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LearningGoesOutdoorsWhatDoesStudentCouncil Do?MeetMrs.Mello,OurNew 5thGrade Teacher

ATHY

ORMIER

ach trimester at MCCPS cul-minates in a public exhibitionof student work that inte-grates important skills and contentfrom academic disciplines whileaddressing relevant global themes. Itis a wonderful evening where par-ents and community members fillevery nook and cranny of the schoolto see student projects, performanc-es, and artwork.The global themes are organizedaround “essential questions” that areimperative to understanding theworld, require serious thought andinvestigation, and generate furtherquestions. The theme of this year’sfirst exhibition is Communication.Students will understand differentways, forms, and means of commu-nication and how to communicateeffectively.Exhibition is much more than agreat night out. It is a presentationthat students make to family, peers,and community members todemonstrate what they know andwhat they have learned. This is anauthentic assessment and an alterna-tive to a traditional final exam. While students acquire knowledgethrough lessons, exhibitions providea means for a “real world” applica-tion of that knowledge. And, whilestandardized tests endeavor to meas-ure how well a school is serving itsstudents—showing a “slice” of whatstudents have learned—exhibitionsoffer up the whole pie, providing a360º look at what students knowand what they can do. Ted Sizer,educator and a leading educational

. A

RGENZIANOAND

INA

ULLEN

-H

AMZEH

ne of the most significant factors inattracting and retaining new teach-ers is the quality of a school’s men-toring and induction program. The current,enlightened approach to mentoring recog-nizes that new teachers are rarely preparedfor the demanding job of teaching in con-temporary schools. Over the next four yearsin Massachusetts, of the 74,000 educatorscurrently employed, it is estimated that16,650 will retire. Colleges and universitiesare graduating 5,000 licensed educatorsannually. Given these facts, the importanceof establishing a well-developed mentoringand induction program as a continuation of educator training cannot be understated. At MCCPS we understand that it is criti-cally important that all new teachers receivethe support, advice, and direction necessaryto make their first year successful and mean-ingful. The faculty and staff invests greatenergy in collectively supporting them,because we are determined that all newteachers will be given every opportunity tosucceed. Approximately seven hours eachweek is dedicated to professional develop-ment for all teachers, and new employeesexperience even more. There are uniformfactors within the induction and mentoringprogram, but it is also vitally important that

November 2008 | Volume 1,number 1

What Is Exhibition?

MCCPS TeacherInduction andMentoring Program

FFICIAL

UBLICATIONOF THE

ARBLEHEAD

OMMUNITY

HARTER

UBLIC

CHOOL

“Long hair, corn rows, purple stripes, who cares?” —

Ms. Cullen-Hamzeh on self-expression, page 4.

See

Mentoring

,page 3See

Exhibition

,page 4

Preparing for Exhibition are:(upper left) 4th grader,Alix;(upper middle) 5th graders Fiachraand Nick;(Upper right) 4th graders,Margaretand Alanna;and(lower left) 8th grader,Forrest.

ATHY

ORMIER

tudents referred to the vacant overgrown lot behindour school as “the jungle.” That is no longer thecase, as the creation of the MCCPS outdoor classroomis underway.The idea of an outdoor quiet space for students toread, study, and contemplate nature was a long-helddream of our school. Last year, the grant committeeapplied for funding for the project from a variety of sources. They were lucky to get some short moneyfrom a grant from Home Depot but otherwise came upempty handed. No one wanted to sponsor the“unglamorous” first steps of the project—clearing theland of rocks and debris with heavymachinery, hauling in and spreadingsoil, weeding, etc. Yet, we couldn’tmove forward until this step was com-pleted.Parent

Sue Ballou

, an avid gardenerand volunteer at the school, pushedthe project forward. Sue runs a garden-ing enrichment on Monday afternoons.Her students’ enthusiasm helped getthe project moving.The stars aligned when a largeamount of “free” soil appeared acrossthe street from the school. The Townof Marblehead is in the midst of con-structing a hockey rink, and the soil wasthere for the taking. Facilities Manager

Bob Erbetta

climbed aboard a Bobcat and that was that. More workwas done by a group of parents who dug, raked, andweeded on Columbus Day. Sue was able to procure adonation of 3 yards of mulch from Northeast Nurseryand the Town of Marblehead.The plans for the outdoor classroom are big. Thearea will eventually include tables and benches, a per-formance space (think “poetry café”), a butterfly gar-den, and a science area. The possibilities are limitlessas we continue to seek funds and donations in orderto continue the evolution of this dream.Thanks to all who have been so helpful thus far andto all who will help in the future!

