There's No Surprise There!

If you're like me, you sometimes read study results and wonder to yourself how much money and time the university or institute invested in researching what seems like a foregone conclusion.  Do we really need scientific studies to confirm that swallowing magnets is bad for us, that bees are attracted to apples, that cramming doesn't work, or that exercising more and eating less can lead to weight loss?  As my grandson tells me, often enough, "Duh!"

 

That's the case in a study I read today which seems like it arrived at one of those 'duh' conclusions... but yet one so obviously ignored by many school communities.  Here are the findings I'm referring to: 'Teachers' school culture, working conditions, and job satisfaction have an impact on student learning.'   The study was done by Susan Johnson and Matthew Kraft of Harvard Graduate School of Education and John Papay of Brown University; and, in all honesty, their study goes deeper that I have heretofor given them credit.

I wouldn't have been able to tell you, for example, that teachers' school culture and working conditions are more important factors in student achievement in reading and math than the students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, which, as the authors of the study state, 'suggests that much of the apparent effect of student demographics really translates into differences in their schools’ teachers' work environments.'   Change the school environment; change the result.

 

This is a perfect segue into mentioning to you our 'Safe Schools Planning Committees' and an upcoming opportunity for you to participate in an online survey and provide information about your child(ren)'s school climate.   Our 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade students and our teachers will have the same opportunity to take the survey that we'll offer to parents.  The surveys will be one step in each school's study of its school climate.  The following steps will be: recognizing strengths and weaknesses in the school's climate, writing goals with timelines and accountability measures, and post-assessing to see if  progress has been made. 

 

The Administrative Team, i.e. the principals, Colleen Murray, Kai Graves and I, realize that positive school climate, of course, impacts student achievement.   And we also recognize why.   In schools with positive culture:

• Teachers collaborate and work together to ensure the curriculum and instructional strategies are first-rate; every teacher working together is always more productive than any one teacher working alone.
• Teachers and their principal collaborate about problems and issues, showing mutual trust and support, leading to a more meaningful commitment to students.
• An orderly, respectful, safe environment takes emphasis off of negative behaviors and restores attention to academics.
• Teachers have the time they need for instruction, both in the core acadmic areas and the social/affective domains, which allows them to take advantage of 'teachable moments'.
• Students feel safe to take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, be themselves, which leads to deeper, less rote, learning.
• Families become involved.

Thus, we hope that when the on-line survey becomes available to you, you will take advantage of that opportunity to tell us what you think. The links to the survey will be available right on the district's and schools' webpages. If you would like to learn more anout the Safe Schools Plan, you can check out the template the schools will be completing this year on the webpage, in the "Policy" section.

Aren't Happy, Successful Children Everyone's Dream?

In a thoughtful New York Times article, "Raising Successful Children," author and practicing psychologist Madeline Levine offers some poignant advice about striking the right balance between good practice and malpractice in parenting.  Levine makes a distinction between childhood 'happiness' and 'well-being,' and says that while most of us (I use 'us' because I'm a parent, too) would say we want our kids to be happy in life, what we really mean is we want them to be able cope with life's challenges with confidence.  "Life is difficult," Levine explains, "and the idea of keeping our children happy all the time -- that’s about over- parenting."  Thus, 'parenting malpractice' is any parenting action in which parents, in their efforts to protect their children from unpleasantness, cannot find the 'happy' median between being overly protective ... and overly permissive. 

 

The word 'malpractice' struck me as harsh.  There is something unethical or immoral sounding about the word; and, as I write this, I had to resist the urge to edit it out.  What won me over was the 'guilt' factor inherent in parenting.  Let's face it, when we make mistakes (which sometimes can be 'doozies' ), we do feel a little bit criminal, so maybe 'malpractice' is not really that far off the mark. 

 

One of the concepts that most resonated with me was this: “The happiest, most successful children have parents who do not do for them what they are capable of doing, or almost capable of doing, themselves.”  No doubt this would be true for the teachers in our schools, as well.  Even sadder, Levine points out, is when we do things for our kids that satisfy our own needs rather than the needs of our children themselves.  I'm reminded of the many years of dance classes I took my daughter to only to be told when she was 11 that, while she 'liked dancing OK, she hated performing.'  How can that be? I thought. She is an excellent dancer, and I love to watch her perform. 

Levine is firm that dealing with disappointment is essential to good health.  "The central task of growing up,” she says, “is to develop a sense of self that is autonomous, confident, and generally in accord with reality.”  Over-parenting, which includes unnecessary monitoring and control, actually diminishes our children's confidence and distorts the reality of life.

But, let's be honest, it's painful to watch when our children make mistakes.  I didn't want my own children to 'suffer' when they were left out of a birthday party or didn't start in a soccer game.  If they misunderstood the directions to an assignment and got a poor grade, I wanted a 'do-over' -- for them, of course!   But, Levine is right, it is in this "gray area of 'just beyond the comfortable' where resilience is born.”  She points out that kids need small daily risks and disappointments for growth to take place.  We knew this when they were little and first started to walk.  We didn't pick them up every time they fell and protect them from any future disappointments or bumps.  We actually were amazed by them and took pleasure in the sheer determination it took for them to try, try, and try again. 

Levine claims if you can't stand to see your child cry, you got into the wrong business.   Kids need the opportunity for ‘successful failures' -- failures they can live with and grow from. "To shield them," Levine writes, "to deprive them of those challenges is to deprive them of the tools they will need to handle the inevitable, difficult, challenging and sometimes devastating demands of life.”  Better to remember the lessons of infancy, to allow them to resolve it themselves, and to amaze us with their resiliency as they once did.

