Messages from Sandra

Revised May 4, 2008.

These messages from Sandra Wilensky, Merriam's principal, are also included in the monthly Merriam Newsletter.

New Fourth Grade Section in the Fall

As many of you already know, Merriam will have a new section of fourth grade when we start classes in the fall. I think it is important for all parents to know the steps we're taking to add the additional section. The following letter has been sent to all third-grade parents.

The School Budget for 2008-2009 received its final vote of approval at Town Meeting on April 8, 2008. A focus of the Acton Public Schools budget was to try to reduce class sizes and reach School Committee guidelines for as many grades as possible. This plan includes an additional grade four. It also includes keeping the present fourth section of grade five.

These sections were planned for Merriam. We opened in 1993 to help solve the space problem in the town of Acton and continue to serve the school system in that way. This has meant that in the past Merriam absorbed extra sections when the kindergarten and grade one population projections dictated the need for additional sections.

There were several years when sections were not added at kindergarten and grade one, but now the class sizes have crept up above the guidelines by several students in each class across the system. By adding sections at Merriam, the idea is that class size will decrease in all schools. The plan includes not replacing students who move out of the other schools in grades four and five this summer. At grade five it is quite easy for us to add a section. We will simply divide the current three fourth-grade classes into four for next year.

Grade four is not as simple in concept or implementation. We have, however, had significant lead time and have developed a plan to create a new class. This plan considers the way we value looping, recognizes the importance of balanced classes and appreciates children being grouped with comfortable peers. The third-grade teachers and I have been meeting throughout the winter and spring to refine this plan.

The teachers have grouped the students with comfortable peers. I will create the new class by selecting clusters from each of the three original classes. The second-grade teachers will be part of this process. We will certainly consider their thoughts, as they created the original third-grade classes.

Melissa, Leah, Colm and I talked to all third-grade students to tell them about the new class and how it will be created. We certainly put a positive spin on having another class and being in smaller classes, as well as the fun of having new students in each class. We told them it would be exciting to be in the new class with the new teacher. Our plan includes having the new class meet their teacher in June and spend a couple hours together to help ease any anxiety about the change.

I recognize that many of you value looping as much as we educators do. However, I know you all appreciate that class size is also an important factor in your child's education and understand that this is a trade- off. Thanks in advance for your help with this.

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Conferences and Class Groupings

Conferences

It's hard to believe that within a month we will be scheduling parent/teacher conferences, a time for parents and teachers to look at student growth over the past year and, in some cases, to reflect over two school years.

This is an opportunity to review growth and discuss strengths and weaknesses as they relate to achievement. Social and emotional development and parent and teacher perceptions of growth in these areas are as important as cognitive development in the growth process. We know that when children feel good about themselves as learners and feel successful in school, they will take risks as students, and achievement will follow.

Conferences are being scheduled for May and June. Teachers will share concrete evidence of student effort and growth. This evidence may include pieces of written language, problem-solving challenges, communication samples, science and social studies projects, or artwork. Some samples may represent work accomplished as a member of a group. Recent research in education informs us of the importance of being able to work both independently and collaboratively. Group projects often involve the use of a variety of resources, such as teachers, fellow students, parents, books and available technology.

In this information age, when the knowledge base is growing at a rate we find hard to comprehend, it's important for children to learn how to access information and how to synthesize it and put it to work for desired outcomes. The process and the end product of group projects are important individually and collectively to all members of the team. Students' assessments of their contributions and their perceptions of the learning involved are very important. We expect all students to develop their ability to self-assess as they grow at Merriam. If we take their opinions seriously, they'll be honest and forthright and will learn how to use their reflections for continued growth.

In addition to group work, teachers will share individual assessments in math, reading and writing that were done without the benefit of group support and/or group sharing. Through these pieces of work, teachers will discuss children's grasp of system curriculum goals and their strengths and weaknesses within the classroom. Many of these samples and projects will become part of your child's portfolio, which will be added to each year as your child moves from grade to grade.

The staff has worked very hard over the last few years to refine communication about student growth. We've done a great deal of work to develop our repertoire of effective assessment practices to extend and share comprehensive strategies to document evidences of learning. Teachers are committed to helping parents understand their child's learning.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like, and we will always answer as comprehensively as we're able. It's helpful to the teachers to know your questions and areas of concern or particular interests ahead of time.

It's important to remember that this conference is not a time to discuss your child's program, class or teacher for next year. Planning for next year will be ongoing over the next few months on many levels (e.g., staffing assignments, student grouping and curriculum development).

