VOL. 6, NO. 2 WINTER 2016 MCAS SCORES ON THE

THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR Winter 2016 - 3TNE LEDU OFITS RPA leading voiceCentral’s Bao Kim represents peerson Springfield School CommitteeBy MEAGHAN CASEyBao Kim is thestudentrepresentative onthe SchoolCommittee.PHOTO:Sean BrowneAs the student representative on the SchoolCommittee, Central High School senior Bao Kimhas a pretty powerful role—to be the voice of thedistrict’s entire student body.“I was thrilled to take on this position,” saidKim. “It’s been absolutely enlightening.Whenever I attend these meetings, I find out moreabout every initiative and protocol and the effortbehind each decision.”Kim serves alongside seven members of theSchool Committee, including Mayor DomenicSarno, who serves as chairman. The committeemeets twice a month and is responsible for settingschool policy, approving curriculum anddiscipline policies, passing the annual budget,deciding on textbooks, approving contracts forbuses and personnel, and more.Kim had been active as a student leader before,serving as junior class president, but was thrilledto take on more responsibility.“I almost couldn’t believe it when I found out Iwould be going to meetings with the mayor,” saidKim.Ranked 14th in his class, Kim has been nameda Mass Mutual Academic Achiever and is eligiblefor the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. HeFrom left, City Councilor Bud Williams and Springfield Superintendent Daniel Warwick,Mayor Domenic Sarno, Joan Kagan, Janis Santos and Dexter Johnson announce theSpringfield Cooperative Preschool initiative.Grant helps early childhoodstudents get the SCOOPIn keeping with a shared commitmentensuring that Springfield's children receive allthe tools they need to succeed in school andbeyond, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) haspartnered with three highly regarded regionalearly educators to provide free preschool forqualifying families.The initiative, known as SCOOP(Springfield Cooperative Preschool), is acollaborative of SPS, HCS Head Start, SquareOne and the YMCA of Greater Springfield.The program became available this schoolyear to the city's 4-year-old children.Enrollments are still being accepted.was also one of two in his class to earn the KeyAward from Elmira College, qualifying him for ahigher scholarship to the college, should hechoose to attend there. He plans to study pre-mednext year and is considering a career in sportsmedicine.“I definitely feel prepared for the years ahead,”said Kim, who is currently taking AdvancedPlacement Biology. He has also studied anatomyand physiology through Pioneer Valley AreaHealth Education Center’s REACH (Recruitmentand Educational Assistance for Careers in Health)program for youth.The son of Vietnam immigrants, Kim will bethe first in his family to earn a college degree. Hehas two younger brothers in grades 3 and 7 in thedistrict.Kim also competes on the winter and springvarsity track teams. He ran cross country lastyear, but opted to perform in last fall’s play,“Antony and Cleopatra.” He serves as vicepresident of the National Honor Society and isinvolved in National History Day.“I like the challenge of keeping busy,” saidKim. “In the end, all that matters is what you getout of each experience. I wouldn’t be where I amtoday without all of them.”“Springfield Public Schools is simplythrilled about this initiative, especially as apartnership model,” said Superintendent ofSchools Daniel Warwick. “We know that ourschools and educators cannot and must notperform in a vacuum. When we are able tocombine our resources with like-minded,established organizations with track records ofsuccess, then our students are the greatestbenefactors, and I am so pleased that thispartnership serves our youngest children,giving them a stronger start from thebeginning.”To qualify for the program, children must be4 years old and cannot have previouslyattended preschool or formal childcare. Theirfamily income must be at or below 200percent of the federal guidelines. For a familyof four, that amounts to 48,500 annually, forexample. Interested families should contactany of the initiative's partners for moreinformation.“High-quality early education is a vital partof every child's future achievements,” saysJoan Kagan, President & CEO of Square One.“When children and their families are engagedat an early age, they are far more likely tosucceed academically and socially. Studieshave shown that children who attend highquality preschool programs are not only betterprepared for kindergarten and beyond, but arealso less likely to commit crimes and abusedrugs. The SCOOP initiative reinforces ourshared commitment to ensuring that everyfamily has the opportunity to provide theirchildren with a quality education.”“It is wonderful opportunity for the childrenand families of Springfield as well as for thepartners involved,” said Dexter Johnson,Interim President & CEO of the YMCA ofGreater Springfield. “Collaboration andcooperation are the most effective ways toensure that the youth of our community havethe best chance for success. Children need theopportunity to grow academically, physicallyand emotionally. The SCOOP initiative willdefinitely assist families in making that areality.”“It is a great time to be a 4-year-old in thecity of Springfield and HCS Head Start ispleased to join Springfield Public Schools,Square One and the YMCA of GreaterSpringfield in partnership to create additionalhigh quality preschool opportunities for youngchildren in Springfield,” said Janis Santos,Executive Director of HCS Head Start. “Iknow firsthand that providing children with ahigh quality early learning experience is vitalto the child, the family and to our community.Study after study show that children benefittremendously by participating in a high qualitypreschool program. HCS Head Start is excitedto be an early learning provider here inSpringfield and we are looking forward to theupcoming school year.”More details on the qualifications, as well asregistration information can be found atspringfieldpublicschools.com; or by contactingany of the initiative's partners:* Square One: 413-858-3165* HCS Head Start Inc: 413-788-6522* YMCA: 413-206-5698* Springfield Public Schools Parentand Community Engagement Center:413-787-6959.