There is a difference, Levine points out, between top-down parenting which focused on clear expectations...  and parental behavior which is controlling.  It's OK to insist that a child turn off the television and finish the math homework.  It's not OK to tell a child what to feel and how to resolve that feeling.  Pushing, bribing, probing, implanting, which always come the outside, (i.e. from the parent) are malpractice because "the child never has the opportunity to craft an inside.”

“A loving parent is warm, willing to set limits and unwilling to breach a child’s psychological boundaries by invoking shame or guilt,” Levine concludes. It’s also vital that parents set a good example in their own lives. “One of the most important things we do for our children is to present them with a version of adult life that is appealing and worth striving for.”

 

“RaisingSuccessful Children” by Madeline Levine in TheNew York Times, and "Teach Your Children Well': An Interview With Psychologist and Author Madeline Levine" in The Huffington Post.

History Speaks: Rules for Teachers from the Past

Over this past summer, during the revision the new webpage, I stumbled upon the 'Rules for Teachers' that I am going to share with you below.  I loved reading them!  They were compelling, but I didn't know quite what to do with them. 

Until I attended a transportation meeting at Amity High School with all of our Orange bus drivers.  Before the meeting began, Mr. Chris Winkle and I started a conversation that wandered into his telling me his mother had been a teacher at Mary L. Tracy until 1923 when she had married his father and been forced to quit teaching.  I instantly recalled 'the rules' I had found.  Both sets of rules below, 1872's and 1915's, dismissed women who married from the profession. 

Being a teacher myself, my heart broke a little to hear Mr. Winkle say his mother was forced to give up this most rewarding profession when she chose to be a wife and mother.  But, on second thought, I reasoned, at least she could take her time when getting an ice cream downtown!

The Academy, built 1812, is the present day site

of the Orange Historical Society

1915 Rules for Teachers

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have the permission of the Chairman of the Board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches below the knee.
12. To keep the school room neat and clean, you must: sweep the floor at least once daily, scrub the floor at least once a week with hot soapy water, clean the blackboards at least once a day and start the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.

Rules for Teachers 1872

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.
2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings per week if they go to church regularly.
5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
6. Women teachers who marry will be dismissed.
7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.
9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

Opening Day, August 2012

I have thought about and awaited my first ‘opening day’ in Orange for eight long months. I knew that when the day finally came I would talk about change, because ‘change’ is in the very air we breathe right now. But, what to say?

I grew up with my father’s voice in my ear, and his wisdom has always served me well. Whether it was a high school algebra test or field hockey game, or later in life, a tricky relationship or a financial crisis, “You want it to turn out better?” he’d say, “Change something. Nothing gets better by accident.”

On the other hand, I also recall having a conversation with a former colleague, who has since passed away.   I was trying to convince him to introduce some contemporary chapter books into the curriculum.   At the conclusion of the conversation, he simply said, “Not everyone likes change, you know. Some people go on vacation every year to the same cottage on the same lake and always order the lime rickey at the same ice cream stand.” 

It brought me up short and caused me to appreciate the paradox of change. In the end, however, it’s always my father’s voice in my head; and while I truly appreciated what this teacher said, I often wondered if routine comes at too great a price. Sometimes, change comes very hard to us because we over-estimate the value of what we have, and we under-estimate the greatness of what we might have … should we be agreeable to change.
 
It’s that ‘potential greatness’ that I want to emphasize as we begin the new school year!

So, what are the changes a foot in Orange? First of all, not one single change has been made ‘simply for the sake of change.’  Everything we’re doing has a well-thought out ‘rationale.’ With the exception of the implementation of our new math curriculum, Math Expressions, none of the changes is huge or demanding.  And, even considering the implementation of our new math curriculum, none of them is beyond our capacity!

As we face these changes together, I’m hoping we will always consider whether or not the change requires planning and effort … or simply requires open mindedness.  I’m hoping we will not throw all the changes into the same basket.  

As you’ve already noticed, we have many new people in our buildings.   We chose these people and invited them to join us.   Each deserves our warmest welcome to the school community.   Please extend a hand in community spirit whenever you can.   Be generous with your friendship and collegiality.   This kind of change does not really take effort on our part; it takes simple open-mindedness.

We have made a change in our website and switched from CMS, which was rather ‘static,’ to a new district webpage provider, Finalsite, which is dynamic.  In the process, we have gained a great number of features.   Our visitors can sign up for rss feeds and alerts. The new site has ‘virtual backpacks’ for school and community notices.   The directory is cleaner.   The calendar will be reliable.   The ‘Directions’ tab takes you to Google maps.   This change to Finalsite will require an adjustment on everyone’s part, but this is NOT a new initiative. The heavy lifting has already been done; and this change requires open-mindedness.

My hope is that our teachers will have their webpages up and running as soon as possible. The dream for the webpage is that it becomes the first place our community goes for the information.   The calendar will be updated daily!   You will be able to depend on it!   If we do our part, and the webpage does its job, we’ll save paper and photocopying (making us greener!) and a great deal of time.
 
Other changes we’ve made include the purchase and implementation of new ‘suite of SRBI’ intervention tools to support our struggling learners.  Most of these tools are Internet-based and students will be able to access them in 21st Century after-school programming (if they are participants) or at home.  

This coming year, we’ll need to rewrite our Teacher Evaluation Plan to meet the new State legislation. We also need to complete our State-mandated Safe Schools Plans.   We need deeply committed and interested members of our community for the District’s Long-Range Planning Committee.   These changes will take time, effort, and thought.  If you are interested in these kinds of community leadership opportunities, they are open to you.   Please call your school and apply.

