Gina Flanagan- East Longmeadow High School

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Help Your Child Avoid the Stress that Can Come With the Holidays

   

     This time of year is often one filled with fun and excitement for many families, however, it can also bring about  overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression and stress as we try to keep up with the demands of social events, gift purchases and travel.  These feelings are not exclusive to adults- as children pick up on the hectic behavior and moods of their parents.
     I recently read an article put out by the Maryland Department of Health that gave these tips on how to de-escalate the stress that the holiday season can cause so that families can truly enjoy a happy holiday season.  Hoping your holiday season is a joyful one to remember.

  • Remember routines - For parents of small children, this is especially good advice. During the holidays, children will find their routines disrupted. They are often dragged along on shopping trips or taken to special events. They stay up past bedtime and eat too many holiday goodies. When a routine is broken, stress can result.
  • Say "No" - You don't have to accept every invitation to cookie swaps, parties and gift exchanges that you receive.
  • Nutrition - Have you ever noticed the lines at fast food restaurants as the holidays approach? The lines are getting longer because people are often too busy to go home and cook a nutritious meal. Add all of those sugary holiday treats, and you end up with a stressed out, hungry family. Plan at least one healthy meal for the family every day. Take the time to talk and enjoy being together as a family.
  • Family traditions - Many don't realize how important traditions are to themselves and their children. Family traditions offer great comfort and security for children. What are your family traditions? Perhaps your family would enjoy creating a holiday calendar or baking cookies together.
  • Attitude check - Both children and their parents need to have an attitude check before the holiday season begins. Take a deep breath, and have everyone in the family pledge to make the holiday season a time of joy and peace. The less holiday stress you feel, the more relaxed your children will be.
  • Rest and relaxation - Everyone, especially a child, needs to take a "time out" over the holiday season to rest and relax. A well-rested child will be much happier on a trip to the mall than one who is in need of a nap. Schedule some rest and relaxation time for everyone in the family.
  • Favorite things - If you are traveling for the holidays, bring your child's favorite blanket or stuffed animal. A bit of home will help your child feel more comfortable.
  • Laugh - Laughter is still the best way to beat stress and change everyone's mood from bad to good. Lighten the mood with funny movies, sledding or cozy chats over cups of hot chocolate (don't forget the marshmallows).

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Assessing and Analyzing Student Data: What are Common Formative Assessments?

   
     There has been much discussion and action recently in the state of Massachusetts and nationally regarding common assessments.  There are many who feel that high stakes tests such as MCAS do nothing more than cause students a great deal of stress.  On top of this, the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education is now requiring school districts to develop "district performance measures (DDMs)" which will serve to monitor student progress and instructional effectiveness on a much more frequent schedule.  While the debate over whether there is too much testing in schools continues, one thing is for certain, assessments, if developed and administered correctly, can give educators a wealth of information to help students improve.
     DDMs can also be looked at as "common formative assessments."  Common formative assessments are relatively short in length, but are suppose to focus on the "power standards" of a course so that teachers can measure student progress on state standards, modify instruction if needed or remediate students sooner, rather than later.  To put it more simply, MCAS is the end of the year, summative assessment and common formative assessments are the diagnostic tests given throughout the year to ensure that students are making progress on state standards.  The data these assessments produce are much more targeted and comprehensive then just examining a student's grade on a regular classroom quiz or test.
     Common formative assessments also serve to ensure that students are consistently receiving the content information that is defined by state standards across classrooms.  This year, the ELHS staff is working to create common formative assessments to also allow teams of teachers to analyze student scores and responses to see where we can offer more assistance.  We started the year with a common "open response" assessment that measures a student's reading comprehension and writing skills.  This is an area that has been identified as an area of need for our students across the board.  This short assessment requires students to read a passage related to their course content and then respond to a prompt using evidence from the reading.  Last year, we developed a school wide writing rubric to help teachers  assess and communicate expectations for this type of writing (see below).
     As the year continues, our staff will work together to develop more of these types of assessments and analyze the data together so that we can improve teaching and learning at ELHS and meet the state mandates for data collection and analysis.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Tips for Parenting High Schoolers

   
    
     As we jump back into the school year, one group that our staff pays extra attention to is our freshmen. We can't assume that they come prepared and ready to take on more work loads and able to navigate all the logistics of high school (schedules, GPA, more freedom, social life, etc.)
     That is why throughout the school year we  host regular check- ins with the freshmen to orient them to the features of high school as well as making sure they are feeling good about their new surroundings.
    I found this guide for parents that I thought might help folks navigate the high school/teenage years (see below).  


