Summer News

Please Click Here

The Maker Movement

The Maker Movement

We have recently concluded yet another book study at the Hood School. As a learning community we are always learning together as a means to enhance our practice. During the late fall and early winter we read The Maker Movement Manifesto by Mark Hatch. We selected this topic as the Maker Movement is slowly infiltrating schools across the country.

The Maker Movement, a technological and creative learning revolution that is underway around the globe, is a unique combination of artistry, circuitry, and old-fashioned craftsmanship. This movement has exciting and vast implications for the world of education. New tools and technology, such as 3D printing, robotics, microprocessors, wearable computing, e-textiles, “smart” materials, and programming languages are being invented at an unprecedented pace. The Maker Movement creates affordable or even free versions of these inventions, while sharing tools and ideas online to create a vibrant, collaborative community of global problem-solvers. Makers are people who like to figure out and fix problems with their hands. Indeed, many of us went on our first techno-rush as kids playing with Legos and electronic kits. In a day when everyone thinks, "There's an app for that," many educators believe that we're missing the point of technology if we think its best use is programming kids to memorize math facts. Students don't want to use apps -- they want to make them. Groff (2013) points out, “We are reaching a period where it is just as easy for young people to produce . . . multimodal, multimedia content as to consume it” (p. 23). Furthermore, Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager write, in Invent to Learn, that “Maker classrooms are active classrooms. In active classrooms one will find engaged students, often working on multiple projects simultaneously, and teachers unafraid of relinquishing their authoritarian role. The best way to activate your classroom is for your classroom to make something.”

Creating spaces for students to engage in these practices is a hot trend in education. These spaces are commonly referred to as “Makerspaces.” Makerspaces, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative do-it- yourself (DIY) spaces where people can gather to create, invent and learn. In libraries Makerspaces often have 3D printers, software, electronics, hardware supplies and tools. Participants, or Makers, can create digital and physical items in common working spaces using shared equipment and resources.

As a school we are excited to begin to plan and build a Makerspace of our own and engage our students through these practices. 

My Experience in a New Learning Environment

My Experience in a New Learning Environment

By: Glen S. McKay, Principal

           

            As a school leader, I have learned that principals set the tone and vision for their schools. Furthermore, a principal’s ability to lead responsive professional development is becoming more paramount toward creating a 21st century learning environment. Principals’ technology leadership cannot be measured solely by the resources and budget allocated to educational technology; technology vision and a commitment to professional development play an important role. In an era of rapid educational technology advances, principals must support a culture of collaboration, innovation, and meaningful technology integration for pedagogical changes to take place on a broad and sustainable scale. As a leader I came across a new professional development model titled EdCamp that intrigued me as a scholar and showed promise as a means to improve my professional practice.

            I recently attended my first EdCamp “unconference.”  As a learner, I was not sure what to expect from an event with no agenda or planned breakout sessions, but I was excited to hear from various educators about what is important to them right now. EdCamp is an "unconference", also commonly called "Open Spaces." It is professional development for teachers, by teachers. The expertise in the room fuels the conversation. The EdCamp model is based on the international unconference model, BarCamp. Despite its name, BarCamps have little or nothing to do with alcohol. Rather, computer hackers conceived them as a way to come together to share ideas. According to the BarCamp wiki, a BarCamp: “BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. BarCamp is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from participants who are the main actors of the event.”

         In order to begin to develop a greater understanding of the innovation, one must realize that the purpose of EdCamp is to “empower educators to honor their own expertise. It is designed in a way that encourages peer learning, sharing, and collaboration.” EdCamps are organic, participant-driven professional development experiences created by teachers, for teachers. They invite and encourage personalized conversations and spirited debates. They emphasize internal motivation, choice, and interactivity. Based on the tenets of open space technology, EdCamps are derived from the belief that a group of people, given a purpose and freedom, have the ability to self-organize, self-govern, and produce results. Conversations, not presentations, dominate the learning at an EdCamp. Every participant has an equal voice and personal expertise is honored.

My Experience:

            Based on my observations, some of EdCamp’s major strengths are that the participants, in this case mostly principals and teachers, set the agenda and provide the content. They come up with the ideas for sessions based on what they want to hear about right now. Then it is up to participants to take charge and facilitate each session. Anyone can be a presenter. Teachers who have never met before may end up leading a session together. Principals from schools in opposite ends of the state may be facing the same challenges and can develop their own session. Each participant is able to choose sessions that meet their individual needs. EdCamps derive their value from what every participant brings to the table on that day, and these thoughts and experiences can be much more useful than any handout or planned presentation. This was a highly engaging experience for me and I hope that everyone has the opportunity to participate a learning experience similar to this one. 

Welcome Back

September 2, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Friends of the J. Turner Hood School,

I hope this note finds you well rested and excited about the upcoming school year.  We have been very busy over the past few months in preparation for the opening of school grades 1-5 on Wednesday, September 9, 2015.  The first day of school for Kindergarten students is Friday, September 11, 2015.  