Finally, I want to mention the district’s only three goals for the year.   The first, as I mentioned, is the implementation of Math Expressions!  It will take time and our steadfast energy, enthusiasm, and effort.  Our Specials teachers have been given equally weighty and significant curriculum initiatives to work on.   Some are developing common assessments because that practice makes great sense, but also in anticipation of the new State teacher evaluation model.  Others are working on the Student Success Plans for 6th graders.  Some are working on Accelerated Reader.
 
Before, I introduce the second and third goals, I want to mention that our Administrative-level discussions about CMT testing results have been healthy and worthwhile.   Our kids do great!   They show growth over time, and they are well above the state averages.   Often, about 50% of them are in the Advanced band – not 'Goal', but 'Advanced!'   However, when we compare ourselves to other schools in our DRG, we do not often enough fall into the top half of the DRG.  

We do NOT need to do an in-depth study of this.   We do NOT need to make significant changes in curriculum or instructional strategies.   Our curriculum and our instruction are already excellent.   We DO, however, need to do two things better… and these two things are the next two goals on the list.

Our second goal is the protection of instructional time. Philosophically, the Orange School District needs to believe that the teacher’s time in the classroom, with the students, is sacrosanct!   And, then, we need to act according to that belief.   If there was one resounding message I heard over and over again from teachers last year, it was this: “I don’t have enough time!”

Thus, teachers will no longer be routinely pulled from their classrooms for curriculum writing or for meetings.   Our students are not better off in the hands of a substitute, and what an incorrect message we send when we act as if the common practice of replacing teachers with subs is 'the same'!  Except in the case of emergencies, we will try to protect the teachers from phone calls and unexpected visitors. (The principals, by the way, aren’t considered visitors!)

The principals were given the charge to protect instructional time through careful scheduling over the summer and, now that school has started, through ‘buffering.’   It will be their jobs to protect classroom instruction from external interruptions.   Within the classroom, the protection of instructional time will be the responsibility of the teachers, by focusing on what’s important. Our shared goal will be that we will rarely sacrifice core curriculum time, and when we do, we will do it intentionally and with planning.

And, thus, the final ‘change’ I am going to mention is significant, but will take only a few minutes a day. It’s another one of those changes that is more about ‘open-mindedness’ than effort.  I’m asking that before each lesson, the teachers write the ‘target,’ or lesson objective, on the board or post it where students can see it.   This is as simple as writing out a list of Saturday chores for your family and posting it on the refrigerator.  This target, or ‘objective, is simply a focus for the lesson, written in ‘kid-friendly language.’   It gives the learning purpose and structure in the students’ minds.

I have been in classrooms and observed first graders whose attention has wandered off.  I have seen them, a moment or two later, refocus themselves by looking at the right spot on the chart paper and seeing in very simple words or even pictures, what it is they should be doing, and then getting back to work.  Just as the ‘list’ gives Saturday morning structure, so does the ‘target’ give classroom learning structure.  

Equally important, this ‘target’ or ‘focus’ will help us protect our precious instructional time because when something isn’t on the list, or we can’t find a worthwhile curriculum target or objective to go along with it, we tend to do less of it.  I am not suggesting that our teachers will give up precious ‘teachable moments’ when they occur; I asking simply that they provide their students with an ‘agenda item’ to guide their learning.

Thus, with all of the ‘change’ bursting out around us, I’m asking that all of us distinguish the deep systemic changes from simple changes which require only a little thought and an open mind.  Our school-based goals for the year are: 1. Implementing the Math Expressions, and the curriculum equivalent for our specialists; 2. Protecting instructional time; and 3. Posting our objective or target in kid-speak.
 
This is an excellent school community with quality teachers, the purest motivations, and very big hearts.   I have no doubt in our capacity for change.

And with that, your very proud and privileged Superintendent, is thrilled to open the 2012-2013 school year!

Lynn

An Open Message to Orange's Graduating 6th Graders

About two weeks ago, in a conversation with Mrs. Murray, Principal at Turlkey Hill,  I mentioned my excitement about the upcoming 6th grade graduation and told her my 'speech' was almost finished.  She gently told me, 'You don't speak at graduation.  They all take place at the same time.'   That certainly burst my bubble.  However, I quickly regrouped and let the principals know I wanted to speak to their 6th grade graduates at one of their rehearsals.  That's what happened. Each visit was very informal; I gathered them on the floor and here's what I said:


"First, I want to tell you that I’ve only had a chance to get to know you for five months, and I wish the time had been longer.   Even though we don’t know each other well, I want to wish you a happy and relaxing summer and a great start in Orange Middle School next year.   It’s important to me that you do very well there.

"Now I want to tell you a little story and the theme of this story is ‘out-of the box’ thinking – do you know what that expression means?  [They did, of course, but I wanted to hear it from them!] 

"I grew up on a dirt road in Massachusetts kitty-corner from my Uncle Ernie’s farm.   My Uncle Ralph’s farm was just a little way down the street, too.   It was a great childhood because there was so much land; and in the summer, my sister and I could run all over the place, doing all kinds of interesting things – there were honey bees and lots of clover, cows and cow paths, chickens, horses, and activities like haying and milking and playing in the hay loft.  

"However, sometimes, even with all of that adventure around us, we got bored; and when we did and we started complaining there was nothing to do, my mother would tell us this story that I’m going to tell you.  She would use our real names, Lynn and Janet, and give the other people in the story the names of people we knew.   My mother would say:

“Once upon a time there were two girls who were tired of everything. They were bored… bored…. bored… and complained to their mother there was nothing to do.   Their names were Lynn and Janet.   Their mother, who was always very wise and knew what was important in life told her daughters, 'I know what you can do. You can go on a journey and try to find the little red house with a brown chimney on top. It has no doors and no windows and a star inside.'    

