Blog
Co-Teaching: It’s Our Superpower!
“With a co-teacher, you’re able to reach more students based on their learning needs in the moment. It’s best for checking in on students in real time when there are misconceptions, or if they’re having a moment and need a one-on-one check-in with an adult. If something is going on at home, or in school with a peer that needs to be addressed, with a co-teacher, you’re able to reach them and not disrupt class.”
An Inclusive Special-Education Model: Collaboration at the Center
“I’ve never worked at a school where the special-education students are everyone’s responsibility - and accountability is shared around reaching and meeting all students. Our collaborative model is one of the biggest drivers for student growth.”
Building a Middle School in a Post-Pandemic World
“We knew we had to build a culture and structure informed by the unique challenges facing adolescents today; One that would allow students to feel seen, supported, and - upon graduating - prepared for their futures.”
Mr. Brown Testifies at the State House in Support of the Educator Diversity Act
“This year, as we continue down the road to recovery, our instructional and professional development strategies have been built around the urgency we feel, not only to make up for lost learning opportunities, but to ultimately get all of our scholars achieving at grade level standards and beyond. In the interest of accelerating, not remediating learning, we’ve been focused on ‘Doing What Matters Most’. In other words, we’ve been prioritizing and re-focusing our efforts to get the best results possible.”
Doing What Matters Most: Making Every Minute of Learning Count
“This year, as we continue down the road to recovery, our instructional and professional development strategies have been built around the urgency we feel, not only to make up for lost learning opportunities, but to ultimately get all of our scholars achieving at grade level standards and beyond. In the interest of accelerating, not remediating learning, we’ve been focused on ‘Doing What Matters Most’. In other words, we’ve been prioritizing and re-focusing our efforts to get the best results possible.”
Afternoon Program Spotlight: Girls on the Run
“Providing students with enriching experiences, both in and out of the classroom, is an integral part of our mission here at Springfield Prep. This fall, our 3rd through 5th graders had the opportunity to participate in the Girls on the Run afternoon program, hosted in partnership with the national organization. Through a research-based, 10 week curriculum, students met in small groups, engaged in interactive lessons to grow their physical, social, and emotional skills, and trained to run in a friendly, non-competitive, 5k at the end of the season. Some of the lesson topics included discussing the importance of self-care, selecting and maintaining healthy relationships, and celebrating one’s strengths (just to name a few). By pairing physical activity with conversations around social, emotional wellness, the students worked to build confidence within themselves in a variety of ways. “
The Associate Teacher Program: A Day in the Life
“The Associate Teachers (ATs) at Springfield Prep keep our school running like a well-oiled machine-- providing differentiated support to students, coverage when teachers are out, and leading lunch and recess duties all the while growing as educators through coaching, professional development, and lots of collaboration with classroom teachers. That all sounds great in theory, but how does it actually unfold in practice?”
Celebrating Diverse Identities is Everyone’s Work
“This is everyone’s job-- there isn’t room to opt-out. This work of celebrating our students’ identities is integral to what we do every day and it’s an extension of culturally responsive teaching. When you take the time to learn and honor different cultures it strengthens the community and children’s outlooks on themselves. But it’s not enough to just say this is everybody’s work. We have structures to facilitate this.”
The Power of a Team
“We know teachers will bring different experience levels and strengths to their work and so we leverage the power of teams to achieve this. Our team leaders play a critical role when it comes to ensuring great ideas are shared and implemented and that teachers and staff feel a sense of belonging with their closest colleagues. In this post, we’ll interview Ashley Shaw, a founding teacher at Springfield Prep and our 2nd Grade Grade Level Chair. We’ll learn about Ashley’s development as a leader and how she sees her role as a driver of equity for kids. We’ll also learn what she does to make sure her team time is an uplifting source of connection - every Friday, when her Grade Team meets, you can hear the laughter from down the hall!”
"We are all Math People"- Collaboration and Preparation in our Middle School Math Classrooms
“In education, we often take for granted that getting all students to love reading is a worthy goal. Somehow, this same principle doesn’t always transfer to math. Not true at Springfield Prep. Helping students embrace their identity as math people is at the heart of Ms. Graul and Ms. Sela’s practice alongside deep knowledge of mathematical standards, thorough intellectual preparation for every lesson, and consistent effort to connect content to real life examples and transferable mathematical practices.”