New Staff: We are excited to welcome three new staff members to our school community. Please welcome Ms. Heather Blackmun, Special Education Teacher, Ms. Janna Comeau, Music Teacher, and Mrs. Kelly Daigle, Para-Professional, to our team! I know that you and your children will make these individuals feel welcome to North Reading and the Hood School. I appreciate your continued support of the entire Hood School staff.

Kindergarten Popsicle Social: Our annual Kindergarten Popsicle Social will be on Thursday, September 3rd. from 2:30-3:30 pm. All incoming Kindergarten students are invited to attend. Please join us if you can. We are sure it will be an hour of fun.

School Website & Email: In North Reading,  each school’s and the district’s website will be upgraded to make it more informative, engaging, user-friendly, and a better resource to showcase student work and photos of the good things happening in each of our schools and across the district. Secondly, the email domain for the faculty and staff of the North Reading Public Schools has recently undergone a transition to a new domain, @nrpsk12.org. This domain is active presently and families are urged to now begin updating their contacts and communicating with district faculty and staff using the @nrpsk12.org domain. It should be noted that emails sent using the old domain will still be received during a brief period of transition

Twitter: Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

Arrival/Morning Drop-Off: School begins at 8:30, and staff will be available to welcome students beginning at 8:20.  Children should not be brought to school before 8:20 AM as there is no adult supervision.  School staff will greet you and your children at the drop-off loop at 8:25 to let you know that students may now enter the building. We do have a morning program that is tuition-based. If your child arrives in the building earlier than 8:20, he/she will be sent to the morning care program and a note will be sent home with a friendly reminder to you to pay the fee.

Drop Off Procedures:

Drop off children at the side rotary.

Pull all the way up to the end of the sidewalk before letting your child out.

Let your child out opposite the driver’s side, only.

Do not get out of the car yourself.

There is NO PARKING within the rotary. 

Please remain in your car and move forward once your child exits the car, in order to keep the line moving. For safety reasons, it is important that you follow this procedure. 

Parking:

If you must come into the building, please park within the parking lot.

Going Green: We have an obligation to conserve our natural resources. Schools should set a good example by demonstrating to others the methods and benefits of energy conservation. Going Green is the smart choice for our environment, but it also may prove to be savings for our school’s budget during these times.  It will be our goal to utilize email as a primary source of communication for school notices and newsletters.  That being said, we want to be sure that all parents and families receive information to remain involved and informed.  If email communication isn’t available for your household hard copy notices will continue to be provided.

Student Absences: The office appreciates phone calls regarding absence or tardiness prior to school starting. This decreases the number of phone calls the office staff must make searching for students who are unaccounted for.  

Food Pantry: For those new to our school community, September is the month the Hood School adopts the North Reading Food Pantry by sponsoring a food drive. Please feel free to drop any of the items listed on our school website in our food pantry drop box located in our lobby.  

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Mr. Glen S. McKay, Principal 

March News

March 9, 2015

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

The year is passing by like the wink of an eye. March began with a wonderful celebration of Literacy. We marked Dr. Seuss’  birthday with a renewed focus on literacy. Our students immersed themselves in Suessville and welcomed many community guests to read with our children. Thank you to Mr. Quinn & Mr. Quinlan for being our special guest Cat’s in the Hat’s.  An additional thank you goes out to our Reading Specialist, Mrs. Hegarty and our Teachers who worked collaboratively to develop our Read Across America plan.

Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

Our annual Fine Arts Night will be held on this Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Come to the Hood School to see some wonderful student performances and art exhibits.

If you have not heard, our amazing physical education teacher will be running the 2015 Boston Marathon to raise money for the Tufts Medical Center. During fine arts evening a table will be staffed by three Hood School students. Jessica Simone, Isabella Conte & Lauren Feffer please stop by their table to purchase a glo stick in order to support this charity.

March and April are important months for teaching and learning. Here are a few ways that you can prepare your children to make the most of their learning opportunities:

• Make sure that your children get adequate sleep. There is research-based evidence that elementary age children require 10-12 hours of sleep each night. 

• Physical activity is a great stress release, helps children sleep better at night, and improves concentration and learning. Research indicates that children receive the most benefit from 20 minutes of sustained aerobic activity on a daily basis.

• A good breakfast that contains a source of protein improves concentration and learning. Healthy snacks and lunches provide the ‘fuel’ children need to sustain their efforts throughout the day.

• Make sure that your children arrive at school on time. It is stressful for them to arrive late and quite disruptive for the rest of the class.

Lastly, Please be reminded that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week will be half days for parent conferences. Student dismissal will be at 11:45. 

November News

November 19, 2014

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

As the weather is now getting colder and there is less sunlight, I am pleased to look around and see all of our programs in full swing.  Students are enjoying their academic programs and our enrichment programs. It is great to be part of such an active school community.   

