FY 2011 - Town of Uxbridge

Taft Elementary
School continued
Lillian Hazard of Grade 1, Ruth Bandstra
of Grade 2, Bernadette Bazzett of Grade
3, and Rosemary Harcourt of Grade 4 -
who discussed the “what” and “how” of
bringing Environmental Studies and
Nature to their classrooms (Peaceful
Pond, Composting, Classroom Habitats,
Rocks and Minerals, Hatching chicks and
ducks, food chains). They shared their
insights on teaching children to
appreciate and understand our natural
world. This program was geared towards
teachers, parents and guardians,
environmental educators, and parent
groups. Also, they outlined their plans for
a “GO GREEN” WEEK during April 11-
15, 2011. The program was free and
open to the public with refreshments
served.
Mix It Up Day at Fourth Grade Lunch
Fourth grade students participated
in a national effort on November 9, called
Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Students were
randomly assigned to different tables at
lunch. This activity, sponsored by the
Teaching Tolerance magazine, is
designed to break down barriers
between groups of individuals. Children
at each table were given a list of
questions to discuss regarding bullying.
The children had previously voluntarily
signed an anti bullying pledge. During
the week, Mrs. Jansson, the computer
teacher, conducted some mix-it-up
activities in her computer classes; and
Mrs. O’Donnell, Taft Librarian, read
books about bullying. This was the third
year for Mix It Up At Lunch and will
become an annual event at Taft.
Grade 3 Students Enjoy Canal Walk
Field Trip
Third grade students took a walking
field trip along the Blackstone Valley
Canal during the week of October 18.
Park Rangers Kevin Klyeberg and Peter
Coffin met the groups as we walked the
tow path between the Stanley Woolen
Mill and River Bend Farm. The Park
Rangers discussed the history of this
area from farming to the Industrial
Revolution. The students were
fascinated by the animals and plants that
thrive in this habitat. Students gained an
appreciation for their local history.
Fire Prevention Week
On October 4, 2010, Firefighter
Steve, from the UFD, visited Taft School
students to do a program on fire
prevention for each grade level in the
gymnasium.
Community Reading Day
The annual Community Readers
Day for Uxbridge students was held
during the morning of Wednesday,
November 17. This event, coordinated by
school librarian, Margy O’Donnell, and
involved sixty community readers who
brought enjoyment, fun, and learning to
students from pre-school through grade
four classrooms.
The wide range of community
readers included school officials,
parents, community business owners,
police and fire representatives, school
committee members, elected officials,
clergy, and UHS student members of the
National Honor Society.
Community Readers Day has
become one of the most popular and
worthwhile annual school events.
Research confirms that reading aloud to
students is an essential part of the
instructional program. What could be
more rewarding for community members
than having the opportunity to promote
reading in our schools.
Dr. Seuss Read Across America Night
Every year the National Education
Association celebrates this vital goal of
all teachers by holding a “Read Across
America” Celebration on the Friday night
closest to Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2.
T h e U x b r i d g e T e a c h e r s
Association has supported this project by
holding a night of “round robin readings.”
Staff members are stationed throughout
the building reading different stories to
groups of children. The children can
choose which stories they want to hear
and/or which staff members they want to
visit. The stories usually last about ten
minutes long, so every ten minutes the
children and families rotate to hear a
different story.
Uxbridge Grange
The Uxbridge Grange donated
dictionaries to each Grade 3 student in a
national program called Words for Thirds.
Project supporters hope that by using
dictionaries students will develop rich
vocabularies.
Whitin Middle
School
Curriculum and Instruction
Programs
Study Island
Throughout the school year, middle
school students participated in Study
Island. Study Island is a software program
that provides students with additional
academic support based on state
standards. Participants were able to work
on Study Island activities both at school
and at home through the use of
the internet.
StoryTown Reading Program
The StoryTown reading and language
arts program, developed by Harcourt
School Publishers, continues to be used for
students in grades K-6 in Uxbridge Public
Schools. StoryTown features an organized
direct approach to teaching reading that is
aligned with the Massachusetts State
Curriculum Frameworks. The program
emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction
in the five essential components of reading
that include phonemic awareness, phonics,
vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
The development of Harcourt’s
StoryTown is the result of extensive and
confirmed research that is based on best
instructional practice in the teaching of
reading. Following are several key
components of the program:
A high-quality collection of classic and
contemporary literature designed to
foster a love of reading in school and at
home;
Three tiers of intervention strategies,
targeted materials, and classroom
management tools that match instruction
to meet the different needs of students;
Integrated language arts lessons
planned to help students develop and
practice writing forms, grammar, usage,
mechanics, and spelling skills;
A program of various assessments to
ensure mastery or diagnosis of reading
difficulties throughout the year.
Page 46
FY 2011 :: Town of Uxbridge Annual Report