Please be assured we will be giving these matters our careful attention. Your opportunity for input in the grouping process is explained below. The information you provide us about your perceptions of your child as a learner will be treated respectfully as an important part of the complex process of planning for the next school year

Class Groupings

Creating class groupings for a new school year is a complex process. Mer-riam's professional staff seeks to create classes of learners who will work together and support each other's social, emotional and cognitive strengths while learning both individually and collectively. With respect for the varied learning styles involved, and with consideration of individual differences in teachers, assistant teachers and students, there is no "right way" to achieve perfect groupings. Perfection does not exist with regard to human beings. Creating balanced classes, however, is a goal worth working toward and something we strive to do well.

There is no formula for this process. It is not a science. I have been in schools where grouping was accomplished arbitrarily by the principal, somewhat arbitrarily by teachers factoring in parents' requests, and teachers creating balanced classes and arbitrarily placing those classes with teachers. At Merriam, we have several advantages. The number of caring adults each child works with and gets to know first-hand here in a year is significant. Many adults in our school know most of the children. Most of the children know most of the teachers through shared experiences together. The children know many of the other children in all grades through shared activities. The sense of community is real, and feelings of trust and safety between children and adults are indeed very positive factors in our favor in this process.

Assuming Town Meeting passes the budget as planned, we will have 24 sections next year. One more section of fourth-graders is planned. Next year there will be four fourth grades to allow for the number of students in each class to be within School Committee guidelines. This is a very positive step by the Administration and School Committee to try work toward reducing large class size at that grade level. It creates a challenge for us with looping, however it is a trade-off that I believe is worth it.

Our commitment to children and teachers staying together for two years will be upheld whenever possible. However, it will not be possible for all third-graders to remain in their current loops as they move to fourth grade. Parents of third-grade students will receive a letter from me after the Town Meeting vote. That letter will explain the process we will be using to form a new class.

All children will be grouped with a comfortable peer with whom school is socially rewarding. Within this framework, the staff will plan class groupings. We will, of course, weigh strengths and needs, including special education criteria, in our planning. Decisions concerning which classes teachers will teach will be made at the end of this process. Please be assured we will do our best to plan balanced classes.

Parent input is requested by May 1. Please consider the framework within which we are working. This is your opportunity to provide us with the factors you most want us to consider when grouping your child. Please do not use names of adults or children. If you do, we cannot use your letter in the process. Your input should refer to your child's strengths, weaknesses and learning styles and those social and emotional factors you feel are important for our consideration. We value your perceptions about your child's learning profile, and we will give all information respectful attention in the process. Please do not describe what teaching style you feel would be best for your child. We seek information about your child as a learner, not your thoughts on the teacher with whom you think your child would do best.

Please keep in mind that this process is not about placing individual children; rather it's about creating balanced learning communities that will work well together. Curriculum will be planned to ensure that children will accomplish the Acton Public Schools curriculum goals within their elementary years. Merriam's teachers are committed to providing learning experiences that consider the educational backgrounds of children and are relevant and meaningful. This complex process of creating balanced student groupings and then assigning teachers to those classes will take place in May and June. We will be thoughtfully and carefully planning for next year while concluding the end of this year.

We expect to finalize these plans after the school year ends. Class lists for the 2008-2009 school year will be posted at school in August. The June newsletter will announce the exact date of this posting. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

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Kindergarten Night Message

Every year, each of the Acton elementary schools has an opportunity to present itself to the community of prospective kindergarten parents at an evening planned for that specific purpose. The following is my message from February 5, which was Merriam Kindergarten Night.

Welcome to Merriam School Kindergarten Night! This is our opportunity to showcase our school -- to show you who we are. There are students, faculty and parents here to help with this process.

We are all members of this school community and equal partners in the process of supporting children throughout their education. The strength of Merriam, as is true for all schools, is our staff as integral members of the school community. Our teachers, specialists, assistants, custodians and office personnel, along with you as parents, support your children and meet their basic needs while providing an environment where learning can happen at its best. It is our respectful relationships and ability to work together that enhance teaching and learning for all our children.

My goal for this evening is to tell you what I think is most important about Merriam. This year I thought I would share some students' thoughts. I asked the students to tell me what they think is most important about their school, and they did. One student -- a fifth grade girl named Katie -- wrote me a speech.

Dear Prospective Parents,

Hello, and thank you for coming to Kindergarten Night. I am an eleven-year-old and am in fifth grade at Merriam School. I have been attending this school since I was in kindergarten so I have a pretty good idea of what it is like. So hop aboard, hold onto your hats, and get ready to learn and play, the Merriam way!

