An Independent Weekly Newspaper
Put your non-perishable donation in a bag by your mailbox to be delivered to a local food bank.
Hudson~Litchfield
News
Volume 20 Number 43 May 7, 2010 16 Pages
NH Chronicle Airs from
Countrybrook Farms
The Magic of
‘Main Street USA’
Choir performs Tiffany Eddy and Tom
Griffith feeling at home in their taping of the
NH Chronicle at
Countrybrook Farm on Monday
Monday morning shoppers at Countrybook Farms and Nursery Garden Center on Lowell Road in Hudson might have recognized two well-known TV personalities. WMUR-TV anchors Tiffany Eddy and Tom Griffith were at the garden center to tape an upcoming episode of NH Chronicle—a show that the pair co-hosts. For years, Chronicle has brought viewing audiences to places and introduced them to people around the state that embellish New Hampshire’s unique character.
Griffith explained that the start and end of the show, plus its “teasers,” are taped at a different location, while the site is highlighted during the Tuesday show. The show airs Monday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. Those who watched found the Chronicle team filming segments for the upcoming show in front of Countrybrook’s 150-year-old barn, where the front yard was full of color with annuals and perennials, gardening and landscape ornaments, the ice cream stand, and inside the goat pen feeding hay to the moms and their kids. This edition of NH Chronicle is scheduled to run the week of May 17, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Marching Main St. USA
in Stunning Research Study
with Students Gaining Up to Five Grade Levels in Math Computation Skills
submitted by Amanda Lecaroz, Director of Curriculum, Litchfield School District
“I’ve been teaching for 27 years and I have never had
a program that reached all levels of learners the way this curriculum does. It challenges the top students and accelerates the bottom learners. The biggest thing I would say to anyone that is looking at this program is in all the classes that started with enVisionMATH, no students were referred to the special ed team for math. Not one. That’s huge!” said Mary Lou Saxton, Special Education Teacher, Litchfield School District.
“Not only have student grades increased, but their confidence in their ability to master math has increased. I am so happy that the children have developed a love of learning math. What more could a teacher ask for?” said Erin Moriarty of Litchfield’s Griffin School. Litchfield School District’s students were among the hundreds of elementary school students nationwide participating in an independent research study, which found that fifth graders learning with the Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley enVisionMATH program jumped the equivalent of an astonishing five grade levels in math computation achievement in just two years. These students’ pre-test scores in 2007 on the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT8) were at a fourth-grade level, but, by the end of the study in 2009, they were posting scores equivalent to a ninth-grade level. And findings from the second year of a two-year
randomized control study by Planning, Research and Evaluation Services (PRES) Associates showed that enVisionMATH students overall significantly improved in the areas of math concepts, problem solving, computation, and vocabulary.
Mary Lou Saxton coordinated the participation of
Litchfield’s schools in the research study. She said, “From day one of this two-year study, I got to see firsthand the great success that the students were having. Witnessing their success every day, I knew the kids were making amazing gains in their math skills.”
Saxton continued, “enVisionMATH is much more than just a math program. Yes, it builds a very strong foundation in math skills, but the story books, games, hands-on activities, and amazing technology components make kids really love math.” She added, “And it’s great to have that technology at home so the children go online and show their parents what they did in class that day.” The number-one mathematics program in the U.S. today, the
research-based enVisionMATH curriculum was developed by the education services and technology company Pearson in collaboration with the leading mathematics education experts in the country and classroom teachers. The research results indicate that the longer students learned with enVisionMATH, the greater their gains were on the Group Mathematics Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GMADE) and the MAT8 in math concepts, problem solving, and communication. For example, third graders gained nearly four grade-level equivalents in math concepts and problem solving after two years with the program, which is double the growth that the typical student will see over the course of two years.
