Salem Academy Newsletter Volume 11, Issue 28 March 27, 2015 Important Dates: March 27 All school Pixar Movie Night. $5 includes pizza and movies. March 28 Des na on Imagina on state finals compe on, all day, Worcester. March 31 MCAS and PARCC exams. April 1 MCAS and PARCC exams. April 2 MCAS and PARCC exams. April 3 Snow Day make Up, Full day of classes un l 2:00 pm (Good Friday). April 5 Easter Sunday April 8 SFC Mee ng, all parents invited and encouraged to a end. April 9 Class of 2016 College Fair trip. April 10 Lower School Casual Dance, 6:00 pm. April 17 Dissemina on Grant Study Tour. April 18-26 April Vaca on Week! Salem Academy Teacher Carli Fleming Presents to BESE Salem Academy Charter School special education teacher Carli Fleming presented a report - - Massachusetts Teachers Examine PARCC -- from 23 Massachusetts Teaching Policy Fellows at the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last Monday recommending statewide adoption of the Common Core-aligned PARCC assessment. Ms. Fleming is Teaching Policy Fellow affiliated with Teach Plus, a national non-profit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in policy and practice, Two representative findings from 351 teachers from 74 Massachusetts districts who studied PARCC include: 72 percent of teachers report that PARCC is a higher-quality assessment than the MCAS, while only seven percent said MCAS is better. 67 percent of teachers judge PARCC to be a strong measure of critical thinking skills, while only five percent do not. Teach Plus held two events in Massachusetts to offer local public school teachers the opportunity to delve deeply into the PARCC test. During an intensive day of professional development, the teachers reviewed PARCC sample test items with fellow teachers, and provided feedback about the quality of the test through a survey. The Teaching Policy Fellows offered next steps that policymakers can take to help teachers as they continue to teach the Common Core. They include: Provide teachers with more professional development on PARCC. Encourage PARCC to release a larger sample of questions. Encourage districts to eliminate unnecessary tests that were used before PARCC, taking advantage of the fact that PARCC is rigorous and aligned to the Common Core and protecting essential time for instruction. Carli Fleming is in her fourth year at Salem Academy. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in fine arts and design from Towson University and a Master of Arts in Education from Boston University. She is also a Teach For America Corps Member. At Salem Academy, Ms. Fleming is the Eighth Grade special education learning specialist, Lower School Student Government advisor, and Destination Imagination coach. Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 1
Standardized Tests Dominate the Week! Grade 10 Tuesday - March 31 Wednesday - April 1 Thursday - April 2 ELA MCAS 10 - Composition ELA MCAS 10 - Sessions I and II ELA MCAS 10 - Session III Connections, Attendance/ Bagel Breakfast MCAS Sessions A (9:00-10:30) MCAS Session I (9:15-12:30) MCAS Session III (9:00-12:00) Lunch (10:30-11:00) Lunch (12:30-1:00) Dismissal: 12:00 MCAS Session B (11:00-12:30) MCAS Session II (1:00 to 3:00) EXTENDED TIME: Room 140 EXTENDED TIME: Room 140 EXTENDED TIME: Room 140 D Grades 9 and 11 Tuesday - March 31 Wednesday - April 1 Thursday - April 2 PARCC ELA PBA Unit 1 and Unit 2 PARCC ELA PBA Unit 3 and Math Unit PARCC Math PBA Unit 2 Connections, Attendance/ Bagel Breakfast 9:00-10:30 PARCC ELA PBA Unit 1 (75 minutes) 9:00-10:15 PARCC ELA PBA Unit 3 (60 minutes) 9:00-10:30 PARCC Math PBA Unit 2 (75 minutes) 10:40-12:20 PARCC ELA PBA Unit 2 (90 minutes) 10:25-12:10 PARCC Math PBA Unit 1 (90 minutes) Period 3: 10:40-11:57 LUNCH (12:25-1:00) LUNCH (12:10-12:40) LUNCH (11:57-12:27) Period 1: 1:03-2:33 Dismissal: 12:40 Period 4: 12:30-1:25 Period 2: 2:36-3:45 Period 5: 1:28-2:45 Dismissal: 3:45 Period 6: 2:48-3:45 Dismissal: 3:45 Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 2
Thursday - April 2 Grades 6-8: PBA Unit 3 Attendance/Breakfast/Bathrooms 8:30-9:00 9:00-10:30 Directions/Materials (~15 min) PARCC - ELA PBA Unit 3 (60 minutes) Collecting Materials (~10 min) End ~10:30 Lower School Tuesday - April 7 Tuesday - April 8 Grades 6-8: Math PBA Unit 1 Grades 6-8: Math PBA Unit 2 Attendance/Breakfast/Bathrooms 8:30-9:00 Attendance/Breakfast/Bathrooms 8:30-9:00 9:00-10:40 9:00-10:50 Directions/Materials (~15 min) Directions/Materials (~15 min) PARCC - Math PBA Unit 1 (70 minutes) PARCC - Math PBA Unit 2 (80 minutes) Collecting Materials (~10 min) Collecting Materials (~10 min) End ~ 10:40 End ~10:50 Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 3
