Pine Glen Supports Red Sox

The Pine Glen staff and students all this week have been cheering on the Red Sox. Some staff were even seen wearing beards.

Rocket Day 2013

Congratulations to all the fourth graders who did a terrific job today at Rocket Day!

Guests

Today, I was joined on my daily walk throughs by Dr. Conti, superintendent, and Mr. Larkin, assistant superintendent. All three of us love going into classrooms and seeing the great learning taking place throughout the day.

Music

Today during my walk-throughs I saw our music teachers Mrs. Agati and Ms. Berger instructing students. It is interesting to see students read musical notes and lyrics on an iPad rather then on paper. The students were having a lot of fun in addition to learning.

Collaboration

Today during my walk through I saw Ms. Fallon, art teacher, and Mrs. Hayes, first grade teacher, co-teaching a lesson. This cross-discipline collaboration helps students to greatly expand upon their knowledge. Also, it teachers great higher order thinking skills as well as fantastic problem solving skills for all school subjects.

Halloween Dance 2013

The following pictures are from the Halloween Dance last night. The costumes were terrific and it was a lot of fun.

Vocabulary

Students in Mrs. Fitzpatrick's Fifth Grade Classroom are using the apps Book Creator and Explain Everything to expand upon their vocabulary. Doing multi-modal activities like this help students retain vocabulary into their long term memory and become even stronger readers.

Discussion on Medical Marijuana Zoning

Medical Marijuana Forum0001

Message From Scouts

Scouting for Food is coming to your neighborhood. The scouts from Pack 555 will be dropping of plastic bags on your neighborhood doors with a request to collect donations for the food pantry. This philanthropic event is something simple but extremely rewarding to our scouts. If you know a scout in your neighborhood and didn't receive a bag, let them know you would like to help out too.  Scouts will be coming by your house to pick up the bags of donations around November 2.  Your grateful contributions keeps them participating every year. So if you get that friendly bag on your doorknob, please help them assist the needy families in our community. Thank you in advance.

Kindergarten Field Trip and Thank You to PTO

The Pine Glen Kindergarten had a great time at the Franklin Park Zoo.  The Pine Glen Kindergarten Staff would like to thank the Pine Glen PTO for generously funding the kindergarten field trip t-shirts again this year.  Shirts like these, field trips and enrichment are all possible because of the PTO.  

Special screening of the film A Place at the Table

Join the Presbyterian Church in Burlington for a conversation and special screening of the film A Place at the Table on Friday November 8 at 6:30pm. The documentary examines the crisis of food security, hunger, obesity and food access in the United States. The film will be screened at the church (335 Cambridge St. Burlington, MA 01803) at 6:30pm and will be immediately followed by a panel discussion featuring local community leaders to discuss hunger, food access and obesity in the Burlington area. The screening is free, however donations for the Burlington food pantry will be collected.  For more information visithttp://www.magpictures.com/aplaceatthetable/ or contact bpcyav@gmail.com.

Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame Fund-Raiser

Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame Fund-Raiser

Tuesday November 26, 2013 5:00pm-9:00pm

Flatbread Company

213 Burlington Rd.

Bedford, MA

Old Friends - Food - Drink - Raffle - Memories

Sponsored by the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame Committee                

There is no upfront cost or tickets to purchase, just show up. The cost is the food you eat and the beverages you drink. The BHS Hall of Fame gets a percentage of the sales for that night.

We hope to see everyone there. Please pass this on to all your friends and family. Take out or eat in.

RTI Best Practice Conference

I just returned to school today from the 7th Annual RTI Best Practices Institute which was held in North Carolina. The elementary school principals were presenters at the conference.

Included in this picture are the Burlington Elementary School Principals. Also included in the picture are fellow presenters and school psychologists Dr. Tom Jenkins (far left) and UMass Professor, Dr. Scott Methe (far right). Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Methe both work with the Burlington Public Schools to ensure we are using the most current and best researched/evidence based practices with students.

There is a good chance your children might have seen Dr. Methe doing walk throughs with me in your child's classroom. One of the items Dr. Methe is working with us specifically on is math. Dr. Mehte has told me repeatedly how we have great teachers and staff at Pine Glen Elementary School.

