Curriculum and Instruction

Creative learning opportunities are alive in Holliston! Our teachers have been providing our students engaging methods to show their mastery of the state standards, such as performance based assessments and real-world applications. Please take some time to view this exciting work!

Warmly,

Joanne Menard, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction

The Library at Placentino hosted Holliston author Deborah Farmer Kris. She shared four of her books with a social emotional learning focus.

In Senora Bernal's Second Grade class, students are preparing for Cinco de Mayo by learning how to read a recipe for tacos. Students made their own tacos using classroom materials and their Spanish vocabulary.

Linguistic Cultures Standards

RAMS French Immersion teacher, Marinka Dorcely-Aihe has been engaging in Project-Based Learning allowing student voice and choice.

Communication Standards

1. Interpretive Communication - In texts and conversations on topics that relate to students and their immediate environment, relying upon understanding of simple sentences, supported by repetition and plain language, students:

a. Understand traits of multiple cultures and communities. (IL.1.a)

Exams for MA Seal of Biliteracy are taken each year in early spring, and student awards are contingent upon their exam score and their 10th grade MCAS scores in English Language Arts. The following are the results for groups who have been awarded the Seal of Biliteracy:

SENIORS

French - 17 students

Spanish - 5 students

Portuguese - 3* (with Distinction )

Hebrew - 1 student

JUNIORS

French - 11 students

Portuguese - 1 student

There are still 12 Spanish and French Juniors who are awaiting their final results.

The Performing Arts Department WELCOMES your donations of working and clean band and classroom instruments - please nothing broken, with mold or toys. Please email Dr. Pappas with your donations: pappasi@holliston.k12.ma.us.

Miller Band teacher, Nick Rockwood, is preparing his band for an upcoming performance. It isn't too late for current Third Graders to sign up for next year's Fourth Grade band: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoYz61wMxCvng1Pq-5Bh7jGi6OjWTtkf7bi360A9yJdzAJZA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Performing Standard: 4. Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation. Identify basic strategies musicians use to practice and employ them in readying a musical work for performance. (N.M.P.04)

Through the support of Holliston Music and Arts Parent Association, RAMS Music teacher, Matt Grina, was able to both purchase recording equipment to record the growth of his groups in areas of ear training, tone, sight-reading and balance, and provide a guest clinician to come to Holliston and work with his 7th/8th Grade Band and RAMS Jazz Band. Clinician, Mr. MacDonald, is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, and the American Band College. His feedback to students was invaluable!

Responding Standard : 7. Perceive and analyze artistic work. Analyze the style a musician uses and how it manifests itself in a given musical work. (F.M.R.07)

Performing Arts teacher Elizabeth Holmgren produced a brilliant Cabaret. The photos just can't do the level of performance justice!

Performaning Standard: 6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Modify a performance by anticipating audience responses to better align to student's artistic intent. (P.M.P.06)

Please consider supporting the HMAPA. This group supports initiatives K-12 that the regular budget can't provide. They are looking for new members, but also welcome your donations: https://www.hollistonmusicandarts.org/

Visual Art teachers of Placentino and Miller, Bailey Powers and Jenna Ferland, find inspiration for curriculum around the world and in famous artists.

Presenting Standard: 5. Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. Refine a specific technique to produce a desired effect (e.g., creating realistic shading). (3-4.V.P.05)

Art teacher, Heather Hebert, has two projects that she is working on with students.

Puzzle Painting

In term 3, students learned/reviewed color theory and practiced color mixing. Equipped with the knowledge and skills to mix the exact color they want each time, RAMS 6th, 7th & 8th graders received a "puzzle piece" from a poster of professional artwork. Students were challenged to observe, match and describe the shapes, colors, and textures in their replica. The 30 professional art posters are then being reassembled, alongside the student replicas and will be on display this spring at RAMS. Students analyze and reflect on the diverse art styles represented in the historical and contemporary examples and will have the choice to create an art piece in a style that inspires them later this spring.