"The two girls thought this idea was very strange. 'Which way should we go?' they asked their mother. 'Anyway you want!' she said.

"The girls went everywhere on their road, up and down, and in between.   After a few hours, they realized they knew every house on the street, and there was no little red house with a chimney on top with no doors and no windows and a star inside.  'Let’s ask somebody,' they decided.

"The girls had not gone very much farther when they came to their cousin playing jump-rope in the road. [In my mother’s story, this cousin had the same name as our real cousin 'Charlene.'] 'Do you know where there’s a little red house with a chimney on top and no doors and no windows and a star in inside?' L ynn and Janet asked their cousin Charlene. 'Let’s ask Uncle Ralph,' Charlene said. 'He knows everything.'

"So, Lynn and Janet and their cousin Charlene went into the orchard where Uncle Ralph was up on a ladder, pruning branches. 'Do you know where we can find a little red house with a chimney on top and no doors and no windows and a star inside? the girls asked. Uncle Ralph laughed.  'It’s right there at your very own feet!' he said.

"The little girls looked down, and at their feet lay about a dozen red apples.  They picked one up.   [At this point I showed the 6th graders an apple.]  Sure enough, the apple was as red as nature had painted it, and the brown stem was as straight as a chimney.   It certainly had no doors and no windows.  But, was there a star inside?

"The two sisters and their cousin went back and gave the apple to their mother.   Their mother took a knife and cut the apple crosswise through its center, and what they saw inside was surprising! There was a star inside! [At this point, I cut the apple crosswise.. or horizontally, through its center and showed it to the students.]

"Their mother said, 'Everything in life is ordinary and boring, unless you think about it differently and try to find the magic inside.'

"My mother probably told my sister and me this story once or twice a month during the summer, whenever we complained there was nothing to do.   She told us the story to remind us that it was how we looked at something that made it either boring or interesting.   It was up to us. And then she would cut us each an apple -- always cutting it differently than other mothers I knew.

"There’s a reason I’m telling you this story. You’re leaving elementary school and you’re moving on. Soon, you’ll start making more and more decisions.  First about new friends... and then boyfriends and girlfriends... and then part-time jobs and going to college... and eventually you’ll find a career.   And all of those decisions will bring you closer and closer to being grown-ups.   But I want you to remember that a book or a classroom lesson in school or a day on the job or a day in your life … or your whole life for that matter … will not, all by itself, be either ordinary or boring.   It will be how you look at it that will make it interesting.  

"Whether something is boring or interesting is completely up to us, and when we are interesting and think out of the box, something as plain and ordinary as an apple, can have a star inside.  As you go forward in your life, always try to think about things a little bit differently; and, as often as you can, cut your apples crosswise!"

You Know It When You See It

As you know, this month we’ve been immersed in hiring our two new principals. One of the questions the committees have asked every candidate is to describe a good performance assessment.   We’ve expected our candidates to provide an example -- which they should be able to do because quite frankly ‘you know one when you see one.’ 

Unlike ‘one right answer’ assessments, performance assessments require both process and product. Students need to think through a realistic scenario and produce something that demonstrates what they can do with what they know. To paraphrase a really good analogy I read somewhere: It’s more like playing a game of baseball, the unique coming together of skills, concepts, rules, and attitudes… than playing a game of catch.

Race Brook’s 4th Grade ‘Yankee Doodle Travel Agency’ is an excellent example of performance assessment. However, I would predict the kids didn’t know that. They only knew that they had worked collaboratively together and worked hard. They only knew that, for their final showcase in the Race Brook gym on Tuesday, June 12th, they were excited when someone stopped for a ‘tour’ and immensely proud to show-off what they had accomplished.

This year-long language arts and social studies project was initiated in the fall with each student picking a Connecticut city or town. Families were encouraged to take the time to visit their child’s community and to see the sights.   By January, the students began searching the Internet for additional landmarks and pictures, and they wrote to the first selectman or mayor requesting postcards and additional information.  Each group of three students then created a travel agency identity with a logo and a motto. The Garnet Group Travel Agency, for example, claimed, ‘We are like gems when it comes to traveling.” The Amistad Travelers promised, “Your mind will sail away on a Connecticut Adventure.” They made up addresses, phone numbers, and web addresses for their ‘published’ business cards.

Each newly-formed travel agency decided how to map out its three Connecticut towns for potential tourists. They used technology to produce tri-fold brochures and business cards. They collaborated on the creative elements of their display and practiced their sales-pitch presentations together, planning their speeches for their captive audiences. (The audience was not only their parents and grandparents, but upper-class students who needed to collect a business card from at least one agency to fulfill their obligation. They had to listen to the entire presentation to receive a card.)

The project is aligned with more than a few state standards. The students research and consolidate information through note-taking and analysis. They make maps. They read informational and non-fiction texts and write persuasively. They also write narratives and letters. They use technology.   And they practice their public speaking and ultimately get a chance to demonstrate their presentation skills.

I realize Yankee Doodle Travel Agency isn’t a new performance assessment in Orange, but it was new to me!   And I really enjoyed listening to the kids and asking them questions at the ‘travel agencies’ I had a chance to visit.   I had to smile at their grown-up, professional use of laser pointers and enticing sales pitches.   I took in their serious voices and heartfelt recommendations for sights most of them had actually been to visit. 