WHAT’S NEW(S) AT MCCPS — NOVEMBER 2008

Nutrition NewsNurse News

Our new Nutrition Director,

LauraDeSantis

,has been busy planningmenus,cooking,teaching a cook-ing enrichment,and getting toknow our students.With adegree in culinary arts fromJohnson and Wales,Chef Laurahas worked as a banquetandpastry chef.She also has donecatering for professional sportsteams including the Celtics.Chef Laura is enjoying her work atMCCPS.“Our students are themosthonestcustomers I’ve everencountered — and they lovepasta,”she says while chuckling.The mostrewarding partof her job is exposing students to newfoods.Welcome to MCCPS,Chef Laura!The cold weather is here! SchoolNurse,

Kellie Keenan

,is lookingfor donations of any outgrown orextra sweatpants and socks forour backup supply.Rememberthatstudents will be outsideonce or twice during the day,soplease remind them to bringwarm clothes including coats,hats,and gloves.As the holidays are coming,this is a reminder thatourMCCPS community includes stu-dents and staff members withlife threatening food allergiesand thatour community pro-motes healthy,nutritious eating.Lastly,flu season is upon us.Please be sure to getplenty of restand wash your hands often.

Outdoor Classroom:A Breathof Fresh Air

You don’tneed to have a green thumb to help out.Chef Laura DeSantis

AGNA

H RTER

Magna Charter

is the official newsletterof MCCPS.Itis published bi-monthly.

Magna Charter Staff& Contributors

Dr.AlbertArgenzianoJeff BarryKathleen CormierNina Cullen-HamzehEmil RonchiMike RuthLaura SmithNancy Marland Wolinski

MCCPS Board of Trustees

Emil Ronchi,

Chair

Cathy Vaucher,

Vice Chair

Dr.John Sullivan,

Treasurer

John McEnaney,

Clerk

Nina Cullen-HamzehCynthia CanavanMattCroninChris FauciKay O'DwyerBob Sousa

MCCPS School Staff

Dr.AlbertArgenziano

Interim Managing Director

Nina Cullen-Hamzeh

Interim Academic Director

Eileen Perry

Assistantto the Directors

Molly Wolverton

StudentServices Coordinator

Jed O'Connor

Director of Special Education

Jeffrey Barry

Business Manager

MCCPS

17 Lime StreetMarblehead,MA 01945Phone:781-631-0777Fax:781-631-0500www.marbleheadcharter.org

Our Mission

MCCPS fosters a community that empowerschildren to become capable, self-determining, fullyengaged individuals who are critical and creativethinkers committed to achieving their highestintellectual, artistic, social, emotional, and physical potential. We are dedicated to involving, learning from, participating in, and serving our schoolcommunity and the community at large.

Volume 1,Number 1,November 2008

Meetthe Teacher:

