Educating Our Eagles - Issue 21

Educating
our Eagles
21

CONTENTS
4
Introduction - Curriculum Director, Julie Dolan
6
Tenth Grade - Le Cancre by Jacques Prévert – Pierre Legér
8
Third Grade - Plant Variations – Amy Murray
10
Ninth Grade - The Age of Jackson – Patrick Barrett
12
High School - Musical Theatre – Courtney English
14
Full District - Senior Luncheon Photographs
Cover: Mount Everett student, Jacob, puts the final touches on the Senior
Luncheon dessert before serving to members of the SBRSD community.
Right: To spread some holiday kindness and cheer each class at NMC
from Pre-K through 3rd grade, created artwork to hang at Geer Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center.
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INTRODUCTION
From SBRSD’s Director of Curriculum
and Instruction, Julie Dolan
Holiday Wishes & Gratitude
I am pleased to share with you the December edition of Educating Our
Eagles!
As we embrace the festive season, I want to extend my warmest thanks
for being such incredible partners in your child’s educational journey. It’s
your active involvement and commitment to our District that light up the
classroom brighter than our holiday decorations!
We are so proud of the students who are doing a fantastic job meeting their
goals this year. Whether it’s mastering math, authoring outstanding essays,
conducting fascinating science experiments, or participating in early college
classes, their hard work and dedication has been truly impressive. It’s a
testament to their potential and to the support they receive at home.
I will also take this holiday season as an opportunity to celebrate the teachers.
Their dedication and commitment to the students, families, and each other
is amazing. They are so invested in providing excellence in education with a
personalized approach that fosters confidence and an attitude that students
can be successful at whatever they put their minds to.
Please enjoy this occasion to see what is going on in the classrooms across
the District. During this special time of year, I wish you and your family a
holiday season filled with joy and peace. May the spirit of togetherness and
celebration brighten your days.
All My Best,
Julie Dolan
Right: Undermountain student prepares a holiday card
for members of the Sheffield Senior Center with help
from National Honor Society students.
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Le Cancre by Jacques Prévert
After watching the movie Les choristes, which the story takes place in a boarding school in
rural France a few years after the end of the second World War, the students studied and
memorized the poem Le cancre by French poet Jacques Prévert. In this poem, Jacques Prévert
describes a young student being questioned by his teacher in front of the class. With few answers to
provide to his teacher, the student is mocked and booed by his classmates (which depict a similar
scene from the movie).
The movie, along with the poem, allowed for class discussions in French during which students were
able to highlight the differences between school now and then. At the end of this unit, the French III
students memorized and recited to the class.
You may flash the QR codes to listen to the poem recited by students.
Le cancre de Jacques Prévert (1900-1977)
Le cancre
Il dit non avec la tête mais il dit oui avec le cœur il dit oui à ce qu’il aime il dit non au professeur il est
debout on le questionne et tous les problèmes sont posés soudain le fou rire le prend et il efface tout
les chiffres et les mots les dates et les noms
les phrases et les pièges et malgré les menaces du maître sous les huées des enfants prodiges avec les
craies de toutes les couleurs sur le tableau noir du malheur il dessine le visage du bonheur.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• understand the main idea and some supporting details.
• make comparisons of basic language forms.
• memorize and recite a poem in French.
Observations:
#1 Black & White photo: Doisneau, Robert « Le cadran solaire » 1956, Atelier Robert Doisneau,
https://www.robert-doisneau.com/en/, December 8, 2023
MA Standards:
MA standards* (IM.1.b) (IM.6.b.2)
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Plant Variations
Students in third grade will examine different types of apples and compare them. They will complete
a data gathering chart to compare type, size, color, shape, texture, and taste. Students will be asked
questions to guide a comparison discussion like: Which apple was the largest? Which apple was
the sweetest? Which apple was the juiciest? Using the data collected, students will apply it to understand
how farmers can grow the biggest, juiciest, most delicious apples.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• recognize plant species have variations.
