mhs.news.11.11.11

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

1/6

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Mission Hill School NewsLetter from Mission Hill

W h a t D o e s t h e S t a f f T h i n k A b o u t t h e P r o p o s a l ?

D e a r M i s s i o n H i l l S c h o o l F r i e n d s , F a m i l i e s , S t u d e n t s a n d S t a f f ,

What does the staff think? a question asked by parents, colleagues and school partners, has been

popping like popcorn in our classrooms and hallways for several weeks now. Our school community is

wondering how the educators at Mission Hill feel about the proposed move to the former Agassiz School

site. The responses to the question have been ambiguous, and with good reason.

If there is anything our adult community is good at, its thinking things through. Mission Hill staff have

come together repeatedly over the past few weeks in light of the proposed move to discuss what is most

important: the children and the resources we need to continue, and to improve the learning experiences

we provide. We have shared our individual viewpoints with each

other and intentionally resisted making a public general statement

on behalf of us all because of the time it takes to consider multiple

viewpoints, to ask questions, to consider the impact that each

location would have on all of our constituencies including the

neighborhoods, to give each other room to think, shift and

expressto use our Habits of Mind. Our school, child to adult, is

democratic and fosters acceptance and understanding of differing

viewpoints. The democratic values that are expressed in our

mission statement requires that we be prepared to spend time -

even it might seem wasteful - hearing each other out. Spending

time is exactly what weve done.

After much debate about how to communicate our thoughts, we

came to consensus about two messages we wanted you all to hear.

1. We believe that the philosophy, mission and spirit of our school

can thrive in any location. We are a team committed to the

education of the whole child no matter where. Our beliefs, creativity, relationships and way of being are

not bound by a physical structure.

2. We s t r o n g l y prefer to stay in our current location with the potential to expand and serve more

families in the Mission Hill community. We are committed to the Mission Hill neighborhood, we support

and acknowledge the priorities communicated by parents and guardians, and we believe that our current

location will serve our students.

On November 15 the School Committee will vote on the proposal. All are welcome and encouraged to

attend the meeting. (See meeting details in the Hot Topics section of our news.) The School Committee,

the Superintendent and other BPS decision-makers have heard the voices of several parents and staff.

There is still time to share your thinking. All our voices are important.

~ A y l a G a v i n s

MISSION HILL SCHOOL NEWS PAGE 1

November

Mon 11/14-11/16: Grades

7&8 to Farm School

Thu. 11/17: Family Council. 5:45

Wed. 11/23: Theme Breakfast

Wed. 11/23: Early Dismissal, 1:00

December

Thu. 12/8: Gov. Bd. Mtg. 6:00

Thu. 12/22: Family Night, 5:45

12/23-1/1/12: Vacation

R E M I N D E R S

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

2/6

F r o m t h e C l a s s r o o m s

O n e o f t h e t a d p o l e s h a v e a l e g . T h e y

s w i m v e r y f a s t .

T h e t a d p o l e s h a v e g o t t e n b i g g e r a n d

f a s t e r .

T h e t a d p o l e i s s w i m m i n g . T h e y h a v e

b e e n e a t i n g s o m e f o o d . T h e y r e s m a l l .

T h e y r e s w i m m i n g i n a p o o l o f w a t e r .

We hope to record more changes in

the coming weeks.

~ J a d a B r o w n ,

J o - A n n H a w k e s w o r t h ,

& K i m b e r l y R o g e r s

R o o m 2 0 4

Alejandro, Enaisja, Cyrus, and I sattogether. They had decided that we

would examine two types of birdseed

and try to figure out which one the

birds in the schoolyard like more.

What do you think we will need for

our ornithology inquiry? I asked.

Cyrus started, We could use

pinecones and dip them in honey and

then put the seeds on them. Enaisjas

eyes got big, We need buckets to put

the seed in. We need string to tie the

containers to the tree. Angela sharedwith them that one of the books in the

classroom had a guide to making bird

feeders, and that sparked the idea to

make our own. They were starting

their action plan. They were figuring

out the steps and materials they need

to accomplish their inquiry.

We need to look at the birds,

Alejandro stated. At rapid pace they

then started throwing out ideas for

collecting the data. We need to

observe was one clear way theyshared to collect data. Cyrus

continued, We can look in the feeders

to see which has less. How will we

know which has less? I asked. They

looked at me as if I was asking the

craziest question. And then they

paused and thought about it. How

will we know for sure? I continued.

We then moved into the idea of

knowing how much seed we put into

each bird feeder and how much hadbeen eaten. Measurement had

emerged. Our next steps are to figure

out what form of measure we will

use to answer our question.

