November 2013
Common Core in Action
Lessons at Canajoharie High School and Middle School focus on Common Coredriven learning; emphasize critical thinking, group work, and ‘digging deeper’
“Identify the external conflict in
‘Cub Pilot on the Mississippi.’ Find
and report the evidence that supports your claim.”
That is just one of the questions
Canajoharie Middle School English
teacher Lori Schaffer and special
education teacher Jennifer Drake
asked their eighth grade students
during a recent lesson that reflects
the new Common Core Learning
Standards (CCLS).
The teachers instructed their
A word from the
superintendent...
The Common Core Learning
Standards (CCLS) are creating
quite a buzz these days. When we
think and talk about Common Core
there are really three 3 parts:
students to read three short stories, and then crafted multiple
lessons that focused on writing,
analysis and critical thinking.
“The lessons integrated
visual thinking and learning
tools aligned with the Common
Core,” Mrs. Shaffer said.
“We’re working on doing
shorter lessons but digging
deeper into the text. We are
High School math teacher Patricia
continued on page 2
Countryman goes over a lesson with
(from left) Nathan Ferguson, Grace
Corrigan, and Alyssa Mason.
the standards, the optional learning modules and the assessments
(tests).
The CCLS in ELA and Math are
our new foundation for learning.
The purpose of the common core
is to provide consistent and clear
learning standards at each grade
level. The standards provide opportunities for students to learn
through more types of text and
literature and to focus more deeply
on critical thinking skills. There
are different terms – that we are all
learning – and some different models for learning (that are new for
everyone – parents included!); but
reading, writing, speaking/listening
and mathematics skills are still the
hallmark of what students are doing
in their learning every day.
Beginning last year, the State
Education Department started
releasing optional learning modules
(or planned lessons or activities) to
support the CCLS. Districts have
the option to adopt, revise or not
use the modules. We have chosen to
make smart choices about using the
activities in the modules to best fit
the learning needs of our students.
The 3-8 assessments shifted to
a common core base last year. As
predicted, our performance scores
continued on page 3
The Classroo
2
Novembe
Common Core
continued from page 1
constantly making them take
characters and themes and connect
them to other pieces of work. We
also want them to support their
claims with evidence; in Common
Core, evidence is so big.”
New York State adopted the
CCLS to help ensure that all
children are equipped to succeed
in college or a career once they
graduate from high school.
The purpose of the common
core is to provide consistent and
clear learning standards at each
grade level. The standards provide
opportunities for students to learn
through more types of text and
literature and to focus more deeply
on critical thinking skills.
The series of lessons in Schaffer
and Drake’s class also featured
several projects where students
broke into groups.
Mrs. Shaffer said students who
rarely participate came to class
excited to learn and to work in
their groups.
“To hear the kids come to class
ready and say ‘let’s get going’ was
great,” she said.
On one activity based on
Mark Twain’s “Cub Pilot in the
Mississippi,” students learned
the difference between dynamic
characters (characters that
change during a story) and static
characters (characters who remain
primarily the same).
But it didn’t stop there.
On another assignment, yhe
students were asked to “identify
the evidence that indicates Twain
as a dynamic character,” and one
asked students to use evidence
to prove how a character evolved
throughout the story – in turn,
making them like Twain.
“The activity reinforced both
higher level thinking and writing,
because the students had to put
their answers in paragraph form,”
Mrs. Schaffer said.
Schaffer and Drake included
resources for students at the top
of their worksheets including
definitions and descriptions of
character types, to the definition of
a theme. Mrs. Drake said the goal
was also to provide a differentiated
approach – or lessons considering
students’ learning preferences.
Meanwhile, in Patricia
Countryman’s junior pre-calculus
class at Canajoharie High School,
students recently worked on
creating a maximum volume box –
or a box that would hold the most
water – out of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of
paper. The activity was part of a
Modeling with Functions unit.
Students cut squares out of
the corners, conducted trial and
error sessions using mathematic
calculations, and then created
an equation. The students could
not properly construct the box
without solving their created
equation using a calculator. The
students also worked in groups
and subsequently presented their
projects to the class.
“In their group discussions, they
were coming up with solutions
and at the end, they had to present
and describe their learning. There
were multiple layers to the lesson,”
Mrs. Countryman said.
“We used applications here that
can be applied in the real world,
and this lesson was an example of
student-driven learning, and that is
a major piece of Common Core.”
To read about Common Core
work at the elementar y school
or learn more about the CCLS,
please visit that Common Core
section of the Canajoharie website.
New lights on Canajoharie bus garage have
projected energy savings of 74 percent
New LED lights on the outside
of the bus garage of the Canajoharie Central School District should
yield an energy savings of about
74 percent, according to buildings
& grounds superintendent Gary
May. In early September, the district changed from 175-watt metal
halide lights to 50-watt LED lights.
