Chess Club Completes First Year

The Lincoln Chess Club completed its inaugural year with overwhelming success!  More than fifty children participated in the club throughout the year, with a core group of over twenty students that met on a regular basis. The children demonstrated great motivation and ability to learn, to succeed, and above all, to be respectful of their fellow participants.

Throughout the course of the year, a range of activities were conducted to help the club members improve their chess skills. The participants learned a number of fundamentals of the game, including correct board setup, the rules of the game, proper conduct when playing the game, the system of reading and writing algebraic chess notation, and simple strategic principals. The club offered the children the option to participate in offhand games or competitive games, receive instructional lectures and analysis with the coach, and take home weekly handouts that provided instructive lessons or problems to be solved on their own.

We culminated our efforts with two tournaments, which was the high point for the club members and capped off the year with exciting games and suspenseful conclusions to both contests.  The winner of the first tournament was Deniz Erdem with a perfect record of 5-0, and the winner of the second tournament was Noah Meade-Kelly, who also scored a perfect 4-0 record. Awards of chess-themed pencils and erasers were provided to all participants, and the winners received a chess scorebook. Congratulations to Deniz and Noah for winning their events!

Coache, Robb Stewart and coordinator Deb Varat thoroughly enjoyed mentoring the children and took a lot away from the experience. We also appreciate the great help we received from parent Claudine Lesk and high school freshman and former Lincoln Student, Christian Perkins who dedicated their time every Monday to the club. We are are looking forward to running the club again next fall, and hope to improve upon our accomplishments and success.  Look for our sign up sheet in the fall!

Why Aren't Standards Based Report Cards All Standard?

Why aren't Standards Based Report Cards all Standard?

Earlier this year we sent home revised report cards that were based on our new standards (MA2011 which incorporated Common Core Standards). There will be a few more revisions next year as we remove traditional letter grades entirely. The report cards are an important component of our communication to parents about the progress their child is making. I recently participated in a Think Tank session at Merrimack College with other elementary school administrators where we discussed standards based report cards. I had already immersed myself in knowing and understanding the differences and reasoning for utilizing a standards based report card but I learned even more from the session.

 

Traditional letter grades are now simply an inadequate way of providing appropriate feedback based on what we currently  teach. In 1780 Yale University was the first to quantify grades on a 4.0 scale, which is the bases of letter grades. Prior to that, feedback to students at all levels was mainly in the form of a written narrative. In 1877, Harvard created "divisions" which resulted in 90-100 being the top division, and eventually an "A", and so on.

Today, many schools continue to use the same grading procedures from centuries before us, yet our instruction, curriculum and expectations have changed dramatically. A  powerful and effective report card should provide parents with information on how their child is doing at that point in time by separating the academic achievements based on known expectations and how they are doing with non academic achievements such as social skills, effort and other work habits.

There are many misnomers too that we must overcome when discussing report cards. Thomas Guskey, a well known speaker and professor of Education at the University of Kentucky, discusses several of these in many different articles. One of his main points about traditional grades is that they are either inflated or the teacher believes they must follow a traditional bell curve. A bell curve is what happens when nothing is done. Teaching is intervention and when we provide the appropriate intervention, we can shift a traditional bell curve so that most, if not all students meet a standard, therefor greatly altering a bell curve.

Guskey also addresses the fact that many of us attended schools where grades were based on the standing of other students. In other words, where did we fit in? Were we average or above average for the class? The problem with this thinking is that it doesn't tell us how well a student has learned, only that they did better or worse than their classmates. Grades in this system become unclear. Students need to know what they are expected to do and know how they can show it or prove it.

Furthermore, if a standard is clear to a student, for instance, they are expected to be able to multiply two digit numbers accurately, does it matter how much they struggled to do this for two months if now they can do it and have proven such? Traditional grading systems would have taken an average over the course of a term, and for such a student who struggled, their average score over time would be quite low. However, at the end of the term, they have proven they know how to multiply two digit numbers. Isn't that the only thing that matters when reporting academic achievement to parents? Now if the student didn't work hard and didn't do homework for the first part of the term, which was the likely reason for his/her struggle, then that information can also be communicated in a standards based report card, but in the work habits section.

From my discussion with other colleagues I was amazed at how different each school's reports cards are. It struck me that we really should all have the same report cards. After all, aren't all third graders in Massachusetts expected to know the same things and have the same skills? I can see how there may be some sections, such as work habits and behavior, that are left up to a school district to decide what will be reported, but the core content areas should all have the same reporting system throughout the entire state.

If we all had the same reporting system, we would change the way we grade to help us accurately report at the end of the term, and in order to grade along the way, we would all need to plan effectively with assessments and a consistent focus on what we want students to know and be able to do. Standardizing report cards, would be a great leap forward for improving the teaching and learning throughout the entire state.

