January 2012
Spotlight
Global Activism Class: In 2005, Greely High School teacher Julie
Doughty was approached by a group of students interested in learning more about
current events. Motivated by this
student initiative, Doughty designed a class that would not only focus on
global issues, but would provide students an opportunity to take action to
address a concrete problem.
Greely’s Global Activism class investigates
successes and challenges in far reaching geographies. At the beginning of the semester, students
determine a global issue with a local connection, upon which they are
interested in taking action or raising awareness. Students develop skills throughout the
semester to ensure that they are prepared to complete this challenge
successfully. They complete a variety of
assignments, including journal writing, reflective essays, choice debates and
presentations. In December, students
work singularly or in pairs to research an environmental issue of interest. On subjects ranging from food supply to
deforestation to renewable energy, students present their environmental issue
to the class with a talk, slide show and supplemental handouts. They are asked to assess the current challenge
and to describe efforts being made to ameliorate the problem.
The environmental presentations lay the
groundwork for the students’ final presentations in January. Projects initiated in the Global Activism
class have in some cases become year-long undertakings. In 2010, Dana Hanley and Tess Carly worked in
conjunction with Greely’s Global Awareness Club to raise over $4,500 for the
installation of solar panels on Greely High School. Hanley and Carley also
wrote grant appeals, and received an additional $5,000 from Fairchild
Semiconductor and over $38,000 from Maine’s Renewable Resources Fund. Their project not only created a meaningful
way for a group of students to participate in service learning, it educated the
Greely community about the benefits of green technology.
The success of Doughty’s class is not only
reflected in the breadth and scope of the final projects, but also by the
enthusiasm exhibited by students taking the class. Robert Potts, who is working
to raise money and awareness for a residential school in Jacmel, Haiti,
comments that while he had a knowledge of global issues before taking Doughty’s
class, he’s developed an appreciation for the nuance to many of these problems.
Unlike in debates, where students argue
one position, Doughty structures the class so that students engage in dialogue.
Potts notes that rather than trying to
win these discussions, the class works to find workable solutions to problems,
weighing all available information. Doughty
emphasizes that she strives to open students’ minds to different perspectives. The classroom experiences remind students that
there is a big world beyond the borders of Cumberland and North Yarmouth.
posted: 12/22/2011
October 2011
Whether sitting in a Kindergarten
Open House learning how the new ELMO projectors and Smart Boards are changing
learning in the primary grades, or listening to Greely Middle and High School
teachers discuss the instructional potential of Google Apps, it’s hard to
ignore the technological changes occurring at MSAD #51. Two years ago, the district began
researching the viability of transitioning from its previous operating system,
First Class. After scrutinizing the benefits of various systems, last June
MSAD #51 made a full scale
conversation to Google Apps. Not only is Google a free service, it
provides enhanced opportunities for communication and collaboration among
staff, students, parents and administrators.
To help guide the users through this major
technological transition, and to help trouble-shoot the problems that are
inevitable in such an undertaking, the district created a new Technology
Support Center. Composed of four staff members, the Technology Support Center is
designed to provide quick technical support to staff and administrators and
students alike. Making up the team are Joe Bickard, formerly our Tech
Coordinator and currently our Data Manager, Pete Rohde, the Systems and Network
Administrator, Rob Hale, District System Technician/MLTI Technical Leader, and
Dirk Van Curan, our Technology Support Leader. Not only does this team of four
provide expertise and experience, it enables the District to efficiently
resolve any technical problems with the new Google Apps infrastructure.
MSAD #51 staff received professional
development during the 2010-2011 school year and this past summer so that all
teachers are familiar with Google Mail and creating personal websites. There
are many convenient applications of Google Apps for parents, including aligning
personal calendars with a child’s academic assignments, or receiving automatic
updates to a sports team’s practice or game schedule. More comprehensively,
Google will enhance the collaboration and communication among different
stakeholders in our district. Teachers auto-correcting homework assignments
provides immediate feedback about how well students understand a new concept
introduced. Middle school students
editing a collaborative project on their computers simultaneously, provides
greater opportunity for sharing. High school students writing papers, which are
commented on electronically by their teachers, reduces paper transfer and
increases efficiency and communication. And a Kindergarten teacher placing a
child’s writing or artwork under the ELMO projector, to display for the class
so others can provide comments, connects peer learners.
The introduction of the Technology Support
Center and Google Apps provides greater access to technology for
administrators, staff, students and parents. Professional development is a key
piece in making sure that these tools are used efficiently and effectively. Our
ultimate goal as a district is greater integration of technology in our
classrooms. In the future we plan to have our technology integrators
increase the amount of time spent assisting staff and students in classroom
settings. More professional development and training time for staff led by our
integrators is another goal as we move further into the Google Apps for Education
world. All of this is being done with the goal of fostering better
communication and collaboration among all stakeholders in our district.
Please contact Martha Leggat, mleggat@msad51.org, if you would like to
submit information to be included in a Spotlight article.
