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Read All About It!
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- Here
you'll find news stories and exciting announcements from around
our SAU.
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March 31, 2010 -
Speed of Creativity
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WE CAN ALL LEARN A GREAT DEAL FROM A GREAT KINDERGARTEN TEACHER |
Deerfield, NH - Today was a real treat. My 9 year old daughter
and I spent most of the day at
Deerfield Community School, in Deerfield, New Hampshire.
While Sarah was hosted by a wonderful Deerfield student and
enjoyed learning about their upcoming science fair projects (as
well as other topics) I met with teachers in several grade
levels and was amazed to learn about some of the wonderful
digital learning and collaborating they are doing together with
students. It will take SEVERAL posts, I'm sure, to adequately
reflect on all the learning of the day, but for now I'd like to
share and reflect on what an absolute JOY it was to spend time
in
Maria Knee's kindergarten classroom. Maria secured
permission for me to take photos during my visit, and these are
several I took with
Pano.
I have a vast amount of respect for every teacher, but am
particularly in awe of kindergarten teachers who are able to
masterfully facilitate student learning as Maria does. When I
visited this afternoon, students were engaged in a variety of
center-based activities which involved reading, writing,
creating art, solving problems, building structures, and
interacting with peers as well as adult classroom assistants.
Notice how the students in the photos below are scattered all
over the room, and are busily at work at different learning
tasks. You'll notice in the first photo below, Maria actually
appears twice! That's because she was moving around the room
checking with students and helping as needed! The
iPhone Pano program stitched together about seven different
images to make this composite panoramic image.
There was a lot of WRITING going on in class today. The
student on the left in the above photo was writing about a
picture he'd drawn, using Google Documents. In the photo below,
the student on the left is writing on
Maria's classroom blog, hosted for free by
David Warlick on
Class Blogmeister.
The six netbooks in Maria's classroom really got a workout
this afternoon. Netbooks are perfect because of their size and
(in the case of these eePCs) their long battery life for a
kindergarten classroom. In this photo, a student and an adult
were reading together on the screen.
Students were not only doing lots of READING and WRITING
during center time, they were also sharing and speaking. These
two boys were working cooperatively to record an audio overview
of a picture one of them had drawn. Once the student with the
recorder was ready, he rang a bell to let others in the
classroom know it was "recording time." He announced,
"Recording!" and then his partner told about his illustration.
When you see clocks like those below in a kindergarten
classroom, you know some very unique learning must be going on.
Maria's students have partner classrooms in both Canada and
Australia, and they keep clocks set to the local times in those
classrooms so they'll know if the time is right for a Skype call
collaboration.
Maria's students have been learning about how maple syrup is
made in New Hampshire. This was a concept map they have been
working on.
It's amazing it takes 40 quarts of maple sap to make 1 quart
of maple syrup! This syrup was made by Maria's husband, and she
shared photos of the entire process.
Maria uses a
customized kindergarten learning portal on
WikiSpaces she created just for her students. She patterned
this after the
classroom learning portal
Rachel Boyd made for her 6 and 7 year old students in
Nelson, New Zealand. (If you haven't seen
Rachel's keynote for K12Online09 yet, check it out-- it's a
"must see" especially for primary-grade teachers.) In the photo
below, one of Maria's students is coaching other kids to
effectively navigate the game
"Seed Ball," which is part of TumbleTown. It's a free
resource from the Utah Education Network. Students work on
coordinate geometry skills, logical thinking and problem
solving, while they create "Rube
Goldberg" style seed machines.
These students were taking care of their group's dogs on
Nintindo DSi's, playing the game
Nintendogs. Students share the pets and have to work
together to decide how to spend their "virtual money" on their
pet. Lots of great conversations and discussions ensue about
economics, pet care priorities, etc.
I'll close with this photo of Maria's class rules.
In case you can't view
the Flickr image, I'll type these out. The rules are very
simple but powerful:
- Take care of yourself.
- Take care of your friends.
- Take care of everything.
- Do your best work.
If we all followed those simple rules every day, wouldn't the
world be a much better place? In the safety and security of a
caring classroom like Maria's, somehow the world seems to make a
great deal of sense. Her students are extremely blessed to have
her and the other teachers as well as parent volunteers helping
them learn at
Deerfield.
Many, many thanks to all the educators and learners at
Deerfield for a wonderful day today! We call can learn a great
deal about learning, teaching, and leading from an exemplary
teacher like
Maria Knee.