Salem Academy enjoys turnaround season under new coach By Jean DePlacido Correspondent Posted: Wednesday, March 25, 2015 12:00 am Reprinted from The Salem News Reprinted from The Salem News Until this season the Salem Academy boys basketball team had won a grand total of three games in six seasons. They turned things around this season, finishing with a 7-11 record in the MCSAO (Mass Charter School Athletic Organization). First year coach Ben Petrides brought energy and enthusiasm to the program, and athletic director Drew Betts arranged more practice time. That was the formula for success. A year ago SA won only two games, and the previous two seasons went 0-14. "There was a drastic change this season that was a combination of the kids working incredibly hard, more gym time, and a new coach who did a great job," said Betts. "Even when they weren't winning they kept their spirits up and put in an incredible amount of work." The charter school, which is located on Congress Street in Salem, has been in existence for 11 years. The basketball program started out with just freshmen and has grown steadily. In the past, practices were held at the Salem YMCA at 6 a.m. but Betts arranged for the team to use the Bentley Elementary School gym in the afternoon. SA has a longer day that doesn't end until 4 o'clock, and the boys headed for practices that often lasted until 7 p.m. Students at Salem Academy are predominately from Salem, but there are boys from Peabody and Lynn on the basketball roster. Because there is a long waiting list for the school, a lottery system gives Salem residents priority. "Mr. Betts has done a great job offering more sports for both boys and girls," said Petrides, who is an Endicott College graduate (as is Betts). "Our student-athletes work hard. I tell my guys practice is my time, and the games are their time to execute and shine. The biggest reason for our turn around is getting more gym time. (Betts) set it up so we were in the gym almost every day; what a difference that made. "We started off with bigger numbers, but a couple dropped out. There were 13 guys, who stuck with the academic policies of the school. They were all very supportive of each other, and staying positive was a big factor. They stayed eligible and had to make a commitment to the school and team. It's a great academic school with high standards." Petrides had mandatory Saturday study halls for his team with an hour hitting the books followed by an hour of team building. They watched inspirational videos, did fun activities, and bonded. "You have to trust your teammates on and off the court," said Petrides. "Supporting each other was a big part of the turn around. We had two players, who were ineligible for two weeks, but came to every practice and game during that time to support their teammates. "Brian Millea and Jack Jimenez are my assistant coaches, and they displayed incredible dedication and commitment to the team. They helped contribute in a major way to the team's success." Captains were senior shooting guard Itua Eghe from Salem, senior power forward Ben Craven from Lynn, and sophomore point guard David Daoud from Salem. "I played on the varsity last year, and the biggest difference this season was our chemistry," said Daoud. "We really clicked and worked together as a team both in games and practices. Last year we barely had any practices; it's a lot more fun when you're winning. I ran cross country in the fall to get in shape for basketball because you get tired during Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 4
The Salem Academy boys basketball team stops to celebrate after a victorious Senior Night win, 45-36. That really helped build up my stamina." Petrides thinks the program has turned the corner and will continue to thrive. He is losing six seniors, but has six sophomores and a freshman returning. "All three captains are fine young men. There are some open spots, but I am looking for the same trend to continue," said Petrides. "We'll continue to work hard and build a strong chemistry." # Just This Week! Lower School students celebrated the previous spring s MCAS results with a spirited Pep Rally in the cafeteria at the end of the day Friday...a send off to themselves in preparation for a bagel breakfast on Tuesday followed by three days of high stakes standardized testing., MCAS and PARCC. Next Friday will be a day to recover! Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 5
Cup Cake Day Delights All! As a way to promote more conversations, awareness, and curiosity about different colleges and universities, we host an annual college cupcake celebration. Students and staff members are encouraged to dress in college attire, and our staff members bake college inspired cupcakes fashioned with a college pennant of their alma mater. Every student in the school enjoyed a cupcake on Friday during lunch and hopefully connected with a teacher that attended a college of interest. Do Your DNA! The 7 th graders extracted DNA from pea plants as part of our study into genetics. They were pretty successful and most students were able to see large quantities of DNA. Students also learned how to extra their own DNA! To do this lab at home go to the following link: https://youtu.be/daarrr- ZHP4 Parents can find out more information about 7 th grade science by going to Ms. Pinto s website www.tinyurl.com/ pintoscience Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 6
Salem Academy Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 28 Page 7