Day 84 - Students Learn Tremendous Amount from Alumni Artist Day 2016 - Christina Chang - BHS Art Dept.

This post first appeared on Ms. Chang's Blog

This year's star studded group of alumni artists impressed and educated us! Alumni shared about their careers and life lessons learned.

Special thanks to our wonderful Alumni who took time out of their busy schedules to return to BHS and spend the day with us! And Rachel who virtually visited from Cambodia. You can see here presentation here: Rachel Faller Speaks Art Artist Alumni Day 2016

Rachel Faller- Fashion Designer and founder of TONLE
Lauren Vigneau- Graphic Designer and owner of BirchNine 
Chris Coe-Photographer chriscoephoto.com
Elizabeth Johnson Senior at Framingham State University, Product Development Intern with the TJX Companies
Robert Davison, Illustration, Syracuse University
Jacqueline Akerley, Graphic Design, Syracuse University
Kaitlyn Morneweck - Graphic Designer kaitlynmorneweck.com designer at 36creative.com
Jake Ursino - Montserrat College of Art - http://jakeursino.weebly.com
Jenn Vachon, Designer at Isgenuity
​
Here are comments from current students about what they learned from the alumni:

"I learned from Kaitlyn that there is light at the end of the tunnel. You may not know what you want to do, but you still have a future. I also learned that if at first you fail, try again until you succeed. An example of this was when she applied for an internship at her dream job and did not get it. A few months later, she applied for a job at the same place and she was hired just hours later."
Jessica, Grade 9

"From Kaitlyn, I learned that figuring out what you want to do is difficult and not everyone is going to have a definite plan. Also, that failing is okay, because you will learn from your experiences and improve. I also learned from her that we should always be open to different options because you never know what might come your way. To get your dream job, you must truly work hard at what you want."
Ananya, Grade 9

"I learned that you should follow what you want no matter how hard and you will be happy in the end"
Tess, Grade 9

"I learned that I should take whatever opportunities come that come my way, no matter how small, because they can help me in the future."
Nina, Grade 12

"After listening to Architect Jenn Vachon and speak to us on Friday, I learned a lot about architecture and what goes into getting a job such as an architect. I learned that you have to pass many exams, tests and courses before you even start thinking about pursuing a career such as architecture or something similar to it. I also learned that as an architect, you get to work on many cool projects and use your creativity to build and design things for others."
Joey, Grade 9

"I learned from Artist Alumni day that going into college you are going to have to find yourself, and that even though times will be tough, you are going to become successful and happy if you are able to work hard, and keep going."
Sean, Grade 9

Photographer Chris Coe demonstrating his editing techniques

Special thanks to:
State Representative Ken Gordon for supporting our Art program and attending the event
Rosalyn Minassian for all of your support and help
Jenn Scheffer for all the tech support!
True North for the delicious breakfast
La Cascia's Bakery for the yummy treats

Day 73 - Backing Up Notability to Drive – 2015 Edition - Jenn Scheffer - BHS Mobile Learning Coach

In October 2013 former BPS EdTech Team member Tim Calvin published an important post on how to back up notes from Notability to Google Drive. Two years have past and while the simple and effective back up process has not changed all that much (the Drive and Notability interfaces have changed since iOS8) we are still seeing students lose important notes for their classes. This is due to the fact that their Notability notes were not properly backed up to Google Drive. In an effort to help students (and teachers) district wide avoid losing important information for their classes, we have created a short, four minute screencast demonstrating the process of backing up Notability notes to Google Drive.

The BPS EdTech Team recommends backing up to Google Drive for three reasons:

1. We are a Google Apps for Education district and all students have a Google account.
2. Students have unlimited storage in Google Drive.
3. Once notes are backed up to Drive, they can be accessed from any device.

Chances are that students have many notes stored in the Notability application. If these notes are not backed up, students could potentially lose all their notes!For example, if the Notability app were to crash and/or something were to happen to their iPad causing a need for replacement, students could lose everything stored in Notability. We do not want this to happen to any of our students! Therefore, we strongly encourage both students and their parents to watch the tutorial embedded below. Follow the steps and you will have peace of mind knowing that all of your notes are safely stored in Google Drive and can be accessed from any device.

