Canton Public Schools: September 2 School Committee Meeting Recap: Highlights From The Start Of The School Year, New Administrators, Dis ...

Press release from Canton Public Schools:

Leah Comins

September 13, 2021

CANTON — Interim Superintendent Derek Folan would like to share with the school community several notable updates and information provided at the September 2 Canton School Committee meeting.

A recording of the full meeting can be viewed here.

Additional meeting materials, including the Interim Superintendent’s Report and all documents shared at the meeting are available here.

Former Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller was honored by the School Committee and several guests, including Chair Kristian Merenda and all current School Committee members; former School Committee Chair Kristen Mirliani and former member Meg Gannon; State Sen. Walter Timilty who also presented Dr. Fischer-Mueller with citations from the House and Senate; past School Committee Chair and current Canton Select Board Chair Michael Loughran who presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Select Board; and Canton Teachers Association leadership.

School Committee member Chuck Rae has resigned from his seat. The committee will seek an interim member to serve on the committee until April 2021, at which point the seat will be open on the ballot. The position is expected to be posted soon.

First Day of School

All Grade 1-12 students returned to school on September 1. The District would like to recognize the hard work and preparation of principals, administrators and staff that helped Day 1 go smoothly, allowing everyone to concentrate on building relationships and rebuilding community in the schools. Brian Lynch and the custodial and maintenance teams were recognized for their work to prepare the buildings for the start of the year. The District was also pleased to welcome Senator Timilty who visited Hansen Elementary and Canton High School with Interim Superintendent Folan to welcome back students and staff. Kindergarten and preschool students began school last week — with all students having begun the year, 3,134 students are now back in the District’s buildings.

Photos can be viewed in the Interim Superintendent’s Report here.

Grade 9 Orientation; Grade 6, 7 and 8 Tour Nights; K-1 Open Houses

Grade 9 Orientation took place on August 25 and the High School’s Link Leaders and educators worked hard to ensure a warm welcome and sense of belonging.

Knowing students would benefit from transition experiences, GMS and elementary administrations designed evening events to help students preview their schools and build a level of confidence and comfort. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students had an opportunity to meet staff, explore the building and open their lockers.

The K-1 Open Houses were well attended and appreciated by some of Canton’s youngest students and their families. Parents and guardians learned more about the upcoming year, and students were able to see their classrooms prior to the start of the year.

Photos can be viewed in the Interim Superintendent’s Report here.

Welcome to CPS

On August 31, the District welcomed back staff. There was great reflection and gratitude about last year’s efforts, and a joyous, fun-filled meeting. School Committee Chair Kristian Merenda also delivered poignant and heartfelt remarks to the staff. The District launched its #ChampionsofExcellence theme and the important tagline: “Creating a Culture of Achievement, Equity, Inspiration and Joy!” In the week prior, the District held a comprehensive educator orientation for two days, coordinated by Debbie Rooney and Julie Shore and attended by School Committee member Kendall O’Halloran. The District is excited to welcome its newest educators this year.

Photos can be viewed in the Interim Superintendent’s Report here.

• Math Program Review: The work began with a review of state standards and where they are taught in each grade and course, a review of MCAS data, and initial discussions about course alignment. The next steps are to share information with all math teachers and build off of this work to complete a thorough math program review. Through this work, the District hopes to ensure a rigorous math experience for all students, as well as better define the scope and sequence for each year and course, research and share best practices in math instruction, and investigate math resources to guide budget requests to ensure that teachers and students have access to high-quality resources.
• CHS and GMS History: Teams of teachers continued updating curriculum to address the 2018 History and Social Science Framework, focusing on Civics this summer. The grade 8 civics course was further developed to include important components of Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills, and Civic Disposition. This also included the development of a Project-Based Learning unit for the civic action projects that are a part of the expectations for middle school. CHS teachers created curriculum units for US History 2 that align with the latest state standards and also include a civic action project for juniors. Teachers also worked to revise curriculum units for various senior electives.
• CHS World Language: World Language teachers worked to align their proficiency-based curriculum to align with the new DESE World Languages Framework. Teachers worked collaboratively across languages to develop a common pacing guide and crosswalk that includes course and unit outcomes, learning targets, and tiered supports.
• CHS English Writing: The CHS English teachers met to develop curriculum for grades 9-12 that focuses on writing skills connected to argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative writing. They created “writing bootcamps” that teachers can use and build on throughout the year.
• CHS Visual Arts: The CHS visual arts team worked to redefine the scope and sequence of Photography 1, 2 & 3, Digital Art & Design, Graphic Design, and Game Design to align with new MA Visual Art Frameworks.
• CHS Freshman Bootcamp: A group of teachers worked to compile a set of lessons on basic study and organization skills that could be directly taught to freshmen to help them with high-school level learning and alleviate gaps due to pandemic learning during their middle school years. The goal is to provide the incoming freshmen with direct learning of basic schooling skills including technology and basic study and organizational skills.
• GMS and Elementary Performing Arts: Teachers continued their work developing units to align with the new standards.
• GMS PBL Unit Development: The Grade 6 team collaborated, with coaching provided by i2learning, to create rigorous, high-quality interdisciplinary units that are aligned with state standards for implementation. There was also a three-day Project Based Learning 101 professional development course offered through the PBLWorks grant for interested teachers from grades 6-8.
• Elementary DEI Resources: JFK Principal DiDonna worked with a group of JFK teachers to develop a District resource to support diversity, equity and inclusion. Staff members created a September-June DEI calendar that highlights individual monthly celebrations and features an inclusive list of cultural holidays, celebrations, and more with curated resources. This work will be shared with other buildings in the District for collaboration and review before it is launched district-wide.
• Elementary Technology Integration: Elementary Digital Learning Specialists met to develop plans for their work with teachers this year, creating a schedule and units of study to support teaching the Digital Literacy Curriculum Standards through both push-in and pull-out models of instruction.
• Rodman Preschool Math: Early Childhood Teachers collaborated to revise the math units for the preschool. They created lessons that address mathematical reasoning, problem solving, language skills and application of math skills to real world situations.

• Kevin Lynn, Student Services Team Chair
• Nicholas Fitzgerald, Assistant Principal

• Kathryn Gallahue, Student Services Team Chair
• Jaclyn Abrams, Pre-K-5 Humanities Coordinator

• Mary Bania, Student Services Team Chair

• Re-establish Community, Joy and Excitement by creating a sense of belonging
• Give attention to Instructional Design: especially responsive, differentiated instruction with high-quality support and extensions
• Operate with a lens for Educational Excellence and Equity
• Communicate and drive the narrative of their school through webinars, videos, pictures, writing, etc.

This press release was produced by Canton Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.