~ K a t h y C l u n i s D ' A n d r e a

R o o m 2 0 5

Each morning when the children

come to the classroom they are

asked to stop to answer the question

of the day--a survey question that

points to topics we are studying (Doyou think the sand at the beach will

be warm or cool today?) and skills

we are building (Can you think of a

word that rhymes with sand?). This

survey creates a bar graph, and is

one of the many places children

experience math through the school

day without necessarily knowing

that it's math. We've also made bar

graphs about the pattern blocks

we've used to design crab and snail

shapes, and we've noticed how somepeople use more of one shape or

another to solve those puzzles. Our

dice races make bar graphs, too a

child rolls a die on the table and

records the result, over and over

again. Look which number gets to

the top first!

In the coming weeks we'll become

more explicit about these

experiences and the strategies we

can use as we encounter them.

Graphing requires sorting, counting,representing, reading. How do you

know which is more or less? How do

you figure out how many more one

quantity is than another? How do

you represent what you know? How

do you use information in

meaningful ways? What story does a


VOLUME 15, ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER 11, 2011

5 t o 7 y e a r - o l d s

R o o m 2 0 3

Many weeks ago, before our

caterpillar and mouse fiasco, little

creatures were delivered to room

203. After several guesses about

what they were, we finally

confirmed that they were tadpoles.

Since then we have been making

careful observations and

sporadically recording them. Here is

some of what we had to say about

our tadpoles:

T h e y d o n t h a v e a l e g .

I l i k e t h e t a d p o l e s b e c a u s e t h e y a r e

c u t e . O u r t a d p o l e s a r e i n t h e w a t e r .

D i d y o u k n o w t h e y k n o w h o w t o

s w i m ?

H e s w i m m e d !

T h e t a d p o l e s a r e g r o w i n g a n d

c h a n g i n g . T h e y h a v e a l i f e c y c l e

f r o m b o r n t o l e g t o f r o g a n d d i f f e r e n t

f r o g s h a v e d i f f e r e n t

c o l o r s . F r o g s a r e a n i m a l s a n d a r e

i m p o r t a n t .

T h e y d i d a l o t o f p o o p i n g !

T h e d o t s a r e f o o d . T h e s e s a r e

t a d p o l e s . T h e t r e e l o o k i n g t h i n g i s

s e a w e e d .

T h e m o m m y i s h o l d i n g a b a b y . O n e

i s h o l d i n g t h e s n a i l a n d o n e i s

h o l d i n g t h e t a d p o l e . T h e y l o o k l i k e

b r o w n s k i n t a d p o l e s

w i t h b r o w n p o l k a d o t s .

T h e t a d p o l e s a r e s m a l l . T h e y a r e

l i t t l e .

O n e i s b i g a n d o n e i s s m a l l a n d

t h e y h a v e p o l k a d o t s . T h e r e a r e

c r u m b s a l l a r o u n d t h e t a n k . T h e

t a d p o l e s a r e t h e g r e e n

t h i n g i n t h e t a n k . T a d p o l e s l i k e t o

e a t f o o d .

T h e s e a r e t a d p o l e s t h a t a r e i n t h e

t a n k w i t h t h e i r l e g s a n d t h e y h a v e

s e a w e e d .

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

3/6


graph tell, and how does that story

help us organize and understand our

world?

~ M e l i s s a T o n a c h e l ,

L e i a B a y l o r & R i c h a r d L e a k

7 t o 9 Y e a r - O l d s

R o o m 2 0 1

On Friday I sat in a hallway as

children skipped by. The space was

filled with self-portraits, animal

sculptures and class surveys. The

hallway was bursting with energy as

children headed to lunch and recess.

A typical scene at Mission Hill, but

this particular hallway was not our

own. I was a visitor at Central Park

East in New York City. I watched

children and teachers at work, but

mostly my attention was drawn to

space how did the children move

through it? How did the teachers

utilize it for learning, inspiration,

and very practically, storage? I could

write a thousand words, but I will

stop and simply say it was a

beautiful, beautiful day.

I also stopped off to see a friend

teaching at a test-driven charter

school. His students, fourth graders,

are required to have their feet firmly

planted on the floor at all times.

Their hands should be folded on the

desk or holding their materials. His

superiors have informed him that

this is how they know students are

engaged in their learning. My

friends pay is linked to his students

performance on the standardized test

given annually by the state. His

stories deeply saddened me.

At a community meeting held

Monday evening, one parent referred

to Mission Hill School as a gem. It is

indeed. Central Park East and

Mission Hill are the types of places

where teaching and learning are

thoughtful, loving and

developmentally appropriate. I

believe that they are the kinds of

places where all of our children

deserve to learn.

~ E m i l y S c h u b i n

& D o n n a W i n d e r

R o o m 2 0 7

Dear Families,

This week the Lighting Bolts did

some letter writing. Its funny how

this seems to be a lost art for many

these days. Technology makes things

so much quicker and less formal.

