PARENT
ADVISORY GROUP

Montville High School
Main Office Conference Room - 6:30 PM March 2, 2010 & May 4, 2010

Tag Sales at Fair Oaks School

• 9/25/2010 & 11/20/2010

About The Parent Advisory Group (PAG)

PRINCIPALS CORNER

PAG News

Parents to Parents:

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Art & Life Management Departments

Arts, Life Management, and 21st Century Skills

There's a buzz in the air about it and an increasing emphasis on preparing future generations by incorporating 21st century skills in today's education. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, media literacy, goal setting, working interdependently, and being prepared for the challenges of a global workplace and multicultural world. The arts and vocational subjects have always incorporated these skills and are at the forefront of a huge change in education. If you look around our classes you will see students self-assessing their work, embracing creativity and outside the box thinking, applying technology to routine problem solving, collaborating on projects, and developing knowledge of the world around them. As Sandra Ruppert states in a recent Education Week article, "Arts and vocational learning experiences play a vital role in developing student's capacities for critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, imagination, and innovation."

This year's board of education goals seek to raise opportunities for all students and in doing so, identify rigor, relevance, informative assessment, and 21st century skills as key elements. Many of these goals are integral components of the art and life management departments and are demonstrated in their eventful start to this school year. The ceramics students participated in an interdisciplinary project with the Spanish classes to create Calaveras for the Day of the Dead. The painting and sculpture classes visited the Alexy von Schlippe Gallery at UCONN Avery Point. Culinary classes have had numerous service learning opportunities through back to school night and professional development luncheons. Coming up is a fund raiser to fight hunger through the raffle of a Thanksgiving dinner complete with home-made cranberry sauce, side dishes, and a pumpkin pie. The department's PLCs are working on benchmarking and curriculum revision to provide rigorous and relevant learning and incorporate assessments that inform instruction.

As examples of ways we continually strive to renew our curriculum, the new teaching and learning collaborative between regular and special education has been a resounding success as students work together to develop life skills and transition plans. The new teacher in the life management department, Jennifer Collins, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in design and culinary. We are glad to have Bethany Bonner back at MHS after spending a year as the art teacher in residence at the state department of education. Laura Greenstein will have her book on formative assessment published this year by ASCD. And, in the spring we're looking forward to the engaging and creative experiences of Playschool, Culinary Café, and the Art Expo. As you can see, all the programs and teachers are involved in continuous growth and improvement. We believe that arts and life skills are an essential part of a core curriculum and appreciate your continued support of our programs.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people could change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Ruppert, S. (2009). The arts education effect. Education Week Vol. 29, Issue 5