And I learned something in the process: I want to go to the Sportsplex in North Branford, Eisenhower Park (in my own new town of Milford), and the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium. My youngest grand-daughter would love the Carousel Museum in Bristol. The best omelets in North Haven, according to one young tourism guide, can be found at State Street Café. This summer, I’ve resolved, I need to make more of an effort to “Experience Connecticut like a nutmegger!”

You're Never Too Old for the Prom!

On May 8th, I went to the Senior Prom. No fancy dress… or flowers… or boyfriend on my arm. But, this Senior Prom was memorable none-the-less.

That day, the Peck Place Student Council, with their teachers and parents hosted a Senior Prom for about 80 senior citizens from the local area. Rumor has it the kids invited everyone they could think of, and I was thrilled for them that so many people took them up on their invitation.  I had an interesting conversation with one senior who had brought his signed dance card, complete with its satin tassel; his wife’s name was written in it next to the dances she had promised him. (You have to go back a ways to remember this dance card tradition!)

The prom authenticated so many of the virtues of a ‘real’ prom – there were decorations, music, and so much good food. Several of the students worked as DJ’s, playing a variety of tunes from today and ‘back in the day’. Other students arranged a bench where you could pose with a ‘date’ and have your prom pictures taken. But, the greatest fun took place on the dance where the Peck Place students and the seniors danced in conga lines, did the Macarena and the Hustle, twisted, and just had a wonderful time together. It was a mystery as to who was teaching whom these dances.

Events such as these are so important in a school community for a variety of reasons. Certainly, a elementary school and senior citizen prom helps to close that ever-talked-about ‘generation gap’ which has widened over the past two decades as extended families have been affected by job relocations. But more importantly, an event such as this requires that students come out of their comfort zones and enjoy themselves by giving of their time, attention, and talents to others. You couldn’t have been in the gymnasium with them without recognizing they ended their day with a positive sense of self, the spirit of altruism, and a sense of responsibility for the happiness of someone else.

I’ll let pictures tell the rest of the story…

"I Gotta Crow..."

I had the best time Saturday night at Turkey Hill School’s production of Peter Pan -- all thanks to the tireless efforts of Deborah Sansone and at least 40 mothers and fathers who rehearsed lines with the kids, sewed costumes, built props, took photos, sold snacks, and on and on.
The kids were amazing – there’s no doubt about it! But nothing could top how amazing it was to see over 100 of them enjoy the chance to act, sing, and dance in a play for their friends and families. Nothing in my past experience prepared me for either the energy or the sheer joy of this undertaking.

I’ve been to school plays before and loved them. Generally, 10 – 15 kids auditioned and got speaking or chorus parts and another 10 or so kids worked in the stage crew. There were costumes and scenery and programs. These
performances were always a lot of fun.

But TH’s Peter Pan was HUGE – a true spectacular! – and no child who wanted to try it was turned away! I think I counted a dozen different Peter Pans, including one with itchy poison ivy who performed like the trouper he was. There were nine Wendys, three Michaels, three Tinkerbells, and four or five Smees. There were Twinkle Stars and Sparkle Stars and Winkie Stars. There were two dozen dancing mermaids! Some of the actors were laugh-out-loud funny. Some of them were so little and so cute, they brought tears to my eyes. The ‘lost’ boys and girls of Neverland made me just want to take them home, like the Wendys did, and read fairy tales to them!

Mrs. Sansone, the Drama Club Producer, wrote in her stage notes that people often ask her and her crew of parent directors why in the world they would do this. Are they crazy? Why would anyone take all that time to rewrite a new script that exited one Peter, so another could slip in? Why would they sew three or four Hook costumes when they could have gotten away with one? Why hold Drama Club rehearsals with 101 actors when the exits and entrances would be so much more manageable if you divided that number by four and told the rest of the kids, ‘maybe next year.’ Mrs. Sansone told the audience that last year only five 6th graders came out for the play; this year there were three times that number.

As this school district’s new superintendent, I am once again amazed by a commitment to kids in evidence everywhere I turn. Thank you to these wonderful parents who wanted 101 actors this year, and next year are hoping for more. Their gift, like the gift of so many of Orange’s parents i have met, is immeasurable! And if I might take liberties with Peter Pan’s lyrics a bit, I’ll admit this to you:  “I'm just the luckiest ‘fellow’ / 'Twas ever my fortune to know! / How can I hide it / When deep down inside it / just tickles me so / That I've gotta let go / and crow!”

Friday, March 16th, marked the 7th Annual SCASA Student Awards Luncheon, but it was another first for me; and like all of my other 'firsts' in Orange, it was exciting and immeasurably rewarding.
The other South Central Area Superintendents and I had a chance to publically recognize students from our schools who represent the very best in our children. Our Orange awardees were selected from among the many 6th graders who understand the value of hard work and dedication both in their schools and in their community. They all have shown attention to academic achievement, support for their peers and teachers, interest in a variety of outside pursuits, and dedication to the civic organizations to which they belong. Their teachers and principal recognized these qualities and it makes me proud to share their bios with you here. They represent their peers and our community very well, as you can see through these words from their principals:

Gunnar Poulimas, from Race Brook, "is athletic, conscientious, and kind. He is involved in the school store and safety patrol and takes care of the recess rack for the Race Brook School. Gunnar plays baseball for Orange Little League and is a black belt in karate. He has also spent years studying and practicing his musical talent, the drums. In his spare time, Gunnar also enjoys building model cars.

Gunnar has won many awards at Race Brook School, including the Art Achievement Award for the last three years, the Spanish Award, and the Physical Fitness Award for 2009 and 2010. He also won the PTA sponsored Reflections
Award in 2008 and 2009 and the Sportsmanship Award for Little League in 2010 and 2011. Gunnar’s positive disposition and caring ways have earned him Character Ed Awards in 2009 and 2010.