If  you are unable to successfully back up your notes after watching this tutorial please do not hesitate to visit your building’s Instructional Technology Specialist for additional assistance. Burlington High School students can also visit the BHS Help Desk, located in the back of the library, and work individually with a member of our student Genius Bar. The BHS Help Desk is staffed with students every period of the day except for period 6. Below the embedded tutorial, we have also included several screenshots that will help guide you as you turn auto backups on.

Please don’t let one more day go by without ensuring your Notability notes are backed up to Google Drive!

Steps to backing up:

Open the Notability app. Tap the bottom left gear icon and select “Auto-backup.” Tap on Google Drive. Tap on the gear icon located to the left of Google Drive. If you have never backed up before, you will be prompted to sign into your Google account. Be sure you sign in with your school account. You will then need to tap “allow” to give Notability access to Drive.

Remember to sign in with your school Gmail account!

Verify the destination folder is “Notability. ” This folder is automatically created in Google Drive when you turn the back up on. This is the folder in Drive your Notability notes will be synced with.

Once you have selected the Notability folder, you can close the settings box. You will notice at the bottom left the words “backing up” will appear. This indicates the back up is taking place. Remember it will take a few minutes to back up all your notes. Be sure to test your notes are successfully backing up to the Notability Google Drive folder. If you discover the notes are not backing up, please see the Technology Integration Specialist in your building for additional help.

Day 28 - Monsters and Men - Mrs. Janovitz (Student Work) - BHS English Dept.

This Post originally appeared on Mrs. Janovitz's Blog

 

Havanah Becker's depiction of Grendel corresponds with her verbal illustration, which argues that the lack of clarity and development in the poet's physical description of the monster suggests that it is not the monster himself that carries significance, but rather the reputation he carries.

My seniors recently completed reading the classic epic poem Beowulf, and expressed some amazing insights regarding the text's cultural significance. After analyzing the poem through multiple critical frames and discussing how the themes and characters are very relevant in contemporary times, they worked on a few creative projects to correspond with their analysis.

Grendel, the infamous monster who terrorized the Anglo-Saxons for twelve winters, is one of the most noteworthy characters in the poem. His unnamed mother, a monster who avenges the death of her son, also carries significant symbolic weight. In an effort to explore the symbolic significance of these monsters within the ethic of the poem and bring that symbolism into a contemporary context, students created visual and verbal illustrations of these characters. Some of their work is included here.

Sarah Iler's visual depiction of Grendel focuses on isolation. An excerpt from her verbal illustration is below:

Are the actions of a monster created by isolation and sadness the fault of the monster, or the excluding group? The Anglo-Saxon Danes of Beowulf are quick to frame Grendel as a force of pure evil, but the poem’s narration suggests that the Anglo-Saxons are not blameless, themselves. If fact, though Grendel’s actions are shown to be reprehensible, Grendel is presented as a victim, a character the audience is meant to sympathize with, even. Through his life and demise, Grendel stands as a warning of the danger and pain caused by isolation.

Kavya Sebastian's illustration reflects the ideas in her essay, which argues that Grendel serves as a representation of mankind's inclination to isolate and alienate those outside the cultural norm. An excerpt from her essay is below:
Monsters have been a source of fear to audiences since the beginning of time: from Dracula to Medusa to Grendel. The function of a monster is primarily to add danger and excitement, to personify outside forces of antagonism, but ultimately, to mirror the less desirable qualities of humanity itself. In the epicBeowulf, the poet creates Grendel as a representation of the evil side of mankind, particularly its tendency to displace those who differ from the cultural norm.

Ada Wiggins' visual of Grendel suggests that Grendel is trapped into his position of evil. An excerpt from her essay is below:

Grendel's alienation on the grounds of prophecy and ancestry emphasizes the unfairness of judgement and a flaw in society--its unwillingness to forgive and allow redemption. Grendel’s evil, therefore, is created because he is denied the opportunities to become good.

Hannah Miksenas's Grendel illustration supports her argument that the Anglo-Saxons and Grendel mirror each other. Although they are opponents on the surface, their defining characteristics parallel one another, suggesting that the monsters we face are ultimately reflections of ourselves.

Mama Grendel

Demi Tsitsopoulos's depiction of Grendel's mother reflects the main idea of her essay, which argues that the treatment of Grendel's mother in the poem highlights the vilification of women who claim power or act aggressively within a patriarchal society.

For more great work from Mrs. Janovitz's AP students click here

Day 12 - Testing Out Something New: an IDEA Station - Ms. Chang - BHS Art Dept.