BUSINESS & SOCIAL STUDIES Departments

Mr. Douglas Wheeler
Career Education Coordinator
Senior Internship Teacher

Dear Students, Parents, and Community Members,

            As the chairman of both the Social Studies and the Business departments there are a series of changes which have taken place or are in the process of being implemented which I would like to share with you. In terms of personnel the Business Department has seen the addition of Mr. Steven Temelini who is teaching at both the high school and at Tyl Middle School. He is currently teaching all Computer Applications I courses for freshmen which is a required course for graduation. In the fall semester we have also provided student teachers with the opportunity to learn from some of our experienced teachers. In the Business department Mr. Kevin Montanero worked with Mr. Wheeler and Mrs. Budick while in the Social Studies department Ms Stephanie Shabanowitz worked with Mr. Marelli and Mr. Dawe. Starting in January Ms Shana Golden will join us as a student teacher working with Mr. Orbe and Mr. Finnegan. In both departments we feel an obligation to provide internships for promising young people who are working to join our profession and we have done so consistently.
            In the Business Department the Senior Internship program continues to grow under the leadership of Mr. Wheeler and, even in these stringent economic times, local businesses continue to accept our interns.  Our former placement coordinator, Mr. Thompson, has left our employ and Mrs. Knight has replaced him. Mrs. Knight has fitted into the program seamlessly and our students are being placed in their internships in a smooth and organized fashion. This year there are again two sections of Senior Internships totaling 32 students meaning that our need for positions in which to place our interns continues to remain consistent. This process is ongoing and by the beginning of the second semester, when the students begin their on-site experience, we expect to have all of our qualified students placed in positions of their choice. A program which continues to grow is our job shadowing opportunity for students who would like to spend a day visiting an occupational site they believe they might be interested in as a career. All students have to do is to contact Mr. Wheeler and he and Mrs. Knight will begin the process of setting up the job shadowing opportunity.
            The Accounting I and II program has retained its level of enrollment and Mrs. Burdick, who teaches all of the accounting sections, is planning on offering students an alternative to this traditional approach. Currently we are in the process of establishing an Honors Accounting program which ultimately could become either an Early College Experience course accepted by the University Of Connecticut for college credit or an Advanced Placement course. This is a new approach for the Montville Business department and one we look forward to developing. The regular Accounting I and II courses will still be offered for those students who feel more comfortable in that venue. Our school store is in operation with regular hours and is run by Mrs. Burdick and Mr. Wheeler. Students continue to hold all of the positions from managers to clerks and there is a wide variety of goods available to our students. If you are looking for a special gift for your Montville High student why not visit our store to see some of the specialized products available.
            An additional major innovation planned for the Business department is the establishment of a mandatory Personal Finance course offered to all sophomores. The plans for this program are now being presented to the Curriculum Council and, once approved, will go forward to the E&E and Policy Committees of the Board of Education for final approval. The state of Connecticut has long suggested that high schools require this type of course as it has become more obvious that students have little knowledge of insurance, banking, and financial planning. We would be able to offer this semester course with no additional staff. Mr. Zyrlis remains active within the school community as a class advisor, helping with the school store and with Future Business Leaders of America projects. He is also the chairman of the Faculty Advisory Committee and is working with the other department members in developing the Personal Finance curriculum which we hope to have in place for the 2010-11 school year.
            In the Social Studies department Mr. Wainwright's Montville and Connecticut history course has attracted over 90 students and they have already visited some areas of local renown. The course has proven to be exceptionally popular with a broad cross section of students, mostly seniors. Mr. Lamperelli's Early College Experience United States History course is now in its second year and it is offered as part of the American Studies I program which is shared with Mrs. Baril (English). Students who continue in the American Studies II program can earn an additional three credits at UCONN which are transferable to any college that accepts the university's credits. Mr. Marelli and Mrs. Halsey (English) continue to offer ECE Maritime History to seniors and right now Montville is the only high school still offering this course for college credit. The Social Studies department continues to stress writing across all of its courses focusing on preparing our students for the CAPT test as sophomores and then focusing on college writing for our juniors and seniors. The results are that Montville students are again at the top of their DRG in the Writing Across The Disciplines section of the CAPT test with almost 70% of our sophomores meeting or exceeding the state goals for that section of the testing.
            Mr. Orbe, Mr. Finnegan, and Mr. Grove are in the process of rewriting the 9th grade curriculum which will offer students at Tyl a choice of the freshman course they wish to take. Eighth graders, for the first time this year, may select either Western Civilization or Non Western Civilization as their 9th grade social studies course instead of every student having to take the World Civilizations offering. As Tyl Middle School social studies teachers have revised their curriculum it has had an impact on what we should be offering 9th grade students at the high school and this elective program is the result. This will, for the first time, introduce eighth grade students to the process of choosing electives in the core areas. This program is now going through the approval process but we hope to have it ready for this year's eighth graders who will be registering for courses soon.
            Mr. Dawe's American Law classes continue to offer seniors at all ability levels the opportunity for a hands on approach to the study of our legal system. He uses mock trials, guest speakers, and field trips to provide the students with a realistic picture of how our legal system operates. Mrs. Glover and Ms Joslin continue to be active in the Connecticut Writing Project in order to bring the latest writing activities and styles to our department. Their continued emphasis on writing in their sophomore courses is one of the reasons why our students are doing so well on the CAPT testing.
            Both the Business and Social Studies departments offer varied and strong programs to the students of Montville in order to increase their educational experiences. Thus far it is clear than when our students leave our high school they have been prepared to successfully enter the world of their choice, be it the college campus, the working community, or the military. The preparation of our students remains our goal and our mission in both the Business and Social Studies departments.

