Highlight on Teachers Collaborating
Teachers at RAUC have many opportunities to collaborate and reflect to improve their instruction. One of these opportunities happens at the weekly team Impact Meeting, facilitated by our building based coaches and attended by all grade level core teachers and special educators.
At the start of the year, teachers engaged with readings about what makes a powerful lesson and how to best plan to meet the needs of all students. Now, each teacher is rotating through a two week cycle of presenting at the Impact Meeting. First, a teacher presents a lesson plan to be given during the upcoming week. Colleagues then give warm and cool feedback on the plan. For example, a colleague might observe that the teacher has supported students who struggle with writing by providing sentence starters to frame their ideas. Or a teacher may wonder what vocabulary supports could be put in place to help students who might not be familiar with a term that is important to the learning. The presenting teacher also shares the student work they plan to collect to help them identify how well students “got” the essential learning of the lesson--in other words, what they will gather to measure the impact of the class. The presenting teacher then reflects on what was heard and discusses the next steps to be made.
At the next Impact Meeting, the presenting teacher brings class sets of student work collected from the lesson taught. All teachers sort the work for who “got it” and who is “not yet there,” share what they notice in the work, and analyze the causes for why students may not have met the learning goal. Teachers then discuss the next steps that can be made, such as the re-teaching that needs to happen, and the supports that can be put in place to help students.
These meetings align with our school improvement goals of increasing the clarity of lessons and differentiating to meet the needs of all our RAUC students. They are also proving to be very stimulating! Teachers are making their planning process visible--as a result, great ideas are being shared in ways that elevate everyone’s practice. Most importantly, these meetings are helping us work together to support the learning of all students.
8th Grade D.C. Registration Deadline December 7
Please register your student by the deadline. That includes making a deposit according to our tiered pricing system. Packets have been given to students. Check their backpacks! You can also see the attached letter and mail-in registration form. Check your email for updates as well. Please don’t hesitate to contact Jose Oliveira with questions – we want everyone to go on this memorable end-of-year trip!
Honoring Our Veterans
The Thursday before Veterans Day, the RAUC and Peabody communities came together at our annual assembly to honor veterans. The performances by the Peabody Early Bird Singers, RAUC 8th grade orchestra, RAUC Choir students, and RAUC Jazz Band contributed to the beauty of the assembly. Thanks also to 8th grade students Zareen Brown and Simone Moise for their reading of the poem, In Flanders Field. Special thanks to Ms. Bach (Peabody), Mr. DeWitte, Ms. Phillips, and Mr. Wroge for inspiring such powerful musical performances, as well as to Mr. Saveriano for supporting the clear poetry reading.
Whole School Trip to See Wonder
On Wednesday 11/22, all teachers and students will walk to Fresh Pond to see the movie, Wonder. This movie is based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER, and tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. The cost is $5; permission slips were handed out to students Tuesday. Please return them as soon as possible.
Note that this whole school activity is replacing the Turkey Trot, the running races that have happened in the past on the day before Thanksgiving. We hope to move that tradition into the late spring, at a more organized event that supports a wider range of student participation and still gives our fast runners a chance to show their speed! While the Turkey Trot was great fun for some, a number of our students spent most of the time as viewers. We wanted to go into the break with everyone participating in a common experience grounded in the inspirational story of compassion and acceptance, with all its clear connections to our core values.
Reminder: Learning Partners Conferences Start This Week!
Teachers hope to meet with each family at our fall Learning Partners Conferences. Make sure your student attends as well so everyone hears the same message!
Here's the sign-up link if you still need to schedule >>
6th Grade: Tuesday, November 14, 8AM - 3:30PM
ALL Grades & Specials: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 5:30 - 7:55PM
7th Grade: Thursday, November 16, 8AM - 3:30PM
Specials: Friday, November 17, 8 - 8:40AM
8th Grade: Tuesday, November 28, 8AM - 3:30PM
8th Grade Learning Previews
See what our students are going to be studying this month! Read more >>
Opportunities Outside of School
All flyers and registration forms are available at RAUC. Students or families can contact Justin McNulty.
Learn more about opportunities outside school via the Middle School Network!
Cambridge Girls Softball Winter Clinic (see flyer)
When: Saturdays, December 2nd - February 17th
Where: CRLS Fieldhouse
Time: 5-8:30PM
Contact: girlssoftballcambridge.com
Innovators for Purpose (see flyer)
When: 15 Saturdays, September-May
Where: MIT, 77 Mass Ave. Cambridge
Time: 11AM-3PM
Grades: 7-10
Cost: Free
Register: innovatorsforpurpose.org/saturdays/
T++ Coders (see flyer)
When: Nov 6-Dec 11
Where: MIT Room 66-154
Time: 5:30-7PM
Cost: Free
Grades: 6-8
Contact: [email protected] or http://tutoringplus.org/
Beyond the 4th Wall (Spring Registration Open)
When: Saturdays, January 21st and goes until June 17th
Where: 44 Linnaean Street, Cambridge
Time: 1-3PM
Ages: 4-13
Cost: $350, scholarships and financial aid available
Contact: Email [email protected] or [email protected]
Website: beyondthe4thwall.com/classes-2/
Mindfulness and Yoga for Teens
When: Tuesday 4-5PM, Thursday 3-4PM
Where: Majestic Yoga Harvard-Epworth, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Cost: Free
Ages: All
Website: http://www.majesticyogastudio.com/
SEED Academy Spring 2018 Registration Now Open!
Where: MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room E17-139, Cambridge
When: Saturdays, start date TBD
Time: 10AM-3:30PM
Cost: Free
Grades: 7-12
Apply: http://seedapp.mit.edu/
More Info and Contact: [email protected]; 617.253.5063; oeop.mit.edu/programs/seed
Parkour Generations Boston: Sports Lab Program
(see flyers)
When: Mon. & Wed., November 29th-December 20th
Where: Brooklyn Boulders Somerville & Canopy City, 12A & 14 Tyler St., Somerville
Time: 3:30-6:30
Grades: 6-10
Cost: $50 (Financial Aid and Scholarships Available)
Contact: http://pkgenboston.com/sportslab
America Recycles Day: November 15th
Last school year CPS recycled 353 tons of empty containers, paper, and cardboard! All Cambridge schools compost! Since the program started in 2009, over 440 tons of food scraps and dirty papers were kept from the trash! Over 440 tons of food and dirty paper composted at CPS since 2009! Watch a video on what happens to collected recycled goods from CPS >>
We are seeking volunteers to help with composting and recycling in CPS cafeterias. Interested? Please contact Meryl Brott.
Let's Connect!
Stay in the loop by joining our social media communities.
RAUC Facebook >>
District Social Media >>
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