Medfield Elementary School Principals Present Improvement Plans to School Committee

Now that the Medfield High School seniors have graduated and the end of the school year is only weeks away, it is time for the Medfield School Committee to look to next year's school improvement plans. 

The School Committee heard the improvement plans of the town's elementary schools at its June 6 meeting. 

The principals of the elementary schools presented what they have accomplished at their schools this year, and what they are looking to do next year. Patty Allen, principal of the Ralph Wheelock School was first to present.

Allen focused her presentation on a courtyard, which is in the process of being transformed from an overgrown unusable area to a giant chessboard where the second and third grade students will be able to relax and play with the three-foot-tall pieces.

Allen also spoke about some of the changes being made to the order the curriculum is taught. “We know we have a few things that we need to shift,” she said.

Next to present was Andrea Thrasher, principal of the Memorial School. Thrasher’s concentration was on the social learning, which occurs in the pre-kindergarten through first graders, specifically around the new focus on eliminating bullying and teasing.

“A lot of people say there isn’t bullying at a really young age, and I agree with that, but the seeds are planted,” Thrasher said.

The last principal to present was Kim Cave of the Dale Street School. Cave focused her short presentation on the way workers at the school are trying to keep the old building up to modern standards. Most notably, Cave mentioned six smart boards, which the school received, but joked that it is also nice to be able to open the new windows, which were installed.

Cave touched on new common assessments, which are going to be used at the end of each trimester of the school year. These tests will be utilized to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of students, but as Superintendent of Schools Robert Maguire said, to help teachers learn when something works.

“It’s not just to identify students, but to help create a dialogue between teachers,” Maguire said.

The committee also took time at the meeting to reorganize themselves. Susan Ruzzo was elected chair of the committee, replacing Tim Bonfatti. Debbie Noschese was elected vice-chair, Eileen DeSisto was elected financial secretary, and Chris Morrison was elected secretary.