 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This very active group is a cornerstone of shared decision-making, school improvement, and student and parent awareness at Montville High School. Students, faculty members, parents, and community members work in partnership on issues of importance to each group. Needs assessments and surveys are regularly conducted and lead to development and presentation of exciting educational programs to address issues of concern. Past programs have included cult awareness, teen sexual awareness, violence prevention, gang awareness, teen suicide, celebration of life, and building self-esteem. The P.A.G. also publishes its own monthly newsletter. Any student can join the P.A.G. by request. All parents of M.H.S. students are automatically members of the P.A.G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
DEPARTMENTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Arts & Life Management Department
Mrs. Laura Greenstein, Department Chair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Paul Simon summarized his high school experience by stating “when I think back on all the stuff I learned in high school, it’s a wonder I can think at all.” Many years after this was written, education is undergoing a dramatic change with thinking skills at the forefront of that change. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and many other local, national, and international organizations are urging school to emphasize 21st century skills throughout teaching and learning.
In brief, these skills include:
Thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, synthesis, creativity, problem solving, and metacognition
Action skills such as communication, collaboration, initiative, media literacy, applied technologies
Living skills such as goal setting, civic responsibility, global understanding, and leadership.
Collectively, all these skills are required of students in the art and life management departments.
Teachers continue to hone their skills as demonstrated through their active participation in professional development and professional learning communities where, this year, student engagement and higher level thinking are being emphasized.
In our classrooms guest speakers bring a view of the world beyond the school, and service projects engage students in the larger community. Culinary classes prepare food for district and community events. In our continuing efforts to reduce hunger, plans are underway for an interdisciplinary art and culinary project called “Empty Bowls”.
Technology is incorporated in all classes through research projects, technology-based learning, and Smartboard instruction. The Digital Imaging classes are totally technology based.
Working collaboratively and communicating is at the heart of the new Teaching and Learning class that recently created picture-based instructional manuals for household items. The Senior Project is built upon Costa and Kallick’s habits of mind that include planning, processing, and acting on knowledge to produce and present a unique and individualized final project. Other classes in the departments include group projects, student presentations, and reflection throughout teaching and learning.
Research-based instruction and the use of high yield instructional strategies can be seen on a daily basis as students take notes, summarize, compare, and generate new knowledge and skills. Teachers in these departments take pride in the level of student engagement and the inclusion of 21st century skills. Please stop by and visit our classroom to see the exciting things that are happening. (Nov. 2010) .jpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Business & Social Studies Departments
Mr. Robert Lamperelli, Department Chair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dear Students, Parents, and Community Members,
As the chairman of both the Social Studies and the Business departments there are a series of changes which have taken place or are in the process of being implemented which I would like to share with you. In terms of personnel the Business Department has seen the addition of Mr. Matthew Fiano who is teaching at both the high school and at the Palmer Academy. He is currently teaching all Computer Applications I courses for freshmen which is a required course for graduation.
In the Business Department the Senior Internship program continues to grow under the leadership of Mr. Wheeler and, even in these stringent economic times, local businesses continue to accept our interns. Mrs. Knight has continued as our coordinator in this program and has fit into the situation seamlessly as our students are being placed in their internships in a smooth and organized fashion. This year there are again two sections of Senior Internship totaling 32 students meaning that our need for positions in which to place our interns continues to remain consistent. This process is ongoing and by the beginning of the second semester, when the students begin their on-site experience, we expect to have all of our qualified students placed in positions of their choice. A program which continues to grow is our job shadowing opportunity for students who would like to spend a day visiting an occupational site they believe they might be interested in as a career. All students have to do is to contact Mr. Wheeler and he and Mrs. Knight will begin the process of setting up the job shadowing opportunity.
Currently we are in the process of offering an Honors Accounting program which ultimately could become either an Early College Experience course accepted by the University Of Connecticut for college credit or an Advanced Placement course. The course has been well accepted by our students and provides a different experience from the traditional Accounting I and II programs which are still being offered. This is a new approach for the Montville Business department and one we look forward to developing. Our school store is in operation with regular hours and is run by Mrs. Burdick and Mr. Wheeler. Students continue to hold all of the positions from managers to clerks and there is a wide variety of goods available to our students. If you are looking for a special gift for your Montville High student as a special Christmas surprise why not visit our store to see some of the specialized products available.
