Family and Caregiver Listening Sessions

We want to hear from you! You’re invited to share your voice in DESE’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Family and Caregiver Listening Sessions.

 

The Office of EdTech and DLCS team, in partnership with ISTE+ASCD, has initiated a K-12 AI Task Force to provide resources to schools and districts as they address the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence in education. 

 

The DESE team is facilitating Family and Caregiver Listening Sessions to gather input from caregivers across the Commonwealth to inform the work of the AI Task Force and is interested in your input related to:

• your hopes and concerns regarding AI in education
• examples of how your child is using AI in their work
• resources you would like educators to provide to you and your child   

 

Your input is invaluable. Regardless of your familiarity with AI technologies we hope you will join the conversation - your experience as a caregiver is what matters most. The team is especially interested in a conversation of diverse perspectives - both yours and what you are hearing in your community and look forward to learning from you.

 

The listening sessions will be repeated, so please register for the one below that works best with your schedule:

 

Date and Time	Registration Link
Tuesday, September 10, 7:00pm-8:00pm	https://iste.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkcO-qpj0iEtWO2A4qVnEnPU15NVMcucmP
Monday, September 16, 11:00am-12:00pm	https://iste.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMtc-GrrDorEtLYUtP6M5wYjx1vK6ze20d3

 

The team welcomes and values all perspectives and emphasizes that no prior AI knowledge is required to participate. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights.

 

We have had a smooth and joyful start to our school year! Attached are areas of updates from the Curriculum Office, shared at the September 2024 School Committee Meeting.

Curriculum Update 9-24

One of the many Professional Learning opportunities our staff engaged with this year were optional Book Study groups that included titles focused on AI, Multilingual Learners, Writing Instruction, and Math pedagogy. Opportunities for this type of professional learning will continue during the summer months and into next year.

MERSD is proud to recognize the 15 students who earned The MA Seal of Biliteracy, an award that recognizes high school students who attain high functional and academic levels of proficiency in English and a world language in recognition of having studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The vision of the program is to help students recognize the value of their academic success and see the tangible benefits of being bilingual. The State Seal of Biliteracy takes the form of a seal that appears on the transcript or diploma of the graduating senior and is a statement of accomplishment for future employers and for college admissions. Congratulations to our students.

 

The recipients of the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy:

Ella Chafe, Amelia Costa, Gavin Davis, Adrian Kuehnemund, Mercedes (Mechi) O’Neil, Emily Parkins, Joanna Shan, Diego Sanson

 

The recipients of the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction:

Aiden Brown, Natalie Brunner, Phileine de Widt, Ava Doane, Charles Lations, Celia Mann, Charles Virden, Adrian Kuehnemund

SCORE is the Senior Choice of Relevant Experience, a capstone learning experience and a MERHS graduation requirement. This is an opportunity for our seniors to explore an area of interest or passion and apply their knowledge and skills in an authentic learning environment then present their experience to the MERHS learning community.

 

This year MERSD is completing the Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index which is a structure to help us review our arts programming. Specifically, it is a field tested, self-evaluation rubric to examine our district arts & culture. ARTS includes visual and performing arts (visual arts, music, and theatre.) Our Arts Council is made up of staff, administrators and community members who are reviewing our arts programming by examining artifacts and data. We are seeking your input! Please complete this brief 10-question survey to share about your experiences with MERSD arts programming. Please share your feedback by May 10th.

 

Your input is appreciated: https://forms.gle/WEv1ZFn1BbmyCtnz6

MERSD is excited to share that we were awarded a competitive grant from DESE to support Genocide Education. We received a total award of $30,000 that will be utilized to acquire curriculum materials, support teacher PD, provide student field trips/learning experiences, and provide stipends for curriculum development to meet the Genocide Education state law. 

 

This effort, led at the secondary level by History/Social Science department head Lauren Dubois, will be integrated across the remainder of this school year and into the 2024-25 school year.  These efforts are a wonderful compliment to the History/Social Science curriculum review currently underway across MERSD.

 

The MERSD STEAM Showcase expanded beyond grades 6-12 to include all grades K-12. Under the direction of STEM Department Chair Kristi Umile, MERSD celebrated learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math through showcases of student learning experiences and displays from community partners. The student, staff, and community engagement created a wonderful evening, sharing learning and excitement in STEAM.

CLICK HERE to view more images from our event

Today is the first meeting of the MERSD Wellness Advisory Committee. 

The Manchester Essex Regional Schools Wellness Advisory Committee is a group that includes caregivers, teachers, school staff, students, and/or members of the community. This group will focus on a holistic approach to wellness that includes but is not limited to:

• Social Emotional Learning
• Physical Health and Nutrition
• Mental Health
• Comprehensive Health and Physical Education instruction

The committee will focus on the health and well-being of everyone in schools, assessing wellness policies and practices, setting and monitoring goals, and identifying and completing action items. Based on Massachusetts mandates (105 CMR 215.000), the wellness advisory committee must meet at least 4 times per year (or quarterly) and meeting minutes and agendas will be made available to the public. During the 2024 year, the committee will meet February 29, May 9, October 3, and December 12 at 3:30pm. The committee will provide updates to both the superintendent and the school committee on goals and objectives.

More information will be shared with the broader community as the committee continues to work!

Every year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education releases a report card for each school and district in the state. Just as a student's report card shows how they are doing in different classes, school and district report cards are designed to show parents and community members how a school or district is doing in different areas. Report cards highlight a school or district's strengths as well as any challenges that need to be addressed in order to make sure the needs of all students are being met.

You can view our MERSD 2023 Report Cards on our website: https://www.mersd.org/domain/265