When Character Counts!

I want to share with you an amazing example of one child’s courage and character at the end of the Orange Olympics, an annual athletic event which took place at High Plains on June 12, 2013.  But, first a little background. 

 

In education, as with many other fields, we tend to rely on catch phrases which are intended to resonate with the audience and make a complex concept more meaningful and memorable.  Sometimes, however, our jargon does the opposite because the phrase is wide open to a variety of interpretations.   ‘Whole child education’ is one of those terms.  What does it mean?  On the surface, it even seems a little silly – after all, who would teach half of a child?

Whole child education, however, refers to the idea that all children learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social understandings are addressed.  Yes, we write report cards and update you on the CMTs and other standardized tests as evidence of our students’ academic achievements.   In fact, for a while now, it has seemed as if educational thinking, practice, and policy have been singularly focused on academic achievement.   In Orange, that is not the case.  We all know that to be successful participating world citizens, our students must also be healthy, confident, self-motivated, considerate, and honest.  In other words, they need to be young people of character.   These attributes are, of course, treasured by our families; and we realize what we do in our schools supplements these same values you are teaching at home.  But, be assured, all of our schools do focus on these qualities through programs, such as ‘Character Counts,’ through planned philanthropic activities, and by capitalizing on ‘teachable moments’ when they occur.  Yesterday’s event at the Olympics illustrated the importance of ‘whole child’ character education perfectly; and hopefully, all of our students paid attention and learned something of value.

At the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, a young man was called up to podium to receive his gold medal for winning his event.  He took the stage, and in front of his peers and a crowd of parents found the courage to express, ‘I didn’t win this; it doesn’t belong to me; the person who actually won this event has the same first name as I do, but he’s the person who won.’   Imagine the nervousness he felt in front of a crowd; imagine the choices running through his head.   He could accept the medal and keep it.  He could accept the medal, for now, and then after the ceremony, give it back and explain it wasn’t his.  But, he took the least easy path available to him and chose ‘doing the right thing’ at the moment when doing the right thing was called for.  In front of everyone, he ensured that the medal and recognition went to the person to whom it belonged.

That’s character!

The Death of Boredom vs. Bored to Death

I worry about my grandchildren, specifically, and our youngest generation of students, generally, and their overall inability to accept boredom into their lives.  Without boredom, how will they think? 

When I was a child, my mother and father expected me to rake, shovel, dust, and do a whole host of very boring things.  Yet, while I did these chores, my mind was active.  As a duster, I remember ‘staging’ commercials in my mind.  I could dramatically wave my hands and ad lib about my streak-free shine and Pledge’s ability to bring out the natural beauty of the wood.  As I got older, I used the boring times, such as walking home from field hockey practice or washing dishes at Friendlies, to problem-solve the ‘major’ issues in my young life.  I ran scenarios; I pre-scripted upcoming events (as in, I’ll say this, and then he’ll say that, and then I’ll say…); I made plans, both for the weekend … and for the future.  Even now, when I’m driving home to Massachusetts or gardening in the backyard, my mind is active.  Boredom is important to my mental processes.  Boredom is where I reminisce about the past and sift through new opportunities, ideas, and solutions.  Boredom leads to a clear mind.  A clear mind leads to creativity.

The problem I see in my beloved and beautiful grandchildren is their desire to fill every moment with activity and their complete uneasiness with ‘boredom.’  If we are waiting for a table in a restaurant, riding the escalator in the mall, or even standing in the kitchen, waiting for the toast to pop up, they are texting or playing a quick game of ‘Draw Something.’   In the back seat of the car, they have headsets on, cutting them off from both conversation and observation. 

They call it multi-tasking, but they watch TV and are on their computers or cell phones at the same time making even TV-watching less cerebral (if that’s possible!), because they aren’t processing either the facial expressions or the dialogue.  If you ask them a thought question about the show, they respond, ‘I don’t know. Why?’ as if thinking about the story-line was absurd. 

I love them dearly, but I worry that I never, ever hear them complain ‘I’m bored;’ and as a result, I never, ever get to say, ‘Well, think of something to do.’

For more information about kids, creativity, and boredom, check out:

Aha! Parenting's "Why Boredom is Good for Your Child"

Essential Kids'  "The Battle to Let Them Be Bored"

 

 

 

 

Get Your #2s Ready for the CMT!

In the midst of all our snow closings and delays and sub-freezing temperatures, the CMT tests arrived in Central Office – all 48 cartons!  Ann Marie DePetto inventoried every barcode on every Math, Writing, Reading, and Science test booklet, in addition to counting the Test Examiner manuals, writing prompts, rulers, and so on, readying them for delivery to the schools.  In fact, by the time you read this, the cartons will have been reinventoried in the offices of our Principals who, in addition to their regular duties, are also serving as our Test Coordinators.  And, in the meantime, our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Colleen Murray, took on the overall responsibility for the CMT’s, setting up the administration schedule and making certain each State guideline is followed to the letter.

Every farmer knows you can’t get the little pig fatter by weighing him.   I sometimes use this statement as an analogy to the obvious limits of standardized tests such as the CMT.   We certainly won’t make our children more 21st Century-skilled or more academically successful simply by testing them.   And while, this blog is an inside look at the time and effort that goes into the “weighing,” we all know the real work is what our teachers do every day in their classrooms to help our students achieve. When they teach students to explain their thinking in solving a complex word problem in math or to repsond in writing to a text-dependent question, they are not "teaching to the test," they are imparting important real-life skills. 

On the other hand, I’d also like you to know that preparing for these tests is no simple task … and our efforts in Orange are replicated in every school district across Connecticut.   Each year when our Coordinators and our Principals check-in our boxes, (which inevitably arrive wet and sandy), I remind myself that some districts are receiving 100’s of boxes and need a whole storage facility to store them.