An additional major innovation planned for the Business department is the establishment of a mandatory Personal Finance course offered to all sophomores. The plans for this program have been presented to the Curriculum Council as well as the E&E and Policy Committees of the Board of Education and have received final approval. The state of Connecticut has long suggested that high schools require this type of course as it has become more obvious that students have little knowledge of insurance, banking, and financial planning. We will be offering this semester course to all sophomore students with no additional staff. Mr. Zyrlis remains active within the school community as a class advisor, helping with the school store and with Future Business Leaders of America projects. He is also the chairman of the Faculty Advisory Committee and is working with the other department members in developing the Personal Finance curriculum which we will have in place for the 2010-11 school year.
In the Social Studies department Mr. Wainwright's Montville and Connecticut History course continues to attract many students from different ability groups and there are plans to visit some areas of local renown. The course has proven to be exceptionally popular with a broad cross section of students, mostly seniors. Mr. Lamperelli's Early College Experience United States History course is now in its third year and it is offered as part of the American Studies I program which is shared with Mrs. Baril (English). This year Mrs. Baril and Mr. Lamperelli have organized a community service project where the students in ECE United States History/American Studies I classes are collecting items to send to an American platoon in Afghanistan. The juniors have raised money, placed collection boxes in each of the classrooms in the school and have already packed 15 boxes of supplies which are ready to be shipped. The students are also including personal notes of appreciation for each of the platoon members and it is planned to get the boxes to the men by Christmas. Mr. Amanti, Mr. Daly, Mrs. Patten, Mrs. Orzechowski, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Laing and Mrs. Richmond from the main office have also contributed items and notes in support of the students’ efforts. Students who continue in the American Studies II program can earn an additional three credits at UCONN which are transferable to any college that accepts the university's credits. The Social Studies department continues to stress writing across all of its courses focusing on preparing our students for the CAPT test as sophomores and then focusing on college writing for our juniors and seniors. The results are that Montville students are still scoring higher in the Writing Across The Disciplines section of the CAPT as compared to other areas of the test.
Mr. Orbe, Mr. Finnegan, and Mr. Grove have finished the process of rewriting the 9th grade curriculum, and 9th grade students have selected either Western Civilization or Non Western Civilization as their 9th grade social studies course instead of every student having to take the World Civilizations offering. As Tyl Middle School social studies teachers have revised their curriculum, it has had an impact on what we should be offering to 9th grade students at the high school; this elective program is the result. This will, for the first time, introduce eighth grade students to the process of choosing electives in the core areas. This program has been approved and ninth graders are currently taking the courses of their choice. Last year Mr. Orbe and Mr. Grove also applied for the Liberty Bank grant and were the recipients of a $2,000 award to be used this school year for educational supplies within the 9th grade program.
Mr. Dawe's American Law classes continue to offer seniors, at all ability levels, the opportunity for a hands on approach to the study of our legal system. He uses mock trials, guest speakers, and field trips to provide the students with a realistic picture of how our legal system operates. Mrs. Glover and Ms Joslin continue to be active in the Connecticut Writing Project in order to bring the latest writing activities and styles to our department. Their continued emphasis on writing in their sophomore courses is one of the reasons why our students are doing so well on the CAPT.
Both the Business and Social Studies departments offer varied and strong programs to the students of Montville High School in order to increase their educational experiences. Thus far it is clear that when our students leave MHS they have been prepared to successfully enter the world of their choice, be it the college campus, the working community, or the military. The preparation of our students remains our goal and our mission in both the Business and Social Studies departments. (Dec. 2010)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Counseling Corner
Dr. Theodore H. Phillips, Director of School Counseling
860-848-1285 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
English Department
Mr. Ted Richmond, Department Chair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The English Department at Montville High School has been working over the past year to refine our curricula to meet the current needs of our student body. With Professional Learning Community (PLC) goals focusing on issues such as non-fiction "Reading for Information" skills, literary analyses, and common assessments, the members of the English department are taking steps to ensure that we meet the needs of every Montville High student. Through our individual and department goals, combined with our continued focus on grammar and vocabulary instruction, we expect the increased performance levels of our students to be evident through their grades, their scores on standardized tests, and their performances in post-secondary endeavors.
