Road fromMalden leads

to HarvardBY MEAGHAN CASEY

Walking through the historic gates of HarvardUniversity this fall, Malden High School alumniJonathan Brito and Jessica Chan embraced whatwill be their new home for the next four years.

Brito and Chan, 2006 salutatorian and classessayist of Malden High, respectively, are twoof the 2,109 students admitted to Harvard froman applicant pool of 22,753 this year.

“I never even intended to apply to Harvard,”said Chan, who was also accepted at WilliamsCollege and University of California, Berkeley.“I was so surprised and excited when I got in.”

As the first generation in their families topursue higher education in the U.S., Brito andChan have accomplished the American dream.Brito’s parents, John and Eva, were born, raisedand educated in Cape Verde. Chan’s parents,

BY RICH FAHEY

Sometimes, smaller is better.The Linden School is unlike its sister K-

8 schools in Malden, which each has oneprincipal and an assistant principal. TheLinden School is actually two schools: theLinden Elementary School, with grades K-4, and the Linden Middle School, grades 5-

8, each with its own principal: DianeButtimer at Linden Elementary, andCamille Colantuoni at Linden Middle.

The Linden is a member of the NewEngland Small Schools Network (NESSN),funded by the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation. As a member of the NESSN,the Linden worked with the Center for

FAME helpsschoolsfly high

BY RICH FAHEY

Sometimes, there are gaps or cracksin a school system that a school budgeteither isn’t designed for or capable offilling. In Malden, that’s where FAMEsteps in.

The Foundation for the Advancementof Malden Education, Inc. is aregistered nonprofit organization which

supports Malden Public Schools in avariety of ways. It raises funds throughtax-deductible donations from alumni,the community, businesses,organizations, educators and thoseinterested in Malden Public Schools.

FAME works to enhance currentprograms, not fund them. It is notdesigned to replace city tax dollars as a

means for funding the public schools.Foundation funds are used to subsidizethe following educational activities:

◆ professional-developmentopportunities

◆ establishing a Performing ArtsCenter

◆ funding an Early Learning Center

Joshua Loveridge, right, a third-grader, helps reading buddy Bassie Jabri, a kindergartner atLinden. See LINDEN Page 66

See HARVARD Page 66

See FAME Page 66

Malden High alumni Jonathan Brito andJessica Chan are freshmen at Harvard.

IN MALDEN, STUDENTS START EARLY AND STAY LATE: Pages 4- 5

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joan Connolly and Malden High students Michael Lee, left, and Ronald Do have plentyto smile about: the opening of school and this, the inaugural edition of The Malden Educator, a publication dedicatedto providing an inside look at the people and programs that comprise Malden Public Schools. Mayor Richard C.Howard and Dr. Connolly introduce readers to The Educator: Page 2.

Vol. 1, No. 1 Autumn 2006

A PUBLICATION FUNDED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MALDEN EDUCATION

uperupersmilessmilesSS

PHOTO: REBA SALDANHA

PHOTO: REBA SALDANHA PHOTO: MEAGHAN CASEY

Linden now separate elementary and middle schools

Big idea: small schools

On behalf of all Maldenpublic officials, I am glad totake this opportunity toprovide the Malden schoolcommunity, present andpast, with news of the greatstrides being made byMalden Public Schools.

Over the past decade,officials from all levels ofgovernment — federal, state

and local — have joined together to make anunprecedented investment in our school systemand other recreational facilities that support ourathletic programs in the schools.

Five new K-8 elementary schools are framedby a model early learning center for 3- and 4-

year-olds and the soon-to-be-renovated MaldenHigh School.

State-of-the-art field space combined withcooperative efforts to bring ice skating and crewfacilities to Malden round our effort to bring thebest opportunities to our children both inside andoutside the classrooms.

Simultaneous to our efforts to rebuild ourfacilities, administrators, principals, teachers andsupport staff have taken on the daily work ofproviding a nurturing and stimulatingenvironment for more than 6,300 students andtheir programs. Beginning with the realignmentof grade sequencing from the elementary-juniorhigh school model to a more traditional K-8

alignment, Malden Public Schools has taken on anumber of new initiatives to improve studentperformance.

Gifted-and-talented programs, languageimmersion, environmental themes, technology-enhanced learning and extended-dayopportunities, along with partnerships withcompanies and colleges, are examples ofcurriculum changes that enhance students’learning experiences in our schools.

Most impressively, Malden High School,which in 2007 celebrates 150 years as anexemplary secondary public education institution,has successfully embarked upon a small-schoolsconcept allowing its students to work closelywith the same staff and administrators for theduration of their high-school careers.

