Full-day PD on March 11, 2022 - 8:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
As things are looking up, and spring is around the corner, we are excited to organize for you a full-day PD day on Friday, March 11, 2022 from 8:00-2:30 at Nipmuc. We are especially excited because we'll be able to gather and learn together as a district in-person for the first time in a long time.
We are thrilled to be able to welcome Dr. Kalise Wornum back to Mendon-Upton for the first time in-person, as a follow-up to the keynote and sessions she led last March, to help us think about our roles in strengthening equity, diversity, and inclusion through our daily experiences as educators. On Friday, Dr. Wornum will again set the stage with a keynote and will then lead sessions for the entire MURSD community so that we can dig deeper with "understanding, supporting, and engaging" ALL students, our ongoing theme for PD this year.
To compliment Dr. Wornum's sessions, we have built a schedule (see below) that will provide all educators with some choice in their learning, some time to socialize over lunch (which will be provided), and some time to collaborate at the end of the day. And, as excited as we are about the fact that we will be able to be together, we have also tried to be mindful of our varied levels of comfort by providing a grab and go lunch and space to distance for those who would like that space. Many thanks to the PD Committee for the ideas and guidance that have led to a thoughtfully planned day for all.
Schedule for the day
Group 1 includes: Nipmuc Educators School Nurses RSPs Counselors/Psychologists ABAs and Paras
Group 2 includes: Miscoe Hill Educators Memorial Educators PreK Educators
Clough staff register for Dr. Wornum's keynote and workshop only.
The way the day is organized, we'll start the day in the Nipmuc auditorium together. We will reserve the left side of the auditorium for anyone who would like to space out while in there. We will also stream the keynote to the Gathering Room and PDC. Following the keynote, each educator will have an opportunity to participate in Dr. Wornum's breakout in either Session 1 or 2. The other session educators will be choosing a breakout to attend. Breakout choices are listed below.
After Session 2 we will pick up our lunches in the cafeteria and educators are welcome to eat in the cafeteria, the upstairs lobby, the PDC, the Gathering Room, or the Media Center. We just ask that you clean up after yourself. We'll set up some games in the gym and in the halls if you'd like to have some fun with colleagues during lunch. Feel free to wear gym clothes and sneakers for the day.
Following lunch we'll return to the auditorium to hear about safety and security post-pandemic by Mendon and Upton's own Officers Sinko and O'Connor. Again we'll reserve the left side of the auditorium for distancing and will stream their presentation.
Finally, we saved 1 hour at the end of the day to enable educators to collaborate with colleagues and consider the way they'll make their learning actionable in the upcoming weeks. Those groups may be departmental or grade-level or a combination of grade levels (PreK-K, 4-5, 8-9) to focus on transition planning. We will assign each group a room and you are welcome to bring your coffee there to finish your day.
We hope that through a combination of whole-group learning, choices, and planning time, you will get what you need form this day (and maybe a little something more). As always we value your feedback when it's all done.
Registration in TeachPoint
Below we have provided descriptions of Breakouts organized by Group number. See above for who is in which group. As usual, you will use TeachPoint to register the workshop you will attend. TeachPoint will be up and ready for registration at the end of the day on March 7th. We ask that you register before the end of the day on March 10th.We hope you feel the structure and workshop offerings are interesting, useful, and help you think about school and district goals in new ways.
On March 11th the sign in code for the PD sessions will be 03/11/22. Below is the link to the sign in instructions: http://mursdpd.weebly.com/teachpoint-pd-sign-in-process.html Also, some folks have had trouble signing in the day of the PD, so we created an additional resource to help troubleshoot these challenges. Here it is: Troubleshooting TeachPoint.