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March 23, 2010
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ART FROM THE HEART
Pembroke Hill School Students Use Their
Creativity to Help Children in Need
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- Pembroke, NH - Beauty may be in the eye of
the beholder, but no one could argue that the artwork prepared by second-,
third- and fourth-grade Pembroke Hill School students to raise money for
Hugs Across America is anything but beautiful.
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- Pembroke Hill School students donated a
favorite piece of their artwork as part of a silent auction in conjunction
with the school-wide Art Show. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will
go to support Hugs Across America, a not-for-profit corporation that
provides teddy bears to children in need of comfort. As the only chapter
school in NH, Pembroke Hill School staff and students are always looking for
creative ways to raise money to purchase additional bears.
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- "We thought what better way to showcase
the artwork of the students and at the same time contribute to this very
worthwhile effort to help children in times of crises," said Katy O'Gorman,
art teacher, Pembroke Hill and Village Schools. "The students are very
excited to involve the community in their efforts."
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- The matted artwork will fit in a
standard-sized frame. The minimum bid for the pieces will be $5 (the cost
of one bear). The Pembroke Hill School chapter provides 15 bears a month to
Concord Hospital, and another 25 to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in
Nashua.
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- Most of the artwork will be available to
preview from a link on the Pembroke Hill School Web site:
http://www.sau53.org/phs beginning March 31st.
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- The auction will be set up on Wednesday,
April 7th from 3:00 PM-8:00 PM in the Pembroke Hill School art room.
Artwork may be bid on in person, or one can place a bid by calling
(603)485-9000 x 214 or e-mailing Katy O’Gorman at
kogormanrhodebeck@sau53.org. Name and contact information
and the artwork number (located on the bottom right corner of the piece) as
well as one's highest bid must be provided.
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- All bids must be received by 8:00 PM. on
Wednesday, April 7th. Those with the highest bid for each piece will be
notified that evening at the end of the auction or by phone or e-mail the
following day.
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- For more information, please contact Katy
O'Gorman at
kogormanrhodebeck@sau53.org
or 603-485-9000.
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November, 2009 -
Campus Connections |
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- NH HISTORY TEACHER OF THE
YEAR
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Edith Tatulis, adjunct instructor in the UNH Department of Education, was named
the 2009 New Hampshire History Teacher of the Year by The Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History and Preserve America. She is also a finalist for
the national award. Tatulis, a resident of Candia, NH, is a full-time teacher at
the Deerfield Community School where she teaches 5th grade. She graduated from
UNH with a bachelor’s degree in science in 1975. She worked in the quality
control laboratory at |
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Edith Tatulus |
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Velcro until 1987 when she decided to change careers. She
enrolled in a master’s degree program at UNH and earned her M.Ed. in Secondary
Science Education. Tatulis said she has always loved working with kids.
As a child she enjoyed playing school and helped teach her disabled sister
how to read. Teaching just came naturally. She said, “The children
keep you honest, young, enthused and laughing. They give back to me 100 fold
what I give to them.” She enjoys working at the Deerfield Community School
and feels supported by the administration and parents. Tatulis said, “They
encourage, foster and support innovative ways to teach and want children who
can think and collaborate, not just children who can excel at standardized
testing. It is the most exhausting job one could ever love. I am truly
blessed to have job I love so much!” Parents and colleagues feel the same
about Tatulis. One parent wrote on a local newspaper blog, “I can’t think of
anyone more deserving of this award. Edith was one of our children’s
favorite teachers.” Tatulis also teaches Social Studies Methods
Classes at UNH Manchester and has taken on other roles at the University
such as cooperating teacher for interns seeking a master’s degree in
Education, university-based supervisor of interns, and teacher-in-residence.
She said sharing her experience with teaching students at UNH Manchester is
icing on the cake. “It gives me a chance to give something back to the
profession,” she said. Coordinated through the Preserve America
initiative and co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History, the New Hampshire’s History Teacher of the Year Award honors
outstanding teachers of American history across the country and supports the
crucial importance of American history education. The History Teacher of the
Year Award recognizes outstanding American history teachers from elementary
school through high school across all 50 states and U.S. territories. |
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November 6, 2009 |
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PUBLIC HEARING |
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November 6, 2009 Flyer |
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- AUTISM ABILITY ADVENTURE WITH CAROLANN EDSCORN
- Presented by the SAU #53 Learning Circle
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"WHILE I WAS DIAGNOSED
with Asperger Syndrome in 1994, my early childhood and school
life was more typical of classical autism. I didn’t talk until I was
four years old. I did not participate in story time, recess games,
or class discussions. I was teased, bullied, and misunderstood.