To make sure our children receive everyopportunity possible in the array of new facilities,the community has been successful in attractinggrants and contributions to allow for enrichingafter-school, weekend and summer learning andrecreational programs. All this is intended toassure Malden residents and others that we aredriven to have our children achieve at high levelsregardless of the standards of measurement —standardized testing, lower dropout rate, collegeentrance or perhaps, more appropriately,happiness and fulfillment in life and career.

Please take a moment to review the excitingnews in The Malden Educator and, if possible,find a way to help us continue our efforts to bringthe best educational opportunities to our schoolchildren and their families. Thank you.

2 — The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

RICHARD C.HOWARD

BY RICH FAHEY

Meet the new members of the team.Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joan Connolly

welcomed five new administrators, each with herspecial area of knowledge, this school year.

Dr. Jo Sullivan, is the new assistantsuperintendent for curriculum, instruction andassessment. She comes to Malden from Cambridge,where, for four years, she was executive director ofcurriculum for Grades K-12. Before that, she was inSalem, including a stint as the principal of theNathaniel Bowditch School.

A resident of Lynn, she is a graduate of BishopFenwick High in Peabody. She has a master’s anddoctorate from Boston University in AfricanHistory. She has also taught at BU’s African StudiesCenter.

Watertown native and Malden resident NancyKassabian is the new assistant superintendent incharge of teacher quality and professionaldevelopment. She holds a master’s degree ineducation from Tufts University, where she alsolectures part-time.

Dr. Margaret Adams is the new director ofliteracy and Title I, overseeing Title I programs in

four elementary schools and supporting initiativesin literacy at the K-8 level. Adams holds a doctoraldegree in educational leadership, and two master’sdegrees in administration and special education.

Sally R. Orme, the new principal of theForestdale School, has taught preschool inGuatemala, elementary science, bilingualkindergarten, and middle-school math. Orme hasalso been a VISTA volunteer, an early literacyspecialist, and a trainer/consultant in conflictresolution and children’s literature. For the past 10years, she was at Cambridge’s two-way immersion

school, Amigos. She has a master’s in reading fromLesley College.

Margaret Serpa is director of the EnglishLanguage Learners (ELL) program and the ParentInformation Center. A native of the Azores islandchain in Portugal, she came to the U.S. as a childand entered the Cambridge schools.

Serpa, an adjunct professor at Lesley College,has been working in education for more than 25years as an administrator, teacher and social worker.She earned a master’s degree from Boston StateCollege.

Joining the leadership team in Malden this years were, from left, From left, Title I Director Dr.Margaret Adams, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jo Sullivan, Forestdale School Principal SallyOrme, Assistant Superintendent Nancy Kassabian, and ELL/PIC Director Margaret Serpa.

From the Mayor

We welcomed all of ourstaff back to school on Aug.28, and students started thenext day. This was our firstyear starting a week beforeLabor Day and this will be ourpractice from now on.

We have approximately 75new teachers andadministrators. It isremarkable that many of our

senior teachers have been in our system for morethan 30 years. This is a tribute to their dedicationto Malden students. I watched with great respectand admiration as each of them stood to be

introduced to our school community. They arewonderful role models to our newest staffmembers.

We have a lot to be proud of and thankful forin Malden Public Schools. We have hard-working, highly professional staff members whohave dedicated their teaching careers to ourstudents. We have beautiful facilities in which towork. We are one of the communities whoseChapter 70 aid to public education increasedsignificantly this year. We serve one of the mostdiverse groups of students in the state, who

represent the future of our society. We haveelected officials in Malden who understand thehard work that we do and provide us with theresources we need.

Last year we introduced a MaldenParent/Guardian Commitment Compact. This is acontract that we are asking every child’s parent orguardian to sign. It signals the important rolepeople at home play in the education of the child.By signing the compact the parent or guardianagrees to contact the school with questions, readall school notices and attend as many meetingsand events as possible, discuss what happened atschool each night, and be a true partner in theeducation of the child. In the Malden Public

Schools we place a high value on the role ofparents and hope that this contract will strengthenthe bond between school and home.

We work with numerous partners who supportour teachers in their ongoing training, including:Tufts University, Antioch College, LesleyUniversity, Tri-Tech and Teachers 21. Staffmembers from these organizations understand thechallenges of our work and work intensely withus in areas of staff development, coaching andplanning.

We proceed in this school year with renewedenthusiasm, dedication and passion for teachingand learning.