This post first appeared on Ms. Chang's Blog

I often hear " I don't know what to draw!" in the art room.

This comment is often heard and I then steer and help guide students. This year I am trying something new,  an IDEA Station.

On a small table in the room I set up an area with a manipulative toy, a few books and the following phrases:

Do you ever feel stuck and not sure what to create?
Check out there suggestions and ideas for inspiration
PLAY
EXPLORE

I am hoping that this area will offer students a place to GO when they are struggling
(something very common for artists! ) and help them discover some options for "what to create" and SPARK new ideas.

I included two great books at the IDEA Station:

The Artist's Muse
Wide Open

Day 4 - Supporting Transgender Students - Mr. Mistler - BHS Art Dept.

This post originally appeared on Mr. Mistler's Blog

Thanks to BPSCon 2015, Burlington's three day pre-academic year professional development, I was able to present to colleagues how to support transgender students. Thanks to the success of the presentation and the support of many faculty members, I am posting the presentation for anyone that could not make it. Please ask me if you have any questions. Welcome back! 

Day 134 - The Annual New York City Art Field Trip - Ms. Djordjevic - BHS Art Dept.

This post originally appeared on Ms. Djordjevic's site

This year Mr. Mistler and I escorted 49 fantastic art students on a trip to MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) and the galleries in Soho, NYC. It is one very long day of travel starting at 6:30am and ending at nearly 11pm, but every year it is worth it to watch our students see art that they have studied and looked at on computer screens and actually have a chance to experience the works live and in-person. New York is host to some of the most incredible art museums in the world and that is what prompted the BHS art department to start this annual field trip nearly a decade ago. The exhibits at MoMA are always impressive and this year we were able to see a lot of pop art (Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg), abstract expressionists including Pollock and Kandinsky, works of Van Gogh and Picasso, and many other amazing artists. 

Here are a few images of the trip taken by my students (and a few of my own) that I pulled from Instagram! 

Day 125 - AP Spanish Class Visits Sprouts - Mrs. Dacey - BHS Foreign Language Chair

Last week, Mrs. Dacey’s AP Spanish class traveled to Burlington’s Sprouts preschool classroom to share their Spanish knowledge with the little ones.  The seniors taught the preschool students a Spanish lesson during an hour long session.  The lesson began with a welcome song in Spanish, followed by engaging craft making activities.  First, students made musical instruments, called rain sticks, which are believed to be from the Mexican aztec people.  Next, they learned how to say various body parts in Spanish, while playing a “pin the tail” like game with Señor Papa.  Finally, the students decorated and folded fans and watched a group of four AP students dance the well-known Spanish Flamenco dance.  Both the “big” and “little” Burlington students had a blast!

Day 49 - A Procedure For Reading Difficult Documents - Mr. Milton - BHS Social Studies Staff

This post originally appeared on Mr. Milton's Blog 

As you would not chug a hot cup of tea, you also should not speed through a primary document! You risk a burnt tongue and not fully understanding what you just read. Try reading Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal quickly! You may walk away with a very disturbed understanding of what you have just read.

I typically start most mornings of with a loose-leaf tea. Except on Fridays when I make my weekly pilgrimage to Starbucks for their expensive yet delicious Reserve coffee.

As many of my students initially often read for speed rather than for understanding, primary documents tend to trip them up – particularly when there are a number of difficult words in them. In my inclusion grad class, we have been discussing the need for procedures for some students that enables them to tackle tasks with a clear path forward.

With that in mind, I’ve been working on one to address reading primary or dense secondary documents – a procedure to get a general understanding of a letter, piece of legislature…really anything that is written. Note: This is not intended to be the only thing we do with primary documents, but it will simply be our first step.

This is my procedure so far:

• Read to get initial reactions or ideas from passage.
• Replace troublesome words with definitions or synonyms.
• Reread with the replaced words. Does this make more sense now?
• Reflect on the importance of the document, the author, and the time period. Is this a new or contrary idea? What argument does it address/set up?
• Rewrite the passage in a smaller chunk to demonstrate your understanding.

If at this point the student is off-base, I can easily see where they are and how I can offer additional support!

Thoughts? What are some ways you teach reading primary documents?