Culturally Responsive Teaching -- One Unit at a Time
Thanks to their initiative, our Curriculum Audit Team was born. Together they devised a plan for a thorough audit of the curriculum that would give teachers an entry point for making meaningful changes-- helping to remove the stumbling block so many feel in the face of a large challenge-- figuring out where to start.
“A Clear Path For Growth”: A View Into The Associate Teacher Program
“Arianna Romero joined Springfield Prep for the 2019-2020 school year as an Associate Teacher (AT). The AT program allows those who are new to teaching to get extra support and coaching, practice their teaching moves, and test out a few teaching roles before becoming a lead teacher the following year. As she puts it, ‘The AT role is a great foundational position that takes the stress away from the first year.’”
Scholar Spotlight: Jarien, Fourth Grade Phenom
“We recently sat down with Jarien, a football-loving fourth grader who always has a smile on his face. Jarien’s teacher, Ms. McGregor describes him as a polite and motivated scholar who is a great friend to his classmates. He is also one of Springfield Prep’s Student Ambassadors. The school’s Student Ambassadors develop new leadership, communication, and presentation skills, in part by leading school tours to visitors.”
Brittanie McGregor is Springfield Prep’s 2019 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award Winner
“The Excellence in Teaching Awards program, made possible by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with MassMutual and the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, is an honor given out annually to recognize outstanding Western Massachusetts educators.”
Melissa Vazquez, Operations All-Star
“Ms. Vazquez has been with Springfield Prep from the very beginning, and that's no exaggeration! She was the first employee hired by Mr. Spirer - back when Springfield Prep was just a collection of cubicles, and not yet a school! We sat down with Ms. Vazquez to get her thoughts on Springfield Prep's growth over the years. Here's what she had to say.”
Braving the Cold for our Community
“On Saturday, February 3rd, a group of Springfield Prep staff members joined nearly 200 runners and walkers in the Coldest Day 5K. The race, which benefits the Springfield Rescue Mission, is an annual event that seeks to bring attention to the realities homeless individuals face during the winter. ‘Our school is right down the street from the Rescue Mission, and it's important to us that we do what we can to give back to the community and show our support for the organizations serving our neighborhood’ said Ms. Wagner, Director of Finance and Operations (Ms. Wagner also came in 2nd place for the female runners!).“
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
“On Friday, December 22nd, Springfield Prep held its third annual Winter Concert at the St. John's Congregational Church. It was an exciting event - all students performed and more than 500 family members and friends were in attendance. Under Mr. Naylor's leadership and direction, our students put on quite a show! A show like this doesn't come together overnight. Under the direction and leadership of Mr. Naylor, students worked for over three months, rehearsing until they had their songs and choreography just right. (They even practiced in their pajamas during Spirit Week!) Our scholars hard work paid off, and they performed a mix of seasonal and hit songs for a full house of family and friends.”
Teacher Spotlight: Shawna Mitchell, Kindergarten Teacher
“When Mrs. Mitchell first interviewed to be a teacher at Springfield Prep, everyone who met her said, ‘Wow, she has such incredible positive energy - let's hire her!’ And that first impression hasn't changed. Step inside Mrs. Mitchell's (and Ms. Shaw's) UMass classroom and you can't help but notice a calm-but-purposeful, positive-but-no-nonsense vibe.”
Family Spotlight: The Suliveres Family
“We first got to know Kerriann Suliveres three years ago when she enrolled her son Alex as a kindergartner. You could tell right away that she had big aspirations for her sons - she was always helping them do their best and made it clear to them that excellence in school was her priority. As Alex grew with us, we got to know his little brother Jerry and were thrilled when he joined us as a kindergartner this year. True to form, Kerri Ann had Jerry practicing his sight words all summer and he was ready to go when school started. “
Student Spotlight: Jaeda, Third Grader Expert
“We sat down recently with Jaeda, a third grader who started Springfield Prep as a "founding" first grader three years ago. Jaeda brings a big smile and a positive outlook to school everyday, and is an amazing teammate to her friends. You'll see Jaeda's picture on our Scholar of the Week board and might find her sitting at her class's "VIP" table, reserved for scholars who embody the school's core values. We wanted to learn more about what makes life special as a Springfield Prep scholar and here's what she shared with us. And even though she may not be famous at this point (see her comment below), we're confident that it's only a matter of time!”