Kim Carter, Principal
This school year began with the MC2 community
preparing to move from its location at
MC2 was invited to present to the New Hampshire State Board of Education in October. Internship coach Erin Stoub and students Patrick Bokum, Angelia Boucher, Patricia Cressy, Kyle Croteau, and Kyle Freihofer spoke about internship and trek learning experiences as models of the expanded ways for students to earn academic credit under the revised School Approval Standards.
MC2’s First Amendment Schools work continued this
year, beginning with attendance at the FAS Leadership Conference in
Faculty continued their work developing structures for personalizing education. Teachers work with students and families to identify students’ strengths and challenges, particularly in relation to eight “neurodevelopmental domains” identified by pediatrician and learning specialist Dr. Mel Levine: attention, memory, language, higher order cognition, spatial, temporal, sequential, neuromotor, and social cognition. (For more information, visit Dr. Levine’s All Kinds of Minds website at www.allkindsofminds.org.) Teachers use spreadsheet and database programs to capture data about each student, compiling learning profiles that are used to plan instruction and learning experiences.
Internships are an integral part of our academic program. For MC2, an internship means doing work in a “real world” situation, with an adult mentor. For a student to earn internship credit, they must complete a project that adds value to the internship site while demonstrating their learning. In the 2005 – 2006 school year, 54 job sites participated in mentoring MC2 students. This past June, approximately 125 people gathered at Cutler School to recognize and celebrate the mentors who provide our students with valuable learning and windows into the world of work, while investing in the future of our youth.
The recent NEASC (New England Association of Schools and
Colleges) accreditation report for
* Assessment: Commendations: The MC2 program that provides a high quality example of alternative assessment.
* School Resources: Commendations: The inception of the Monadnock Community
Connection (MC2) Alternative School
* School Resources: Commendations: The development of a state-wide recognized alternative school program (MC2) and development of the specialized pathways
* School Resources: Recommendations: Continue
offering outstanding programs such as MC2
Last, but most certainly not least, we are proud to report on the first two MC2 graduates who spent their whole high school career at MC2. Each student was accepted to every college to which they applied, and are currently attending their first choice colleges. Each student received recognition of their work and accomplishments through several scholarships, and has reported they are doing quite well at college. We look forward to continuing to hear from them and following their progress!
Kim Carter Principal B.A.
M.S.
Kathleen Blodgett (G) Political Science B.A.
Education M.Ed.
Elizabeth Cardine Physics B.A.
Heather Katsoulis Mathematics B.S. Worcester Polytechnic
Institute
Erin Stoub
(G) Biology B.S.
Eric Conant Bryan Russell
Stacey Massiah
Matthew
Young, Principal
“Educators in developmentally responsive
middle level schools hold and act upon high expectations for all students, and
the students themselves have expectations of success.
… Successful middle level schools
are grounded in the understanding that young adolescents are capable of far
more than adults often assume.
-
This We
Believe, 1995
This school year has seen many
changes for the students, staff and the parents of our seventh and eighth
graders in our
During this school year the staff has focused much of their time on working with their students within their Educational Teams and concentrating on student achievement and the student educational services that we provide. The staff has worked diligently in preparing their classroom lessons and instruction to imbed the New Hampshire State Standards in Education in our student’s curriculum. The goals of our staff this year are to continually strive to have strong communication, consistency and cooperation between home and school as we work within our newly implemented middle school model.
This year has seen the Middle School implement programs that are data driven and meet the needs of our students in their academic, social and civic development. Staff and students are grouped together to create two Educational Teams for each grade level. The Educational Teams consist of four core teachers, a guidance counselor, special services teacher and approximately eighty students. The staff of the Educational Teams has daily, collaborative meeting times to plan student instruction across the curriculum and to discuss student achievement and concerns. The Teams also post student assignments, announcements and themes on our updated Middle School Website and organize regular Parent-Teacher Conferences.
The teaming in our Middle School has allowed for our staff to focus on a smaller group of students and to be more responsive to student’s needs. Students, parents and staff have had the ability to build stronger communication in a more structured educational setting. Students also have a homeroom at the end of each day that includes a review of the Educational Team’s assignments; daily school communications and daily use of the student’s HAB. Our Guidance Counselors also use homeroom to conduct regular classroom programs in study skills, teamwork, student scheduling and bullying prevention. All of our students participate daily in school wide reading using our Accelerated Reading Program. We have implemented a Student Development Program that allows students who require more personalized instruction in a smaller setting to have further daily instruction with their core teachers for greater academic development.