DR. JOAN CONNOLLY

Plenty of good news to go around in Malden schools

Schools benefit from ‘unprecedented investment’

Malden welcomes five new administrators

Judi Bucci Peg Crowe

Leonard IovinoGregory Lucey

Gladys Rivera RogersMichael SchiessDonna SpinelliSteven Ultrino

City oof MMaldenRichard C. Howard, Mayor

Malden SSchool CCommitteeMayor Richard C. Howard, Chairman

Published by:Malden PPublic SSchools

Dr. Joan Connolly, Superintendent

Submit sstory iideas tto:Janice Ronzio, Malden Public Schools

200 Pleasant St.Malden, MA 02148Tel: (781) 397-7204Fax: (781) 397-7276

jronzio@malden.mec.edu

Funded by:

FAMEFoundation for the Advancement

of Malden Education

Produced by:GRANT COMMUNICATIONS

CONSULTING GROUP

Boston ◆ New York(781) 598-8200

gccg@grantgroup.com

From the Superintendent

— 3The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

Language is a two-way street at Forestdale

Bilingual teacher Inmaculada Peters works with second-gradestudent Jacob Herre.

Even Start gives immigrant families a fair chanceBY AMANDA WEBER

In Massachusetts, more than two millionadults do not have functional English literacyskills or the basic abilities expected of a highschool graduate.

Since September of 2002, Malden PublicSchools has been doing its best to take care ofthis problem through the Ferryway SchoolFamily Literacy Even Start Program. With thesupport of Superintendent Dr. Joan Connolly,Ferryway School Principal Tom DeVito, and co-coordinator Patricia Fish, who has been runningthe initiative for the last five years, the programhas been a success.

The Ferryway School program is just one of22 federally-funded Even Start locations inMassachusetts offering comprehensive literacysupport for families with children in the 0-7 agerange. Programs provide integrated instructionalservices for families, where children and theirparents learn together.

The Ferryway School program specificallyfocuses on five areas; teaching English toparents on three levels; parent educationworkshops geared towards teaching about theschool and community; early childhoodeducation which includes after-school literacy-based enrichment programs for children; aninteractive literacy component requiring parentsand children to work together each week invarious ways; and monthly home visits whereprogram staff bring free literacy materials, leavea book each month and work with parents andchildren on crafts and other projects. Otherservices are also provided including providingwarm clothing if there is a need, helping andconnecting with higher education and jobopportunities.

The program also sponsors author visits,school literacy nights, a pre-GED class and acomputer class for adults. Eligible familiesinclude those with a child in K-3 grade at the

Ferryway, and in 2004 the grant wasextended to serve Beebe School’s immigrantpopulation as well. The program directlyserves more than 30 families each year andmany more in other capacities.

“I’ve been in the education business for25 years, 20 of them in the Malden PublicSchools, and Even Start is one of the mostsuccessful programs that I’ve seen,” saidFish, who spent 16 years teaching fifth-gradein Malden. In 2002, she decided to take abreak from her usual classroom instructionto focus her efforts exclusively on increasingliteracy for families and children as the EvenStart co-coordinator.

Fish says the program has been verysuccessful as a result of staff support. “Dr.Connolly has been a supporter of the programsince the beginning and certainly understandsthe importance of what we do,” said Fish.

“Imagine that you are an immigrant and just

learning the English language. You are trying tonavigate the schools, job market, housing,insurance, phone conversations, getting adriver’s license, etc.,” said Fish. “We have hada few families that have come to us with a notewith their name and address and then the words‘Can you help me?’”

Beth Kershner, left, and Pat Fish are coordinators of the Even Start program.

BY RICH FAHEYNew Forestdale School Principal Sally Orme playfully touts

one of the benefits of her school’s two-way bilingual program,called Puentes (Bridges).

“Now you can talk to someone else without your parentsknowing what you’re talking about,” said Orme.

Orme came to the Forestdale from the Amigos program inCambridge, where she taught math in that school’s two-

way bilingual program. The Forestdale School’s theme is international

studies, and the Puentes program fits closelywithin that theme. Each class is self-contained,

headed by a bilingual teacher, who conductsclasses in math, social studies and science inSpanish, and reading and language arts inEnglish.

“We wanted it to be as close to 50/50 aspossible,” said Orme.

Puentes is a program that demands somepatience from all involved, she said. Earlyon, as students work to capture some of thenuances of their new language, bits ofcontent can be lost. The reward comes later.

“Studies have shown they may run behind their peersfor the first few years but by the fourth or fifth grades,they have caught up or may go ahead,” she said.

“Parental support is a key,” Orme added. “It maytake more work on their part in the early years.”

Meanwhile, the native English speakersare learning from the native Spanish

speakers, and vice versa. Because theEnglish-speaking students arelearning Spanish from nativespeakers, their accent is better. Theirefforts are supported by a languagelaboratory.

The goal of the program is to have

50 percent of the students who speak Spanish as their first language — better known asELL, or English Language Learners — and 50 percent who speak English as their firstlanguage.

“Ideally, we’d like more native Spanish speakers,” Orme said, adding the newprogram is distinct and very different from the old ESL educational model.

