Bobcart?
Good question! Named after the technology specialist who designed and built the first Bobcart at Pine Glen, the Bobcart is a four station computer station on wheels. Currently, Francis Wyman has one Bobcart per grade. The goal is to eventually have one in each classroom.

What can you do? Attend the school committee meeting and make your voice heard!

Writing Club update

The Francis Wyman writing club is launching on Thursday, March 4th and 32 students are currently enrolled. The students, guided by teacher Tina Sosnowski and two other reading specialists, will be working on a school newspaper. Watch for more news from this exciting enrichment group in future updates!

Introducing Math Club!

Susan Astone announced at this school council meeting the formation of a second math club at Francis Wyman. The Math Club will be open to fourth and fifth graders of all abilities and will focus on fractions, decimals and percentages (oh my!). The tentative plan is for the club to meet on Monday and Tuesday afternoons under the direction of Math Coach Carrie Fortunato. There will be a fee of $50 per student for 12 sessions. Watch your child’s backpack for more details!

RTI update

Council members discussed the RTI implementation. It was agreed that the implementation went more smoothly for grades one through three. RTI implementation in grades four and five is more complex as it involves many factors such as integrating subjects, learning styles and motivation.

Susan Astone told the Council that the plan is to hold grade level meetings at the end of the school year to project RTI groupings for next fall, with the understanding that some adjustments will still be needed in September/October, especially in the lower grades.

Francis Wyman is growing - - - plants, that is.

Susan also informed Council members of an initiative headed by the Science Center’s John Papadonis and community volunteer, Peter Coppolla. These two gardening enthusiasts are working to plan and raise funds for a gardening project at Francis Wyman. The details of the project are still being worked out but students will be involved. Stay tuned for more news in future School Council updates!

Picnicking in the playground?

The Council also discussed plans for a social event in the new Francis Wyman playground. The details are not yet worked out, but we envision a fun, relaxing social event for FW families to socialize together in the new playground. We will keep you informed as plans progress.

Get involved!
If you would like to be involved in any of these initiatives, if you have a comment or concern, or if you wish to suggest a topic for a future School Council meeting, please contact parent representative barbaralh@comcast.net.

Principal's Monthly Coffee

2010-01-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

The monthly coffees have provided a new opportunity for parents to learn more about what goes on at Francis Wyman School, ask questions and discuss ideas. Although the primary purpose of these meetings is to discuss the RtI initiative, the agenda is open, allowing for many topics to be discussed. There have been discussions on topics such as testing, RtI groupings, criteria for use of video material, ideas for extension activities, technology, the instrumental music program, the Italian program, parent volunteer opportunities, class size, the budgetary process and many more. As a result of the tremendous interest in providing enriching opportunities for our students, an "Extension Group" was formed. This group of parents and school personnel are working together to explore ideas for afterschool and in-school extension activities that will be provided by parent volunteers. The Extention Group's next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 28 at 8:15 AM.The next Principal's Monthly Coffee is Monday, January 11 at 9:00 AM. All are welcome to both meetings!

Welcome to the Principal's Blog

2009-11-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog! It is my hope that Francis Wyman School families will find this additional communication tool informative and helpful.

I would like to start by sharing with you the link to the curriculum website of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ( DESE).This website will provide you with information regarding the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. These frameworks are at the heart of the Burlington curriculum standards which are found on the Burlington School District website.

The MCAS test reflects the state frameworks. Together, the teachers and I analyze our MCAS test results by referencing the state and district standards so that curriculum and instruction will be designed to promote mastery of the standards. Released test items are reviewed and discussed so that teachers will be able to adjust instruction appropriately. Below is copy of the page from the DESE website.

Educator Services Teaching & Learning Curriculum Resources Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
New Standards Search Tool
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to announce a new tool for searching standards, available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/search/.
The new tool offers several new features that educators may find useful:
Users can search by framework, strand, topic, and keyword.
Users can search multiple frameworks and grade levels simultaneously.
Users can view and print only the standards they need for a specific purpose.
Users can view and save their search in several formats, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe PDF.
Here are a few ways that educators and parents might use the tool:
A new teacher wants to see the standards she needs to teach for a high school biology course.
A curriculum director wants to see the progression of standards from grade to grade for elementary mathematics.
Two teachers want to create a unit together, so they want to see all of the English and history standards for tenth grade.
A teacher just found a great book on whales, and he wants to see if it relates to the fifth grade curriculum standards.
A parent wants to know what his third grade child will be learning next year.
Last Updated: November 3, 2009
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