Why Failure Can Sometimes Be A Good Thing

     The documentary, Race to Nowhere,  takes a look at the high level of stress many high school students are experiencing in reaching maximum success in their education.  One of the most important points made in the film is that achievement is not the same as learning and that sometimes students (and parents), in their quest to be the best they can be at everything, lose interest and the fun in learning for learning's sake.  
     In a recent article in TeachThought, it highlighted 8 reasons why failure can actually be a good thing:  

1.  Failure Causes One to Learn Lessons- studies show that learning is actually  good for the brain and promotes overall good health.
2.  Failure Causes Many to Work Harder-  some of the greatest minds our world has ever known always seem to mention that early failures were the catalyst to push them farther in their studies.
3.  Failure Can Build Empathy- as we gain an appreciation for hard work in ourselves and others.
4.  Failure Can Cause One to Gain A Sense of Humility- it's healthy to keep the ego in check.
5.  You Can Find Out Who Your Friends Are- it helps build a network of trustworthy companions.
6.  Failure Can Open Up the Chance for Simplicity- keeping yourself focused on what is really important to you.
7.  Failure Often Leads to Creativity- helps one look at something a little differently and perhaps spark an innovation.
8.  Failure Can Force One to Learn Flexibility- prevents one from being rigid and unreasonable.

     It's important to re-iterate to our students that succeeding in different aspects of one's life sometimes includes falling down from time to time.  This healthy perspective will help students cope with the pressures that are often put on them.  

Our Hearts Go Out to Sandy Hook...

Like so many Americans, I was completely devastated to hear the news that the lives of twenty young children and six adults were taken in a senseless act of school violence last Friday.  To think that someone would inflict such harm on innocent children and adults  is incomprehensible.  The ELHS community will remember the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary in a moment of silence on Monday and with donations to the United Way's Sandy Hook Fund on Friday.

In order to relieve some anxiety over situations like this, it is very important to remember that they are very rare.  However, every school should be prepared with a comprehensive safety plan in place.  Since the start of school, we have had two safety drills that involved an intruder lock down and full evacuation of our building to an alternative site.  We will continue to run these drills regularly so that our students and staff are on alert and know what is expected of them in an emergency.

This year, we added seven new cameras to the high school and are working to add more sometime this summer.  These cameras are monitored by our main office staff, our school resource officer and all administrators.  It has always been the practice of ELHS keep all doors locked throughout the school day and only allow access to the building to visitors who buzz our main entrance and sign in at the main office.

In light of this event, we are holding an emergency crisis team meeting this week to review our plans with our staff and the East Longmeadow police.  Additionally, we will be reminding students how they can help keep our building secure during the school day by following very important safety protocols.  Some of our students may need extra support this week, so we also be informing students that our counselors are available to them if they just need to talk some things through.

The link below offers some great guidelines for parents and schools on how to deal with such tragedies such as what happened in Newtown on Friday.   It's definitely worth a look.  It is times such as this that we all are reminded of our blessings- which includes being a part of the wonderful Spartan community. Our hearts and prayers go out  to those in Newtown, CT.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/terror_general.aspx

Creating Meaningful Homework

     

     One of our teachers recently sent me an article about the value and purpose of homework.  For most students, homework is a means to an end- not something that they really value. However, when designed properly, homework assignments should reinforce the concept or skills taught in class, give the teacher an understanding of what the students know and/or are able to do and bring relevance and meaning to the student regarding the content.  It should never be just “busy work.”   How much homework a teacher gives really depends on what may be necessary to seek the above.  For example, if the objective is to  simply recall content knowledge, this would not need as much time as say an objective in where students need to analyze, evaluate or create something.  Homework can be particularly meaningful for a student when he or she  is asked to draw from their own experiences and the world around them. There will always be a need to do simple math problems or science equations, but the new national Common Core Standards and the push for 21st-century learning is requiring more relevant lesson design embedded with higher level thinking skills.  For any given homework assignment the following questions should be asked to determine it’s quality: 

• Does the assignment clearly align to the course content and skills that the teacher is currently covering in the classroom? 
• Does the homework assignment  give the teacher the necessary information needed to assess the student’s progress on content and skills covered in class in the most effective manner possible? 
• Can the student gain an understanding of why the assignment is important to their future development of the course content and/or has an application in the real world?