Our Guest Principal of The Day

Last month, Kindergarten student, Daniel Ferris, won a raffle to be "Principal of the Day" and shadow me for the school day. Daniel is writing this guest blog post below and has drawn a picture of "His Office". 


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I was very excited to be Principal of the Day at Lincoln School. My mom helped me pick out my clothes so I would look like Mr. Conway who wears a tie every day. When I arrived in the office, both of my parents were taking pictures of me.

This is the Principal's Office with the bookshelf, coat hanger and desk

I started the morning by making a special announcement over the loud speaker. We then visited 
all the classrooms, including my own Kindergarten room, Mrs. Joslin's class. All the kids were excited to see me and called me Mr. Ferris. We went to all the classroom delivering the Science Fair Certificates of Achievement and ribbons for all the students who participated in the Science Fair last night. That was a lot of work because there were almost 150 students who had projects.

I even got to visit my older sister's 3rd grade class and I gave her a Behavior Report for making me play Just Dance 4 on the Wii. She was a little embarrassed but we were all just having fun. She's actually a really good big sister.

I got to order out for lunch with the office staff and I got Chicken Parmigiana, one of my favorites. While waiting for lunch I got to speak with Ms. Santosuosso who is now the Principal of Winthrop Elementary but was a 2nd grade teacher at Lincoln. Ms. Santosuosso told me that she likes being a principal and meeting all the different people she works with, teachers, students and parents. But she does miss being at Lincoln. She was my sister's 2nd Grade teacher.

The rest of the day was pretty busy, checking on the cafe, outside at recess and even reading to the students in Mrs. Ingall's 3rd Grade class. I liked my day so much, I wish I was principal for the rest of the year. But if that doesn't work out, I'll enjoy going back to Mrs. Joslin's room. When I grow up I want to be a Hockey Player or a Tree Service Worker, like my dad. It was a fun day.

Our Connection to History

The more things change, the more they stay the same. While this may not always be true, this is a lesson that I, along with several students and families at Lincoln School learned first hand last week. While we were unveiling the personalized bricks as part of our new sign in front of the school, I was looking for a brief but meaningful way to connect the bricks and the students to the history of Lincoln. After all,  the entire "Brick Campaign" was titled Be A Part of History. The sign and bricks were meant to look just like the existing bricks of the original school that was constructed in late 1800's. So it was only fitting that we ponder how we will be remembered generations from now.

Through my 6 years at Lincoln I have found many items and connections from the past. However, I think one of the best connections is the collection of historic photos and yearbooks we have. As I opened the box that contains the yearbooks, I noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the "Lincoln Log" from 1938. It was a letter written by then Principal, Bertha Davis. Ms. Davis served as Principal of Lincoln from 1929-1953. Lincoln was a K-8 school at the time and her letter was to all future Lincoln students who choose to work on the yearbook. While some parts of the letter are specific to the yearbook, the second part was really intended for all Lincoln students and it is the section that I realized was the connection to our history that I was looking to share.

Lincoln School Principal, Bertha Davis, Cir. 1910

In her letter, she was encouraging students to do their finest work and to be proud, so long as they tried their best.

"...May these experiences help you to succeed in future years! No impossibilities will be asked of you - just that, you do your best. Each step in advance means a backward glance toward your home & school life. With each ringing challenge that faces you, the mistful echo will drift back and say - What will my home folks and early teachers expect now? It is the answer within that will drive you on. Honor and uprightness are your heritage and all of us are waiting to cheer your success as the results of your right attitudes and loyalty to the best within you
                                    - Bertha S. Davis
                                                Principal "







My message to the students, families and staff that were present, was that nearly a century later, we still ask and expect the same of our students and children. These bricks are their symbolic footprint that adds to the history and lore of Lincoln School. The one line within Ms. Davis's letter that struck me most,

"No impossibilities will be asked of you - just that you do your best."

Lincoln School LEGO Robotics team competes in First Lego League

 Sagar Sachar and Jackson Texeira make some adjustments.

Saturday, December 1, 2012 at Boston University – The Lincoln School 5^th Grade Lego Robotics team competed in their first ever competition. The entire event was a great success and the students were thrilled that the robot they constructed was able to complete several of the tasks that are required, even finishing as high as 8^th in one of the events.

The team had been preparing all year after school with parent volunteers Sandra Cunningham and Jodie Texeira and with the guidance on another Lincoln Parent Volunteer, John Wright, who is affiliated with the High School Vex team.

The team is comprised of nine 5^th Graders from Lincoln School: Abbie Powell-Flatt, Sagar Sachar, Joey Shields, Colby Moss, Lilly Rodriguez, Nick Warren-Southwick, Seth Ferreira, Cormac Lynch and Ethan Brodeur.