I was also an accomplished artist
by second grade, a musician, writing short stories my teacher
thought publishable, and composing symphonies by eighth grade.
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CarolAnn
Edscorn |
I love the stars, music, words, my
family, and my computer.
I am a
stranger in a strange world. I believe in life, love, and laughter."
- "CarolAnn Edscorn is
a dynamic and moving speaker who describes her full life as a person
with autism. Her vivid descriptions, ability to connect with the
humanness in all of us, and humorous anecdotes offer a perspective
about people with autism that enlightens parents and professionals
alike. You’ll never look at people with autism the same after
hearing CarolAnn speak.” Cheryl Jorgensen, Institute on Disability
at UNH
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- Date: Tuesday,
November 17, 2009
- Time: 3:30-5:30
- Place: Pembroke
Academy Auditorium
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September 17, 2009 -
Hooksett Banner |
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- SPECIAL VOTE SEPT. 30 ON $3.6M BOND
- By Ginger Kozlowski
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- PEMBROKE - Pembroke voters are asked to come to a special school
district meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30, to hear about and vote upon a
proposal for a $3.6 million bond. The bond would pay for changes to
make three schools more energy efficient. If approved, the School
Board expects to be reimbursed by state aid.
Jonathan Burnham, director of maintenance, stressed that between savings
in energy costs and aid to the school district, the town would face no new
expenses if the bond is approved.
The bond would allow the school district to enter into a 15-year
lease-purchase to be funded by interest free/low interest qualified school
construction bonds in the amount of $2,623,210 and the balance of the lease,
$976,790, at a rate of not more than 6 percent.
This would allow construction of a biomass heating plant and replacing
temperature controls for Pembroke Academy and Three Rivers School, as well
as replacing window and temperature controls at Hill and Village Schools.
If the bond is approved the School Board would be eligible for state
building aid, utility rebates and any other government or private funding.
A two-thirds majority ballot vote is required for the bond to pass.
The meeting will take place at the Pembroke Academy auditorium at 6:30
P.M. The vote will take place immediately after the public hearing.
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September 11, 2009 |
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- 2009/2010 PEMBROKE PEER RECOGNITION WINNER
ANNOUNCED
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- Nancy Corbett, a speech specialist at Three Rivers School, was
recently selected as the 2008/2009 Peer Recognition Award winner.
The award, sponsored by the Pembroke School Board, is given to
employees of the Pembroke School District who are nominated by their
peers for their outstanding overall performance.
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- Corbett was consistently described by her peers as someone who
not only goes out of her way to assist all students, but is also the
first person to help other teachers, often times stepping out of her
“official” role to do so. Described as the “go-to” person, Corbett
is involved in extra-curricular activities and continually champions
the rights of all students, pushing them to reach their potential
and actively supporting their every success.
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- Corbett (right) pictured with Three Rivers
- School Principal, Deb Bulkley (left).
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- Pembroke School Board Member Tammy Boucher (right)
presented a plaque to Corbett (left) in recognition of her efforts.
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September 7, 2009 -
Union Leader |
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CLASS CLIMB PROVIDES IMPORTANT LESSON
- By Paula Tracy
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- While traveling through the tough
sections of Mount Major in Alton, Alex Weiss needs a strong pull an push
from the adults who joined the second-graders for the hike. (THOMAS ROY)
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- MATTHEW FERGUSON HAS taken his class on a hike at the
beginning of every school year for his 23 years of teaching.
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- So when he discovered one of his second-graders at Deerfield
Community School is in a wheelchair, he took action.
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- "If Alex couldn't go, none of us could go," Ferguson said of
8-year-old Alex Weiss.
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On Friday, the entire class went on the hike, almost
four miles round trip, aided by University of New
Hampshire's Northeast Passage staff. At the
summit, Brett Weiss, the boy's father and a
chaperone for the day, wiped his brow, smiled and
admitted he never thought he would see this day.
"Never," he said.
Alex suffers from holoprosencephaly, which
compromises his speech and motor skills. He has
never been able to walk. For the trip up Mount Major
in Alton, he was placed into a Terra Trek, an
off-road wheelchair modified by Northeast Passage
staff.
Its smaller, front set of wheels were removed.