4 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR Winter 2016The age of the outdoor RenaissanceRenaissance School juniors Anissa Nieves, Abel Togba and Alice Swan, environmental science teacher Casey Hale and sophomore Lea Estien explore Abbey Brook.Students, environmental groups and 40,000 grant benefit Abbey BrookBy Cy RUS MOULTONBrook is a part of this watershed; flowing intothe Chicopee River, which then flows into theA few years ago, Abbey Brook containedConnecticut River.many of the species common to an urbanAbbey Brook is also about 80 feet from thewaterway: old tires, shopping carts, and beerRenaissance School, and students in thebottles. But thanks to some Springfieldninth-grade environmental science class nowstudents and help from local and federaltaught by Hale have been measuring the waterenvironmental groups and a 40,000 grant,quality in the brook for about a decade,Abbey Brook is undergoing a revival.recording information including the water’s“It’s a critical waterway and ties intopH, temperature, and levels of chlorine andConnecticut River and it’s our back yard,”dissolved oxygen.said Casey Hale, an environmental scienceHale said that three years ago, she wasteacher at the Springfield Renaissance School. taking a group of her students walking around“Now what we’re doing is takingthe brook as part of the class’ unit on theresponsibility for the local environment to aConnecticut River watershed. The studentswhole other level, and we’re attacking idea of were so horrified with the condition of theeducation as a theory, and making itbrook– not just the trash, but also areas ofeducation as a community activity.”erosion, algae blooms and iron oxidation Abbey Brook flows for about 1 ½ miles,that the class organized a cleanup day wherewith half of the waters in Springfield and half about 70 of the 90 students taking the classin Chicopee, said Mark Maghini, manager of gathered on a Saturday to remove trash andthe Silvio O. Conte National Fish anddebris from the brook.Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses the land“There was a much, much larger responseand waterways in Massachusetts,to that than I had ever anticipated,” said Hale,Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshirewho challenged the students who didn’t showthat drain into the Connecticut River. Abbeyup to do another type of community project(they ended up organizing a coat and blanketdrive for the homeless). “It definitely broughtto mind the idea that teaching was so mucheasier when it was something that wasrelevant to them, part of their community.”The next semester, the class studied globalclimate change and, again, looked for a localconnection to the unit. They found DavidBloniarz of Regreen Springfield, a localgroup that plants and advocates for trees inthe city.Students worked with Bloniarz andmembers of the United States Forest Serviceon projects including an electronic treedatabase to record information about each treein the Springfield urban forest. The studentslearned about the economic, aesthetic andenvironmental values of trees, and looked atthe change in the amount of trees over time.When the United States Fish and WildlifeService and Forest Service decided to applyfor a grant to help restore Abbey Brook, theninth graders were a natural choice to be oneof many organizations with which tocollaborate on the project, Hale said.On September 14, the collaboratingorganizations held a ceremony to designate aSpringfield Urban Wildlife Partnership andcelebrate the awarding of the grant.Maghini and Hale said the exact details ofthe partnership still have to be worked out butboth she and Maghini said that students willbe getting their hands dirty or perhaps wet.“The first thing we’re hoping to get into iscollecting baseline data with a more intenseeffort from the Forest Service, Fish andWildlife, and area universities,” Hale said.“Beyond that, my hope is that my studentswill be able to actually be part of the physicalrestoration - get their hands in there.”Maghini said that he viewed the partnershipas a great way to get students to understandthe larger impacts of local efforts.“I would like them to have a greaterappreciation for nature in their ownbackyards, to know what natural areas existand to have a greater understanding of them,”said Maghini. “I’d also like them to recognizethat everybody lives in a smaller or subwatershed that connects with a larger one, andthat the actions and concern they show locallycontribute to the larger outcomes.”

THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR Winter 2016 - 5College matters for UUMass program helps students prepare for the futureBy RICH FAHEyEngineering Arts and Mathematics).“One of the programs we work closely with isA program conducted during October with nine the nursing program at UMass-Amherst,” saidSpringfield public schools as part of College and Scippio- McFadden. “Students visited healthCareer Awareness Month aims to educate students classrooms doctor's office and met with nursingabout possible careers and opportunities to attend students and faculty.”college.Another program saw students interact withThe nine schools were selected via a lotteryprofessors of landscape architecture—the mendrawing on Sept. 30 to participate in the Collegeand women who plan what communities will lookMatters for U Program, sponsored by the UMasslike—and each day, on the way to their school,Center at Springfield.Forest Park Middle School students pass aThe schools that weren’t picked to be part ofsection of Forest Park whose design was done bythe October sessions will all be given anone of those professors, a living example of whatopportunity to attend programs sometime between can be accomplished.January and June, according to Jamina ScippioStudents also learn about the skills it takes toMcFadden, director of marketing and publicrun a business or be an entrepreneur.relations for the UMass Center.Scippio-McFadden said after the OctoberMcFadden said the UMass Center is part of the programs, the decision was made to offer it to allUniversity of Massachusetts system and provides schools that wanted to participate. “We decided toinformation on the system, including the flagship bring in the other nine schools in the spring withAmherst campus, but also provides informationthe long-term goal of making this a year-roundon careers and colleges outside of UMass,program.”including the two area community colleges itAt the elementary and middle school levels, thepartners with: Springfield Technical Communityseed is planted that secondary school education isCollege and Holyoke Community College.both possible and affordable. At all there levels, aThe programs the center conducts are at thepresentation on “Education Within Reach”elementary, middle school and high school levels, emphasizes the opportunities available.tailoring each program to the ages and needs ofFor the high schools, the focus is more onthe students involved.college readiness, with admission process, collegeSchools participating in the October programsand career fairs, and information on thewere Chestnut South, Balliet, Kiley and Forestapplication process and financial aid.Park middle schools; Liberty, Glenwood, andHigh school students conduct a question andSpringfield Public Day elementary schools; andanswer session with a college student in “What Ithe High School of Science and Technology asdidn’t Know: A College Student’s Perspective,”well as the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts.attend an Exploring Careers College Fair andScippio-McFadden said the mission of thelisten to a presentation from an admissionsCollege Matters for U is to create a pipeline ofcounselor.students to higher education, and to alert students“This is very important because many studentsof the existence of affordable secondary schoolhave parents who haven't gone to college and theyoptions in the Greater Pioneer Valley, includingmight not have seen it as a life option,” saidits community college partners.Scippio-McFadden. “The workshops we offerThe program not only alerts students tohigh schoolers have more of a sense of urgencysecondary school options but also allows them to because the clock is ticking on their readiness forexplore possible college majors, especially in the college.”so-called STEAM areas (Science, Technology,Springfieldstudentsparticipated inthe CollegeMatters for U,sponsored bythe UMassCenter atSpringfield.