Creating Standard: 1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Generate artistic ideas that demonstrate differences in composition principles (e.g., balance, proportion, emphasis) and push the boundaries of what materials can do. (7-8.V.Cr.01)

Network Garden

A team of 7th Graders is learning about Landscape Design and working to show pride for their school by improving its appearance. They are collaborating to improve the outdoor space we call The Network Garden; this area has picnic tables window boxes and benches and is outside the Network Classroom, one of our programs that supports students with diverse needs. The Network Garden provides an alternate outdoor learning space for these students as well as the entire RAMS community. Special thanks to Natick Home Depot and WF Bark Mulch Holliston for their support. Perennial plant donations from local gardens are welcome!

Visual Art teacher, Doug Lack, has his students finish up their ceiling tile projects. Each student selects a theme and room placement for approval. Their artwork will be appreciated for years to come.

Connecting Standard: 10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Describe and demonstrate influences of personal artistic style and preferences in visual arts. (7-8.V.Co.10)

PE teachers Todd Kiley and Erin Squires work together to prepare the Fifth Grade for their Endurance Run.

Fitness Standard: CH.PH.02.04 Identify physical and psychological changes that result from participation in a variety of physical activities

Wellness-Health teacher, Alan DeAngelis, has been very busy in the Middle School.

The 6th grade students have been learning about Personal Safety and Violence Prevention over the past couple of months. Students had a chance to practice their CPR skills in class after learning about the correct procedures and technique. Emergency Intervention Standard: Apply appropriate first aid for bleeding, choking, and burns

The 7th grade students recently started learning about nutrition and how they can better manage the food that they eat. They are learning about the food groups, the different nutrients in food, and how to read a food label. Students used myplate.gov to gather information about the foods they eat. Improving Nutrition Standard: List the functions of key nutrients and describe how the United States Dietary Guidelines relate to health and the prevention of chronic disease throughout the life span

The 8th grade students have been learning about healthy relationships. After spending a lot of time discussing what it means to have a healthy relationship with yourself, students began looking at other topics such as establishing appropriate boundaries, effective communication, and conflict resolution. Peer Relationships Standards: Recognize the positive contributions of character traits (such as tolerance, honesty, self-discipline, respectfulness, and kindness) to relationships, the benefit to relationships which include understanding and respecting individual differences, and the detrimental effect of prejudice (such as prejudice on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, or religion) on individual relationships and society as a whole.

Wellness teacher Jenn Moreau, Tye Seastedt, Beth Smith and Ben Marsh are focusing their lessons on team-building, collaboration and personal challenge. Personal and Social Competency Standard: Apply advanced movement concepts and beginning game strategies to guide and improve individual and team performance

Curriculum Review

We are currently in the midst of a mathematics curriculum review. The curriculum review started with the team identifying a shared vision of mathematics instruction. We then used the vision along with the strategic plan and Vision of a Graduate to define what mathematics instruction should look like in the classroom. Next we evaluated our current curriculum using DESE provided curriculum rubrics and compared our evaluation to MCAS and STAR data. We are currently in the process of using DESE's CURATE and EdReports to pick 2-3 curricular resources to look into in more detail. We plan to finish off the year with 1-2 curricula to pilot in the fall. A more detailed report will be coming out this summer.

We would like to thank the following educators for dedicating their time to the District's Mathematics Curriculum Review:

Mathematics Curriculum Review Team

Joanne Menard - Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction

Karen Archambault - High School Assistant Principal

Victoria Roy - High School Math Teacher

Cassandra Kogut-Taylor - High School Math Teacher

Jesse Conant - RAMS Assistant Principal

Jen Dayton - 6th Grade Mathematics Teacher

Deb Mailing - 6th Grade Mathematics Teacher

David Keim - Miller Elementary School Principal

Kerry Perpall - 5th Grade Math/Science Teacher

Colleen Barnett - 4th Grade Teacher

Christi Phipps - 3rd Grade Teacher

Kristin Marino - 2nd Grade Teacher

Nicole Lovell - Age 6-8 Montessori Teacher

Lindsey St-Aubin - 1st Grade French Immersion Teacher

Meg Nolan - Kindergarten Teacher

Adrienne Beaver - Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

James Levasseur - PK - 12+ STEM Curriculum Coordinator

Thank you for all your hard work so far!!!

Placentino

Students working hard at Placentino.

R.A.M.S.