The Middle School has a current enrollment of 329 students between seventh and eighth grade. The core subjects taught at our school are English, Social Studies, Math and Science. Students are also required to have instruction in Health, Physical Education, Vocational Exploratory Classes (VEX) and Fine Arts which may consist of Art, Music Survey, Chorus, Band or Drama. We also offer elective classes in Spanish and French. The Middle School also has Special Services Programs that include Life Skills Classes, the Wilcox Program and our Autism Program.
Students at our school participate in numerous extracurricular activities and athletics. The programs offered are Middle School Student Council, Spelling Bee, Yearbook, Husky Hoopla, Cheer, French Club and National Junior Honor Society. Athletics consist of opportunities for male and female students in various sports such as Special Olympics, Soccer, and Track and Field, Field Hockey, Football, Basketball, Cross-country Skiing, Baseball and Softball. Our students also use our after school Fitness/Weight Room. We have also implemented our District’s new Wellness Policy. All students have the opportunity to play basketball, touch football, soccer, walk our track or participate in numerous other staff supervised outdoor activities/games for 25 minutes each day during their lunch break.
I look forward to the upcoming school year with great enthusiasm and high expectations for success. The staff and I will continue to work hard at building strong partnerships between school and home. There are no limits to what we can achieve together for our students!
Matthew Young Middle School B.A.
Principal M.Ed.
Grad. Cert. Northern
Carrie Althouse Art B.A.
Debra Battersby English B.A. Randolph-Macon Woman's
College
M.Ed.
M.Ed.
Michael Brown Business Ed. B.S.
M.Ed.
Ellen Cronin Athletic B.A.
Director M.Ed.
M.A.
Philip Crotto Dept Chair, Fine
Arts B.Ed.
Band Director
June Donegan Science B.A.
M.Ed.
Teressa Drogue Guidance B.A.
Counselor M.Ed.
C.A.G.S.
David
Fields Special
Services B.S. Northeastern University
M.Ed.
Kate Fillion Health B.S.
Jan Firmin English B.S.
Jeanette Girard FACS B.E.
M.Ed.
Lorna Harling English B.S.
M.S.
Kevin Heaney Social Studies B.A.
Kathleen M. Hurst Special Services B.A.
Coordinator M.Ed.
Michael Jillson Special Ed. B.A.
Wayne Kassotis Resource Officer B.S.
Maureen Kavanagh Physical Ed. B.S.
Gary Kornfield Dept.
Chair, B.S.
Physical
Ed. M.S.S.
Gerald Kuhn Dept.
Chair, B.S.
Tech.
Ed. M.A.
Peter Lambert Social Studies B.A.
Greg Lent Mathematics B.S.
John W. Magee, III Psychologist B.A. Pennsylvania State Univ.
M.Ed.
Ph.D. Pennsylvania
State Univ.
Linda Minickiello English B.A.
M.Ed.
Scott Minickiello Mathematics B.S.
M.Ed.
John Naso Science B.S.
Jennifer O’Donnell Mathematics B.S.
Michael Paone Mathematics B.A.
Cheryl Patty Science B.S.
M.Ed.
Mark Polifrone Fine Arts B.S.
B.M.
Allison Robinson Social Studies B.A.
Jeremy Robinson Social Studies B.A.
Rebecca Russell Guidance B.S.
Counselor M.Ed.
Raelene Rust Science B.A. East. Conn. State Univ.
M.S. East.
Conn. State Univ.
Ronald Schilb,
Jr. World Language B.S.
B.A.
Heather Smith Special Services B.S.
B.A.
Deborah Stavseth Librarian B.A.
M.S.
Kristen Stroshine Special Services B.A.
Paul Teitelman Fine Arts B.A.
M.A.T.
Jay Wibben Tech.
Ed. B.A.
W. Christopher Widner Special
Services B.A.
Sharon Wilson World Language B.A.
Gail Wrigley English B.A.
Gay Betz Cecile Martineau
John Canu Melissa McCutcheon
Sandra Creamer Nina Minucci
Nancy Cummings Lillian Smith Novack
Ann Curry .5 Sherry Page .5
Bernadette Hall Jane Parent .5
Jeffrey Hewitt Julie Richard
Veronica Hoffmann .5 Daniel Stockwell, Jr .5
Jennifer Thieme
Sikander Rashid, Principal
Cutler School Staff, in cooperation with its community, strive to create a dynamic educational environment. Universal Expectations of citizenship, respect, responsibility, and safety are the building blocks of our school community. The learning environment at Cutler is a product of time tested and up to date practices carried out by a caring and highly qualified staff. Standards-based curricula are used to challenge our students academically. “Positive behavioral interventions and Supports” (PBIS) promotes a community of learners where every member is empowered to make appropriate choices for her/his optimum growth as a human being.
