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and implementing best instructional practice. Each PLC Report of the developed a SMART goal in English/Language Arts or Quashnet School in Mathematics. Development of common assessments, progress monitoring, analyses of student performance data,and the sharing of effective instructional strategies Principal: Patricia DeBoer are integral components of the PLC model. Our PLCs Assistant Principal: MaryKate O'Brien met twice a week throughout the school year. Our mission at the Quashnet School, in We continually strive to improve instruction and partnership with parents,families and our community, student achievement. This was our fourth year using the is to educate, support, and celebrate all students. We Every Day Mathematics program. Through regular started the 2013-2014 school year with an enrollment progress monitoring,Child Study Team meetings,and using of 557 students and ended the year with 549 students. a Response to Intervention model we were better able to Grades three, four, and five each had seven provide targeted instruction to meet the needs of each homerooms,and grade 6 had six homerooms. student. Small group instruction was a pact of each The 2013-2014 Quashnet School Council members teacher's regular practice. We continued following a six- were: Principal Patricia DeBoer,Teachers Dianne Louf day cycle for our special subjects—Physical Education,Art, and Diana Littleton,Parents Kellie Alfiegro,Elizabeth Music—including Band, Strings, and Chorus, Vieira, and Daniel O'Neill, and Community Member Science/Health, Library/Computers, and Writing. Our Jack Phelan. The 2013-2014 Quashnet School PTO writing special helped to provide a foundation and a officers were President Colleen Austin, Vice-President consistent school-wide approach to developing the skills Amy Rullo,and Treasurer Renee Geiszler,and Secretary necessary in good writing. This was the third year of our QS Guidance Counselor Greta McCue. using the Empowering Writers program as our instructional guide/resource to help our students become better writers— The Massachusetts curriculum frameworks, both in the homeroom setting as well as in the special. including the national common core standards in We continue our efforts to update instruction and English/Language Arts and Mathematics,together with leaming through the integration of technology.All of our research-based best practice guide our instruction. We homerooms are equipped with interactive white boards focus on each student's academic growth. One measure which allow for web-based interactive teaching and of academic growth the annual MCAS assessment for leaming opportunities. We have two computer labs.Each which our students are well prepared. Our goal is for homeroom has also been equipped with at least one every student to score in the proficient or advanced wireless laptop computer for student use;many classrooms performance category this assessment. The have multiple student computers. All homerooms also percentage of students scoring ring in the proficient and have a document camera which allows teachers to enlarge advanced performance categories on the : Gr MCAS and project student work as well as other instructional 70%are as follows: — English/Lae 4— Arts: Grade 6— materials onto the whiteboard. Web-based instructional 3-6 Grade n Mattie Grade rade 6 and Grade and leaming supports are utilized every day in our 3-61%; and in Mathematics: Grade 6-59%; Grade classrooms.We are grateful for the technology we have in 5—66%;Grade logy-6 Grade 3 ter and Grade l place that helps us to better prepare our students for success percentage Science/Technology-67%. In terms of total in the technologically-advanced 21st century. During the percentage of students at each grade level who passed the 2014 MCAS we report the following: In last month of school our sixth graders explored leaming with iPADs,using one shared classroom set. English/Language Arts: Grade 6-94%; Grade 5— 91%; Grade 4-86%, and Grade 3-96%; and in We were very pleased to be able to provide our Mathematics: Grade 6-86%; Grade 5-84%; Grade students with mindfulness education during this past 4-89%;and Grade 3-94%. Our passing rate in Grade school year. Lessons were taught through a series of 5 Science/Technology was 91%. When we study the brief weekly lessons-15 in total. The program has same students over time,we note that progress is being been shown to benefit our students by helping them to made; however,much work still needs to be done. pay better attention, focus better, be kinder and more Our teachers used an organizational structure of grateful,develop better impulse control,be more able grade-level professional leaming communities (PLCs) to calm themselves,reduce classroom and playground to collaboratively focus on improving student leaming conflict,and perform better academically.Mindfulness helps to build inner resilience. 124