Mrs. Mulkerrin's 7th grade math class is learning to classify different types of triangles and to solve for interior angles of different triangles. (Standard Addressed: 7.Geometry B.5)

High School

Mr. Tivnan's AP Calculus class created laminated posters to go on the lockers to help students practice FRQs for the upcoming AP Calculus Exam.

Curriculum Review

Holliston Public Schools will be embarking on a science curriculum review beginning in the summer of 2023. The team will be assembled at the end of the school year and begin their work of reviewing the science curriculum from PK-12+ during the summer.

Mrs. Irving's third grade science class learning about the effects living in space has on the human body while completing a mystery science lesson "How Long Can People (and Animals) Survive in Outer Space". (Standards Addressed: 3-Life Science 3-2)

Student in Mr. Rockwood's science class complete a Mystery Science Lesson "How is Your Life Like an Alligator's Life?" (Standards Addressed: 3-LS1-1.)

Students in fifth grade created posters to show the three phases of matter. (Standards Addressed: 5-PS1-1.)

R.A.M.S.

Mrs. Mason's class is using microscopes to view, draw and identify protists (unicellular eukaryotes). (Standards Addressed: 6.MS-LS1-1)

High School

Students in Mr. Marsh's Suburban Homesteading class learning how to make soap. (Standards Addressed: HS-ETS2-1)

Placentino

Mrs. Moreno's second grade using tablets to code Dash robots. (Standards Addressed: 3-5.Computational Thinking.a.1)

Miller

In April, we were visited by two Franklin Public School Digital Learning Specialists. They left inspired to bring our model back to their district. This connection has helped us to connect via Twitter with a better understanding of each other's programs. We are hopeful to connect through lesson plans in the future (personal, local, global).

In May, another 8 educators and administrators visited from Millbury Public Schools and another two educators from Braintree Public Schools. Opening the classroom beyond the four walls has proven to be a tremendous way for these teachers to get their own professional development, build Personal Learning Communities while exposing students to new experiences and conversations with adults outside of our school building. Students have been given an opportunity to share their projects, showcase their learning process and practice their listening/speaking skills with an authentic audience.

Next year, we are hoping to continue the outside connections with students specifically as it relates to their projects.

Additionally Check out the Miller Musing Podcasts which are published on Spotify.

High School

Students in Mr. Leveque's Computer Games & Graphics course complete a challenge activity where they are required to digitally replicate the google symbol using Lego blocks. (Standards Addressed: 9-12.CT.d)

In just a few weeks, Holliston High School will graduate students with a Global Citizens Program endorsement. The program is finishing its first year, and at this time, has 9 students who are close to earning a GCP designation. The purpose of the Holliston High School Global Citizens Program (GCP) is to help students attain “the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.” Through a variety of interdisciplinary globally centered courses and real-world extracurricular experiences, students will become active participants, creative problem solvers, and authentic change-makers in our ever-changing and diverse world.

Program Coordinators Doug Calais, Erika Calais, Shawna Frost and Kaitlin Mills have designed a program that teaches students to think critically about their role in the world and the opportunity to learn and apply the skills needed to be an active changemaker in their community. Students are required to take 2 foundational courses when they begin the program - Introduction to Global Citizenship and Service Learning. Additionally, students are expected to take 4 additional GCP courses and complete a Senior Capstone Project.

On March 30th, 9 seniors presented their capstone projects as part of the 1st annual HHS Global Citizens Program Capstone Presentation Evening. Students presented their work and reflected on how their work has impacted the community. All together, the 9 seniors worked on 7 different projects. One project, helmed by Breanna Fisk and Amelia York is focused on improving the quality of drinking water right here in Holliston. So far they have created a PSA for the community about how to protect Holliston’s drinking water. Additionally, they are partnering with Matter of Trust to create and install mats on storm drains that filter out oil and harmful chemicals.

Meanwhile, Caroline Warner and Larissa DaSilva’s project has challenged the high school community to take action through the reaction of The Composting Club. The team currently has composting bins in the cafeteria, and a composting pile behind the school.

On April 25th, Holocaust survivor Janet Applefiled shared her story of survival with the 10th and 11th graders at Holliston High School.

Also, on April 25th Holliston’s own local children’s author Deborah Farmer Kris visited the Placentino school. Students got to listen to her read I Love You All the Time, You Have Feelings All the Time, and You Wonder All the Time.