Our academic program is aligned with MRSD curriculum which is based on national and state educational standards. Our educational focus is on the development of the whole child through various programs and collaborative teaching practices. Integrated technology and Service Learning are two of our many vibrant programs ensuring optimal growth for all our students. We are in the fifth year of an integrated technology program; this enables students to utilize technological tools including computers as part of their overall learning process. Our students have developed and produced many projects through the Service Learning Program over the past four years. These projects enable students to creatively think about their learning and contribution to their community. Service Learning projects cover many curricular areas and enable our students to work with professionals in the related fields.
The implementation of “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) has brought the state testing to the forefront thus making it necessary for the state to align its standards with the testing. In order to do so the state has developed Grade Level Expectations (GLE). Cutler staff is currently gaining familiarity with these GLEs while the state is in the process of transforming them in to educational standards. Our district implemented “Measured Academic Progress” (MAP), a computerized test which adapts to the ability of the student taking the test. MAP is an excellent diagnostic tool for assessment as it can be easily used for instructional modifications for all students within and beyond classroom settings. We are working on using MAP results to enhance our instructional materials and practices. Our students take the MAP tests in the fall and in the spring. The comparison of these two tests within a year tells us the strengths, weaknesses, and progress of our students in different academic areas thus enabling us to modify our instructional materials and/or practices.
Our school’s inability to make the Adequate Yearly
Progress, (AYP) during the last year’s State administered tests, “New England
Common Assessment Program” (NECAP), was due to our special education and
socio-economically challenged populations.
Specific actions have been taken at
An Educational Support Team (EST) was formed consisting of all special education professionals, one classroom teacher from each grade, reading teacher, and the Principal. This team looked at the needs of special education students as well as the students who are not identified but struggle academically. Several changes have been incorporated to ensure that all students succeed in the future in these standardized tests. At Cutler school, remedial
instructions are carried out for all students regardless of their identification as a special education student. The remedial work is carried out in various forms in and out of the classrooms.
At the start of the 2004-2005 school year,
The transition process between
The special education needs at Cutler, as well as
Our school environment continues
to be positive and vibrant as we move through our fourth year as a PBIS
school. As in previous years, the
students are introduced to the universal expectations of the school on the
first day and a continuous focus is placed on teaching appropriate behaviors
throughout each day. On the first Friday of the school year all students
participate in a Roll Out day where the expectations for each area of the
school are defined and taught. This
teaching is followed by a cook out by parent volunteers. Upon returning to the
classroom, teachers reflect on the expectations with their students and develop
a full value contract. The full value
contract empowers students to contribute to their classroom and school
environment. The discipline data collected and general atmosphere of the school
point to an enhanced environment suitable for maximum academic and overall
student growth.
Positive reinforcement activities are carried out during the year complimenting the continuous classroom reinforcement of the universal expectations. Monthly school-wide assemblies are used to review, encourage, and congratulate students on their academic and social achievements. Every classroom teacher selects a young author and a citizen of the month; these students are recognized by the whole school and receive an award. These assemblies are also a tool for students to present to their peers specific social challenges and their solutions. In this way students learn together and develop effective solutions to problems, thus contributing positively to their school community. Our school’s positive and vibrant environment is a direct result of the support we receive from all our constituents. I look forward to this continuous support and urge you to play an active role in your child’s education.
Sikander Rashid Principal B.A.
M.A.
Anne Anderson Grade 5 B.A.
Susan Armstrong Grade 5 B.A.
Betty Audette Grade 6 B.S.
Elizabeth Baker Grade 6 B.E.
Susan Bobbin Grade 5 B.S.
Rebecca Bowers Resource Room B.A.
B.S.
M.Ed.
Kathaleen Cobb Grade 4 B.S.
Diane Hardy Music B.M.
M.Ed.
Diane Higgins Resource Room B.S.
Joanne Hof Reading B.S.
M.A.
Risa Keene Speech B.S.
M.S.
Louis Kolarik Grade 6 B.S.
Joanne Marchand Grade 5 B.S.
M.Ed.
Susan Megas-Russell
M.Ed.
Sue J. Norton Art B.F.A. Southern Methodist Univ
M.Ed.
Mark Pride Guidance B.S.
M.Div. Trinity
Seminary
M.Ed.
Carol Simonds Grades 5 B.S. N. Adams
Christine
Smith Special
Services B.S.
Lynn Speckman Grade 4 B.S.
Marie Szymcik Technology B.S.
Debra Tong Grade 4 B.S.
Mary K. Toye Grade 6 B.A.
M.Ed.
M.A.M.
Richard Trottier Grade 5 B.A.
Pamela Weinrieb Grade 4 B.S.
Kelly Wood Psychologist B.A.