Teachers from Centre City School present to the board what third-grade students and teachers do each day at the school
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
The Mantua Township Board of Education received a look at its third-grade curriculum by Centre City teachers during its Dec. 10 meeting.
Samantha Mello, third-grade teacher, and MaryKate Covely, in-class support teacher, spoke before the board to provide a peek into how instruction is done in third-grade classrooms.
“For the next three weeks, for example, the kids in art are learning how to make leather bracelets and the kids that really enjoy art are able to sign up for that and do that for the next three weeks and that rotates and they can try a different thing every day, if they want to,” said Mello, referencing the “Encore Specials” for third-graders.
The two went on to discuss half-hour phonics, reading and writing programs aimed to help students of all levels perform well. Students, they said, have opportunities to meet one-on-one with their respective teachers to receive personal help and instruction on how to improve and to get an overview of their progress in different lessons.
Math, Covely said, follows the same pattern except it lasts for 75 minutes.
The teachers help promote character education through their social studies and advisory periods.
“Every Monday and Friday, our students will have advisory where we’ll talk about character education and all different types of emotionally-based lessons, then Tuesday through Thursday, we do our social sciences,” said Mello.
To close, the duo spoke on the field trips and different extracurricular things students can take part in such as their Franklin Institute field trip, Helping Hands (a job-like activity around Centre City for kids to build responsibility collecting various items) and providing students who excelled in standardized tests and grades to their LEAP (Learning Extensions and Academic Programs) curriculum with Kiersten Chinnock.
In other news:
● Ray Miller, during public comment, inquired about the kindergarten cut-off date. Superintendent Robert Fisicaro clarified that exceptions are made to teachers with children entering the district on either preschool or kindergarten entry;
● Tom Gregg (absent from the meeting due to a family matter) was awarded a plaque for serving on the board for 12 years and assisting with students’ needs and contract negotiations;
● Samantha Fitzpatrick and Melissa Pluta were appointed as basic skills teaching assistants;
● And Kelsey Ferguson was appointed as a paraprofessional at Sewell School
The next board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Dr. H, Simmerman Administration Building in Barnsboro.