(posted 2/2/10)

English Department

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back for the new school year.  The English department has worked diligently over the summer on various curricular revisions.  It is our belief that we are now offering the most comprehensive instruction of reading, writing, and critical thinking in the history of our department.  With Professional Learning Community (PLC) goals focusing on issues such as:  non-fiction "Reading for Information" skills; literary analysis; and common assessments, the members of the English department are taking steps to ensure that we meet the needs of every Montville High student.  Through our individual and department goals, combined with our renewed focus on grammar and vocabulary instruction, we expect the increased performance levels of our students to be evident through their grades, their performance on standardized tests, and their performance in post-secondary endeavors.

At the end of last year, we were saddened to learn of the departure of Ms. Bethany Wisniewski.  However, we were all very pleased to hear of Ms. Wisniewski's opportunity to resume her professional career at Plainfield High School.  We wish her the best of luck.

We are very excited to welcome Ms. Susan Walsh to MHS after spending time at Tyl Middle School.  In addition to teaching four of our sophomore classes, Ms. Walsh has taken over one of our speech communications classes and our journalism class.  In addition to her duties as the head of the drama program, Ms. Walsh will also be the new co-advisor for our school newspaper, The Chieftain.  We look forward to a well-crafted paper that showcases the talents of our student writers.  Any students interested in contributing to The Chieftain should contact Ms. Walsh in room 308.

We are continuing our department initiative of creating more frequent opportunities to celebrate student writing at MHS.  As a group we will be recognizing two creative and two analytical writers each quarter.  We also will continue to appoint an annual Poet Laureate of MHS.  Additionally, Ms. Wendy Halsey has spearheaded the Montville Arts Café which will give students, past and present, as well as members of the community, an opportunity to share their talents in a public forum.  More information about the Montville Arts Café and future performances will be forthcoming.  Finally, we will once again hold a Poetry Out Loud recitation contest.  Last year's experience with this program was very successful.  We hope to build on that excitement for an even bigger event this year.

We in the English department pride ourselves on being accessible to all parents.  If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your student’s teacher.  Everyone is ready and willing to help make this experience a positive and productive one.  You can contact any teacher through a quick email or a phone call to the main office. Each teacher will be sure to respond and offer help. The members of the English Department are:  Penny Baril, Noreen Bibee, Kelly Brooks, Wendy Halsey, Susan Laurençot, Ted Richmond, Alex Rousseau, Allyson Salazar, and Susan Walsh. 

Thanks to all of you who have already contacted us with your input and suggestions.  Your child’s high school experience deserves to be a rewarding one.  Through our demanding and creative teaching strategies, we hope to ensure that we are doing our part to help each student succeed.

(posted 9/09)

LIBRARY / MEDIA

Mrs. Julie Perry
Library Media Specialist

Mathematics Department

SCHOOL COUNSELING CORNER

Naviance:

Naviance Family Connection is a preparation and advising website for students and parents that is powerful, up to date, secure, and free from any advertising and sponsorships.. Naviance Family Connection is customized to Montville High School. Some options offered are:

• Researching local scholarship options
• Searching for colleges and viewing multimedia college profiles
• Registering for college visits
• Completing customized student, parent, and alumni surveys
• Accessing Web links and custom pages from your school
• Exploring and career interests
• Researching careers

To access Family Connection, students need a registration code provided by Naviance. These are given to students at scheduled times, but can also be obtained from the school counselor at any time.

Montville High School has added to its Naviance Family Connection online counseling program an outstanding SAT Test Preparation component. It is the most effective online test preparation program available and includes an evaluation test, lessons, practice questions, and 2 full-length practice tests plus test-taking tips and strategy guides for each test. The Naviance SAT Preparation program is accessible directly through Family Connection at any time for all students on any computer with web access. Any student not already registered on Naviance can do so at any time with their school counselor.

