Kindess Tree and Lettuce Harvest

  On Friday we had our first assembly on one of the Clipper Values: Kindness. The values were adopted by the district through the strategic planning process. We discussed kindness as a school, watched two videos of adults and students performing acts of kindness, and students were given a challenge. The challenge is to greet everyone you see with a smile and hello/wave. We also created a "Kindness Tree" to recognize acts of kindness throughout our school day. Students and staff can write the act of kindness on a leaf and it will be hung on the tree.

Students harvested the first crop of lettuce from
the Garden Tower in our STEM lab. The lettuce
is used in our Molin cafeteria during the lunch blocks!

Berkshire Hills Music Troupe

     Molin students clapped their way through last Thursday's assembly. The Berkshire Hills Music Troupe performed a variety of songs and shared personal stories about their disabilities. Their message was one of acceptance and a celebration of diversity. The Berkshire Hills Music Academy offers a post-secondary program as well as a long-term graduate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. The Performance Troupe has existed since the Academy opened in 2001 and they continue to travel and perform throughout the state and beyond. We hope to have them back every year!

We love seeing our students sporting their Clipper Pride gear! 

Teachers PD

Teachers discussing a growth mindset. 

On the early release day yesterday, Molin staff worked in groups on topics of their choosing from the district strategic plan. Teachers discussed project-based learning, alternative assessments, Habits of Mind, growth mindset, building stronger parent and community connections, and more. The early release time is highly valuable as there is never enough time for educators to work together to enhance teaching and learning. The work on these topics will continue throughout the year. 

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

     October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and all Molin students will participate in lessons from the research-based curriculum, Second Step's Bullying Prevention Unit. The lessons cover recognizing, reporting and refusing bullying behaviors, as well as understanding the role of the bystander. The definition of bullying is: 

Bullying is unfair and

one-sided. It happens when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening or leaving someone out on purpose.

     In addition to these lessons, the Molin students will participate in assemblies on core values such as respect, responsibility, kindness, perseverance, and reflection. 

Composting!

Good Afternoon Molin Community,

     The goal of these posts is to share the day to day workings at the Molin School; things you may not hear about for one reason or another. There are so many wonderful learning opportunities for students and I hope you will enjoy learning along with them. 
     Did you know that our 5th graders are learning how to compost? The fifth grade received an NEF/Place-Based Education grant to begin composting. The Molin 5th graders took a walking field trip last week to a few neighbor's yards to learn about their different ways of composting. This is directly connected to the 5th grade science standards and students will be testing the effectiveness of two different composters throughout the school year.