2
TO: Secondary Students and Staff
DATE: May 23, 2016
FROM: Alexa Kontes and Pat McCall
Meetings this week include:
Mon, May 23 10:10am BSP mtg DP led by Andrea, 11W
10:25am BSP mtg led by Andrea, 11W
AEC Dan
Tues, May 24 9:45am CR for MA led by Linde, 11W
9:45am IEP for TM led by Michele, IMC
AEC Bryce
Wed, May 35 8:30am ZB, ZG, JP, interview at Newton Wellesley Hospital
9am Howe Building Committee mtg, TBD
9:30a Student Community Service Breakfast, GCST, MPR1
10:15am CR for MD with home district, IMC
11am IEP for HB led by Grace, 11W
11am ELP graduation, Dwight Hall
11:30am ILC, 11W
2:15pm May mtg
AEC Rachel
Thurs, May 26 9:45am SB IEP, led by Randi, IMC
9:45am CR for IA, led by MM, 11W
10:40am Rome and Juliet soliloquies, led by Jeanne, Chapel 10:40am post-eval, led by Chris U, 11W
1:20pm Brooks mtg
AEC Rachel
Fri, May 27 10:10am CR for YL, led by Kristen Fraser, 11W
10:10am Howe Building room planning, open forum led by Pat, IMC
AEC Chris
If you would like to submit something for the newsletter, please email it to Alexa Kontes by Wednesday at 4:00. Any students interested in reporting for the newsletter should contact Alexa.
Congratulations to Mercedes Austin who is the Secondary Program Student of the Month!
Open house planning meeting for all interested will take place on Friday, May 27 at 10:10am in the IMC
Reminder to staff and students: Please remember to close your documents and/or websites once you have finished using the computers in the library.
On Thursday evening 5/26 @7:30 the secondary chorus will present their annual collaboration with Revels - an evening of songs, dances and games celebrating the arrival of springI All are invited to this fun evening!
The chorus will have a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, 5/25 from 6:30-8:30 in Dwight Hall
For the performance on Thursday, chorus members must be in the hall by 6:30, dressed in white shirt and white, or as light as possible pants
The Voice Recital is fast approaching and will include performances by Mikolai Friend, Alex Figueroa, Laura Boelens, Nick Klayman, Melissa LeClerc, Bella Scott, Ben Light TBD, Bill White TBD, and special guest Zach Bennoui. The performance is on June 2nd at 7pm in Dwight Hall. Performers should be dressed in dressy clothes and arrive no later than 6:30pm on stage. Please email Jennie O’Brien with any questions at jennie.o’
Theatre Arts presents “Too Many Doctors” based on Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid. Join us in Dwight Hall on Wednesday June 8th at 7pm and June 7th at 10:15am. There will be a tech rehearsal on Monday June 6th at 1:30pm. Please email Jennie O’Brien with any questions at jennie.o’
The community service breakfast will be on Wed., May 25th, from 9:30 to 10:30 in the Grousbeck Center, MPR1. The following students and staff will be attending (likely to be a few additions/changes):
Ronen Young, Logan, Laura B., Michael Daggett, Ben Light, Mercedes, Brendan, Stephanie B., Ally , William R., Alex M., Elloise, Sophia, Jimmy, Mikolai, Omar, Patrick, Bill W., Jack , Jonah, Brian M.
Staff: Randi, Justin, Karen M., Dave M., Matt C., Deb K., Kevin L., Vera, Jodi, Jeannie G., Kathy B.
Radio Drama Recreation Program Has Begun!
Radio drama is a unique experience which incorporates elements of live theatre, radio broadcasting, and conventional cinema, which gives students an opportunity to tell a story using auditory techniques that pull from all three of these disciplines. Students with visual impairments can learn about this experience in a 9-week program. Sign up for this enrichment course with Jennie O’Brien (Secondary) x7595 or Chris Corry (Grousbeck Center) x 7729. The program needs at least 6 students to make the commitment for the full program and walk-ins will be accommodated on a week-to-week basis. Course description:
Session 1: Overview of program; microphone techniques; Session 2: Developing the group; Session 3: Rehearsal techniques; Session 4: Vocal expression and character development techniques; Session 5: Sound effects both low tech and high tech; Session 6: Assign parts for radio drama to be produced for Perkins Radio and rehearse. First recording session. Listen to playback and decide re: sound effects.; Session 7: Rehearse for radio drama and include sound effects. Second recording session; Session 8: Rehearse for radio drama in final format; Third recording session.; Session 9: Launch party and students receive their copy
When you sign up, please indicate your learning media including font and font size. This program will be a lot of fun!