For starters, Merriam is a very tight community. Once or twice a week, we have an All-School assembly where Sandra gives messages, and kids of all ages can perform some things they practice at home, like playing the piano. Teachers and their students also put on skits or sing songs. Back in their classrooms, different classes are paired up. Teachers match an older student to a younger student, and they read together. These are called reading buddies. Lastly, we also have family groups. These are groups of kids of all ages, kindergarten through sixth grade. This way, children can relate to other kids in different grades and classes. There are 40 groups, with about 12 kids in each. With these kids, we do lots of things like the annual All School Field Trip, fun activities revolving around a certain theme, and so much more that involves the whole community.

Ah, moving on to curriculum. We learn things in a really cool way at Merriam. In every grade, the teachers combine different subjects to learn certain topics. For example, in kindergarten we study the Middle Ages.

In fifth grade, we learn about the American Revolution. But learning about those things is not just from reading information out of a textbook. Merriam teachers bring art, math, music, language arts and everything else to learn about that specific unit. My opinion is that this is a great thing because we have more fun at school this way. I think this can give us a whole new perspective on certain subjects, which otherwise might seem boring to kids. This is a glimpse of curriculum here at Merriam School.

Now for some of Merriam's funky facts. In many ways, this school is very different from the average elementary school. First, we call teachers by their first names. I like this because it makes you feel more comfortable with them, and you feel like you can talk to them if there is a problem. We also have assistants in our school. This is a great thing because we have extra adults in our class we can talk to. Another thing is that instead of getting a little bit of homework everyday, kids in third grade and up get a packet of homework every Friday or Monday, and it is due the next Friday or Monday. I like this because some days kids have really busy schedules, and they just don't have time to do any work. This way they can just plan to take a day off when they need to. Finally, we sit at tables instead of desks. I think this is great because we get to make new friends and do a lot of group work, which helps us learn to cooperate with other people now and later in life. These are some different and creative things that happen at Merriam School.

All in all, the students, parents, teachers, administration, and staff are like a big family here at this school, and I am happy to be a part of it.

After Katie's words, which I think present a very accurate description of our school, I said a few words in conclusion:

At Merriam, we aim to create opportunities for lifelong learning, consider the emotional well-being of students and adults of utmost importance, and design learning experiences that are not static but active and participatory. Family support is essential to our teaching and learning model. The Merriam School core values of respect, persistence in learning and risk-taking are all exemplified in our teaching and learning.

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What's Happening at Merriam

When I walk around Merriam, I am impressed by the engaging, meaningful and practical teaching and learning experiences I see. Here are some recent examples that I would like to share:

School-Wide

All classes in grades 1-6 are preparing for student-led conferences. Students are reflecting on what they've learned since school started in September.

Recent All-School Meeting presentations have included a Martin Luther King story and song, individual musicians, faculty chorus, a recycling skit and games.

Kindergarten

Students drew pictures of themselves in December and wrote about what they were doing in the picture. This is part of a year-long look at the changes in the seasons and in themselves. Students wrote the sounds they heard in the words they wanted to write.

Kindergartners have just visited Higgins Armory as part of their Medieval Times study. The classrooms evidence medieval learning with grinding wheat, castle play, and growing beans, peas and rye. The students have science journals in which observational drawings and comments about the plant growth are recorded.

First Grade

Children were excited about discovering baby whelks in the egg cases found on the beach.

In daily phonics lessons, students are learning the sounds and rules that govern them. A dictation last week was: The farmer sold ears of corn to our family.

Students are learning to write one sentence and then another on the same idea. Illustrating ideas first often helps them write more than one sentence on a given topic. They write in journals about their lives in and outside of school.

In art they made interesting and colorful paper sculptures.

Second Grade

Students are learning about rocks and minerals in science study.

Students are working on writing five to seven sentences on a topic related to their personal experience.

In art, students created three-dimensional multi-colored paper creations.

In math, students have learned the names of the coins and are working on adding them and recording the total.

Third Grade

Students are learning about the pilgrims and went on a recent field trip to Plimoth Plantation.

Students are learning to write more than one paragraph on a topic and have learned to use graphic organizers to plan their own writing.

In science, they are learning about the components that make up soils.

In math, students are testing absorbency by discovering how to measure area using drops on several different paper towels and centimeter graph paper.

Children are learning to play the recorder in music class.

In art they have just completed landscape collages with cut, textured paper they created.

Fourth grade

Students are working toward the goal of writing a five-paragraph essay. Organizing and preplanning become very important.

They are putting a final polish on their upcoming choral musical performance with music teacher Karen Shepard.