The lights – which are actually
brighter than the previous ones
– eliminate maintenance, replacement and disposal costs, and have
a more than 100,000 hour (or
22 years) operating life. In total,
the district replaced 21 lights on
the garage. Simkar Corporation
provides the lights, and according to the company, they also help
protect the environment by producing more light for less energy,
reducing the amount of fossil fuels
burned and carbon monoxide
emitted.
“The money we save on energy
will pay for the fixtures in threeand-a-half years,” May said. “We
are always looking for ways to save
energy and money and it’s nice
because these are maintenancefree fixtures for approximately
22 years.”
om Chronicle
3
er 2013
Canajoharie welcomes new staff members
Theodore Arndt
After 12 years of teaching
special education at Fort Plain,
Theodore Arndt felt he could use
his experience to manage the
entire program.
Now, as the new director of
special education for both the
Fort Plain and the Canajoharie
Central School districts, it’s his
job to make sure that students in
both districts meet the Common
Core Learning Standards by
coordinating special education
services. “I like to think of me
as approachable and strategic,”
he said. “The faculties in both
districts have a lot to offer if we
can provide them with a forum to
show what they can do.
Column
continued from page 1
were lower, but that just gave us
a new starting point for moving
forward. This year begins the implementation of common core Regent’s
exams in English and Math. Among
the concerns that have risen involve
the students who are in the shift in
standards and their learning, and
the amount of testing that is occurring. First, we are making adjustments in our instruction to help close
the gaps created by
Mauranda Comley
Andrea Bovee
Mauranda Comley always
wanted the opportunity to bring
her hobbies of food, fashion and
pop culture into the classroom.
And as the new family and
consumer sciences teacher at
Canajoharie High School, she
feels like she has that chance.
She graduated last spring with
a bachelor’s degree in family
consumer sciences.
“I love being inspired by others,
and students are a big source of
inspiration,” she said. “With this
job, I can take all my hobbies
into the classroom and hopefully
inspire them. I wouldn’t want to be
teaching them anything else.”
For Andrea Bovee, the new
district social worker in the
Canajoharie Central School
District, her job stretches beyond
the school.
Mrs. Bovee will serve as a
communication link between
the school and home regarding
student concerns.
“One of my goals is to make
connections between the
community and the school so we
can give kids the best resources
available,” she said.
the shift to the common core. We
are identifying the content and skill
gaps, and working to blend those
skills in as we implement the CCLS.
The second concern around testing
is related more to the teacher evaluation system and not the common
core. We have already started to
reduce the number of assessments
students are taking; and as a district
we are examining our entire assessment system. Through conferences
and other learning opportunities,
parents will have opportunities to
learn more about the common core
and how we are working to implement these standards in our daily instruction. Our education system is in
the midst of the transformation that
will prepare our students for their
future – and yes, it does look different than our past in some respects;
however in others, the important
learning remains the same. Now is
the time for us to creatively reach
up to where our students are and
carry the learning forward so every
student is ready for their future.
Fore more information on
the new staff members, please
visit the district website.
Debbie Grimshaw
The Classroom Chronicle
4
November 2013
Message from the Canajoharie
Board of Education
The school year has started
off very well for students and
teachers. The board of education
is changing it’s focus a little from
teachers teaching to students
learning. As the shift continues
to address the Common Core
Standards, the BOE and
administration will continue
monitoring student progress and
learning. We are striving to be
fiscally conscious and continue to
push for fair state funding of ours
and all upstate school districts.
We are all looking forward to a
very successful year.
Sincerely,
Carol Balfe
School Board President
Subscribe to the district’s free
newsletter, Parent Today
The district is encouraging
parents to sign up for Parent
Today, a bimonthly e-newsletter
that provides tools and information to encourage parents to
be even more engaged in their
children’s education. It features
easy-to-read, blog-style posts
talking about what matters most
for families. Visit the district
website to sign-up.
Canajoharie Central School
Canajoharie, New York 13317
Published by the Canajoharie Central School Board of Education
“Education is the
manifestation of
perfection already
existing in man.”
- Swami Vivekananda
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Canajoharie, NY
Permit No. 18
To:Residents of the
Canajoharie Central
School District
Black and Gold Booster Club looking for new members
Canajoharie Homecoming this
year was held the weekend of Oct.
18 and featured a football game
and dance.
There were also signs outside
with the students’ names, and
signs with the names of seniors in
the high school parking lot.
New booster club president
Cherrie Fox says she hopes
next year the booster club can
help bring a parade to downtown
Canajoharie. “My vision is to
get the community, the parents,
and the students involved so we
can raise as much money as we
can for every sport,” she said.
“And maybe next year, we can
have a huge homecoming or
do something big. I want all the
sports to know we are here to help
them.”
To help raise funds for sports,
the booster club is holding a bus
trip to New York City on Dec. 8 to
see the Christmas lights. The oneday trip is $50 a person.
Fox said the booster club is
eagerly looking for new members.
Students are free and adults are $3
for the year and $25 for a lifetime
membership.
For more information or to
join, please contact Cherrie Fox at
(518) 673-6062.