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september 2011
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We welcome MSAD51’s new staff for the 2011-2012 school year! We’re joined by many new educators, while some familiar faces are assuming different roles. Jill Tucker, who worked at Drowne Road School from 2006-2009 teaching 3rd grade and working as a Literacy Mentor, returns to Mabel I. Wilson to teach 1st grade. New to our faculty at MIW are Micah Greene and Olivia Thompson, both of whom will teach 3rd grade. Micah previously taught in Sudbury, MA, while Olivia will be with us for a year from England on a Fulbright Scholarship. Heather Peters joins the staff as a speech/language teacher, Dawna Green moves from Greely High School to become the new MIW technology integrationist and Meghan Gaser is the new MIW librarian. North Yarmouth Memorial School welcomes Carol MacArthur as its new principal. Carol served as interim principal for much of the 2010-2011 school year. Kathie Bradeen returns to NYMS to teach 4th grade, after a year at Greely Middle School. Tracy Nieter will work as a resource room teacher. At Greely Middle School, Kelly LaBonte will teach 6th grade language arts, and Leslie McKenney will teach 8th grade language arts. Shannon Graham will teach 8th grade social studies. GMS welcomes Rachael Farley as a new social worker. Greely High School welcomes Dan McKeone as its new principal, and Mar-e Trebilcock as its new assistant principal. Both Dan and Mar-e served in their positions on interim bases last year, and we are delighted to have them officially leading Greely High School. We are also pleased to announce the arrival of David Shapiro as Greely’s athletic director. David comes from Hampden Academy, where he worked as both athletic director and assistant principal. He has extensive background in coaching and administration, and will be a wonderful addition to our staff. Gregory Greenleaf joins Greely High School’s faculty, and will be teaching English. On the district level, Dirk Van Curan will work as technology support leader, having worked last year as a technology teacher at Greely Middle School. Among other responsibilities, Dirk will support the implementation of Google Apps for Education and will oversee the adoption of the ISTE’s Updated National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for students, teachers and administrators. We are enthused about the experience and energy our new staff brings to the district, and look forward to a productive and positive school year ahead!
July 2011
It takes a very special person to be a bus driver. MSAD #51 has a great group and we want to thank them for an outstanding year. No matter how old you are, most of us can still remember our bus driver’s name from our childhood, can you? They leave a lasting impression on us for a lifetime. Bus drivers start the day with a clockwork routine and that special “Hi”. That warm greeting helps our students begin their school day on positive note, even if they may be feeling a little sad, tired, or grumpy. While making that connection with their charges is important, our drivers know that each and every day parents trust them with their most precious commodity, their children. Therefore, safety is the department’s primary goal and our bus drivers enforce the school bus rules and guidelines for all students to follow and abide by. Drivers also ensure safety through the use of the “Electronic ZONAR Pre & Post Trip Safety Check System”. Utilizing this system, drivers check 11 points on each bus every morning before the first pickup and every evening after the last rider has been safely returned home. Our system also uses GPS leading technology for fleet management safety and to develop routes that are as efficient as possible. In addition to approximately 20 dedicated bus drivers, we also have two super individuals working in the Transportation Department to help everything run smoothly with our fleet. Paula Slipp not only schedules and works with the routes, she fields all of those calls from moms and dads when a child’s coat, computer, or backpack is missing. She can contact the driver to confirm when and where your child got off, has the coat or computer been found, or did someone leave a backpack under a seat. Phil Blake, our transportation director, oversees all of the routes, bus drivers and maintenance of our buses. While it may look easy, we know that our Transportation Department’s day begins very early and can often go very late with additional driving duties for sports teams, music groups, the late bus, or other school groups. We salute our school bus drivers, Paula, and Phil for their dedication, patience, hard work and love of children. Thank you for a wonderful year!
June 2010
Fulbright Award Winner Sallie Hunter!
Last year while a freshman at Greely High School, Abbie Hunter was intrigued by the opportunity for students to study abroad during high school. She shared her thoughts with her mom, third grade teacher, Sallie Hunter. As an educator, Sallie understood the potential value of a study abroad year for Abbie, yet both mother and daughter had concerns with the logistics of sending a high school student solo on such an adventure.
For most families the story would end there. However, as those of you who know Sallie can attest, Sallie is no ordinary teacher or parent. In considering options for Abbie, Sallie began to wonder if it would be possible for both of them to study abroad, Sallie as a teacher, Abbie as a student. Her research led her to the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The application process is extensive and extremely selective. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Recently Sallie discovered she is one of approximately 60 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program in 2011-2012.
As a Fulbright grant recipient, Sallie is headed to England to teach fourth year at the Bliss Charity School in Nether Heyford, a small village outside of Northampton. For her part, Abbie had to jump through her own set of academic hoops and will be attending Sixth Form at the Campion School in Bugbrooke. The Hunter's plan on leaving for England in August 2011 and will be gone for one year, what would be Abbie's junior year at GHS. In "exchange" Miss Olivia Thompson will be coming over from the UK, teaching at MIW, and living in Cumberland.
Congratulations Sallie and Abbie, we wish you well on your journey! | |