Day 33 - Latin III 2014-2015 September Scavenger Hunts! - Greg Stringer - BHS Foreign Language Department

This September, Latin III students practiced their speaking and their mastery of prepositions in Latin via two "venationes thesauri" or "scavenger hunts." In this one, groups of three students and a furry friend were given a list of 20 Latin sentences which they had to interpret and then recreate out and about around BHS. Due to an absence, Magister Stringer had to fill in to help out Sophomores John Francis Hornicek and Anusha Datar.

Two weeks later, students completed another "Venatio" in the BHS Science Center, thanks to the generous hospitality of Wendy Pavilcek.  In this second hunt, once again in groups of three students were given Latin sentences which they had to interpret and recreate.  However, this time the animals were real!  Are Anusha, Brad Basham and Steven Blathras up to the challenge? Find out!

Day 29 - BHS Welcomes Our New Teachers - Jenn Scheffer - BPS Mobile Learning Coach

This post first appeared on the BHS Help Desk Blog

BHS is proud to introduce this year’s new teachers and staff. We have five, new faculty members joining the Burlington community, along with a new permanent substitute teacher. Please take a moment to learn more about each of our new faculty members.

Krista Anderson-BHS Business/Marketing Teacher

Krista Anderson- BHS Business Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?

“I teach all grades. I have mostly Freshmen and Sophomores in my Intro to Business Classes and Juniors and Seniors in my Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Intro to Marketing Classes.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?“This is my 10th year. I taught previously at Wilmington and prior to that in New Jersey when I first started teaching. I was glad to return to MA, the state where I grew up.”

What did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?“Prior to teaching I was in Sales and Marketing for Baxter Healthcare, AT&T and Experian.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?“I love the freedom and convenience the technology gives here. The students also work hard in my classes and I like that work ethic.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I am involved with running DECA and helping out at the school store. DECA will start up with a kick-off meeting October 8 and is open to any student who has or is taking a business class. The DECA students will be involved in business competition at the local, state and national levels. I’ve been running DECA clubs every year I’ve been teaching.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“Family time with my husband, son, daughter and dog. Mostly I’m driving to and from and watching my kids sports events. Our family loves fishing and water skiing on our boat during the summer. I love to read and take long walks with the dog in the woods all year. I tend to spend too much of my free time doing home improvements so I often have paint somewhere on me!”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?“@mrsandersonbhs (I mostly tweet out business articles relevant to my classes and some DECA stuff)”

Michael Ress- BHS Science Department 

Michael Ress, BHS Science Department

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I teach 10-12 grade biology & environmental science”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“I taught for four years at Leominster High School.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The kids are well mannered & come to class ready to learn each day. Also, the administration & other teachers are very helpful & welcoming.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I like to go camping & keep in shape.”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?I have a Google site for my class which is bit.ly/RessRef

Kyle Blanchette-BHS Math Department

Kyle Blanchette- BHS Math Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I am currently teaching Algebra I and Geometry.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“This is my second year teaching and before teaching at BHS I taught at Wilmington High School.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The staff, students and technology.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I coach JV lacrosse at Wilmington High School.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I enjoy golfing and fishing.”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?
My web address is bhsblanchette.wix.com/mathblog

Christine Concesion-BHS Health & P.E. Department

Christine Conceison- BHS Health & P.E. Department
What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“Sophomore Intro to Wellness and Senior Wellness to Seniors”

What did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?“This is my first  year teaching. After graduating from college, I served with AmeriCorps for two and a half years. I served with one program traveling in the southern region of the US doing different service projects for one year and after that lived in New Orleans rebuilding homes for Hurricane Katrina survivors.

What do you like best about BHS so far?“The overall atmosphere. Having graduated from BHS, there are some days I feel like I never left. I am now learning from and working with teachers I had as a student and I am getting a whole new perspective of the school. Overall the welcoming atmosphere daily makes it a great place to work.”

Are you involved in any clubs/organizations or coaching positions at BHS?“I am the JV girls volleyball coach this fall and will be helping out with the girls ice hockey team in the winter.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“Coaching youth sports and if anyone knows about youth hockey, it takes up most of my free time!”

Breanne Sette-BHS English Department

Breanne Sette- BHS English Department 

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“I am a part-time teacher at BHS, teaching the 9th and 12th grade English.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“This is my 7th year teaching.”

What (if anything) did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?
“Before I taught, I worked in customer service for a mutual fund company and an insurance company.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“I like the people and how willing they are to work with me and help me out.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“I spend my free time with my daughter, Lily, who is turning two this month!”

Are you active on any social media sites that you would like to share with our audience?“I use Google Classroom and Google Sites.”