1. Be clear and be vocal about your expectations. Set the bar high, both in terms of academics and behavior. Be vocal about your own values and priorities. Do NOT buy the notion teens don't care what parents think. In fact, they do listen, intensely -- even as they roll their eyes and  mock your pronouncements. Make it absolutely clear where you draw the lines in the sand.  If kids know what would make you freak out, they're likely to think twice before crossing that line.

2. Be your child's cheerleader. Despite teenage bravado, early adolescence is when kids most need to have an adult who says, "I love you. I believe you. You're a great kid." Be generous with praise and compliments whenever the opportunity presents itself; it will make the scoldings far more palatable.

3. Turn poor decisions into learning opportunities. As my sister once said, "Teenagers are all stupid. It's just a question of whether they're stupid about the big things or the little things." Especially for ninth-graders, mistakes are an inevitable and necessary part of growing up. When bad things happen, it's our job to help the kid pick himself up and figure out the lesson learned and move on. (My mantra during my kids' teenage years: "This was something you had to learn at some point in your life, and it's good you learned it now.")

4. Keep your kid busy. Insist your freshman become involved in at least one structured activity -- and it can be anything from sports to debate team to church youth group to Tae Kwon Do. The benefits are many: Kids can explore their interests and showcase their talents; it improves their social life, and exposes them to adults who can be influential mentors. No surprise, teens in organized activities tend to be much happier and are less likely to get into trouble than kids with lots of unsupervised time on their hands. And keep an open mind on what your child might like -- you may be surprised as to what they might gravitate to.  

5. Help your teen find his or her passion. Many, if not most, high schools have a surprisingly wide range of course offerings, including off-campus options such as dual enrollment at a local college or classes in a countywide career and technical education program. High school is a great chance for kids to sample different classes and explore career possibilities. The choices may be more limited for freshmen, but ninth grade is a great time to read the high school course bulletin and start laying concrete plans for the rest of the kid's high school years.

6. Don't take it personally.  Somebody recently told me, "Preschoolers are like dogs. Teenagers are like cats" -- an apt characterization. Like cats, teenagers crave love and affection – but totally on their own terms, and their diva-like behavior can be maddening. The key is not to take it personally.  Too many parents go to war over teenage moodiness, taking it as disrespect or a sign of a "bad attitude" -- and destroy their relationship with the child in the process. My philosophy: Pick your battles, don't let a teenager bring you down to her level and keep a sense of humor and perspective about the teen psyche. And recognize when a kid says, "go away," it often means they need a warm hug versus a cold shoulder.

7. Continue to parent.  As kids start high school, they can look like adults. They can be all to eager to embrace adult status. But they are not adults. You are still the parent, and it's important to continue to provide structure and oversight. Keeping close tabs on a child's schoolwork and social life is not only perfectly appropriate, it's highly necessary. Even the most academically talented, emotionally stable kid can temporarily unravel freshmen year, so make it a point to go to every parent-teacher conference; closely monitor their schoolwork online, if possible, and take an active interest in their social life and extracurricular activities. 

- Julie Mack's 7 Essential Tips for High School for parents of High School Freshmen:  http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2013/08/julie_mack_5_essential_tips_fo.html

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Welcome Back!

   
      What an amazing start to the school year!  There is always much excitement by our staff to see our students walk in the doors the first day of school.  It's fun to catch up with the upperclassmen and welcome our new freshmen.  As we greet all the students as they enter the main entrance, it's always fun to hear what kids were up to this summer, see new haircuts, and just encourage them to make a great year.  We do not ever take it for granted how great our student population is in every aspect.  They truly make ELHS what it is...a fun, respected and close community.  Looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Congratulations Class of 2013!