Gunnar’s friends recognize that he is respectful and possesses the qualities of a fine person by voting for him for the Peer Put-Up Award twice this year."

Isobel Browe, from Race Brook School, "felt honored when she heard the news that she was being recognized by SCASA; but when she found out that she was going to have to miss school to go to the luncheon, she was conflicted. Belle is an enthusiastic student who doesn’t want to miss anything that goes on at Race Brook School.

In addition to being committed to academics, Belle has enjoyed singing in the choir, playing the double bass, and solving problems as part of her Odyssey of the Mind team. Outside of school, she loves animals. Her menagerie includes hens, geckos, fish, a frog, a rabbit, dogs, and ducks, and Belle is as responsible about her animals as she is about school. Belle has participated in dance and soccer as extracurricular activities, but her favorite is horseback riding. She has developed confidence as a rider, but is also content to just be with the horses.

When Belle commits to a cause, she really commits. Despite lots of resistance from her mom and friends, Belle decided to shave her head to raise money for kids with cancer. In twenty-four hours, she raised over $500 dollars for St. Baldrick’s foundation, and she wore that buzz cut proudly."

Michaela Kraut represented Turkey Hill School. "With a twinkle in her eye and a winning smile, Michaela Kraut dances and sings her way into your heart. She is a member of Mulkerin Irish Dance Club and has been a chorister in the United Girls Choir for a number of years. Whether it is in a drama production or in the school’s talent show, she feels more than comfortable on stage.

Michaela has worked hard to achieve her academic standing and serves her school community in a variety of ways. She is a library helper, hall monitor, a member of Safety Patrol, Yearbook Committee, and Captain of Project Wisdom, responsible for organizing and delivering the morning character messages. As an active Girl Scout, Michaela participates in a variety of community service projects to support local organizations including the Orange Community Kitchen, Veterans’ Organization, and the Lions’ Club.

Michaela has great aspirations. She can’t wait for the day to come when she will be old enough to compete in Irish Step in Ireland and would like to eventually become a fashion designer. There is no doubt that this young lady of style will turn her dreams into reality and give “Coco” Chanel a run for her money."

Haegan O’Rourke "is an outstanding student and role model at Turkey Hill
School. Upon meeting him, you are immediately impressed by his maturity, intellect and fine manners. Haegan is a humble, unassuming young man who participates in the LEAP enrichment program and excels in all areas, especially the arts. He takes his drawing and painting lessons seriously therefore it is no wonder that his work has been featured in the Orange Art Show and that he has been the recipient of many awards including those from the PTA Reflections
Program. Most recently, Haegan was the recipient of the CAS Award for excellence in the area of visual arts. He has also taken piano lessons since first grade and is a member of the THS Drama Club.

Haegan serves his school community as a member of Safety Patrol, Reading Buddies, and works as a teacher’s assistant in a second grade classroom. He is
an avid skier and plays lacrosse and basketball. If Haegan’s dreams come true
he will attend Colorado University and pursue a career that will allow him to work with animals. This young man is a source of pride to all of us at Turkey
Hill School and is most deserving of this honor."

Jack Balocca, representing Peck Place School, is "a confident and independent student who is an excellent leader for his peers. His favorite subject is math, but he excels in all academic areas. Jack is involved in a broad collection of activities in and out of school. He is very athletic and enjoys playing in competitive sports. He has played
baseball for seven years and has been on the All-Star team three of those
years. Jack played soccer for seven years and has played basketball for three years. Jack gives back to his school by serving as a Flag Bearer, a member of the Math Team, LEAP, Student Council, and Dream Team, where he helps younger students develop social and life skills. He was in the First Lego League where he learned about biomedical engineering.

Jack has received many character education awards and has been recognized for his academic success. He was the classroom winner for the geography bee and spelling bee. He has been on the Battle of the Books team two years in a row. Jack is a creative problem solver in and out of the classroom. In his free
time Jack loves to read, play with his dog, Maggie, and play basketball with
his family.

Erin Barillier, also from Peck Place, "is an intelligent, kind and thoughtful student, sister, and friend. Her love of animals extends beyond her pets
to her commitment to vegetarianism, to raising money for the National Wildlife
Fund, and to attending Project Oceanology's Ocean Camp. Erin has given back to her community by donating her hair to the Locks of Love Foundation.

At school, Erin is a member of LEAP, the Math Team, Battle of the Books, and her Lego League team advanced to compete in the state competition. In the fourth grade, she was the spelling bee winner for her school and the district. She is a leader at her school serving as a student helper, bus monitor, and library and art room helper.

Erin has received many awards from school including Excellence in Spanish, Principal's Awards, and academic and C.A.R.I.N.G. awards. She is a creative student who thinks outside of the box in everything she does. Outside of school, Erin enjoys playing soccer, riding bikes with friends, swimming, reading, playing at the beach and being a kid."

What is D.A.R.E?

Kayla, a student in Miss Hart’s 6th grade classroom, took the microphone at Turkey Hill School to read her essay aloud to the small crowd gathered in the all-purpose room.  

“What is D.A.R.E?” she began, and then followed-up by answering her own question. “DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education… where 6th graders learn to make good choices and not do anything we are not supposed to do. For example, Officer [John] Aquino teaches us … not to smoke tobacco or smoke marijuana. We also learn about alcohol and not to have it since we are only 11-12 years old and you have to be 21 to drink alcohol.”