Angela D’Allesandro-BHS Permanent Substitute Teacher

Angela D’Allesandro-BHS Permanent Substitute Teacher

What grade level and courses are you teaching at BHS?“All of them; I’m a permanent substitute.”

How long have you been teaching and where did you teach previously?
“I have taught English since 2004, off and on, at Danvers High School, Bedford High School, Chelsea, and Stoneham Middle School.”

What (if anything) did you do as a profession before becoming a teacher?
“I have worked as an Administrative Assistant and a Corporate Trainer.”

What do you like best about BHS so far?
“The students; they have been so great, well mannered and well behaved. They are all around great kids which makes my job much easier and fun.”

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies/interests, outside of education?“As an English teacher, my hobbies need to include reading and writing but I also make jewelry, enjoy hiking with my dog, and spending time with my family.”

Day 50 - Teaching the Constitution: Superheroes and the Branches of Government - Michael Milton, BHS Social Studies Staff

by Michael K. Milton

This post originally appeared on Michael's Blog

As a new teacher to both the US History I curriculum and to teaching 9th graders, I was struggling teaching students about the difference in the branches of governments. I tried a variety of ways to do this: I gave an overview of each branch, students completed a graphic organizer for the branches, students sought answers to questions using the Constitution [ex. Can Mr Milton run for President? Why/Why not?*], and I created a board game to show the arduous quest for a bill to become a law. Still, I did not feel that it connected to my students. I felt like my job of bringing the Constitution to life was not yet finished.

During a free period, I popped into a colleague’s classroom to discuss the Constitution. It was here that she said one phrase that really sparked my brain into gear. Let me preface this by explaining I have recently been thinking quite a bit about superheroes and supervillains – particularly how they carry out mundane things like grocery shopping or online dating**. My colleague said, “…powers of the branches.” Obviously, my mind immediately jumped to “superpowers of the branches” and went into overdrive. I explained the concept to her and collaboratively we came up with the Super Branches of Government!

From my colleague’s classroom. This student focuses solely on the Commander in Chief role of the President.

Super Branches of Government!

The Prompt: What if each branch of the US government was a superhero? What would it look like? What superpowers would it have? What weaknesses would it have?

Use the US Constitution to create the new American hero!

Part 1: The Creation of a Superhero

Brainstorm and create a superhero. What powers would it have? How would you represent the powers?

• Students were put into small groups, given a large piece of paper, an assortment of markers and colored pencils, and given their branch!
• I guided them slightly, mostly reminding them to use the tools we had developed [notes and graphic organizers] as well as the Constitution itself.
• I attempted to help students focus on the powers of the branch and how to best represent them.
• I did add to my initial instructions for students to make a key to explain what the elements represented.

Part II: The Switch

Switch with another group and examine the superhero they created. What powers are missing? Add them! What limitations does the hero have? Add them to the image.

• At first, students were reluctant to add to another’s image. However, most groups seemed to embrace playing with a new superhero.
• I may not do this step in the future. I am currently discussing this with colleagues who added the limitations to the first part of the project. For me, the purpose of this part was for students to interact with all of the branches of government but I am interested in finding an alternative.

Part III: Discussion 

Examine the superhero for the branch that you did not help create. Then, if you had created a superhero for the remaining branch, what would it look like? What powers would it have? How would you depict it? What would you include that was not included in the one you just examined? What limitations does it have? How would you depict it?

• I am currently at this point in this project.
• Students will use Canvas, a student management system, to write individual answers to this prompt in a discussion forum.
• When completed, students will comment on two of their classmates posts.

Overall, I have been pleased with the discussions of the groups. My favorite impromptu discussion between students in rival groups discussing which superhero was stronger. I was beaming but remained silent during this exchange as it is something as a society we still wrestle with. I am really looking forward to the debrief discussion!

Alternative: Two of my colleagues are in the process of doing this activity and chose to have students solely responsible for one branch of government and for the students to present it to the class.

So that is one way that I am teaching the Constitution, how are you doing it?

Next Week: Teaching the Bill of Rights using improv!

* I cannot. Article II Section 1 states that you must be 35 years old. I can, however, run for US Senate.

**I imagine this exchange between a superhero and supervillain at the grocery, “So, I know we’re sworn enemies and all but my cart is pretty full…fight tomorrow? Oh, I have an extra coupon for those paper towels! Here you go!”