    Today marked the last day for our seniors as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.  We wish each and every member of the class of 2013 a very happy and healthy future!  Make us proud!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Digital Citizenship Week: April 29 - May 3, 2013

   
     This week our high school and middle school will be recognizing Digital Citizenship week.  Each day, our students will watch a short video based on the topics of social networking, cyber bullying, privacy & protection.  Teachers will lead class discussions to help students share their thoughts on how they can promote and take part in the safe and responsible use of digital tools.
     On Tuesday, April 30, 2013, we will be hosting a very special night just for parents.  Digital Parent Night will take place at 6:30 in the auditorium. We will be covering topics that will help parents become more aware of how young people are using digital tools and how parents can work to develop digital use plans with their children.  It promises to be a very informative and interactive evening.  Hope you will join us.

Friday, March 29, 2013

21st Century Learning Expectations

   

     As we continue to progress through the NEASC accreditation process, we have been taking a hard look at our core values, curriculum, instruction, programs and services at ELHS.  This process has involved a great deal of work on the part of our staff, but it has also been extremely valuable.  It has allowed us to thoroughly reflect on our high school and assess where we are at in terms of providing our students quality education.  
     We have developed four new learning expectations that we believe are essential in preparing our students for the 21st century world.  We have also created a corresponding, school- wide rubric related to these expectations that we are looking to assess our students on as they show progress in the classroom.   Performance ratings will include the following levels:  mastery, proficient, developing and needs improvement.  These learning expectations are listed below:  

LEARNING EXPECTATION #1:  Develop effective independent & collaborative work habits & practices. 
  • Communication skills in collaborative work
  • Participation as a member of a team
  • Self management
  • Self advocacy
  • Use of technology

LEARNING EXPECTATION #2:  Develop effective critical thinking & creativity skills.
  • Analysis of information
  • Application and synthesis of information
  • Evaluation of information, thoughts & ideas
  • Creation of new thoughts & ideas

LEARNING EXPECTATION #3:  Demonstrate effective literacy and communication skills.
  • Writing:       Topic development & process
  • Writing:       English conventions
  • Reading:     Comprehension
  • Reading:     Utilizing tools & strategies to increase comprehension
  • Digital Literacy

LEARNING EXPECTATION #4:   Demonstrate an understanding of social and civic responsibilities.
  • Local & global community service
  • Responsibility for one’s own behavior
  • Social skills
  • Civic responsibility

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

ASCD National Conference 2014

Boston College Group at ASCD National Conference 2013
Principal Peter Cohen, Principal Anna Nolin, Principal Gina Flanagan,
Asst. Principal Erik Arnold, Principal Henry Turner

     This past weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting at the national ASCD in Chicago with some of my colleagues from Boston College.  This conference is attended by thousands of educators from across the country.  It was an amazing opportunity to learn from some of the most notable voices in education today on a wide variety of relevant topics geared toward school improvement.  These topics included instructional best practices, curriculum design priorities for the Common Core Standards, 21st century learning, data analysis, formative assessment development and more.  Speakers also included Maya Angelou and Retired Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.
     This experience gave me many things to reflect on and hopefully bring back  to ELHS.  It also made me extremely proud of the work being done on a daily basis by the staff here at ELHS.  Many of the buzz topics that were being shared at the conference were things that we have already started to discuss or  test here at ELHS...the flipped classroom, common formative assessments, tiered instruction, technology practices and more.
     This experience also reinforced that I  will always be a lifelong learner particularly as it pertains to helping our students become more successful throughout their high school experience.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

ELHS...Engage, Learn, Honor, Strive


Our new mission statement has finally been finalized and it was great to see teachers, students and parents come together for its creation.  It truly embodies positive action steps for any school.

As a community, we will...
            Engage in critical thinking
           Learn collaboratively
                  Honor diversity and
                       Strive for Success.

Our goal is to emphasize these elements in all we do and we have already seen evidence of it in our community.

Engage in critical thinking-  Whether in the classroom, at math meets or robotics competitions, students at ELHS are exposed to the value and importance of looking at problems or issues through a critical lens to find solutions.

Learn collaboratively- At ELHS, classroom projects and extra curricular activities and clubs help our students get ready for the real world by learning to manage situations with others.  Our teachers are also involved in this process through their professional learning communities.

Honor diversity-  This year at ELHS, we welcomed the Multi-cultural club that has already engaged in events that expose our students to many important world issues.  Additionally, a new chapter of the Gay Straight Alliance was added to ELHS.