Here are some facts to ponder!   Based on last year’s data, we can expect to spend a total of 58.5 total hours in actual testing. Our third graders have the least amount of testing -- 7.5 hours. Our fifth graders have the most – 13 hours!   We will likely administer about 250 make-up tests for students who were sick or away from school during test administration.   We will work with over 100 official accommodations, such as for those students who need a reader or scribe, or large print materials, or extended time and an alternate setting, per their special education Individualized Education Plan (IEP).   We will need about 90 teachers as trained proctors during the various exams.

The three school Principals, Colleen, and Ann Marie will spend about 175 hours on the various administrative tasks, including 50 hours in unpacking and inventorying tests and supplies, 15 hours training proctors and readers, 15 hours in phone or email correspondence with Measurement Incorporated over interesting testing ‘issues,’ and 30 hours repacking the test booklets for scoring.    We'll send back and forth about 140 emails.  Lest you think even the inventory is simple, at each school the principals will count hundreds of small blue paper rulers and formula sheets. 

There are individualized bar code labels for each student’s testing booklets. In addition, your school Principals, and sometimes even their PTO’s and parent volunteers, will spend many hours re-doing the bell schedule, planning whole school assemblies or pep talks, finding appropriate space for small group accommodations, scheduling proctors and substitutes, writing letters home, and even arranging healthy snacks for our test-takers.

At the end of March, we’ll count it and box it all up again – the completed tests and all the materials -- and each box will be taped shut, numbered, and affixed with its two security seals and two address labels routing it back to Measurement Incorporated.

No one is complaining!! (Well, maybe a little!) But, in Orange, we take this time very seriously, intending that every detail is well planned and every eventuality is controlled. It’s important to us that this community continue to enjoy its excellent test scores.   But, more importantly, it’s crucial to us that your children continue to master the math, reading, writing, science, and analytical problem-solving skills that the Connecticut tests measure.   We want them to feel confident going into these tests and proud of their accomplishments afterwards.  It wouldn’t be fair of us to send them into a testing situation feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.  

Over the summer, we'll study our results and make changes in curriculum and instruction that will help more children reach the goal.  We'll report back to you on the results.  In a few weeks, I'll blog about the new test, the SBAC, headed our way.  In the meantime, we've posted March's CMT schedule and some easy-to-follow tips on the webpage.

The 'Smart' vs. 'Capable' Perspective

Almost every day, for one reason or another, I reach back to my childhood and find myself grateful for my parents' innate ability to foster what I now think of as 'perspective,' or the healthy ability to be both confident in my success and humbled by the lack of it.

Sometimes, my recollection is something funny.  I might trip on a crack in the sidewalk in front of MLT and hear my father's voice in my ear, "There goes 'Grace' again."  He never said, "Don't be so clumsy," which would have been denigrating; but he didn't blame the sidewalk, either.  He laughed a lot when we were kids, but never at us... unless, we were being ridiculous! 

Sometimes, the recollection is much more practical; and thus, when I'm fielding a complaint or a working through a difficult report I end up with his sayings running through my head: messages like "Don't judge, until you've walked a mile in that person's shoes," or "If you quit, who's going to finish for you?"

When I was child, my father might ask me to hold a flashlight for him under the kitchen sink, but I knew what that request really meant... it meant lots of questions about what I saw him doing: "What if I turn this...?"  "What do you think is holding this in place?" "Why might we try to ...?"

All of this was about 'growth' and 'becoming more capable,' which intrigued me as I read "Fostering a 'Growth' Mindset in Students," in Principal Leadership, by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey.  In this article, the authors discuss the importance of helping students to develop what they call 'personal narratives' or belief statements about who they are.  The authors state that, "one crucial aspect is helping students move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset."  They go on to describe students with a fixed mindset as those kids who believe their personal 'smartness' was fixed at birth and, therefore, they must keep proving they are smart to others.   On the other hand, students who have a growth mindset believe their basic qualities can be continuously cultivated through effort and persistence.

I think it's obvious which lifestyle approach will serve our kids, their parents, and our society at large the best.  Especially as we move into the 21st Century economy, we need young people who believe "I can learn anything if I put in the effort."  It can't be about getting the answer the quickest, ("I'm smart!"); because, when when the answer doesn't come easily, but takes time, concentration, and effort, which it will in our contemporary world, our kids will need persistence. 

"Praise for being 'smart' leads kids to believe that learning should be easy – and if it feels difficult, then they’re not smart.  On the other hand, praise for focusing and sticking with a task fosters a much more positive mindset – you can 'get smart' through effective effort.

I remember reading a study done at Brown University, and I think it was Varton Gregorian who quoted it.  In the study, elementary school students were given a multiple-choice math problem that went something like this: "The Army wants to move 729 soldiers.  If each bus holds 65 soldiers, how many buses will the Army need?"  The 'smarter' the kids, the more likely they were to choose '11.22' as their answer.  In other words, 11.22, which carried the answer out to the hundredth decimal place, seemed more correct to them than 12.  Yet, there is no such thing as .22 of a bus. 

So, how do we foster 'capable growth' rather than reverence for 'being smart.' Fisher and Frey tell us that when parents and teachers compliment children in a way in which children see their own roles in the accomplishment, they will begin to see that their effort allowed them to meet their goals."  Just as my father did, under the kitchen sink, with a wrench in his hand: "Huh, you figured that out, did you?  Feels good doesn't it?"

 

Growing up, my successes were my own, not my parents.  In their eyes, I wasn't born either smart or lucky.  My actions led to the results, whether good or bad.   They were very interested in my effort, always wanting to know how I accomplished something, what I might do differently next time, and how my success felt.

 

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.