2012-13 Trailblazer Award Nomination

Parents, remember to recognize teachers with a nomination for this award!

Pentucket Education Foundation

“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, 
involve me and I’ll understand.”  Chinese Proverb

The PEF recognizes that teachers who demonstrate passion for their subjects, communicate dynamically and powerfully with students and are selfless in their commitment deserve to be recognized.  The Trailblazer Award is given to one instructor per year per Pentucket school with $500.00 to further their curriculum goals.   Teachers can be nominated by anyone – parents, students, other staff and faculty or community members at large. 

Please download the nomination form in the Parent Info section of this webpage.

INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS DONATES $75,000 TO PENTUCKET EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SCIENCE EQUIPMENT

The Institution for Savings, through its Charitable Foundation, recently donated $75,000 to the Pentucket Education Foundation to help fund much-needed upgrades to the science equipment at The Pentucket Regional Elementary Schools – Dr. John C. Page School in West Newbury, Dr. Elmer S. Bagnall School in Groveland and the Helen R. Donaghue School in Merrimac announced Institution for Savings President/CEO Michael J. Jones.

"We are so thankful to the Institution for Savings for this very generous grant to provide much needed science equipment for our elementary school, said Anna Marie Beach, president of the Pentucket Education Foundation. "This equipment will go a long way as every year we see tremendous budget cuts to the technology line item and would not be able to improve without the support of partners such as the Institution for Savings."

This is the third single largest donation that the PEF has received from the Institution for Savings, said Ms. Beech. Each of the schools had different needs ranging from constructing science labs to providing science equipment and I-pads with specific science subscriptions. A true collaboration from teachers across the school district came together to build this grant request.

To get involved or to learn more, please visit www.pentucketedfund.org or send an e-mail to info@pentucketedfund.org

What are the Habits of Learning?

The five Habits of Learning represent a set of skills, behaviors, and dispositions that we look for Pentucket students to acquire and develop to a high level in their time here. They are skills that cut across subject lines and enable students to effectively interact with other, learn about and understand the world, adapt to and thrive in the world, and solve problems and create innovative solutions. We identify these skills as the five Habits of Learning: Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Independence, and Creative Exploration.

In grades four and six, students present evidence that they have developed each of these sets of skills or habits in the form of public presentations. During the year, students maintain a record of their progress and then present artifacts that evidence their development and mastery.

The following describes how each of these Habits of Learning comes to be embodied in our students:

Thinking

·         I am driven by a sense of wonder about the world around me.

·         I identify challenges and work to make sense out of them and to find ways to confront them.

·         I monitor, reflect, and revise my interpretations, perceptions, decisions, and behaviors.

·         I create original meaning from ideas.

·         I see the big picture and can organize the idea so that it makes sense to me.

Key Words for Thinking:

Brainstorm, Evaluate, Analyze, Reason, Synthesize, Problem solve, Apply, Reflect

Communication

·         I express my ideas competently, knowledgeably, accurately, and precisely.

·         I am skilled at writing, speaking, and listening.

·         I use the arts, media, and technology to understand and be understood.

·         I seek to know the ideas of others by creating an environment of mutual respect.

Key Words for Communication:

Write, Speak, Listen, Empathize, Observe

Collaboration

·         I approach group work with confidence and sincerity.

·         I recognize that the group can be more effective than the individual.

·         I gather and evaluate information to inform the team of new knowledge and then clarify ideas through questions, discussion, and debate.

·         I assume positive intent and expect accountability from all group members, including myself.

Key Words for Collaboration:

Interpersonal Relations, Interdependence, Trust, Commitment, Objectivity, Open-Mindedness, Flexibility.

Independence

·         I have an adventurous spirit and I am self motivated, confident, goal-oriented, and organized. 

·         I ask, “Where do I want to go or what do I want to accomplish, and what do I need to do to get there?”

·         I check my progress and make sure that I stay on the right track.

·         I am resourceful and reliable.

·         I understand my strengths and weaknesses and develop learning strategies to suit my learning style.

Key Words for Independence:

Organized, Time Management, Prepare, Empower, Own, Self-Motivate, Think Autonomously

Creative Exploration

·         I enjoy inquiring, asking questions, wondering.

·         I see challenges as opportunities for learning.

·         Set backs are opportunities for me to grow.

·         I pursue many paths in my learning.

·         I ask probing questions, challenge the norm, and push my boundaries.

·         I invest my time, effort, and intellect to understand what I find through my exploration.

Key Words for Creative Exploration:

Question, Problem-solve, Take Risks, Experiment, Research, Anticipate, Use Resources, Evaluate

Study Island Mathematics Still Available

Parents, a reminder that our school has access to a great resource for preparing our students to master the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Standards. For students in grades 4 through 6, we have a subscription for a web-based program called Study Island, which is accessible to students from school or home, provided your home has Internet access. Teachers have shown their students how to access the site in school. We encourage students to also spend some time at home with their parents going to the site and completing some of the lessons and examples.

To access Study Island from home, go to www.studyisland.com. Your child will be prompted to login with his or her username and password in the upper left of the screen, which they used in school. There are different kinds of sessions from which to choose, with Test being the default.

We hope that you and your child find Study Island a useful tool for learning and reviewing important mathematics concepts and skills at home. A little time spent on this at home can be beneficial.