During this season of giving and thankfulness, I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers at the J. Turner Hood. From our wonderful Parent’s Association members to Library Volunteers, Guest Readers, and so many other parents who have contributed – We are truly grateful for all you have given. Also a special thank you to all our teachers, administrative

and support staff at the J. Turner Hood for your continued caring and nurturing of our children.

Last month, speed painter Rob Surette wowed our students with his "Amazing Hero Art" show. Thanks to our Parent’s Association for organizing and funding the event. Mr. Surette created all the paintings you see here - each six feet tall - during his 60-minute show. We had previously had one of his works on display in our library and thanks to the Parent’s Association we will now have another that will be hung soon.

Pictures available on our school website-

Recess- The winter season is upon us.  I would like to remind you to send your children to school dressed appropriately for outside recess. Coats, hats and gloves are very important. We will always go outside for recess unless it is dangerously cold. If recess is canceled, please understand that it was canceled due to rain, snow or health recommendations only. It is our belief that students need physical activity and fresh air and therefore we send the children outside for recess in the winter. Previously, J. Turner Hood School students were allowed to bring in snow pants and boots to play in the snow. This is a practice that we are discontinuing at this time. All children will play on the hot top during recess if snow is covering our playground and fields.        

Live Line-Dismissal/Pick-Up-The dismissal time from J. Turner Hood Elementary school is a very busy time of day.  Busses are arriving to bring children home or bringing them to after school child care programs.   Parents or child care providers are driving up to the neighborhoods near the school or walking up to pick up their children and older children are walking home alone.  If you participate in the Placard Pick-up System to pick up your children in front of J. Turner Hood by car please be reminded that you are required to “queue up” in a single line down the driveway, through our parking lot and up to the Handicapped parking spot at the end of our “loop.” At all times, there must be space for two-way traffic on Haverhill Street and in the school driveway to allow for vehicles leaving and to provide emergency vehicle access. You (the parent/guardian) or someone you give permission to pick up your child must have the placard with the student’s last name in view on the right-hand side of the windshield as you pull up. A suggested practice is to have the placard affixed to your passenger side visor and flip it down while you “que up.”  Children who are being picked up via the placard pick-up system will remain in the Cafeteria while family names are called.  As you pull up with the placard in view, your child(ren) will be called out using a walkie talkie system from staff out on the sidewalk to staff in the cafeteria, and placed in your vehicle. 

Twitter- Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

https://twitter.com/jthoodelemen

The Annual North Reading Turkey Trot is scheduled to go off at 8:00 A.M. sharp on Thanksgiving Day.  The elementary school challenge is on again this year and the Little School is looking to retain the title! We have recruited many staff members to join our families! I am encouraging all of our families to be part of this community event. It is our goal to unseat the defending elementary school challenge champions and bring the coveted trophy to our lobby! The elementary school in North Reading that has the highest percentage of student participation will earn the trophy to display in their school for the year and the $200.00 prize to be used toward the purchase of fitness equipment in their school. This event is sponsored by the NRHS Hornets Hall of Fame; proceeds benefit the student athletes of North Reading. Come out to work up an appetite. Please contact Joe Davis at jdavis@north-reading.k12.ma.us if you have any questions. See you Thanksgiving morning!

Successful Hood School Students- There are a few things you can do at home to help your child be a successful student here at school. It is beneficial to set up routines for your morning prior to leaving the house. Setting up routines can help you and your child be more relaxed. Eating a good breakfast helps your child to be energized and ready for the day ahead. After school ask your child about his/her school day. It lets your child know you care. Talking about school with your child helps keep you connected. If your child isn’t sharing what he/she does at school try asking a specific question or two. Be sure to read all papers that come home or sent via e-mail. Help your child be prepared by studying a little each day. It is the best way to learn and own new material. Having a set homework time and place makes homework a little less stressful. Read everyday. Try reading both to and with your child each day. Lastly, having a set bedtime and nightly routine helps your child get the rest he/she needs. Providing your child with relaxation, energy, communication, preparation and rest create the potion for success! Communication between home and school is so important for our children. Please share anything important that is going on at home with your child’s classroom teacher. We can’t be successful without one another.

Please be reminded that students may not be dropped off prior to 8:20 AM, as there is no morning supervision.

Greater Boston Food Bank

Please help us raise food and funds for the Greater Boston Food Bank. The Hood School student council members thought that doing a food drive before the holidays would be the best way to involve the community in getting into the holiday spirit of giving. Help us reach our goal and donate today. Thank you for supporting The Greater Boston Food Bank's Holiday Meal Drive. Every $20 donation will provide 5 Thanksgiving meals to those in need.
Here is the link:
www.gbfb.org/jthoodelementaryschool

Please keep on sending in non-perishable food items