The 5th Graders will compete again in January at an event at Melrose Veteran’s Memorial Middle School.

Lily Rodriguez and Colby Moss react to the robot’s actions

Jackson Texeira and Abbie Powell-Flatt are working out a problem.

Colby Moss and Joey Shields remain focused.

The key to success - Perseverance?

Our first marking trimester is coming to a close and we have been busy at school. The students have really taken to our revised writing process and the products coming from classrooms at all grade levels are impressive. Most grade levels are finishing up their narrative writing pieces and will soon start more expository and information pieces.

I recently spent some time with our paraprofessionals training them and having discussions with them about how they support students in the writer's workshop model. Much of our focus was on how much effort students need to apply and how they need to understand that writing is a process and a final product evolves from multiple drafts, revisions, edits, and conferences. These conversations really focused on one key word; perseverance.

The timing of this conversation for me and our staff was perfect. There has been a great deal of recent research on the subject of student perseverance or even more simply put, grit. I recently attended a Think Tank group with other administrators at Merrimack College co-facilitated by my principal colleague Rob Ackerman from The Lane School in Bedford, MA and Dr. Joanne Gurry a Professor at Merrimack College. The focus was on developing grit and perseverance in students. The current surge in research was conducted by Paul Tough and is reflected in his new book "How Children Succeed" and by Psychologist Carol Dweck on the Growth Mindset. The basis of the research identifies grit and perseverance as the essential character trait of successful students and adults in life and that those who maintain a growth mindset as opposed to fixed mindset about learning from our mistakes are equipped to succeed.

I have recently been witnessing perseverance in our students, not only in writing but in other subject areas such as science. These are some pictures of our students in grade 1 and grade 3 exploring a science problem and continuing on with the lab until they are able to determine the conclusion. The facial expressions and looks of concentration and determination tell the story.

The National Common Core standards for Math and ELA, which Massachusetts has incorporated, frequently reference student perseverance. Most notably in the 8 Practices of Math, it states "Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them." Our staff has recently spent several hours at staff meetings and grade level data meetings examining these 8 practices of math and what they should look like in our classrooms.

The concept of having students become aware of their perseverance and think of it as an accomplishment by itself, has our staff thinking. We have always recognized effort and have praised students for their hard work, after all, effort is one of our defining characteristics in our C.A.R.E.S. acronym. But should we closely examine how we define effort and begin to think of it as perseverance? Although I don't think the acronym C.A.R.P.S. quite has the same marketing power with kids, I think our common language and discussions with students can be specific about what effort really looks and feels like. Wouldn't it be great to hear from a 2nd grader, "I really persevered with that math problem and it feels good to finally solve it."

I know I will be looking for examples of perseverance by students and adults in the coming months and I hope we can celebrate these examples together.

Fall Field Trips...A Lincoln Tradition

Last Friday was an exciting day for Lincoln Students. Many of our students took field trips or had special events. I had the pleasure of joining our third grade on their walking field trip to Mike Festa’s house. Mr. Festa is our former State Representative and a former Lincoln parent. Mike and Sandra Festa welcomed our third graders for a complete tour of the gardens, chicken coups and Koi ponds. The gardens are an amazing hidden treasure within the neighborhoods of Melrose and Mike’s knowledge and ability to teach the children was impressive.  His enthusiasm was clearly evident as he showed us his “baby” which has taken over 30 years of care.

Mike Festa explaining how the Koi survive in the winter.

Mike showing off his prized Rhode Island Red Chickens

Along the slopping hills of the backyard, our students took copious notes about what they were seeing. Mike walked the students through each stage of the compost pile and the kids got to feel, see and smell all the stages. The array of plant species was remarkable. Did you know there is a northern species of kiwi?

And of course, if learning firsthand about gardening and different plant species was not enough, Mr. Festa won us all over by treating the entire third grade to pizza, and popsicles on his backyard patio. I am struck by Mr. and Mrs. Festa’s generosity but mostly by their continued devotion to Lincoln Elementary, even though their own children are grown adults.

 Our Kindergarten students had their annual visit from Johnny Appleseed. This special guest had all the students engaged during this Fabulous Friday event. Thanks to all the parents who joined us last Friday and helped the students with cutting the apples. Folktales are an important part of our literacy curriculum and Johnny Appleseed has so many local connections to the historical elements of the folktale. 

"Johnny" and Mrs. Breda spin the tale.

I'm not sure who had more fun, the students or the teachers. We are very lucky to be paid a visit from such a "character."

Clearly Fall was a theme on Friday and our First graders took a trip to Smolak Farms for some apple picking, hay rides and donuts & cider. We had many parents who also volunteered for this trip.

First Graders on the hayride

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