Approximately 25 percent of the school’s 550 students are involved. Most enter inkindergarten, some in first grade. Transfers after that time will only be done if a studentis already fluent in Spanish. Right now, the program covers K-6. Each year, it expandsupward a grade.

A side benefit of the Puentes program is that students can take AP classes when theyget to high school, receiving college credit as early as their sophomore or junior year.They can then go on to master another language in high school.

By proving their literacy in Spanish — the ability not only to speak a language, butread it and write — they may also be eligible to work part-time as a medical translatoror in another job requiring bilingual skills.

Carla Mejia, left, and Mercedes Trigueros work together during a bilingual class atForestdale School under the watchful eyes of principal Sally Orme.

Malden studentsMalden students start earlystart early andand stay late stay late Early Learning Center offers head start

BY RICH FAHEY

The Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) onMountain Avenue gives Malden something very fewcommunities have: a state-of-the-art facility thatallows all of the city’s three and four-year oldsaccess to a structured learning environment at ayoung age.

Studies are showing that waiting untilkindergarten to begin structured learning is often toolate for some children. The ECLC is a self-sustaining entity open to all children in the area whopay tuition, and tuition-free to Malden special-needsstudents who have been tested and accepted as partof their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Staff salaries are paid through tuition, grants, orthe special education department of the schoolbudget. The tuition for children age 3 and 4 is $16for a half-day, $37 for a full day. There are subsidiesavailable for low-income families under a grantprovided by the Community Partnerships ForChildren program.

The building, a former elementary school,sparkles with bright colors and children’s artwork.Director Anne O’Connell-Hanifan has been at thecenter, now in its fourth year, since it opened.The building houses 310 children, 280 3- and 4-year-olds and 30 other children in twokindergartens that house both regular-educationand special-education students with moderatedisabilities. Classes are capped at 15 children andeach class has a teacher and at least oneparaprofessional.

“Integration is our theme here,” saidO’Connell-Hanifan. “Special-needs students areintegrated into every class with the exception ofthree classes with children with more severedisabilities, and they are also integratedwhenever possible.”

The emphasis is on building cognitive

development and motor skills, which students willuse when they begin the more structured work ofkindergarten. “We hope they become interested andcurious and get that desire to learn that they cantake with them to kindergarten,” said O’Connell-Hanifan.

The center has lunch facilities, and there is a resttime after lunch for the full-day students. There areindoor and outdoor play areas and a fully-equipped

gym so children “can letsome steam off,” said

O’Connell-

Hanifan.All teachers are certified, have at least a master’s

degree, and are members of the Malden PublicSchools staff. The staff includes a nurse, 2.5 speech-language pathologists, an occupational therapist, aphysical therapist, an early childhood social worker,an adaptive physical education teacher, a schoolpsychologist, a vision specialist and two parent

trainers.Because of the ECLC, achild can begin his journey

through the MaldenPublic Schools at age 3,proceed to one of the

five K-8 schools, andthen on to the highschool.

From left, Daniel Gilligan, Ashley Stelmach, and Eric Kisich listen quietly during early educationpreschool at the Early Childhood Learning Center.

Left photo, Arujun Surenthra, left, and Daniel Toothaker enjoy playtime at the Early Childhood Learning Center; middle, DempseyToothaker, right, and Sophia Gosselin-Smoske play peek-a-boo; right photo, Yafiet Weldai takes a ride during playtime.

Salemwood one of 10 schools in state to experiment with longer day

Left photo, kindergartners David Perez, left, and Jeremiah Oquendo-Loftman shake hands during morning activities at Salemwood School; middle, Tamires Carvalho, in red, and Ivy Bui take thePresidential Fitness Test; right photo, second-grade music students Thaila DaSilva, left, and Skylar DeAngelo strike a good note.

— 5The Malden Educator Autumn 20064 — The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

BY RICH FAHEY

For this school year, the Salemwood School hasbeen turned into a giant laboratory, as the school isone of only 10 statewide to have been chosen toimplement a school day extended by about 30percent.

The state-funded $6.5 million Expanded LearningTime program is adding between 1¾ and three hoursof instruction and enrichment programs daily for allstudents in selected schools in Boston, Cambridge,Fall River and Worcester, as well as the Salemwood,the only Malden school participating.

The program means the 1,200 students and the 140staff persons are arriving at the school earlier – 7:30a.m. – and staying later – 3:30 p.m.

After the first two weeks of school, Principal RonEckel said he was seeing a better effort from studentsthan he anticipated, given that students are often outof sync in the first few days of the school year.

“I haven’t had any reports of exhaustion or lack ofenergy due to the longer school day,” he said as hetoured the school one day around 2 p.m., whenstudents would have normally been getting ready togo home.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joan Connolly saidshe is pleased at how the teachers and students haveadjusted.