For more information on the effectiveness of homework, check out the following website:  http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Five-Hallmarks-of-Good-Homework.aspx

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, we often reflect on the things we have to be grateful for.  In terms of a learning community, East Longmeadow High School is very fortunate that we are in a community where so many parents and students understand and appreciate the value of a good education.  

We are very fortunate  to have teachers who are always looking to provide meaningful and rigorous lessons for their students so they can leave ELHS ready for the world.  Our teachers very work hard and we are thankful for their commitment.  

We are very grateful for our students who might not always agree with the policies in place here at ELHS, but understand the view for the greater good and are, for the most part, always respectful of the adults and their classmates in our building.   It is our students who inspire the adults at ELHS to work hard to give them the very best education around.  

We are grateful as well for our support staff:  our custodians, nurses, counselors, paraprofessionals and secretaries who make sure our building is safe and functioning smoothly.  Their role in our community is crucial and we could not function effectively without them.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work everyday in a place that is so inspiring, challenging and fun- where everyone understands that getting better every day is the focus and are willing to roll up their sleeves to learn and grow.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  I hope that the next year continues to bring you all many blessings.

ELHS Grad, Peter Gray, Living the Dream- Career Ready!

   
     On November 26, at 9pm, ELHS alum, Peter Gray will be competing on TLC's "Next Great Baker" show.  He will be competing against 13 contestants for a $100,000 prize and the opportunity to work in a nationally recognized bakery.  You can read more about Peter by visiting:  http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/11/east_longmeadows_peter_gray_tr.html.
     While I did not know Peter, it filled me with great pride nonetheless to learn that one of our graduates was truly following their dream- in Peter's case, culinary arts.  From what I have learned about Peter, he was always very gregarious, so his  former culinary arts teacher, Ms. McMahon, was not surprised to learn about Peter's success.   Ms. McMahon still communicates with Peter so  there is no doubt that Peter received some strong encouragement and support while a student here at ELHS.
     There is a lot of buzz in the education world right now to really focus on making our students "college and career ready."  It's a great goal, but it seems to me that this has always been the goal of education.  This should not be anything new.  What is new, is the emphasis in the classroom and the tools used to motivate students.  The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is pushing schools around the country to really focus on critical thinking, problem solving, media literacy and global awareness in addition to the core subjects.
     When I was in high school, the teacher was the center of the classroom.  All knowledge and information came from him or her.  We, students, sat and listened intently until we were given the cue to discuss or answer questions.  Some of my classmates did this dutifully, and some, we never heard a peep out of.
     The classroom landscape is quickly changing.  In order to be "college and career ready" and to acquire "21st Century Learning Skills,"  teachers are now being asked to facilitate the learning rather than be the sole source for learning.   In other words, make the students the center of the classroom.  Teachers are being asked to design lessons where students are doing more inquiry to find information and solve problems- all while collaborating and discussing with their classmates.  The classroom should no longer be completely silent.  Desks should no longer be primarily in rows.  It should be a place where the student voice is heard and the teacher is guiding the learning process along using all kinds of great technology and resources.  It's pretty exciting.   Knowing Ms. McMahon like I do, I bet, Peter had daily opportunities in his culinary arts class to be creative, figure out new recipes and work together with his classmates.  Way to go Peter Gray!

How do we know what students know?

     Many of us can relate to a moment when we sat in a classroom perhaps confused or unsure about a concept being taught in class.  For the bold, the raising of the hand and asking a question of the teacher was not difficult.  But for many students, seeking direct clarification from the teacher can bring anxiety to the point that the risk of maybe being embarrassed  just isn't worth it.  

       As teachers, we are frequently checking in with students in an informal way to see if everyone is on the same page.  We look for raised hands, we engage in random calling and will often give a problem to solve or a question to answer.  Yet, is this enough and are we doing it as frequently as we should?  Are there better and more efficient ways to collect feedback from students to find out what they know and don't know?  

