It was great to have an extra-long summer vacation this year as we were able to complete many projects to improve the physical space of MMES! Our custodial staff worked tirelessly to make all of these projects come together before the start of the new school year! Some highlights are below:
- The main arrival and dismissal loop was repaved! This makes for a smoother arrival and dismissal process and keeps all of us (and our cars) safe during this busy time of the day. We are hoping to have the parking lines painted in the next week or so.
- The gymnasium got a beautiful facelift! The walls were painted and a hornet mascot was painted at mid-court! Thank you to Julia Paccone (MERMHS student) for donating her time and talents to MMES to paint the mascot...it looks marvelous!
- As you know, our space is very limited at MMES. We are doing everything that we can to use all available spaces optimally. We have converted the boys and girls locker rooms to teaching spaces. The locker rooms were demolished and rebuilt with new walls, lighting, flooring, and windows. One side will be our Motor Room for our occupational and physical therapy rooms and the other side will be our Band Room. Thank you to Peter Verga, Joe Lucido, Steve Hunt, and our entire custodial staff for their hands-on work to make this project happen!
- The exterior drainage in the grade 1 and 2 wing was a problem in the past. When it rained, water would flood in through the wall and we actually had to mop the floor in that hallway. A new drainage system was installed to divert water away from the building in that area. The damaged tiles were replaced in the hallway and we should be nice and dry on rainy days...hooray!
- Through a grant from Governor Patrick's office, MMES was selected as a model school to develop a special education program for students with intensive reading and written language disabilities. The former band and copy room was renovated with grant funds to house this new program known as the Intensive Reading and Written Language (IRWL) program. It was equipped with new paint, flooring, storage, furniture, and an interactive board (to be installed). This is a beautiful space for our students to work with the special education teacher and reading specialist dedicated to the program!
- Thanks to an anonymous donation last year and a generous Spaulding grant, all of our classrooms will be outfitted this year with sound amplification systems for our teachers, assistants, and students to use during lessons. These systems allow all students in the room feel like they are sitting "front and center" no matter where they are seated in the room. Thank you to our community for their support!
- All of our classrooms will be outfitted with interactive boards this year so that every student will benefit from this dynamic technology. The boards are slated to be installed later this week!
- Many of our aging computers have been replaced with brand new ones. A new laptop cart was deployed for the upper grades this year as well!
- In an effort to arrive at a common PK-5 experience for the students of MMES and EES, a time audit task force was put together to look at the daily schedule and time on learning. As a result, the district has adjusted the schedules of both schools so that we are all on the same schedule throughout the day. One notable adjustment is the arrival times for MMES and EES:
- 8:10 AM - Students can arrive to school, and staff is on duty for supervision on the 2 blacktop playgrounds.
- 8:15 AM - Students line up to head indoors to begin getting organized for the start of the day.
- 8:25 AM - Students arriving to school after 8:25 are marked tardy.
- 8:30 AM- Our specialist classes and academic day begins
- MERSD will be implementing the Common Core State Standards this year. To support teachers as they shift to the new national standards, MERSD will be implementing the following programs:
- Everyday Mathematics - Common Core Edition
- Write Steps - Common Core Writing Program
- MMES will be implementing a model for supporting students of all levels in reading called, Response to Intervention (RtI). In the first week of October, all students K-5 will be assessed using tools called AIMSWEB and DIBELS. These quick measures will identify for us students who are at-risk and need support in literacy. Small-group interventions will be provided to these students in the classroom. We will re-assess in the winter and spring as well to monitor student progress...more info to come!
- Facilitated Recess: We have increased our supervision in the cafeteria and at recess so that we have 6 adults supervising recess and 4 adults supervising the students in the lunchroom. Thanks to the generosity of our PTO, we have purchased a storage shed and materials for games and activities at recess. Students in grades 1-5 will now use the turf field and large play structure at recess (blacktop if the ground is covered with snow). A major benefit to using the turf field is that children can safely run, jump, fall, play, etc. on the turf field! One of our new lunch/recess monitors (Mrs. Brennan) will be organizing optional activities at recess for our students. For those students who are interested, she will organize games and activities for the children to play. Students still have the option of "free play" at recess, but the organized activities will be available. For example, last week they could choose to play "pick pocket tag" and today's activity was called "Magic Carpet Ride." So far, it seems to be a big hit!
That is all for now...I truly hope that your child has had a great start to the school year. This is going to be the best one that MMES has seen yet!
John J. Willis
Principal