Now on view through the donation of the International Life Cast Museum: Classical Composers of the Romantic Era, featuring Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, is on display in the Tactile Museum hallway in the Howe Building, west basement level. The Life Cast Museum would like feedback about its displays. I am offering some gift certificates to the Student Store/Snack Bar as a thank you for doing this after you visit with your students. The US Civil War Life Cast Display, featuring Ulysses S Grant and Robert E Lee will continue to be on view in the Southwest corridor, near Dwight Hall.
Word of the Week: mosey: to move in a leisurely, relaxed manner.
Due to the All Staff meeting, Cello Club will not meet this week. We will meet in June instead.
On Wednesdays, Anicia Almeida, Michael Cote, and Izzy Primeau prepare lunches 2nd thru 5th. On Thursdays, Aiden Stott, Alex Figueroa, and Mikolai Friendare block scheduled toprepare lunches. Zach Gousie assists during 2nd period. This is an on- campus paid work experience. We plan in advance for it, and order and buy food ahead of time for class. So, please do not schedule these students to participate in other activities during their food service class time without contacting Karen Keeler and discussing it 2 weeks ahead of time. This includes participation in assemblies, rehearsals, plays, meetings, sports activities, field trips, concerts, etc. Thank you for your cooperation. We are looking forward to a delicious year of serving you. Thank you, Karen Keeler
Reminder: Secondary now has an advice column called Howe and Why. If you have a question, or would like to sign up to be a columnist, contact .
New in IMC: tactile calipers; APH: All Board Express Sight Word kit;
New in Tactile Museum: bull horns and hoof
Margie has a bag on her classroom door, room 114 Howe West for redeemable cans and bottles. We recycle and donate the money to a good cause every few months. Please leave cans and bottles in the bag.
Margie recycles ink jet cartridges; please leave them in her mailbox or in the bag on her door.
Margie donated $25 of can /bottle money to the USO for the soldiers in honor of Memorial Day.
If you are interested in delivering produce and herbs from the student garden to the Watertown Food Pantry, please contact Deb Krause. The pantry is open Tuesdays 10-12 and Thursdays 4-6. You can also harvest and prepare the produce or just pick it up at the Horticulture Center to deliver it weekly or occasionally. Tuesdays 2nd period can work well or Thursdays 7th period – we can discuss other options.
Please contribute to the Sunshine Fund. Donations can be given to Kendra.
This year we will be focusing on two general rules for all students:
1. Students are expected to be on time for class (teachers should keep attendance)
2. Students should be prepared, including having technology charged and materials organized.
We will continue to focus on our Secondary Program standards in addition to the new campus-wide Core Values initiative.
Secondary Standards:
We RESPECT each other, and we respect ourselves.
We HELP each other to become better citizens and to achieve our goals.
We CREATE and SUPPORT an atmosphere promoting high achievement and independence.
We are EMPOWERED to grow and advocate for ourselves.
We HONOR our rights and responsibilities as members of the Perkins community.
Please note: The library will close promptly at 4:00 on Tuesdays for the remainder of the school year. There will be no after school study hall or clubs on Tuesdays.
We, William and Stephanie, are doing a job called “Goodwill”. What we do is collect items such as, clothes, shoes, toys and books. We are going to donate these items to Goodwill and other donation spots. If you have any lightly used or new items please email Ms. Randi and we will pick them up as soon as we can.
Thank you for your support!
Notes for Staff
If you need any books for summer school, please email Alexa as soon as possible.
Staff Book Group will meet on Wednesday, June 1st at 12:30 in GCST.
Are you interested in working in our Outreach summer program? If so, we are beginning the recruitment process for summer 2016. We have opportunities for 1 week, 3 week and 5 week programs and are in need of teachers, teaching assistants, awake overnights, assistant coordinators, coordinators and others (see attached job posting for more details).