Kayla, representative of all of our DARE graduates, was poised and determined. Across three days, February 14 – 16th, our 6th graders participated in their DARE graduation and one-by-one shook the hands of Officer Aquino, their school principal, and many other town dignitaries.

During the ceremony, they also listened to their friends read essays which had won the DARE essay contest and viewed a slideshow of their classmates in the DARE program – all of which I am going to try to capture here with somewhat the same degree of excitement and enthusiasm as permeated the auditoriums on those days.

There was great music, a delicious array of desserts, parent involvement, community support, evidence of student achievement, faces filled with pride, a sense of celebration – all of the things that earmark a successful program.

From her own personal perspective, Emmy read, “Another skill I have learned in DARE is to say no to negative peer pressure. Positive peer pressure is good, but negative may seem cool now, except in twenty years it will sneak up on you! Just like someone I know who had a friend who was pressured to go out on mischief night and ended up getting arrested. Now it is on his permanent record and he may not get into the college of his dreams.”

The students shared a lot of facts: alcohol can kill brain cells; it slows down your body and can even cause a coma alcohol causes increased risk of injury in everything you do alcohol makes some people more violent and causes car accidents smoking causes cancer and respiratory problems nicotine is added to cigarettes to make smoking addictive more than 400,000 American die from tobacco-related causes each year most adults who smoke started when they were a kid marijuana distorts your vision and your coordination and lowers your blood pressure there is more tar in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke.

During their classes, the students learned a decision-making model and practiced it through role-playing and simulations.

They donned vision impairment goggles (which simulate being under the influence) and attempted simple routine tasks such as tying their shoes. They talked about the prevalence of alcohol in popular culture.

As Kayla wrote, “[Alcohol] advertisements are literally EVERYWHERE! On kids’ toys, painted on buildings… even on babies’ bibs. This is out of control!”

Her words reminded me of a popular song by Katy Perry (Last Friday Night) that my grandchildren like because it has a great beat and is ‘sing-able’; in fact, my 10-year-old grandson knows every word: “Last Friday night / Yeah we danced on tabletops / And we took too many shots / Think we kissed but I forgot / Last Friday night / Yeah we maxed our credit cards / And got kicked out of the bar / So we hit the boulevard / Last Friday night / Yeah I think we broke the law / Always say we're gonna stop-op / Whoa-oh-oah / This Friday night / Do it all again / This Friday night / Do it all again.” The idea that 'having fun' means ‘under-the influence’ is everywhere – reality TV, serial TV, sports program advertising, and so on.

I’m grateful Officer Aquino points that out to our children; I’m grateful he provides counter-messages that hopefully our students will recall well into their teens. About four years ago, I worked on a project with another district’s ‘Communityof Concern: Substance Abuse Council’.

Through a very extensive student survey, it became apparent that there were patterns in the habits of the parents and guardians who were raising the survey’s ‘safest’ teens (i.e. those students less likely to smoke, drink, ride in cars with people who were under the influence, binge or purge, try drugs, misuse prescription drugs, etc.).

Those patterns of prevention are worth remembering as our 6th graders move up into the middle school: Eat one meal per day with your children. Know where your children are, and with whom, when they are not at home. Set clear rules about the use of alcohol and drugs.

Become more aware of your children’s stress levels and more informed about stress reduction. Help your student become involved in civic organizations and volunteering in the community. Limit the amount of unorganized time your children spend ‘hanging out with friends.’

Officer Aquino, and the Orange Police Department, care very much about our children, and the D.A.R.E program is just one example of their commitment to our kids' well-being and safety.

Do Kindergarteners Love Their SmartBoards?

On Wednesday, February 8th, I had the pleasure of being the "mystery reader" in Mrs. Kerry Wetmore's kindergarten class. First, the children and I talked about feelings: what makes us happy or sad or angry, or as one young kindergartener mentioned, 'anxious is a feeling'! Then I read one of my favorite children's books, Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods that Make My Day, by Jaime Lee Curtis. We had a wonderful time together, talking about the message and looking at Laura Cornell's fabulous illustrations.
When I arrived at Mrs. Wetmore's door, the students had been in the middle of a SmartBoard lesson, taking turns dragging and dropping beginning letters into place to make the word depicted in the lesson. The ending combination was __OG, and, when the picture was a 'log', the children were eager to have a turn moving the L; then, the D to make 'dog' and the FR to make 'frog.'
After I read my story, I stayed to watch the children and Mrs. Wetmore finish their morning meeting, again using the SmartBoard. Mrs. Wetmore had three incomplete sentences on the board: "Today is ___. Yesterday was ___. Tomorrow will be ___." One student correctly dragged and dropped 'Wednesday' into place. A second student hopped up, chose 'Tuesday,' and with her finger moved that word to correctly complete her sentence. The next student chose 'Friday' to complete the last sentence -- perhaps, wishful thinking! Every child was paying attention, and together they kindly helped him put 'Friday' back and move 'Thursday' into place
What impressed me, and what I want to confirm to you, is this: every hand was up, every student wanted a turn. The power of interactive technology to engage students is undeniable. Could the students do the same activity on a worksheet by circling the word 'Wednesday' and drawing a line to the correct sentence? Sure they could! Would they be as engaged? Not likely.

I really must commend all of the various people in Orange who had a hand in bringing the SmartBoard technology into our classrooms -- from those of you who advocated for SmartBoards to those who raised money to purchase them to the BOE who recently voted to complete the project to those teachers and paraprofessionals who trained and implemented the lessons. This was a community effort and everyone deserves congratulations. The children are appreciative! I didn't need to ask them to see that they were feeling 'excited'!

