Sharon High School PTSO Meeting Tuesday, February 26, 2008

SHS Mission Statement Sharon High School is a safe and supportive community that provides relevant and diverse opportunities for all students to become active learners and responsible citizens. By fostering a climate of respect, honesty, and accountability, Sharon High School empowers students to apply academic skills, take creative risks, strive for excellence, and achieve their highest potential.

Common Themes & Efforts  Differentiated instructional practices  MCAS preparation  Understanding By Design  Professional development  Embedding of instructional technology  Introduction of new courses  Proper course placement  Learning opportunities beyond the classroom

The Coordinators  English – Janet Picheny  Social Studies – Laura Smolcha  Math – Lesley Reardon  Science – Joan LaCroix  Foreign Language – Pat Mulcahy  Guidance – Judy Whittemore

English Accomplishments & Highlights  Hosted live performances by Taylor Mali and the New Repertory Theatre (The Crucible)  Brought the sophomore class to see the movie Beowulf  100% of the current junior class passed the ELA portion of the MCAS Exam (97% “Advanced” or “Proficient”)  Helped develop an MCAS Support Program  Continued the Children’s Storybook Project  Initiated teacher-led professional development seminars on the Socratic Method  Supported more published editions of The Talon than ever before

English Goals and Initiatives  To pilot an American Studies program  To increase the use of laptops within the classroom setting  To examine our elective offerings and ensure that they are meeting the interests and needs of students  To incorporate instructional strategies that will improve our students’ ability to answer open-response questions  To find creative ways to encourage and promote reading  To continue exposing students to the connection that exists between literature and the arts  To increase opportunities for collaboration between middle school and high school teachers

Social Studies Accomplishments & Highlights  Successfully introduced two new courses: World Religions and The World Today  For the 2 nd year in a row, SHS students participated in Student Government Day in Boston  Offered four Advanced Placement courses  Collaborated with the Math Department to conduct a school- wide Mock Election and produce an analysis of the results  Began integrating Web 2.0 technology into instructional and assessment practices (i.e. Podcasts and blogs)  Hosted presentations on Sudan and Mali, as well as two movie nights that coincided with national/state elections  Participated in the Harvard Model U.N. Conference

Social Studies Goals and Initiatives  To pilot an American Studies program  To introduce two new courses: The Ethics, Philosophy, and History of Altruism and Love and Since JFK: American History and Culture Since 1960  To expand the use of interactive whiteboards within the department  To explore additional ways in which Web 2.0 technology can be integrated into the delivery of the curriculum  To prepare for the impending introduction of the state’s mandate that all students pass the History and Social Science portion of the MCAS Exam  To continue providing learning experiences beyond the classroom

Math Accomplishments & Highlights  Purchased sets of TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculators and TI-30X Scientific Calculators for every teacher in the department  Successfully introduced a new course: Discrete Math  Incorporated the use of interactive whiteboards and ELMO projection systems  95% of the current junior class passed the Math portion of the MCAS Exam (91% “Advanced” or “Proficient”)  Helped develop an MCAS Support Program  Participated in the AMC 10 and AMC 12, as well as the 44 th Annual International Mathematics Olympiad  The Math Team achieved state and regional success

Math Goals and Initiatives  To replace textbooks in the following courses: AB Calculus, BC Calculus, and AP Statistics  To introduce the following course: Math Skills for Everyday Living  To expand the use of interactive whiteboards within the department  To work closely with the Guidance Department to ensure that students are choosing the most appropriate course for themselves  To maintain the rigor of the curriculum (which is aligned with the SPS Learning Standards and the Massachusetts Frameworks)  To increase available supplementary materials that can enhance instructional and assessment practices

Science Accomplishments & Highlights  Completed the Science Program Evaluation  Successfully introduced a new course: AP Physics C  98% of the current sophomore class passed the Science and Technology/Engineering portion of the MCAS Exam (73% “Advanced” or “Proficient”)  Collaborated with the Middle School to develop and teach a biotechnology unit  Brought students to the Boston University City Labs to study the transformation of DNA in cells  Attended and presented at the National Science Teachers Association Convention in Boston  Participated on state committees to evaluate student performance on the MCAS Exam, and to develop future questions for the MCAS Exam

Science Goals and Initiatives  To outfit labs with equipment and materials that will ensure effective delivery of the curriculum  To continue the change to the science sequence  To adopt new textbooks in the following courses: Honors Chemistry (for sophomores) and Chemistry  To expand the use of interactive whiteboards within the department  To enhance the Biology program by integrating more biotechnology  To explore avenues for ensuring that we increase the number of students who are performing at an “Advanced” or “Proficient” level on the state’s MCAS Exam

Foreign Language Accomplishments & Highlights  Introduced National Honor Societies for Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish  Went on trips abroad to France and Spain  Hosted AFS students from other schools  Began transitioning from tape format to digital format in the Language Lab  Promoted National Foreign Language Week  Officially started the Chinese Exchange Program  Participated in the National Latin Exam  The Spanish Club donated time to Casa Nueva Vida and Cottage Street Elementary School

Foreign Language Goals and Initiatives  To introduce the following course: Spanish Culture and Conversation  To update the Language Lab  To further integrate technology into the curriculum (through iTeacher initiatives)  To explore additional foreign exchange programs  To create a multi-lingual student publication  To facilitate opportunities for students to share their knowledge and understanding of a foreign language with other students in the district  To coordinate interdisciplinary lessons and activities between the Foreign Language Department and other curricular departments at SHS

Common Themes & Efforts  Differentiated instructional practices  MCAS preparation  Understanding By Design  Professional development  Embedding of instructional technology  Introduction of new courses  Proper course placement  Learning opportunities beyond the classroom

SHS Mission Statement Sharon High School is a safe and supportive community that provides relevant and diverse opportunities for all students to become active learners and responsible citizens. By fostering a climate of respect, honesty, and accountability, Sharon High School empowers students to apply academic skills, take creative risks, strive for excellence, and achieve their highest potential.

Thank you!! Questions?