Keynote and Cultural Proficiency Workshop
MURSD taking another step towards more equitable and inclusive schools: (All educators register - including Clough staff) Dr. Kalise Wornum is a nationally sought-after keynote speaker, educational leader, workshop facilitator, in the area of anti-racist education and cultural proficiency. Her dynamic insight and study of best practices for having difficult conversations around race and diversity have pushed Kalise and her team to the forefront of preparing classrooms and schools for equity in education in the 21st century. She will join us, as she did last March, to lead us in self-reflection and discussion about next steps in making our classroom and schools more culturally proficient, and will focus some of her workshop on interrupting microaggressions. (auditorium)
Digging Deeper - Group 1 Breakouts - 10:30-11:45
Playlist, Project, Portrait-of-a-Learner Made easier: (All interested educators) Building on your earlier implementation of Thrively SEL Lessons, this session will explore the next set of teachers resources: playlists and projects. You’ll learn how to find ready made, content-aligned playlists and projects to lighten the load. We will have a 3 - 4 short lesson playlist aimed at the MURSD Portrait of a Learner Competencies.You’ll also discover how to exit existing playlists and projects to meet your student and curricular needs. Teachers also be provided with suggestions for integrating these resources into their existing curriculum maps and have time to ask questions that address specific interests. (Gathering Room, 3rd floor)
Panorama - So What, Now What? With SEL Data: (All interested educators) This session will offer educators insights on how to find and use interventions within the platform. This session will help educators think about Panorama as a tool to use to not only understand their students better but to come up with strategies to better attend to their SEL needs as we endeavor to engage them. Participants should bring their headphones as facilitator may be virtual. Here is the link for the workshop, which will be streamed in the classroom for participants. (G217)
Examining course syllabi with an equity lens: (All interested educators) How is the diversity of our students represented in the substance of our courses? How is this a challenge and a struggle, especially given what guides their design and the biases that naturally exist? This self-guided, Ed Camp-style workshop will provide educators with a space to discuss this, compare syllabi and work with some resources to help them think about this in their own classes. Bring the syllabus for a course you are hoping to examine and discuss. (G213)
Related Service Provider training: (RSPs) Provided via webinar in order to facilitate and enhance instructional practices relative to direct instruction in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy. (Room 210)
Vision Screening. (Nurses) How are the MA vision screening protocols changing? What are the best practices for a high-quality vision screening program? Massachusetts is implementing new Vision Screening Protocols (effective FY23). This Vision Clinical Update will provide school nurses with essential tools and knowledge to implement these protocols and perform high-quality vision screenings. Nurses started this training in February and will use the 75-minute block to complete it. (Gathering Room)
ABA and Paraprofessional Trainings: (All ABAs and Paraprofessionals). TeachPoint has several webinars that cover topics that directly relate to the work of being an ABA or Paraprofessional. During this session participants will gather log onto TeachPoint to finish some of these webinars and generate questions with which we can assist you. (PDC)
Digging Deeper - Group 2 Breakouts - 9:00-10:15
I-Ready Personalized Instruction and Data Chats (K-4): (All grade-level educators and educators of students with special needs) Educators will learn about growth metrics in I-Ready and how to use the metrics to identify students who may need additional interventions. Educators will also have an opportunity to learn about 2 specific, useful intervention strategies that can become a part of their toolkit through I-Ready. Personalized instruction and data chats have shown to improve student growth in areas that students are not progressing as expected. I-Ready will join us for a session that focuses on these tools and helps educators plan them into their practice (G213)
I-Ready Personalized Instruction and Data Chats (5-8): (All math, ELA and social studies educators and educators of students with special needs) Educators will have an opportunity to learn about 2 specific, useful intervention strategies that can become a part of their toolkit through I-Ready. Personalized instruction and data chats have shown to improve student growth in areas that students are not progressing as expected. I-Ready will join us for a session that focuses on these tools and helps educators plan them into their practice (G219)