Scholarships

Many scholarships are being posted at this time on Naviance and in the Counseling and Career News. Copies are in the Counseling office, Career Center, main office, and downloadable by visiting the Counseling and Career Scholarship Web page at: http://faculty.montvilleschools.org/dingoglia/guidance/News/index.html then click on "Past Issues". Keep in touch with us at 848-1285.

Contact Information:

Teachers and counselors may be reached via email by using the first letter of the first name followed by the last name and @montvilleschools.org (example: tphillips@montvilleschools.org), or by phone at 848-1285.

(Rev.11/09)

SCHOOL NURSE

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

Mr. Richard Douglas,
School Psychologist, N.C.S.P.
P.A.G. Coordinator
(860) 848-1285 x 2133

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

                                                        
For the 09/10 school year we have added a new collaborative course that teams up a teacher from the life management department with a special education teacher. The course is entitled the Teaching/Learning Collaborative. The course consists of both special education and general education students. The general education students are from the 10th to 12th grades and are selected by recommendation from their guidance counselors based on their interest in pursuing a career in teaching, social work, psychology etc. At this point there are 11 general education students and special needs students.

The course is designed to enhance the ability of students to work cooperatively with one another. The general education peers serve as models and tutors for their special education counterparts. The special education students benefit from an expanded curriculum and inclusion with general education students. This expanded curriculum provides important and necessary personal and life skills with an emphasis on using leisure/recreational time, developing social skills and planning for success in post secondary settings. These areas are all part of the state department of education's emphasis on developing transition skills for special education students. General education students achieve the same content goals with the added benefit of developing mentoring, teaching and leadership skills.  The Connecticut content standards in Family and Consumer Sciences that are not currently in the family consumer science/life management curriculum are integrated into each unit.

A few of the areas that are covered in this course include social development and interactions, life skills, wellness (physical, mental health and nutrition), decision making, goal setting, food preparation, leisure and recreation. Embedded into the course are the opportunities to take a variety of field trips that coordinate with the topics that are covered. Guests from the community who have expertise in specific areas have also been invited to share their knowledge by presenting to the class. One such guest was a person from a local nursery who demonstrated how to transplant and care for house plants. Under her supervision each student transplanted and applied some of the plant care tips that she presented.

The general education students are responsible for planning, teaching, evaluating and participating in lessons and activities for students who will need more experience with independent living skills. They are taught specific modifications and adaptations of the curriculum such as rephrasing directions, simplifying wording, sequencing steps, developing study guides, modifying worksheets, incorporating routines, providing positive feedback, structuring transitions, hands on learning, differentiating instruction and using alternative assessment methods. They are expected to master the content area knowledge and skills at a level necessary to be able to teach it to others.

Since this is the first year for this course, the teachers are constantly evaluating what they are doing and how it is working. They would like to create learning centers within the class that students can circulate through.  Research in topics related to careers in working with people with disabilities is something they would like to further explore. In relation to that, they would like to create opportunities for students to job shadow, visit job sites and have more guest speakers come to the class to share information regarding specific careers.

The feedback thus far this year has been positive from the students. Many have commented that this is their favorite course. The two teachers of the course have been approached by general education students to see how they might be able to take the course. In the evaluation that students filled out as part of their mid-term examination, the general education students indicated that they enjoyed planning and doing lessons and guiding the students through the instruction. They noted that they would like to have more informative activities that related to careers and have the opportunities to rotate the groups that they are currently in so that they can work with all other students within the class. Positive interactions between the general education students and their special needs peers have been observed in settings outside of the classroom. In the evaluations completed by the special education students, it was mentioned that they enjoy the other students in the class as well as the activities they do.  One of the added benefits of participation in this course is the connections that are made between the students that are seen in and outside of the classroom setting.

(POSTED 2-17-10)