      Research shows that use of formative assessments (quick checks that guide the daily instruction of teachers in real time) are one of the best practices in teaching that can have a solid impact on overall student achievement.  The key is to get the feedback quickly from students and modify instruction to meet their needs.  Recently, some of our  teachers have been asking students to take short polls via cell phones in class to gauge where the class is at.  Some teachers use other methods such as "turn and talk,"  whiteboards, "ticket to leave" and so on.  Next month, we are sending a team of teachers to attend a training on how to develop formative assessments and use data to guide instruction more effectively.  They will take a look at a practice called "error analysis" which involves "identifying patterns of errors students are making, investigating student thinking that may have led to the errors, and taking targeted corrective action." 

     Our staff does a great job in creating a caring environment in the classroom where students feel safe in being an active participant in their education.  Our hope is that learning more about the practice for checking for understanding will build upon this.  

Flip Your Classroom

   
     A recent article in the The Daily Riff,  discussed "21 things that will become obsolete in education by 2020."  The list included lined rows of desks (students will be collaborating on a daily basis), computer labs, computers, homework, standardized tests as we know them, paperbacks, high school algebra I (will be required in 8th grade) and paper, to name a few.  
     Homework gone forever?  Well, not exactly.  There is a new phenomena sweeping schools these days called,  Flipping the Classroom.  The concept begins with students watching the teacher developed mini-lessons online on course content and doing specific readings at home.  This eliminates the need for the teacher to spend so much time lecturing in class.  Instead, the teacher acts as a facilitator and coach, if you will.  When students come to class the next day, they are not taking notes but are working collaboratively in groups to demonstrate an understanding of the content knowledge or applying it to real world scenarios developed by the teacher.  The teacher is then spending the majority of the class time answering questions and guiding students both in groups and individually.  
     The role of the student is now to closely work with each other to solve problems and develop answers to questions they may have.  This concept, engages,  by far,  the highest levels of thinking- analysis, prediction and evaluation.  As our teachers start to develop their own professional learning groups with their colleagues, it is my hope that ELHS can explore this model and put it into practice.

Our Building...

 
  Everywhere you turn these days, it seems like another new high school is popping up...Minnechaug, Longmeadow, Putnam, West Springfield.  I can not deny that I'm a little jealous.  These new buildings are no doubt accommodating the needs of students and teachers to promote 21st century learning in very exciting, new ways.  From the physical layouts to the technology integration of these new buildings, our building can not compare, however, it is nice to know that our town is looking to renovate where needed and feasible.    
     This year, our school district has secured a "building study" of ELHS.  These facility experts will give us a very detailed examination of where we will need to focus on in terms of improvement.  From electrical, technology and structural needs, our 50 year old school will need some help.  Right now, we have been doing little things to bring some life and modern elements to our space.  This summer, the bright blue poles outside were painted to match the building.  We opened up and renovated some of our courtyards for our students to enjoy.  We gave the main office a little facelift and painted some internal areas.  We replaced the old gym windows and we renovated the boys' locker room.  We also installed new security cameras.  
     As structurally sound as our building is, we can not ignore that some areas do need some expensive updates.  Our library, for example, is extremely outdated.  Our hope is to renovate this area to create more of a "media center" where students,  teachers and community groups will be drawn to gather more frequently for studying, collaboration and professional development.   Our auditorium is also an area that could use some TLC.  Our hope is to update the sound system, lights and fading curtain as it is not only a hub for the high school, but for the community as well.   
     The biggest area of focus is the access to technology in our building.  Our town's IT department as been closely working with our schools to help update our infrastructure to allow our students to access technology in ways that promote collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.  We are thankful that they continue to work with us to find out ways to get technology into the hands of all our students.  If I had one wish right now, it would be to have ELHS be a 1:1 iPad school...where every teacher and student had this device in hand.  There is a great deal of research out there that supports the use of these devices to cut down on the cost of textbooks and paper, however, there is even more research out there to support how these devices can help students organize and learn more efficiently and effectively.  Some schools have initiated "lease to own" programs to make the 1:1 program a reality.  
     At the end of the day, it is the people within the school that make the real difference and I could not be more proud of our teachers and students.  I am very thankful to be work and live in a community that values education as much as East Longmeadow does.  