Playlist, Project, Portrait-of-a-Learner Made easier: (All interested k-8 educators) Building on your earlier implementation of Thrively SEL Lessons, this session will explore the next set of teachers resources: playlists and projects. You’ll learn how to find ready made, content-aligned playlists and projects to lighten the load. We will have a 3 - 4 short lesson playlist aimed at the MURSD Portrait of a Learner Competencies.You’ll also discover how to exit existing playlists and projects to meet your student and curricular needs. Teachers also be provided with suggestions for integrating these resources into their existing curriculum maps and have time to ask questions that address specific interests. (Gathering Room, 3rd floor)
Panorama - Digging Deeper into SEL Data - (K-8): (All interested k-8 educators) This session focuses on deepening educator understanding of the panorama platform to review and generate student SEL data. Teachers will learn how to use filters and different layers of the Panorama student data portal to gain specific insights on their students and class as a whole. Additionally, this session will provide instruction on the “check-ins” tool that will allow you to pose simple questions to students to get a sense of how they are doing or feeling in “real time” and better support them in the classroom. This session will also provide information on resources and strategies to support student SEL needs. Participants should bring their headphones as facilitator will likely be virtual (Room ).Here is thelink for the workshop, which will be streamed in the classroom for participants. (G217)
Engaging students with ST Math.. Educators will work with Lauren Chuk, ST Math professional, to consider new ways that ST Math's platform embedded challenges can be used to build skills in areas of need. Someone from every team will participate in order to bring new ideas back to your grade level. (PDC)
Curriculum scope, sequence and pacing for student support providers: (All 5-12 educators of student with special needs) Educators will learn about how to collaboratively devise pacing guides for special education courses that address transitions, executive functioning, literacy, resource math and resource ELA. They will also discuss entrance and exit criteria to ensure appropriate services in the least restrictive environment. (G216)
Aligning standards with World of Wonders: (Preschool Teachers). Preschool teachers will review how to make their report cards standards-based using the World of Wonders curriculum. (G215)
CS through STEM: (Grade 7 science educators) This session is designed to support teachers participating in the WPI research-practitioner partnership focused on integrating computer science into middle school STEM courses. Participants will explore the integrated curriculum and learn the pedagogical shifts necessary to implement this citizen-science program and apply it beyond this project. (G122)
Session 3 - Safety and Security
Session 3 - Safety and Security - A Refresher of Tools and Protocols: (All educators in attendance will register for this session) Officer O'Connor (Upton Police) and Office Sinko (Mendon Police) will provide a refresher about ALICE protocols to help us remember the protocols that will help us keep students and each other safe in an emergency. The RAVE application will also be discussed. (Auditorium)
Making Learning Actionable - Collaborating with Colleagues
Making Learning Actionable - Collaboration with Colleagues: The purpose of this 1-hour block is to provide departments with time to converge across schools and have conversations that will lead to actions related to our learning, and connections that will enhance the transitions our students make as they move from grade to grade in our schools. Use the following document to capture your focus and the results of your collaboration. We've tried to predict all the groups that might meet together, but if we missed any, let us know. Check back for room assignments.
PreK Teacher, K Teachers, and some Educators for young children with special needs
Elementary/Middle Counselors, Grade 4 Teachers, Some Grade 5 Teachers, and some Educators for students with special needs
Middle/High Counselors, Some Grade 8 Teachers, Grade 9 Teachers and some Educators for students with special needs (Gathering Room)
Spanish Immersion Teachers (media center)
Grade 1-3 Teachers (media center)
Grade 5-6 Teachers (G218)
Math Teachers - Grade 7-12 (G217)
ELA Teachers Grades 7-12 (G213)
Social Studies Teachers Grades 7-12 (G216)
Science Teachers Grades 8-12 (G215)
Nipmuc Culture Building (PDC)
Grade 7 Science Teachers & Jen Fields (G122)
Computer Science - middle to HS (G11)
Music Teachers (auditorium)
Art Teachers (G117)
Health/Phys. Ed Teachers (G219)
Nurses (G210)
RSPs, STAR Room Teachers and other Educators for students with special needs (entrance and exit criteria) (Cafeteria)