• understand traits can be inherited.
Observations:
Students enjoyed comparing different types of apples. They were surprised how different the tastes were.
Students were able to understand how one species can have many different variations in color, size, shape,
texture, and taste.
MA Standards:
3-LS3-1 Provide evidence, including through the analysis of data, that plants and animals have traits inherited
from parents and that variation of these traits exist in a group or similar organisms.
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Age of Jackson
Ninth grade students were broken up into 8 groups of two/three students to
study, prepare and present a Google Slides presentation on historical themes from
1824-1840. Students were given a rubric to follow as guide in preparing their
class presentations. Each group would become the experts in their respective theme
and become the teachers of content for the unit. Major historical items to be covered
ranged from the advances in transportation to early industrial growth, improvements in
agriculture, the Supreme Court under the leadership of John Marshall, the expansion of
slavery and the presidencies of James Monroe and Andrew Jackson.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• work cooperatively with one another and to be able to continue to learn and feel
comfortable presenting material in front of their peers.
• have an understanding of how the advances in transportation and industrial
development impacted the emerging United States market economy.
• know the cause and effect the invention of the cotton gin played in the expansion
of slavery and increasing sectional conflict.
• become familiar with the foreign policy of James Monroe and understand how
the Monroe Doctrine still applies to our current relationship with the world
today.
• recognize the impact the presidency of Andrew Jackson had on our country both
in a positive and negative way.
Observations:
Any time students get the chance to use technology and work with their peers to further
explore the curriculum is something they appreciate and enjoy. Their collaboration
and discussions on the material was the most important aspect of the learning process.
Overall the Google Slide presentations came out well.
MA Standards:
• Analyze the effects of industrial growth throughout antebellum America and
New England, the growth of the textile and machinery industries and maritime
commerce.
• the technological improvements and inventions that contributed to industrial
growth
• the role of women as the primary workforce in New England textile factories
• Analyze the causes and long and short term consequences of America's westward
expansion from 1800 to 1854.
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Music Theater Workshop - Musical Review
Music Theater Workshop is a student-led project based class. Students decide how
they would like to structure the class, whether it be to put on a full musical,
a few one-act musicals, or in the case of this semester’s class, a showcase of
musical numbers and monologues from several theater productions. Students chose what
they wanted to work on individually and group pieces. They are structuring a showcase,
blocking and choreographing their pieces, and will come up with the prop, costume,
advertising, and everything else that goes along with producing a show. They are
working on pieces from Man of La Mancha, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Hamilton,
Working, Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hanson, and Ghost just to name a few. They will have a
free performance of their showcase in January.
As a result of instruction students will be able to:
• work together to put on a production of their choosing for an audience.
• individually learn musical and acting material to perform.
• learn how to creativly stage and block a musical number or scene.
• learn how to give positive constructive feedback.
• understand the time and effort for such a project from both sides of peforming and
producing.
Observations:
I enjoyed seeing the students collaborate on putting their pieces together. They offered
suggestions to improve the blocking. They were also very encouraging of each other as singing
and acting can be a very venerable subject. There was a lot of risk taking and pushing of their
abilities. It was wonderful to see!
MA Standards:
Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation. Identify advanced strategies musicians
use to practice and employ them in readying a musical work for performance. (F.M.P.04)
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. Perform with accuracy and
expression works from the vocal or instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 3, on a scale of
1 to 6; or a comparable scale. (F.M.P.05)
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Describe how decisions about a
performance are connected to what students want to express, evoke, or communicate. (F.M.P.06)
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Describe what has
influenced changes in one’s own musical style, and musical preferences. (F.M.Co.10)
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Annual Senior Luncheon
On December 6, 2023, SBRSD students and staff invited senior citizens from the SBRSD community to
gather for a meal. High school student-chefs prepared and served a meal to their guests while SBRSD
students of all ages entertained with musical performances. This is an annual tradition at SBRSD.
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