Erin Moriarty, who taught the Griffin School fourth graders participating in the research study, said, “When I taught math using our old series, the children would often say, ‘I don’t like math; math is boring.’ I often supplemented the series with games and activities. I don’t have to anymore. With enVisionMATH’s real-world connections and games, they are excited and eager to start each lesson. They even like doing their homework. It’s nice to hear students saying, ‘math is fun.’” She added, “The students feel challenged and successful. I can easily level student homework each night and the parents really appreciate the challenges their children accomplish with this program.”
continued to page 9- Research Study
Litchfield Schools Take Part
And so, the process began. Eight months later, including pie sales, Yankee Candle sales, raking yards, speedway clean-up, concerts, Cabaret weekend, and a little help from a very special group of music department supporters, our music students from Alvirne High School headed down to Walt Disney World to have not only a magical day, but a magical week.
On Sunday, April 25, at 3:30 a.m., Group A met at Alvirne to depart for Logan Airport on Flight 961, and Group B followed at 5 a.m. on Flight 431. Upon arriving, choral students were given the option of going to the parks, while band students stayed back to swim at the hotel and prepare for their three-hour “Your Instrumental” band clinic. The “You’re Instrumental” clinic immersed our band students into the world of the professional musician. Band students worked on their sight-reading, and prepared a polished performance of special Disney musical selections in a “studio recording environment.” Allen Grey, a professional Disney clinician, examined the skills, attitudes, and priorities that are essential to musical excellence. The workshop culminated with two special recordings of our band performing music, along with a portion of a Disney animated feature film. Afterwards, the band students boarded their busses and met the choral students and chaperones at Golden Corral Buffet for a well-deserved dinner. Then, at 12 a.m., it was lights out! On Monday, April 26, students
were awakened by 7:30 a.m. for breakfast at the All Star Music Food Court, and then off to the theme parks for a free day until 8 p.m. Italy Isola plaza in Epcot was reserved for the (250) students, chaperones, and tag-a-longs for
The Simpsons ride was one of my personal favorites. Then, at 6 p.m., we had dinner at the Hard Rock, did some souvenir shopping, and then went back to our hotel, where the choir entertained the guests with an impromptu rehearsal/concert. Wednesday, April 28, was an early day with a 6:30 a.m. wake-up. At 8 a.m., the AHS marching Band and Colorguard were waking up the hotel guests as they began their marching practice for “Main St. USA” on Thursday. After the rehearsal, Band and Colorguard performers headed off to the theme parks, as our chorus departed the hotel for their choral performance in
Allyson Jutras, what bus are you on?
downtown Disney. The choirs were met
with much enthusiasm not only by their parents, relatives, and friends, but also by the guests who stopped and listened to the mellifluous tones of Alvirne’s finest vocalist. The Disney host complimented Mrs. Beaton on having the most enjoyable vocal group this season. After the performance, some choral students went back to the theme parks, back to the hotel for swimming, or stayed to explore downtown Disney. At 5:30 p.m., we ate dinner at Planet Hollywood, followed by a 9 p.m. performance of La Nouba, a mesmerizing and extraordinary, avant-garde circus spectacle performed by Cirque du Soleil. After the performance, it was back to the hotel for lights out at 12 a.m. Seven a.m. on Thursday was a bit early for some of our performers, but the excitement of the upcoming parade was starting to percolate. After a 7:30 a.m. breakfast, our choir students headed out to their “Disney Sings” clinic. This clinic immersed the group into the world of the professional vocalist. Students learned audition skills, warm-
continued to page 9- Main Street USA
submitted by Gerry Bastien, District Coordinator, Director of Bands, Alvirne High School
Dear Mr. Bell, I am requesting
your permission and School Board approval to take the Alvirne High School Bronco Marching Band and Colorguard, as well as the B Naturals/Mixed Choir members and Jazz Band to perform and participate in instrumental/choral clinics at Disney Magic Music Days, Orlando, FL, from April 25-April 30, during our Spring Vacation…
dinner and the Illumination light show. On Tuesday, April 27, a 7 a.m. wake-up was followed by breakfast and an 8:30 a.m. departure for Universal. There was free time at Universal or Islands of Adventure. At 11:30 a.m., Jazz Band members met to prepare for their performance on the City Walk Stage—another stellar performance. Then, we went back to the park for making memories on some of the world’s most cutting-edge rides, shows, and interactive attractions.
Supported Through Advertisers
ECRWSS
PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HUDSON, NH 03051
PERMIT NO. 33 Postal Customer
courtesy photos
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28