In math students are learning about factors, multiples and exponents.

In social studies, students are studying the various regions of the United States and are learning about Native American peoples and where they live. The impact of the geography of the region on their lives is a focus. Projects in this study include constructing story bags with creation stories from various tribes, weaving baskets and sewing dolls.

Fifth Grade

Students are studying ecosystems in science. The effects of pollution on plant and animal life are startling the young scientists.

Students are about to learn the basic understandings of adding and subtracting fractions.

Children wrote their own fairy tales. Students are writing poetry. Writing a research paper is a major focus of language arts at this grade.

American history pictorial time lines are being designed. The students are writing Revolutionary War character sketches.

Sixth Grade

Students are involved in a multi-disciplinary study of Ancient Civilizations. They are learning about the development of civilizations.

In math students are learning about data collection and how to graph and interpret the data.

Students are working with music teacher Chris Porth to finalize their annual musical production.

Students created an imaginary archeological dig called "Merriam School of the Mysteries."

A major writing project called "Dream Writing Project" was just completed and displayed.

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Community Service

As a school, we value and encourage students to think about and do for others. Through school and community service, all Merriam School students learn to contribute to a community and experience a sense of commitment, responsibility and pride. Service responsibilities are designed to provide age-appropriate, curriculum-rich experiences.

Jobs and service are structures at Merriam that provide students with meaningful work to deepen their understanding of community. School jobs are purposeful and planned. All students in grades 1-6 have jobs within the school. Their service provides us with a litter-free playground, spring bulbs in the gardens around school, an intra-school postal system, a spring book swap, a system for recycling and a school newspaper.

This year's classes are contributing in numerous ways. The following quotes demonstrate students' understanding of the value of their work.

First Grade: Cleaning the Playground.

"We are helping to make our world cleaner."

"It keeps the animals and plants alive and healthier."

"We wear gloves so we won't get germs and to keep our hands safe."

Second Grade: School Postal System.

"People can write letters or postcards to their reading buddies."

"We get practice addressing envelopes the way they are supposed to be addressed."

"People can keep in touch with old friends in other classes."

Third Grade: Planted Bulbs in Parker Damon Gardens.

"We had fun digging, getting dirty and planting more than 400 bulbs." "Planting bulbs was hard work, but will help make the school a prettier environment."

"The bulbs will make people feel welcome, like we learned in Open Circle. It makes our school more inviting."

Fourth Grade: Two classes are weeding around the school.

"It's a good job for fourth-graders because we are learning to take responsibility."

"It's a good job for fourth-graders because some of the younger kids are not strong enough to pull out the plants."

"Maybe some younger kids might pull out the wrong plants instead of the weeds."

One fourth-grade class will run the annual Book Swap.

"It will be our job to communicate with the community about the book swap."

"We will be responsible for organizing the books."

"We enjoy taking an active part in helping to create displays of books so children can find what they like."

Fifth grade: Three classes are working in the Outdoor Classroom.

"We will weed, divide and prune overgrown plants."

"Our plans include trying to create a Japanese garden."

"Over the winter we will photograph and videotape animals and winter birds living in the garden."

One class will be producing the school newspaper.

"The newspaper is for the whole community so they know what is going on at school."

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Family Groups and Core Values

Three Friday afternoons in October, students met in their Family Groups for discussions and activities related to the Merriam Core Values: persistence, risk-taking and respect. The Family Groups provide opportunities for students to get to know other students across all grade levels, and as students move through the grades, they are responsible for picking up younger children and taking them to the meeting spot. Older students model for younger students during these activities, and look forward to their leadership role.

Every couple of years we do this type of activity to reinforce the meaning of the Core Values and to give students current examples of the way our Core Values look in and out of school.

A group of teachers planned the series of three lessons using the book I am New Here by Bud Howlett. It is the story of a young girl from El Salvador who immigrates to America with her family. Students and group leaders talked about being new in a situation or a group, and everyone shared an experience of being new at some point in time.

Children listened to the story and discussed the ways risk-taking, persistence and respect played out over the course of the girl's adjustment to a new country and a new school. Students found examples in the story of ways in which her peers were helpful and not so helpful, and thought about what they might do to reach out to someone new to their school.

The groups also played a nonverbal communication game and filled in a template with pictures and words about their own experiences with the Core Values. The following are quotes from Merriam students:

Kindergarten:

"I like the book because it made you think about being new."

"I learned the three Core Values. I know what it feels like to be new from when I started at Merriam. It feels like you might be scared. I think we do this to learn how to be nice to others."

