Tag Archives: engage learning

Extended Studies in Library Media 2018 – 2019

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Gr. 6

Fall Term – Shark Tank. Over 30 students worked in teams or alone to develop a product that could solve a real world problem.

They then “pitched” their product ideas to staff member investor “Sharks.” In order to successfully pitch their ideas, students needed to have a basic understanding of the economics of venture capital investing.  In addition to creative problem-solving, this experience was also an opportunity for students to gain confidence in their oral presentation skills.   A few students opted to be the “production crew”, introducing the inventors to the potential investors, and running and filming “the show”.

“Have a pet at home that could use a pet door to independently go in and out during the day, but don’t want to encourage the local raccoons in to dine out of your kitchen trash?  Solution: A pet door with Nose Print recognition capability, the DNA Pet Door!” 

Gr. 5.  Term 2 – Passion Projects in Science and Social Studies

Did Mrs. O’Leary’s cow start the Great Chicago Fire? It’s possible!   Topics like this that sparked curiosity were explored in depth by students through guided “passion research projects”.  Students decided on a topic in either United States history or one involving space science.  They also chose how they wanted to present their knowledge to their peers, either by creating a digital presentation, constructing a physical model, giving a talk or a combination of  these.  We learned about NASA’s Robonaut program, the theory of black holes, the D-Day Invasion, the Great Chicago Fire and the Mars Rover.

 

Gr. 6.  Term 3 – The Amazing Race 

38 students participated in the second annual Amazing Race, Spofford Edition.   Two races were held at the end of May and many staff volunteers eagerly volunteered to be “cluemasters” at the race locations throughout the school.   Based in part on the popular television show, the SPS Amazing Race requires that students think creatively “outside the box” and work harmoniously in collaboration with teammates to first create a challenging race for their peers and then to successfully compete in their own race.   While racing, students have to work together and develop critical thinking skills under pressure in order to decipher the clues that lead them to the race locations. They then have to perform a task at each location found, such as dancing, singing, writing, solving math problems, scoring baskets, speaking in a different language or building foil boats.  Creating the challenging races themselves took a lot of time and effort from the students and competing in the races was often a struggle, but in the end, all students involved reported having a great experience and were glad they stuck to it.

MCBA participation by Spofford Pond Students made possible by B.E.S.T.

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Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Program (MCBA)

at Spofford Pond School  

In 1975, after finding that many children lose interest in reading books after reaching the intermediate grades, Dr. Helen Constant founded the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Program.  The program is designed for Massachusetts school children in grades 4-6 and is sponsored by Salem State University.

We are very pleased and excited to announce that thanks to a B.E.S.T. organization grant award, this year Gr. 6 students will have the opportunity to be involved in a popular and successful statewide program in which students from Topsfield Public Schools and Middleton Public Schools, their future student peers at Masco Middle School, have been participating in for several years.  B.E.S.T. granted $900 from the Harriet Ernst fund.  Ms. Ernst was known for her love of children’s literacy and this fund was established in her name accordingly.

The money will be used to purchase multiple copies of the (25) book titles on the MCBA Master List of titles 2019.   Each year, a list is compiled from nominations of participating teachers, librarians, and interested publishers.  A selection committee works with the nominations and chooses 25 titles to appear on the master list.  Criteria for the master list include literary quality, genres variety, representation of diverse cultural groups, and reader appeal.  All the books have been published within five years of the award and are available in paperback.

After reading five of the books, students may vote for their favorite in March.

Stayed tuned for the announcement of both the statewide winning book and the books that were voted “best of the list” by our participating Gr. 6 students.

We are excited about the possibilities to expand this program to include students in Grades 4 and 5 in 2020!

Ms. Boulay and Mrs. Kasmarcik

“According to published research, kids and teens who read fiction, as opposed to non-fiction or nothing at all, are better able to understand their own emotions and the emotions of others – a trait known as empathy.

As studies out of Emory University in Atlanta show, fiction helps to trick our brain into thinking we’re a part of the story – meaning kids are able to feel sympathy for the characters, which can extend to how they interact with real people in their own lives. They begin to develop better “feeling words” words, and are better able to relate to their friends and peers.

In other words, books can teach children valuable lessons about considering other people’s feelings, seeing things from a different perspective and being kind and understanding to those who look different than they do.”  https://www.choa.org

 

SEPAC Grant Awarded to SPS Media Center for Alternative Seating

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Exciting news!  The Board of the Tri-town SEPAC has recently granted a request to fund two
Jellyfish Ball Chairs for use by all students in the SPS Media Center.

This grant is a part of a longer-range plan to provide students with more flexible seating and learning options than are presently available in the Media Center .  (For some formulating ideas about this initiative, see Converting the Library to a Learning Center) by Jennifer Gonzalez .

Jellyfish Ball Chairs are ergonomic seats that can reduce squirming and fidgeting.   They are designed to stimulate thinking and allow continuous, non-distracting movement.  Stability ball chairs, like the Jellyfish Ball Chairs, allow purposeful movement to strengthen students’ core muscles while increasing focus on school work.

Each classroom of students who have entered the Media Center this past week immediately noticed the chairs and have asked to try them.

After explaining the purpose of the chairs to students, a plan to allow each student time to experience learning while using the chair was implemented.

Feedback as to how this new seating option impacts students and their learning in the Media Center will be gathered  to determine whether additional seating of this type for the Media Center might be funded in the future.