Wondering In Mrs. Fitzpatrick Class At Pine Glen

During a visit to Pine Glen Elementary this week, Mrs. Fitpatrick shared with me some of the work her students are doing on their "I'm Wondering" projects.  All of the students have an opportunity to research and write about anything that they would like to learn more about during intervention/extension time.  On the wall of the classroom there are pictures of the students with what they are working on during their "I'm Wondering" time.  

In addition, some of the students have posted QR codes on the wall which link to publications that they have created to document what they have learned.  Check out a couple examples below from Cooper and Emma.

A Typical Day At Pine Glen

Today I had the privilege of filling in for Mr. Lyons at Pine Glen. As is normally the case, there were too many fun things happening to keep up.  Below are a few of the pictures from my time in various classrooms. Thanks to the staff and students for being so welcoming and taking the time to fill me in on all of the exciting learning activities that they are involved in. I look forward to filling in again on Friday, February 7!

When I arrived in Ms. Hayes' classroom, she and her students were on a train ride through New Hampshire.   

The second graders are involved in a research project on famous people from Massachusetts. It was great to talk to them and hear how much they know about their historical figures.  A couple of the girls told me that they are excited to make a visit to Oxford, MA to see Clara Barton's House. I am impressed with how excited and committed these students are about their research.  I am excited to see visit their wax museum at the end of February when each student will take on the persona of their historical figure.

It was neat to see the different methods students utilized to go about their work. Some with iPads, some with Chromebooks, and some with pencil and paper.

More research from Mrs. Lynch's class.

They were also working hard in Mrs. Cunha's room.

Mrs. Cunha's class doing their research.

Some great art work of the banks of the Merrimack River through history.

Mr. Musselman Takes A Sledgehammer To The Chest While On A Bed Of Nails

Check out this clip from Pine Glen Elementary School's 50th Anniversary Celebration yesterday. Mr. Musselman and Ms. Pavlicek from the Burlington Science Center wowed the crowd as Ms. Pavlicek smashed a cinder block on Mr. Musselman's chest as he was resting on a bed of nails.

File This Under - The Hidden Talents Of Burlington Administrators

Back in February I learned that Francis Wyman Elementary Principal Susan Astone was also a musician when I came across a post on her blog that showed her playing the guitar and singing to one of her classes (See Picture Below). Now, just a few months later I learned that Pine Glen Elementary Principal John Lyons is a dancer.

This news comes after Principal Lyons led his students in a rendition of the Harlem Shake last week during a visit by the Harlem Superstars basketball team.  Check out the video above of Principal Lyons performing "The Pine Glen Shake."

I can't help wondering what other hidden talents have yet to be discovered regarding our Burlington administrators?

More Holiday Sounds From Our Pine Glen Elementary Students

On the eve of Christmas, I wanted to share a few of the sounds from our winter concerts at Pine Glen.

Winter Concert - Grades 4 and 5


Winter Concert - Grades 1, 2 and 3

Thanks To Ms. Hayes and Her Class For A Great Morning!

Thanks to Ms. Hayes and her fourth grade class for inviting me to morning meeting today and sharing so many of the exciting things that they have bee up to lately.  The visit started with all of us in a circle greeting each other by saying good morning to the people sitting immediately to our right and left.  The sense of community and caring was evident from the minute I stepped in the class and heard students share their insights on different topics. 

In addition, the students were so excited to share their iMovie videos that they made their parents for Back-To-School Night last month. A few of the students even agreed to write a blog post about it for our Learning Every Day Blog.  I also received a number of e-mails from the students after I left thanking me for visiting and sharing more reflections about their learning. 

It was a great way to end the week and it reinforced the fact that I need to be spending a lot more time in Burlington classrooms. It is so much more fun learning with our students than it is sitting in Central Office. Thanks again to Ms. Hayes and her class for the reminder! I will definitely be seeing them again soon!

A Peek At School and Classrooms Through Their Blogs

It is so great to be part of a school community where educators share so much about what is going on within their schools and classrooms. As an administrator, I am frustrated sometimes by the fact that it is impossible to get around and see firsthand all of the wonderful things happening in the Burlington Public School System each day.  But thanks to the growing number of teachers and administrators sharing on websites and blog, I am able to feel like I am in the loop even if I cannot be present to witness all of the neat things occurring in our district daily.

As I a parent, I can only wish that the school system that my children attend provided such wonderful access!

Anyway...Here is a glimpse at some of the things that I saw yesterday as I checked out some of our district's blogs.

From the Marshall Simonds Middle School Blog:
A peek inside our newly renovated middle school.


Tuesday, September 4th 2012 – the eagerly anticipated opening of the new addition and partially completed renovation of Marshall Simonds occurred. When you visit us you will understand why this construction project was well worth the wait. We are proud of the dedicated spirit of the teachers and staff who worked so hard to make the opening of the building and start to the 2012-2013 school year such a success.

Check out a few more pictures from MSMS last week below.










Parents please note our Back to School Nights have been scheduled:

Grade 6 – Tuesday, September 18th, 7pm

Grade 7 – Wednesday, September 19th, 7pm

Grade 8 – Monday, September 24th, 7pm
That evening will give you a chance to see all the changes at Marshall Simonds Middle School.

   From The Pine Glen Principal's Blog:
Hero Assembly 2012

Today (9/11/112) we had our Hero's Assembly at Pine Glen Elementary School.  On this day we say thank you to the police officers and firefighters in our community that help keep us safe.  We also say thank you to the brave men and women in our military forces that keep us safe.  In addition, we remember Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGuinness, an F-14 Fighter Pilot and alumni of Pine Glen Elementary School.  Thomas left our Pine Glen Community on September 11, 2001 when he was acting as the co-pilot of Flight 11. 

In the first picture above is our music teacher, Mrs. Agati, who can been seen directing students in the musical performances.  Other pictures include students holding flags of the different military branches (Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Cost Guard), students sitting at the assembly, and Burlington Public Safety Officials.