Sallie MelloBrings Her Witto MCCPS

MENTORING

Continued from page 1

AURA

MITH

long with a really cool name for a teacher, SallieMello brings a genteel charm to MCCPS. TheMississippi native is known in her 5th-grade class-room for Southern sayings such as ‘sit down on yourderriere.’ “I said that one time,” she revealed, “and thechild wanted to know what a derriere was!” A Gamma Beta Phi honor student in high schooland college, Ms. Mello always had a way of verbaliz-ing math problems. She spends a lot of time talkingto the 5th graders about how to work math problemssuch as long division with decimals. “I’m not a strongbeliever in textbook definitions, because they’re writ-ten by college professors,” she says. “I try to find thewords that a fifth-grader can take notes on andunderstand. My favorite teaching moment—if thereis only one—is when they go from ‘I don’t under-stand’ to ‘I got it.’”The youngest of seven children, Ms. Mellodescribes her upbringing as more akin to rural Mainethan Boston’s North Shore, a place where “life is astruggle.” Now blessed with three daughters (andtwo 5th-grade classes), she struggles with the hecticschedule of a working parent. Each weekday morn-ing at 6:50, she brings Shea, age 9, and Kaycie 6, totheir grandparents’ house in Peabody, and Sarah, 2,to daycare. She leaves school at 3:30 for the back-wards pickup, except on Wednesdays, when teachersstay until 5:00 for professional development, and herhusband, Randy, drives the girls. With a degree in Elementary Education fromSouthern Mississippi University, Ms. Mello's experi-ence runs the gamut in every grade and school size,but she's never felt more at home right away than shedoes here in her first year at MCCPS. “It’s unlike anyother school I’ve been in,” she says. “From day one, Ifelt a part of it, and my opinion was as valued as any-one else’s.”aspects of the program are individualized to meet theunique needs of each teacher. Fundamental compo-nents of the program include: curriculum mapping,classroom management and discipline, co-teaching,addressing student needs, assessing student progress,goal setting, and special education.New seventh grade humanities teacher, KarenGirouard, touts the program, “I feel very fortunate tohave the opportunity to learn from an incredibleteacher. I realized how much I have yet to learn andwhat a cohesive school this is.” Sixth grade humanitiesteacher, Ivy Connelly, agrees, “Having a mentor teacherhas been a great experience. I feel more supported in anew school than I ever have.”Carefully orchestrated mentoring is also imperative forthe children’s sake. Teacher quality is the essential ingredi-ent in student achievement. Those who are taught byunder-prepared or unsupported teachers do less well thanchildren who have teachers with a strong background incontent knowledge and a solid support system. Ongoingreflection, evaluation, and revision enable us to continual-ly improve the MCCPS induction and mentoring pro-gram. In this way, we serve our new teachers by offeringquality support, and we serve our students by givingthem the best teachers possible.Teaching is intellectually complex and demandingwork, and no one can know everything there is toknow about teaching or ever will. Constant learningis the name of the game.

WHAT’S NEW(S) AT MCCPS — NOVEMBER 2008

PTO BoxSports News

The PTO is off to a greatstartthis year! Wehave been busy getting to know one anotherand exploring ways to bestserve our studentsand staff.We are all members of our PTO byvirtue of our roles as parents or guardiansand involvementatour school is a privilege.Please plan on coming to a future eventandgetting involved.

PTO Sponsored Film Festival

–December 2-5 from 1:00 - 3:15PMHelp needed to staff and facilitate.PleasecontactNorma Ross (rossclan5@verizon.net)if you can dedicate even an hour.

PTO Holiday Social

on Tuesday,December 16;location to be announced.Look for furtherdetails in an email and in the Wednesdaynotices.Thanks to the dedication of Athletic Director

Mike Ruth

,MCCPS students now competein soccer,track and basketball.The 5th-through-8th-gradecross-country team has won allsix of its meets.Captain

NateFowler

,an 8th-grader,placedfirstin all the meets with anaverage mile time of 5:57,andwas first(outof 300 runners!)in the 1.7 mile atthe NortheastConference Invitational Meet.Our varsity and junior varsity soccer teams have also donewell.The varsity team,fielded by students in grades 6-8 andled by co-captains

FJMurphy and Andy Haley

,has a 9-0record.The varsity finished the season by winning the CharterCup Classic.Our newly formed JV squad worked hard in afour-game series againstCohen-Hillel Academy.Specialthanks to our wonderful nurse (and parent)

Kelly Keenan

fortaking on the head coach position for the JV team.

Cross-country teamNolan scores the winning goal. Mrs.Mello holding Snickers the Guinea pig.