If you are interested, you can submit an internal application on AskHowe through the link below:
https://askhowe.perkins.org/resources/internal-transfer-application-0
App requests for Perkins iPads can be made by completing the app request form. App requests are not automatically granted. Each request will be reviewed separately by the program’s technology liaison or collectively by the school educational technology committee, depending on the app purpose and cost. Staff may be required to justify the purchase of an app request with additional details. Betsey will confirm your request with you. http://goo.gl/forms/87cM5T70YB
Options for learning UEB, the new Unified English Braille Code:
Learn UEB
https://askhowe.perkins.org/announcements/transitioning-unified-english-braille
· 2015 UEB Training Calendar –File types:Word,print PDF
· NLS Braille Transcriber Course –For information about the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) braille transcriber course:https://nfb.org/braille-transcribing
· Introduction to Unified English Braille:Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired –http://www.wcbvi.k12.wi.us/outreach/ueb-introduction
· CNIB Transcriber's UEB Course– File types:Word,print PDF,BRF, andDXB.
http://www.cnib.ca/en/living/braille/Pages/Transcribers-UEB-Course.aspx
· The Hadley School for the Blind UEB Courses;For information on Hadley UEB courses, visithttp://hadley.edu/UEBTransition.asp
· New Zealand UEB Manual–NZ UEB manual pdf tutorial
· Unified English Braille: Australian Training Manual 2014–Australian Training Manual website
· UEB Online– New onlineUEB coursefrom the RIDBC in Sydney, designed for sighted readers
Northern Illinois University: UEBOT . They have a federal grant so this one is also free. http://uebot.niu.edu/
Want students to use your computer, but not have access to your files, etc? You can have them log onto your computer with this log-in:
username: SecStudent
password: S3condary
Reminder to staff. All schedule changes should be submitted in writing on the schedule change request form and will go through Joan.
Reminder, please email the for any assistance with your phone, computer, ink printer, internet, server, wifi, or standard software issues such as Outlook, Word, Excel. Call the Helpdesk at 7669 if it is an urgent/work stoppage issue. IT Dept would like you to utilize the Helpdesk lines rather than contacting individuals unless requested otherwise by them. Please contact Betsey Sennott, Secondary’s technology liaison for any issues you may have with any assistive technology, iPads, and for the installation of Assistive Technology/specialized software. She will help you determine if it’s an issue she can address and provide support for, or if it should be addressed by the Helpdesk/IT Dept.
The brailler, embosser paper, and boldline paper is kept in 11w (w241). These papers are located on the bookshelves at the back of the room. The shelves have been labeled. Please try to only take what you need as you need it. The boxes have been labeled. If you need to open a box, please close it when done and try not to leave loose paper on the shelves. Dust on the paper results in brailler and embosser damage.
If you would like to assign your students to 4:00pm study hall, please contact Alexa. There will be no 4:00 study hall on Tuesdays from now through June.
Reminder: Please do not reassign students to the library during break unless you speak with Alexa first. Thank you.
All requests for new technology equipment (equipment, software, Assistive Technology) are submitted to Betsey Sennott, Secondary’s technology liaison, who then submits a purchase request, with Pat McCall’s approval.
Catalogs for the Instructional Materials Center, Tactile Museum, Educational Videos and Staff Videos can be found on AskHowe. Please contact Betsey to use materials. You can ask her if we have a particular APH product before ordering it yourself. https://askhowe.perkins.org/department/resources/curriculum-resources/13
Please clink on the link for a calendar of SPED events and resources in MA: http://www.spedchildmass.com/
Secondary Program FINAL Music Schedule 2015-2016
May
25 – Rehearsal with Revels, (Chorus participates) - 6:15 PM
26 – Revels/Perkins collaborative performance, (Chorus participates) - 7:30 PM
June
2- Annual Voice Recital
6 – Theater Arts Group Dress/Tech rehearsal – 1:30 PM
7 – Theater Arts Group performance: in- school performance - Break & 3rd Period
8 - Theater Arts Group - 7:00 PM
14 – Talent Show - 1:30 – 4:00 PM
16 – Final Assembly - 10:45 AM
17 – Graduation: (Chorus/Chamber Singers participate) 11:00 AM