“It’s going amazingly well,” said Connolly. “Theteachers worked very hard over the summer planningthe longer day and the parents have worked with thechildren to prepare them for it. This is the kind ofpartnership that supports innovation in our schools.”

Connolly said the program isn’t just about addingtime to the school day, but redesigning that day intolonger and shorter blocks of educational time. Theprogram calls for teachers in grades K-4 to spend120 minutes a day on literacy, 90 on math, and 45 onscience and social studies. The teachers are allowedto break up the literacy and math time into smallerblocks.

In grades 5 and 6, teachers spend 90 minutes onliteracy and math, and 45 minutes on social studiesand science. In grades 7 and 8, teachers have 70-minute learning blocks for all four subjects.

“The majority of teachers have told me they enjoythe ability to spend longer amounts of time toexplore some ideas and concepts,” said Eckel.

While as of now the program is only guaranteedfunding for one year, Eckel said he has heardrumblings that the state Department of Education istalking about expanding the program for next year,possibly doubling the number of schools involved.He said it would probably take at least 3-5 years toknow if the expanded school day bears fruit in termsof increased achievement, test scores, etc.

Patty Maillet is a Salemwood paraprofessional anda member of the Salemwood PTO who also has achild in the school. She said she is enjoying theextended day. “By the end of the day I can’t believeit’s over,” she said. “The students seem to haveadjusted well. I’m in the sixth grade and we havehad no sleepers or complaints. My daughter has beenfine with the extended day.

“It makes a big difference when most of thehomework is already completed before they gethome,” Maillet said. “I am also pleased to see thatthe community has adjusted to our schedule, bymaking (youth sports) practices and dance lessons at5 p.m. It puts life on a steady flow.”

One of those charged with helping students makethe transition to the longer day is Brenda Keen.Previously a veteran classroom teacher of multiplegrades, she has been appointed the K-8 instructionalcoach, supporting teachers’ classroom instructionalpractices and needs.

“I work with grade-level teams and individualteachers in analyzing their specific needs, observingclasses, collaborating on interventions, preparing materials, modeling/co-teaching lessons andproviding feedback, and building networks for

change,” said Keen. She said for her the hours are not an issue and she

feels they’re beneficial for teachers and students.The extended day program also encompasses

several other initiatives:� The advisor/advisee program allows staff to

connect more closely with small groups of studentswho are about the same age in areas such as lifechallenges, study skills, social skills and evenpersonal problems. The idea is to initiate give-and-take between the students and the staff member.

� Connections is an art-themed program in whichstudents from one of the younger grades work withstudents from an older grade once a month, eachtime on a project with a different theme such asWinter Wonderland or Celebrations.

� Academic and Creative Enrichment (ACE) givesstaff members who are passionate about something achance to express that passion by engaging thestudents in that hobby, subject, etc. For instance,Principal Eckel will be leading a group involved withsolving Sudoku puzzles.

Kindergartners, from left, Calvin Roberts, Sydney MacDonald, and Sebastian Suchite participate in morning activities at the Salemwood School. PHOTOS: REBA SALDANHA

6 — The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

Linden now separate elementary, middle schools

Collaborative Education to provideprofessional development for the staffthat would benefit the students.

According to the center’s Web site,the mission of the CCE SmallSchools Network is to demonstratethe power of small schools insuccessfully educating anincreasingly diverse studentpopulation and preparing them forproductive future lives in ademocratic world.

The network seeks to transform theface of public education by focusingon creating small schools whichembrace the values of democracy,equity, and personalization.

Small Schools developed out of afairly simple concept, that is, schoolsshould be places where each child isknown, visible, and valued by at leastone caring adult who takesresponsibility and acceptsaccountability for his or her learning.

Small Schools is an attempt toaddress systemic ineffectivenessthrough starting up new, freestandingsmall schools and by redesigning andtransforming large public schools.Linden School staff, for example,have been trained in the CriticalFriends Group methods and staffmembers received additional trainingto become CFG coaches. They meetmonthly under the direction of CFGcoaches to help each other improvestudent achievement through theexamination of student work and

teacher practices.As part of the grant given to the

Linden, it was decided to have thebenefit of two principals, andeveryone, especially the twoprincipals, seems happy with that.

Colantuoni is a veteranadministrator in her 21st year as aprincipal, while Buttimer is also aveteran educator, but in only hersecond year as a principal. Both havemore than 30 years in the Maldenschools and have known each otherfor a long time.

Buttimer, who was an assistantprincipal at the Salemwood Schoolbefore coming to the Linden inSeptember of 2005, said the twowork as a team.

“We share the same philosophiesand that helps,” she said.