"I learned that new kids sometimes don't know where things are and they need a friend to help them. I could be their friend. I think we meet in groups because we can all get to know each other and be friends."

Grade 1

"We are learning about people in new places and how to get along with new friends and have respect for them."

"We do these Core Value Groups to have more respect for school. Our Core Values are respect, risk-taking and persistence."

Grade 2

"We know how to treat people. We know how to make friends and get to know more people. We are learning to be nice in meeting people and to treat people nicely."

Grade 3

"We are learning about the Core Values of persistence, risk-taking and respect."

"We are learning about communicating with other people without actively speaking."

"You know you can still communicate with people without speaking their language."

"We are doing this so we can learn all three Core Values and understand what they mean."

"We are doing this to get to know each other, and it is fun to get to meet older and younger kids and know what they like to do."

Grade 4

"I've learned that you have to try to help new people out. Also, everyone has to be new sometime or at something. We do these meetings so that if you didn't know the Merriam Core Values, then you wouldn't know how to work towards them."

"A lot of people are new. It's hard to make friends when you are new so you should ask the new person questions and try to be their friend. We do Core Value Groups so that you welcome others and learn how to use the Merriam Core Values."

Grade 5

"I've learned to keep trying. When something is hard then you don't give up. I will be moving soon and will be new at my next school, but I now know I should use the Core Values and try to make lots of friends. I think we do these groups at Merriam because we are welcoming each other and learning how to get better at persistence, risk-taking and respect."

"I learned all the Core Values because I did not know them well. We do these meetings to learn how to respect and treat others."

"We have reviewed the Merriam Core Values in more detail with the book. It's good to know what they are and how to use them."

Grade 6

"We are learning how to act together as a group and to understand other people's feelings."

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Retiring

Dear Parents,

I am writing to tell you that I have made the very difficult decision to retire from the Acton Public Schools at the end of this school year. Teaching and learning have been essential components of my adult life, and I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the challenges and rewards they both provide! It is now time to enter the next phase of my career.

This is a very bittersweet decision for me, as this is my fifteenth year at Merriam School and my fourteenth as principal. This school embodies all I believe to be most important for elementary-age children. The staff and parents should feel proud of their commitment to excellence and their efforts to be an inclusive, respectful community.

The teachers at Merriam provide warm, safe environments where children can grow emotionally, cognitively and socially. The staff supports each other while working in a creative and enriching learning community. The children are respectful of each other and their teachers. They understand their rights and responsibilities.

Parents work hard to raise money to provide classroom assistants in all classes and are always there to volunteer their time and talents to make possible such special events as the All School Field Trip and Theme Days. Of course, life at Merriam is not perfect. We continue to challenge ourselves to work to improve our efforts to better meet the needs of all students, staff and parents.

The time is right for Merriam to continue to develop and grow with new leadership. And the time is right for me to continue to develop and grow with new challenges. I want you to know that I am totally committed to being principal of Merriam School for this school year. My heart and soul are in my work, and I will be fully present here until July 2008.

The hiring process for a new principal will be handled by Central Office. There will be roles for both teachers and parents in this search for a new principal.

Sandra

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Welcome Back to Merriam

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I welcome you to a new school year at Merriam. I hope that you were able to enjoy relaxing family time this summer. We have 35 new students and four new staff members this year. Amy Herrick is the new special educator, Suzanne Szwarcewicz is our new ELL teacher, and Janis Raguin and Donna Kaufman are our two new classroom assistants.

There will be a number of events to bring the community back together and celebrate the beginning of the school year, including welcoming orientations and coffees, the first PTO meeting and, of course, the Merriam Open House/Curriculum Night.

The theme for this school year is Sharing the World. We are interested in deepening our understanding of working together. The All School Field Trip and Theme Days will focus on our global society. At the All School Field Trip, students will share a photograph of someone or something important to their family and will share their stories in family groups, while enjoying our natural world at Great Brook.

We welcome you as partners in this process of educating your children. Communication is a very important vehicle in the link between home and school. Teachers will tell you the methods they prefer you use to communicate with them. Some like email, others prefer that you leave a phone message in the office, and some request that you write a note and send it in with your child. Our learning styles as adults are as different as those of our students. All teachers will send home curriculum-based newsletters during the school year. Please don't wait for us to contact you if you have questions or concerns. We always appreciate knowing your questions, as they help us to support your child's academic, social and emotional development.

I look forward to working with you this year and welcome all families to the Merriam community. New parents, please join us at All School Meeting and stay for coffee and a tour on Monday, September 17. All School Meeting is from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and coffee and the tour will take place immediately after the meeting.

Sandra

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