It's Never Too Early to Start Thinking About College

   
      The GPA (grade point average) is that magic number that can have a huge effect on the rest of a student's life as it plays a big part in determining what college/university they will be able to get into.  The SAT/ACT scores and extra curricular activities such as sports, clubs and community service also play a big role in this, however, it is the GPA that lays the foundation.  
     Colleges/universities want to see that high school students are challenging themselves.  This is why we encourage all our students to take a few honors or Advanced Placement classes.  They generally want to see an upward trend in grades, however, life is not over if a C graces a report card.    They also want to see that the student has made a positive contribution to their school and community.  A friend of mine who is the Director of Admissions for Catholic University in Washington D.C.  once told me that the bottom line for most colleges/universities is that they want to accept students who will enhance the university with their learning and participation efforts.  The GPA, SAT/ACT scores and extra curricular activities helps them gauge this.  
     It's never too early to start thinking about the process while in high school.  I encourage freshmen to start researching the colleges/universities that are of interest to them now so they can learn about their entrance requirements and start setting some goals.  For example, the University of Massachusetts, generally is looking for a 3.5 GPA, a mid 500 score on the SAT components or a 24-26 on the ACT.  
     I encourage all of our sophomore students to take the PSAT this fall so they can gauge where they stand on taking this very important assessment.  If the student is not where they want or need to be, it might be a good idea to think about SAT/ACT prep classes.  Our guidance department has many resources and ideas for students who are looking to start planning now.  I encourage all our students and parents to take advantage of the services and information provided by guidance.  Good luck and know that we are always here to help!

Top "Apps" for Students

     With the advent of smartphones, new applications (apps) are being designed everyday to meet every imaginable interest or need.  Students can benefit from a wide variety of these tools that can help them communicate with others, reinforce content material and organize their school work.  Currently, I am a doctoral student at Boston College.  One of the benefits of my schooling is that I am experiencing first hand the many ways technology is hitting colleges and universities.  Here are some apps that I feel could really help out our students.  

1. Homework Organization:  inClass or myHomework  Visit the Apps Store on your iPhone.  Studious is the Android version.  
2. Collaboration Tools:  Google apps allows students to store and work on documents, presentations and spreadsheets at the same time from their own home and computer.   What is really powerful about this application is that students can also see and talk to each other while writing papers and completing presentation by using to Google +.  Go to Google.com and sign up for a free account to take advantage of this.  
3. Storage Tool: Say goodbye to thumb drives with Dropbox.  This allows students to store and access their documents anywhere.  Visit www.dropbox.com
4. Notes Tools:  Goodreader and iannotate allow students to scan or download documents and then highlighter and annotate.  This is great for students who struggle with reading and want to keep track of their notes in class.   Evernote allows them to take notes from their phone and organize them.  
5. Studying Tools:   gFlash+Flashcards & Tests- allows for studying on the go with the use of flashcards 

   
     Last week, MCAS scores were released and ELHS showed growth in many areas.  First and foremost, we increased  the amount of students who have scored in the Proficient and Advanced categories in English Language Arts, Math and Science from last year.  There was  incredible improvement in the area of Biology as we had only 12% of students in the Advanced category in 2011 and had 33% of students in the Advanced category in 2012.   Additionally, we are above the state average in the Proficient and Advanced category in English Language Arts, Math and Science.  This is all positive news, but keep in mind, these comparisons measure two entirely groups of students (class of 2013 versus 2014 and 2014 versus 2015).  What is always most important for me is taking a look at how the same group of students progress over time.  This individualizes the process to identify each class's areas of focus.  In this area, last year's sophomores have made some great gains from the last time they took the MCAS in 8th grade.  Our October newsletter will provide you more MCAS data to examine.  Until then, know that our staff is currently taking a deeper look at the data to identify areas that we can improve as a school and creating action plans for this improvement.  Enough number crunching...hope you get the chance to enjoy this beautiful weather.

     

        September 19th is “No Text on Board ...It Can Wait Day.”  Last year at ELHS, we had a powerful presentation for our students that included a testimony of a father who lost his young daughter due to a texting related accident and a young man who is currently in prison for texting while driving that resulted in the death of a man.  The statistics on texting are frightening:

• 100,000 crashes a year involve  drivers who are texting
• 75% of teens  say texting and driving is “common” among their friends
• texting drivers are 23 more times more likely to get in a car accident.  