Strive for Success-  It is our hope that every member of the Spartan family will develop a strong work ethic and commitment to academic and social excellence.   Reaching one's highest potential is the best thing we can do for our students.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Getting Technology in the Hands of our Students

This Spring, I will be embarking on the research portion of my dissertation as a doctoral student at Boston College.  With only one year to go before I complete my doctoral program, I am very excited about have a more balanced life again.   The  focus of my dissertation is on effective technology integration leadership and will involve taking an in-depth look at MA school districts & leaders who have implemented successful 1:1 laptop, tablets or Bring Your Own Device initiatives.  It is an area that I am very committed to as an educator and try to model the effectiveness of technology with 21st century learning skills every chance I get.

I have tied my dissertation work in with my role as the facilitator of the district's Technology Committee.  Recently, ELPS submitted our five year plan to the MA Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.  It will soon be posted on our district and school website.  We are currently working hard to investigate other 1:1 districts and create an effective plan that will best fit ELPS.  Our hope is  that someday soon, every student will have equal access to some type of digital device that can be used in the classroom.

At the heart of a 1:1 technology initiative is how to embed technology into meaningful and rigorous lessons.  Lesson development that focuses on the "4 Cs"- creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication have to be the number one goal of any school who wants to maximize the use technology.  I have said over and over that you can have the most advanced technology out there in the hands of students, but if teachers are not using the devices to design highly effective lessons that focus on the 4 C's, it's just another fancy typewriter, slide show device, or organizer.  We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Senior Project Pilot Gets Underway...

This semester, with the help of Mr. Maccarini who leads our Career Center, ELHS will be piloting an independent project entitled, The Senior Project, with 10 of our seniors.  These seniors will be engaged in a process that first helps them identify an area that they are highly interested in learning more about related to a occupation or field of study of their choice.    Some have chosen topics in sports management, cyber forensics, marketing, nursing, and fashion.

The students will then take part in a four part process that includes 1.  finding a mentor in their field of interest to obtain some "on the job" training  2.  a portfolio of all their work  3.  a research paper with a thesis related to their area of study and 4.  a presentation that will be judged by members of the East Longmeadow community.  During the course of their senior projects, students are paired up with a member of the ELHS staff of their choice to serve as an advisor.  The advisor works to help the student pair up with a mentor, meet deadlines and prepare for the paper and presentation.  

The project was developed to help give our seniors something meaningful to engage in during their last months of high school to hopefully jump start their entrance into college or the work force.  It was also designed to put all their communication, writing, presentation and research skills to a final test as they get ready to head out into the real world.  Lastly, we hope this process will help them make some lasting connections in the local community.  
    

Friday, January 11, 2013

Growing Up Online

     Young people today are in many ways, growing up online.   You would be challenged to find a student above the 6th grade who does not spend a good portion of their free time on their phone or computer.  In some ways, having so much accessibility to the outside world has given students the ability to acquire knowledge in a much more expansive manner than ever before, however, staying "plugged" does present some concerns as well.  
     In a recent article in Edutopia, Maurice Elias writes about the need to put kids on a "screen diet."  He discusses a recent study put out by the American Academy for Pediatricians in which it documented that kids who spend excessive time on digital devices are more likely to suffer from aggressive behaviors, obesity and social deficiencies.   The article suggest that young people should not be spending more than two hours a day on their electronic devices and should power down their electronics at least a half an hour before bed to ensure a restful sleep.  Like many things in life, it is about finding a healthy balance.
     At ELHS, we recognize that the digital world is one that is still fairly new, but has become such a big part of the lives of high schoolers.  There are many issues surrounding digital safety and awareness that our students and parents need to find ways to discuss openly and honestly.  We are proud to announce that the high school will be celebrating Digital Citizenship Week in April.  This will include a parent informational workshop that will tackle such issues as developing appropriate online identities, protecting ones' privacy online, cyber bullying, social networking and digital etiquette.  Our hope is to provide our parents with the knowledge and skills to help their children navigate through the digital world in a responsible and safe manner.  Each day of the week at the high school will be devoted to discussing a topic related to digital safety and etiquette as well.   More to come!