6 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR Winter 2016Scholar Athletes Executive Director Rebekah Salwasser, center, joined (from left) student Tara Murphy, zone facilitator Katie Shea, students Gary Parenteau, Stacey Fogle, CrystalCarmenatty, Lauryn Peguero, Dinasty Velazquez, Deonte Daniels, Jayden Morgan and Alejandro Cabrera, zone facilitator Lauren Stock and Principal Sara Pragluski-Walsh tocelebrate the opening of the Springfield Scholar Athletes Zone at the High School of Science and Technology.support and resources for all students at a school.The athletic component—which also includes intramuralsports and a health/wellness component as well as varsity sports—is based on the already-proven link between athleticparticipation and positive academic performance.The Zones provide all students with a safe, quiet academicenvironment. During the day and after school, students haveaccess to computers, school supplies, college applications, andtrained Scholar Athletes staff to help them complete theirhomework, get ahead on their studies, and learn about optionsfor higher education.College readiness programming includes SAT prep courses,access to resume building workshops, college fairs, collegecampus visits, and summer job placements.The SSA Zones at Putnam and the High School of ScienceBy RICH FAHEyand Technology are managed by full- time, fully-trained zoneMore and more Springfield Public School students arefacilitators who provide academic coaching and mentoring.getting into “The Zone”— and finding it the place to be.High School of Science and Technology Principal SaraThe Springfield Scholar Athletes (SSA) Zone at Roger L.Pragluski-Walsh said she has found the SSA Zone to be aPutnam Vocational-Technical Academy debuted in August 2014 “multi-faceted program for both athletes and non-athletes and aand quickly became a success, with some 250 students gettingplace where they can get one on one support.”involved.One facet is as a sports-specific study hall with wraparoundThat made it easy to expand the program to another school.services.The Scholar Athletes Zone at the High School of Science and“Monday, members of the cross-country team might stayTechnology launched at the beginning of this school year andafter school and study as a group,” she said.was formally recognized with a ceremony in November whereShe said the center serves as a resource for academicMayor Domenic Sarno, Superintendent Daniel Warwick andintervention and provides a home base where athletes and teamsExecutive Director of Scholar Athletes Rebekah Salwasser were can check in.joined by students, staff and local business partners.“It also provides a venue and a platform where coaches canA third zone is expected to open next September.stress academics first,” Pragluski-Walsh said. “A coach canThe Springfield programs are based on the Scholar Athletescheck in on a student's academics and get the needed supportZones Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish founded in Boston services right there.”six years ago to great success, and are now in 24 BostonShe praised the SSA staff for working closely inpublic high schools, serving 4,200 students.collaboration with classroom teachers when students areThe centers allow student-athletes to reach their full potential assigned to the SSA zone for specific intervention in a subjectby supporting academic achievement through athletics via thematter.Zones—school-based learning centers that provide academicKatie Shea, the SSA zone facilitator at the High School ofScholarathletes arein the zoneStudent Stacey Fogle showed off the college banners inthe new Scholar Athletes Zone.Science and Technology, said the number of students visitingthe center has been building steadily, with 200 studentsparticipating in all and about 40 each day.The zone is open for two class periods during the school daywhen students who are assigned to the center or students whoget passes from teachers can visit, and then is open after school.Shea said the staff tries to make things “fun and exciting” forstudents while providing a safe academic space.Students have already had the opportunity to talk to Putnamstudents who were in that SSA center last school year and arenow in college and are mentoring High School of Science andTechnology students by describing their experiences.Shea reminds students that the SSA Zone is open to allstudents, and that intramurals and health and wellness programsare also part of the program.Daphne Griffin, deputy executive director for the program,said the Putnam program quickly expanded to about 250members in its first year, and that the hope is that another 250students will eventually find their way into the High School ofScience and Technology.Participants in the Boston SSA program, by the end of the2013-14 school year, had a graduation rate of 95 percent, wereprovided with more than 835,000 in college scholarships, saw85 percent of participants go on to college and 99 percent ofseniors in the Zones graduating with a postsecondary plan.Griffin said the program will be closely tracking the alumniof the Springfield centers, keeping in touch with them andfollowing up to see what effect the program is having on theiracademic progress.“We see athletes coaching each other when it comes tolearning,” she said. “They lift each other up. It becomes acommunity of learners They are taking it and owning it.”Griffin said the Springfield programs have benefitted fromboth he schools and the district being on board.“They've been two great supportive schools with greatsupport from the district,” she said. “That's an importantcomponent in any partnership.”Cutting the ribbon were zone facilitators Lauren Stock and Katie Shea, Principal Sara Pragluski-Walsh, SuperintendentDaniel Warwick, Executive Director Rebekah Salwasser, Mayor Domenic Sarno and student Alejandro Cabrera.

THE SPRINGFIE

public release of statewide MCAS results for all 10th-graders and for students in grades 3 through 8 who took MCAS. In Springfield, 27 schools took the MCAS test and 31 took PARCC (with four schools taking parts of both). From 2012 to 2015, SPS students’ MCAS Composite Performance Index (CPI), which measures academic