My hope is that our students will be smarter and not engage in cell phone use while driving, however, if parents want to take that extra step to insure that texting and phone calls while driving does not happen, there is a precaution you can take.  

Key2SafeDriving is a device that is easily installed in your car and on your phone that instantly shuts down texting and incoming calls when the key is in the ignition.  The phone immediately enters “safe driving mode” which means all incoming texts receive a message that you are driving, and all incoming calls are sent directly to voice mail.  No texting can occur when the key is in the ignition of the car.  The cost of this device is $99.  For more information, check out:   http://www.key2safedriving.net

New Cell Phone/Electronic Device Policy Rolls Out

One new policy we kicked off this year allows for the use of cell phones and electronic devices in our building for the first time.  For an administrator, it is admittedly a decision that holds many concerns but the opportunity to help cultivate responsible digital citizens seems very important and relevant in the world we live in today.

Our old cell phone policy of "not used, not visible" did not allow us to model and discuss the appropriate uses of technology.  It also did not allow use to explore how these devices are enriching the learning environment in so many exciting ways.

It's only been a couple of weeks, but I'm proud of how our students are embracing and adhering to our new policy respectfully.  Understandably, there are those out there with concerns that our students are losing their ability to communicate in live form, but if you visit our cafeteria where phones are allowed, you will  see only a few students with their phones out at different points and many use it to work on homework.  There is also the legitimate concern that these devices in schools will encourage cyberbullying.  I want to assure everyone that we will continue to uphold our district policy that does not tolerate bullying in any form.  We are also developing programs to help our students understand the effects and dangers of cyberbullying and all other types of bullying.

These devices are here to stay and the best thing we can do as teachers, administrators and parents/guardians is to continue to help students understand the etiquette and appropriate uses of digital devices through conversations and practice.  Our teachers and administration are committed to monitoring the implementation of this new policy in a way that will allow our students to grow and learn in positive ways.

   
     Although we are only a week into the 2012-13 school year, it really is off to a great start thanks to our students and teachers.  Clubs and sports are winding up and the high school has come alive again after a two month hiatus.      The great thing about the start of  a new school year is that it gives students the chance to start anew.  If they struggled a bit last year, it's a great opportunity for them to start fresh and set some new goals.  It also gives them another opportunity to explore new things that may interest them.
     For parents, the transition back to school can be hectic, but it's also an opportunity for you to sit down with your student, reflect on last year and set some positive goals together regarding homework, organization, effort and general communication.  As we embark on a new digital landscape here at the high school, I encourage students to record their homework on their phones and email/text it to their parents to keep everyone in the loop.  Most cell phones are now equipped with alerts to remind students of when assignments are due or when events take place.  This is the perfect opportunity to start training for the adult world where these devices are used regularly for positive purposes.
     For all students and parents, Edline is the most valuable resource to stay informed about what is going on in the classroom and ELHS in general.  Please don't forget to check your student's progress here weekly or better yet, set up your account so you can receive updates whenever new information is entered into your student's grade record.  We hope as the year progresses that all our students will have positive educational experiences and enjoy a fun, happy school year.

New Summer Reading Program is Here!

  

      ELHS's  English Department has re-vamped our summer reading program.  In the past, students were assigned a book and given a multiple choice test at the start of the class.  In an effort to develop a more authentic enjoyment of reading and to develop more critical thinking about the readings, students will now have a choice of several books to read over the summer.   These books are somehow connected to the required reading book in each of their English classes.  After reading the book of their choice, students will now "blog" 3 times during the summer about different aspects of their book. It is our hope that the use of technology for the summer reading program will give our students the opportunity to engage in interesting dialogue with their classmates about the books they are reading.  
     When students return next year, they may use their blog entries to help write a comparative essay on the book they read in the summer, to the book they are required to read in class.  It is to the student's benefit to write well developed and thoughtful blog entries.   We hope our students will get more out of this new program and blog with the enthusiasm.  Please visit the ELHS website for all information on the summer reading program. 

Congrats to the Class of 2012!