Email has replaced what is called

snail mail. Texting has replaced

that quick phone call that used to

connect voices and people. Why go

see a concert when you can see it on

YouTube for free?

This week Kylie, our intern from

Wheelock College, taught a lesson

on letter writing. As we expected,

there were many students who had

not written or received a letter

before. It reminded me of last year,

when the entire school exchanged

letters. Every adult and student not

only wrote a letter to someone but

also received one. It was so nice!

Who doesnt like that excitement of

anticipation knowing that a letter is

coming? I felt that vibe again as

students began to write letters to their

families, friends and other special

people in their lives. We even

decided to write to the bees!

Their letters were sincere and

thoughtful and they are learning how

to use the proper format of a letter -

from the salutation to the closing.

I have a feeling that the Lightning

Bolts will be putting some flash

back into that snail mail. Watch your

mailboxes.

Sincerely,

~ J e n e r r a W i l l i a m s

& A m i n a M i c h e l - L o r d

9 t o 1 1 Y e a r - O l d s

R o o m 2 0 2

The Wolf Pack had a very busy,

successful, and full week. With our

fearless leader, James, stricken with

sickness, the students demonstrated

that they have what it takes to be self

directed learners and achieve great

things regardless of slight speed

bumps in their paths. With the

conclusion of October comes the

thought of the transition into the new

unit. As we continue to tie up our

Theme Studies Unit, we have now

begun to consider how to actually

create a large scale habitat within the

room. The Wolf Pack has worked

tirelessly and enthusiastically on

creating posters, diagrams, and

predictions of life science

vocabulary and habitats. We have

also been hard at work creating and

finishing our fables - short stories

with morals, or lessons. The

students understanding of the

traditional morals serving as the

foundation for the fables we have

read and the lessons in their writing

indicate that this particular group of

kids truly has morals of their own.

Lessons are all around us, and the

Wolf Pack has developed a skill for

producing these lessons in their

writing with fictional characters. As

the jackets come out for recess, and

the windows begin to close, it is

clear that we are ready to transition

into the next unit, thoughtful and

mindful of our mission as learners.

~ K e v i n K a r e c k a s

& J a m e s M c G o v e r n

NOVEMBER 11, 2011VOLUME 15, ISSUE 9

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

4/6



R o o m 2 0 6

This isnt fair, the plants never

get a break! exclaimed one

exhausted child. The comments

came after a recent food chain and

ecosystems game in the school

yard. Children were assigned

different roles, including

decomposers, producers,

herbivores, carnivores, natural

disasters and humans. The sun was

played by the adults.

After discussing who ate who,

they were given life cards, which

they had to give to whatever tagged

them (or in the case of natural

disaster, threw the ball at them).

After running out life cards they

could only be brought back to life

by getting energy from the sun.

Needless to say, the humans

wreaked havoc on the system,

taking life cards from all that

played, with the exception of

natural disaster, who the humans

just could not get away from. And

once the humans lost their lives,

unfortunately, there was nothing

that the sun could do about it.

The ecosystem game is one of my

favorites because it involves

learning through experience and

through movement. Now as we

move forward into the next phase

of our study, building miniature

living ecosystems, we will have this

experience and these feelings of

fairness to draw from and put

into application.

~ N a k i a K e i z e r

G r a d e s 6 , 7 8

R o o m 2 1 1

Guess what animal this came

from? That was the challenge

students had to solve last Thursday.

Andrew MacBlane, a naturalist

educator from Boston Nature Center,

came to teach a lesson on animal

adaptations. This concept connects to

our class novel, H a t c h e t , because

animals adapt to their ecosystems,

just as the novels protagonist does.

Students were excited to see and

touch bones, skulls, and skins and

predict where they came from. After

we discussed each part students were

able to create their own critters

(animal) out of recycled materials.

They had to make a lot of decisions

before they were given supplies to

create a 3D animal from recycled

materials. For example, they needed

to pick a habitat for their animal.

They also needed to decide what are

its predators, prey, skin, and diet.

After brainstorming, they built their

animals. Students drafted a story

about their animal and were required

to include figurative language

(simile, hyperbole, personification)

as Gary Paulson used in H a t c h e t .

The culminating project for H a t c h e t

will be to create a field guide of all

the plants and animals within the

novel.

~ S a r a h D e C r u z

R o o m 2 0 9

I had an unusual experience last

Tuesday evening. A professor in the

Graduate School of Education at

Tufts University invited a few area

high school and middle school

students to join her class for a

student panel. The professor wanted

the students to share their

experiences of school with her

students who are studying tobecome teachers.

Sela and Hawolul represented

Mission Hill. There were also

several high school students from

Westwood and Malden. The

students sat in the front of the room

while the professor asked them

questions and the 35 or so teachers-

in-training listened carefully. Later,

the teachers-to-be asked their own

questions of the student panel.