One of the goals both Colantuoniand Buttimer share for their schoolsis improving communication withparents and increasing theirinvolvement in the schools.

One of the concerns that parentshad when Malden moved to the K-8configuration was that middle schoolstudents should not be interactingwith much younger students.

At the Linden, the younger andolder students don’t interact, exceptfor a little overlap in the lunchroom.But having both principals aroundmeans that students leaving Grade 4for the middle school already knowand are comfortable with Colantuoni.

“It makes for a smoothertransition,” she said.

FAME helps schools f ly high

Michael and Lynn, grew up andattended school in China, and movedto Boston in the 1980s. Neitherfamily would have expected to sendtheir child to one of the nation’s mostprestigious universities.

“They’re really proud of me,” saidChan. “It’s kind of like their dreamcome true.”

Born in Boston and raised inMalden, Chan credits Malden PublicSchools for her strong academicbackground. While at Malden High,Chan excelled in advanced placement(AP) offerings in U.S. History,European History, studio art, Spanish,statistics and calculus. She was amember of the Key Club, NationalHonor Society and Math Team and

volunteered at the high school’s daycare.

“Malden has the foundations forstudents to be able to go to a schoollike Harvard,” said Chan.“Everything’s there for you. You justhave to take your own initiative andapply yourself.”

Outside of Malden, Chan wasinvolved with the Coalition for AsianPacific American Youth. She alsoparticipated in Summer Search, amentoring leadership program forstudents in Boston, New York City,Seattle and California. Through theprogram, Chan traveled to Hawaii fora wilderness leadership retreat andCosta Rica, where she lived with alocal family and served residents ofthe rural villages.

Brito, who excelled on the trackfield as well as in the classroom, isnow a member of Harvard’s varsitywinter and spring track teams. Whilein high school, he was also a memberof the National Honor Society, KeyClub, Math Team and Project 540 – aservice project for the betterment ofthe school. He took advantage of APEuropean History, U.S. History,Spanish, physics and calculus courses.Also accepted at Brown University,Brito chose to attend Harvard becauseof its academic offering, location andtrack program.

“I’m looking forward to meetingnew people, running track andfiguring out my major,” said Brito,who is considering pursuingeconomics and law.

Road from MHS leads to Harvard HARVARD from ppage 11

◆ continuing a wide array ofbefore and after-schoolinitiatives

◆ enhancing technologythroughout the system

◆ enhancing school programsand libraries

◆ providing grants to classroomteachers

◆ supporting the renovation ofMalden High School’s JenkinsAuditorium

FAME is independent of theschool system, with its own boardof directors. Members includeMayor Richard C. Howard;Superintendent of Schools Dr.Joan Connolly; Gerard Ruane ofthe Malden EducationAssociation; Arthur and BarbaraKahn; Michael Goldman; DeborahA. Burke, marketingcommunications director for theCity of Malden and the MaldenRedevelopment Authority;

Michael Byrne; Malden HighPrincipal Dana Brown; DianeLind; Cindy Luu; and NormanSilverman.

FAME was incorporated inOctober, 2003, and to date hasraised more than $162,000.Funding has been used to: provideSAT-preparation courses atMalden High; purchasetechnology for the mathdepartment; fund coachingpositions for the MHS crew team;provide biotechnological resourcesfor Malden High; and provideresources to many classroomsthrough the Adopt-a-Classroomprogram.

FAME is actively seekingsupport to help make a differencefor Malden students.

You can reach FAME in varietyof ways. Call 1-877-324-FAME,e-mail , or write FAME Inc., P.O.Box 249, Malden MA 02148. Formore information, go towww.maldenfame.org.

FAME from ppage 11

LINDEN from ppage 11

From left, Robert McCarthy, director of career and businessat Malden High, Paula Neville of FAME, students CarmenOnate, Kiara Munir, and Grace Deandrde, Cynthia Poor,director of Humanities for MHS and librarian Lucia Musilli.

High-poHigh-powwerered visited visit

Students at Malden High School were pleased to be visited bySuperintendent Dr. Joan Connolly and Mayor Richard Howard.

Beebe SchoolSusan Vatalaro, Principal

401 Pleasant St., Malden 02148(781) 388-0617 (K-4)(781) 388-0622 (5-8)

Early Childhood Learning CenterAnne O’Connell-Hanifan, Director257 Mountain Ave., Malden 02148

(781) 397-7246

Ferryway SchoolThomas DeVito, Principal

150 Cross St., Malden 02148(617) 635-8529

Forestdale SchoolSally Orme, Principal

74 Sylvan St., Malden 02148(781) 397-7326

Linden SchoolDiane Buttimer, Principal (K-4)

Camille Colantuoni, Principal (5-8)29 Wescott St., Malden 02148

(781) 397-7329 (K-4)(781) 397-7218 (5-8)

Malden High SchoolDana F. Brown, Principal

77 Salem St., Malden 02148(781) 397-7223

Parent Information CenterMalden High School - Room H102

77 Salem St., Malden 02148(781) 397-1568/1569

Salemwood SchoolRon Eckel, Principal

529 Salem St., Malden 02148(781) 388-0642 (K-4)(781) 388-0646 (5-8)

MALDEN

DIRECTORYSCHOOL

— 7The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

What’s zoo at Beebe? Environmental studiesBY RICH FAHEY

Everybody loves to go to the zoo. For severalyears, the zoo has been coming to students at theBeebe School.