Today our beloved seniors graduated in what was a beautiful ceremony on the grounds of ELHS.  The student speakers, which consisted of Emily Lajoie, Andres Mejia-Ramon, Julie Cokotis and Chris Tarbell did a wonderful job sending their classmates off with well wishes and words of wisdom.  I was incredibly proud to see this spirited and talented group of students walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.  Best wishes to the Class of 2012!

Congratulations to the 2011 Stock Market Game Winners!

2011 Stock Market Game Winners
Back (L to R):  Vincent Calcosola, Mark Winslow, Thomas Burns
Front (L to R):  Ms. Quercia, Michaela Mattoon.

This past fall, students in Ms. Quercia's Stock Market class competed in the 2011 Stock Market Game.  This event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education.  We are proud to report that four of our students placed #1 out of 732 teams from all over the state of Massachusetts.  Their investments had a 19.96% return above the S&P 500.   The students who took part in the competition representing East Longmeadow High School were:  Vincent Calcasola, Mark Winslow, Thomas Burns, and Michaela Mattoon. 

Student Achievement Night

Congratulations to all our students who were honored last week during our Student Achievement Awards Night.  Over 100 students were awarded over $100,000 in awards and scholarships.  We are so proud that our students have demonstrated excellence in the areas of academics, sportsmanship, leadership and community service.  Thank you to all the local organizations that supported our students with financial assistance and recognition.

     Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the ELHS Drama's Club performance of "Unspoken for Time," a drama that focused on a young woman's journey to healing as a victim of sexual abuse.  This topic was highly sensitive, however, our students, under the guidance of Ms. Huba, did a great job in bringing a strong sense of compassion and awareness to the issue.  Additionally, the depth and range of emotion that the actors displayed was just amazing.  Congratulations to the ELHS Drama Club and Ms. Huba for providing the audience such a great evening.

Distracted Drivers Assembly

Today our Guidance Department organized a very powerful assembly on the dangers of driving while texting or under the influence.  The presentation was conducted by the District Attorney's Community Safety and Outreach department.  It included a video on the effects of distracted driving and personal testimonies from a father who lost his daughter to drunk driving and a prison inmate who is currently serving time for drunk driving.  You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium this afternoon and we were satisfied  to hear students saying, "I will never text and drive or drink and drive."  As the father of the victim of drunk driving shared with me afterward, "If this presentation saves just one life by causing a teenager to think twice, it is worth it."  Please ask your student about the presentation and hopefully it will reinforce the importance of driver safety.

Wood for Haiti Performance

Last night, the ELHS Chorus, directed by Ms. Carol Toth, performed with the Agawam High School Chorus in an amazing concert to benefit Wood for Haiti at Trinity Church in Springfield.  The students filled the church with the most moving and melodic songs from this island nation.   What is even more inspiring is that the students devoted their time and talents to help fund the restoration efforts that Haiti is currently undergoing as a result of the 2010 earthquake.  Congratulations to the ELHS Chorus and Ms. Toth for providing a night to remember.  We were all so very proud of you!

Spartans in the Spotlight

Kids in Print Winners, Ms. Flanagan & Ms. Newsome

ELHS Math Team & Mr. Gonzalez

  

This week was full of all sorts of Spartans' accomplishments.  I had the pleasure of attending the Republican's Kids in Print Award Ceremony at the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts. in Springfield where 3 of our art students were awarded 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in their annual contest.  Colleen Latsko took 1st place, Nicole Howell took 2nd Place and Gabrielle Vega took 3rd place.   It was a very proud moment for the girls, their families and our high school as we swept the top 3 honors for all schools in the area!  Congratulations to the girls and their art teacher, Ms. Newsome.  I was also very proud of our Math Team as they competed in the State Math competition.  They secured this honor by winning 2nd place in the public school category of the Western Mass Math League. Congratulations to their Math teacher, Mr. Gonzalez.  We are so proud of our students and the great teachers who guide them.  It was also nice to visit my first ELHS baseball game where Steven Moyers pitched an incredible game- 15 strike outs!  The victory against Chicopee was extra sweet.  I was also excited to attend the Boys Lacrosse game on our beautiful new turf.  The lights are now up and we look forward to the fun and excitement our new stadium will provide.  Enjoy the Easter weekend!


Gina Flanagan, Principal
East Longmeadow High School