Sela and Hawolul were amazing!They spoke with clarity and

passion, and held their audiences

attention. The wisdom they shared,

detailing what makes a good

school, an effective teacher, a

sound learning environment, and a

supportive community, is really

helpful knowledge for all teachers,

and information not easily gleaned

from a textbook or lecture. The

girls value being able to trust their

teachers, opportunities for choice intheir academic program, and

engaging with a variety of problem

solving experiences.

Hawolul and Sela are experts

when it comes to knowing how to

do school well. Perhaps some day,

theyll be students at Tufts

University themselves. Selas eyes

shone when she saw that there was

an entire building on campus

devoted to studying psychology.

And Hawolul was excited to hearthat Tufts also has a medical

school. Im glad they had the

chance to share their ideas at Tufts.

~ A n n R u g g i e r o & E l s a H e a d

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

5/6



R o o m 2 0 8

The eighth grade has been busy

building, researching, presenting to

visitors and beginning their visits to

potential next schools. Take a look

at some of our projects:

~ J a c o b W h e e l e r

H o t T o p i c s

C o u r t n e y s C o r n e r

Check out Courtneys Corner,

outside Room 101, for information

on various programs and resources

for you and your family.

R i n c n d e C o u r t n e y

Mira la informacin que esta fuera

en el Rincn de Courtney en

saln 101 para informatin sobre

varios programas y recursos para ti

y tu familia.

H e l p W i t h H o l i d a y M e a l s

During the coming months many

families come together to share

meals and gifts. Courtney can assist

any family needing support around

getting food on their table or gifts

for children. Please do not hesitate

to contact Courtney by email

[email protected], calling the

school 617.635.6384 or leaving a

note in her box. If you have any

questions, ask Courtney or let your

childs classroom teacher know.

A y u d a c o n C o m i d a s d e

V a c a c i o n e s

Durante los meses siguientes

muchas familias se juntan para

compartir las comidas y los regalos

y Courtney puede ayudar a

cualquier familia que necesite

apoyo con obtener alimento o

regales para los nios. Por favor, no

demore en comunicarse con

Courtney. Puede encontrar a

Courtney en la escuela o por su

correo electrnico al

[email protected] o dejar un

mensaje por telfono en la escuela

617.635.6384 o una nota en su

cajn. Si usted tiene alguna

pregunta busque a Courtney o

djele saber a la maestra de su hijo

o hija.

Paul, Trey and Foday constructing...

A beehive observation deck!

Selena with new corner shelves

M i s s i o n H i l l S c h o o l

A B o s t o n P u b l i c P i l o t S c h o o l

Deborah Meier, Founder

Ayla Gavins, Principal

67 Alleghany Street

Roxbury, MA 02120

617.635.6384 (office)

617.635.6419 (fax)

www.missionhillschool.org

8/3/2019 MHS.News.11.11.11

6/6



A b o u t S c h o o l C o m m i t t e e M e e t i n g s

The Committee meets approximately twice per month during the school year to adopt, review, and modify

policies and practices that support the sound operations of the Boston Public Schools and that enhance teaching

and learning and improved student achievement. Except as noted, meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. in the

Edward Winter Chambers, 26 Court Street.

All meetings are posted at least 48 hours in advance at the Office of the City Clerk and at Boston Public

Schools headquarters, 26 Court Street. Most meetings are held Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the

Edward Winter Chambers, 26 Court Street. To confirm the date, time, location or agenda of any meeting,

contact the School Committee office, at: 617-635-9014.

The Committee posts draft agendas on their website several days before each meeting. Check the meeting

announcement pages on the district calendar for the latest information. Archived agendas are posted by date, as

well.

P u b l i c C o m m e n t

Every School Committee meeting includes opportunities for parents and other members of the community to

address the Committee about school and district issues. Testimony pertaining to matters scheduled for a vote

by the School Committee at the same meeting takes place during Public Comment on Action Items.

Testimony pertaining to all other matters takes place during General Public Comment.

To request participation in the public comment period of any meeting, contact the School Committee Office

or speak to the Executive Secretary before the start of the meeting. Each speaker is allotted three minutes of

testimony.

Broadcasts

School Committee meetings are broadcast live on Boston City Television through the Mayor's Office of Cable

Communications. You can view the meetings live on Comcast Channel 24 and RCN Channel 13. You may also

watch previous meetings on-line in the School Committee archives or by visiting the Boston City Cable Office

video library.

T h e m e e t i n g t o d e c i d e o n w h e t h e r M i s s i o n H i l l S c h o o l i s t o b e m o v e d i s s c h e d u l e d f o r

T u e s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 5

t h

mhs.news.11.11.11

Documents