Cole School

Going Above and BeyondMarch 6, 2017

Presenters:

Shawnna Dearborn - BOKS and Dog Therapy

Sejal Cartwright and Christine White - BOKS Parent Volunteers

Mary Alberti and Tess - Dog Therapy Volunteers

Kerri Fuller and Kelly McGrath - Breakfast Book Clubs

Alison Pagnani and Christine Fitzgibbons - 24 Club

Jen Bretsch - Kangaroo Math Club

Patty Hickey - Alternative Play

Kelly Strauss - Preschool Community Outreach

BOKS Building Our Kids Success

Shawnna DearbornSejal Cartwright Christine White

BOKS KidsWhat is it?

A program designed to increase physical activity in children which, studies have shown, can increase academic performance and focus, while decreasing problem behaviors. In addition to physical activities, children also practice a skill of the week along with participating in a short lesson about the importance of proper nutrition.

Why is it important?

A sedentary life and poor eating habits can lower kids' performance in the classroom and start a cycle of health problems later in life.

Studies show that kids who exercise see significant boosts in intelligence-test scores and core subjects at school, compared to their inactive peers.

Dog TherapyShawnna Dearborn

Mary AlbertiTess

Dog Therapy

● Children who have difficulty relating to other children and adults have been observed to behave differently with pets.

● They demonstrate greater self-confidence, more consistent awareness of the pet’s needs and the ability to take initiative to satisfy the pet - they make a connection!

● This can help to improve their ability to transfer these behaviors to people.

Breakfast Book Clubs

Kerri FullerKelly McGrath

Breakfast Book Clubs

● 2015-2016 School Year: multiple sessions from Jan-May

● 2016-2017 School Year: Fall and Spring sessions

● Each book club was a multi-grade grouping (k-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5) and met on a Friday morning before school

● Purpose is for opportunities for rich literature discussion

24 ClubAlison Pagnani

Christine Fitzgibbons

● Met before school once a week.

● Open to all 4th & 5th grade students regardless of math ability.

● Uses mental math and potentially all 4 operations.

● Last year we held 3 sessions with approximately 26 students at each session.

● This year we held one fall session with 50 students participating.

● We plan to offer another session this spring for 3rd graders.

Math ClubJen Bretsch

● Provide math enrichment opportunities to 3rd grade students

● Encourage collaborative problem solving● Bring students who love math together and fuel positive

academic culture● Open students eyes to competitive international

academic opportunities

Third Grade Math Club

What do we do?

● 19 third graders meet weekly for 45-minutes before school in the library for 7 weeks to work on math enrichment activities like logic puzzles, tangrams, math dice games, and number riddles.

● Additionally, students work in small groups, partnerships, and individually on math contest release problems.

● 12 interested students have registered to compete in the 2017 Math Kangaroo Contest on March 16th to be held here at Cole.

● Math Kangaroo is an international math contest featuring 24 multiple choice questions.

Alternative PlayPatty Hickey

What is alternative play?

● Alternative play is an optional activity during recess where students can choose to play with friends with similar interests

● Activities include Art group, Yoga, Lego group, Chess and Checker group, and Monday’s Entertainment

● Available to all students in grades one through five ● Students learn valuable communication skills (ie: negotiation, cooperation,

sharing, and problem solving) and coping skills (ie: perseverance and self - control)

● These skills become fundamental, lifelong tools

Research has found that students who share their island of competence often build a strong and healthy self esteem. Students learn so much more than just the rules of the game when playing at recess; they learn vital social skills that will stick with them for life.

Preschool Community

OutreachKelly Strauss

Kindergarten Readiness Discussion

● Area preschools invited to attend meeting on November 28, 2016● Discussed resources and programs used to teach math and ELA● Discussed how to support children’s developing social/emotional and self

help skills● Created list of follow up topics for future meetings● Excellent feedback from all who attended

Thank you for listening!

Any questions?