Happy Spring, Peabody Community!
As you can imagine, the final few months of the school year are very busy! We are continuing to work hard as a learning community. In the classrooms, the students are doing great work with Math in Focus, wonderful and interesting writing, a real commitment to reading on a daily basis, more and more science as well as social studies and technology. When I enter the classrooms, I am always impressed at the dedication your children have to learning. They inspire all of us and create an atmosphere that embraces a true love of learning.
The specialists classrooms continue to out do themselves every year. Our team of specialists: music, art and physical education, work together so beautifully. They add a beautiful layer to our school’s rich tapestry. The recent Family Folk Dance, the beautiful artwork in the hallways along with the work they are doing together to plan upcoming concerts and Field Day are ideal examples of this.
The children’s determination and drive during the MCAS testing is impressive. I am so proud of how hard the children are working as well as their desire to succeed.
The enthusiasm around our March Madness Reading Challenge and our Sumdog competition was terrific! It was a sincere joy to see the kids so excited about these events. Of course, the main goal was reminding our students that reading and practicing their math facts could be fun as well as educational. That goal was truly accomplished.
As a staff, we are focusing on our continued education as well. Recently, I led an educational retreat at the Museum of Science. This retreat was focused on our Kindergarten to Second Grade educators. I was excited to have that time together to learn, connect and reflect with one another. It was an amazing experience. Some of the reflections educators had were: “What a wonderful way of coming together as a school community! I enjoyed how the day was broken into various activities, all of which were relevant, engaging, informative and useful.” “I felt this retreat was the most beneficial use of our time as learners and teachers.” “This retreat was one of the best professional developments I have been a part of. I learned a great deal from colleagues that I could use in my own teaching.” “Today was great. The people and the room were conducive to learning and reflection.” “The retreat was very enjoyable and inspiring.” This week we will hold a similar event for our Third through Fifth grade teachers.
Our School Improvement Plan goals are continuing to be met. We work together to accomplish these goals. It is very gratifying to see them come to fruition.
Of course, we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks. Our concerts, the 5th grade moving on ceremony, All School Shares and other events will continue to unite our community. I look forward to our time together.
See you soon!
Jennifer Ford