Now, our next steps are purchasing the student responder systems, which allow 100% of the students to answer a question with a hand-held responder, and document cameras, which project any piece of paper or even 3-dobject onto the SmartBoard for study.

To loosely quote Bill Owens: When it comes to technology, if we're not constantly moving forward, then, without a doubt, we're moving backwards.

Connecting Reading to Life

Yesterday, I was taking my 10-year-old grandson to an away soccer game which gave us that momentously valuable opportunity for a car-ride conversation.   Anyone who loves a child knows that sometimes the best conversations can happen in the midst of everyday activities when we are not eye-to-eye.


I wanted to discuss a bullying scene from a movie we had been watching just before we left, and I asked him what he would have done if he had seen the same thing happen at his school.   “Gramma,” he said. “It’s fake! It’s only a movie.”   I was struck once again with the difficulty we have as parents and educators helping our kids connect to what they read, or in this case, what they view.   It’s the difference between merely seeing the picture and internalizing what that picture means in terms of being human.  And, it's important!

Readers may already know that ‘making connections between the text and outside experiences and knowledge’ is a tough portion of the Reading CMT (Connecticut Mastery Test).   But, much more important than standardized testing is our need to develop a child’s ability to connect with what he or she reads or views simply because empathy is a significant life-long success factor.   The best leaders, (as well as spouses and parents), have the ability to understand the patterns of human behavior and predict with accuracy what motivates others.   In addition, people who connect with others and feel empathy are better able to withstand adversity.  Connecting with others provides a feeling of belonging and reduces feelings of loneliness.


Typically, regardless of whether it's a movie or a book, our children connect to the events in a story -- in other words, its plot.  And, if they have never experienced that particular series of events themselves, they can have difficulty imagining themselves in the same situation.   Our job as teachers and parents is to help children move beyond the situation itself (the plot) to explore the elements of human nature embedded within.   This human connection can come from pictures in magazines, television story lines, books, and movies -- for me, even Hallmark commercials!  It involves considering what the people are thinking and feeling, and why.  Helping kids develop this skill involves asking them important questions about what they read and view.


Try this out with your child. Use the picture below and ask a few questions such as:   How did the boy get into this jam? [You don’t want the obvious: ‘he put his head through the chair.’   Rather, maybe someone dared him to do it.   Maybe he was showing off for his friends.]  What is the boy thinking now? [He might be embarrassed because everyone knows he did something foolish. He might be afraid of getting in trouble. He might be afraid of getting hurt.]   What do think is going through the mind of the lady in the tan jacket and who do you think she is? [She might be afraid the boy will get hurt… She might be angry …]   How about the man in blue with the saw?


Any example of human experience will do, but if you’re game there is an incredible video on youtube.com at “Sailor Surprises His Son.”   After viewing the video together, ask your child:  If the boy is happy, why is he crying?   How does the father feel?   Do you think the surprise was a good one?


Even our littlest readers and viewers can begin to connect to what they read, hear, and view with practice.   Good connection questions help us draw conclusions about people in general.   They help us understand jealousy, loyalty, shyness, embarrassment, and a whole wealth of feelings we humans share in common.   They also enable us to understand reactions which are not common to most people.   Next time you’re reading a story or watching a movie, ask your children to think about whether or not they would like to be friends with a particular character or person.   Ask them what they might have done in that same situation, or if they would like to visit that place or meet that person you read about.   Ask which part of the story or movie they liked best, or if one of the characters reminds them of anyone they know.  And, of course, always ask why.

BOE Presented Building Needs to BOF and Appealed for Financial Support on January 23rd

The Orange Board of Education presented four significant facilities issues to the Board of Finance at their January 23rd meeting. Our Facilities Director, Mike Luzzi, led the detailed presentation. The issues we face are: new roofs at both Race Brook School and Peck Place; a new boiler at Turkey Hill School; and a driveway repair, and possible redesign, at Peck Place School. In each case, a failure at the facility could cause the district hardship, and we were asking the BOF for their help in redressing these problems before those potential hardships occur.  Click through the slides below to view the full presentation.

Building & Grounds Presentation fo BOF

View more presentations from Lynn McMullin

Colonial Day at Peck Place

Students in the fifth grade at Peck Place, along with their teachers and many volunteers, had the chance to experience a little bit of Colonial life on January 20th. The teachers planned eight 'stations' for them to visit throughout the day-long event, engaging students in activities which will help bring some aspects of colonial culture to life.


The students made grapevine wreaths decorated with flowers and played a colonial game they had made in which they caught a ball on a string in a cup. They seemed to enjoy finger knitting -- and were actually quite good at it, too. This was a relatively quick method for tying fishing nets. In colonial cooking, they made and had a chance to taste corn bread. They even hand-churned the butter to go on it in heavy crocks, just as Mrs. Ginny Reinhart, from the Orange Historical Society, taught them to do. This station was delicious and a favorite! The children made pomander balls with cloves and oranges and learned punch-tin patterning and stenciling.

The fifth graders and their teachers also had guests at this event, as 26 5th grade students from Hamden, CT, participating in Colonial Day with them. The collaboration is the main focus of a two-year ACES grant, in which Hamden teacher Jeff Bloomfield and our teacher Erica Campbell agree to 20 hours of webchats and two exchange activities between their classes. Hamden visited Peck Place on the 20th for Colonial Day. Mrs. Campbell’s class will go to Hamden in June for their Civil War enactment.

As it is with all of us, the units of study which come alive with hands-on activities, with socializing with our friends, with our opportunity to experiment with new textures, smells, and processes, those units are especially memorable and have lasting impact.