Well, not the entire zoo. But the school’srelationship with Zoo New England, andparticularly education coordinator Kim Kezar,has strongly enhanced the school’s theme ofhealth and environmental science.

A series of grants has allowed the BeebeSchool, one of five new Malden schools built in1999, and Zoo New England’s Stoneham Zoo towork together in many ways, benefiting boththe students and the community at large.

A former teacher at the school, RobinJorgensen, who was the school’s first themecoordinator, found out about the Antioch NewEngland Institute, which was offering aninnovative “co-seed” program for schools suchas the Beebe with an environmental theme.

She applied and won a three-year grant, andthen approached the Stone Zoo’s EducationDepartment about working together. Kezar,whose background was in animal care, washired, beginning a relationship that has lasteduntil the present.

When the Antioch grant ran out, aComprehensive School Reform Grant helped

fund the position. Kezar works with the BeebeSchool staff coordinating projects that have todo with the school’s rotating themes.

This year’s theme is “Malden: Our History,Our Environment, Our Health.” Next year’stheme is “How do your actions affectcommunity health, your own health, andenvironmental health?”

Kezar works with staff and students on twokinds of projects: community pieces and servicepieces. She does something with every grade.

“The teachers can use me as a resource todevelop curricula for their classroom,” saidKezar. “We try and make the zoo an extensionof the classroom.”

Unfortunately, as grants have fallen by thewayside, Kezar’s role at the school hasdecreased. The once full-time job decreased tohalf-time before funding ran out, but BeebeSchool Principal Susan Vatalaro has stillmanaged to keep Kezar in the budget, if onlyfor 2½ days a month.

Classroom veterans go the extra mile

Principals were asked to describe a teacherwho “goes the extra mile” and makes theirschool a better place to be.

Cathy MacDonald is a grade 1 teacher atthe Salemwood School. “She’s enthusiasticabout teaching, her students, her classroom,and life in general,” said SalemwoodPrincipal Ron Eckel.

Janet McKeone is a grade 5 science andreading teacher and a 29-year veteran of theBeebe School. “She has been my mentorsince the start of my teaching career,” saidBeebe Principal Susan Vatalaro. She is thefacilitator for the school’s Saugus Iron Worksproject.

Margaret Briatico has been a grade 5teacher at the Ferryway School for the past25 years. “She is very patient, able to workwith all kinds of kids and get the best out ofthem,” said Ferryway Principal ThomasDeVito.

Theresa Ryan, a special-education teacherat the Linden School, began her career inMalden 28 years ago. Her work has variedfrom teaching preschool to teaching studentswith serious delays in their cognitive ability.

Alexis Peavey of the Early ChildhoodLearning Center is a gifted early-childhoodteacher who has been teaching preschoolchildren for 23 years.

Lauren Walsh is the seventh-gradeEnglish Language Arts teacher at the LindenMiddle School. Over the past 10 years, shehas taught special education, socialstudies, and ELA.

Christine Nagle has been teachingmathematics at Malden High School since1974. For the past two school years, she hasheld the position of teacher-leader, supportingand mentoring the new math teachers atMalden High in the areas of curriculum andinstruction. After 30-plus years in theclassroom, she is able to dispense soundadvice in a professional and calm manner.

George Lyons, one of two schooladjustment counselors at Malden HighSchool, is never too busy to meet with astudent, talk with teachers or help studentsdeal with a crisis. Among his manyaccomplishments, he helped to establish theTransition Program as well as OperationSuccess and Operation Connect.

Another veteran teacher who has made adifference is special education teacherRonald Janowicz, who was hired in 1982 towork in the newly developed Transitionprogram and is still there. This program wasformed to help students move from thealternative school back to the high school. Itcontinues to act as a transition program, andalso assists students who have had psychiatrichospitalizations return to MHS.

— RICH FAHEY

Teaching teachers

Students at the Beebe School are in touch with nature.

BY RICH FAHEY

There are 60 teachers new to the Malden schools thisyear. And even after 25 years, Nancy Kassabian,Malden’s newly-appointed assistant superintendent forteacher quality and professional development, knowshow they feel.

