WOBURN – Principal Matthew Comenitz is pleased to share that Reeves Elementary School is one of seven schools in Massachusetts that has been selected to pilot the Playful Learning Institute (PLI) initiative to integrate play in the classroom.The Playful Learning Institute pilot initiative, launched by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Early Learning Team in partnership with Boston Public Schools, is designed to help participants gain the tools and strategies to intentionally design and embed playful learning in classrooms Pre-K through Grade 3. Reeves Elementary School was one of seven schools in the state selected to participate and was awarded $18,500 in grant funding to implement the pilot program. The grant funds were used for materials, participation in professional development, stipends, and substitutes.Playful learning supports deep dives into content, creates equitable access to learning for all children, and creates many varied opportunities for authentic assessment, particularly during instructional blocks across the content areas. Reeves Elementary will implement several playful learning strategies into students’ curriculum as part of the initiative including Read Alouds and Text Talks, Center and Studios, Thinking and Feedback, Writing, Storytelling and Story Acting, and Community Meeting. On Wednesday, Oct. 25, Reeves Elementary’s PLI Coach Megina Baker and Woburn High School Theater Director Noah Thomas will visit Reeves to lead students in a Story Acting lesson.”We are thrilled to be given this opportunity to participate in the Playful Learning Institute and implement playful learning in our classrooms at Reeves Elementary,” said Principal Comenitz. “Play has clear benefits for a student’s social and emotional well-being both in and out of the classroom. We are excited to see how this program helps our students grow.”
Reeves Elementary began training for the PLI in May, and the program was fully implemented for the 2023-24 school year.More information on the Playful Learning Institute (PLI) initiative and playful learning strategies can be found here.