Launching a Vision… Thinking About the Possibilities Forestdale Pre-K – 2 Primary School Oak Ridge Grade 3-6 Intermediate School

How can we create two innovative schools to move the Sandwich Public Schools forward and provide opportunities for all PreK-6 students? Considerations Teaching and Learning ~ Facilities ~ After School Enrichments ~ Enhancements during the school day ~ Family Involvement ~ Community Outreach ~ Fiscal Efficiencies and Responsibility to the Town of Sandwich

For Families – Expanded and Comprehensive Early Learning Opportunities Sandwich Partnership for Families Pre-school Plus For Students – All Day Kindergarten for all learners At no cost! At the Forestdale Pre-K -2 Primary School….

Fo For Students - Pre-K and Kindergarten Science Lab Outdoor Science and Exploring Space Media Center in the Library for little ones….

For Students – Comprehensive and well-integrated supports Early Learning Expertise Speech and Language Reading Recovery Reading Specialists Math Interventionists For Teachers and Staff – Common Assessments to Inform Instruction Teacher Leaders and Professional Learning Communities provide structure for looking at data and share thinking to support all students…

Why is Early Intervention so important? 5min In Massachusetts, 44% of 3 rd grade students scored in the Need Improvement or Warning category. (2013) Our own 3 rd grade Benchmark Assessments indicate that 19% were below grade level expectations. (2013) St Statistics about 3 rd grade Reading Proficiency

Early intervention Low income students enter school 18 months behind their peers. Early math skills contribute to math readiness through high school. Ability to do simple arithmetic on the number line in Grade 1 predicts math performance in Grade 5.

Same opportunities for all students in Sandwich for: After-school clubs Field Trips

2 nd Graders will be school leaders… We are always working to increase independence, engagement & stamina Being the leaders in the school will provide opportunities to increase all of these and position students for the 3-6 school and for MCAS in grade 3 Ways to encourage leadership: a curriculum for 2 nd graders that is based on the research around the 7 Habits of Effective People leadership.html leadership.html 2 nd graders can do the Morning Announcements… 2 nd graders can be buddies with kindergarteners, 1 st graders can partner with Pre-K….

Inspiring a vision of the Oak Ridge Intermediate School for grades 3-6….. Destination Imagination (DI) is a program to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. Team and standards- based Challenges include Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Visual Arts Improvisational, Structural and Service Learning. DI helps participants to build social and problem solving skills Each Challenge is open-ended and enables student teams to experience and become skilled at the creative process from imagination to innovation. Teams have the opportunity to present their solutions to peers, educators, and families for feedback and review. Students have fun and gain confidence in their ability to solve any number and type of challenge. In working to create and solve problems, teams learn 21 st century skills (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, citizenship and courage) to build on their unique strengths.

At the Oak Ridge Grade 3-6 Intermediate School… A greenhouse could provide opportunities to apply science learning and to grow healthy food for the school community Science Labs will be designed for 3 rd – 6 th graders. dk7cJ3lLh8s22D8SWa&v=DFBqX0ivpSo&app=desktop How Gardening Enables Interdisciplinary Learning

All students in grades 4-6 will be able to participate in Instrumental Music both during the school day and as part of an After-School Band …. And we hope to add strings!

The Oak Ridge Intermediate Library Supporting students in their growing literacy, research and technology skills… Authors visits will reach all students

Service Learning ~ Project Based Learning Opportunities for activities with the Sandwich Council on Aging, just down the hill from Oak Ridge Expectations about providing service to the community will guide students to choose projects they feel passionately about, and will fuel exciting projects…

All Sandwich students at a grade level will have the same opportunities for Field Trips, Special events & presentations … Skyping with an Antarctic Scientist Shared experiences to support the curriculum…

Enhanced Opportunities for all students… After-School Clubs Lego Robotics Newspaper Club Something for everyone!

Sports, Music and Performing Arts Intramural Sports Theater Opportunities Sing out! Something for everyone!

Financial Considerations… Materials Combining curriculum materials from all three schools in one school, as a grade level specific way, will increase accessibility for all students Expensive software licenses are grade level specific and will be purchased for the specific grades and each school. When the district wants to introduce innovative and forward-moving new materials, the purchases need to be duplicated. Class size Having all the grade levels together allows for flexibility when looking at the total number of students per grade level and the number of classrooms needed. Special programs are grade level specific and would not have to be duplicated in different schools.

Next Steps… The School Committee votes on the reconfiguration of the Sandwich Public Schools. Creation of a Collaborative Design Team to reach out to other districts with questions about the challenges of their configuration and their responses to the challenges. The Collaborative Design Team can include teachers, parents, school committee members, led by the District Administrative Team. Visits to other districts will help inform the team, with a focus on preparing to open two new schools. A more detailed plan will be created, following the School Committee’s decision about the reconfiguration.

Research and Resources Phase 2 Design Team Ideas Feedback from other districts with a K-2; grade 3-5 or 6 configuration and similar size Districts contacted/researched w some comments: East Longmeadow - be sure to have enough Sp/L & Rdg Specialists at K-2 Uxbridge - Build Early Learning Community, gr 2 studentsstep up to plate as leaders Mansfield - 2nd graders doing morning announcements – podcasts; input from Sandwich teacher who taught gr 5 in Mansfield for 7 years Bedford - doc on website re: gr 2-3 transition Ashland - Gr 3-5 school organized in multi-age “neighborhoods” as well as with traditional gr 3-5 individual classrooms Enfield, CT - multiple docs on website re reorganization, incl timeline Topics researched - RTI Model? Enrichment Activities? Transition to 3rd? How is the school organized/structured? How long has the district had this model? What prompted this configuration?