Guided Reading

Today during my daily walkthroughs I saw RTI tutor Mrs. Constantine and second grade teacher Mrs. Keough-Lane working with guided reading groups.

Second Grade

Today during my daily walkthroughs I saw students in second grade at centers during English Language Arts. The students were using new Google Chrome Books. They were also using a web based program called Raz-Kids (www.raz-kids.com). This program is an online library of books. Students use the online library to improve their fluency and comprehension.

Fundraiser Message

Do not miss the grand opening of Burlington's newest restaurant, BONEFISH GRILL, 44 Wayside Road, Wayside Commons on Saturday, November 9th 6:00 - 8:30!!!! Bonefish Grill will generously host a fundraiser to benefit American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Burlington and Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation.

Please join us for a sampling of Bonefish's appetizers, market fresh fish, wood grilled specialties! Unlimited food will be served for the entire evening!! Tickets are $35 per person which includes 2 BEVERAGES!! (specialty martinis, cocktails, craft beers, and adventurous wines). Additional beverages can be purchased for a discounted price of $5.00!!

For the BURLINGTON'S DANCING WITH THE STARS enthusiasts, we will reveal ONE, possibly TWO of this year’s Burlington Dancing with the Stars participants!!! So do not miss out on this great event!!

For tickets, please contact Cheryl Shafman at cheryl.shafman@verizon.net or at 781-771-6410. Purchase your tickets before November 1st, tickets are limited!!

Message From the Burlington PAC

Response to Intervention

Please join the Burlington PAC  for this presentation which will review how Response to Intervention, “RTI” is being implemented in the Burlington school system. 

The goals include a common elementary instruction and planning time, implementation of universal screening to identify student’s weaknesses, 

progress monitoring and research based interventions, and data-based decision making to address student’s needs.

This presentation is for all children attending the Burlington Public Schools and not specific to children receiving special education services. 

October 21, 2013

7:00p.m.

School Committee Room

Burlington High School

Message From Burlington High School About College Admissions

Burlington HS Flyer 2013-1

Stand As One

Today we celebrated 'Stand As One' day!  This day is about children and staff feeling a sense of unity and togetherness.  Students and staff dressed in the color red for the event and to show our support for the Red Sox.        Also, students were read a story today by Mrs. Dwyer and wrote a positive comment about how they belong at Pine Glen and/or contribute to making their classroom/school a positive place for learning. 

Influenza Awareness

The FLU for Parents July 2013-Final

Rotary Club

Today the Burlington Rotary Club gave each third grader at Pine Glen School a dictionary. This has been an annual tradition. We also remembered Rick Karwan. The Rotary Club will now call this tradition The Rick Karwan Dictionary Project.

Grade 4

During my morning walk throughs this morning I took some pictures of fourth grade teachers instructing students in guided reading.

In the pictures below fourth grade teacher Mrs. Finn, RTI tutor Ms. Wolfenden, and RTI tutor Mrs. Proehl are instructing students in guided reading

.

Kindergarten and First Grade

Below are some pictures of my walk through this morning of kindergarten and first grade.

In the first picture Mrs. Parnell is modeling with a big book how to read nonfiction text with her kindergarten students. The students were very interested in the different parts of a pumpkin.

In the other pictures first grade teachers Mrs. Guanci, Ms. Smith, and RTI tutor Ms. Christie are instructing students in guided reading groups.

Art at Pine Glen Elementary School

If you have not had a chance, please check out Ms. Fallon's blog Pine Glen Art: Inspiration Station.  The students art work is amazing.

Rainbow Loom Jewelry

Although we will not be banning Rainbow Loom or related bracelets and necklaces at this time, please know that for some students they have served as a distraction at school and on the bus.  If children are seen distracting others or using them inappropriately, the teachers will be sending them home to avoid any further distractions.  The same holds true on the school bus.  If students are instructed to bring them home, they may not bring the jewelry on the bus or back to school again.  Thank you!

Violin in Third Grade at Pine Glen Elementary School

Third Grade Violin- FLYER

Grade 4

Today I saw students in Mrs. Finn's classroom using their iPads for note taking.

Google Crome Books

Today I saw students in Mrs. Lane's second grade classroom using Google Crome Books at a literacy center. Mrs. Constantine is in the background of the first picture with a guided reading group.