That’s why Kassabian teaches the teachers, with acourse for first-year Malden instructors.

The course is a requirement for school districts, butKassabian said Malden moves beyond what’s requiredand goes the extra mile to support its new teachers.

“The most important thing any district can do is findgood teachers and keep them here,” said Kassabian.“You have to pay them well and they need to feelsupported by their colleagues, administrators and thecentral office. You need to give them the resources tobe successful.”

Each new teacher has a mentor in his or her building.For the first few months, many of the questions are

operational. “Where is this? Where is that?”The new teachers learn about their responsibilities to

their students, the curriculum and its requirements,how to deliver that curriculum, and teaching strategies.One of the features of the course for new teachers is asimple bus tour of the city, to get new teachersacquainted with their surroundings and where, forexample, the stores selling school and office suppliesare located.

Kassabian meets with the teachers for three hourseach month on a different subject. Some of the topics

include: how to communicate with parents;contractual and legal issues; how to make sure theneeds of each student are met; preparing forassessment tests; how to talk to students andstudent management (i.e. discipline).

Kassabian is a Watertown native who earned herundergraduate degree from Simmons College andher master’s degree in education from Tufts. Sheteaches at Tufts part-time.

Some of the new teachers have come from theTufts graduate program, and interned in the Maldenschools as part of that process.

For Greg Hurley, a new social sciences teacher atMalden High, the mentoring and advice he hasreceived from his “amazing colleagues” hasallowed him to get off to a strong start. Althoughhe grew up not far from the city, he said he wasn’tsure what to expect when he first came to thesystem as an intern. He said he has found studentswho are ready to learn.

“I am extremely happy with my career inMalden, and that is due entirely to the people here,both staff and students, who are everyday helpingme grow into a better teacher and a better person.”

Kassabian said she tries to walk that fine linebetween showing the new teachers the right wayand letting them be themselves. “We don’t want tochange their core values, their personalities andcreativeness,” said Kassabian. “But we all have thesame goals for teaching and student achievement.”

Nancy Kassabian, above,teaches new teachers,including Greg Hurley, below.

Malden schools welcome 60 new educators

8 — The Malden Educator Autumn 2006

DubeDubeA ggoodA ggood

BY RICH FAHEY

It is a sport most often associated with elite privateschools and colleges with ivy-covered walls. But it isalso a sport with great lessons to teach, and the latest ofseveral new additions to the list of sports offered tostudent-athletes at Malden High School.

MHS students can now be seen rowing on the MaldenRiver, thanks to the help and cooperation of severaldifferent entities.

When Tufts University opened a new boathouse, theirold facility became available for use. The GoldenTornado Club, Foundation for the Advancement ofMalden Education (FAME), Mayor Richard C. Howardand Gentle Giant Rowing, a private group that promotesrowing in the community, have all worked together togive MHS athletes a chance to compete.

“Gentle Giant was already running a communityprogram for the greater Boston area and they have thecoaching and equipment our kids needed,” said MikeDube, Malden High’s second-year athletic director.

Racing oars and sculls are an expensive proposition,and having access to Gentle Giant’s equipment has madea huge difference. FAME, meanwhile, funded thecoaches’ salaries.

The co-ed program officially began last spring withsome 30-35 students participating, and unofficialworkouts have continued this fall. Other area schools,such as Somerville, Cambridge and Medford, have alsobegun programs. The program is not yet sanctioned bythe MIAA, but Dube sees that down the road as morepublic schools begin programs.

“The beauty of rowing is that it’s something you can

do for your entire life,” said Dube, a native ofNashua, N.H., who helped build Orlando’s BooneHigh School athletic program into one of thestrongest in Florida. “It teaches dedication,teamwork, commitment and hard work.”

Boys and girls lacrosse, two other recentadditions to the sports curricula, are alreadythriving. Girls lacrosse competed on a club levelbefore competing as a Greater Boston Leaguemember for the first time last year on the varsityand JV level, notching its first-ever win againstCambridge. There are 40 girls involved in theprogram.

Boys lacrosse competed on a club level last year,with 25-30 athletes playing a half-dozen exhibitionmatches. They could join the GBL as a full-fledgedprogram either this year or next. “It’s the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.,” noted Dube.

Girls volleyball was a club sport last year, andthis fall is competing on the varsity, JV “A”and JV “B” levels with 45 participants.Dube said the school would gaugeinterest in a boys volleyballteam and setting up a clubteam in that sport.

MHS students can try outa prospective sport in aphysical education class.“We try to encompassas many of team sportsas possible into ourcurricula,” said Dube.

Athletic Director brings newideas, new teams to Malden

Crew and lacrosse are the two newest sports being offered atMalden High under the auspices of Athletic Director Mike Dube.

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