With no personnel changes for the current school year, we were able to focus on increasing course offerings for our students. This year we have added a third level to our English class offerings in an effort to help students who require a more intensive program. These classes are normally smaller, offer an augmented curriculum, and focus primarily on skill acquisition and reading intervention strategies. Additionally, due to increased interest, we are again running our SAT Critical Reading prep course. This free course open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors is designed solely for the purpose of helping students acquire the information they need to improve their scores. Finally, our vocabulary instruction has changed. We have moved to an online program that offers word lists specifically selected to reflect words commonly appearing on the SAT.
We are continuing our department initiative of creating more frequent opportunities to celebrate student writing at MHS. Last year’s successes were many, highlighted by one of our students, Gloria Creamer, being named as “New London County Prose Writer of the Year.” As a group we will be recognizing two creative and two analytical writers each quarter. We also will continue to appoint an annual Poet Laureate of MHS. Our current Poet Laureate is senior Colby McAdams. Ms. Wendy Halsey has spearheaded the Montville Arts Café which will give students, past and present, as well as members of the community, an opportunity to share their talents in a public forum. More information about the Montville Arts Café and future performances will be forthcoming. We will once again hold a Poetry Out Loud recitation contest. Last year's experience with this program was very successful. We hope to build on that excitement for an even bigger event this year.
Mrs. Susan Laurençot will take over this year as the co-editor of The Chieftain and the teacher of our journalism class. Mrs. Laurençot brings enthusiasm and a fresh vision for the paper including a higher level of student decision making and the incorporation of an online interactive component.
We in the English department pride ourselves on being accessible to all parents. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher. Everyone is ready and willing to help make this experience a positive and productive one. You can contact any teacher through a quick email or a phone call to the main office. Each teacher will be sure to respond and offer help. The members of the English Department are Penny Baril, Noreen Bibee, Kelly Brooks, Wendy Halsey, Susan Laurençot, Ted Richmond, Alex Rousseau, Allyson Salazar, and Susan Walsh.
Thanks to all of you who have already contacted us with your input and suggestions. Your child’s high school experience deserves to be a rewarding one. Through our demanding and creative teaching strategies, we hope to ensure that we are doing our part to help each student succeed.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Nurse
Ms. Debbie Piacenza, R. N. 860-848-9208 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Science Department
Mrs. Laurie Pallin, Director of Curriculum
860-848-1228 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Special Education Department
Mrs. Eileen Richmond, Secondary Program Leader | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accommodations and ModificationsWhat is the difference?How are they used?When a student has a 504 plan or an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), accommodations and modifications are discussed and implemented based on the student’s specific needs. Teachers put accommodations into place frequently in their classrooms on a daily basis with students regardless of whether they are identified as 504 or have an IEP so that they can meet with success. This article is an attempt to clarify these terms and increase understanding of how they are used and why. The following define an accommodation:
Some examples of accommodations include:
There are several benefits to the use of accommodations. Since they do not alter what is being taught, teachers can implement the same grading scale for students with disabilities as they do for those without disabilities. Accommodations are not designed to change the measurement of work completed. Their purpose is to assist students in learning what other students are learning without lowering the expectations. The accommodation must fit the need for which it is given. For example, large print text would not be given to any student but specifically those that have a visual impairment. Definition of modifications:
The following are examples of modifications:
A modification becomes necessary when there is a need to provide access for a student with a disability to participate in something such as a course or test. They give students with disabilities expectations that are consistent with their cognitive abilities. Both accommodations and modifications have their place when working with students. If they are being used specifically with a student on a 504 or in special education, they are written into the plan or IEP. An accommodation can be used with students without disabilities. Eileen Richmond, Secondary Program Leader | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||