Rickshaw poles were placed on the front of the chair
and used by Alex's classmates to pull him along the
trail's wide and flat portions. Parents, faculty and
Northeast Passage staff took charge on the rocky
steeps of the trail, working shoulder to shoulder
and boulder to boulder.
"Let's go, Alex! Let's go, Alex!" was the chant
as the wide-eyed, smiling boy was unloaded from his
wheelchair van in the trailhead parking lot about
9:30 a.m.
Lily Desgroseilliers, 7, had her father and her
grandparents along for the field trip.
"This is the longest hike I have done. The view
is great. Pushing Alex was a lot of fun because
everyone was doing it together," she said.
Ferguson said the goal of the field trip was help
his 15 students understand they are within a caring
community where people feel safe to learn together
and help each other. Also part of the
community-building were the parents who got to know
one another, he said.
David Lee, assistant director of Northeast
Passage, said for 20 years the program has used
specialized wheelchairs to make possible
recreational opportunities for those with physical
disabilities. The program offers kayaking,
waterskiing, golf and ice hockey, along with hiking.
In this case, the assistance for Alex's hike was
paid for by Deerfield's special education account.
James Bonnell, 7, and his classmate, Josh
Heckman, took the front poles of the wheelchair
toward the end of the hike about 2 p.m. They proudly
marched their 70-pound classmate down the trail.
Behind the wheelchair was Cody Tanguay's father,
Tom, who did much of the carry-out from the summit
over the roughest terrain.
'"You have to learn when to hold on and when to
give," Tanguay said.
Ferguson said the class will use the experience
in English, math, science and other academic
disciplines throughout the year. The students will
have their own blog on the school's Web site to
discuss the trip.
"We made it!" Ferguson shouted as the last
student came running to the bottom.
He broke into a chant: "Great job, 2F! Rah, rah,
rah!"
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July 5, 2009 -
Concord Monitor |
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ASSOCIATED GROCERS OF NEW ENGLAND in Pembroke
is underwriting the School Investment Program at THE McAULIFFE-SHEPARD
DISCOVERY CENTER for students in SAU 53 - Pembroke, Allenstown, Chichester,
Epsom and Deerfield. The $3,000 sponsorship will provide students will free
admission on field trips through next February.
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July 4, 2009 -
The Forum: News from the Towns Around Pawtuckaway |
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- Paul Yergeau, Deerfield Community School Principal
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- Recently, Professor Krueckeberg, Ph.D. from Plymouth State
University contacted me with great news that I was to share with Mrs.
Edith Tatulis, a Deerfield Community School (DCS) fifth grade teacher!
She has been nominated as the NH History Teacher of the Year. She is now
a finalist for our state’s recognition. What an honor for her! And how
proud of her are we? Very!
- This award is coordinated through the Preserve America initiative
and co-sponsored by the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History, located in New York City.
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- Edith Tatulis shares
her favorite Civil War book, Pink and Say, with 5th grade students at
DCS.
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- The Institute of
American History website can give you further information about their
good work in the field of social studies education. If selected as the
NH Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Tatulis will automatically become our
representative in the national competition. Edith’s creativity and
imagination in addressing American History and literacy, evidence of
thoughtful assessment of her students’ achievement, as well as her close
attention to using primary source documents, artifacts and historic sites in
her teaching, are the reasons for her nomination.
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- Preserve America is a White House initiative, started during President
Bush’s administration, and was created for the purpose of encouraging and
supporting community efforts to preserve and enjoy the nation’s cultural and
national heritage. The overall goals of the Preserve America initiative
include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past; strengthened
regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in
preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support
for the economic vitality of communities. These are all values that DCS
strongly supports in the daily implementation of our social studies
curriculum.
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- As the next step, Mrs.Tatulis has submitted her philosophy statement, a
sample extended project assigned to her students that demonstrates her
creativity and decisions to provide an engaging curriculum for each student,
as well as a short video where she has demonstrated a sample class project
and her teaching practices. Congratulations to Mrs. Tatulis on being
recognized for her hard work on behalf of Deerfield’s students. We all wish
her the best of luck as she proceeds to the next step in this esteemed and
rigorous competition.
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Superintendents'
Message April 2010
- Our five districts of
Allenstown, Chichester, Deerfield, Epsom, and Pembroke provide the
pre-K -12 educational experiences for approximately 3500 students.
Pembroke Academy provides the high school experience for the
communities of Allenstown, Chichester, Epsom, and Pembroke, while
students in the Deerfield community travel to Concord for their high
school program.
Read more...
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| Map added
12/19/08 |
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